Honorable Mentions
Many churches that I have worked at or church camps that I’ve been to, have utilized the Whirlwind Imp 2 Passive 1 Channel Direct Box ($60 per unit), the Livewire SPDI Passive Direct Box with Attenuation Pad ($60 per unit), the Livewire PDI Double Shielded Heavy Duty Passive Direct Box ($40 per unit), or the Direct One DB-01 Passive DI ($20 per unit). Each of these direct boxes will get the job done, but as you start moving down the price chain you will typically start to lose quality of sound, specifically in the low frequency response of high input sources, like a bass guitar. While there are some musicians that will utilize even the Behringer Ultra-DI DI400P 1-channel Passive Instrument Direct Box ($19) and have had very few issues with it, others have experienced it not working right out of the box or even introducing noise into their signal that they cannot get rid of. If you have the money to spring for some Radial JDI’s or Radial Pro DI’s, they’re definitely the way to go. Otherwise, the Whirlwind Imp 2’s or the Livewire PDI Passive Direct Box with Attenuation Pad seem to be the most widely used DI’s. I’ve used them with great success over the years.
Whirlwind Imp 2 Passive 1 Channel Direct Box
I have seen these little DI’s everywhere at almost every venue that I’ve been to. They’re almost always old and scratched up to the point where you cannot see the logo anymore, but every time I use them they work. As all direct boxes I’m aware of, they have a high impedance input with a low impedance output. They also come with a ground lift switch. The Whirlwind Imp 2 is a decent box that will meet your needs.
Livewire SPDI Passive Direct Box with Attenuation Pad
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I have personally used this DI in smaller venues for many years. This is not an active DI as Livewire boasts the ability to ignore phantom power. This can be helpful when your mixing console sends phantom to every input, but wouldn't be the best choice if you have a passive instrument. The attenuation pad is nice a nice feature. This is a sturdy and functional box which will work.
