Stupid Question: What is DI?

[chipwits]

Heh. I keep seeing the term "DI" pop up with respect to mic preamps. What is this an acronym for?

Is it direct input or something? Like a line in bypassing the mic preamp?

James

 

[tourettes5139]

Direct input (it might be direct injection, too, but they mean the same thing. I have heard both.). It is used for putting in instruments, like guitar and bass directly in, i.e. bypassing the amplifier. It converts the signal from instrument-level to line-level, so that the signal can be routed to a compressor, reverb, recorder, interface etc. They also make dedicated D.I. boxes, which do the same thing, but without any of the "flavor" of the preamp, just strictly converting the level.

 

[chance]

That stands for Direct Injection
This is for sending a signal from your guitar directly to your board or recorder.

 

[chance]

Wow 5139, you beat me by seconds! LOL

 

[cpl_crud]

Direct Inject.

Basically, just a box that will take a low-Z or high-voltage signal and convert it into a mic/line level signal that you can then plug into your preamp/mixer/recorder/DAW/fridge. They also balance unbalanced signals.

You usually find Low-Z signals coming off electrical instruments, or instruments with built-in pickups- the pickup on a guitar or an electronic keyboard, for example.

High-voltage signals come off the back of amplifiers- a good DI will accept inputs from even the biggest guitar amps, so you can then send that signal straight into wherever you need it.

They're also handy for balancing signals, say, off a laptop (happens a lot on corporate gigs), or if you'ev got a long run of unbalanced cable, it's best to put a DI box on stage and then run balanced to your whatever...

So yeah, there you go.

 

[tourettes5139]

Yeah, I have knack for doing that. If only it didn't take me so long to type my responses, then it wouldn't be so close every time.

 

[cpl_crud]

tell me about it... I thought I'd get in first to this one... tupid long-winded responses... then again, tis' 4am over here...

 

[thajeremy]

a couple of these responses said that it is to bypass the amp....I think that the DI box is an amp and it is just beefing up the signal from the guitar or bass or what ever you are recording...what is actually being bypassed is the use of a mic. Using a DI is great for recording more than one instrument at one time and avoiding bleeding of sources.

 

[usekgb]

It converts the signal from instrument-level to line-level, so that the signal can be routed to a compressor, reverb, recorder, interface etc. They also make dedicated D.I. boxes, which do the same thing, but without any of the "flavor" of the preamp, just strictly converting the level.

Direct Inject.

Basically, just a box that will take a low-Z or high-voltage signal and convert it into a mic/line level signal that you can then plug into your preamp/mixer/recorder/DAW/fridge. They also balance unbalanced signals.

You usually find Low-Z signals coming off electrical instruments, or instruments with built-in pickups- the pickup on a guitar or an electronic keyboard, for example.

You're both very close, but I'll give this a go. DI stands for direct injection. It takes an incoming Hi-Z unbalanced input and converts it to a balanced low-Z output that can run down long cable runs and right in to mic pre's. If you try to run the output of a DI directly in to a line level input, you will get a very low signal. You usually have to run the output of the DI in to a mic pre. They are very useful for several things. First, they are very commonly used on Bass Guitar in live applications. This makes it possible for the bass signal to be carried down several hundred feet of multi-channel snake cable without very much signal loss. They are also commonly used on keys, DJ's, samplers, etc. In the studio, they do much the same thing, but they are not usually needed to run down several hundred feet of cable.

Cheers,
Zach'

 

[usekgb]

a couple of these responses said that it is to bypass the amp....I think that the DI box is an amp and it is just beefing up the signal from the guitar or bass or what ever you are recording...what is actually being bypassed is the use of a mic. Using a DI is great for recording more than one instrument at one time and avoiding bleeding of sources.

A DI box is not an amp. It is either just a transformer (IMP, Director, JDI), or an active circuit that does the same thing as the transformer (J48, JDV, Countryman).

Cheers,
Zach

 

[thajeremy]

A DI box is not an amp. It is either just a transformer (IMP, Director, JDI), or an active circuit that does the same thing as the transformer (J48, JDV, Countryman).

Cheers,
Zach

well...i know its not an amp that would drives speakers or anything. Im thinking more along the lines of a pre amp. Many people use things like a DMP3 as a DI box. Like I said, boosts your guitar or bass signal and gives you a direct connection to your recorder.

 

[famous beagle]

Heh. I keep seeing the term "DI" pop up with respect to mic preamps. What is this an acronym for?

Is it direct input or something? Like a line in bypassing the mic preamp?

James

On a side note:

"DI" is not technically an acronym. An acronym is a collection of first initials that spell a word, like "radar" or "laser." "DI" is simply initials.

 

[chipwits]

Thanks for the clarification =P. Didn't know an acronym had to form a word. Good to know.

 

[thajeremy]

dont you just love asswipes who wont sign their negative reps???

 

[bleyrad]

well...i know its not an amp that would drives speakers or anything. Im thinking more along the lines of a pre amp. Many people use things like a DMP3 as a DI box. Like I said, boosts your guitar or bass signal and gives you a direct connection to your recorder.

It's not an amp or preamp in any sense of the word, or even remotely related.
There is no amplification of the signal going on.

Some preamps have built-in DI's, which is the same as putting a DI before the preamp in your signal chain.


The essential function of the DI is to take an unbalanced, hi-Z signal and turn it into a balanced, low-Z signal.
There is a transformer is most dynamic mics (ie SM57) which does exactly this same thing - takes the hi-Z output of the capsule and balances it for the low-Z mic run.
In either case (mic or DI), you need to plug it into a mic preamp next in the signal chain.

In basic terms you can think of a DI as making an instrument output look like it's a microphone output.

 

[chance]

In basic terms you can think of a DI as making an instrument output look like it's a microphone output.

That was very well put