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What's the big deal with DI boxes?

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boxes deal
1K views 10 replies 8 participants last post by  deactivated-5784 
#1 ·
...They're not DI and they're not boxes...

But nah, seriously, I've only recently discovered that they improve the quality of guitar signal for serious recordings and I think I should get one. I've also heard stuff about needing different ones for passive and active pickups... Sucks cause I use both :lol:

Any recommendations?
 
#2 ·
They tend to be better than the onboard DI inputs on most audio interfaces, yes. I A/B'd DIs made with my Focsurite vs my Little Labs RedEye, reamping the same riff recorded into each one. The tone of the Little Labs was infinitely more detailed, and basically no different from recording straight into the amp (the result you want, ultimately) The Focusrite DIs had odd treble artifacts that washed out the tone quite a bit. It was night and day.

So that's my recommendation, as it's a passive AND active reamp box AND DI box. Not cheap, mind you...
 
#3 ·
I have the Avalon U5 Active DI, which I have used for nearly 20 years, it's outstanding. I also have the Radial JDI which I think is just as good (though not active, so you still need a preamp) and 40% the cost. A very good DI will make a huge difference when you go to reamp.
 
#6 ·
You can really go down a rabbit hole when it comes to what you put between your amp and your interface. Want to have some fun? Start looking at 500 Series gear. There is so much out there that's really cool. For me, I have always had a tube mic preamp between my amp and my interface, I've just found that they improve things. Along with that, if you get yourself a nice hardware compressor of some kind, you can really warm up your signal before it hits your interface.
 
#8 ·
From: https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/what-is-the-difference-between-an-active-and-a-passive-di-box/

The most obvious difference is that passive DI boxes don't need to be powered. Active DI boxes require a power source, usually batteries or phantom power over an XLR jack. But the differences go deeper than that. Passive DI boxes are basically "just" transformers; they contain a transformer to perform impedance matching and balancing and very little else - the strength and impedance of the signal hitting the transformer depends on the source. This could be a disadvantage if your source signal is particularly low-level or low impedance, since the DI can't do anything to "improve" the signal. However there are also advantages to passive designs: no noise added by active circuitry, no power required, and in some cases, a desirable coloration from the transformer.

An active DI box includes a preamplifier to provide a stronger signal and higher input impedance. This means that it can handle lower-level signals and still sound good. And, active DIs can be designed to be extremely quiet, hi-fi, and transparent tonally.

These days, there are excellent passive and active DI boxes. Many studios and sound companies have an assortment so that the best choice can be matched with each source.
 
#10 ·
What kind you need depends on what you believe "DI" is an abbreviation for.

It took me a couple years before I started hanging out with the cool people who say it's an abbreviation for "DIRECT INJECT". Which isn't as popular stateside.

INJECT ME WITH THAT SWEET TONE

Technically, the I isn't for "input", according to a ton of experts, but that's what a large amount of people assume.
 
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