United Studio Technologies / Vintage Direct Box

The United Studio Technologies/Vintage Direct Box is a vintage-style D.I. that provides a clean, low-noise signal, featuring a United 5078 transformer designed with high-nickel laminations and a winding ratio close to that of the classics.

■Direct Box
■Passive

■Vintage-Style large-Transformer Direct Box
A vintage-style D.I. with a United-made 5078 transformer designed with high nickel laminations and a winding ratio close to the classics, providing 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 want the best quality, Vintage Direct delivers incredible sound from its huge transformers. Its circuit design is based on eliminating components that can compromise sound quality in the signal path found in typical DI boxes. You get as much gain as you want without boost pedals or preamps, and it's housed in a rugged, tour-worthy chassis.
When you want the best, Vintage Direct delivers it.

・Featuring Custom Large-Core United Transformers.
Typical DI circuits are simple, but the best ones rely on good transformers. And here's where Vintage Direct excels.
The design of Vintage Direct was inspired by early hand-wired DI boxes such as the Wolfbox and Bruce Swedien's Bass Box, which used early giant 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 ratios, bobbin and magnetic wire types, and lamination styles.

We explored many versions of this design over the years, trying different winding ratios and alloys. We eventually settled on high nickel laminations and a winding ratio close to the classics. The result is the United-made 5078 transformer. It is one of the largest transformers found in a DI, providing a clean signal with low noise, wide frequency response, excellent headroom, and excellent noise rejection.

・Flexible options with audiophile-grade components.

We decided not to put anything between the transformer and the source that would degrade sound quality or increase noise. Most passive DI boxes use small, unshielded transformers that use resistor 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 you to adjust without affecting your tone. Vintage Direct uses three different secondary winding configurations combined with precision resistor T-pad output attenuators to provide six evenly spaced output level settings. It provides true ground isolation to reduce ground loop hum while tracking.

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

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

The finest passive DI box made in decades, Vintage Direct has a tour-proof aluminum chassis that will impress your clients even when you're back in the studio. The recessed front panel design also protects against studio mishaps and flying kicks on stage. Removable feet add creative mounting options.

With over 50 years of industry experience at United, we spent a lot of time researching and developing this box. We can't wait to see 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