How many times has a line check problem been the results of a DI box issue? DI boxes, while simple in functionality, do present the opportunity to cause problems. Here are the three common line-check-related issues where the DI box is to blame;
- No sound coming through the channel.
A DI box won’t pass sound through when the input cable is incorrectly plugged into an output jack. An active DI box won’t pass sound through if there is no power. Make sure that either the phantom power is on, or the active DI box has its AC adapter plugged in or it’s running on fresh batteries. - The sound coming from the DI box is less than expected.
Some DI boxes allow for control of the input signal strength or the output signal strength. Check the settings on the DI box. This could be a knob labeled “gain” or “volume.” Some DI boxes have controls for both. Also, you might have a pad switch enabled on the DI which drastically cuts the signal strength. These can even exist on passive DI boxes. - A hum can be heard through the channel with the DI box.
Once you flip the ground lift switch, the noise goes away. The ground lift switch is used to eliminate the hum caused when you have a grounding problem that’s made evident by a looped signal. While you can use the ground-lift switch, consider it an indication that there is a problem in the sound system or with a component like an electric guitar. Therefore, make note when this occurs and spend time looking for the source of the problem after the service. It could be an electric guitar has a grounding problem or something else. In the case of the guitar, if the guitarist touches the strings and the hum goes away, then the guitar has a grounding wire loose inside.
DI boxes are great little electrical signal transformers. Most of the time, the issues you encounter will be caused with improper cabling or setting issues. Don’t overlook them when reviewing your signal chain for the source of a problem. They might be small, but they are mighty.
Question: Have you ever had a DI box go out completely?
I'm Chris Huff and I've been working successfully behind a mixer for the last twenty years. Since 2008, I've been helping other sound techs learn all about the art of church audio through behindthemixer.com.
Sound Systems: Design and Optimization, Second Edition: Modern Techniques and Tools for Sound System Design and Alignment
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9 Insightful Comments on "Top Three Common DI Box Problems and Solutions"
Great artice! I often run into the opposite variation of #2 with the sound coming from a DI box being distorted. On an active DI with pads this usually means I need to engage a pad to avoid clipping in the DI.
Hi, we are going to buy di’s in my church very soon, we have some very old and bad quality DI’s right now ($30 and cheaper) so i was thinking in Radial Engineering JDI MK3 Passive Direct Box for the bass, LR Baggs Para Acoustic for acoustic and Radial Engineering ProDI Passive Direct Box for anything else.
Is this a good selection?
Is this change going to make our instrument’s sound get better?
Can someone recomend something?
Thanxs
Andrés, before you jump in on the LR baggs (which I personally love), know that it’s a tool that your acoustic guitar player will need to learn to use. You could set it for them but it’s probably something they will want to learn at some point. My guess is that if you told them they were getting one to use, that they would send you a thank you card, take you our for dinner, wash your car, etc.
Will the other DI’s make all your instruments sound better? Most likely. A while back, I surveyed sound tech’s and musicians on which DI’s they have used and their experiences. You can see the survey results here.
Thanks a lot.
We always try to teach each musician what they’re using, how the sound works, etc, its like a rule in my team.
And thanks for the link, its very useful xD
BTW we started using presonus ipod/iphone app (qmix) the past weekend and it’s so cool, i mean…wireless monitor mix control for free, you have to make a post about it.
Thanks a lot again.
We had a DI problem where the acoustic guitar sounded as if it was using a distortion pedal…not real heavy but enough to sound off. Turns out, the battery in the DI was almost dead. We replaced the battery and all sounded good.
Sometimes equipment fails completely when a battery looses enough energy. Sometimes it tries to hang on, as you explained.
yes I had!
I ran into some Behringer Active Boxes. Dirt cheap, dirt quality.
I use dbx db12 active boxes. Built like a rock, good quality. I recommend them to everyone looking for DI boxes.
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RT @behindthemixer: Top Three Common DI Box Problems and Solutions http://t.co/E4GU3WJF