But the differences go deeper than that.
Active di box vs passive.
Passive di boxes are basically just transformers.
The biggest difference between an active di and a passive di is that an active di includes a preamplifier.
The most obvious difference is that passive di boxes don t need to be powered.
In contrast active boxes do have active electronics which are powered by external power sources.
For an in depth look at choosing active or passive direct boxes please check out the free guide on our blog.
The most basic definitions of the two different kinds of di boxes are likely what you d expect.
Active di units and passive di units.
Passive dis are ideal for instruments with strong outputs and both their low cost and durability make them the most popular kind of direct box.
Passive does not have active electronics and therefore does not require an external power source.
Typical turns ratio is about 500 1 to match a nominal 50 kω signal source such as the magnetic pickup of an electric guitar to a 100 ω input.
A passive di unit typically consists of an audio transformer used as a balun.