• 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.

Which DI? REDDI? Avalon U5? Summit? The Brick? JDI?

Which DI for my live setup?

  • Total voters
    115
#41
The Phil Jones Bass Buddy is "da bomb"! It has a 5 band eq, built in compressor, 1/8" line in, headphone amp, 10 watt power amp, active/passive switch, & built like a tank. I don't even use an amp anymore because it does everything I need. Actually, I run a line from our monitor mixer to the line in and use it as my IEM mixer. The built in compressor is average at best but the eq & headphone amp more than makes up for any other short comings. The tone of the Bass Buddy is so good that Nathan East has used it to record whole albums. It's like the swiss army knife of di's.
 
#42
Munjibunga said:
The U5 and Reddi are great DIs, but they are losers in the bang-for-buck category for live sound. There's really no need for them on stage. I'd go with a JDI or J48. If you want tone shaping, then maybe a SansAmp ParaDriver DI.

Unless you are recording, there's no justification for the extra cash. I have used my U5 on stage, and it sounded fine, but I'm the only one who might've discerned any difference between it and a Radial or Countryman, but maybe not.
Click to expand...

To go a step further, I hear no real difference (live at the venues I play) between a Radial JDI and the DI in my Shuttle head. That eliminates yet another stop in the signal chain. Bass-->Amp/DI-->Cab/FOH. Can't get to much more simple and clean than that. I use the tuner out on the head as well. I'd love to have a cool DI, but right now I can't justify it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zbysek
#43
I vote JDI. Built like a tank and clean, clean, clean.

Did I mention it's clean?

I mean, it sparkles. (But it's not a vegetarian.)

Seriously - for live use or recording, the JDI wins for clean, uncoloured tone on any electric instrument. The differences between it and your average amp DI/DI-du-jour are, admittedly, subtle - and I can honestly say that not many folks care, and nor should they - but I do, and the JDI wins for me in that camp.

However, if you want toneshaping and versatility, I'd reccomend the Sansamp - get the BDDIP if you can. I picked up both a JDI and a BDDIP a few weekends ago, and, well...

...I no longer use my amp to record.
 
#44
Didn't you just pick up an RH450? I've done a lot of comparisons with the JDI, J48, U5 and RH450. Pros and cons of each, but the RH450's DI is as nice as anything I've ever used.
 
#45
I've been using IEMs in my band and decided to bring out my REDDI to see what it might sound like compared to the Radial DI I was using.

The REDDI kills! It's worth it to me. The tone has so much more girth and dimension - you feel like you are playing through an amp. I just love the sound so much.

Lakland Hollowbody (Darkstar PU's) > Korg Pitchblack tuner > Aguilar TLC Compressor > Aguilar Octomizer > REEDI > monitors/house.
 
#46
hensonbass said:
I've been using IEMs in my band and decided to bring out my REDDI to see what it might sound like compared to the Radial DI I was using.

The REDDI kills! It's worth it to me. The tone has so much more girth and dimension - you feel like you are playing through an amp. I just love the sound so much.
Click to expand...

You bring up a great point. At FOH DI's can sound a bit different, but all in all the difference is negligible in a full band mix. As long as they are clean, you are getting what they are designed for.
IEM's are a whole other ball game IMO. First off you usually favor your instrument (bass in this case) in your mix. Hearing it cleanly and accurately is essential. In this instance, I believe a good sounding DI is essential. Having good reliable earbuds that you trust, is also a huge part of the equation. I did a ABCDE test to see which DI sounded best for my personal IEM mix. I lined up the following: Countryman, Radial JDI, JDV, Sans Amp, Whirlwind Hot Box, and one other obscure DI I heard about over on prosoundweb. One by one I played the same passages to see if any stood out among the others. That last obscure DI turned out to be the clear winner. While the others sounded good, their similarities didn't set them apart. The winner was a passive DI made by a Canadian company. It was the Cable Factory DI-PRO-P1. It has a Lundahl transformer which is used in many high end consoles. It had a warmth to it that just sounded better in my IEM's. Would it make a huge difference at FOH? Probably not, but I need to have a sound I like and trust just mm's from my ear drums.
As far as recording, once again your tone is under a microscope. There are several good pre's out there, some that cost far more than others. I have not personally used a REDDI, but I have heard recordings done with one. That thing is just downright FAT! Three things in my opinion sets good recordings apart from what seem like low budget attempts. The first, unmistakable thing is the kick. Weak kick= weak recording. Secondly, thin or hollow bass tracks are a sure deal killer. And lastly, a GOOD vocal reverb can make an average recording sound so much better. $600 for a REDDI can seem like a hefty price just to get the bass track down, but any studio, or even home recording option, should spend the $$ and be sure one of the fundamental things in any good recording in accounted for.
 
#49
At this time its pretty simple for me.

Live: Radial JDV (usually) or a JDI that I will always bring with me.

Studio: Reddi
 
#50
I'm a BIG fan of the avalon U5! When I show up with it at a gig the big venue sound guys are like......aaaahhhhh! I use it in the studio as well as a direct preamp live for some shows. If you are using a good power amp behind it, the avalon will SPEAK to you. Now this is just my biased opinion........but it was worth every penny to me!
 
#51
basswave said:
At this time its pretty simple for me.

Live: Radial JDV (usually) or a JDI that I will always bring with me.

Studio: Reddi
Click to expand...
The Radial JDV seems to get little attention here. Glad to see it mentioned in the context of the Reddi. Although the JDV is not a tube DI, it is an active class-A circuit.

Is the JDV circuit tone coloring like the Reddi? If so, is it similar or quite different?

If it is transparent, why would one prefer it to a passive JDI (as the JDV costs twice as much)?
 
#52
#53
I have a REDDI, a JDI, and probably some Whirlwinds sitting in a trunk in my garage . . .

The REDDI lives in my studio---I've taken it to other studios a few times, but I never haul it out live--too big, and I don't wanna beat it up. The JDI goes everywhere I go--live or studio. I feel the JDI is simply a ridiculously great piece of gear for not much money--studio quality and great-sounding, built like a friggin' tank, it will never let you down. I'd let go of my REDDI before my JDI frankly if I had to choose.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zbysek
#57
I'm an RNDI man, just because it's what I happen to have. Couldn't tell you how it sounds live thru foh but I suspect it's just fine. Have only used it that way a handful of times. Good for recording bass tracks into DAW.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back