Do I need a DI Box?

[jdfoosh357]

Going to be doing some two person acoustic sets, sometimes with a drummer. I'm not really familiar with what a DI box does, and I'm not sure if I should have one or not. I will be using a Takamine acoustic/electric with a simple onboard EQ. Thanks.

[Primo Don]

You really don't need to go to a balanced signal (mic cord out of a DI) unless you're running 100 feet or more . As long as you don't have more than that from guitar->effects->mixer, you're fine without one.

Adam

[JohnnyCrash]

No, you do NOT need one... BUT...

I would recommend the L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic D.I.

It can help make your acoustic sound better (ALOT better than your onboard preamp/EQ), and has feedback reducing twiddley knobs on it for even more volume :)

Great piece of gear for an acoustic musician. I've heard Violin players even use them.

[Joe-Bob]

You didn't need one in your last thread on this topic, and you still don't need one.

[T-bone Tone]

It all depends. I need one; my acoustic has a lipstick soundhole Pup, and it isn't as powerful as a built in piezo, like most modern guitars have...like your Takemine. I get a lot of grief from sound guys who set their mixers for piezo equipped guitar, which most of the musos have, and then I ask him to give me more volume. You ever seen the look a sound guy gives you when you have the nerve to ask for more volume, like you're the dog's bollocks, so to speak?

However, DI boxes can also alter the tone and reduce feedback, both very, very useful features.

They don't cost that much - especially the Behringer models - so try one and see for yourself. I think you'll find you use it. A lot.

[boogaloo]

I firmly believe you should have a DI box. Unless your PA is of superior quality, most on board guitar pre amps just don't make it relative to fine eq-ing and signal balancing. I play a fairly high end electric acoustic (Rick Turner Renaissance) and while it is OK directly into a board, the Para fine tunes the sound and optimizes the texture-allowing a truer acoustic tone (assuming thats what you want in an acoustic ). Lots of piezo pups are quacky and some are imbalanced string to string. The Para, or a Raven/similar DI set up, will allow you to get beautiful tone and provide a hotter signal to the board.

Brian

[Bandit]

Originally Posted by jdfoosh357

I'm not really familiar with what a DI box does, and I'm not sure if I should have one or not. I will be using a Takamine acoustic/electric with a simple onboard EQ. Thanks.

DI box:
A DI(direct input) box is used to connect the output from a bass's pickup directly into an input channel of a mixing console. The output from some instruments can match the input on the console (mixer), but frequently a DI box is needed. Bass usually have a high output and a DI is facilitates impedence matching with the mixer's input.


Snake:
The setup usually involves a 100' or more snake that all the microphones are run back to the House Mixer. A snake is necessary unless you want to sit at the mixer and play while watching the band from 100' away.
Really big concerts like the one we did for George Fox this year at the fair the keyboard player ran an onstage moniter mix and George brought in his own sound engineer/manager.

Acoustic Bass:
Depending on the volume you play at and if play standing up and face you amp the acoustic may be a pain to use live. Then are sensitive to FEEDBACK PROBLEMS. You did say you could be playing without a drummer so feedback might not be a problem.


Here's a really good book I always go back to:

"The Guitar Handbook by Ralph Denyer
A unique source book for the guitar player-
amatur or electric, rock, blues, jazz or folk.

The book goes into great detail about:
Guitar Innovators
Acoutic Guitars
Electric Guitars
Playing Guitar
Maintenance and Customizing
Performance Technology
Chord Dictionary

Hope this of some help. Having problems before you play the first note is never fun.

[Professor SourTone]

If you were in the market for a tuner, the Strobostomp has a DI facility. Expensive for just a tuner, maybe, but if you use both features together it would be easier to justify. No toneshaping, of course.

[Tim Bowen]

For my last four acoustic-electric jobs, I decided to ditch the BOSS TU-2 tuner and Horizon Straight Line DI, in favor of the Peterson Strobo. All that functionality in one little box, with superior intonation to boot. What a total
no-brainer choice. You guys and gals really should get one, it's the shiznit.

[Professor SourTone]

True bypass if you're using it with other effects, unlike the Boss.

[Tim Bowen]

Actually, the Peterson StroboStomp must be configured in 'buffered' mode when utilizing the DI function. True bypass is otherwise available.

[franchelB]

I have a D.I. box, and I also have a P.A. The only time I use my D.I. box ONLY when I want to run everything BALANCED on the P.A. IMHO, it's great for when one is in a full-band setting. In a duet situation, I don't use a D.I. box. I prefer to "K.I.S.S." it.

[Rob DiStefano]

Whether you think you need it or not, the ParaDI is a Great addition for any guitar that uses a transducer to sense string vibrations.