logo

Review: Ritual Tube Audio Ritual Tube DI

With re-amping in vogue and a plethora of DAW amplifier plug-ins to enjoy, a quality DI box is becoming a must for guitar-and-bass recording.

ritual tube DI
When you purchase through affiliate links on Guitar.com, you may contribute to our site through commissions. Learn more.

Review Overview

Our rating

9

Our verdict

A stylish, beautifully made, rock-solid and fabulous-sounding piece of kit.

Evolving studio techniques have made DI recording relevant again. Pure instrument signals can be captured and later processed through digital amp and speaker plug-ins, or routed back out to real amplifiers and re-recorded with mics. Even if you’re recording an instrument through an amp, splitting the signal allows you to keep the performance, but change the sound later.

ritual tube DI

You’ll want your DI recording to be as pristine as possible and that’s what the Ritual Tube DI is all about. It’s built like a boutique amplifier, with silver mica and Mallory 150 signal capacitors hand-wired onto turret board, and a top-spec Jensen transformer balancing the output.

In use

We plug in a Telecaster and connect the Ritual to a Universal Audio Apollo 8 line input. The Ritual’s link output goes through the Apollo 8’s DI input to make simultaneous recordings.

ritual tube DI

Although the Apollo’s DI impresses, the Ritual sounds clearer, with more harmonic sparkle and bass definition. With a bass, the Ritual is warmer, chewier and simply more fun to play. Higher-output pickups can push the valve to generate a hint of tube warmth and with attenuation at 0dB, the volume control keeps output levels in check; or you can attenuate the input and turn up the volume to keep things clean. We also find the ‘bright’ switch targets a guitar’s sparkle frequencies and helps basses to cut through.

This top-quality studio DI box’s bulletproof metal chassis makes it a roadworthy tool for bassists and acoustic guitarists alike. For stage and studio work, it’s hard to fault.

Key Features

  • PRICE £749
  • DESCRIPTION Hand-wired valve DI box in portable stainless-steel enclosure, leather handle, Jensen output transformer. Made in the UK
  • FRONT PANEL Jack input with thru output, tube-buffered jack output, balanced XLR output, mute with LED indicator, 0/-6/-12dB input pad selector, balanced-output level adjust, ground lift, phase reverse, pull ‘bright’ switch
  • REAR PANEL Power switch, jewel light
  • DIMENSIONS 330 x 130 x 103mm
  • WEIGHT 2.46kg/5.42lb
  • CONTACT Ritual Tube Audio ritualtubeaudio.co.uk

Related Brands

Related Tags

logo

The world’s leading authority and resource for all things guitar.

© 2024 Guitar.com is part of NME Networks.