Unlike a typical direct box that merely transfers the sound of the pedals to the PA, the Direct-Drive simulates the tone and feel of a real guitar amp, producing a much more realistic sound. In other words, with the Direct-Drive on your pedalboard, you can do a gig without carrying an amp to the club.
The design begins with a traditional 1⁄4” guitar input and passive thru-put to feed a stage amp. This is then followed by a dedicated tuner output that is buffered in order to eliminate loading on the pickup or noise from the quartz clock. The guitar signal is then passed through a series of carefully sculpted filters to create Radial’s signature JDX tone. This is modelled after the sound of a Shure SM57 in front of a Marshall 4×12 cabinet.
The Direct-Drive goes further with two more voicing settings: the first adds a vintage Marshall tube head character to the signal path while the second delivers a tone reminiscent of an early Fender Twin. The two amp tones can be further tailored using a presence switch for extra sparkle.
The guitar signal exits the Direct-Drive via either a 1⁄4” guitar-level output or via a balanced XLR to feed the PA. The direct box output is out fitted with a 180° polarity reverse switch to help phase-align monitors with the stage amp along with a ground lift switch to help eliminate hum and buzz caused by ground loops.
For more details on the range of Radial products, head to ambertech.com.au.
