Good acoustic DI box or preamp

[DefenderOfRock]

Hello everyone. I am going to start gigging with my Takamine acoustic/electric and will be plugging into my Tech 21 Trademark 60 so that I dont have to buy another amp. I am looking for a good acoustic DI or pre amp to sweeten/fatten/wooden/whatever up the sound a bit.

My first question is: do I even need a acoustic DI or pre, or will a DMP3 or VTB-1 from my recording setup do the trick?

Second, if I do need a DI or pre, what is a decent one for around $100-150?

Thanks a ton in advance for any help that you can offer!!!!!

Carl

 

[Peter Lancaster]

Your Takamine will never sound great through the Tech21 Trademark 60 because it is designed for electric guitar and therefore does not have the correct frequency response for an acoustic guitar especially in the higher frequencies where it probably emits almost nothing. Plug your Takamine in and see for yourself. If you like the sound, that's cool.

Your Takamine has an onboard pre amp so you may not need any extra outboard gear to alter the sound to get it how you want it.

However, you will get a better sound (in my opinion) by avoiding the Trademark 60 and going direct into the PA.

You have two options. Either just a DI (if you are happy with the tone direct from the Takamine) or a DI plus some EQ (if you want to further shape the tone).

The Tech21 Acoustic DI should be able to create the sound you want and provide you with a DI. You can also send an output to your Trademark 60 as well as the PA if you need to use the amp for stage monitoring purposes.

The Fishman Pro EQ Platinum is a good sounding outboard EQ and DI which can also send an output to your Trademark 60 for stage monitoring.

You could use the DMP3 or VTB-1 as a DI if you don't want additional tonal control on stage, but they aren't really built for gig use. For full-on brick outhouse gig sturdiness (with no tonal colouration) I would suggest a DI like the Countryman Type 85 rather than studio equipment.

Personally I would buy a dedicated acoustic amplifier and use the DI output to feed the PA or rely on the PA/monitors. I wouldn't put an acoustic guitar through a guitar amp, unless the tone you got was exactly what you wanted (e.g. overdriven acoustic a la Grant Lee Buffalo).

Pete.