nickd Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Wow, there's some serious knowledge in this thread - thanks everyone. I'd never really understood what a DI was for, but I feel educated now. And I've just bought a passive DI (Whirlwind) as a result of the thread. I don't think I'll necessarily need it, as round here sound men usually provide them, but it'll stay in the gig bag as a backup / problem solver. Worth the cost just for peace of mind... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mogut Posted April 20, 2012 Share Posted April 20, 2012 Yeah I just received my JDI yesterday and brought it to rehearsal. There is definitely a noticeable difference. My motif was really sounding "harsh" before last night. The JDI really smoothed the sound out.... -Greg Motif XS8, MOXF8, Hammond XK1c, Vent Rhodes Mark II 88 suitcase, Yamaha P255 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted April 29, 2012 Author Share Posted April 29, 2012 I had 3 gigs this weekend. Two with the Nord and a concert just now with the Yamaha. The more I use the Duplex, the happier I am. I don't think I've ever spent $300 on something and have it affect my sound ( in the positive) so greatly. https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larico Posted April 30, 2012 Share Posted April 30, 2012 Dave, it's good to hear you're having a positive experience with the JDI Duplex. I have one for each of my synths and rely on them. To me, they are actually musical, if that makes any sense. I find the Duplex's ground flip switch really quiets down the output noise of my old keyboards (VR760 and Triton Extreme) and the slight db padding loss is easily compensated for at the gain stage of the mixer. There are a ton of things you can do with them, very versatile. I also keep a single Radial JDI in my gig bag just because you never know what you might need. Back in the Dec 2010 issue of the mag (the one with Keith Emerson of the cover), I was the Weekend Warrior (what a hoot that was for me and the wife!) My long-of-tooth setup, which I've been running for years now is to run the left and right outputs (yes I run in stereo!) of each synth into it's own Duplex. The left and right outputs of the Duplex are then run into individual channels on my A&H ZED 12FX mixer. I pan the left and right channels of each synth at 10:00 and 2:00 respectively and then send the outputs from the mixer to a dual 15 band EQ and then out to two K12s. The Duplexs have a great musical quality about them, and I agree with you, they make a postive impact on my overall sound too. Highly recommend Radial stuff, works as advertised and built like a tank. Richard Korg Triton Extreme, Roland VR-760, Roland D-50, A&H ZED 12-FX, QSC K12s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Thanks Richard for sharing your experience with the Radial. I'm in the middle of experimenting with the Duplex with some of the 500 series "lunchbox" preamp modules. I have an API 500-6B rack on loan and using the Duplex to run into a Neve 1073lb, Great River MP-500NV, API 512c, BAE 312 and a Shadow Hills Mono Gama. Today I'm borrowing a pair of Forssell SMP-500s and hopefully in the next few days I'll be testing a LaChapell 583e. So far the API and the API clone on steroids, the BAE, seem to have the best effect of softening the digital transients on the digital piano. The Neve is amazing for synth and string stuff, very clear. The DI on the Great River actually has more low end punch then the Radial , I can see why these are raved about for bass guitars now. However the sound of the GR pre is not as flattering for the piano compared to the Neve and API stuff. Looking for something that can pull double duty live for the DPs and in the studio for my Steinway. The API 500-6B rack, coupled with the Duplex is very portable and small footprint, so it would work well for live stuff. Very excited to finally get to test the Forssells today... https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted April 30, 2012 Author Share Posted April 30, 2012 Very excited to finally get to test the Forssells today... OMG ! Well I can literally turn off everything else after hearing a pair of these SMP-500s. http://www.forsselltech.com/products/2/# I thought I needed some color in the sound. After hearing both the Nord and CP5 with these, it's like the veil has been lifted. Unbelievable ! And these don't even sound as big as his SMP-2 rackmount unit. Was just over at my friends house and we A/B d his prototype SM2 (that he just stole off Ebay for $1250 ) with the SMP-500 on his Yamaha C3 grand. Going to make a test recording on the Steinway later on. This preamp changes everything.... https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 I used these Forssell SMP-500s on my Nord Piano last night and the sound live was great even in an acoustically challenged room. Very happy with the sound here on the D too. I might have found *it*... Anyway a one time run through on the head of Dolphin Dance.. https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SK Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I think you've found it! Best recording of you yet. CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/stevekessler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Muscara Posted May 2, 2012 Share Posted May 2, 2012 I think you've found it! Best recording of you yet. I just listened to it like four or five times in a row. "I'm so crazy, I don't know this is impossible! Hoo hoo!" - Daffy Duck "The good news is that once you start piano you never have to worry about getting laid again. More time to practice!" - MOI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Ferris Posted May 4, 2012 Author Share Posted May 4, 2012 Anyway a one time run through on the head of Dolphin Dance.. Here's an extended version of DD with the rack mount Forssell SM2 prototype that my friend lent me for the weekend.. It sounds noticeably bigger and warmer then the 500 series to my ears. https://soundcloud.com/dave-ferris https://www.youtube.com/@daveferris2709 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seannn Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 To jump into this thread again, my current/new setup involves a ProDI that I use for my mic (mic-->transformer-->effects-->DI-->P.A.). I've been thinking about upgrading to the JDI. For those with experience, would the extra bucks be worth the sonic difference? ~ Sean Juno-60, Juno-G, MicroBrute, MS-20 Mini, PX-5S, R3, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J. Dan Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 To jump into this thread again, my current/new setup involves a ProDI that I use for my mic (mic-->transformer-->effects-->DI-->P.A.). I've been thinking about upgrading to the JDI. For those with experience, would the extra bucks be worth the sonic difference? IMHO, for vocals in a live setting, I don't think you'd notice the difference. The ProDI is already very good quality. Dan Acoustic/Electric stringed instruments ranging from 4 to 230 strings, hammered, picked, fingered, slapped, and plucked. Analog and Digital Electronic instruments, reeds, and throat/mouth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aidan Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Re-animating this thread to report that I finally took the leap and bought a Radial JDI Duplex. I used it last night in rehearsal to abbreviate the load-in. The Stage (running in mono) and Kronos (L/Mono output) were run into a single channel of the Duplex, with "summing" engaged, to a single XLR out to a pretty crappy Behringer Xenyx board driving a pair of similarly pedestrian low-end JBLs. Considering the output, I was amazed at how good both boards sounded. The Duplex seemed to take a lot of the aggressiveness of the Nord's Japanese Bright piano in particular. I had tried running direct unbalanced jacks into the same setup a few weeks before and hastily scurried out to the van to bring in a QSC K10 - I felt no such need this time. Not a cheap bit of kit, but a real keeper. We're going into the recording studio in a couple of weeks time and the Duplex will be going with me. Studio: Yamaha P515 | Yamaha Tyros 5 | Yamaha HX1 | Moog Sub 37 Road: Yamaha YC88 | Nord Electro 5D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mogut Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 you'll love it... You will continue to appreciate how the radial cuts out all the harsh patches from your boards. -Greg Motif XS8, MOXF8, Hammond XK1c, Vent Rhodes Mark II 88 suitcase, Yamaha P255 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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