decent DI box?

[nomis]

hey

i have recently bought a AD200 mk 3 from here

it has no DI output and at some of the gigs i do micing up isnt really a good option,

i have a hartke bass driver DI but it sounds a bit ''sh*t''

well not sh*t just a bit too clean

whats the best thing to go for? was looking at the tech21 bass driver and the mxr DI box too.

anything else thats worth concidering and any opinions on the 2 that i suggested?

[paul_5]

I absolutely love my MXR, it's got a switchable distortion circuit, so for me it scores over the Tech 21.

[lemmywinks]

I love my MXR too, does the job of 3 pedals on my board - distortion, DI and boost. One of those bits of kit that i'd replace like-for-like in an insant if anything went wrong with it

[topo morto]

Both the boxes you mentioned are well-regarded by most, though the BDDI has its haters.

other options:

VT Bass Deluxe
Sansamp Para Driver
Aguilar Tone Hammer
EBS Microbass


Can vouch for the tone hammer being a great piece of kit. Sold mine as it was a bit heavy to keep in the back of a gig bag.

The VT Bass probably has the most flexible distortion but only the deluxe model has the DI output. Great for live use with its presets though.

[topo morto]

[quote name='paul_5' post='1224846' date='May 9 2011, 10:35 AM']I absolutely love my MXR, it's got a switchable distortion circuit, so for me it scores over the Tech 21.[/quote]

Surely the blend on the Tech 21 is more flexible?

[yorick]

On a cheaper note, have a look at the Behringer BDI21

[BassBod]

I'd suggest using the sound of your amp. Get a good passive DI and take a line out jack from your amp (effects send often does the trick). I use a Radial Pro, and its always sounded good, with no noise problems.

[lemmywinks]

[quote name='topo morto' post='1224859' date='May 9 2011, 10:44 AM']Surely the blend on the Tech 21 is more flexible?[/quote]


MXR M80 has a Blend control too. Both the EQ and Distortion circuit are switchable, on the Sansamp it's just the Distortion AFAIK.

Lots of people use both pedals, i'd say either would be a good bet. More down to which distortion sound you prefer as both are built like tanks with really useful features.

[EskimoBassist]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1224906' date='May 9 2011, 11:19 AM']MXR M80 has a Blend control too. Both the EQ and Distortion circuit are switchable, on the Sansamp it's just the Distortion AFAIK.

Lots of people use both pedals, i'd say either would be a good bet. More down to which distortion sound you prefer as both are built like tanks with really useful features.[/quote]

I totally agree. I originally chose the M-80 over the Sansamp because of the switchable distortion channel and the mids control which the Sansamp doesn't have - now I'm hooked and would never switch.

[nomis]

so could i use the slave output of the amp, because i love the tone of the amp too much to have to faff about with other tone controls? say i just bought a decent DI box and took a line out from the slave out?

[nomis]

also does anyone know if the slave output is variable or fixed?

[topo morto]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1224906' date='May 9 2011, 11:19 AM']MXR M80 has a Blend control too. Both the EQ and Distortion circuit are switchable, on the Sansamp it's just the Distortion AFAIK.[/quote]

I [i]think [/i]the BDDI is like this:

Powered but 'off' - works as a clean preamp and DI.
On, blend control to left : treble and bass controls work only
On, blend contol to right : treble, bass, presence and drive all work.

Pretty flexible. Still, what you can't do is have just the distortion without the EQ, though you could try to set it to flat.

If I see an M80 going cheap I might have to grab it and try it out too!

[Doddy]

The Behringer BDI21 gets a lot of love-apparently it's very similar to the Sansamp,but dead
cheap. I think I'm going to get one,just in case.

[BassBod]

[quote name='therose789' post='1224983' date='May 9 2011, 12:24 PM']so could i use the slave output of the amp, because i love the tone of the amp too much to have to faff about with other tone controls? say i just bought a decent DI box and took a line out from the slave out?[/quote]

Yes, but you may have to use the input pad button on a passive box (or may not..these things are variable). I'd recommend a passive box as it won't overload as unpleasantly as an active DI hitting its input limit..although loads of people will also tell you an active box is fine.

[nomis]

so the best way to go is before the amp

is there a way of doing this bypassing the tone of the DI and going into my amp and then going out to the PA with the from the pre amp?

did that make sense?

[topo morto]

[quote name='therose789' post='1225189' date='May 9 2011, 03:20 PM']from the pre amp[/quote]

do you mean the pre-amp in your amp, or in a separate box?

[BassBod]

No..plug the bass straight into your amp as normal, set your sound..then take a jack to jack cable from your amp's slave (or line out or effects send) output into the jack input of a DI box. Then let the PA connect to the XLR output of the DI. No need for any further pre-amping stuff, unless you like what it does for your sound.

[the_brow]

If you want the tone of your amp going to the PA then a speaker level DI is the only way to go.

Bass > Amp> Speaker Out to JDI
then the Thru from the JDI to your cab and the XLR out of the JDI to the PA. (remeber you still need to use speaker cables between the amp, DI and cab.)

I used the JDI as an example but there are several DI boxes capable of receiveing a speaker level signal.

[nomis]

thanks for all the help deffinately got a few options to have a ponder on now!