LR Baggs Para DI 5-Band EQ and Direct Box Reviews

Alan Patterson
from Spokane, WA USA
November 26, 2012Music Background:
Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin and recording engineer

more than just the best bang for the buck

I compared this on my mandolin (Radius-M pickup) and my banjo (Schatten Design pickup) to a Schertler, a ToneBone, and many others. The $500 Schertler had maybe a 5% better sound, but it added more than triple the noise floor. This DI makes even just wimpy sounding acoustic guitar pickups sound almost wonderful. It's rock solid. It runs on phantom or battery. The tweak knobs make a moving difference even with just slight adjustments, and the notch filter is... well... top notch. Plus, since most instruments havea resonant pitch or a string that stands out, the notch is labelled in pitch - brilliant and simple.

If you don't have $1K to get your rig amped, this is THE box for you.

Jimmy Butler
from Austin
November 20, 2012Music Background:
Singer/songwriter/guitarist

The Acoustic Comforter

The LR Braggs DI is a little miracle worker. If you don't want to spend thousands for a Taylor or Martin try the LR Braggs on your four hundred dollar Takemine or Yamaha or Alvarez. You'll be pleasantly surprised by the fidelity it brings to the sound. Do you get feed back from your acoustic when you play live? This little puppy will put that problem to bed. Tuck you in and wrap your sound in a warm feedback free blanket! Thanks Sweetwater I'm glad I thought of that and glad you guys had one...(<:!!

Tim Watson
from Ohio
February 29, 2012Music Background:
Freelance ubassist

Awesome for bass

After a long and exhaustive search for preamps for my Kala U-Basses, I have settled on this and the VTBass pedal. It has all the features I want. Variable cut/boost notch, para mid, 2 treble bands, perfect high pass at 35hz, phase, battery, D. I. Out. Loop... This thing is warm and sounds great. Very organic, the actual tone of the instrument shines through.

Arlene Willman
from Random Lake, WI USA
December 10, 2011Music Background:
Music loving senior

Para DI

I'm pleased with the Para DI. I play an autoharp & this is what I needed to be heard in a group that consists mainly of guitars! Autoharps DO have a great sound but need that boost to be heard. Now they tell ME to turn my volume down!
I was also impressed (once again) at the speed in delivery. You guys are fantastic & I will continue to let my fellow 'jammers' know that.

Steve Robert
from Muncie, IN
May 16, 2013Music Background:
Semi Pro.

We "like" it.

Like I say - we "like" it. Nothing wrong with it at all. I would have given it a 5.0 rating - but I'm just not "Blown Away". For $ 200 (right?) I would expect a good pre-amp. For $ 39 - I'd be "Blown Away". LR Baggs is a good company - I also have a LR Baggs " Element" Pre-Amp in my Yamaha Acoustic Guitar - and it too is very nice ( also like $ 200).

I really wanted a Radial PX Deluxe - but they were sold out. The Radial Unit is also really nice - and is more of a "Foot Pedal" - having a nice "MUTE" button and a "BOOST" Button that you can hit with your foot (very rugged construction).

So I ordered this Baggs unit instead - and it is fine - more of a "table top" unit than a "foot switch". I "like" that it can run on phantom power (saves having to plug it in). Absolutely silent operation. (Shrugs.) We are using this on a fiddle with a passive pickup. We just run the EQ flat - so I have no comment to it - but I'm sure it's fine too. He uses the "level" knob when he switches to Mandolin - and it too is totally silent.

No complaints. Happy with it. It's doing exactly what we want - and does not need "fed".

JP Camerota
from Cape Cod, MA
August 8, 2012Music Background:
Hobbyist

Does the Job

My passive pick up is very bright and I wanted to richen up the sound. A pro recommended I try the Para DI...glad I did...very pleased with this little unit. Not only can I control my volume and tone on stage, It has useful filters that cut string buzz and noise to a minimum. It is a ruggedly built, simple to use, and best of all, does the job!

Scott
from Phoenix, AZ
March 1, 2012Music Background:
Professional Musician

Great Sound - Some Annoyances

First off, I'd like to say that I give this DI a 5 star for sound. It's great sounding, and that's not the concern at all. Here are the things that bother me a lot.

1) There is no way to monitor your gain from clipping. When you have an onboard volume on your guitar, and then a gain knob on the DI, and then a volume on the DI, there are 3 different gain stages. That's not a problem IF there was any sort of meter to let you know if you're clipping or not. How do you expect to properly set the gain without some sort of indication other than distortion. I play professionally, and this is extremely bothersome. The venue DI has this feature, and this DI should.

2) The thing that bothers me the most is the fact that the XLR comes out of the top of the DI. Why they designed it this way blows my mind. I have a very clean stage set up, and things are laying flat, and look clean and professional. Then I add this DI, and I have an XLR sticking straight up in the air, and taking the clean look and making it ugly. This is poor design in my opinion, and I wish they would make a new model with the XLR like every other DI is, out the side.

I love the DI, but those two major things just don't make sense to me.

Michael Riley
from Mena, AR
June 30, 2011Music Background:
Playing since I was Six. Play in about 4 different bands and have my own Studio, and Sound Reinforcement Co.

Love This Di

I used this on a Boulder Creek Solitaire last weekend. The Solitaire doesn't have the greatest built in pre, but( it does look really cool with out a sound hole). when i plugged in the LR Baggs Para Di It gave the shape of the output a much more pleasing tone. Really like the notch filter built in to the DI for controlling feed back onstage. I bought this as a backup for a friend of mine he was having some issues with his. Which LR Baggs gave great support for BTW. The tech was great and they actually replaced his unit for no charge. I would highly recommend this DI and LR Baggs as a vendor.

iOS/iPad

Recording

Computer Audio

Guitar

Bass

Keyboard

Drums

Live Sound

DJ/Lighting

Accessories

Dealzone

inSync

SweetCare® 24/7 Tech Support