Samson S-direct plus - Active Stereo Direct Box with Ground Lift Switch

Comments about Samson S-direct plus Direct Box:

I'm using the unit to go from my vintage synths into my balanced presonus firestudio interface. Works good, and finally get good level from my GEM organ, going unbablanced 1/4 inch in and out 1/4 inch balanced to interface.

Comments about Samson S-direct plus Direct Box:

This is my first direct box, and I purchased it to record directly from my Harmony Rocket electric guitar into my M-Audio 1010LT soundcard. I was unsure about the guitar pickup's output impedance, so I decided to go with this because it's fairly inexpensive and has an input impedance of 1 mega-ohm. Up until this point, I had been recording from my amp (a Kalamazoo Model Two) with a microphone (a Behringer C-1). It works fine aside from the amp sounding a bit wheezy and occasionally grounding through the strings and my body. (I have since, solved the "shock-hazard" by modifying the amp to include a ground, but that's another story.) I had read reviews about the Samson S-Direct Plus, sapping a battery per day, so I decided to go with phantom power. From my Behringer C-1 mic experience, I knew the M-Audio Delta 1010LT doesn't provide phantom power, though, so I bought (another) Behringer PS400 power supply to go with it. When they came, I hooked it all up and started playing. To my horror, I still was feeling the tingle of electricity grounding through me. I had tried everything (including the ground-lift) without effect, until I opened the battery compartment and saw what had been happening. The terminals that would normally connect to a 9-volt battery were snugly pressed to the metal chassis. I'll conclude this cautionary tale, by saying that the 48-volts of phantom power are no longer surging through me, now that the battery connector is situated a bit less precariously. Aside from that little hiccup, it's a nice product that sounds, works, and looks great! It seems quite sturdy too, and has another input if I ever have the need to record something stereo. That just reminded me, that before I bought it, I was curious if only one of the XLR outputs would need phantom power when using both inputs at the same time. I've just tested it, and that turns out to be the case; it doesn't even matter which of the XLR outputs the phantom power is connected to. Both work equally well and only one is required to have phantom power when no battery is present. It should be safe to assume that a 9-volt battery provides enough power to run it in stereo, so it's not all that surprising that 48-volt phantom power works nicely too.

Comments about Samson S-direct plus Direct Box:

Purchased this S-direct to connect my keyboard (unbalanced) to a XLR snake when playing gigs. It's well built, looks like it will survive serious abuse. It is stereo 1/4" which is nice for keyboards, has a link out to send it to my local monitor mixer. It can be powered either by a battery (not included) or phantom power. There's a ground lift switch to eliminate hum. This unit has been effortless in operation, no issues, works and sounds great. Recommended.

Comments about Samson S-direct plus Direct Box:

Use this all over the place. Never have problems. Actully increases sound level of what is plugged into it compared to the imp DI!

Suggest using phantom power, 9v's tend to only last one day.
Rugged great design!