True to the Music
Radial Engineering J48 User Guide
5
DIRECT BOX BASICS
What is a direct box anyway?
The name ‘direct box’ comes from direct insert box. This is why these marvelous contraptions are also called DI’s. ‘Direct
Insertion’ means exactly that: To insert a signal directly or take an audio signal from the source and send it directly to a
mix point or recorder. We take this very seriously with all our direct boxes and as such, have designed these to reproduce
the most accurate ‘picture’ of the source signal no matter what the instrument.
Direct boxes perform several important functions: they are designed as impedance matching and signal balancing devices.
This means that they take the high impedance of a guitar or keyboard and ‘transform’ it to the low impedance used in bal-
anced sound systems. Balanced signals inherently cancel noise and, due to their lower impedance, are capable of very
long cable runs. Balanced signals are the norm in professional recording, broadcast and live sound. By properly matching
the impedance you will enjoy better sound, less noise and an extended frequency response.
Typical DI box setup
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