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Thread: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

  1. #1

    Default DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    I’ve been playing a LR Baggs “Venue” DI box at church w/ my Pomeroy (I installed a K&K Internal Twin Pickup on it). I really like the way the DI box warms up my sound and gives me an EQ. I also really like that I have a mute button for when I tune. I really missed playing my Heiden so I picked up an ATM350 condenser mic pickup (I don’t feel comfortable drilling a hole in the Heiden). The ATM350 requires phantom power and has a male XLR plug. I can still play through my DI box but have to plug into a rechargeable phantom power box then use an XLR OUT to a 1/4” cable IN on the DI box. My question is do they make a DI Box w/ a XLR IN (w/ phantom power) for peeps that use condenser mics on instruments. It seems like the only thing I can find close would be a vocal DI box. I’m not sure the EQ would be the same?
    Chris from Tucson
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  2. #2
    Registered User pit lenz's Avatar
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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    Headway EDB-2 can do it but has no mute footswitch or tuner insert. A Strobostomp behind it will do the mute trick ad has a built in DI.
    Grace Felix would be just what you‘re asking for but is a little pricey...

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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    If you are using a condenser mic I am not sure why you would want a DI box. The condenser mic can go straight into the board.There are a lot of mic pre-amps out there if you wanted to warm up the sound.

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    Registered User pit lenz's Avatar
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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    Quote Originally Posted by Nevin View Post
    If you are using a condenser mic I am not sure why you would want a DI box. The condenser mic can go straight into the board.There are a lot of mic pre-amps out there if you wanted to warm up the sound.
    I can see Chris‘s point in having a mute switch (to tune) and an EQ available. For a quick sound adjustment this can be quite handy...

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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    The Eventide Mixing Link will do that, but no EQ.

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    Registered Muser dang's Avatar
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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    I have a grace Felix exactly for that use. Most of the time I use my piezo pickup and a tonedexter - it works better in noisy bars... but I am commissioning a mando that I will not put a pickup in, so if I get the right gig I will use the Felix and the clip on mic. Not a cheap solution but very useful and versatile, once used a large diaphragm condenser > Felix > powered speaker and did the whole band at a very small gig. Even put a blue sky reverb in the effects loop and dialed in a very nice subtle effect.

    For the price you do get 2 channels (only 1 has xlr in), phantom power, great EQ, a boost and a mute switch... and a bunch of other small features that are useful
    I should be pickin' rather than postin'

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    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Question Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    I, Opting for simplicity, just changed the end of a Mic Cable,
    to a Neutrik Mic cable end with a ring switch .. Made to mute mics without an internal switch..
    It's quite useful ..

    Not from this vendor, but useful for image link : https://www.markertek.com/product/nc...-switch-nickel

    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    That Felix is what I need...but DANG! It's $1075!

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    dang 

  13. #9

    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    I have a Zoom A3 and it has everything you want. It's not the most user-friendly to get set up--plan on spending some time with it and the manual and quickstart sheet. But once you get it dialed in, you can just use it. This is a good solid box that's very quiet and all the foot switches feel like quality units. It may be discontinued, but it's worth getting. And the price is right.
    2010 Heiden A5, 2020 Pomeroy oval A, 2013 Kentucky KM1000 F5, 2012 Girouard A Mandola w ff holes, 2001 Old Wave A oval octave
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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    For a pro quality mic mute Orchid electronics is the best I’ve seen/used. Top quality and unbelievable price. The mute passes phantom power too, and has a tuner out.

    No eq - in my experience that’s best left to the engineer for a mic, but if you’re absolutely set on it, Orchid will also make custom boxes, also very reasonably priced. I appreciate it might not be quite such good value if you’re not in the uk, but they’re such good quality it might still be worth it.

    No hidden agenda here, but I’ve dealt with Orchid a few times and everything about the experience was excellent. It’s a one-man operation so when you enquire about anything it’s the man himself you talk to. http://orchid-electronics.co.uk/balanced_mic_mute.htm

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    Registered User pit lenz's Avatar
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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    That Orchid stompbox looks very interesting, thanks for the heads up, saltybrian!

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    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Question Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    DI is usually XLR out, as it is to feed a stage snake with lot of Mic Channels on the sound guy's board ..

    the 1/4" in is stepped down to Low Z like Mic signals.. for the output .

    I use a impedance matching transformer to play XLR output Dyn M into a guitar amp..

    But Low Z output from the Schertler PU can go directly in to a Mic Input AFAIK..



    lots of stuff seems to be called a DI here , even if it's not
    writing about music
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  17. #13

    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    well ...we are on the same page .... i use the same exact set-up and although there are some cheap versions of phantom power out there notably the 1st version of the a.t. 350 had a small box with a clip that fit on your back pocket. didnt last very long and was a poor design . your way is the only wat to do it as long as you get a good a good phantom power box. the a.t. 350 is still the best mike out there (only $150 bucks) chris thile, ronnie mcourry just about everybody uses it .....because its an awsome mike. until audio technica comes out with a good box we are stuck.

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    Registered User Mark Seale's Avatar
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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    Quote Originally Posted by dang View Post
    I have a grace Felix exactly for that use. Most of the time I use my piezo pickup and a tonedexter - it works better in noisy bars... but I am commissioning a mando that I will not put a pickup in, so if I get the right gig I will use the Felix and the clip on mic. Not a cheap solution but very useful and versatile, once used a large diaphragm condenser > Felix > powered speaker and did the whole band at a very small gig. Even put a blue sky reverb in the effects loop and dialed in a very nice subtle effect.

    For the price you do get 2 channels (only 1 has xlr in), phantom power, great EQ, a boost and a mute switch... and a bunch of other small features that are useful
    +1 on all of this. Yes, the Felix is a bit pricey, but it is a great piece of gear and very versatile. I've used it with my clip on mic, and like Dang mentioned, I've also run my large condenser to support a single mic band setup. Lately, I've used it with an Ear Trumpet Edwina feeding my Acoustic Image amp and played both mandolin and fiddle. This turned out to be a great setup as I could use the DI out to the board, my amp was a personal monitor, and with the mic on the stand, I could play in and out as necessary.

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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    Might want to check out the Zoom A1 Four or A1X Four (A1X four gives you a volume/expression pedal) I just picked one up but haven't gotten to play with it yet. I've got a shertler dyn-m (old style, not phantom power) on my mando which has an XLR out and I wanted something to let me tweak EQ and add some light effects...

    The A1X comes with an adapter that can provide phantom power (haven't tested that since I don't need it)... it has a bunch of presets but nothing for mandolin (though I might play around with some of the fiddle presets to see how they sound with the mando)

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    Default Re: DI Box w/ XLR IN & Mute?

    Here you go; https://www.gear4music.com/Recording...Mic-Preamp/1GV From what I see that seems to cover what you describe

    The mini mixer is another route you can go down & that would let you keep both mandolins at the ready & just fade up whichever you want at the time
    https://www.gear4music.com/PA-DJ-and...nel-Mixer/219D then you just offer out the line level to the PA set up.

    I use condenser mics into a mic pre then take the line level out into a line/level a/b switch which is velcro'd to that, triggered by a foot switch, but it's not an off the shelf solution. The mini mixer is a tidier option.
    Eoin



    "Forget that anyone is listening to you and always listen to yourself" - Fryderyk Chopin

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