BASS DI BOX SHOOTOUT

[@pecavallo]

Noticeable but very subtle differences.. considering the price of some of the displayed gear I am starting to love the DI output on my amp again.

[@bolttracks]

really love the sound of the RNDI!

[@voltaspeeder17]

i actually didn't like it at all! Too colored and warm for my taste. That's the whole point of this video - we are different and prefer different things and that's fine!

[@holdencaustic]

The Neve and the Reddi sounded nice and transparent. I'm a fan of Avalon preamps in studio, I like how they warm up the low end without eating up the mix. I liked the Avalon DI here, but I think they all sounded good, and wouldn't object to any of them, really.

[@bassheart365]

This is by far the best bass-preamp review/shoot-out on KZbin. I used this to select my bass preamp - the U5. I had used a U5 previously in a studio, and also an 737sp, and was already very impressed with Avalon. So many great bass lines were recorded with the U5, and for good reason. I really liked the REDDI and the V71-DI also, but I need a DI/preamp combo, since I'll also be using it in live situations into a Crown XLS 2502 power amp, and the U5 has the 6-bank passive tone selector. I use tone shape No. 2 for slap and No. 1 for finger plucking. I was also impressed by the MarkBass, which was a surprise to me.Thanks BassTheWorld!!

[@nathanaeldavenport2251]

I once did a remote session with another engineer who sent me a $1500 tube DI to use on the session with my bass. I played around with it on my own time to see what magic it would impart to my sound. I was underwhelmed. So for the heck of it, in the session, I didn't use the DI box. I plugged straight into my Audient interface that I had at the time and did the session. And he kept going on about that great tube tone from his DI box. I never told him what I did.

[@ruslanshalintsev4793]

ahahahahajaj, genius. I did allmost the same. recorded my bass through cheap harley-benton di/preamp box, used the XLR out to my cheap interface, and "through" out from the di box to the second input of the audio interface. The first signal was with the built in EQ and compressor, ive eq-ed the signal by my taste, and the second one was the raw signal of my p-bass. The sound guy, that didnt knew me, ive send the files through my friend, who played on the guitar on that song.. well the sound guy said what a wonderful 2 signals i have) 70 euro bass preamp)

[@TheHeater90]

I liked the TAB Funkenwerk V71DI and the REDDI the best!

[@jimlereveilleur-ms7wc]

Reddi is thé best un my opinion !!! Clearest ! Purest ! Most dynamic

[@Dionysus667]

I was a bit surprised; The clips sound more alike to me than I expected. Apart from that, that Tonecraft sounded really 'thick' which I usually like on bass. The Reddi wasn't as colouring as I recall it and the Avalon sounded ice-cold as ever. I liked - despite the hype on the name - the Neve best. Really lively and 'real' sounding! Thanks for the video!

[@rksguit]

The Tabb kept the lows during slap better than the others.

[@NinthDensity]

I really like the Tab Funkwerk. The Avalon's nice too.

[@voiceoveip]

It would have been interesting to hear the Saffire straight instrument input for comparison. Good informative video though!

[@Basslessonsmelbourne]

+voiceoveip great suggestion, next time! thanks

[@Paulosrecordsofficial]

Great demo, appreciate the effort you put in to do it. They all sound good to me, with the Reddi and Tab V71 just slightly preferable to my ears.

[@lessingesnus]

Thanks ! Love the funkenwerk, didn't know this brand... Avalon still #1 on a mix, neve for tranparency.

[@beornthebear.8220]

They all sounded good. My favorite was the V71DI, but it costs more than my Little Mark Tube 800. I was also interested int the Avalon because Leo Lyons uses it, but its price was up there, too.

[@carbonatedbrainsauce]

The differences were pretty subtle. I feel like a few small EQ adjustments could make them all sound about the same.

[@wizedo]

+carbonatedbrainsauce Not 100%. There are different dynamic response as well.

[@MusicZtorm]

@@wizedo if you do modern ( compressed ) music, i think this doesn’t add much. I’m glad î’ve invested in uad :)

[@minibuns5397]

That markbass sure sounded awesome compared to all those others wow!

[@grahamsmithbass]

The Avalon and Tonecraft were my favourites, the Tonecraft sounded the most like a valve amp, which was nice and the Avalon most like the sound I go for

[@robertbradley3320]

The Tonecraft IS a valve amp.

[@JuanNungaray]

Avalon killed them all, it saturates the lows very nicely and makes them sound big and a little aggressive.

[@bassheart365]

I agree. Especially on the slap demo. I bought the U5 shortly after listening to the shoot-out (with quality headphones and a headphone amp.) My second favorite was the REDDI, but it can't be used as a preamp because it lacks any tone shaping ability, unlike the U5. I am very happy with my decision, and a U5 now resides in my 4U rack, along with a Crown XLS 2502 power amp.

[@alexgregory1427]

"killed them"?? u need your ears checked.

[@JuanNungaray]

Alex Gregory you need a quality monitoring system to hear correctly👂that’s why you can’t hear how awesome the avalon sounds kid 😂

[@MrFunnybass]

I have changed the Avalon for a Reddi. Best sound for Bass old Fenders sounds great.

[@alotabass]

Great video. I have both the REDDI and Avalon and love them both. The Tonecraft sounds really good to my ears.

[@MajorProspects]

With the avaloyn whats a good setting for vocals

[@Eric1396]

A Design REDDI, is by far my favorite. Also very impressed by the Markbass amp. The REDDI and the Marck bass are similar price

[@therealscarred2112]

I'm so used to using the Dual D.I. Outs from my SWR Mini Mo' Preamp (in "Dual Mode", 1 Clean and 1 its Built-in Effects channel) that until I recently had to pick up and last generation (and thick as a mofo brick, as well as having more Bass-specific features than the newest model) Fishman PRO-EQ Platinum Bass "Instrument Preamp/EQ/D.I." I mainly picked it up... at a crazy-good deal from a Friend who was moving up a D.I.-step, but also just how long this was a "go-to" D.I. & Pre, the feature set as mentioned, almost NOS it was in terms of how clean it was, and especially how well it worked with Acoustic Basses, which I needed for my Taylor AB-2 Acoustic Bass Guitar at Coffeehouse, House Concerts, "Barn Concerts" (I'm in the Midwest and yes, it -*-IS-*- such a thing! Bales of hay make Instant Seating ;-) and Lower Volume gigs that I could use to send this to the minimal PA and use my Ibanez Promethean P3110 300W 1x10" (stop laughing... I A/B'd this against a good deal of lightweight 1x10s & 1x12s, and it both handed "Bigger Named Amps'" asses to them, and and came so close in usability that I've taken to naming it "The MarkBass Killer" ;-) simply as my onstage monitor. I absolutely understand that this is no Neve or U5, but as I've been in the Midwest (and *smallish* Midwestern Towns) after learning the ropes in NYC that live gigs are less and less of a thing for me, that the few Sessions I do a year I get by with my Mini Mo' Dual D.I.s and should the Engineer need a 3rd "Ultra Clean" line I've been using the studio's gear. Am I truly missing out on having my own D.I. at those, or at the small of sessions I do per years not really call for one? Because I have "Bass Toolbox" gear I could much rather use on a daily basis then a Higher-End D.I.

[@gonzalozech]

Here's my appreciation: Tonecraft - Low end, tube texture. Funkenverk - Same league as the Reddi, but this one sounds better to my ears Reddi - More mids than the funken Avalon - Scooped (More lows and highs, less mids, more presence) - A transformer based go to. Neve - Classic Neve signature warmth, less presence. Doesn't have the character I would be looking for. Mark Bass - More low mids, not my cup of tea (at least in the way it was tuned) En Voice - More low mids, not my cup of tea (at least in the way it was tuned) If I were to choose a winner, I would choose 2. Transformer based: Avalon Tube based: Hard one, but I would go for the Funken (it sits in between the Reddi and the Tonecraft)

[@TheSpicerD]

Great job. I really appreciate your effort with this demonstration.

[@lessingesnus]

)Just the universal audio la610 missing maybe? Pretty cool also)

[@fredmanteghian5913]

Funny you should mention that. I bought the Neve so I could split a signal into my Apollo for guitar (xlr to record the dry and thru to record using an Apollo Unison plug-in. But I have a UA LA 610 mk2 specifically for recording a bass and sometimes acoustic guitars. The other Di all sounded great too. RedDI was unique, a bit bright but still punchy.

[@paulwilkinson1290]

Is your bass plugged into these DI boxes or are you playing a recorded loop?

[@Synth2000]

For me, the Tab Funkwerk was a clear winner. Second reddi, third neve, the rest were similar. But i think they are all very good.

[@slavesforging5361]

all pretty similar and quality items. liked the Toncraft the best, then the red di, then the avalon.

[@DalleyMusic]

The differences are subtle soloed, but if/when you compare them within the context of a full mix, the differences are very obvious.

[@Snakebyte3301]

I like the Avalon U5 the best. Remember it also has a tone control on it so it is not just a one tone box. Rupert Neve adds some more weight and has a little less silkly top end. This may be best a certain applications.

[@MrMarekbH]

I was listening on my studio monitors and the differences are so subtle you would need ears like a bat to tell what is best. I would probably go for A Design REDDI. Reason? If you show up with this huge red box at the session they´ll think you´re a real pro. Love my Markbass Multiamp. Universal studio machine.

[@moltasstopyra9406]

Very informative video. Reddi sounds best to me. I wonder though, none of these have the output level of a mic preamp, so how important is a good mic pre, like a Bae DMP, in comparison to a DI. Is it important to have a good mic pre to get a fat, low bass tone, or is it enough to run the Reddi straight to Line in on the audio interface?

[@basstheworldofficial]

They all have the same output level controls. You can use them exactly in the same way as a mic preamp

[@kevineller1371]

Add the Noble to the mix and let's see an updated version!

[@BassLordOfficial]

Do you know if the Avalon is what the DI in GarageBand is based on? It has that look.

[@basstheworldofficial]

It is

[@BassLordOfficial]

BassTheWorld.com sweet, its the one I tend use. Has the same sound. Not bad for something included in some free software!

[@jamescassidy4045]

Have you ever needed to recap your Avalon? I'm finding mine is starting to sound a bit weird, almost distorted at times, and if i plug or unplug a patch cable into the input while it's on it starts shooting crackles and noise out the speakers for like 10-15 seconds.

[@evanh75]

Thanks for this video. All sound great!!!

[@pjmuck]

Avalon was my favorite, followed by the REDDI. But your built in DI on the Markbass is more than capable. I noticed a stronger mid bump on the slap demo with the Mark Bass than on the other DIs, but maybe that was post-EQ?

[@hahabass]

It feels like I need to hear each of these again; DI support in flat mode a against the natural sound of a 'flat' bass.

[@ivanmaskov]

you need to buy furman,,there is ground issue all over the video,,

[@giggs102]

YESSSS. Awesome video thank you

[@lespaulnmarshall]

Subtle differences but IMO they can really make or break the sound though!

[@AdamAarts]

Audio starts at 2:05

[@sixsentsoldiers]

Any of these is perfect.

[@JoshuaPickenpaugh]

Hi Craig. :)

[@DavidGarcia-yn4vt]

Thanks for the info, but I agree pretty much with the rest of the comments the sound its very subtle. I use the J 48 from Radial not that expensive .

[@MrPrincebass99]

I have recorded in a studio with the Reddi, using my ‘86 Spector NS2, and it sounded terrible. After watching your video, it is as I suspected-poor engineering behind the board. Ha! The Red sounds great after all. The TAB and the Avalon probably have a slight edge, but all of the boxes sounded good. Thanks, and great job.

[@kingdizzydotcom]

tonecraft sounds nicest for me

[@24HKRO]

I prefer tonecraf= finger, midprint= slap ^^

[@DiogoBaeder]

+24HKRO Same here :-)

[@Silent_Stillness]

Thanks for the amazing video, it was instructive and provided a rare insight on stuff I didn't really know much about -- on a side note, this is the FIRST video I've seen that actually shows a clean tone of the Big Bang with a nice bass tone so that we can finally hear what the frickin thing sounds like - I never saw such an under-marketed product lol. Anyways thanks for that! Top1 by far: Funkenwerk (never heard of them before and holy crap does that thing sound tight -- and LOL at the irony of the ugliest box sounding the best!) Top2: MindPrint (never heard of them before - amazing too but felt a tad bit too light on the lows to my taste compared to the other competitors) I preferred the Avalon to the Neve (which I felt sounded a bit more sterile) but i didn't feel particularly thrilled by either. Honorable mention to the Big Bang distinctive mids character, but I thought the tone was lacking a bit of richness and detail for the low end which made the overall tone sound a bit "cheaper" or less tastefully balanced for a lack of better words, perhaps it calls for toning down the presence of the harmonics and/or mid emphasis a bit, maybe it would feel a bit smoother with nickel strings as opposed to steel. I would still buy the amp in a heartbeat just for the value and features. Anyway! They all sound excellent to me EXCEPT the REDDI for which I'm hearing a congestion in the transients (or the attack of each notes) that I don't like at all, it detracts my attention from the crystalline inherent quality of the tone present for every other recorded DI (specifically concerning the attack of each notes) and I don't see how this characteristic adds anything useful to the tone besides a feeling of muddiness in the attack. As far as the other DIs were concerned, some were slightly more congested and/or sterile than others in terms of overall tone, but they all still sounded somehow lively and were overall excellent and very useable. The hunt for the TAB Funkenwerk V71 DI begins lol :D

[@Basslessonsmelbourne]

+groovegcs awesome insight, glad you enjoyed the video! And yes, the Big Bang is a great little amp, smaller and lighter than an LMIII but sounds just as good!

[@Silent_Stillness]

I wanted to buy the Tab Funkenwerk v71, but it cost 1300$ CAD, so I grabbed an absolutely mint MindPrint EnVoice MkII on eBay for 700$ CAD instead and dodged import taxes!! This machine is amazing and makes a huge difference in tone quality. I replaced the tube with a vintage telefunken smooth plate in an attempt to tap into the quality of the V71 but unfortunately it doesn't always work too well in the compression circuit of the Envoice because in some cases when recording fully muted Jazz bass tone there appears to be too much of a resonant peak in the lows for my particular passive bass for the tube to be able to handle the signal properly without choking on the attack of a note in an unpleasant way while compressing the incoming signal at a comfortable level. I may try to find a more appropriate tube for that task, that allows for better clean gain... I also purchased a new Radial Firefly Tube DI, amazing machine as well and with unique features too. It handles a vintage Telefunken smooth plate seamlessly also, which is a blessing!

[@Basslessonsmelbourne]

+groovegcs wow quite the process! I was super lucky and found this Envoice Mk1 with spdif for $100AUD!

[@Silent_Stillness]

LOL that's an incredible steal! The lowest price I found for the MK 1 was in the 250-300 USD bracket, but I had done some reading and found sufficient evidence to justify hunting the MK 2 instead, and I'm glad I did because I have never had such a musical analog compressor and EQ before. I had to import from Germany though, 400 EUR, but for a relatively rare device practically new that would retail at about 800USD, I thought the risk was worth taking, all this because of your video, and I didn't regret it one bit, especially all that the machine does, as well as the extremely low noise. I plug it into a RME Fireface UCX too, so A/D conversion is a non issue, go Germany i guess :D !

[@bassheart365]

I was also shocked at how good the Big Bang sounded. I've never owned or played through any Markbass amp, so this was a real eye-opener for me.

[@eranddroory9987]

Definitely like the Neve the best..

[@wizedo]

+erand droory From a mix perspective yes, me too From a bass player point of view it wold sound a bit "weak" compared to the others. ;)

[@HaNguyen-kn2tg]

It is not "weak". It sounds tight and very controlled subbass.

[@Matt-bm1qg]

It'd be cool to hear the same test but with a guitar so we can hear how chords sound. single string stuff doesn't really demonstrate the characteristics

[@marijandesin8226]

How does Axe-Fx compare? anyone?

[@qbass00]

A question for those of you with decent audio interfaces - what's the point in using any of these as opposed to just plugging directly into the instrument input of your interface, and using a bit of subtle eq and compression from within a DAW? The tone ends up pretty much the same. I love buying studio gear as much as everyone else, but I don't get the point of these things in a studio setting.

[@derikcorl3245]

+qbass00 Well it varies person to person. If you think it's not worth the buck don't go for it. The Reason is more apparent with Passive Basses. I'm not eligible to say why cause I'm at a blank right atm but if you have an Active bass, it's really not necessary cause you can go straight into the interface with full tonal control and strong levels. The Di pretty much gives that extra umph that can be hard to implement through passive basses to an interface. You can use a cheaper Di like a Sansamp but they often give a bit harsher sound where as these products give fuller and more natural definition emulating a tube power. Have a focusrite 18i8 with a Darkglass B7K and I have trouble getting a nicer fuller sound without having to mic the cab. Which fixes it but can be a hassle where as if I got the Reddi (my preference atm) it would fix this hassle. Btw, have a passive bass. Saving up for the Sire v7 cause it kicks serious ass for $400

[@qbass00]

+Derik Corl thanks for the reply. I see what you're saying, but I still don't understand what these things achieve that a couple of simple plug-ins can't. I'm not saying a REDDI doesn't sound good - it sounds great - but basic EQ and compression in a DAW will achieve results which are really no different to my ears. This demo is good, but it would have been very revealing to hear a volume-matched signal that just goes straight in without anything else in the chain. In a live setting, I totally get it. In the studio, I would struggle to justify it.

[@JasonM2691]

+qbass00 The idea is to create an even better 'source tone' before it hits an interface/DAW territory. I hear what you're saying fully but adding that tube warmth etc etc at the initial stage should save having to do much later on. Think of it like making a meal. You can have 3 of the same meals but with varying quality of ingredients. They may all look the same but the one with the freshest veges and top quality meat will taste the best. Yet some can afford it, others can't. Some will notice a difference, others wont.

[@OsmarOliveira]

+qbass00, The basic idea of a DI is impedance and level match. Passive instruments usually have a high impedance and instrument level (low) output. Mixing consoles or audio interfaces usually are prepared to deal with low impedance and line level (high) sources. In that context, the DI is used to minimize noise, distortion and ground loops. Also, using a DI is especially important when you have long cable runs, where the cable itself can act like a low-pass filter and "eat" your high-end, thus providing a dull sound. Nowadays, the majority of mixing consoles and audio interfaces have a "instrument" input option, so using a DI is optional if you're using a short cable run.

[@jerryvesel8286]

i just bought the neve, i needed it so i can record a amp and direct at the same time.then you can reamp later or use amp and amp simulator together in a mix.you can also use clean di for editing. can work better sometimes than using distorted signal

[@dynamitekid8967]

earned a sub. + like!

[@voltaspeeder17]

I was thinking of cashing out and buying REDDI or Avalon U5 for a stellar DI sound, since i'm not too happy with the DI on my Audient ID44 at the moment. This video made me realize i don't like their colored sound at all! I didn't know about Tonecraft 363, but it blew me away with it's sound! It also blew me away when i checked for the price :O Rupert Neve RNDI is a solid choise, especially for that price point. I enjoyed its sound quite a lot. And even that is a high end DI box. Shame you didn't include Little Labs Redeye 3D in the test, would have made my choice a lot easier, since it's between that and RNDI atm! I thank you sir for this great demo!

[@karmakultivator]

TAB & Mark

[@lennartvandenberg6534]

The Avalon, Reddi and Tonecraft sound less direct, as if there is a little distance in the sound. The others are more in your face, except the Markbass which to me sounds a little cheap.

[@steelnylonman]

grace design felix!

[@douglewis2470]

To my ears, the REDDI by a fair distance.

[@johnsausage]

I think the volume is a teeny tiny bit louder than the others or it has a teeny tiny bit more low end.. overall very subtle given that the mark bass amp is also a capable amp and doesn't sound bad at all. Good for the wallet :D

[@hackfraud7842]

What are this things for?

[@baiocchiv8]

Quer mudar o som do baixo? mude de baixo.....Wanna change the sound off your bass? Change to another bass

[@turksanchez]

...tonecraft sounds nice, Tab kinda thin, REDDI was my fave. Smooth, big and open. Mind Print was thinner like the Tab. Mark Bass actually sounded pretty good. Better than Tab or Mind Print. Avalon was nice but a little muffled (could be nice). Rupert Neve was nice but slightly thin compared to the REDDI and Tonecraft. Listening on Amphion one18's in tuned room.

[@joshmcdzz6925]

They all sound the same.. unless you are biased

[@damned1444]

rnd far away with Avalon and red eyes.