The best DI box in front of a Neve 1073 for electric guitar and bass is?

[SK1]

Nothing wrong with the radial jdi .......

I've used countryman's and they work great too.

I'd say you're already " cooking with gas "

[seaneldon]

i wouldn't live another day doing rock records without a little labs ibp.

[murp]

Originally Posted by SK1

Nothing wrong with the radial jdi .......

I've used countryman's and they work great too.

I'd say you're already " cooking with gas "

Agreed - I use a JDI all the time and usually prefer it to the built-in DIs on my API 3124+... sounds really good.

[RoundBadge]

i usually do an IBP and/or Reddi tube DI before whatever pre[neve,telefunken,Etc]..

never dissapointed.thumbsup

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by seaneldon

i wouldn't live another day doing rock records without a little labs ibp.

Or any other style really, the IBP is a fantastic DI and that's only part of the package.

I also like the DI of my UA 2108 pre. Sometimes I prefer it to the IBP depending on the sound or if it's a stereo source like keyboards.

[Fletcher]

Martech MSS-01... kills everything I have ever used... YMMV

[Betamax]

I use a BAE 1073- I go directly into the DI input, is this bad ? should I be using a seperate DI box for bass?

[doorknocker]

Originally Posted by Betamax

I use a BAE 1073- I go directly into the DI input, is this bad ? should I be using a seperate DI box for bass?

No, that's o.k and that's why the DI is there in the first place.

But a DI like the one in the Little Labs IBP will produce a much more transparent and dimensional sound due to the different loading and that's why I usually use the IBP's DI whenever I need 'punch' and 'power', especially for bass and the occasional direct guitar.

[Betamax]

Originally Posted by doorknocker

No, that's o.k and that's why the DI is there in the first place.

But a DI like the one in the Little Labs IBP will produce a much more transparent and dimensional sound due to the different loading and that's why I usually use the IBP's DI whenever I need 'punch' and 'power', especially for bass and the occasional direct guitar.

Thanks.....I'll definitely pick up an IBP soon.

[Power Supply]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

Martech MSS-01... kills everything I have ever used... YMMV

Is it $450. better than the Radial?

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

Martech MSS-01... kills everything I have ever used... YMMV

I thought you were digging the TAB V71 DI for a while there Fletcher. You like the Martech more now? What was it that changed your mind?

Either way, me, I freak'n love my V71DI.... but as Fletcher says YMMV.

[Fletcher]

In my opinion it's $750- better than the Radial... but as always, YMMV.

[Power Supply]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

In my opinion it's $750- better than the Radial... but as always, YMMV.

On your recommendation I'm gonna' try it
but from reading the info at their website
it doesn't seem all that different construction
or component-wise to the Radial.

[3rd world order]

chandler germanium pre with THICK switch in and feedback on 10... kills everything i've ever used. bass down to china.

[Power Supply]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

In my opinion it's $750- better than the Radial... but as always, YMMV.

P.S.-After further examination of the actual Martech DI itself, which I now hold in my hands, and the paperwork with it it's clear that this DI should be compared to the 48v Radial DI. The Martech is similar in function (if not features--I think the Radial has much more if my memory serves...). The Martech performs optimally at 48v to get the results Fletch is talking about just to clarify. You need a mic pre.

[Alex Wyler]

Great! Thanks for all the replies.

Put these 3 (which I am tossing and turning over) in order of best to least best for me please:

Radial JDI

Radial JDV

Little Labs

I want the best DI to go in front of my 1073 for Bass and electric guitar.
Thanks!

[seriousfun]

Originally Posted by Power Supply

P.S.-After further examination of the actual Martech DI itself, which I now hold in my hands, and the paperwork with it it's clear that this DI should be compared to the 48v Radial DI. The Martech is similar in function (if not features--I think the Radial has much more if my memory serves...). The Martech performs optimally at 48v to get the results Fletch is talking about just to clarify. You need a mic pre.

Yes, like any pure DI, the MSS-01 serves to send the high impedance pickup or instrument to a low impedance input, and needs the gain that a Mic Pre will provide.

The MSS-01 has a purely passive path and an active path, each suited to different needs. Both paths use our proprietary input transformer from the MSS-10 mic pre.

[Power Supply]

Originally Posted by seriousfun

Yes, like any pure DI, the MSS-01 serves to send the high impedance pickup or instrument to a low impedance input, and needs the gain that a Mic Pre will provide.

The MSS-01 has a purely passive path and an active path, each suited to different needs. Both paths use our proprietary input transformer from the MSS-10 mic pre.

Hey Doug, thanks for responding.
Does it need the 48v to perform optimally
or is it equally cool as a stand-alone DI without it?

[seriousfun]

Originally Posted by Power Supply

Hey Doug, thanks for responding.
Does it need the 48v to perform optimally
or is it equally cool as a stand-alone DI without it?

48 v is only necessary for the Active path.

[Power Supply]

Originally Posted by seriousfun

48 v is only necessary for the Active path.

Gotcha'. Cool, thanks.

Gotta' tell ya', it does sound pretty great so far.
I'll post more when I've had time with more sources.

[Fletcher]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

I thought you were digging the TAB V71 DI for a while there Fletcher.

Still do. Love it to death.

You like the Martech more now? What was it that changed your mind?

The 1073 the original poster put in the signal path.

I generally use the V-71 on it's own... take a +4 "line level" out bypass the need for a mic pre and be done with it... but, if I have to run into a mic-pre, especially a somewhat "colored" mic-pre then I'm going to want a DI that gets out of the way but does so in a very musical manner... the MSS-01 fits that bill to a "T".

Make sense?

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by Fletcher

Still do. Love it to death.



The 1073 the original poster put in the signal path.

I generally use the V-71 on it's own... take a +4 "line level" out bypass the need for a mic pre and be done with it... but, if I have to run into a mic-pre, especially a somewhat "colored" mic-pre then I'm going to want a DI that gets out of the way but does so in a very musical manner... the MSS-01 fits that bill to a "T".

Make sense?

Yep... I did not realize that the MSS-01 was passive and I did not read the thread too well.... missed the part about the "DI box in front of a Neve 1073"



I agree, if the goal is to use a DI just to get into a 1073 or some other pre then yes I would want a very clean DI for sure.

[Kestral]

I used a Radial JDI with my AMS Neve 1073. It's so good it's never even occurred to me to try something else

[contempo]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

I thought you were digging the TAB V71 DI for a while there Fletcher. You like the Martech more now? What was it that changed your mind?

Either way, me, I freak'n love my V71DI.... but as Fletcher says YMMV.

probably cause mercenary is out of the tabs or whatever this week!


there is no "best" DI or a "best" anything. go ahead and keep looking though, like a dog chasing its tail.

play your damn part better and it'll sound better.

hows that for free advice with a pound of truth?

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by contempo

probably cause mercenary is out of the tabs or whatever this week!


there is no "best" DI or a "best" anything. go ahead and keep looking though, like a dog chasing its tail.

play your damn part better and it'll sound better.

hows that for free advice with a pound of truth?

Nooooo really???? I never thought of that wow thanks.....

The age old argument. Here is the real truth of the matter. Many of us don't have the option of playing the part better because we are recording a band and the bass player sucks but because they are the client we can only say that in a very pleasant way if at all.

We are stuck recording the musicians we are stuck recording. If this is the case then we can only hope to use the gear that we like the sound of and that works for our productions and our aesthetics.

One more hole in your argument that gets passed over all too often. Yeah if I play a better part in a better room with a better instrument things will sound better over all but if all the above is the same, the part, the player, the instrument and the room then better gear will make for a better sounding finished product.

Many of us can not completely control the player, the part or the instrument so we work on what we can control, our own chops, our room and our gear. That is why we are here.. but thanks so much for the advice.

[Fletcher]

Originally Posted by contempo

probably cause mercenary is out of the tabs or whatever this week!


there is no "best" DI or a "best" anything. go ahead and keep looking though, like a dog chasing its tail.

play your damn part better and it'll sound better.

hows that for free advice with a pound of truth?

200% and/or spot on... except I believe I've seen a "load up" on the TAB stuff as there is a price increase coming down the line on the stuff in like a week or so... but I don't really know much about day to day M-A operations.

[djui5]

Originally Posted by Alex Wyler

I am currently using the Radial JDI in front of a Neve 1073 for direct recording of electric guitar and bass.

At this point, I think you need to focus on the music, and not the gear. If you can't make it work with this path, you have other issues...

[contempo]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

Nooooo really???? I never thought of that wow thanks.....

The age old argument. Here is the real truth of the matter. Many of us don't have the option of playing the part better because we are recording a band and the bass player sucks but because they are the client we can only say that in a very pleasant way if at all.

We are stuck recording the musicians we are stuck recording. If this is the case then we can only hope to use the gear that we like the sound of and that works for our productions and our aesthetics.

One more hole in your argument that gets passed over all too often. Yeah if I play a better part in a better room with a better instrument things will sound better over all but if all the above is the same, the part, the player, the instrument and the room then better gear will make for a better sounding finished product.

Many of us can not completely control the player, the part or the instrument so we work on what we can control, our own chops, our room and our gear. That is why we are here.. but thanks so much for the advice.

your welcome!

check it freaky...i know alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll about shitty talent. i just finished the tracking dates for a bunch of 19 and 20 year old kids that are signed and have a budget that's over a quarter million dollars. it was soooooooooooooo bad....the horrors....

none of those kids could play baseball let alone play their instrument. the bass player wasn't too bad but the rest of the bunch is ****ing atrocious. i actually asked another A&R guy at their label how and why this bunch of morons I've been stuck with got signed.

"they fit the image of MTV and can move some units to the under 20 bracket" was the short answer. so we'll get the producers favorite pt operator in there and turn these chumps slop into something that the kiddes will love.



its a living.

on the original question, i've never found anything that was hands down superior and "best" all the time, every ****ing time. thats an endless pursuit. i can relate to looking for something new, something different, even trying different mics to find the "best" one on that singer on that day, but attempting to determine the "best _____" for anything & everything is a ****ing pointless waste of energy.

might as well jump in a lake.

quick! tell me whats better, a 22oz ribeye steak, lobster tails or lasanga?

[not_so_new]

Originally Posted by contempo

your welcome!

check it freaky...i know alllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll about shitty talent. i just finished the tracking dates for a bunch of 19 and 20 year old kids that are signed and have a budget that's over a quarter million dollars. it was soooooooooooooo bad....the horrors....

none of those kids could play baseball let alone play their instrument. the bass player wasn't too bad but the rest of the bunch is ****ing atrocious. i actually asked another A&R guy at their label how and why this bunch of morons I've been stuck with got signed.

"they fit the image of MTV and can move some units to the under 20 bracket" was the short answer. so we'll get the producers favorite pt operator in there and turn these chumps slop into something that the kiddes will love.



its a living.

on the original question, i've never found anything that was hands down superior and "best" all the time, every ****ing time. thats an endless pursuit. i can relate to looking for something new, something different, even trying different mics to find the "best" one on that singer on that day, but attempting to determine the "best _____" for anything & everything is a ****ing pointless waste of energy.

might as well jump in a lake.

quick! tell me whats better, a 22oz ribeye steak, lobster tails or lasanga?

You see that is the funny thing.. I don't like lobster at all, lasagna is good but flat out hands down give me a 22oz rib-eye steak any day of the week... and yes I could have one any day of the week.

Look I see your point and I have made the same point over and over around here, but as a engineer / button pusher / lackey I know what I like. The key to this whole crazy hardware game is knowing what it is that flips my hat and knowing that it will probably not be the same thing that works for someone else.

There is absolutely no best anything at all I agree but while there might be a time or two when I like a nice piece of lasagna I will never eat lobster and I will usually eat steak over the other two. The point is there is no one best of anything but there are units that fit my taste and the productions that I work on better than others. What you or Fletcher or anyone has to say about a unit really only lets me know what ballpark something is in, from there I have to try it myself and that is the thing that many folks around here don't get.

Anyway we are on the same page, I don't want to sound like I am preaching and I guess I just don't want to be preached to is all.... it's all good.