@@BradDollar I just keep my acoustic rig really simple. I just have a Boss DD3 and a Boss DD500 for some basic delay and verb. I also will put a chorus on there from time to time depending on the setlist we do. Keep on jamming my friend.
man, I love this thing! Used it for years. I have a martin d18, a collings d1a. When I plug any of them they make me feel like it has a mic on it. I still like mic on it more, but love the eq so I keep using it. the only thing that beat it out for me recently is the useful arts bf-1 which I think you should try.
That’s a rad collection! And thanks, I’ll try it! It’s been on my radar for a minute. If you get something recorded, I’d love to hear how all that sounds. Appreciate you being and watching!
Yep...just got one of these Para Acoustic DIs from LR Baggs. I was amazed at how tight my Taylor 322 acoustic's low E and A strings translate - and being an all mahogany guitar, with a LR Baggs Anthem pickup system, it can be quite bassy - which is necessarily a bad thing. The unit provides a natural and super clean response with a nice transient. I'm sold.
That’s awesome! Yea the preamp on this thing really sweetens everything up. I bet for the bass-heavy nature of your guitar the notch filter on it will be super helpful. If you ever get to record it I’d love to hear it! Appreciate you watching!
Totally! There's no DI in the world that's a match for a real mic on it. The LR Baggs Voiceprint can get you pretty close though! I don't love the preamp/output circuitry in it nearly as much as the Para DI but you can create some really believable miked up acoustic sounds coming out of a DI (albeit it's just a convolution simulation at the end of the day). That said, you pair this thing with a mic and you're off to the races. I love it with a Telefunken m260 or an Audix SCX25. Appreciate you being here and watching! Thanks a ton.
Long time PADI user here. I’ve recommended it to many of my acoustic guitar playing friends. Thank you for the video. In my experience, it’s the best in its price range and very versatile and reliable.
That's what I'm talking about! They just keep ticking and making people happy. Appreciate you watching! Do you like to keep the gain kind of low or do you like to crank it up a bit?
I’m going for clean (no breakup) so usually aim for all green and yellow on the meter, no red. I have an LR Baggs IBeam in my Collings CJ that is very low output, so I have to dime the PADI “volume” dial to get there. Whereas the K&K Pure Mini (passive) in my Collings OM2HG pumps out a very strong signal that does not not need much boost so I set the Volume about 12:00. The PADI makes my Collings UT-2 ukulele (undersaddle LR Baggs pickup) sound warm and even. It takes awhile to get used to the EQ and notch filter knobs but they are very powerful and effective. I tell folks, “ Don’t be afraid to turn the knobs” and “Use your ears” 😂 Presets are just a starting point, they always need tweaking. 😉
100%! most mixers these days can handle it but going through a DI first will help your signal be the healthiest it can be before heading to your recording devices and/or PA. Thank you for being here and watching!
To me the Grace sounds more transparent, BUT, the highs don’t sound right to me, maybe some kinda artifacts of the pedal. The PADI sounds consistent and considering you have the EQ flat, you could dial it to sound more acoustically accurate. I’m surprised the audio interface sounds as good as it does.
Isn't that wild how good the interface sounds?! I can't tell if it sounds good or I'm just so used to it I like it. I do think the Grace is a lot cleaner too, but for me I'm a color freak and usually want as much as I can get 😂. Appreciate you being here and watching! Thank you.
I’ll make that video! I agree, let’s hear what this EQ sounds like. The preamp on this thing is killer too so I’ll show that off a bit. Standby. And thank you for the suggestion!
Wow thank you! My acoustic will go into the para then I’ll have a tuner, atmosphere pedal, and then the cloudburst. My guitar right now I believe has a kk pickup so no volume and tone knob but I can change it with the anthem if that helps me. I tried just the cloudburst but it wasn’t working. Do I need a y cable?
@@gabrieladdenbrooke1964 Nice setup! Yes, exactly, you need a Y cable. This roland or Hosa below would work great: www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RCC10TR28V2--roland-rcc-10-tr28v2-black-series-1-4-inch-trs-male-to-dual-1-4-inch-ts-male-insert-splitter-cable-10-foot www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/STP201--hosa-stp-201-insert-cable-1-4-inch-trs-to-dual-1-4-inch-ts-3-foot This way, you would go Guitar -> Para input -> FX loop Y cable Tip (send) into the first pedal -> chain all your pedals together -> last pedal output gets the Ring (return) fx loop y cable. Then your Para DI output, both the 1/4" and the XLR will have the FX in it. Give that a shot and let me know if it works!
Hey thanks for watching! That’s a great question! I think if you’re just recording and not going out to a PA speaker or amp with the di, then an impulse response/IR could be cool to play with! It might give you more of that Rolling Stones vibe instead of just being really clean and direct. You may be able to get it to sound more miked up that way. I’d also suggest the LR Baggs VoicePrint di which will emulate your guitar captured with microphones. Kind of like an impulse response pedal but simulating microphones.
My LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI is susceptible to picking up interference (beeping sounds) from my Cellphone. Other than keeping my Cellphone away from it or turning it off, are there any good solutions?
Hey thanks for reaching out! I definitely know what you're talking about. The only real way to prevent it is to keep your phone as far away from it as possible. We used to call it "GSM buzz" and it was really bad if you put your phone on top of your amp. I notice it a lot less these days but depending on where you are in the world and if there is any other radio interference, it may be better or worse. For now, just keep it as far away as you can and use the best cables you can. Something with 4 conductors to cancel out noise like Canare Star-Quad or any of the Mogami stuff. I hope that helps! Thank you for watching.
wow... I don't know what it is, but... I has hoping to hear what the guitar sound like BEFORE you switch the units on... so one can hear the difference (if there is any discernable difference)... ??? I guess we all do things differently. -- The way you did it just shows the difference between the UNITS, with no reference to the original guitar sound.
I see what you’re saying but that was the goal - not to see how they stack up to the original guitar sound but to see how they stack up to each other. Since the sound of an acoustic electric is the sound of the pickups, and with those staying the same between DI’s, I’m not sure how to show a “before.” None of these DIs make it sound more acoustic or like itself. That’s going to be in the pickups. I am working on a part 3 to go over the EQ section so I’ll throw in a sample of it miked up so there’s at least some sort of reference to the source. Appreciate you watching!
Well, Im completely blown away! But not in a good way. Your conclusions are tainted and should not be followed, point blank. I have owned and used up to 10 different DI's for acoustic guitar including the Baggs PADI over a 50 year span. I have also installed and years later "uninstalled" them in churches I ran sound for. Why- because if there was any ever truly on point criticism made of the PADI DI box it is that it makes all guitars sound kind of the same. In short, the PADI injects its own tonal signature, which is a bad thing fyi. It doesn't really make the guitar sound like itself, but louder. The PADI makes most guitars sound like the PADI which is the opposite of what you really want. It has a tone signature that is not highly acoustic in nature I have also owned at least 8 pickup systems over the decades. First thing i want to mention is the guitar AND the pickup quality and type largely flavors the final sound more than the DI / interface in this case. For full transparency, I have an expensive pair of Meze 109 Pro headphones on to listen to this accurately, with the vaunted MOJO 2 headphone DAC/Amp. I also plugged in my HIFIMAN Sundara 2020 version for a more neutral presentation. This setup will reveal whatever is there with very little coloration. Upon simple research it seems the pickup in the Epiphone Masterclass acoustic is. . . the Sonitone pickup." First thing to point out - this is a budget pickup, piezo UST pickup. It's ok for the budget category, but simply won't deliver authentic acoustic tone like the $299 Baggs Anthem (dual source, of course) system with these same DI boxes. Here is the description from Fishman's own web-site "The Fishman Sonitone Acoustic Guitar Pickup is an under-saddle piezo pickup for the bridge position. Designed to meet the needs of value-price acoustic guitars and ukuleles." In the end, what you have done is a cheery video demo comparison that is unfortunately tainted by a budget (read, not so great) pickup. The Grace Bix can't deliver anything more authentic than its source. Your tone is being choked really badly by the pickup tone and its inherent deficiencies. Put a Baggs ATNHEM in that guitar and then re-shoot your comparison. Night and day - cuz I own the Baggs Anthem and it is amazing. Finally, I installed the Grace Bix preamp in church with amazing results IF you have a good guitar AND quality pickup in it. I also own in my personal pedal board the Grace Alix (bigger brother) preamp/EQ/DI and with a Baggs Anthem in a Larrivee DV10, sound perfectly acoustic. YEs, this is expensive gear in my sound arsenal. . . . but to say the Baggs PADI is equivalent to the Grace Bix is just wrong.
Hey thank you so much for your feedback and comment! What can I say, I'm a cheery guy! And yes, the Anthem is a phenomenal unit. It's totally great that you love the Grace! I don't think it's bad, I just don't prefer it. The Alix is a whole other beast and is awesome. And if you could give me anything, I would take a DI input right into a Neve and be a happy camper. But for day to day and the way it blends with other instruments, I still love the Para DI. I've used it on cheap guitars, expensive guitars, keys, basses, mandolins, ukes. It's solid and I can trust it to never get in the way of the most important part of this equation - making music. That said, Grace makes hands down my favorite monitor controller ever, the m905. So I definitely understand where you're coming from. They make great gear! Like I said in the video - there are lots of great DIs out there. There are also no wrong answers. So if you have something you love and inspires you - that's really all that matters. Appreciate you being here and watching all the same!
@@BradDollar I actually appreciated the demo a lot. I've owned/used both the Para DI many times before, and I own the Grace Alix. With both expensive pickups and non-expensive pickups. Just depends on what you like honestly. Don't let the haters hate!
Yeah, this pedal is fire. I have it on my acoustic board and would not play a gig without it. The difference in tone without the pedal is huge. :)
That's awesome! It feels like a must have at this point. What else is on your board?
@@BradDollar I just keep my acoustic rig really simple. I just have a Boss DD3 and a Boss DD500 for some basic delay and verb. I also will put a chorus on there from time to time depending on the setlist we do. Keep on jamming my friend.
Nice! Love a great simple rig. And I LOVE Boss Delays. Must be a blast with those two together.
Appreciate you very much! Thanks!
@@BradDollar Yep, lots of fun and sounds killer. Now, my electric rig is another whole ball game. haha.
been dying to hear this thing!
man, I love this thing! Used it for years. I have a martin d18, a collings d1a. When I plug any of them they make me feel like it has a mic on it. I still like mic on it more, but love the eq so I keep using it. the only thing that beat it out for me recently is the useful arts bf-1 which I think you should try.
That’s a rad collection! And thanks, I’ll try it! It’s been on my radar for a minute. If you get something recorded, I’d love to hear how all that sounds.
Appreciate you being and watching!
hell yea thank u!
Yep...just got one of these Para Acoustic DIs from LR Baggs. I was amazed at how tight my Taylor 322 acoustic's low E and A strings translate - and being an all mahogany guitar, with a LR Baggs Anthem pickup system, it can be quite bassy - which is necessarily a bad thing. The unit provides a natural and super clean response with a nice transient. I'm sold.
That’s awesome! Yea the preamp on this thing really sweetens everything up. I bet for the bass-heavy nature of your guitar the notch filter on it will be super helpful. If you ever get to record it I’d love to hear it!
Appreciate you watching!
I get such a unit for live application but in the studio, miking an acoustic is definitely the way to go imo. sounds significantly better
Totally! There's no DI in the world that's a match for a real mic on it. The LR Baggs Voiceprint can get you pretty close though! I don't love the preamp/output circuitry in it nearly as much as the Para DI but you can create some really believable miked up acoustic sounds coming out of a DI (albeit it's just a convolution simulation at the end of the day). That said, you pair this thing with a mic and you're off to the races. I love it with a Telefunken m260 or an Audix SCX25.
Appreciate you being here and watching! Thanks a ton.
Long time PADI user here. I’ve recommended it to many of my acoustic guitar playing friends. Thank you for the video. In my experience, it’s the best in its price range and very versatile and reliable.
That's what I'm talking about! They just keep ticking and making people happy. Appreciate you watching!
Do you like to keep the gain kind of low or do you like to crank it up a bit?
I’m going for clean (no breakup) so usually aim for all green and yellow on the meter, no red. I have an LR Baggs IBeam in my Collings CJ that is very low output, so I have to dime the PADI “volume” dial to get there. Whereas the K&K Pure Mini (passive) in my Collings OM2HG pumps out a very strong signal that does not not need much boost so I set the Volume about 12:00. The PADI makes my Collings UT-2 ukulele (undersaddle LR Baggs pickup) sound warm and even. It takes awhile to get used to the EQ and notch filter knobs but they are very powerful and effective. I tell folks, “ Don’t be afraid to turn the knobs” and “Use your ears” 😂 Presets are just a starting point, they always need tweaking. 😉
Haha love the Vai tutorial insert. Great video!
😂 glad you got a kick out of it.
Thank you for being here and watching!
🔥🔥🔥
ive got and starting to explore, this video help me and give an idea, cheers buddy
That's awesome! Seriously, I hope you love it! Thanks a million for being here.
Great video Brad! Would this be useful live rather than plugging straight into a mixer? Also how is the effects loop on this?
100%! most mixers these days can handle it but going through a DI first will help your signal be the healthiest it can be before heading to your recording devices and/or PA.
Thank you for being here and watching!
To me the Grace sounds more transparent, BUT, the highs don’t sound right to me, maybe some kinda artifacts of the pedal. The PADI sounds consistent and considering you have the EQ flat, you could dial it to sound more acoustically accurate. I’m surprised the audio interface sounds as good as it does.
Isn't that wild how good the interface sounds?! I can't tell if it sounds good or I'm just so used to it I like it. I do think the Grace is a lot cleaner too, but for me I'm a color freak and usually want as much as I can get 😂.
Appreciate you being here and watching! Thank you.
Do you have a video showing turning 10:59 the EQ knobs on the box working so I can hear what the EQ sounds like using this box
I’ll make that video! I agree, let’s hear what this EQ sounds like. The preamp on this thing is killer too so I’ll show that off a bit. Standby. And thank you for the suggestion!
I tried connecting my effects to this and didn’t get sound. Any suggestions?
Hey thank you for watching! What’s your signal chain? Tell me what’s plugged in and in what order. Happy to help however I can!
Wow thank you!
My acoustic will go into the para then I’ll have a tuner, atmosphere pedal, and then the cloudburst. My guitar right now I believe has a kk pickup so no volume and tone knob but I can change it with the anthem if that helps me. I tried just the cloudburst but it wasn’t working. Do I need a y cable?
@@gabrieladdenbrooke1964 Nice setup! Yes, exactly, you need a Y cable. This roland or Hosa below would work great:
www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/RCC10TR28V2--roland-rcc-10-tr28v2-black-series-1-4-inch-trs-male-to-dual-1-4-inch-ts-male-insert-splitter-cable-10-foot
www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/STP201--hosa-stp-201-insert-cable-1-4-inch-trs-to-dual-1-4-inch-ts-3-foot
This way, you would go Guitar -> Para input -> FX loop Y cable Tip (send) into the first pedal -> chain all your pedals together -> last pedal output gets the Ring (return) fx loop y cable. Then your Para DI output, both the 1/4" and the XLR will have the FX in it.
Give that a shot and let me know if it works!
Hey Brad, thanks for the video!
To use the LR Baggs DI with a guitar do you think its worth it to have an Input Response pedal right after?
Hey thanks for watching! That’s a great question! I think if you’re just recording and not going out to a PA speaker or amp with the di, then an impulse response/IR could be cool to play with! It might give you more of that Rolling Stones vibe instead of just being really clean and direct. You may be able to get it to sound more miked up that way.
I’d also suggest the LR Baggs VoicePrint di which will emulate your guitar captured with microphones. Kind of like an impulse response pedal but simulating microphones.
Has this DI box gone up in price in the last 10 years? I bought it for $90 a long time ago. Now I see it for $250 ish???
It’s very possible. This thing ain’t an SM57 😂. Thank you for being here and watching!
My LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI is susceptible to picking up interference (beeping sounds) from my Cellphone. Other than keeping my Cellphone away from it or turning it off, are there any good solutions?
Hey thanks for reaching out! I definitely know what you're talking about. The only real way to prevent it is to keep your phone as far away from it as possible. We used to call it "GSM buzz" and it was really bad if you put your phone on top of your amp. I notice it a lot less these days but depending on where you are in the world and if there is any other radio interference, it may be better or worse. For now, just keep it as far away as you can and use the best cables you can. Something with 4 conductors to cancel out noise like Canare Star-Quad or any of the Mogami stuff.
I hope that helps! Thank you for watching.
is it able to run the fx loop through di out?
You sure are! It’s in line with the output.
Thank you for stopping by and asking! Appreciate having you here.
I am searching the Internet to try to find out what this box sounds like when you turn all the knobs and see what responsible gives
I’m going to cook that one up for you!
wow... I don't know what it is, but... I has hoping to hear what the guitar sound like BEFORE you switch the units on... so one can hear the difference (if there is any discernable difference)... ??? I guess we all do things differently. -- The way you did it just shows the difference between the UNITS, with no reference to the original guitar sound.
I see what you’re saying but that was the goal - not to see how they stack up to the original guitar sound but to see how they stack up to each other. Since the sound of an acoustic electric is the sound of the pickups, and with those staying the same between DI’s, I’m not sure how to show a “before.” None of these DIs make it sound more acoustic or like itself. That’s going to be in the pickups.
I am working on a part 3 to go over the EQ section so I’ll throw in a sample of it miked up so there’s at least some sort of reference to the source.
Appreciate you watching!
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Well, Im completely blown away! But not in a good way. Your conclusions are tainted and should not be followed, point blank. I have owned and used up to 10 different DI's for acoustic guitar including the Baggs PADI over a 50 year span. I have also installed and years later "uninstalled" them in churches I ran sound for. Why- because if there was any ever truly on point criticism made of the PADI DI box it is that it makes all guitars sound kind of the same. In short, the PADI injects its own tonal signature, which is a bad thing fyi. It doesn't really make the guitar sound like itself, but louder. The PADI makes most guitars sound like the PADI which is the opposite of what you really want. It has a tone signature that is not highly acoustic in nature
I have also owned at least 8 pickup systems over the decades. First thing i want to mention is the guitar AND the pickup quality and type largely flavors the final sound more than the DI / interface in this case. For full transparency, I have an expensive pair of Meze 109 Pro headphones on to listen to this accurately, with the vaunted MOJO 2 headphone DAC/Amp. I also plugged in my HIFIMAN Sundara 2020 version for a more neutral presentation. This setup will reveal whatever is there with very little coloration.
Upon simple research it seems the pickup in the Epiphone Masterclass acoustic is. . . the Sonitone pickup." First thing to point out - this is a budget pickup, piezo UST pickup. It's ok for the budget category, but simply won't deliver authentic acoustic tone like the $299 Baggs Anthem (dual source, of course) system with these same DI boxes. Here is the description from Fishman's own web-site "The Fishman Sonitone Acoustic Guitar Pickup is an under-saddle piezo pickup for the bridge position. Designed to meet the needs of value-price acoustic guitars and ukuleles."
In the end, what you have done is a cheery video demo comparison that is unfortunately tainted by a budget (read, not so great) pickup. The Grace Bix can't deliver anything more authentic than its source. Your tone is being choked really badly by the pickup tone and its inherent deficiencies. Put a Baggs ATNHEM in that guitar and then re-shoot your comparison. Night and day - cuz I own the Baggs Anthem and it is amazing.
Finally, I installed the Grace Bix preamp in church with amazing results IF you have a good guitar AND quality pickup in it. I also own in my personal pedal board the Grace Alix (bigger brother) preamp/EQ/DI and with a Baggs Anthem in a Larrivee DV10, sound perfectly acoustic. YEs, this is expensive gear in my sound arsenal. . . . but to say the Baggs PADI is equivalent to the Grace Bix is just wrong.
Hey thank you so much for your feedback and comment! What can I say, I'm a cheery guy! And yes, the Anthem is a phenomenal unit.
It's totally great that you love the Grace! I don't think it's bad, I just don't prefer it. The Alix is a whole other beast and is awesome. And if you could give me anything, I would take a DI input right into a Neve and be a happy camper. But for day to day and the way it blends with other instruments, I still love the Para DI. I've used it on cheap guitars, expensive guitars, keys, basses, mandolins, ukes. It's solid and I can trust it to never get in the way of the most important part of this equation - making music. That said, Grace makes hands down my favorite monitor controller ever, the m905. So I definitely understand where you're coming from. They make great gear!
Like I said in the video - there are lots of great DIs out there. There are also no wrong answers. So if you have something you love and inspires you - that's really all that matters.
Appreciate you being here and watching all the same!
@@BradDollar I actually appreciated the demo a lot. I've owned/used both the Para DI many times before, and I own the Grace Alix. With both expensive pickups and non-expensive pickups. Just depends on what you like honestly. Don't let the haters hate!