New DI Day - Radial SB-2 Stagebug passive DI

M

mesaplayer83

Jun 27, 2017
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#1
I got one of these in this week:

Radial StageBug SB-2 1-channel Passive Instrument Direct Box

I wanted a little upgrade from the $30 Livewire passive I keep in my travel bag, so I decided to try a "Stagebug"... As a reference, I also own a JDI and a Countryman - both of which I like - but I also like having a cheap, light, small passive DI I can stash for emergencies, too... I A/B'd the Stagebug with the JDI thru an A&H mixer, with an aux send going to a powered monitor - with a Fender P and J basses(both passives), and with a Spector Legend custom active bass... To my ear, the passive basses showed barely perceptible differences - mainly in the upper frequencies, but nothing that couldn't be made up at the channel strip - while I couldn't hear a difference with the active bass... So, I'm pretty happy with this purchase - I got it for $60, and it's much smaller and lighter than the JDI... Granted, it doesn't have the features or pedicree of the JDI, but for someone looking for a good passive DI that's less than half the size and cost of a JDI, this may be a good option... I'm definitely keeping the JDI and Countryman for higher profile gigs, but am sure the new Stagebug will get some use, too...

Here are some pics to show size differences:


 
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#4
Thought I'd zombify the old thread, as I'm currently considering getting one of these myself. Do you still use it and/or like it? How is the low end response? That's my primary concern. I want the low end warmth to still come through.
 
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#5
jacoby75 said:
Thought I'd zombify the old thread, as I'm currently considering getting one of these myself. Do you still use it and/or like it? How is the low end response? That's my primary concern. I want the low end warmth to still come through.
Click to expand...

I sold it to a singer/songwriter friend that I gig with frequently - he was using it on a gig we did last friday for acoustic guitar... While I had it, I A/B'd it with a JDI I also have, and it compared very well - I don't think you'll be disappointed in the least...
 
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#6
I use mine permanently in my Helix rack to send one of the Helix outputs to FOH. I'm well over 200 gigs in now and it's been flawless.
IMG_20180530_174316.jpg
 
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#10
jacoby75 said:
I've got an SB-2 on the way. Thanks for the feedback. I'll be sure to post some thoughts once I get it and see how it compares to the DI out of my Tech 21 VTDI.
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I think you'll be happy with your decision - the only reason I sold mine was I bought it as a "backup amp", so it basically sat in my travel bag, never to be used, lol... My singer/songwriter needed it more than I do, so I made him a deal on it - and replaced it with a cheaper EWI DI(which is still sitting in my travel bag, unused, lol) I bought from agedhorse... I also still have a Radial JDI and a Countryman 85 that aren't going anywhere - if I ever needed another good, compact DI, I'd probably grab another Stagebug - I had no complaints about it, whatsoever...
 
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#11
(Disclaimer: This is by no means an apples to apples comparison, but more of a, "my needs have changed and will I be happy with a Stagebug?" conversation.)

I've been using a Tech21 VTBassDI for several years. Long story short, I'm switching a lot of things out in my pedalboard, and now only use the VTDI as a passive (well, active but bypassed) direct box. A couple of days ago, I got my Stagebug SB-2 in the mail. When I first plugged it in, I was both incredibly thrilled and incredibly disappointed. I was thrilled that it was DEAD quiet compared to the VTDI. No hum or hiss at all, while the VTDI did hiss quite a bit in comparison. But then I depressed the ground lift switch on the VTDI, and found it ALSO to be just as quiet in my headphones. I don't know why I never thought to try that before. The electrical system in my house is old, ungrounded and incredibly noisy. I never thought to use the ground lift because I'm a dumdum. So now I have two options that are both very quiet. But I found that the VT sounded so much louder, fuller and richer than the Stagebug.

Then it dawned on me that it wasn't a fair contest because I was comparing a passive DI to an active one. And in most of the DI shootouts that I've listened to lately, the active ones sounded more lively and more pristine. But once I raised the outputs of my preamp/EQ and upped the volume on my Rolls PM50 - through which I'm monitoring everything - so that the volume of the Stagebug was more comparable to where the VT bass' level is, it sounds very, very similar to the VTDI. I went back and forth (and back and forth and back and forth . . . and then back and forth a few more times) between the Stagebug and VTDI many times, adjusting levels accordingly, and there is negligible difference between the two. If anything, I think the Stagebug might dull the highs (like, the really high, "glassy sounding" highs) just a little compared to the VT, and it makes things sound a little smoother. But I'm fine with that. It is described by Radial as having a more vintage tone which would well suit basses and keyboards. I didn't want a DI with super pristine, very "high-endey" tone. I wanted more warmth. When I listened to a shoot out of the JDI vs the ProDI, the JDI sounded more pristine and glassy, while I preferred the sound of the ProDI, Jensen transformer or no.

So the Stagebug will free up some space on my nano board, and will also free up a power supply spot, and it sounds great. It's definitely a winner to me.
 
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#12
jacoby75 said:
(Disclaimer: This is by no means an apples to apples comparison, but more of a, "my needs have changed and will I be happy with a Stagebug?" conversation.)

I've been using a Tech21 VTBassDI for several years. Long story short, I'm switching a lot of things out in my pedalboard, and now only use the VTDI as a passive (well, active but bypassed) direct box. A couple of days ago, I got my Stagebug SB-2 in the mail. When I first plugged it in, I was both incredibly thrilled and incredibly disappointed. I was thrilled that it was DEAD quiet compared to the VTDI. No hum or hiss at all, while the VTDI did hiss quite a bit in comparison. But then I depressed the ground lift switch on the VTDI, and found it ALSO to be just as quiet in my headphones. I don't know why I never thought to try that before. The electrical system in my house is old, ungrounded and incredibly noisy. I never thought to use the ground lift because I'm a dumdum. So now I have two options that are both very quiet. But I found that the VT sounded so much louder, fuller and richer than the Stagebug.

Then it dawned on me that it wasn't a fair contest because I was comparing a passive DI to an active one. And in most of the DI shootouts that I've listened to lately, the active ones sounded more lively and more pristine. But once I raised the outputs of my preamp/EQ and upped the volume on my Rolls PM50 - through which I'm monitoring everything - so that the volume of the Stagebug was more comparable to where the VT bass' level is, it sounds very, very similar to the VTDI. I went back and forth (and back and forth and back and forth . . . and then back and forth a few more times) between the Stagebug and VTDI many times, adjusting levels accordingly, and there is negligible difference between the two. If anything, I think the Stagebug might dull the highs (like, the really high, "glassy sounding" highs) just a little compared to the VT, and it makes things sound a little smoother. But I'm fine with that. It is described by Radial as having a more vintage tone which would well suit basses and keyboards. I didn't want a DI with super pristine, very "high-endey" tone. I wanted more warmth. When I listened to a shoot out of the JDI vs the ProDI, the JDI sounded more pristine and glassy, while I preferred the sound of the ProDI, Jensen transformer or no.

So the Stagebug will free up some space on my nano board, and will also free up a power supply spot, and it sounds great. It's definitely a winner to me.
Click to expand...


It sounds like it's working out for you, and I'm glad for that... I believe I remember agedhorse posting that his default position with DIs is with the ground lifted, FWIW...
 
#13
mesaplayer83 said:
It sounds like it's working out for you, and I'm glad for that... I believe I remember agedhorse posting that his default position with DIs is with the ground lifted, FWIW...
Click to expand...
Probably a good idea. I didn’t get any noise at all from the Radial without the ground lifted. But the VTDI was pretty noisy. I’m guessing because it’s actually powered by my house’s dirty power.
 
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#14
I’m thinking of simplifying my setup even more and am considering the little radial. Less variables the better for me. Currently I use passive bass (usually a p bass) to tuner to preamp/DI (spectradrive) to mixer. No amp. I’m not fond of eq’ing so I’m thinking of using just a passive DI to plug into. I am curious, though, what the difference is between a passive DI and a preamp/DI with the preamp section bypassed.
 
#15
Subersibo said:
I’m thinking of simplifying my setup even more and am considering the little radial. Less variables the better for me. Currently I use passive bass (usually a p bass) to tuner to preamp/DI (spectradrive) to mixer. No amp. I’m not fond of eq’ing so I’m thinking of using just a passive DI to plug into. I am curious, though, what the difference is between a passive DI and a preamp/DI with the preamp section bypassed.
Click to expand...
Unless you're upgrading to a really great direct box (like a Neve or tube DI or something), or your current DI is really awful (which I'm sure it's not), I would wager the difference is negligible. The only reason I wanted to make the switch from the VTDI to the Stagebug was to free up a power slot and some real estate on my nano board because I got some more pedals (including a different preamp pedal) and needed the space/power and currently am not using the preamp of the VTDI at all, so it was pretty much just taking up space.

On a side note, from what I've read, if you use a passive bass and are going straight to DI with no outboard preamp, you want an active direct box. If you have other pedals inline that are buffering the signal, a passive DI will work.
 
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#16
Subersibo said:
I’m thinking of simplifying my setup even more and am considering the little radial. Less variables the better for me. Currently I use passive bass (usually a p bass) to tuner to preamp/DI (spectradrive) to mixer. No amp. I’m not fond of eq’ing so I’m thinking of using just a passive DI to plug into. I am curious, though, what the difference is between a passive DI and a preamp/DI with the preamp section bypassed.
Click to expand...

A passive P Bass is my default gigging bass, and I find that an active DI typically works better than a passive for that application... I have both a Countryman 85 and a Radial JDI, and the Countryman definitely works better for my P Basses... The JDI really shines with Active basses, and as a speaker level DI for all tube amps, though...

I picked up one of these on the cheap from agedhorse - it works really well with my P Basses, and is an economical solution:

LDB-101 | One Channel High Performance Active Direct Input Box
 
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#17
Subersibo said:
I’m thinking of simplifying my setup even more and am considering the little radial. Less variables the better for me. Currently I use passive bass (usually a p bass) to tuner to preamp/DI (spectradrive) to mixer. No amp. I’m not fond of eq’ing so I’m thinking of using just a passive DI to plug into. I am curious, though, what the difference is between a passive DI and a preamp/DI with the preamp section bypassed.
Click to expand...
Given my positive experience thus far with the Radial SB-2, I’d have no qualms about recommending the active Stagebug, the SB-1, if you wanted to go that route.
 
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#20
Subersibo said:
Forgot to mention that the p bass has an active emg p pickup. (Uses one 9 volt). Passive tone control though. Would that make a difference?
But I also have one p bass that is completely passive.
Click to expand...

Yeah, it does make a little bit of difference, IMO... IME, a good active DI will work well with both active and passive DIs, whereas a passive DI doesn't always work all that well with *some* passive basses...
 
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