PREAMPS
AND DI BOXES
and comprehensive sound-enhancement preamps like those mentioned previously.
The L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic DI ($169
street)—with it’s easy-to-use 5-band EQ,
phase-invert switch, and super-clean signal
quality—is an industry standard. The L.R. Baggs Venue
DI also enables you to add
up to 6 dB of clean volume
boost in a footswitch, which
is incredibly handy for lead
acoustic guitarists in any kind
of ensemble, or for switching from strumming to fingerpicking. Here are two thrifty
alternatives: Whirlwind IMP 2 DI (passive
$50 street,
whirlwindusa.com), Radial ProDI
(passive $100 street,
radialeng.com).
If your guitar came from the factory
with a pickup and onboard preamp, then
you can ignore this section because
you already have a preamp. But if
you’re having a pickup installed in
your guitar, then you may need to
consider whether to purchase a pre-
amp to add into your signal chain.
Another scenario that may prompt
you to purchase a preamp is if your
guitar has a passive pickup (one that
doesn’t require battery power). A pre-
amp gives you the ability to add extra
volume and shape the tones before
they hit an amp or PA speakers. This
is particularly useful if you frequently
find yourself drowned out when you
play with other musicians (or if you
get a lot of feedback when you turn
up to compete), or if you dislike the
overall frequency response (bass, mid-
range, and treble) you get when you
plug in. However, even active pickup sys-
tems can benefit from an external preamp.
Preamps come in different configurations, but the most common is the “little
box on the floor” variety, such as the
Fishman Aura Spectrum DI ($329 street),
the L.R. Baggs Venue DI ($299 street),
Ruppert Musical Instruments Acouswitch
IQ ($TBD,
rmi.lu), and the D-TAR
Mama Bear ($349 street,
d-tar.com).
There are also rackmountable preamps
that offer studio-quality sound and greater
control over more parameters, and there
are some guitarists who swear by them.
But for most situations, those are overkill.
“Small” and “easy” are two of the working
acoustic guitarist’s favorite words.
“DI” means “direct insert,” and that
means it provides enough tone-shaping
capabilities to let you safely and satisfactorily insert your guitar’s signal directly into
a soundboard (or recording console or
interface) that’s feeding PA-system speakers. For a lot of gigging acoustic players,
their DI is one of the handiest pieces of
gear they will ever own. They range from
super-simple conversion boxes (devices
that transfer your guitar’s 1/4"-cable signal
to an XLR output you can plug into the
PA system’s mixing board) to elaborate
