What is a direct box?

this may be a stupid question, what exactly is a direct box? how are these helpful inrecording instruments? i heard these can cut some extra hums. but pls explain. Behringer DI100, was the one I saw.

pls explain what it does.

regards

A direct box, or DI, is used for the purpose of matching the electrical characteristics of two different devices... an example being an electric guitar and the front-end of a channel on a mixer. These two devices have different characteristic impedances, and don't work so well together (a guitar amp's input is designed to be more conducive to matching the guitar's output). Some have a switch to lift the ground connection, which can be useful in solving ground loop problems (noise and hum).
Hope that's simple enough - there's a bit more, but it's not that important to function.
 

Best... -Jon

thanks jon. but i am still at bay on some things.

does DI helps if i am mic ing amps. should i use DI's to get the signal to the mixer? or the signal from the mixer to the soundcard? which way?

also, has DI got to do with un/bal things?

thanks

regards

saif

thanks jon. but i am still at bay on some things.

does DI helps if i am mic ing amps. should i use DI's to get the signal to the mixer? or the signal from the mixer to the soundcard? which way?

also, has DI got to do with un/bal things?

You don't need a DI if you are using a mic.  The whole point of a DI Box is to present a signal to the mixer which looks like it came from a microphone.  Thus, you would use one if you were taking a feed direct from an amplifier output.

There are many types of DI's, but most will provide a balanced output from an unbalanced input.

[TROGDOR!!!]

...Thus, you would use one if you were taking a feed direct from an amplifier output...

Actually, my amplifier has a balanced XLR output and requires no DI.  However, I hate the way it sounds plugged direct, so I never use it.

Josh