Q: Is a flat frequency response better than a colored response?
A: This is a good question. When buying a large condenser microphone, you are most often not getting a flat response mic,
but a mic colored or flavored to add to your sound palette. Most studios boast a selection of mics and the sign of a good
engineer is one that knows ‘which mic to use on what’ in order to get a particular tone.
With direct boxes, this is usually not the case. If the sound of the guitar is not right, one will usually change the guitar, not
the direct box, therefore we believe the role of the direct box is to transport the original signal as faithfully as possible from
the instrument to the destination and allow the engineer and producer to make the artistic choices. Here’s more food for
thought… should the direct box change the tone of the instrument? If it makes your Strat sound fat, will it make your Les
Paul muddy? We think a properly designed DI should be faithful to the source. The Radial JDI direct box gives the engineer
and producer a natural and uncolored sound to work with.
Q: What about tube direct boxes?
A: Tube direct boxes are cool and there is a definite place for them in the recording world. Tube DI’s introduce personality
to the sound and should be viewed in the same way as one views a tube microphone.
Q: If my JDI ever fails, what do I do?
A: In the past 10 years the JDI has been so reliable that it is a rare occurrence when we need to repair one. If however
something goes bad, a switch for example, simply call Radial and we will issue a return authorization number for you to
send it back to us for repair. We do suggest that before you do so, visit the dealer where you bought it and have them check
it out before sending it away. Often times, it turns out that bad cables are the actual problem.
Q: What is the warranty on the JDI?
A: The Radial JDI carries a 3-year warranty while the Jensen
®
transformer inside carries a 20-year warranty. Repairing
the transformer can be done either through Radial or directly with Jensen Transformers.
Q: Can I rack-mount the Radial JDI?
A: Yes. This is easily done with the Radial J-Rak. The J-Rak is a 2RU shelf that holds as many as 8 Radial small format
direct boxes, like the JDI or J48 which can be front or rear-mounted depending on your intended application.
Q: Can I rack-mount the Duplex?
A: No. The Radial JDI Duplex is designed as a stand-alone device. If you are looking for a rackmount solution that takes up even
less space than the J-Rak, the 1-RU Radial JD6 may be your solution with 6 JDI channels in 1 RU space.
Radial Engineering
JDI User Guide
14
True to the Music
