Industry standard

After spending time in a number of studios, I'm beginning to suspect these DI's are as common (and sturdy) as SM58s. For good reason, too - they're reliable, sound great, and serve a host of functions. I use one at home now to clean up my bass and guitar signals before tracking, and it kills the electrical hum of my keyboard. It will become a key component of your set-up, for sure.

Best value for my stereo rig

I've used this on a variety of mono & stereo sources -- acoustic & electric guitars, bass, keyboards, even computers. It sounds pure & natural and has solved a lot of problems. When I first bought it, my brother commented on the tone of my acoustic guitar after I playing it at my church. He said it sounded more open & detailed, and sat better in the mix...but I hadn't even told him about my new purchase! When I did, he was surprised that the big improvement in tone was due to the one part of the signal chain that's supposed to be transparent. And at $75 per channel, it's the best value for those who want a pair of great DIs without spending $400.