Radial Engineering launches two highly compact DI-boxes for travelling musicians

Radial launches two highly compact DI-boxes for travelling musicians

At Winter NAMM 2013, Anaheim, Radial Engineering announced the active, phantom-powered StageBug SB-1 DI-box for acoustic guitars and the StageBug SB-2 Passive for bass, keyboards and acoustic guitars. Both new models will also be part of the Radial exhibit at Prolight + Sound 2013, Frankfurt.

Radial Sales Manager Roc Bubel explains about the SB-1 StageBug: "Radial already makes more types of direct boxes than any other manufacturer. So adding another model to our line up is not something we would do unless we had good reason. In this case, it really came down to getting inside the case! Today, more and more musicians are traveling light in order to keep costs down. This is particularly important since airlines are now charging for extra baggage. The other reality is that most venues or clubs tend to have low-end DI boxes that do not sound very good. So more and more musicians are now equipping themselves with their own DI to ensure they can deliver as good a quality signal as possible to the PA system. We combined these two 'needs' to create the Stage Bug SB-1... the most compact yet high performance Radial DI ever!"
Designed primarily for acoustic guitars, the Stage Bug SB-1 is a compact active direct box that measures less than 2" wide x 3.85" long x 1.3" high. (5.1 cm x 9.8 cm x 3.3 cm) and is powered using standard 48V phantom power. It features a standard ¼" hi-Z instrument input, a low-Z balanced output to feed the PA system, plus a tuner output that works double duty as a thru connection to feed the artist's on-stage amp. All connectors feature glass-filled nylon construction and nickel-silver contacts for long life without failure. Through-hole parts are employed throughout for optimal signal transfer. This is combined with a full ground plane to reduce noise. The SB-1 provides a flat response from 20Hz to 20kHz while being able to handle extreme dynamics without flinching. It is also equipped with a -15dB pad to handle high output active instruments and a 180° polarity reverse to help tame hot-spots on stage and eliminate resonant feedback.

Measuring less than 2" wide and 3.5" deep, the compact StageBug SB-2 begins with a 1/4" instrument input and thru-put to feed the on-stage amp. This connects to the custom made Eclipse ET-DB3 transformer which performs the impedance matching and balances the signal. When using extra high output instruments, a -15dB pad can be inserted into the signal path. This enables the StageBug SB-2 to be used with active basses and digital pianos that often tend to overload the input side of most interfaces. A built-in auto-summing function enables stereo keyboards to be mixed mono in order to simplify setups.
The StageBug SB-2 output features an XLR wired to the AES standard with pin-2 hot, it enables it to drive cables 100 meters (over 300') without noise. A 180° polarity reverse switch toggles pin-2 and pin-3 to adapt to older vintage gear that may be out of phase. This can also be used to tame acoustic hot spots on stage by electronically moving phase bumps so that they do not cause feedback. Once connected, the StageBug SB-2 delivers a smooth warm sound reminiscent of older vintage gear. Transformers are able to handle extreme signals with a natural compression that is pleasing to the ears. Transformers also help eliminate troublesome ground loops by isolating the input from the output.
Radial rcommends the StageBug SB-2 for electric bass, acoustic guitar and keyboards.