United Studio Technologies / Vintage Direct Box

The United Studio Technologies/Vintage Direct Box is a vintage-style D.I. box that delivers a clean, low-noise signal, featuring United's 5078 transformers designed with high-nickel lamination and a near-classic winding ratio.

■Direct Box

■Passive

■Vintage-Style Large-Transformer Direct Box

Equipped with United 5078 transformers designed with high-nickel lamination and a near-classic winding ratio, this vintage-style D.I. delivers a clean, low-noise signal.

? An old-school DI box done right.

United Studio Technologies' Vintage Direct bridges the gap between old-school tape operators and modern recording engineers.

When the most demanding recording engineers seek the highest quality, the Vintage Direct delivers incredible sound from its massive transformers. Its circuit design is based on eliminating potentially degrading components in the signal path found in typical DI boxes. You can get as much gain as you want without boost pedals or preamps, all housed in a robust, tour-ready chassis.

When you demand the best, the Vintage Direct delivers it.

? Featuring Custom Large-Core United Transformers.

While typical DI circuits are simple, the best rely on superior transformers. And here's where Vintage Direct's advantages lie.

The Vintage Direct design was inspired by early hand-wired DI boxes like Wolfbox and Bruce Swedien's Bass Box, which used early, massive transformers manufactured by Triad, UTC, and others.

Our research began with the UTC A12 transformer, first manufactured in the early 1960s. We measured several original transformers and accurately reproduced their winding ratio, bobbin and magnetic wire type, and lamination style.

We explored many versions of this design over the years, experimenting with different winding ratios and alloys. Ultimately, we settled on a high-nickel lamination and a winding ratio close to the classic. The result is the United 5078 transformer. This is one of the largest transformers ever found in a DI, delivering a clean signal with low noise, wide frequency response, excellent headroom, and superior noise rejection.

? Flexible options with audiophile-grade components.

We decided to avoid putting anything between the transformer and the source that would degrade sound quality or increase noise. Most passive DI boxes use small, unshielded transformers with register pads, volume pots, and RC network filters before the signal reaches the transformer. Vintage Direct doesn't have that.

Instead, Vintage Direct's level adjustment is built into the output transformer tap, allowing for adjustment without affecting the tone. Vintage Direct offers six evenly spaced output level settings using three different secondary winding configurations combined with precision resistor T-pad output attenuators. It achieves true ground isolation to reduce ground loop hum during tracking.

We built a large, well-shielded transformer to handle any line-level or instrument-level signal without the risk of overload. This isn't cheap, but it ensures the best performance and sonic preservation. Custom audio-grade resistors are manufactured in the USA for United by PRP, a NASA component provider.

It's not just another DI box? It's a United.

The Vintage Direct, the finest passive DI box manufactured in decades, boasts a tour-ready aluminum chassis and will impress clients back in the studio. The recessed front panel design protects it from studio accidents and stage kicks. Removable feet add creative mounting options.

With over 50 years of industry experience at United, we've dedicated significant time to the research and development of this box. We look forward to seeing what you create with it.


Product Specifications

Input impedance: 80 kΩ (unbalanced)

Output impedance: 50-250 Ω, depending on setting (balanced)

Maximum recommended input levels: +10 dB or lower

Frequency response: 20 Hz-20 kHz, +/-0.5 dB