MDB Series Active Direct Box (MDB-1A)

I really like this particular model because I don't have to carry around spare batteries. Of course, you are reliant upon your mixer having phantom power, so that is an important limitation to be aware of if you are relying upon other people's boards. But if you are using your own board, this is a cool piece of hardware and has a lot of nice features like the 15db pad, the ability to combine two sources or use the second 1/4" jack as a "through" jack. I also like the ability to switch polarity and the ground lift. In addition, it feels like a solid little box that is well made. I've been using them for about a year now with no issues - just nice quiet signal.

I’ve had and used Mackie equipment for years. The Di box is no exception. Well made and works flawlessly. I’m very pleased with the entire transaction.

works great for the price it was a great purchase.

The DI box works as described.

Very solidly built, quiet, with many useful features. An excellent value compared with other active direct boxes that don't include amp or cabinet simulators. Phantom-powered (48v) so you'll need a mixer on the output side of the XLR, although it will send the Thru signal to an amp even when the MDB-1A isn't powered (with the Merge/dual input off). This last feature is actually very useful not only for driving an amp onstage as a monitor while the low-Z signal goes to the mixer. I have the MDB-1A on my pedal board, and the Thru lets me practice with an amp without taking things apart when I'm not using a mixer. Or, as in the picture I'm running modulation & OD/distortion in two separate signal chains before merging them in the MDP-1A.

Excellent sound quality, sturdy and easy to connect, keep in mind you need phantom power for it to work

I am completey bummed with this purchase through Amazon. I have very periodically used this DI box so when I suddenly heard the most annoying humming sound on my cool guitar track, I was sure it couldn't be it. So, I eliminated every other possible cause, and there were many, only to wind up with this being the sole cause. I have barely used this thing and it is fried. "Built-Like-A-Tank" ? Sounds like crap and turned what would've been a great take into a mess for me. Bummed. T. Smidge

This DI is working perfectly for my application. I have a Gibson EB3 bass wired in Stereo which needs Two inputs combined down to One. This is perfect. In addition the XLR connection to the DAW is low signal loss.

Simple et efficace

Pasif enstrümanlarla kullandım. Kendi pili olmadığı için 48v alması gerekiyor, mikser üzerinden phantom power/48v açıldığında çalışmaya başlıyor. Ben beğendim. Sesi oldukça toparlıyor ve gürültüden arındırıyor. Kaliteli bir görüntüsü var ayrıca. Teşekkürler.

There are hundreds of active DI boxes, and this was my first purchase. I had a limited budget, and I didn't want to experiment on the generic Chinese brands, whose durability is always questionable. I did not find any detailed end-user reviews for this particular unit (MDB-1A), but from reviews of other products around the web, I knew Mackie was a decent brand, so I went ahead with the purchase. Now how does it actually sound. Not great, it turns out. I tried it out with Soundcraft Signature 12MTK, JBL 308P MKII, and I found that this unit isn't exactly quiet on mid-high to high gains, it has quite audible buzz and hum. During testing, I have used only short-length balanced quad-core Canare cables, so I know that is not introducing the noise. I have tried using grounding switch on the unit, but found no change. For the price I paid, I was expecting a quieter hiss/buzz/hum on this unit. Anyway, I am reasonably confident I would not be needing to raise the gains to high in a practical environment. My only expectation is it would be durable for the long run (~10 years). It may be worth noting that I have seen EXACTLY same design generic DI boxes from China. So the 'built-like-a-tank' tag-line is just a marketing gimmick. The shell, in case you want to know, is aluminium (thick enough), and not steel. Of course we cannot tell if there is any difference in the electronics and the audio transformers inside, I hope this is not a rebranded product. I have similar experience with the passive DI box MDB-2P, though the buzz and hums signature is slightly different, but its there. I purcahsed two units of this model. Since I have limited experience on other DI boxes, I am not complaining. The generic Chinese brands cost (only) 25% less, delivered India, so its not a big cost saving. Other popular Active boxes (Radial Engineering), are ~3 times the price (but from what I hear, definitely worth the investment), so this is mostly on the border of being worth it for the time being.

値段も安く、頑丈。 音質どうこうより機能としてのアクティブDIが欲しい、というなら文句なしのはず。 主にギターのレコーディング用に使用していますが、数カ月間、不満は出てきていません。 音質は良いとも悪いとも言えません。

Llegó todo bien. Lo que describe hay que tenerlo muy en cuenta que para que funcione la salida Xrl tiene que tener activado la alimentación phanton power de la tarjeta de sonido Interface de audio. Después todo palante