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The Donner Special-1 is a compact passive direct box that is perfect for guitarTbasses and keyboards... is small enough to fit inside an instrument case.
The compact design begins with a 1/4’ input and thru-put to feed the on-stage amp. This connects to the custom made Donner LAB-S1 transformer which performs the impedance matching and balances the signal.
- Input (1/4' TS): Unbalanced HH-Z input connection for musical instrument.
- Direct output/ Input (1/4' TS}: Connects the instrument to the on-stage amplifierfoutput to loop the signal through to a monitor amplifier.lnput and ouput jacks automatically merge the stereo signal to mono.
- OUTPUT (XLR): Balanced mic-level output. Use a high-quality balanced microphone cable to establish connection.
- GND LIFT(ground lift) switch: Reduce hum and buzz caused by ground loops.
Package included
- 1 x Donner Special-1
- 1 x Owner’s Manual
Specifications
- Frequency response: 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- THD+N (distortion): 0.003% @ 1 kHz,input level +4 dBu
- INPUT: ¼" TS (unbalanced)
- Level change (Input → Output): -20 dBu
- OUTPUT: Balanced XLR
- Impedance ratio (Input → Output): 110 : 1
- Dimensions(H x W x D): 4.17 x 2.51 x 1.79" / 106 x 64 x 45.5 mm
- Weight: 0.86 lbs /0.39 kg
CUSTOM MADE LAB-S1 TRANSFORMER
Donner LAB-S1 transformer is magical in its ability to handle extreme signal levels with a natural compression that is pleasing to the ears. The transformer also helps eliminate hum and buzz caused by ground loops by isolating the input from the output. This is augmented with a ground lift switch that lifts pin-1 on the XLR for quiet, professional results.
HIGH SOUND QUALITY & Low Noise
Plug your musical instruments into the Special- I Passive and it will smooth out the peaks and warm up your tone with a vintage vibe. The compact design makes it perfect for traveling between gigs.Send the thru signal to your amp and the output to the PA system. Transformer isolation eliminates nasty hum and buzz caused by ground loops.
HEAVY-DUTY & Robust Circuit Design
Professional and multi-purpose direct injection box for stage and studio applications .Provides impedance and signal matching for the direct connection of instruments to mixers and amplifiers
luis enchinton
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2025
Inexpensive and a tank of a DI, I've been using mine forever! Recommend Highly
StéréoSound
Reviewed in France on January 18, 2025
LE PRODUIT——————(+) Équipée du strict minimum requis : Link pour l’entrée et [ Ground Lift ] activable(+) Construction solide, tôle épaisse(+) Assez compacte par rapport à d’autres marques / modèles(+) Prix très compétitif @ 25 € !A L’USAGE—————(+) Un son bien détaillé dans les aigus (ex : Slap Basse), tout en ayant une réponse fréquentielle plate et étendue dans les graves(+) Une entrée à haute impédance, que j’ai mesurée ≥ 150 KΩ, ce qui est 3x plus que d’autre DI Box entrée de gamme. Toujours mieux pour le respect du signal et sa "nervosité"CONCLUSION———————(+) Pour un budget mini, une très bonne DI Box Passive … mais sans options (Pad et inverseur …)( ! ) Même si sa distorsion H2-H3 est légèrement plus importante (basses fréquences) qu’une RADIAL JDI, ce n’est pas audible à l’usage et son tarif reste excellent !
Tv
Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2025
Good
Bradyn
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2024
I feel like Radial has had the market cornered on high quality DI boxes for a long time now. Don't get me wrong, they have a great product. But I know for certain their margin is astronomical. These DI boxes from Donner are really quite breathtaking in comparison to Radial. They have arguably the same build quality on the outside. I hear absolutely no difference in audio quality between the two, and the ground lift is excellent for solving pesky hum. These boxes absolutely compete with Radial hardcore. I feel like the only thing that would keep Radial's product afloat at it's current price is the fanboys who believe in audio snake oil anyways. Grab one of these DIs to try out. It's 40 bucks. What do you have to lose?
Peaty
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2024
I needed to get a few more DI Boxes for my new mixer setup. Some of my amps don't have direct outs. In the past I've use Radial brand boxes, I feel they are pretty much the industry standard. I got the Donner boxes for the practice space thinking they might not be as robust as the Radials but good enough. I was pleasantly surprised, the Donner boxes are well made and very hefty. The case is slightly smaller and it is only a little lighter. I like how the case at the ends has a little overhand so it will protect the buttons and jacks from abuse when it gets knocked around. For the money they are better than I expected, I have no issues with them at all. Very good value for the money. I've always had good luck with Donner products these are no exception.
Paul A. Vineyard
Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2024
Great product. Solid construction. Does exactly what it's designed to do. I did not notice any degradation of the signal. I just wish it had two 14/" inputs.
Sendo Ferrer Martinez
Reviewed in Spain on March 14, 2024
Robusto y funcional
Londonge
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2024
I bought this DI because the Boss GX-100 hasn't balanced outputs to go to a PAAt home I'm using this passive DI to go into my modeler and to be able to record both my DI signal and modeler output throught my soundcard pre amp and to avoid to use the usb signal.It does what it shoul do
Calum Rife
Reviewed in the United States on November 17, 2023
I have terrible interference in my recording setup, despite spending a fortune on quality components for my custom built PC and using a MOTU interface AND a 40$ OWC usb-c cable. So I bought this DI box to try another solution. With the ground lift engaged, I finally enjoy quiet and clean recordings with lots of headroom. It seems to affect tone very negligibly. I wouldn't consider it a tone sucker. So, the box works as intended.The one possibly negative observation I made was that there is literally nothing inside it besides a little baby transformer (appeared to be good quality). The box doesn't need to be anywhere near it's size, unless the empty air somehow blocks noise. Perhaps the thick metal enclosure also contributes to its effectiveness. All this to say, don't be writing reviews saying "worth way more" etc etc. It's barely worth 1/4th in materials, so I'd say it's priced well. Someone is certainly making a buck on these, afaik. If you need a good DI box, I can confidently recommend it because it works, and could be launched out of a potato cannon at an old bus and still function perfectly.Cheers
Fabien
Reviewed in Canada on October 6, 2021
I’m using it with my bass for live shows. I just plug my basse in a boss compressor and then in the D.I and voila ! No more static buzz and no more bass amp ! No power supply and no battery needed. Magic !
kellchris2k
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2020
This is my 4th Donner product. I have 2 of the headphone guitar amps and a Donner padded gig bag which are all fantastic especially considering the price point. Like I saw in another review, I have been wanting one of these for a while, but the normal $100 starting price point is very prohibitive for a person of modest income and by no means an expert. So I saw this one in the $27 neighborhood and with being so pleased with my other 3 Donner products, I took a gamble, figuring if I wasn't happy I'd send it back (their customer service is great and they want nothing more than for you to be happy 😊). When I unboxed it, it just feels Really good and heavy in your hand. If you've been around guitar pedals, you know what i mean. Very solid construction and inputs and output. Very simple to set up and use, and boy what a difference in sound. I plugged it in between guitar and computer and ran to my amp as a sort of monitor and I had no trouble splitting the signal which is very cool as I can record a clean signal for re-amping later, or record both the amp and the clean signal. The biggest thing I was looking for was the hum elimination which in my setup it does an incredible job. It does everything it advertised and the construction is solid. By far the best $27 I have spent on music equipment in forever! Will probably buy a second. Will update if anything changes.
Jeremiah Blair
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2020
I’ll get right to the point - this is a great DI and a tremendous value.I recently purchased the Donner DI box for my home studio because I wanted the benefit of having both my amped sound and a DI signal for manipulation later. This DI sounds great, we’ll beyond its price-point, which makes it a great value.Firstly, the ground-lift eliminated my nasty hum. Secondly, the DI sound is warm and clear. It is the perfect addition to my recordings because I can get a great clean tone into Pro Tool and then make it into what I need with amp sims.One of the great practical benefits of this DI is that I hear my amp tone while playing, which inspires me to play differently. It’s so much better to have real-time amped sound than it is to play to a plain DI signal.I recommend this DI box to anyone in search of a quality tool for their studio.
Zwerg Bohne
Reviewed in Germany on November 25, 2020
Hier soll es nicht darum gehen wofür eine DI Box genutzt werden soll - nur die Bewertung selbst. Für den Kontext: Ich nutze mein Pedalboard für Homerecording und einen mit einem Mischpult und In Ear bestückten Proberaum.Damit jede Variante wie zuhause in ein Interface, im Proberaum über das Mischpult und jede Gigmöglichkeit es keine böse Überraschung gibt, wurde mir zu einer DI geraten.Das gute Stück fühlt sich massiv und wertig an. Es könnte auch gut eins von Palmer sein, wie Kollegen im Besitz haben. Da rappelt nix, angenehmes Gewicht, wie aus einem Guss.Seinen Zweck erfüllt es. Line zu XLR ohne Rauschen und Brummen. Der Groundlift kämpft gekonnt gegen ein getestetes Störnetzteil - da gibt es nichts zu meckern.Demnächst werde ich es mal Freunden mitgeben, die nur auf teure Marken schwören und bin schon sehr gespannt!
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