What DI box would you recommend?

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rwc
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Post by rwc » Sat Dec 13, 2008 8:08 pm

I want my DI to be unbreakable, sound amazing, last forever, and cost under thirty dollars. :roll: :lol:
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Lemontree
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Post by Lemontree » Sun Dec 14, 2008 6:40 am

Had my countryman type 85 for over 10 years. It spent the first 6 years gigging heavily and the last 4 being constantly used in my studio. It's a TANK and it sounds great on bass.
suck 'em and see!

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calaverasgrandes
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Post by calaverasgrandes » Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:11 am

dynomike wrote: of course the DI input on some preamps (i'm thinking of the hamptones specifically) sounds better than a DI box into the same pre...

-mike
I like to do both simultaneously. Use a passive DI and a di input on a good pre. I never want to miss an opportunity to put a tranny in the path.
??????? wrote: "everything sounds best right before it blows up."

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Post by PublicMelody » Mon Dec 15, 2008 1:37 pm

dynomike wrote:i like radial best of the stuff i've used.

of course the DI input on some preamps (i'm thinking of the hamptones specifically) sounds better than a DI box into the same pre...

-mike
Yeah, what is it about the Hamptone JFET DI that sounds soooo damn good on bass? Really, even if I didn't like the mic amp, I would still keep this puppy around just for the DI (and I happen to love the mic amp).

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Post by hiddendriveways » Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:22 am

Lemontree wrote:Had my countryman type 85 for over 10 years. It spent the first 6 years gigging heavily and the last 4 being constantly used in my studio. It's a TANK and it sounds great on bass.
+1

The Countryman is the best step up from the Behringer. Going from a Behinger to the Countryman will be very pleasing.

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Post by joel hamilton » Tue Dec 16, 2008 7:26 am

As has been said in at least 258 threads on this subject in the last 6 months alone: The avalon U5. If you dont want to spend the money on the U5, then get whatever you can afford because they all pretty much do the same thing. I am not being sarcastic.
Any variation is usually the operators experience and specific circumstances more than the passive DI they are using.
The countryman is okay.
I would rather just get lunch and a passive DI.

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calaverasgrandes
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Post by calaverasgrandes » Tue Dec 16, 2008 11:04 am

In my experience the Behringer stuff exists only because it passes a signal for a period of time. It is neither euphonically good sounding or clinically clean. It just makes an electrical impulse show up in your mixer/soundcard. It also is not reliable at all.
If you want a cheap direct box get a whirlwind director. Or better yet with a little gooling you can find a schematic for a passive DI and just wire it up yourself. Thats how all the studios did it back in the day.
??????? wrote: "everything sounds best right before it blows up."

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Re: What DI box would you recommend?

Post by bedard » Wed Dec 24, 2008 4:59 pm

I have a Summit Audio TD-100 I'll sell for $325 + shipping from Portland, OR
Killer DI, perfect shape, ships in original box. Reply to post for sale.
tba

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calaverasgrandes
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DIY DI

Post by calaverasgrandes » Wed Dec 24, 2008 5:36 pm

These PDFs have some schematics on them. while the jensen tranny's may be ideal, they are by no means cheap ($70). They can be substituted with more economical ones found in Mouser or digikey catalogs just keep the turns ratio and impedance the same and you should be good.

http://www.jensen-transformers.com/as/as066.pdf
http://www.jensen-transformers.com/datashts/dbe.pdf

another
http://www.pic101.com/audio/anatomy_of_a_direct_box.htm

I might be building one with the Jensen in it just to have a no nonsense DI around. Well that and I am probably gonna buy about a dozen project boxes in the near future to put some power supplys, effects, and other projects in. Winter time, solder iron is heating up.
??????? wrote: "everything sounds best right before it blows up."

substitute
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Post by substitute » Thu Dec 25, 2008 8:41 pm

I've been eyeing up those jensen schematics for a while. I was talking to one of the dudes at cinemag a couple days ago, there direct box transformer is a direct replacement for the jensen, a good bit cheaper and has a sexier reputation. That's at least 5 projects away though.
There is a big studio using a schematic from jensen, who put their name on the box, and call it their own DI box.

Who am I referring to?
Sigma?

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casey campbell
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Post by casey campbell » Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:00 am

for not a lot of money, you could go with the whirlwind "imp" they are cheap and would be a step up from the behringer stuff. i think they cost around 40-50 dollars.

also, the presonus tube pre is great for DI work, and you will also have a mic pre as well...so double duty. i think they are around $100.

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calaverasgrandes
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Post by calaverasgrandes » Fri Dec 26, 2008 12:14 pm

the whirlwind director goes for $60 new, and the used ones often go for $50. A sure sign something is decent is that the used price is barely off from the new.
I have one I have had for years, works great. Well not great, but really really good.
I find most basses sound just fine with DI. Except the older vintage basses that are some totally differnent impedance meant for tube amps or something. They will sound great plugged into an amp, and poop on DI.
I need to make me a load corrector like the drag box Radial makes.
hmmm DIY project #307
??????? wrote: "everything sounds best right before it blows up."

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Leopold
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Post by Leopold » Fri Dec 26, 2008 8:08 pm

I have the Behringer active DI, the silver one and i think it sounds ok, I just got the Radial ProDI and it sounds a bit bigger, I sent it to and SCA N72 and it sounds really nice and full.

Eddie
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