Behringer ULTRA-DI DI100 User Manual
Professional Battery/Phantom Powered DI-Box
Important Safety Instructions
CAUTION: RISK OF ELECTRIC SHOCK! DO NOT OPEN!
ATTENTION: RISQUE D'ÉLECTROCUTION! NE PAS OUVRIR!
Terminals marked with this symbol ⚠️ carry electrical current of sufficient magnitude to constitute risk of electric shock. Use only high-quality professional speaker cables with 1/4 inch TS or twist-locking plugs pre-installed. All other installation or modification should be performed only by qualified personnel.
This symbol ❗, wherever it appears, alerts you to the presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage inside the enclosure - voltage that may be sufficient to constitute a risk of shock.
This symbol ❗, wherever it appears, alerts you to important operating and maintenance instructions in the accompanying literature. Please read the manual.
Caution: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove the top cover (or the rear section). No user serviceable parts inside. Refer servicing to qualified personnel.
Caution: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not expose this appliance to rain and moisture. The apparatus shall not be exposed to dripping or splashing liquids and no objects filled with liquids, such as vases, shall be placed on the apparatus.
Caution: These service instructions are for use by qualified service personnel only. To reduce the risk of electric shock do not perform any servicing other than that contained in the operation instructions. Repairs have to be performed by qualified service personnel.
- Read these instructions.
- Keep these instructions.
- Heed all warnings.
- Follow all instructions.
- Do not use this apparatus near water.
- Clean only with dry cloth.
- Do not block any ventilation openings. Install in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
- Do not install near any heat sources such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other apparatus (including amplifiers) that produce heat.
9. Do not defeat the safety purpose of the polarized or grounding-type plug. A polarized plug has two blades with one wider than the other. A grounding-type plug has two blades and a third grounding prong. The wide blade or the third prong are provided for your safety. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the obsolete outlet.
10. Protect the power cord from being walked on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where they exit from the apparatus.
11. Use only attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12. Use only with the cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or table specified by the manufacturer, or sold with the apparatus. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/apparatus combination to avoid injury from tip-over.
13. Unplug this apparatus during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of time.
14. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. Servicing is required when the apparatus has been damaged in any way, such as power supply cord or plug is damaged, liquid has been spilled or objects have fallen into the apparatus, the apparatus has been exposed to rain or moisture, does not operate normally, or has been dropped.
15. The apparatus shall be connected to a MAINS socket outlet with a protective earthing connection.
16. Where the MAINS plug or an appliance coupler is used as the disconnect device, the disconnect device shall remain readily operable.
Legal Disclaimer
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS AND APPEARANCES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE AND ACCURACY IS NOT GUARANTEED. BEHRINGER, KLARK TEKNIK, MIDAS, BUGERA, AND TURBOSOUND ARE PART OF THE MUSIC GROUP (MUSICGROUP.COM). ALL TRADEMARKS ARE THE PROPERTY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS. MUSIC GROUP ACCEPTS NO LIABILITY FOR ANY LOSS WHICH MAY BE SUFFERED BY ANY PERSON WHO RELIES EITHER WHOLLY OR IN PART UPON ANY DESCRIPTION, PHOTOGRAPH OR STATEMENT CONTAINED HEREIN. COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS MAY VARY FROM ACTUAL PRODUCT. MUSIC GROUP PRODUCTS ARE SOLD THROUGH AUTHORIZED FULLFILLERS AND RESELLERS ONLY. FULLFILLERS AND RESELLERS ARE NOT AGENTS OF MUSIC GROUP AND HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY TO BIND MUSIC GROUP BY ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED UNDERTAKING OR REPRESENTATION. THIS MANUAL IS COPYRIGHTED. NO PART OF THIS MANUAL MAY BE REPRODUCED OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, ELECTRONIC OR MECHANICAL, INCLUDING PHOTOCOPYING AND RECORDING OF ANY KIND, FOR ANY PURPOSE, WITHOUT THE EXPRESS WRITTEN PERMISSION OF MUSIC GROUP IP LTD.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © 2013 MUSIC GROUP IP LTD. TRIDENT CHAMBERS, WICKHAMS CAY, P.O. BOX 146, ROAD TOWN, TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS
LIMITED WARRANTY
For the applicable warranty terms and conditions and additional information regarding MUSIC Group's Limited Warranty, please see complete details online at www.music-group.com/warranty.
Welcome to BEHRINGER!
DI stands for Direct Injection. On stage or in the studio there are sources you want to connect to your mixer that are not equipped with a suitable connection. Keyboards seldom have properly balanced outputs. Guitars cannot be directly plugged into a mixer and placing a microphone in front of a backline is not always ideal. A microphone picks up ambient noise such as other instruments. Low frequencies (such as from a bass guitar) are especially difficult for a microphone to handle.
A DI-box makes it possible to tap a signal from a high impedance unbalanced line, for instance the signal from a guitar to a guitar amplifier, and inject it directly into the mixer's input without having to use a microphone. But that's not all, there are lots of situations where you want to inject the signal coming from an unbalanced source directly into your mixer and preferably balanced, too. That is the application of a Direct Injection box.
Impedance is the electrical frequency dependent resistance of a device combined with its phase response. It is a literally complex matter. That is why a good DI-box is distinguishable from a bad one. As with a power amplifier and speakers the impedance to a device determines the performance. With a good power amplifier the load impedance only affects the maximum power output. Whereas on some other devices the impedance governs other properties as well. With a transformer as used in a DI-box, the connected impedances (in and out) influence the bandwidth, frequency response, distortion, etc.
There are two basic types of DI-boxes, passive and active. Both active and passive DI boxes are designed to be connected to the console's microphone input. A passive DI box has the advantage of being slightly lower in cost (less electronics, no battery facility) but their performance is highly dependent on the connected impedances. When the impedance on the mixer side of a passive DI-box changes, the impedance on the input changes also. Not only that, the frequency response changes, too. A passive DI-box only works well at specified connected impedances, high in and low out, which means that they only work in a standard application.
Active DI-boxes don't have such restrictions. The signal coming from the input is buffered with an amplifier. The input impedance of the ULTRA-DI is ultra-high so it doesn't affect the signal throughput at all. The output impedance of the Ultra-DI is balanced and very low so that it is much less susceptible to picking up hum and noise. This way, the impedance for the signal source is independent from the impedance of the used mixer and vice versa. There is no sound alteration. The transformer used is BEHRINGER's renowned OT-1 witch guarantees distortion free, clean sound and a flat frequency response. Furthermore the BEHRINGER ULTRA-DI can be powered by your console's phantom power or by battery and switches automatically between these two.
1. Control Elements
To avoid switching noise, you should mute the desk channel before activating the DI100. Same applies when switching between battery and phantom power and vice versa.
The design of the DI100 includes four sturdy rubber feet which protect the unit (even during a unplanned drop) and allow cables to run underneath. It also provides literally a "ground lift" so that the unit can be stacked on top of another unit and other equipment without creating ground loops.
The front and rear panel of the Behringer ULTRA-DI DI100 features the following controls and connections:
- 1. ON/OFF Switch: Controls battery power. When switched off, the unit operates on phantom power. When switched on, it automatically selects between battery and phantom power. The ON/OFF LED indicates battery operation (flashing) or phantom power operation (solid light).
- 2. INPUT (1/4 inch jack): Connect the signal source here.
- 3. INPUT (XLR): An unbalanced XLR input for connecting the source, providing maximum flexibility.
- 4. LINK OUT: An unbalanced parallel output. Connect this to a backline or monitor amplifier input. The 1/4 inch jacks (input and link out) and the Input XLR are wired in parallel, ensuring consistent performance regardless of the input connection used.
- 5. -20 dB Attenuation Switches: These switches increase the operating range, accommodating signals from low-level microphones or guitars to hot speaker terminals of PA amplifiers. Depressing both switches provides 40 dB of attenuation. Use these only if the ULTRA-DI is clipping (overloading) and not your mic pre-amp. Always use minimal attenuation for the best signal-to-noise ratio.
- 6. OUTPUT (XLR): The balanced microphone level output. Connect to a mixer's microphone input using a standard high-quality balanced cable. Ensure pin 2 or 3 are not connected to pin 1, and the shield is not disconnected from pin 1, to ensure phantom power operation.
- 7. GROUND LIFT Switch: This switch connects or disconnects the ground between the input and output. Depending on the connected devices, engaging or disengaging this switch can reduce hum or prevent ground loops. "GROUND LIFT ON" means no interconnection.
- 8. BATTERY COMPARTMENT: Located on the rear, this compartment houses a 9V battery. Loosen the screw to open. The LED blinks when operating on battery power; it stops blinking when the battery needs changing.
2. DI100 Configurations
The ULTRA-DI DI100 can be used in several different configurations:
2.1 Tapping signal from the (Bass) guitar
This is a standard application for a direct injection box. The signal to the amplifier remains unaffected, while a tap is routed to the mixer's microphone input. This is particularly beneficial for bass guitars, which produce high-level low frequencies that are difficult for microphones to handle accurately. The ULTRA-DI provides a clean and crisp sound. Connect the DI100 after any effects devices to ensure their sound is heard over the PA system or on recordings. If the mixer provides phantom power (20V to 52V), the DI100's internal battery will be automatically bypassed, saving battery life.
2.2 Converting the output of a Keyboard / DJ-mixer / Headphone plug
This configuration is suitable for keyboards, DJ mixers, headphone outputs, drum kits, or any stereo or mono line source, especially when running long cable runs to the FOH (Front Of House) desk. It is often best to engage one of the -20 dB pad buttons to prevent overloading the FOH desk input. The signal can also be linked to another amplifier for a monitor feed independent of the foldback mix. The ULTRA-DI functions as both a ground isolator and an unbalanced-to-balanced converter.
2.3 Converting a microphone from high impedance unbalanced to low impedance balanced
This configuration is useful when only an unbalanced, high-impedance microphone with an unbalanced jack is available (e.g., when other microphones are in use). The ULTRA-DI allows for long cable runs to the console without picking up noise and hum. Simply plug the microphone's jack into the DI100's input and connect the DI100's output to the console's mic input.
2.4 Tapping a signal from a power amplifier output
When a line out is not available, an amplifier output can be connected directly to the DI100 (e.g., for recording directly from a guitar amplifier or TV speaker). The DI100 can handle outputs up to 3000 Watts without overloading. It is crucial to depress both -20 dB buttons when connecting an amplifier output to the DI100 input.
Always ensure the ground lift is engaged (no ground link) when connecting to speaker terminals. This prevents accidental short-circuiting of the amplifier output. Also, make sure the Tip of the input jack is connected to the red terminal and that the metal housing of the DI100 has no contact with other equipment.
3. Specifications
| Frequency Response | 10 Hz to 93 kHz |
| Noise Level | -110 dBu |
| THD + N @ 1 kHz / 0 dBu | < 0,005 % |
| Input Impedance | > 250 kOhm |
| Load Impedance | > 600 Ohm |
| Inputs | 1/4 inch jack unbal. In/Link Out XLR unbalanced In |
| Output | XLR balanced Out |
| Maximum Input level | +10/+30/+50 dBu |
| Power supply | Phantom power: 18 V DC to 48 V DC Battery: 9 V blockcell 6LR91 |
| Dimensions | 150 x 130 x 60 mm |
| Weight | ca. 650 g |
BEHRINGER is constantly striving to maintain the highest professional standards. As a result of these efforts, modifications may be made from time to time to existing products without prior notice. Specifications and appearance may differ from those listed or shown.
