Looks a useful new tool for the DB player's gigbag

[Clarky]

Just spotted this new product from Radial on Gollihur's site. Its an ultra-compact, piezo-friendly, phantom-powered DI with phase switch and high-pass filter buttons. It doesn't have the HPF adjustability of an fdeck (its on/off only) but, on the other hand, the fdeck doesn't have a DI out. Looks like a really useful backup tool in cases where you have to rely only on the PA or where amplification is proving problematic. Cheap too at $80

[url="http://www.gollihurmusic.com/product/2650-RADIAL_ENGINEERING_STAGEBUG_SB_4_ULTRA_COMPACT_ACTIVE_DI_FOR_PIEZO_PICKUPS.html"]http://www.gollihurm...ZO_PICKUPS.html[/url]

Edited June 12, 2013 by Clarky

[fatback]

Oh very neat. Well spotted.

[TheRev]

Ooh, that is tempting...
I'm increasingly finding that I'm keeping the EQ on my Plat Pro flat and using the tone controls on my amp to shape the stage sound
I'd like two outputs though - one to the desk and one to my amp. And a mute switch for tuning.

[BassBod]

Have a look at the Orchid Electronics muting box then - flat as a pancake, with muting footswitch..and a jack out plus XLR. And it runs happily off phantom or battery. Cheap too.

Radial makes good stuff too, of course!

[Clarky]

My feeling was the Radial pedal would be a good fail-safe, in case amp conks out or you can only go via PA. And its small and cheap too, which is nice

[Gareth Hughes]

But.......the high pass filter is set at 150HZ, so depending on how steep the slope is it could take away too much low end.

[Clarky]

I guess that means the HPF is only there in case of overwhelming low end rumble?

[BassBod]

It does look like a great "minimal" DI, and very nice to see Radial offering stripped down and more affordable stuff. I've used a Pro DI as my failsafe for years. Its hopeless as a direct piezo interface (passive transformer) but works wonders with any pre-amped signal...and its the only DI (out of many I use) that always removes earth loop hums.

[cattytown]

Orchid? I've had some of their DIs for years!

[TPJ]

[quote name='Gareth Hughes' timestamp='1371052421' post='2109189']
But.......the high pass filter is set at 150HZ, so depending on how steep the slope is it could take away too much low end.
[/quote]

Might depend on the room. When we played big rooms, we told the sound guy to dump from about 180 downwards as a starting point to avoid major feedback issues. There always seemed to be quite a bit of low end left.

[Clarky]

£73 at Thomann http://www.thomann.de/gb/radial_engineering_sb_4.htm?sid=b9a64843414b96b09d8e3bbc97e574f6 or £90 from the only UK supplier I can spot http://www.studiocare.com/radial-engineering-sb-4-compact-active-di-for-piezo-pickups.html?

[geoffbassist]

Looks like a very useful product to have on gigs. I hate the sound a normal line input di gives to the amp and front of house.

Thanks for the link.

[Beer of the Bass]

I think the high frequency for the HPF might not be a problem as it's a relatively shallow 6dB/octave roll-off. IIRC most other comparable devices use a steeper 12 or even 24db/octave filter so would need to be set lower.

[BassBod]

For a long time I used a LR Baggs Para DI for EUB. That had a fixed 80Hz and below filter - couldn't be switched off and was designed to reduce the boom form acoustic guitar bodies. That box could produce an enormous amount of low frequency from my Realist pickup...often too much. Never used the IQ on that either, as it was voiced to favour mandolins fiddles and gee-tars.

So, someone get the new Radial and tell us how it works out for acoustic bass!

[Happy Jack]

Bought one, used it for the first time this afternoon at the Greenford Festival, proper POH sound engineer on duty.

The engineer hadn't seen one before (though he knew Radial of course) and agreed to give it a go. Three minutes into the sound check he left the board, came over to me and said: "Straight out of the box, that's the best DB sound I've heard."

[Clarky]

Wicked, jack. I have one coming this week

[BassBod]

Result then....adds to list...

[geoffbassist]

yeh I need to add this to the 'things to buy' list. I cant stand normal line input DI boxes for upright. Glad to hear this works in the real world.