[dkelley]

no joke here - the behringer 21 series. for $35 each you can own the bdi-21 bass di with CONVINCING ampeg emulation, xlr out, analog circuitry, very low noise, ground lift, stomp amp sim switch, mix control etc. with the remaing money you can buy the acoustic/piezo version of the same box (also really REALLY amazing at this price and very good at any price), and there are more in the series.

those are exceptional sounding DI boxes. period.

BUT they're built like crap. so it depends on your goal... if longevity with stomp box use in mind or where it WILL get stepped on/dropped etc once in a while.... then just don't buy these. but in a home studio they are REALLY great. and I've gigged live and in the studio with the bdi-21 for bass for a year now without a single issue. So it CAN be done, but I'm pretty careful. I've read of issues with their build quality.

anyway, the sound is honestly spectacular. don't let the brand turn you off. and I wouldn't be without the adi-21 for my ovation acoustic or my electric violin. Never again will I go without this little box. I've made a belt clip mount for it and it lives on my hip when I'm gigging. handy access to all the controls that way.

but they ARE rips of the tech 21 boxes of course. but they do sound a little different, and not in a bad way, just in a "different" way.

EDIT: by the way the other recommendations in this thread are all great and very standard as well. But you owe it to yourself to try the bdi-21 on bass. trust me. plenty of professional bassists have this dirty little secret, and it works great on guitar too.