NOPE..BUT OK..Suggestion for DI mini pedal?

[Steve Lipsey]

I'd like to add a DI to my acoustic board for when I don't use an amp, not enough room for the standard Baggs Para DI...are these things any good? Or what?
https://www.amazon.com/OnStage-DB200-On ... ref=sr_1_8
There actually seem to be quite a few pedals with identical form factor and switch layout, so there may be only one actual manufacturer...

[Mathew Peluso]

A little spendy but the Fire Eye Red Eye is the best I’ve found for use with multiple acoustic instruments.

https://www.fire-eye.com/red-eye-1

[Steve Lipsey]

Sounds like a good one, but is not "mini". The one I posted as an example is $70...the typical determining factor for "mini" is not having a battery, and I intend to use a power supply, so I don't need that extra space...

[Mike Auman]

If you like this model, they're all the same pedal with different OEM labels. Mooer Micro DI, Rowin LEF-331, Xvive V13 Mini DI, OnStage DB200, Donner Mini DI, and more brands, all the same. The cheapest one of these is Harley Benton's MiniStomp Magnum DI at $20, and you can find those reviewed on YouTube. But that one's only available from Thomann in Germany, and imports are unpredictable these days, to put it mildly.

[Stew Crookes]

Or you could try something like the Radial Stage Bug

https://www.radialeng.com/product/stagebug-sb1

Radial makes very high quality products that are on every pro stage and in every studio in the world, and everything they make is a good value

[Steve Lipsey]

The Radial looks great, albeit not "mini", but might fit...and of course Radial is a good name.
Question -
what would I lose by going with the passive model instead of the active model? Just the +20db feature, or would the sound be less good somehow? I'd like to not have to depend on phantom power...

[Mathew Peluso]

Worth noting that Fire Eye does make a mini version with less features. There isn’t a battery option for this model so it does require phantom power but I’ve had better results using their products with passive pickups (K&K mini, Fishman Nashville) over any other DI.

https://www.fire-eye.com/dee-eye-1

[Ian Worley]

These are fairly expensive (similar $ to a Red Eye), but they are the cat's meow https://www.sushiboxfx.com/product/finally-v3/

The Finally is normal stomp box size, but they also make larger units with a lot more control for tone shaping if you're going completely amp-less

[Stew Crookes]

The Radial looks great, albeit not "mini", but might fit...and of course Radial is a good name.
Question -
what would I lose by going with the passive model instead of the active model? Just the +20db feature, or would the sound be less good somehow? I'd like to not have to depend on phantom power...

A quality passive DI will sound just as good as a quality active DI, it’s when you are looking at really cheap DI models where (in my opinion!) it’s preferred to go active because the only way to make a cheap passive DI is by compromising with a cheap transformer. I’m with you on preferring not relying on phantom power for live.

I’m not sure what Radial means by calling the passive Stagebug ‘optimized for bass and keyboards’ as they do show an acoustic guitar in the hookup diagrams for it.

I bet if you ask them they’ll be able to steer you in a good direction

[Brooks Montgomery]

I’m baffled by most electronics, but with my limited understanding of setting up the signal chain, it seems somebody should build and offer a good reverb pedal that has a DI out in addition to the normal 1/4” cable out (thereby eliminating a pedal/gizmo).

[Steve Lipsey]

Looked in my drawer and I think I found the answer...will do some testing...an impedance transformer ($25) and a booster pedal to make up for any losses in the transformer...what do you think?
Is the little plug-mounted transformer missing anything I'd need? The actual DIs add in EQ, ground lift, +/- 20 db, etc.....

IMG_0273.jpeg

[Steve Lipsey]

Well, the little plug-mounted transformer (post above) has the wrong polarity...an XLR cable won't go into it...

But...the folks at Radial say that the passive Radial SB-2 will surely work with guitars, along with keyboards/bass, so that is probably what I'll do...it is pretty small also...

[Dave Grafe]

You owe it to yourself to check this one out
9 vdc powers the preamp
If you use the included 24vdc psu it will put out about 20 watts for practice power, but for line only your existing 9vdc rig will work fine.

[Steve Lipsey]

Dave- I completely trust your advice....but I don't think that would fit into the 4"x2" space on my pedalboard, which was my original request....
And I've been a Milkman guy for a decade, just gave up all-tubes for the The Amp 100, a nice real tube preamp, and 100 watts of power amp, good not just for practice, what I use for pedal steel gigs...and it has an XLR out.

[Jack Stanton]

Not truly a mini, but the JHS Pulp 'N Peel compressor is a standard sized pedal that feature a DI out, as well as a distortion circuit. Much smaller than most direct boxes.

[Stew Crookes]

Well, the little plug-mounted transformer (post above) has the wrong polarity...an XLR cable won't go into it...

But...the folks at Radial say that the passive Radial SB-2 will surely work with guitars, along with keyboards/bass, so that is probably what I'll do...it is pretty small also...

It's the wrong direction of connector but I suspect with an XLR male-to-male turnaround adapter it should work just fine...
Those transformers work in both directions - using DI's backwards is a common studio trick.

But then you'll have the mini pedal, AND a transformer adapter, AND the XLR adapter which is a solution similar in size to a DI and has more places for things to go wrong