Detail 01
Active, 48-volt phantom powered
No battery to die mid-set and no wall wart. The console feeds it. If phantom is off, you get nothing.
Product detailSKU #1274228072122
Radial EngineeringPro48 Active 48-Volt Compact Active Direct Box
Independent shopping perspective
The Korena take
A compact active direct box that runs on 48-volt phantom power, for sending an instrument to a mixer or interface over a long balanced line.
Strong match
Who this is for
- Acoustic-electric or bass into a house console at a gig
- Keyboards and modelers feeding a snake from the stage
- Studio tracking where the amp is far from the interface
Consider the trade-offs
When to look elsewhere
- Anyone whose mixer cannot supply 48V phantom power
- Passive-DI purists who want no active circuitry in the path
- Players needing amp-speaker-level attenuation, not instrument-level DI
What matters in use
The specifications, translated
Catalog numbers tell only part of the story. These are the details most likely to change how this product feels, sounds, or fits into a setup.
Detail 02
Active rather than passive
High input impedance keeps passive pickups from sounding dull and thin, which passive transformer DIs can cause.
Detail 03
Direct box function
Converts an unbalanced instrument signal to balanced mic level, so it survives 100-foot snake runs without noise or treble loss.
Detail 04
Compact housing
Fits under a keyboard stand or in a gig bag pocket. Small enough to leave permanently patched at a stage box.
Final check
Know before you order
- 01Confirm your mixer or interface actually supplies 48V phantom on that channel
- 02You supply the XLR cable and the instrument cable
- 03Phantom must be off when you patch it in, then switched on
Product questions
Before you decide
Straight answers to the questions shoppers most often ask about this product.
01Do I need a battery or power supply?
No. It runs entirely on 48V phantom power from the mixer or audio interface. Without phantom power on that channel, it will not pass signal.
02Active or passive — which do I want?
Active suits passive pickups and instruments needing a high-impedance input. Passive suits hot line-level sources like keyboards and amp outputs.
03Can I use it with an acoustic guitar?
Yes. That is a common use. It takes the pickup output and sends a balanced mic-level signal to the console over a long cable run.
04Will it work as a reamp box?
No. A direct box converts instrument to balanced mic level. Sending a recorded track back into an amp is the reverse job and needs a reamp box.
