What is a DI Box Used for
Home > Home Recording Forum > Recording Techniques > What is a DI Box Used for
Posted on Apr 12, 2005 05:02 pm
Sonic
Member Since: Mar 25, 2005
Hi guys and girls.
What is the purpose of a DI Box ? and why is it needed in the recording studio as well as live ?.
Cheers
[ Back to Top ]
Apr 12, 2005 05:05 pm A DI Box is used for Direct Injection into a desk, soundcard etc - it boots a raw signal, thus allowing you to plug in say a MIC, with a preamp in the DI to boost the signal and allow it to be recorded.
Behringer make em cheap as chips if yer looking for a starting point, they go right up tho if ye need many DI's you may wanna consider a small mixer.
Cheers
Coco.
BrunoThe Quiet MindedMember
Since: Jan 01, 2003
Apr 12, 2005 11:08 pm I dont think mixers work as DI coco as well as a DI beeing used to boost signal, that would be a preamp job. DIs as far as I know are used to do something to the hot signal impedance from an intrument to be directly recorded. or somethiong like that.
Apr 12, 2005 11:55 pm di boxes are basically preamps i thought
WaltChief Cook and Bottle WasherMember
Since: May 10, 2002
Apr 13, 2005 01:01 am In a very vague sense a DI could be thought of as a kind of a pre-amp, or maybe better pre-conditioner.
Guitar and Bass Guitar pick-ups do not put out either line level or mic level signal. These pick-ups have a high impediance output and need a higher impediance input than a mic or a line out device. Where a pre-amp changes the voltage and or amprage of a signal to bring it up to an acceptable level for a board, the DI box actualy matches up the impediance of the pick-ups of the guitar to the inputs of the board; in this case lowering the impediance seen by the board. A DI box will also convert the unbalanced signal from the pick-ups to a balanced signal for he board. A DI box will generaly give the board a signal with less noise and a fuller more natural sound from the pickups. Some Hibred units like the Fishman Platnum Pro for bass is a DI and a pre-amp with some conditioning e.g. eq, compression, phase reversal. It also gives you the option to isolate the ground between the bass and the board if you are getting humm from a grounding problem.
Hope that helps a little. I don't know how to explain it any better without going into a ton of really dry, boring, amplification theory.
Apr 13, 2005 03:12 am Aye...what Walt said :-) !!
Cheers
Coco.
Apr 13, 2005 03:44 pm and now you know...
the rest of the story
SonicMember
Since: Mar 25, 2005
Apr 13, 2005 05:19 pm Oh also i forgot to ask what is the diffrence betwen a passive DI Box and a Active DI BOx ?
I Know Active speakers run off mains power and Passive need Amps but how does that relate to DI ?
Apr 13, 2005 06:11 pm basically, actives require a 9V battery...and you can accually cut and boost gain alot more drastically. with passive, there's no battery, they tend to be a bit more noisy IMHO, i've worked with both types and prefer active...but if your battery dies, you're screwed.
peace
wyd
Apr 13, 2005 06:21 pm paul harvey or whatever his name is is refreshing. (and now you know the rest of the story)
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Apr 13, 2005 10:17 pm Yep, no real need for an active DI box in your case. You can pick up a decent passive for less then $30.00 at most music shops. Try looking for something from Rolls or the like.
