DI box advantages?

fretfinder · March 2023

If your acoustic guitar has an active pickup system installed, is there any benefit in using a basic DI box before going into the PA? Thanks,

TheMadMick · March 2023

The only advantage is if you have a long able run. Balanced is more resistant to interference.

ICBM · March 2023

fretfinder said:

If your acoustic guitar has an active pickup system installed, is there any benefit in using a basic DI box before going into the PA? Thanks,

Yes - lower noise, and you can use a longer cable run without any tone loss. You may also have more control over the level if the box has a pad switch, which can be useful.

Also - and this is meant seriously - a sound engineer will see you as a professional who knows what they’re doing, rather than an amateur who turns up with just a guitar and says “where do I plug this in?”, although many will prefer to use their own DI box rather than yours.

Danny1969 · March 2023

Technically some acoustic guitars have a proper balanced differential output, I just made a cable for a guy that has one such guitar. Most are just the output of an opamp though so low Z but will get noisy over more than a few metres.

It's not quite the issue it used to be as the actual preamps of the desk tends to be on the stage these days and connected to FOH out front via CAT5 digital. So your audio signal isn't going down 30 metres of multicore cable like it used to before it hit the pre amp of the desk.

A DI box is the best option and the simplest transformer ones are best for most applications as they they don't require any power and don't add any noise. Plus they sweeten up the output of modellers

ICBM · March 2023

Danny1969 said:

A DI box is the best option and the simplest transformer ones are best for most applications as they they don't require any power and don't add any noise. Plus they sweeten up the output of modellers

This. I prefer passive transformer boxes for electric guitar and bass DI'ing from an amp, pedalboard or multi-FX, even if not modellers - they just sound better, to me.

But I think active ones sound better with acoustic instruments, and are essential if the source doesn't have a low output impedance.

RickLucas · March 2023

Some DI boxes have bells and whistles like the LRBaggs Para DI. EQ, phase, ground lift etc. Great little tool to have.

fretfinder · March 2023

ICBM said:

Danny1969 said:

A DI box is the best option and the simplest transformer ones are best for most applications as they they don't require any power and don't add any noise. Plus they sweeten up the output of modellers

This. I prefer passive transformer boxes for electric guitar and bass DI'ing from an amp, pedalboard or multi-FX, even if not modellers - they just sound better, to me.

But I think active ones sound better with acoustic instruments, and are essential if the source doesn't have a low output impedance.

Thanks, what do you mean by the source?

ICBM · March 2023

fretfinder said:

Thanks, what do you mean by the source?

Guitar, amp, or whatever is plugged into the box. An amp, pedal or a preamped acoustic guitar will *usually* have a low enough impedance - although not guaranteed - but a passive instrument of any kind won’t.

ElectricXII · March 2023

I use a cheapo Donner Special I passive DI box for my acoustic which has an LR Baggs Element. It works really well, although some sound men ask me to use their much more expensive DI boxes, which is fine.

fretfinder · March 2023

ICBM said:

fretfinder said:

Thanks, what do you mean by the source?

Guitar, amp, or whatever is plugged into the box. An amp, pedal or a preamped acoustic guitar will *usually* have a low enough impedance - although not guaranteed - but a passive instrument of any kind won’t.

Thanks. The pickups in my main two acoustics are a LR Baggs Element and a Fishman Blend, no idea about their impedance though. Cheers.

ICBM · March 2023

fretfinder said:

The pickups in my main two acoustics are a LR Baggs Element and a Fishman Blend, no idea about their impedance though.

Both of those are modern active systems with low impedance outputs, so fine plugged into more or less anything.

The only active systems which are likely to have any issues are older ones like the original single-knob Ovation preamps.

fretfinder · March 2023

ICBM said:

fretfinder said:

The pickups in my main two acoustics are a LR Baggs Element and a Fishman Blend, no idea about their impedance though.

Both of those are modern active systems with low impedance outputs, so fine plugged into more or less anything.

The only active systems which are likely to have any issues are older ones like the original single-knob Ovation preamps.

Many thanks again. Sorry to go on but… I’ve just remembered that another of my acoustics has a Headway Snake 3 AG, do you know if that is low impedance and ok plugged straight into a PA? Or are they all better if going through a DI box first? Cheers.

ICBM · March 2023

fretfinder said:

Sorry to go on but… I’ve just remembered that another of my acoustics has a Headway Snake 3 AG, do you know if that is low impedance and ok plugged straight into a PA? Or are they all better if going through a DI box first?

I'm pretty sure the Headway will be fine - anything made in the last thirty years will be really. It's pretty much always better to go through a decent DI box though - the only question is whether active or passive. If in doubt, use active.

fretfinder · March 2023

ICBM said:

fretfinder said:

Sorry to go on but… I’ve just remembered that another of my acoustics has a Headway Snake 3 AG, do you know if that is low impedance and ok plugged straight into a PA? Or are they all better if going through a DI box first?

I'm pretty sure the Headway will be fine - anything made in the last thirty years will be really. It's pretty much always better to go through a decent DI box though - the only question is whether active or passive. If in doubt, use active.

Many thanks again.

octatonic · March 2023

If you are going to use a tuner then get a Peterson tuner that has a DI out.
Saves having two boxes to bring.

shufflebeat · March 2023

Some external preamps (i.e., Yamaha AG Stomp, Mooer Radar) which wouldn’t normally be considered DI boxes have a balanced output on TRS jack which can be connected to a regular mic lead (and so to PA) with a short TRS-XLRm adaptor cable.

Best be aware of any Phantom Power issues beforehand.

fretfinder · March 2023

octatonic said:

If you are going to use a tuner then get a Peterson tuner that has a DI out.
Saves having two boxes to bring.

Interesting, thanks, is the DI active and is it any good for using with acoustics do you know?

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DI box advantages?

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