Phoenix Audio Nimbus DI
Today’s Music Demands More and Better DIs
The Phoenix Audio pure Class-A DI was so popular in our Ascent Series Mic Preamps that we’ve made it available in three stand-alone versions: the mono Nimbus stage DI, the 2-channel (1/2RU) Nice DI, and the 8-channel N8 (1RU). Over the past decade or so, the need for more DIs has skyrocketed as instrumentation has incorporated more and more electronic elements. From elaborate analog synth rigs to multiple laptops and loop-stations, getting excellent tone from multiple DIs is more important today than ever. With their unique gain architecture, Phoenix’s DIs intuitively offer a wide array of tones, making working with direct signals as artistic as working with mic’d signals.
Pure Class-A Tone at Input
The Phoenix DIs are built around a fully discrete Class-A circuit design, all hand-wired with military-grade silver connections into rugged and portable steel boxes. Our transformerless, electronically balanced, ultra-high impedance (10Mohm) input stage ensures that your signals are delivered into the circuit in their full glory. No treble roll-off or sluggish bass response that’s common with many DIs. Instead, you’ll hear the full-bodied, punchy sounds necessary for delivering powerful and complex signals in modern music. Guitars and basses will sing, lush synths will swarm, and hard-hitting drum machines will thump and crack—each sound rendered with its transients and full frequency spectrum intact.
Versatile Transformer-Balanced Output
The output stage of the Nice DIs uses Phoenix Audio’s renowned DSOP-2, an all-discrete output amp based on head-designer Dave Rees’s infamous TF1 amp (developed for use in vintage Neve modules). With its custom-wound DB694 transformer and enormous headroom, the DSOP-2 can be driven to taste. Deliver more gain to achieve a beautifully saturated sound, back off for a cleaner, hi-fi sound, or choose any flavor in-between. Since these DIs can accept line level, the Nimbus DI can be used anywhere a line-amp is necessary: alongside your console, in a live setting, or simply in any patch to pick up that Class-A tone. With an easily recalled stepped gain control on every channel, dialing in your exact sound is a breeze.
Features
- Phoenix’s famous Class-A, discrete, transformerless input stage, offering ultra-high impedance (10Mohm) inputs
- Class-A, discrete DSOP-2 output with custom-wound DB694 transformer
- Detented output pot with a wide gain range of 30dB
- Output – XLR on rear panel
- Outputs 1/4″ jack (TS) input on the rear panel
- Inputs: 1/4″ jack (TS) input on the front panel
- Inputs: 1/4″ jack (TS) through on the front panel
- LED metering – 10-position LED output metering
