RECOMMENDED DI BOXES FOR ACOUSTICS

Kebabkid · September 2013

What's good that's out there, does the job and doesn't cost a lot?

I'm using a Big Baby Taylor with a Rare Earth humbucker pickup and my current acoustic sound comes from a Roland Micro-Cube on the Acoustic Setting and I take a line out to the PA.

Is there anything with processing that's not as expensive as the Fishman stuff?

spacecadet · September 2013

I've tried tons and tons of DI's over the last 10 years. The best by far is the Radial stuff. Certainly not the cheapest but my God the difference in sound was astonishing. You can pick them up used for about £100.

maltingsaudio · September 2013

These are my favourites at the moment and way too cheap!

http://www.orchid-electronics.co.uk/

"The Micro DI’s frequency response is essentially a flat line from about 15Hz to well over 50kHz (matching that of the Radial J48)." from Sound on Sound review this year

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may12/articles/orchid-di-boxes.htm

John_P · September 2013

+1 on the quality of orchid - I've got a couple of the straight di boxes in my collection and they are superb...

Do you need the processing? If so I loved the yamaha ag stomp but they can be hard to find now, I use my dg stomp clean patches as a replacement if I need effects.

Kebabkid · September 2013

Thanks chaps and Orchid Micro looks good

bob21 · September 2013

The Radial stuff is very popular in the states, but over here you'd be more likely to find BSS and EMO in the toolboxes of pro audio companies.
For an active (requires phantom power from the desk) box, the standard is the BSS AR133. For a passive transformer box (no power required), the EMO DI is the one.

None of these have processing - the majority of decent DI boxes won't have. It's probably a better idea to get that in a pedal if you need it, and then use a DI box. With a decent DI though, I'd not have thought you'd need processing; other than anything that can be applied at the desk - reverb etc..

Kebabkid · September 2013

Thanks Bob.

Re:Processing, apart from the Fishman, there were things like the Boss AD-8 that acted like a DI and included reverb and tuner and I just wondered if they, or anything similar, would be a good one-stop but you're right. It's better to get a good DI box and leave the rest to the desk/external processing.

Ta

octatonic · September 2013

I use a Radial J48 a hell of a lot- it is the business.

The Peterson tuner has a decent DI too.

AuldReekie · September 2013

Kebabkid said:

Thanks Bob.

Re:Processing, apart from the Fishman, there were things like the Boss AD-8 that acted like a DI and included reverb and tuner and I just wondered if they, or anything similar, would be a good one-stop but you're right. It's better to get a good DI box and leave the rest to the desk/external processing.

Ta

Dont know about the AD8, but I have a Boss AD 5 and it is superb, love it. Use it throught an AER amp

Van_Hayden · September 2013

Orchids are great. BSS bombproof. Baggs para acoustic ustb worth checking out if you've not got much EQ on board. Radial stuff is very nice but I don't have masses of experience. For live use any will be fine, you'll probably not notice the minute differences between them.

Kebabkid · September 2013

The Orchid Micro suits my budget and seems like a good bet and reviews are very good.

Thanks everyone

maltingsaudio · September 2013

Just a quick word on processing and effects if you are playing with someone out front mixing.

Firstly do not use reverb !!! leave that to be added by the engineer. By all means ask for some in your monitor though if you want it.

Secondly pay attention to the output level your sending, both the baggs and fishman boxes are very capable of overloading the desk input

Finally once you've adjusted your tone on stage leave it alone! Remeber the onstage sound is different to the front of house sound and any tweeks you make midset will seriously screw up the channel settings the engineer has.

From my experience at both ends of the multicore the best option is an AER onstage for your own personal sound and the DI from it into the PA ( the XLR Di from it is minus effects)

Kebabkid · September 2013

Thanks Maltingsaudio-an AER would be a lovely addition in the future and there are some good used prices around

ESBlonde · September 2013

What is it that you are trying to achieve or feel is lacking?

Since you already have a line out to the desk from the cube and an acoustic simulator in the Cube it seems to me you might be unhappy with the sound of your on stage monitoring.

If that is so, don't waste money on pedals and toys, just get a proper amp or powered speaker with an hf horn.

If you sound good on stage but not through the PA then a DI will likely help if the cable distance is above 30+ feet and your output cable to the desk is unbalanced. (A TRS jack would be the clue there).

The other deciding point with some acoustics can be the impedance/load on the input and something with a buffer can often help there particularly with piezo type pickups which you don't have.

I've posted this little ditty before but it is well worth spreading the word on this new forum after the collapse of the other place.

http://www.scotthelmke.com/Mint-box-buffer.html

That said Johns stuff at Orchid is excellent, the BSS and EMO are professional standards among those sound guys not known to be brand snobbish and the Radial range are the epitome of good engineering practice.

I hate to say so in company of great professional products, but I have had some unusually good results loading acoustic instruments from the nasty cheap behringer DI 120 units. BUT they should be considered disposable and they do crap out all to often.

Kebabkid · September 2013

@ESBlonde - thanks for the info.
My PA is fine and it's the sound of the Cube that I'm going off, as are other people who plug their acoustics into it. Going direct to the desk sounds awful without a DI box and the Micro Cube sounds a little too hi-fi'. I'd like something more natural sounding and I just figured a DI box would be a good approach plus as a PA owner, it would be something good to have in my arsenal (C'mon Fnar Fnar ETW - I've set you up there for one)! @EricTheWeary
The AER is superb and I've borrowed one before -it's head and shoulders above other acoustic amps I've used from Carvin and Marshall- but I cannot afford one and £25 for the *Orchid seems like a no-brainer.
*Edit-ordered today

p90fool · September 2013

I know you're sorted now, but just for further info I get excellent results from a Zoom A2.1u straight into my PA. You have to turn all the modelling bollocks off, but as a good quality DI, with a tuner and volume pedal built in it's a very useful tool.
The XLR out can be pre- or post-effects if say, you wanted reverb etc through an onstage monitor.

I doubt I'd pay the current new price, but it's probably my most-used bit of kit. I even use it with electric guitar as a tuner/volume switcher/boost pedal, it's that transparent.

Jalapeno · September 2013

Fishman Loudbox Pro is pretty good at half the price of a new AER60 - has all the DI outs as well.

maltingsaudio · September 2013

Just checked the AER site and they are doing di's etc now, thats got to be worth a look too

Kebabkid · September 2013

Thanks guys for the additional recommendations and I get to try the Orchid Micro DI tonight so I'll let you know how I get on.

thomasw88 · September 2013

I have an award session acoustic preamp pedal thingy, and that works well. However, for the last 4 or 5 years, I've been giging with an Ashdown Radiator, and much prefer that.

Reaseon being 1) it gives me a good monitor sound of my acoustic on stage. 2)Has a direct out that works superbly with the PA. 3) Has a very small footprint.4) they are fairly cheap 2nd hand. 5) loud enough to gig without putting tro the pa should you so desire.

Kebabkid · September 2013

Cheers Thomas and I'll look around for one of those to try.
An update on the Orchid Micro DI-had limited time to sound check at gig as I was too busy getting sounds for the rest of the line up. When I did try it, no sound or light on - it's 48v phantom powered but like a doofus, I hadn't hit/didn't know I had to press the phantom power button on the desk and so reverted to lining out from my Micro Cube as didn't have time to diagnose.
I'll report my findings next time

EDIT: like the look of those Ashdown Radiators and they can be had for a good price, either used or B stock.

Bidley · September 2013

I just ordered one of these, people are saying they're decent for the money, we'll see!

ICBM · September 2013

Bidley said:

I just ordered one of these, people are saying they're decent for the money, we'll see!

I had the more expensive one with the rotary switch and VU meter, and found one major flaw it had to be a pain in the backside - it can only run on a wall-wart power supply... when it says 'phantom power', that means it can supply phantom power to a mic (good) but can't run on it itself (stupid!) - so at a gig you have to faff around with a flimsy power cable to the front of the stage, even when there's a perfectly good phantom power supply down the cable from the desk. I did wonder about modding it, although if I remember it looked like a pain to work on inside.

The best sound on it was with the rotary selector to 'neutral' - so the more basic model should at least sound good. If it wasn't for the phantom power issue I might even be interested in one...

Bidley · September 2013

Ah yes, I can see how that would be a pain in a live situation. Thankfully I'm only using it for direct recording at home.

Good points though. So it can't be phantom powered at all?

maltingsaudio · September 2013

You need alot of juice to power a valve

ICBM · September 2013

maltingsaudio said:

You need alot of juice to power a valve

I just checked the spec for phantom power and was very surprised how low the current rating is. I had assumed it was designed in the days of valve mics and so running a single preamp valve from it would be a given - obviously not.

Wolftone · September 2013

I play through one of these without drama or issues.

http://www.thenoizeworks.co.uk/ld-systems-di02-di-box-90-p.asp

I haven't played through an expensive one but can't hear anything wrong with these.

Kebabkid · November 2013

Late feedback but I just thought I'd tell you that the Orchid Micro DI is a superb unit. Quiet, efficient and does what it says on the blog. £25? Everyone should have one in their guitar case

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RECOMMENDED DI BOXES FOR ACOUSTICS

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