Have you ever dreamed of your guitar sound having a little more zing? A little more electricity or a sparkle with sound? If so, listen. BBE has created slick direct devices that help musicians give their instruments that extra “magic” by plugging them directly into a mixer for touring or recording.

The DI-1000 and DI-100x are super-rugged direct boxes that come in handy in countless applications - you can use them for virtually any instrument you record directly (ie via cable). For us guitarists, they can be especially useful for the direct recording of acoustic guitars. Often times, DI'd's acoustics sound flat or false, especially if you're using certain passive piezo pickups. But these boxes can bring these guitars to life as they both feature BBE famous Sonic Maximizer circuits. A little knob adjustment is all it takes and suddenly your guitar tone comes back from the dead - almost like you put on a new string set. The DI-100x 1/4 line output allows independent use of Sonic Maximizer; great for guys who want to use it on their device but don't have space for a stand.

In addition to the Sonic Maximizer benefits, each unit has pad buttons (-15dB on the DI-100x and -30dB on the DX-1000), so you can connect warmer sources - such as the output of the amp head - and lower it to line level for recording. The DI-1000 also has a Jensen JT-DB-EP transformer to help match impedance levels, in either passive or active mode with Sonic Maximizer (meanwhile the DI-100x is a purely active unit). And while the Maximizer shines in its high frequencies, the Lo Contour knobs on each box help you select the low and medium tones you like. I tested these devices with the Strat, Les Paul and Wechter acousto-electric and was happy with it.

In short, these two BBE will take whatever instrument you're trying to record directly (or plug into a mixer at a concert) - guitar, bass, drum machine, etc - and make it sound better, all without an amp anywhere in sight . Bigger, louder, cleaner, more powerful: this is the purpose of the DI-100x and DI-1000, and they are hugely successful. What's more, each one is built like a tank, which will give you years (if not decades) of use. Think of them as Swiss knives for their sound - so many uses and all of them are good.