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View Full Version : DI Boxes?

Soulfly666
03-07-2006, 03:32 AM
Does anyone know what constitutes as a good DI box for bass?
gronk
03-07-2006, 04:08 AM
Never used it, but I've heard good things about the Sansamp DI box.
edgebass5
03-07-2006, 10:42 AM
a good DI... a true DI, not a preamp/DI would be any DI that delivered an un-colored signal to the board.
Skit
03-07-2006, 10:45 AM
Never used it, but I've heard good things about the Sansamp DI box.

123

Sansamp is a very popular choice :thumb:
Hardinge
03-07-2006, 11:00 AM
behringer do a di box and apparently its as good as the sansamp
Thonk
03-07-2006, 11:37 AM
Before I misplaced it, my Horizon Passive DI was pretty nice.

I don't know what it's worth as I got it as a gift..But, sadly, I can't find it which brought upon the Behringer Active DI(BDI21). I'd recommend the Behringer, but it's a pedal and doesn't have true bypass..So using it in the effect chain pretty much sucks the life out of your tone.
Hardinge
03-07-2006, 03:03 PM
Before I misplaced it, my Horizon Passive DI was pretty nice.

I don't know what it's worth as I got it as a gift..But, sadly, I can't find it which brought upon the Behringer Active DI(BDI21). I'd recommend the Behringer, but it's a pedal and doesn't have true bypass..So using it in the effect chain pretty much sucks the life out of your tone.

u have to wonder with behringer products how they manage to make their stuff so much cheaper than everybody else's
:amaze:
03-07-2006, 04:41 PM
how much does a decent DI box cost?




:amaze:
edgebass5
03-07-2006, 04:45 PM
musiciansfriend.com -> search -> di box......
Spaceman Spiff
03-07-2006, 05:01 PM
With a DI, the Avalon specifically, as that is what I currently want, is a power amp also necessary or can it be used just like a head with a cab?
kilian
03-07-2006, 05:23 PM
No a poweramp is needed.

Well.. The Behringer DI does serve me well though! I don't hear superb tone suck or something like that when I use it sometimes at school.
edgebass5
03-07-2006, 05:29 PM
With a DI, the Avalon specifically, as that is what I currently want, is a power amp also necessary or can it be used just like a head with a cab?

Keep in mind that the Avalon is in fact a preamp, not really a DI. It has a DI, but at the end of the day its a preamp.

You need a device that will have enough output voltage (measured in mV) to properly drive a poweramp. The Avalon U5 has two balanced XLR outputs. One is set to 150mV for a mic level to send a signal to a board, the other is set at 600mV to drive a power amp.

With a DI (i.e. NOT a preamp/DI, but in fact a true DI box) you'll have a 1/4" input, a 1/4" unaffected output that will be set somewhere around the 100-300mV point, and a balanced XLR set around 100mV to go to a sound board.

EDIT: Moral of the story, you can't use a "true" DI box to deliver your signal to a power amp because you'll need a preamp somewhere in the chain to yield a hot enough signal.
Thonk
03-07-2006, 05:41 PM
u have to wonder with behringer products how they manage to make their stuff so much cheaper than everybody else's
Lower quality components, foreign factories with low quality control, mass production, etc. All of those probably play a roll in the price.
Spaceman Spiff
03-07-2006, 05:44 PM
I see... well, not exactly.

I understand that with a preamp you also need a power amp.

But with something like the Avalon U5 where they say it's a DI/Preamp, what exactly are the uses of it? Or more importantly, what exactly are the uses of just a DI?
With the Avalon, could I play my bass through it hooked up to my computer?

All questions answered will be much appreciated. :thumb:
edgebass5
03-07-2006, 07:03 PM
I see... well, not exactly.

I understand that with a preamp you also need a power amp.

But with something like the Avalon U5 where they say it's a DI/Preamp, what exactly are the uses of it? Or more importantly, what exactly are the uses of just a DI?
With the Avalon, could I play my bass through it hooked up to my computer?

All questions answered will be much appreciated. :thumb:

Think of it this way. Most preamps have a DI built into them. Its the portion that sends a balanced XLR output (typically on the back panel). A DI is simply that portion of a preamp by itself with nothing else.

With the avalon you can in fact play through your computer, I do it all the time. The Avalon is a fully functional preamp, end of story.
Spaceman Spiff
03-07-2006, 07:24 PM
Ohhh, okay, that makes perfect sense now. Thanks for that. :thumb:


But doesn't that mean that calling it a DI/Preamp kind of pointless? :p
SenòrThump
03-08-2006, 12:43 AM
Sansamp Bass Driver D.I. End of story.
edgebass5
03-08-2006, 12:50 PM
Sansamp Bass Driver D.I. End of story.

Sure..... if he wants a preamp (read above). If he JUST wants a DI, why pay the extra for preamp features he won't use?
Brainsplash
03-08-2006, 01:30 PM
If you can find and afford it, I'd say the EBS Microbass II is the best Preamp/DI-box there is. But like edgebass5 says, if you're just looking for a DI-box there are cheaper alternatives (Although they probably won't sound nearly as good)
LewsTherin
03-08-2006, 01:34 PM
But like edgebass5 says, if you're just looking for a DI-box there are cheaper alternatives (Although they probably won't sound nearly as good)

All they need to do is convert your signal to the appropriate voltage to go to the soundboard....they dont need to sound like anything.
edgebass5
03-08-2006, 01:53 PM
All they need to do is convert your signal to the appropriate voltage to go to the soundboard....they dont need to sound like anything.

Its actually not even that much, haha. They don't typically convert any voltages. Your bass will have enough output voltage to go directly to the board if you'd like. They serve the purpose of converting your 1/4" unbalanced signal into a balanced XLR signal for a board AND maintaining an unaffected unbalanced 1/4" signal for your amp.
LewsTherin
03-08-2006, 01:56 PM
Its actually not even that much, haha. They don't typically convert any voltages. Your bass will have enough output voltage to go directly to the board if you'd like. They serve the purpose of converting your 1/4" unbalanced signal into a balanced XLR signal for a board AND maintaining an unaffected unbalanced 1/4" signal for your amp.

Oh, sorry, I gave them too much credit.


Whoops. My point still stands, atleast.


Oh, and Ive always wondered.....what is the difference b/t balanced and unbalanced signals?
edgebass5
03-08-2006, 02:41 PM
^^^^that's something I've been wondering since I started posting in this thead, but have never taken the time to look up :lol:

where's JP when we need him
edgebass5
03-08-2006, 02:45 PM
balanced vs. unbalanced: http://www.monstercable.com/RobertHarley/ch11_p07.asp
LewsTherin
03-08-2006, 03:03 PM
^^^^that's something I've been wondering since I started posting in this thead, but have never taken the time to look up :lol:

where's JP when we need him

:lol: you didnt know either?





and thats cool....it works like 2 RWRP single coil pups.
kilian
03-08-2006, 03:07 PM
If I skim through it and conclude very, very quickly:

There are two sinuses in a balanced line, if one is on it's positive top, the other is on his negative top. If you combine those two in the end, the result is a flat signal. If we're talking about a 'normal sinus'. This method clears some peaks in your signal (-5 + + 5 = 0).

The unbalanced line only has one sinus and therefore you have more peaks in your signal.

?