| A passive DI will interact with a passive instrument's volume and tone control circuitry, producing different (not better or worse...) results as these controls are changed.
An active DI (often with a high - 1 M ohm input impedance) will not interact with the passive circuitry.
This might lead to the generalization that a passive instrument will sound better through an active DI, and an active instrument (a bass with active pickups, vintage synth, etc.) will sound great with a simpler passive DI. As with all generalizations, both should be auditioned and the best-sounding one should be used. |