Choosing a direct box

[RideTheCrash]

I need a direct box for recording bass, will this one do the job alright? http://www.music123.com/Rolls-DB25--...x-i11824.music

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by RideTheCrash

I need a direct box for recording bass, will this one do the job alright? http://www.music123.com/Rolls-DB25--...x-i11824.music

That will work. Another option in that pricerange is the *gasp* Behringer DI/GI 100. Not too shabby for $35. Active (can run on phantom power from your preamp or battery). Lots of people recommend the Bass SansAmp, but I've not had the pleasure. They are a few bucks more.

[RideTheCrash]

I'd prefer to stay away from Behringer...

[noisedude]

That's a bit silly! The Behringer DI100s are superb for the money. Solid as rocks and very decent sound for the money. Rolls is hardly a step up from Behringer, frankly, and in this case the Berrys are one of their better products.

Honestly - you won't be dispappointed with it, I was using one in a 'pro standard' studio last week and it sat ok with the bass tracks I'd put down with more expensive solutions.

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by RideTheCrash

I'd prefer to stay away from Behringer...

I understand your hesitation, but as noisedude says, this is probably one of their better products. They may still be having a $10 rebate on them, which would make the price comparable to the Rolls.

[RideTheCrash]

Well I own a Eurorack 802a (not my main board though) and most time Behringer gets mentioned it's ripped apart. But I'll take your word for it...whatever works!

[noisedude]

Behringer mixers = bad. Especially the MX ones. I have a big stack of the DI100 and don't have a bad thing to say about them. For under £30, they're way better than anything else available round my way for that money. Even the Samson ones cost noticably more than that, and Rolls are hardly a great brand!

EDIT - I should say that I happily give it all a try. I had a Behringer UB1204 which finally left a couple of weeks ago to a friend (man, should I feel guilty about that?) and a fellow HR.com member just sent me an MIC2200 Ultragain to try out. I'm a skint student same as you - money has to be spent well!

[RideTheCrash]

Alright, well it just seemed whenever even things other than mixers were mentioned they were shot done. But yeah I'll probably pick up that Behringer one. I assume I can use it for 2 mics w/ phantom power too? My board doesn't have built in phantom power so I guess that'd be a bonus.

[noisedude]

Now that I don't know. If that's what you want to do, look at the Behringer MIC2200, which is a pair of tube pres or lines or DI boxes all for not much money. It's a rack unit though, so not for the road.

Now I think about it, the phantom power terminates at the box - I'm almost certain it isn't made available to the XLR input on the other side.

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by RideTheCrash

Alright, well it just seemed whenever even things other than mixers were mentioned they were shot done. But yeah I'll probably pick up that Behringer one. I assume I can use it for 2 mics w/ phantom power too? My board doesn't have built in phantom power so I guess that'd be a bonus.

As far as I know, few direct boxes supply phantom power for mics. The DI100 can be powered by phantom power from your board/preamp or battery, but I don't think it will power an attached mic.

There are separate phantom power boxes if you are running condensor mics and you have no phantom power on your board. You might be better served getting a separate mic preamp or channel strip, though.

[RideTheCrash]

Yes, well, in the future I planned to buy a preamp of a sort for phantom power, I'm buying this direct box strictly for bass, but figured if it could run work phantom power, all the better, but alas.

[noisedude]

My meandering around looking at DIs and standalone preamps is kinda what led me to the MIC2200. That and another member giving me one for free It seems like a really good, versatile box for the money. I intend to use it mainly for stereo lining my electric piano.