which is the best sounding Radial DI for guitars?

[bejeeber]

Which is the best sounding Radial DI for guitars with passive pickups that is.

I'm currently DI recording with some old P-90's, a Bartolini floating humbucker, and a PAF type.

I'll be plugging this DI into my Fireface. So if i wanna go into a line in, bypassing the mic pre, I gotta get an active model DI, right? Does that "bypassing the pre" sound like the best approach, or is it as good or better to get a passive Radial DI with Jensen transformer and plug it into a mic input?

The guitar sounds will not be blatantly distorted in the mix. More clean toned, but with color and vibe (likely from plug-ins), is the intention.

[farview]

The DI does not bypass the mic preamp. The DI matches the impedance so you can go through the preamp without loading down the pickups.

I recommend the J48, I use it all the time for recording the reamp signal and just clean guitar at times. It seems to not leave a sonic footprint of its own.

[bejeeber]

Oh I should research this topic better.

I was thinking that the active version of the DI would output a level and impedance that would allow for plugging it into the Fireface line in, bypassing the mic pre, but apparently not!

[aitikin]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but all the active does is make it phantom powered.

[blackdiscoball]

an active direct box does use phantom power. It does everything a regular passive DI does, it just uses different electronics instead of a transformer.

[The Real MC]

Wrong, an active DI presents a higher input impedance that does not load down passive guitar pickups.

Passive DIs use transformers which have an input impedance that is too low for passive guitar pickups and it impacts the sound.

[bejeeber]

Now we're getting down to the nitty gritty - thanx MC.

Passive DIs use transformers which have an input impedance that is too low for passive guitar pickups and it impacts the sound.

So is there a consensus 'round here now that a Radial passive DI would likely adversely impact the sound of passive pickups, and therefore an active version of a Radial DI would be preferable?

[Meriphew]

Are you not able (too loud/no amp) to mic up an amp, or do you just prefer the sound that way?

[aitikin]

Amps sometimes just don't give you enough...definition on their own, so mixing a good DI and a mic cab work really well usually.

[Scodiddly]

Now we're getting down to the nitty gritty - thanx MC.

Passive DIs use transformers which have an input impedance that is too low for passive guitar pickups and it impacts the sound.

So is there a consensus 'round here now that a Radial passive DI would likely adversely impact the sound of passive pickups, and therefore an active version of a Radial DI would be preferable?

Yes. Doesn't necessarily have to be Radial, unless you got a gift certificate or something. Countryman, BSS, EWI (from Audiopile), plenty of others. We've got a few of the Radial J48 actives and they sound pretty good on everything.

[bejeeber]

Are you not able (too loud/no amp) to mic up an amp, or do you just prefer the sound that way?

More a case of not being able to mic up an amp.

And being able "play the part now, get the right amp sound after" (most likely with plugs), does have it's advantages for me, since I am both the player and the recordist.

[snatchman]

Which is the best sounding Radial DI for guitars with passive pickups that is.

I'm currently DI recording with some old P-90's, a Bartolini floating humbucker, and a PAF type.

I'll be plugging this DI into my Fireface. So if i wanna go into a line in, bypassing the mic pre, I gotta get an active model DI, right? Does that "bypassing the pre" sound like the best approach, or is it as good or better to get a passive Radial DI with Jensen transformer and plug it into a mic input?

The guitar sounds will not be blatantly distorted in the mix. More clean toned, but with color and vibe (likely from plug-ins), is the intention.

You can actually by-pass the Fireface pres with an active DI with an output control to go into the line ins. ( ie.. U-5 , Brick, Ditto, ADL, REDDI, etc.), depending on how much gain/drive you need. I think the Radial "hi-end" active DI ( $400'ish) has an output control.. Good luck..

[calaverasgrandes]

I think passive transformer DI's are better in some cases than active ones. Active DI's usually do have a higher input impedance. But they also seem to have more self noise. They also arent as good at rejecting 60 cycle hum, EMI and RFI. And shucks I just like me some transformer. Of course sometimes the active ones are preferable because they are faster sounding, sometimes the tranny ones are preffered because they are fatter sounding.

[farview]

I guess the real answer (as with anything audio) is "which ever one gives you the sound you are looking for".

If you have passive pickups, an active DI would be the technically correct answer. That will make the pickups behave correctly.

Of course, if you are going for a darker sound, a passive DI will do the trick.

All of them sound a little different as well.

That doesn't answer the question at all, does it?

[bejeeber]

Now I'm wishin I had both active and passive models to compare so I could choose the winner for my particular application.

I'd love to snag some tranny big McFatness on the way in, but probably wouldn't want to be losing significant higher freq content in the process.....