• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

The best DI box for bass

#142
My current and long time fav is my trusty Groove Tubes DITTO Box.
I used it and the Reddi on a session a while back. The Reddi was "bigger" sounding, but my Ditto was tighter.
We ended up using the Ditto for about 80% of the songs.
The Reddi for the rest.

A "never go wrong built like a tank" DI is the Countryman.
I really like it.
Awesome for live use
 
#144
Red Planet said:
This might be a little out of the norm but I use my Shuttle 9.0 as DI in the Studio all the time. I only take the Shuttle/no cab.
Click to expand...

My Streamliner 900 has a great sounding DI.
Some sound guys hear with their eyes about taking a line off an amp.
At least in a live situation.

I've only done this a few times, and it was on club dates, but a while back at a very well known country bar here in Metro Detroit, the sound guy flat out refused to take any signal from my amp. Just wanted the DI straight off my bass.

Now, normally I dont really mind as I dont use any effects or really EQ a ton. But he was exceptionally jerky about it. Making comments that all bas amp DIs are noisy and sound like crap, hes never heard a good tone from one etc....just a d!ck.

After being reasonable and asking him to at least listen to it first, and getting nowhere, I let him plug his Whirlwind DI in BEFORE my compressor(the only thing I had between my bass and amp.

We sound check and all goes ok.
I disconnect thw XLR from his DI and plug it into the DI on my amp (without telling him) and we play the night like that.

End of the night I ask how the bass sounded....."Great! Sounded real good. I like that bass".
About 5 min later he asked of I unplugged the XLR from his DI as it was just sitting on the drum riser.
I said "no, its been where it was all night, plugged into the back of my amp."
I got "the look" as he unplugged it. I've really only done that a few times. Just to prove a point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Charlie Tuna and timmit65
#149
Gab124 said:
I agree with everything said here. I have a REDDI, and not because I am a high end player or get hired for big shows - but simply because I really really like the way it sounds. It is the only DI that I prefer over an amp on nearly all levels. And, (this is the main reason) I can afford it and I enjoy playing through it. A radial, or any other quality small box, would most certainly do the job for my level, but they are not nearly as fun to me.
Click to expand...

What reason do you need besides you really like how it sounds? :)
 
#150
DI should do the following:
1) galvanic separation
2) providing microphone signal level to FOH
3) very well signal to noise ratio "on the line" but all DI's do that because all DI's are "balanced".


BTW I never heard about a external tube driven line level buffer for the effect loop (or the inserts of a mix console).
 
#151
MikeBass said:
My Streamliner 900 has a great sounding DI.
Some sound guys hear with their eyes about taking a line off an amp.
At least in a live situation.

I've only done this a few times, and it was on club dates, but a while back at a very well known country bar here in Metro Detroit, the sound guy flat out refused to take any signal from my amp. Just wanted the DI straight off my bass.

Now, normally I dont really mind as I dont use any effects or really EQ a ton. But he was exceptionally jerky about it. Making comments that all bas amp DIs are noisy and sound like crap, hes never heard a good tone from one etc....just a d!ck.

After being reasonable and asking him to at least listen to it first, and getting nowhere, I let him plug his Whirlwind DI in BEFORE my compressor(the only thing I had between my bass and amp.

We sound check and all goes ok.
I disconnect thw XLR from his DI and plug it into the DI on my amp (without telling him) and we play the night like that.

End of the night I ask how the bass sounded....."Great! Sounded real good. I like that bass".
About 5 min later he asked of I unplugged the XLR from his DI as it was just sitting on the drum riser.
I said "no, its been where it was all night, plugged into the back of my amp."
I got "the look" as he unplugged it. I've really only done that a few times. Just to prove a point.
Click to expand...

That is funny and a good story. They will either take my DI from my Genz Benz or do without Bass. :D
 
#152
MikeBass said:
My Streamliner 900 has a great sounding DI.
Some sound guys hear with their eyes about taking a line off an amp.
At least in a live situation.

I've only done this a few times, and it was on club dates, but a while back at a very well known country bar here in Metro Detroit, the sound guy flat out refused to take any signal from my amp. Just wanted the DI straight off my bass.

Now, normally I dont really mind as I dont use any effects or really EQ a ton. But he was exceptionally jerky about it. Making comments that all bas amp DIs are noisy and sound like crap, hes never heard a good tone from one etc....just a d!ck.

After being reasonable and asking him to at least listen to it first, and getting nowhere, I let him plug his Whirlwind DI in BEFORE my compressor(the only thing I had between my bass and amp.

We sound check and all goes ok.
I disconnect thw XLR from his DI and plug it into the DI on my amp (without telling him) and we play the night like that.

End of the night I ask how the bass sounded....."Great! Sounded real good. I like that bass".
About 5 min later he asked of I unplugged the XLR from his DI as it was just sitting on the drum riser.
I said "no, its been where it was all night, plugged into the back of my amp."
I got "the look" as he unplugged it. I've really only done that a few times. Just to prove a point.
Click to expand...

Thats great-I went to a session a couple months ago and showed up early. I brought in my Streamliner 900 and asked the engineer if he would mind if I just play a bit and if he would record so I could hear what it sounded like recorded. Ended up using it on all 13 songs-mostly pre EQ but did probably 4 post EQ with some slight tweaking.Then recorded another project here at home for a local guy-used the Streamliner again for fun.Sounds good to me.

That said Id love to try the REDDI-though by your description sounds like the DITTO may be more of my flavor.
 
#155
bassjam said:
Thats great-I went to a session a couple months ago and showed up early. I brought in my Streamliner 900 and asked the engineer if he would mind if I just play a bit and if he would record so I could hear what it sounded like recorded. Ended up using it on all 13 songs-mostly pre EQ but did probably 4 post EQ with some slight tweaking.Then recorded another project here at home for a local guy-used the Streamliner again for fun.Sounds good to me.

That said Id love to try the REDDI-though by your description sounds like the DITTO may be more of my flavor.
Click to expand...

Yeah - IME/IMO, the Streamliner DI sounds fantastic thru a good FOH - I haven't recorded one yet, but I'm sure it would kill there, too...

I kinda think of the Streamliner as a great tube driven preamp/DI with a great amp section in the same chassis...

After also using a ShuttleMax 12.0 for a little while, I'm convinced that the -Max series are more versatile, and although I'll probably get one of my own in the future, I'd miss some of the things the Streamliner does too much to flip it...


- georgestrings
 
#157
MikeBass said:
My current and long time fav is my trusty Groove Tubes DITTO Box.
I used it and the Reddi on a session a while back. The Reddi was "bigger" sounding, but my Ditto was tighter.
We ended up using the Ditto for about 80% of the songs.
The Reddi for the rest.

A "never go wrong built like a tank" DI is the Countryman.
I really like it.
Awesome for live use
Click to expand...

Your right Mike the countryman is so standard. I am starting to feel Radial to be that. Semi but affordable expensive, but does a professional job. I have to try the Ditto box. By the way I see you have 2 older SWR 410's. In my opinion they are the better 410's around. Smaller yet a great bottom end. A friend of mine had a Alembic F2B with an old carvin power amp, with one of those. Wow. Eden made them then. You have some good equipment. Therefore I have to try the Ditto.
 
#158
MikeBass said:
My Streamliner 900 has a great sounding DI.
Some sound guys hear with their eyes about taking a line off an amp.
At least in a live situation.

I've only done this a few times, and it was on club dates, but a while back at a very well known country bar here in Metro Detroit, the sound guy flat out refused to take any signal from my amp. Just wanted the DI straight off my bass.

Now, normally I dont really mind as I dont use any effects or really EQ a ton. But he was exceptionally jerky about it. Making comments that all bas amp DIs are noisy and sound like crap, hes never heard a good tone from one etc....just a d!ck.

After being reasonable and asking him to at least listen to it first, and getting nowhere, I let him plug his Whirlwind DI in BEFORE my compressor(the only thing I had between my bass and amp.

We sound check and all goes ok.
I disconnect thw XLR from his DI and plug it into the DI on my amp (without telling him) and we play the night like that.

End of the night I ask how the bass sounded....."Great! Sounded real good. I like that bass".
About 5 min later he asked of I unplugged the XLR from his DI as it was just sitting on the drum riser.
I said "no, its been where it was all night, plugged into the back of my amp."
I got "the look" as he unplugged it. I've really only done that a few times. Just to prove a point.
Click to expand...

I am a bass player (17 yrs) turned sound guy (14 yrs) and any sound guy who doesn't take the back out of a Streamliner 900 needs a slap.
I can see where they are hesitant, being a sound guy myself, but the Streamliner out is phenomenal and wins, wins, wins, over any basic active or passive DI I've used.
 
#160
stingraysvt said:
I am a bass player (17 yrs) turned sound guy (14 yrs) and any sound guy who doesn't take the back out of a Streamliner 900 needs a slap.
I can see where they are hesitant, being a sound guy myself, but the Streamliner out is phenomenal and wins, wins, wins, over any basic active or passive DI I've used.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the kind compliment.

The DI circuit was designed by a "non-bass" player (no preconceived personal tastes) with over 30 years of designing pro audio gear as well as plenty of FOH experience dealing with the touring market. I know what works in the real world, in real venues, with real players, looking for real tone... day in and day out with a minimum of fuss and muss.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back