Author Topic: Direct Box Advice (Read 748 times)

5a_quilt_top · « **on:** January 10, 2013, 01:46:59 PM »

Just landed a bass gig requiring the use of a bass direct box to feed a PA. Board is Allen & Heath, PA is powered Mackie system.

I may not always be able to use a traditional amp/speaker cab to supplement the DI.

Project is a power trio (guitar, bass drums) with emphasis on contemporary country, so I'm looking for a fat clean tone, a slightly gritty overdriven tone and a lot of definition & presence.

I will use two of the following basses:

G&L Shifter 5-string with three passive single coils

Music Man Sting Ray Classic 5-string with single active humbucker

Alembic Europa 5-string (currently being built) with standard Europa electronics and Fat Boy in the bridge position

Under consideration are the following DI options:

Tech 21 Sans Amp Bass Driver Deluxe

EBS Micro Bass II

Radial Tonebone Bassbone

Looking for opinions on any or all of them.

Also, if there's another viable option, let me know.

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

dlbydgtl · « **Reply #1 on:** January 11, 2013, 05:48:30 AM »

i have both the tech 21 and the Radial. i prefer the sound i get out of the Tech 21 and i play a 5 string Europa too.

lbpesq · « **Reply #2 on:** January 11, 2013, 08:28:21 AM »

Power trio country? Now there's a unique combo! David, can you post any music links? I'd love to check it out. But isn't there a law against playing country bass with more than four strings? lol

Bill, tgo

5a_quilt_top · « **Reply #3 on:** January 11, 2013, 09:51:42 AM »

HA! Good one, Bill.

It's an interesting gig. At the risk of hijacking my own thread:

I auditioned on a 4-string, knew NONE of their material (80% cover / 20% original) and didn't hear anything from them for about 2 weeks.

So, I contacted them & was informed that they had 3 gigs lined up - the first one less than a week away - and could I do all 3 and rehearse the day after next.

I go to the rehearsal. Singer / guitarist is a no-show due to a family obligation so the drummer gives me some lyrics, chord charts and some recordings of about 3/4 of their stuff and tells me they may or may not be in the correct keys and you got a 5-string? If so, use it.

Another rehearsal is rescheduled for the following day and the gig is 3 days away.

I show up and we hit the list cold. Got through about 1/3 of it, quit and then decided to agree on the correct keys for everything.

I asked for another rehearsal the following day, they agreed, and we got through another 1/3 of the list.

I am now on my own to figure the rest out.

Day of first gig, I'm nervous as h*ll (BTW: I'm never nervous because I'm usually well-prepared). We never touched the last 1/3 of the list and I DON'T KNOW THE MATERIAL. Plus, I've never played at the place we're playing, only played with them a total of about 4 hours and have no idea what the PA is.

To make matters worse, it's an outdoor gig (fotunately covered), weather is 50? and drizzling rain.

Long story short - I bring my cheat sheets, they agree to follow the set list I compiled and, guess what, we knocked 'em dead. Got 2 more bookings for the following month and no one died.

Upside = my playing (though understandably error-laden) was well-received, tone was spot-on (5-string sounded HUGE) and, overall, they liked me. I got to sneak Entwistle / Lee - style aggressive bass into a contemporary country setting and it actually worked.

Now to refine the approach - hence my request for DI advice.

xlrogue6 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 11, 2013, 11:15:39 AM »

Love my ToneBone. When you need consistent volume and tone when switching between 2 instruments on a gig it's unbeatable, and it's got a great DI (Radial started out building DIs and built their reputation on them). My only quibble is the 18 volt wall wart it runs on--I'd advise picking up a spare if you're gigging steadily, as it is subject to the kind of failures wall warts (particularly ones whose cords get wrapped on a regular basis) are subject to.

jbybj · « **Reply #5 on:** January 11, 2013, 11:31:44 AM »

I have recently fallen in love with my Darkglass electronics B3K overdrive. The B7K is the DI/EQ version of this pedal. Great product, great company, only you can decide if it suites your needs, Have fun choosing.

JBY

indybass · « **Reply #6 on:** January 11, 2013, 01:25:57 PM »

I use a REDDI or a Little Labs DI.

tncaveman · « **Reply #7 on:** January 11, 2013, 03:34:52 PM »

I have a Sans-a-Amp and use my GK micobass for monitor. When I know that the PA guy isn't paying attention, I bump my level. I can either bump the GK or the DI box, or both.

Have fun

Stephen

briant · « **Reply #8 on:** January 11, 2013, 05:24:38 PM »

Given your desired effect I'd go with the Tech 21 Sans Amp Bass Driver Deluxe. I have one and it's great for doing that sort of thing in one package.

My other favorite DI's are:

Aguilar DB900
Avalon U5

pauldo · « **Reply #9 on:** January 11, 2013, 06:18:35 PM »

David - I can't tell you poop about a DI, I've always used my amps DI output (GK 800RB and Carvin MB15).

I loved your story! I get it - the bit about wanting to be prepared, even overly prepared and being surrounded by a couple of lackadaisical fellows! Sun Machine was that way for me - excellent band, miserable 'off stage' dynamics. It drove me crazy and I had to quit what was the most creative partnership I have had thus far.

You are not wrong for wanting to be professional. Tread carefully as what starts off as being amusing may become a torture.

wayne · « **Reply #10 on:** January 11, 2013, 08:59:44 PM »

For me, I like a clean DI. Just send what my bass and my hands sound like to the board.

My number one is a Little Labs Redeye. It's a re-amping box, but has a great passive DI. A virtually interchangeable second place is a Radial JDI.

I've played through a Countryman on several occasions. they sound really nice, but add a little too much warmth for my taste.

You can't go wrong with Radial. Great attention to tone shaping - or lack thereof as desired. And they're built like tanks.

C-Ya.........wayne

BTW - The DI on the F1X beats them all.

jos · « **Reply #11 on:** January 12, 2013, 03:37:52 AM »

Hi Guys! If you are talking about ?only? DI boxes Ampeg SVT tube DI is pretty good (not in production) If you are talking about DI/Pre- amp?. I did use yesterday for a recording session the Alembic F-1X and its works great!
Darkglass electronics BK7 is also really good especially if you like a bit of ?distortion?.
Best Regards, Jan-Olof Strandberg

malthumb · « **Reply #12 on:** January 12, 2013, 11:08:25 AM »

Had a SansAmp BDDI. Loved it. Found myself in situations where I needed to switch basses a lot. Kind of clumsy with SABDDI, so I picked up a Radial ToneBone. The attraction there is that it has two instrument inputs and is easy to switch between them.

IMHO, the ToneBone does a very good job and produces really nice tone, and the SansAmp produces truer tone, but I still figured advantage ToneBone because of the two inputs. But now my ToneBone is crapping out, so I use a Line6 Wireless to switch basses. So if I can't get my ToneBone sorted out, I'll go back to a SABDDI and use my Line6 to switch.

oddmetersam · « **Reply #13 on:** January 13, 2013, 03:23:55 AM »

I've used the JDI and Tonebone extensively. The Tonebone's great for switching between two basses and has a DI out but the JDI just kills if you are only using one instrument. Plus the JDI needs no battery or wall wart -- just plug and go. One less thing to worry about on a gig.

edwin · « **Reply #14 on:** January 13, 2013, 03:32:41 AM »

My favorite DI with tonal shaping these days is the Grace M103. Not cheap but has amazing tone for days. The EQ and compressor are both very flexible and the frequency response is second to none. I wouldn't say that it's got a gritty sound, it's very clean, but it can be warm and punchy as well as hifi.

The Alembic F1X is also one of the very best there is. It just sounds great.