Works perfect as it should. Best investment.

I've been using DI's that were built into preamps or interfaces for years and most sounded pretty bad. Either thin or dark and I've gotten pretty fussy about my tone these days. Plus they never had a "thru" output jack so I couldn't pass the signal on to a real amp.

Then I got the Radial J48 which was a huge step up and I thought sounded very good. It had a thru jack so I could put it inline as a failsafe and forget about it.

Finally I saw a shootout with a J48 and a Type 85 and ordered one right away. It was like taking the blanket off my DI tone. I thought the J48 was fine until I got the Type 85. I was so pleased with the Countryman that I bought a second. The J48 is warmer (or duller if you wish) so it's still usable for bass guitars but only if both my Countryman DI's are already in use for two guitarists.

The other great part of the Type 85 is the switch for speaker mode. That way I can put one between the guitar and amp and another one between the amp and the speaker cab. So I can use the second one to grab the amp's output to use with IR files. Plus I can still mic up the cab and blend with the IR files as long as I compensate for the extra latency of going through a speaker, air and mic. Plus I've captured the guitar's DI in case I need to reamp.

The Countryman will also work from an internal 9v battery in case you can't supply it with phantom power and it's cheaper than the Radial. The Radial's tone vs the Countryman is similar to the difference between my warm and hairy BAE 1073 mic pres and my clean and pristine SSL VHD mic pres.

This thing sounds incredible and is built like a tank. I use it mostly for recording into my audio interface. It really keeps the levels in check and adds a brightness and clarity to my guitar and bass tracks.

First off this thing is FAR better than the Radial DI Passive Box. I found it hard to believe it didn't have some sort of direct power source because my guitar signal was WAY stronger, so much so that I had to turn my trim knob all the way down on my audio interface to keep it from clipping (I didn't use the pad).

Overall my tone was brighter, more full, had more life and had a much better signal to noise ratio that going directly into my interface. For the money, this is a slam dunk if you're recording direct guitars for your album. It will massively improve your tone. Buy it.

I was in the market for a new DI box and was referred to this by a friend. Simple yet very effective, I was surprised to see how big of a difference it made in my signal chain. Big thanks to Shawn F. again for helping me with this order!

I got this as part of the setup to track tube amps silently. I'd been using strictly a Fractal Axe-Fx for guitars and DI captures, I still wanted a way to get a solid DI cap in conjunction with the amp signal, so I got this box at the recommendation of a friend. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the DI caps that come from this box. The DIs from the Countryman are slightly brighter and more defined than even the DI caps from my Axe-FX, which I really like, so this is now my go to solution for DIs if I'm tracking guitars using an analog or a digital modeling based rig. It's worth noting that the DIs from the countryman are *exponentially* better than plugging straight into the quarter inch on your interface, so if you're reading this and you don't own a DI box and are tracking guitars using an interface and amp sim plugins, just stop reading here and buy it. You will be much happier with your guitar tones just by popping this box in your signal chain.

Home, studio or stage, this has been a "without fail" utility.

I just bought this guy. I was recording electric guitar and bass guitar directly through my Focusrite 6i6 before, with ok results. DI tracks were nothing to write home about. But now that I added this before my recording interface, I would definitely write home now. Clean, clear and loud DI tracks now. Everything sounds much better. You will not be disappointed with this unit.

For over 20 years, this has been my go to DI. I have played through virtually everything else on the market, and obviously there are very subtle differences between direct boxes, but the tone has always been superb in the studio and the build quality is first rate.

This is a studio classic for a good reason. It imparts a flattering color to the signal that seems to tighten the lows and make the mids (upper mids) a little a bit more pronounced with just a bit of break up. This makes the signal sound less like a DI and more like an amp or a pre. The output is not as hot as the J48, and the slew rate is also not as great, so it may be unsuited to some material, but is has a very pleasing sound that is quite musical. Construction quality seems very good and it is dead simple to use. Well worth getting.

I never give this DI Box a second thought. That is the best review it can get. A piece of gear that is always ready ro do it job is deserving of a five star rating. Crystal clear and strong signal makes acoustic guitars sing. Spend the money one time and it will pay for itself time and time again. Worth the investment.

This sounds great. Very good reproduction of the original sound and no hum issues.

Top 3 best gear choices I've EVER made. Absolutely blown away by how much this helped my amp sim tones!!!

DI's are my preferred methods of producing guitars and bass tones. I've done it for years plugging straight into the instrument inputs of my MOTU 8Pre without any perceivable degradation of quality... Until I got my Country Man.

The signal is cleaner with balanced and preserved lows and high end detail I didn't know I was missing! I will never seriously record without this magical piece of gear again.

Buy it you won't regret it.

Plain and simple this is the di to get if you want perfect tight sounding and usable signals for those amp sims you've been using !!! Don't hesitate.....there's a reason so many people use these and I wish I hadn't waited this long to one !!

I have been using the Countryman Type 85 for several years. Initially we used cheaper direct boxes with mixed result. While the Countryman is a little expensive the long term durability and the quality of the input using the Countryman is worth every penny. We wouldn't consider using anything else.

Been using this direct box for Bass, but maybe not as you'd expect. This works GREAT between an Ampeg SVT head and cab using the speaker option. I get complements from both sound guys (clean/warm signal) and from enthusiastic audience members (man your bass sounds HUGE!) In a venue of 800 that's not just my rig that's sounding good but what's going through PA for front of house. I also use it with a small amp (SWR LA12) from the preamp out again with great reviews. I'm sure you can just plug your bass directly in, but if you are trying to get the sound of your rig and don't want to add another open mic for the sound guy to manage then this thing works perfectly!

I am wary of superlatives most of the time but this box laid to rest any doubts I had on how to get my best live sound. I have tried several DI's as well as the direct inputs into my Mackie DL 1608 and always felt that my Breedlove with LR Baggs active system was being compromised somehow. I got the Model 85, plugged my guitar into the same channel with it's presets and immediately, the level was at least 30% hotter and a much better freq response and sensitivity.

The Countryman direct box is simple, solid, and reliable. It is a real workhorse. We use them live and in the studio. They always work great and last for YEARS! I highly recommend them.

I have not yet been able to compare it with any other DI Box. This thing really added what I needed for recording guitar.

My active pickup finally died and I decided to go with a passive piezo system. Not only to save money, but because I was sick of dealing with batteries and a lot of hum. This box saved the day. With a $50 Martin Thinline 332 and this DI, I would put my guitar's tone up there with anything on the market. Lots of headroom, which is the name of the game when amplifying an acoustic guitar. And when it comes to features, less is more and this thing is as simple as it gets. Sure, I spent just as much total money as I would have with a high-end active system, but this box is not part of the guitar and I can use it for other things. And as I found out, active systems still need a DI anyway. Works off phantom power and comes with a backup 9v battery installed. Highly recommended.

I searched a long time to find a DI that would sound good with piezo pickups. Piezos are high impedance (Hi-Z) devices that require a proper high-impedance load in order to sound their best. This little guy delivers with 10 MegOhm input impedance. Most DIs have an impedance of 1 MegOhm or usually less, so even if it's a high-quality ID it can still sound bad with a piezo pickup. Not the Countryman. Sounds great, compact, and built to last. Just make sure you have phantom power because there's no battery or wallwort option.

If you have never touched a Countryman product before, then number one, you're missing out. Number two, this box is the last DI you'll ever have to purchase. Tone and clarity are huge for me and this box delivers. The only DI that might possibly outperform is the Type 10 Countryman.

In short, if you're looking for absolute transparency for your sound, and you should be, then pick one or two of these up, you won't be disappointed.

Easily the best sounding dbox I have ever used. Built like a tank and as simple to use as a stone.

Don't be fooled by the elegance of the Countryman's appearance. It is, without a doubt, the most sophisticated piece of equipment you can find. Works like a dream for recording and does a fine job for playing live as well. The sound man will definitely buy you a beer for making his job so easy.

Sounds great with PA and significantly improves the sound of my acoustic guitar amp.

I work for a professional sound reproduction company and have used just about every DI out there and none of them compares to the Countryman. Not only is the sound level bigger but it very warm and full. They hold up very well on the road and sound amazing.