I actually discovered these priceless studio tools back in the early 1970s. At that time, I doubt there was a direct box commercially available through any music retailer in the country. As it happens, I had just bought my first Stratocaster and back then, Strats came with a three-way pickup selector, so I was having our local techno-wizard install a five-way switch in the guitar to get those now-classic (and now-standard) glossy Strat tones.

As he soldered in the new switch, we got to talking and I mentioned that I was doing a lot of recordings for other local groups in my (wow!) four-track studio. As the conversation progressed through topics like the best way to mic an amp, he suggested that I try recording rhythm and bass parts direct. Like every other guitar player has at one time or another, I had tried plugging the guitar right into the tape input, but it sounded flat and muffled. He explained about impedence matching and a bunch of stuff I didn’t understand. Eventually he pulled out a piece of paper and drew me a diagram, told me where to get the parts, and pretty soon I had actually built my first direct box. Now I could get the cleanest guitar sounds imaginable without the hassle of finding an amp’s “sweet spot.” To make a long story short, pretty soon I began building these things in my spare time and selling them to other musicians and studios around Miami.

Of course, the box I built was of the most rudimentary design — but it worked! We could actually record tracks while people in the room were talking. I used that box for many years. Eventually, when more sophisticated units were available, I bought one and I’ve been using one ever since. Today, these boxes are available from many manufacturers in both passive and active (powered) versions. Space doesn’t permit me to get into all the tricks a direct box can do, but trust me, once you use it, you’ll wonder why you waited so long to get one.

Recently, I received a new direct box for evaluation. But this one was different. Aside from the fact that it was active, it also had circuitry to do sophisticated tone modification. What’s more, it also included a circuit that could actually emulate the warmth and ambience of a real mic. Not surprisingly, this box was from the folks at Tech 21, people who have been helping us rethink the way we record guitar for quite a while now. The unit is called the SansAmp Acoustic DI and it’s an amazing piece of technology with a surprisingly affordable price tag (just $225 list).

Now I should point out that the Acoustic DI was actually designed to make those piezo-equipped acoustics we typically use on stage actually sound more like miked acoustics. And it does this superbly, on stage or even in the studio. So now there’s no excuse for that thin, brittle piezo sound. By using a combination of the bass, treble and midrange tone controls (the midrange comes with a terrific Mid-Shift control which allows you to decide exactly where you want to cut or boost the mids: From 170Hz to 3kHz) plus the blend control (which inserts the mic emulation circuitry), you can tweak your guitar sound to your heart’s content. Even piezo-equipped electrics (like my Godin LGX-SA) benefit greatly when using this box!

But though the word “Acoustic” is silk-screened on the face of this unit, don’t think for a minute that you can’t run an electric guitar through it, or a bass, or electric piano, or even a synth! All the tone-shaping capabilities Tech 21 put in there for acoustics work just as well for electrics. Want to fatten up a single coil pickup? Want to thin out a humbucker-equipped guitar. Or how about using that midrange control to scoop out some mids for a special effect? The Acoustic DI can do it all. It even includes a -20dB pad, phantom power and your choice of 1/4-inch or XLR outputs. Hey, these people thought of everything! I just recently completed several sets of electric guitar samples for a new ROM-based instrument, and I used the Acoustic DI for all but one of the guitars.

So if you play guitar and don’t have a direct box, let me strongly suggest that you simply pick up the phone and order the Tech 21 Acoustic DI. If you want a direct box, but don’t want all the extras, Sweetwater has those available, too.

Moving on to an entirely different subject, I was asked by one of my Sweetwater buddies to discuss the 24 / 96 issue — as in 24-bit and 96kHz. Not long ago, I opened that topic up for debate right in this column. The response was . . .well, there was no response. Now either I am such a fabulous writer that I convinced everyone reading that column that my viewpoint was absolutely right on the money or (and I hate to think about this) nobody cared. Considering how much money some manufacturers are spending to make us believe we cannot live without 24-bit / 96kHz equipment, I find it incredible that the topic didn’t stir up a lively debate.

For those of you who missed it, I put forth the theory that few of us — and I include myself in this group — are actually using the 16-bit / 44.1kHz standard to its fullest potential. Why move to a higher standard when we are not yet creating the best quality recordings using the older format?

I will admit that there are many of you out there right now who not only need 24-bit / 96kHz equipment, but can create some amazing music on such a system. I just don’t personally feel that it’s time to retire our 16-bit machines yet.

Sure, if I were just now buying a recorder, I would want the best one I could afford. And if I could afford a 24 /96 system, I would not hesitate for a second to whip out my credit card. Let’s face it: In a few years, this will be the standard, so if you can swing it now, go for it. But I’m personally not going to lose sleep over the fact that my studio isn’t there yet. There just happen to be other things I would spend my money on right now (a trip to Maui would be real nice!).

For those of you who actually make a living doing professional audio, 24 / 96 just might make a whole lot of sense. There’s no denying that a 24-bit recorder laying down tracks with 96kHz resolution is going to offer superb sonics and unbelievable accuracy that is way beyond my first generation ADAT. Whether or not the average listener can hear the difference is, of course, up for debate.

If you think you might be ready to move up to the new standard, you know you’re going to get the best advice on exactly which products suit your needs best from my friends at Sweetwater. No other music technology retailer has as many products available right now that can deliver on all the advantages of 24 / 96. In fact, no other music technology retailer has the sales staff that actually understands what this new hardware and software will mean to all of us down the road.

So when it’s your time to move up, there’s only one place to call. As for me, I intend to keep working on making my recordings the best they can be using my existing equipment. That way I’ll be ready when the time comes for me to upgrade and my music will sound better than ever.

Jim Miller can be reached at jim_miller@mindspring.com