Radial JDX Direct Drive DI Box launched

15 Jun 2016 by Jef | Approximate reading time: 2 Minutes

JDX Direct Drive DI Box 4x12 2x12 Shure SM57 microphone Radial

A virtual amp simulator and DI box all in one. The JDX Direct Drive · Source: http://www.radialeng.com/jdxdirectdrive.php

Radial JDX Direct Drive - Without an amp. · Source: http://www.radialeng.com/jdxdirectdrive.php

Radial JDX Direct Drive - With real amp as well · Source: http://www.radialeng.com/jdxdirectdrive.php

Radial JDX Direct Drive - Silent recording layout · Source: http://www.radialeng.com/jdxdirectdrive.php

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Radial’s JDX Direct Drive DI Box is a neat-looking compact guitar DI box which simulates a real guitar amp and allows you to go straight into the front of house PA system. Radial have packed in a lot of features into this compact pedal format DI box, so it may be just what you need to save your aching back.

The Radial JDX Direct Drive DI Box can simulate the sound of a 4×12 stack or an open-backed combo and it also features a basic, normal or bright switch that lets you adjust the tonality of these amp simulations. Plus, it has all the regular DI box features such as ground lift, balanced XLR outputs and a polarity switch.

These features combine make it a very appealing little box of tricks for a gigging guitarist, as you can either go straight into a PA system via the JDX Direct Drive or perhaps hook up your pedal board before it and still avoid lugging a real 4×12 around.

Radial JDX Direct Drive

Radial have simulated an SM57 microphone in front of a Marshall 4×12 and also a Fender Twin style 2×12 open-backed cabinet, both being common amp types among gigging players. There is also a Through output if you do want to send your guitar signal to a real guitar amp at the same time, say for onstage monitoring via a smaller combo or for the front of house engineer to mic and blend in with the virtual amp DI output. There’s also a dedicated output for a tuner as well which is really useful for live use.

The JDX Direct Drive can be powered by either a 9v battery or a regular power supply. Potentially, this is a really useful little red box and reminds me a little of the Hughes and Kettner Red Box from the 1990s. Although the H&K was only just a speaker emulator and didn’t do any amp simulation.

I would love to hear what these sound like, as the idea of not lugging around an amp would be great for lots of reasons and also you could carry one of these just incase your main gigging amp died during a show, so you could carry on playing.