Avenson Audio IsoDI

A if you’re looking for small scale DI solutions then check out Avenson Audio’s line of compact DI’s. The IsoDI is the newer of the two, with it’s basical DI circuit based on the minimalist Small DI.  The difference is metal chassis, Iso/Parallel out quarter-inch jack and transformer isolated power supply which allows for a ground lift button.  I haven’t gotten a chance to hear the IsoDI, but the build quality inspires confidence, and if it maintains the clean sound of the Small DI then it’s a great DI for the size and buck.

Avenson DI Small DI

The Small DI is perfect for your gig bag or toolbox.  Just the size of a thumb, this DI can be a life saver when you’re at your show and the sound guy hasn’t got one or has you experience DI failure mid-show.  It consists of a quarter-inch input on one side, and XLR mic level output on the other, and just about nothing else.  But for a simple emergency DI, it’s perfect.  The other use that strikes me right off the bat (these DI’s sound great by the way) is using the Small DI as an affordable replacement for the cheapie DI’s built into some lower-end audio interfaces and mixers.  As and Mbox user, I’ve been consistently frustrated by the tone quality of the built-in DI’s.  They tend to add a color to bass guitars that I can only describe as “fartiness.” Basically mid-range exaggeration and even a bit of distortion.  Putting a Small DI inline with your bass and using the Mic Pre’s on my interface would offer much cleaner results.

Small DI retails for $80 and the IsoDI retails for $160.