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Most acoustic musicians find themselves at some point plugging into a worn unmarked box, working with a complete stranger to dial in the tone they're chasing through a totally new board and system. At best, this process is stressful. At worst, miscommunication and absentee sound techs can lead to disaster. The L.R. Baggs Venue DI removes the uncertainty of playing somewhere new, allowing you to plug and play with a personal pre-amp that has the EQ mix and boost already to your preferences.
The idea behind the Venue DI was to provide musicians with a single device that could do everything that needs to happen to their instrument's signal before it comes out of the venue's speakers. From providing a clean boost to EQ mixing to phase inversion and tuning, this box does it all, sending a massaged signal out through either an XLR or 1/4" to the venue's system. If you do have other effects, the Venue DI has a separate effects loop to keep the mix within your control. There is a beauty, though, in seeing one person walk into a new venue with nothing but a guitar and a little DI box and get the same amazing tone she calibrated in her apartment the night before. We owe the folks at L.R. Baggs a debt of gratitude for making that elegant simplicity a reality.
There are other DI boxes that attempt to do it all, but what sets the Venue DI apart is the quality of the components used. The output is fully isolated with an all-discrete signal path using semiconductors and film capacitors that satisfy even the most discerning audiophiles. Where some artists might worry that their own DI couldn't possibly measure up to the pro quality gear of the venues they're playing, the Venue DI might actually be a step up in quality from the boards at some venues (every city has a few neglected sound systems). All the more reason to cover your bases and have the Venue DI with you.
The heart of the Venue DI is the five-band EQ with tunable low-mid and high-mid bands. The five knobs read Bass, Low Mid, Hi Mid, Presence and Treble with master Volume knob off to the edge. This level of fine-grained adjustability in itself is enough to put this box ahead of its competitors, but it also offers a Garrett Null notch filter that acts in conjunction with a phase inversion switch to prevent feedback as you increase gain (which has its own knob), a chromatic tuner and a volume boost footswitch for moments when you need to stay clean but cut through for a solo. A four-stage clip filter helps you dial the right amount of gain. The result is a warm, present and balanced signal that will reliably stay that way as you move through the show.
We'd like to think that the features the Venue DI lacks actually add to its value. Its incredibly clean and durable design is not cluttered. It doesn't try to pack in modeling engines and infinite presets. It doesn't add artificial compression, which we think has no place with acoustic instruments. It doesn't add reverb, but most venues can do that, or you can just let the room do the work. The Venue DI is good because it focuses all its efforts on what matters most and nothing else: transmitting your signal with clarity, balance and added strength.
