Do You NEED A DIRECT BOX? Simply Explained w/ Audio Examples

Do you need a Direct Box for live or in the studio? That's what we are going to answer in this video with a simple explanation and audio examples. We are also going to go over different types of Direct Boxes.

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0:00 - Intro
1:20 - Main Reasons
2:28 - Bonus Reasons
3:19 - When You Don’t Need One
3:50 - Keyboard Tones
4:30 - SPDSX Tones
5:00 - Tone Philosophy
6:00 - Backing Tracks Tones
6:45 - Louder Doesn’t Mean Better
7:03 - Hi Z vs Direct Box
8:15 - Guitar Into Line Level
9:03 - HX Stomp Tones
10:00 - Cheap vs Expensive
11:52 - Passive vs Active
12:26 - Final Thoughts

🔥🔥🔥 DIRECT BOXES 🔥🔥🔥
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Pyle (Cheapest):

Behringer:

LiveWire:

Whirwind (Best Bang-For-The-Buck):

Radial (High-End):

Art (Dual):

Radial (Dual):

Radial (Active):

💥 OTHER GEAR MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO 💥
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◆ UNIVERSAL AUDIO Apollo Twin X Duo:

🎥 OTHER VIDEOS TO WATCH 🎥
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🎵 TONE RESULTS 🎵
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Keyboard:
1 - Direct Box
2 - Line
3 - Line
4 - Direct Box

SPDSX:
1 - Line
2 - Direct Box
3 - Line
4 - Line

Backing Tracks:
(Youtube confuses the time chapter time stamps, so I have to write it out this way)
6m 24s - Cheap DI
6m 26s - Radial DI
6m 29s - Cheap DI
6m 32s - Line Level
6m 35s - Radial DI
6m 38.5s - Cheap DI

HX Stomp:
1 - Unbalanced Out
2 - Balanced Out
3 - Unbalanced Out
4 - Direct Box

Guitar Direct:
1 - Radial DI
2 - Cheap DI
3 - Cheap DI
4 - Hi Z
5 - Cheap DI
6 - Cheap DI
7 - Hi Z
8 - Radial DI
9 - Hi Z

📷 VIDEO SETUP: 📷
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*Links are affiliate links. It doesn't cost you anything extra to use those links, and is a free way to support the channel 😊

[ScottUhlMusic]

Just wanted to add 2 quick add-ons for this video: 1) A very helpful thing about direct boxes is that you won't accidentally get sent 48v phantom power from the board which can potentially fry your gear. That's rare, but it can happen, and it's good protection. 2) When I say "it takes a noisy signal and converts it into a less noisy signal", that does NOT mean that the direct box acts as a de-noiser or something like that. If you have a faulty pickup giving buzz, the direct box isn't going to change that. It just takes the "Noisy Unbalanced" signal and converts it into a "Balanced" signal which is much less noisy. Just wanted to clear that up. Thanks again for watching everyone!

[imieniainazwiskaniepodam]

So nice to hear a voice of reason in the audio quality/sound difference discussion. Great material as always!

[TheCrimsonGhosts]

So much EASY TO UNDERSTAND info in such a short video...Congrats!

[chemdrum]

I like your approach on "if it sounds good, it is good". I enjoy how you just allow us as viewers to just listen and see if a difference occurs in your tone tests. Lol I heard no difference throughout the entire video. Also DI boxes are mainly used in live situations anyway and if there was any difference, it wouldn't matter anyway lol. Great video!

[pbensonfran]

Simple direct explanation of a direct box. Thank you

[Andrew_O]

I never looked into the comments and just listening couldn't tell any difference to speak of. This is such a real easy to look at these options without going crazy for nothing! Cheers!

[maxgburton]

Just wanted to say, I’ve been looking at getting IEMs and a wireless system for a while (I play small venues with my band). And your videos have helped me more than any other sources I could find on the internet. Great in depth and honest reviews, really appreciate the help you’ve provided!

Edit: I know this video isn’t related to that but just wanted to pass that on!

[chucksaeger]

You always explain stuff so well! I have a couple of DIs but never used them. They’re really there for the just in case moment. Be prepared.

[Sea_Jay]

I was setting up for a gig this past weekend when the sound guy just starts plugging his XLR into my gear. I'm like whoa, I'll take that into my DI box. He looked at me like I had two heads. I don't want random phantom power sent to my gear by accident and I know what I'm getting with my DI box.

[bassman]

Direct boxes are cool, but all they really are is a giant coil! And the question of whether or not you need one depends on your specific situation. For example, are you strictly a live bassist or do you also record in the studio? And if you are strictly the former, do you like the sound of your entire amp rig? (the resulting sound coming out of your speakers) If the answer is yes, then you might be better served (and possibly save money) by just getting a good quality microphone to mic up your cab with (Usually an egg type of kick drum mic like an AKG D112 or Shure Beta 52). Or, if you have a good quality bass amp that has a DI out on it then you might not need a direct box even if you record in the studio (and of course, that covers you live too). But that depends on few factors. For example, if your head is a tube amp it will require a speaker load (a speaker hooked up to it) at all times. So unless the studio you're recording in has an isolation booth for amps you'll probably want a separate DI box because that would make direct recording impossible. Plus, do you really want to carry all of that equipment to the studio? (Some people will as they like to simultaneously track both direct and mic'd up signals). But even if you have solid state bass amp (which doesn't require a speaker load) that's still kind of a bulky and heavy item to carry into the studio (Sure, guitarists always do it, but they are much more likely to depend on effects and generally hate the sound of direct recording) So again, do you really want to carry your amp head? And that brings us to the last type of bass player, the recording only/songwriter. If you're only doing studio work and your DAW's interface has a Hi-Z on it, then that is all you need unless it sounds noisy. However, even if that's the case what about your console or even rack preamps? Because if they have a Hi-Z on them there is a good chance that they're much better than the one built into most DAWs (especially lower cost ones). Well, I hope this helped a few of my fellow low-enders out there!

[mastersteve]

Only time I used a DI box was with my acoustic guitar. I used modelers for my electric to go straight to the board because they had a balanced out & XLR. I didn’t have anything like that for my acoustic. Great video.

[djrez]

I carry a Radial in the gear bag at all times, never know when an artist or a DJ needs to hook up to the PA. Theyre built like tanks. Never had one fail

[DustinRadtke]

Had a keyboard in our band for 5 years always went 1/4 to my xr18 with zero issues at 30fft without noise.

Soundguys always tell me that doesn't work, but we have never had a issue. I think some people like the way direct boxes can color the tone and make it less harsh. But yeah, eq is just as good.

[jgooch]

As someone who mixes live sound we use both radial j48 and prod1’s as needed. Use whatever works for the person’s rig.

[lucadipaolo]

I use a DI box for my synthesizer to plug it into my AudioBox USB 96, which only accepts mic or instrument level signals; it's also handy to have for as you said, long cable runs, and the ground lift comes in handy since most older homes where I live don't have ground wiring. Having to buy stereo DI boxes kind of sucks though lol, but it is what it is.

[Rahelios]

Bro yes! LOVE this kind of content. Dispel the myths!

As musicians, we are all endlessly striving to improve our performance, our skill, our sound, our tone, and hopefully the positive impact that our music has on our audience.

As a sax player, I feel silly now recalling all the countless hours I've spent testing out different mouthpieces, playing into the corner, recording the sound clips, and endlessly doing a-b tests over 5 to 10 different mouthpiece and reed combinations at a time.

All to finally realize that the only thing that really mattered was which one physically felt the most comfortable and therefore enabled me to give the best performance? Because the quality of the performance of the MUSICIAN matters infinitely more than any subtle, most of the time imperceptible sound differences that I was struggling to even discern😂

If you can't hear any difference, or you think that maybe you can but you're struggling to figure it out and you keep going back and forth and you're not sure which one is actually better - then the truth is it really doesn't freaking matter and perhaps you're focused on the wrong thing entirely... 😊👍

Good stuff man! Thank you for all this great content!

[Roger-iliw]

I helped a small church fix their noise issue just by switching to all xlr higher quality cables, as short as possible. They were blown away lol

[cosmicsunbeams]

I'm plugging my Acoustic or Electric Guitar directly into PAsystem. It's not a good tone. Wondering if Direct Box will boost the signal? I also use a Bossloop and Multieffects pedals. I'm hoping to get a better guitar sound plugging Directly into the PA.❤ One Man Band.

[kimmossige]

Dude.. For YEARS I never figured out what DI box was for.. You explained it in 10 seconds.. Thank god that people like you exist!!!
Question though, I have the Radial PRO48.. I also have INST mode with high-z on my interface. And amazingly I notice that with the Pro48, and PAD switch active, the annoying hum is gone. But... If I use the high-z input without DI box, the annoying ringing hum is back. It's only gone when I use the DI box with-15db pad switch only... There's still noise now, but more like "white noise".

[mihail]

I swear, i ve tried to find a video that can clearly explain for me
And finally, i ve got this, thanks a lot