We are often asked by acoustic and bass guitar players how to tell whether a direct box or a preamp is the right choice for their instrument and setup requirements. If you are regularly performing on stage or recording in the studio, it’s imperative to have a good quality direct box to interface your instrument with the necessary pro audio equipment to perform or record. But where do instrument preamps come into play, and when should you consider using one? This post intends to navigate the various options available for acoustic guitar players, bass players, and other acoustic instrumentalists, so you can make the right choice for your needs.
A direct box serves two main purposes: the first is to take the signal from your guitar or instrument and optimize it for feeding into pro audio equipment such as a PA system, mixer or recording interface. This requires converting the audio from a high-impedance, unbalanced instrument level connection to a low-impedance, balanced mic-level signal, and it provides the added benefit of allowing you to connect the output of the D.I. over long cable lengths of up to 300ft without significant audio degradation or noise. The second use for a D.I. is to take a split of your original signal (usually from an output labeled Thru) that you can use to feed a nearby amplifier, either for monitoring on stage or to record with a microphone.
The JDI, along with the J48 mentioned below, are industry-leading direct boxes, meaning they are found in studios and on stages all over the world by the biggest names in audio. One reason for this is that they are built with an uncompromising approach towards maintaining the tone and integrity of your instrument’s signal; the JDI features a premium Jensen transformer for exactly this purpose. A high quality transformer is what makes a passive direct box work, and it can handle incredibly hot input signal levels without distortion, which makes it ideal for high gain devices like active basses and guitar pedal chains. Transformer-based direct boxes also have the ability to saturate your tone at high input levels instead of clipping the signal, which is why acoustic guitar players who use built in preamps love how it can smooth out their tone while still sounding natural. As an added benefit, the JDI is easy to put into use at any venue as it requires no power to operate.
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The J48 is an active direct box, meaning it requires power (in the form of 48V phantom power) from the PA system or a recording interface to work. Active D.I.s work as unity gain preamplifiers, and they buffer your signal to prevent degradation and high frequency loss over long cable runs. An active D.I. will help give your instrument more high end ‘reach’ that can breathe extra life into passive instruments such as acoustics without built in preamps or bass guitars with passive pickups. This also makes the J48 a favorite of countless electric guitar players with magnetic pickups.
The PZ-DI is another active direct box that borrows circuitry from the J48, but also includes features that are particularly appealing for use with multiple types of acoustic instruments. One such feature is the load selector switch, which allows you to choose between three input impedance values. This is of particular importance for guitars or basses that use piezo transducers without a built in preamp – piezos are notorious for their ‘squawk’ or harsh tone when used with typical D.I.s and preamps, but they can be tamed by pairing them with an ultra-high input impedance that vastly improve their performance. The PZ-DI also has a low pass filter that can be engaged to help eliminate feedback on stage, and a variable high pass filter that can remove excess low frequencies from basses or cut out unwanted low end from other instruments like mandolins or violins.
One thing you’ll notice with these devices is that they have limited options for adjusting the sound of your instrument, even considering the additional features on the PZ-DI. This is by design, as direct boxes mainly function as interfaces, and while crucial for any gig, they are rarely adjusted mid-set.
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This brings us to instrument preamplifiers, often referred to as simply ‘preamps’ (though not to be confused with mic-preamps, which are specifically designed to bring a microphone signal up to line-level). Instrument preamps often include the same functionality of a direct box, but they take things a step further by adding footswitches that can affect the performance in real-time, as well as tone-shaping features that can help improve your sound or filters that reduce feedback while performing on stage. You might also find connections for effects pedals, built-in signal boosters, multiple inputs that can be switched between on the fly or summed together, and buffered tuner outputs paired with mute switches for silent on-stage tune ups. If you find yourself salivating at the possibility of having any of these options at the press of a footswitch or a turn of the dial, that’s a sign that you should consider adding a preamp to your gig bag.
While your instrument and pickup type will help guide which direct box is right for you, choosing between instrument preamps is more about which features suit your setup and playing style, as most preamps will be able to handle a variety of inputs. Just note that if you have a piezo transducer you should make sure that the preamp includes an option for a high-impedance input of 5Meg ohms or more.
The AC-Driver is the perfect companion to a solo gig where you may not have a dedicated sound engineer operating the PA system. You can control feedback onstage by using the adjustable notch filter and polarity reverse switch, clean up excess low frequencies if your sound is too boomy, and a footswitch allows you to mute your signal to the PA instantly so you can silently perform a tune-up between songs or switch instruments. A level control is also provided for on-hand adjustments and to compensate if you switch between instruments that have differing output levels.
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The PZ-Deluxe adds even more performance and tone-shaping options for players who want a higher degree of control over their sound, with a three-band EQ section and a footswitch-activated signal booster for soloing. The PZ-Deluxe also features Radial’s PZB booster circuit, which optimizes the connection for piezo transducers by bumping up the input impedance to 10Meg ohms and providing a front-end level boost of +10dB for better signal-to-noise when using these pickup types. This PZB option is also found on the PZ-Pre and the PZ-Pro, mentioned below.
The PZ-Pre isn’t just for tone nuts who want to sculpt their sound; it can also handle complex setups and offers multiple signal routing and switching options. If you want to be able to switch instruments without unplugging a cable, activate your effects pedals, and kick on a powerful clean boost all all from a single device, this is the preamp for you. The PZ-Pre can be thought of as a command center for your acoustic setup, with connections for dual instrument inputs and an effects loop, plus two built-in D.I. outputs – one pre-EQ send to feed the PA system, and another post-EQ output for monitor mixes. It also includes a full EQ section, dual input level controls, and the option to sum the two inputs together. This allows you to blend two pickup types together at once for a full-bodied, record-ready tone.
The PZ-Pro is our simplest instrument preamp, in that it simply includes every feature we could possibly think of, all packed into one incredibly versatile unit. The PZ-Pro handles everything the PZ-Pre is capable of, but it also sports a full EQ section for each input channel, plus a microphone input on the second channel for connecting a clip-on or condenser microphone. This means that now you can connect multiple pickup types and EQ each individually to get the best out of each option, whether or not you are switching between the two or blending them together for a best-of-both-worlds summed tone. In addition to this, the FX Loop on the PZ-Pro is assignable between the channels, so you can connect your pedal chain and have it active on channel A, B, or both, with a wet/dry blend knob to make the effect as subtle or as pronounced as you want.
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If you are a bass player and want in on the kind of control that the Acoustic Series provides over your sound, no need to worry because we have you covered as well. While the PZ-Pro has lots of appeal for upright bass players that want to blend their piezo-equipped instrument with a microphone, the Bassbone series of preamps suits many other bass guitar applications, with EQ controls and features that are tailored for basses in particular.
These two bass preamps have a lot of similarities: they both have built-in direct outputs, dual inputs (with one that can accommodate a piezo transducer), an effects loop for pedal chains, and input switching
The PZ-Deluxe adds even more performance and tone-shaping options for players who want a higher degree of control over their sound, with a three-band EQ section and a footswitch-activated signal booster for soloing. The PZ-Deluxe also features Radial’s PZB booster circuit, which optimizes the connection for piezo transducers by bumping up the input impedance to 10Meg ohms and providing a front-end level boost of +10dB for better signal-to-noise when using these pickup types. This PZB option is also found on the PZ-Pre and the PZ-Pro, mentioned below.
The PZ-Pre isn’t just for tone nuts who want to sculpt their sound; it can also handle complex setups and offers multiple signal routing and switching options. If you want to be able to switch instruments without unplugging a cable, activate your effects pedals, and kick on a powerful clean boost all all from a single device, this is the preamp for you. The PZ-Pre can be thought of as a command center for your acoustic setup, with connections for dual instrument inputs and an effects loop, plus two built-in D.I. outputs – one pre-EQ send to feed the PA system, and another post-EQ output for monitor mixes. It also includes a full EQ section, dual input level controls, and the option to sum the two inputs together. This allows you to blend two pickup types together at once for a full-bodied, record-ready tone.
The PZ-Pro is our simplest instrument preamp, in that it simply includes every feature we could possibly think of, all packed into one incredibly versatile unit. The PZ-Pro handles everything the PZ-Pre is capable of, but it also sports a full EQ section for each input channel, plus a microphone input on the second channel for connecting a clip-on or condenser microphone. This means that now you can connect multiple pickup types and EQ each individually to get the best out of each option, whether or not you are switching between the two or blending them together for a best-of-both-worlds summed tone. In addition to this, the FX Loop on the PZ-Pro is assignable between the channels, so you can connect your pedal chain and have it active on channel A, B, or both, with a wet/dry blend knob to make the effect as subtle or as pronounced as you want.
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If you are a bass player and want in on the kind of control that the Acoustic Series provides over your sound, no need to worry because we have you covered as well. While the PZ-Pro has lots of appeal for upright bass players that want to blend their piezo-equipped instrument with a microphone, the Bassbone series of preamps suits many other bass guitar applications, with EQ controls and features that are tailored for basses in particular.
These two bass preamps have a lot of similarities: they both have built-in direct outputs, dual inputs (with one that can accommodate a piezo transducer), an effects loop for pedal chains, and input switching
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