Di boxes - recommendations please

uncledick

We're in the process of doing away with our backline and just putting everything through the PA and I understand the need to cut down on long unbalanced leads etc.  If I look at, say, Gear4Music, DI boxes vary with passive units, battery powered units and others working off phantom power and prices anywhere between about 15 quid and a grand! I'll be playing guitar through a Tonelab SE.  The other guitarist will alternate between using a Pod and going direct whilst our bassist will also be direct.

I'm assuming - tell me if I'm wrong - that the active DI boxes can cope with longer cable runs.  We only play pub type gigs so the longest cable would probably be around 8m.

So:  Should we go active?  If we use battery powered (the cheaper option) am I going to be replacing them every time we play?  Help, experience and recommendations please.  Realistically a budget of £30-£40 per unit is probably enough to stop some of the others having a heart attack.

smigeon

The active DIs from Orchid Electronics. They have a couple of options all of which are well designed and solidly built. They are a small UK company who really know their stuff and are a pleasure to deal with. 

uncledick

smigeon said:

The active DIs from Orchid Electronics. They have a couple of options all of which are well designed and solidly built. They are a small UK company who really know their stuff and are a pleasure to deal with. 

That looks like a good shout.  Is the basic rule to use them on anything unbalanced - or just on the longer cable runs?  For instance, our bass player stands right next to the mixer and could plug a 2m jack lead straight in.

Kebabkid

Another +1 for Orchid. Good quality and spec'd stuff at reasonable prices

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

maltingsaudio

And another +1 for orchids brilliant boxes, don’t forget if your desk has phantom power no need for batteries and most do. For ease use the Di on everything 

guitarfishbay

Orchid for value for money. To beat it for tone you need to spend more money than is sensible for your purposes. I love my RNDI for recording but it’s over 5x the price IIRC

robinbowes

A good rule-of-thumb is to use passive DIs for active instruments/sends and active DIs for passive instruments, but that's not a har-and-fast rule.

I use Radial units. I use Pro D2 (passive), J48 (active) DIs,  SB-4 for piezo instruments, and IC-1 isolators.

R.

steamabacus

uncledick said:

  Is the basic rule to use them on anything unbalanced - or just on the longer cable runs?  For instance, our bass player stands right next to the mixer and could plug a 2m jack lead straight in.

You will need a DI box for anything 'passive' like a guitar pickup, microhone, etc. to balance impedences.

If your bassist's instrument is active you can get away with plugging it direct to the desk as is, the same for any guitar modeller/pedal output which are an active low impedence output. A DI box isn't strictly necessary but may be quieter on long cable runs due to the balanced output.

I'll second the recommendations for Orchid products. They do a great switchable/muting DI box which is great for on-stage acoustic instruments, especially if there is any changing of instruments.

In terms of functionality, there is no real difference between an active and passive DI box. Passive will tend to colour the sound a little (which can be positve thing), you expect active to be a little more 'hi-fi'.

spark240

+ for radio J48...solid kit.

uncledick

Thanks people - most helpful.  I've just acquired, courtesy of FB Marketplace, an X18 mixer which has two HiZ inputs to get us going with the bass and acoustic guitars. Both are actually 'active' which I guess will help.  Seems like a great bit of kit which will make its live debut in 2 weeks.


Eek!