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The best DI box for bass

#264
Those DBXs are great.. That one has been in my chain since the 1980s...Its usually rack mounted.. i only hit one or two LEDS..
I found another on ebay for about $40 so i had to get it...
yes the SM9.2 has a great DI.. As good as any Countryman of Radial.. But my REDDI takes it to another level.. Especially for any gig that i have In ears. It makes the difference for me. Ive tried others and its not as satisfying..
I did a bar gig on Thursday.. and it was All In ears.. I brought my bass, cable, Tuner , Reddi and iPad for charts... I think i was packed up in 3 minutes after the gig and gone.
 
#265
I don't like the word best, but I'll share what I use, what I like and what I want.

I bought a Countryman 85 a while back and have found it to be simple to use and that it sounds pretty good. It is a quality no muss, no fuss answer to the DI question for an affordable price. Every sound guy that I've run across had liked it.

I bought one of the Ampeg SCR-DI boxes when it first came out, but honestly I wasn't intending to use it as a DI. I like to practice in my home office and I wanted a small, solution that sounded like decent and would allow me to plug my bass, iPod and headphones into. It works great for that purpose. But hey, it is a DI, so I brought it along to a drum gig and a bassist that I often work with used it. He LOVED it. I thought that it has a bit more character than the Countryman, but I wouldn't call it better or worse.

Lastly, I've worked with a bass player who uses a Reddi and I have used it a couple of times myself. Honestly, it sounds incredible and someday I have got to get one. It is the benchmark to me and is priced as such.
 
#266
For those of you considering the Countryman Type 85, check out the new and improved Type 10 first. Ive been using it for some time and was a Type 85 user for many years prior. I would say the 10 obsoletes the 85. Very similar, just a little sweeter.
 
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#268
taylor16 said:
What is the essential difference between the 85 and the 10?
Click to expand...

Better frequency response though the specs show its outside of human hearing ;) Lower noise, less distortion, better RF fitering, and additional pad settings. Its like everything the Type 85 got right but better. The best part for me is the power indicator switch which tells you if the battery or phantom power is engaged via an LED,

Something to note is that the ubiquitous Type 85 was released in 1985. Similarly the Type 10 came out in 2010. It benefits greatly from improvements in circuit components over the last 25 years. Both boxes are great but for a few more dollars, I wouldnt consider the 85 anymore. I havent A/Bd them properly and may never get the chance but I think the Type 10 is killer.

Countryman Type 10 | TalkBass.com
 
#269
I have a Type 85 that i got in the late 70s... Dont think your 85 date is correct
metron said:
Something to note is that the ubiquitous Type 85 was released in 1985. Similarly the Type 10 came out in 2010. It benefits greatly from improvements in circuit components over the last 25 years. Both boxes are great but for a few more dollars, I wouldnt consider the 85 anymore. I havent A/Bd them properly and may never get the chance but I think the Type 10 is killer.

Countryman Type 10 | TalkBass.com
Click to expand...
 
#271
svtb15 said:
I have a Type 85 that i got in the late 70s... Dont think your 85 date is correct
Click to expand...

Hmm I thought the 85 was based on on it being released in 1985. Maybe its a revision or something. The 10 was released in 2010. Perhaps there is more to that. Either way it underscores my point. The design of the 85 is old. The 10 is new and better!
 
#277
yeah.. Its was a long time ago.. so its a little foggy.. But i got my countryman around 1977 or so maybe '76.. I bought it after i did my first record for Columbia Records. All the studios had them. I doubt that anyone can count how many Huge hit records were made using the Type 85 FET DI in all of the major recording studios. Not including all the non hit records too. The Type 85's are still in use today at top US studios Ardent, Village , Record Plant ,Paramount in LA and NY.. .

No revisions on the Type 85 except for the painted Logo. Still the same as it ever was
Just because it it says it type 85 doesnt mean that is the year it came out..
I also believe that i saw the TYPE 10 out in the wild earlier than 2010. So i dont think that your theory works out with the numbering system you created.
You make many assumptions.. Not good on TB...:)
Also, just because something is new doesn't mean its always better.:rollno:

However The type 10 is a nice box.... But that also doesnt mean the type 85 is junk or obsolete ..





metron said:
Hmm I thought the 85 was based on on it being released in 1985. Maybe its a revision or something. The 10 was released in 2010. Perhaps there is more to that. Either way it underscores my point. The design of the 85 is old. The 10 is new and better!
Click to expand...
 
#279
svtb15 said:
yeah.. Its was a long time ago.. so its a little foggy.. But i got my countryman around 1977 or so maybe '76.. I bought it after i did my first record for Columbia Records. All the studios had them. I doubt that anyone can count how many Huge hit records were made using the Type 85 FET DI in all of the major recording studios. Not including all the non hit records too. The Type 85's are still in use today at top US studios Ardent, Village , Record Plant ,Paramount in LA and NY.. .

No revisions on the Type 85 except for the painted Logo. Still the same as it ever was
Just because it it says it type 85 doesnt mean that is the year it came out..
I also believe that i saw the TYPE 10 out in the wild earlier than 2010. So i dont think that your theory works out with the numbering system you created.
You make many assumptions.. Not good on TB...:)
Also, just because something is new doesn't mean its always better.:rollno:

However The type 10 is a nice box.... But that also doesnt mean the type 85 is junk or obsolete ..
Click to expand...

No they are both great boxes. What I meant is that if you are looking to buy a new one, dont bother with the 85.

I was sure I read the model number corresponded to the release year so I didnt make it up. It might have been at the link below I got that but if you say you used them before I was born I believe you. :)

Invalid Link Removed
 
#280
He says that "My first Countryman DIs were the ones I loaded into the workbox for my first tour in 1985".
Didnt say that it was released then.. But that was his first time to aquire one.
I bought mine at Manny's in NYC in the late 70s. My paint LOGO is one of the originals. Its slightly different that the newer look..
I know he says in that article " Last year Countryman went back to the drawing board, releasing their new Type 10 and, as you can see, the model numbers represent the year of release."

I know that is wrong with the type 85.. No idea where he got that info.. Im not 100% certain about the type 10 coming out in 2010. Sure it is possible on that one. But Im sure I saw one a few years earlier while on a show in LA.

I wouldn't keep on this subject ,but you initiated subjsect and defend it. At least the first half of what y0u said is inconsistent ny claiming the 1985 release date ..I know you read it in his article.. . so that is now why i question the other parts of the article too



metron said:
No they are both great boxes. What I meant is that if you are looking to buy a new one, dont bother with the 85.

I was sure I read the model number corresponded to the release year so I didnt make it up. It might have been at the link below I got that but if you say you used them before I was born I believe you. :)

Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...
 

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