Outboard Gear Direct Boxes
- Thread starterchausman
- Start date
DuckJordan
Touring IATSE Member
That is a very large question. What are you trying to achieve with the direct boxes. (ex. Are you trying to plug a guitar directly into the sound board? Are you trying to remove a ground loop created by an AC to DC power supply?)
There are many DI boxes, it really depends on what you're using the boxes for.
FWIW, I see more of the Countryman Type 85 DI than any other. It is also likely the most rider-friendly than any other.
Any other brands?
The second one I see most often is probably the Whirlwind IMP2. This Musician's Friend page has some good information, but obviously it doesn't discuss what the professional PA companies (Clair, ATK, MSI, dbSound, Sound Image, etc.) use.
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Also look at some of the Radial Engineering and ProCo products.
If you're going to run a guitar or bass that has passive pickups then they're used to seeing the very high impedance of an instrument input, which means they often work better with active pickups and may have an altered frequency response with a passive DI. At the same time, passive pickups need no power to operate and provide transformer isolation, so they can be good for keyboards, sub mixes, etc. But passive pickups are also very dependent on the quality of the transformer in them. cheaper transformers may not provide good response. Also, ProCo, Whirlwind, Radial and some others make DIs intended just for computer and iPod type use. SO as you can see, it is sometimes a good idea to have more than one type of DI box available.
If you're going to run a guitar or bass that has passive pickups then they're used to seeing the very high impedance of an instrument input, which means they often work better with active pickups and may have an altered frequency response with a passive DI. At the same time, passive pickups need no power to operate and provide transformer isolation, so they can be good for keyboards, sub mixes, etc. But passive pickups are also very dependent on the quality of the transformer in them. cheaper transformers may not provide good response. Also, ProCo, Whirlwind, Radial and some others make DIs intended just for computer and iPod type use. SO as you can see, it is sometimes a good idea to have more than one type of DI box available.
TheGuruat12
Member
We use Whirlwind Directors, and they work pretty well for direct from instrument as well as amplifier (they have a built-in pad)
I like the Countryman 85. They are rugged and sound as good as it gets. I have one that is at least 25 years old and works great. I just bought two more. They don't seem to care what signal level or source impedance you throw at them, and I have never had a ground loop hum from one. They are a bit pricey and require phantom power or a battery. Worth every penny.
I borrowed a Radial once, and had hum from less than stellar isolation (yes I checked the lift switch). It surprised me because I expected better.
I have had fine results with the ProCo CB-1, and they are very affordable. They hold up well, and the low-pass filter switch can be just the thing for harsh acoustic guitar pickups.
For a low budget project, I bought some Behringers. They worked just OK for a couple of years and are now failing. They were treated well and not used heavily. They were not a bargain in the long run. Stay away from these.
I borrowed a Radial once, and had hum from less than stellar isolation (yes I checked the lift switch). It surprised me because I expected better.
I have had fine results with the ProCo CB-1, and they are very affordable. They hold up well, and the low-pass filter switch can be just the thing for harsh acoustic guitar pickups.
For a low budget project, I bought some Behringers. They worked just OK for a couple of years and are now failing. They were treated well and not used heavily. They were not a bargain in the long run. Stay away from these.
DuckJordan
Touring IATSE Member
I know many a FOH guys who would argue with you about the electric guitar on DI, if your looking for a clean sound to mix in with their mic'ed amp cab, then its perfect, its also great when you are sending processing from FOH into the mix because an already distorted signal becomes in-comprehensible when you add more processing to an already processed mess.
Basically you don't want to put any instrument on DI box only unless you are looking for a completely clean sound coming to the console (what goes out from their is your doing). as far as DI's go EWI's are cheaper than whirlwind but they sound about the same, haven't heard any issues with mine yet...
Dionysus
Well-Known Member
I pretty much have to second the suggestions already made:
Radial, Love them, the price is good too. Sturdy, and sound good. They have a variety of different DIs to suit just about any needs.
Countryman type 85, they are expensive but they take touring really well. These are tanks... Literally seen one ran over by the truck and be fine. Gotta love Countryman!
The local community theatre has a bunch of Behringer Ultra-DI 100s. They WORK, they have PAD (2x) and LIFT and all that. They are not the greatest DI but they are REALLY CHEAP. I think the only time I've recommended Behringer.
Radial, Love them, the price is good too. Sturdy, and sound good. They have a variety of different DIs to suit just about any needs.
Countryman type 85, they are expensive but they take touring really well. These are tanks... Literally seen one ran over by the truck and be fine. Gotta love Countryman!
The local community theatre has a bunch of Behringer Ultra-DI 100s. They WORK, they have PAD (2x) and LIFT and all that. They are not the greatest DI but they are REALLY CHEAP. I think the only time I've recommended Behringer.
bishopthomas
Well-Known Member
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