Radial Engineering J48 Stereo User Manual
Radial± Smart Sheet
Order No. R800 3002 00
Features
• Active direct box with extra headroom
• Compact two channel design
• Innovative ground lift circuit
• Radial tough design for touring
Benefi ts
• Amazing sound in a compact box
• Perfect for guitar, bass or other instruments
• Eliminates need for batteries
• Compact design takes up less space
Cool stuff
• Active design will not load down pickups
• Higher output compared to other DIs
• Will not pollute land fi ll sites with old batteries
• Low cut fi lter cleans up the mix
Headroom: J48 Stereo gives you more!
3-Volts
Typical active DI
Typical headroom
of most DI’s is a
mere 3 Volts. This
was originally designed for passive
guitars.
3V 7V 9V
Rail voltage
7-Volts
Active guitar/bass
The output from
todays’ active guitars
& basses reaches
7-Volts, causing
most DI’s to square
wave. This makes
them sound harsh.
Peak
Square
wave
9-Volts
J48 max rail voltage
The J48’s 9-Volt
rails provide the
extra headroom so
it won’t choke! More
headroom means you
get less distortion and
better sound!
J48 Rail
voltage
J48
Extra
Headroom
J48 Stereo™ A CT I V E D I R E C T B O X
The Radial J48 Stereo™ is a two channel version of the popular J48 – an active direct box that
is used by artists as diverse as Paul McCartney, Neil Young and Jean Luc Ponty. It features a
unique internal switching power supply that converts phantom power for more headroom and
lower distortion, producing a warm, even order harmonic rendering that is often associated with
studio preamps costing several times more. The switching supply also enables the audio ground to
be lifted to eliminate hum and buzz caused by ground loops without disconnecting phantom power.
This forgoes the need for an external power supply or less than ideal batteries. Features include
in / thru-puts, 80Hz high-pass fi lter, and 180º polarity reverse on channel-2 to phase align stereo
sources or help eliminate feedback.
THRU - Connects from stereo instrument such as a keyboard or two
mono instruments.
-15dB PAD - Allows super-hot inputs
such as from a CD player to be connected and balanced for long runs.
80HZ LOW-CUT - (High-pass) fi lter
gently reduces excessive bass for
more headroom and clarity.
48V LED - Will light to indicate that
phantom-power is present.
INPUT - Connects from stereo
instruments such as a keyboard or
two mono instruments.
XLR OUT - 600 Ohm balanced,
mic-level outputs will drive 300 feet
without appreciable noise.
GROUND-LIFT - Disconnects the
internal ground path between the
input and the output.
NO SLIP PAD - Provides electrical
and mechanical isolation and keeps
the J48 Stereo from sliding around.
HEAVY-DUTY WELDED I-BEAM -
Enclosure of 14 gauge steel makes
it impossible to torque the PC board.
HIGH CYCLE - Heavy-duty switches
are rated at 10,000 cycles.
MILITARY-GRADE PCB - With full
surface ground plane to reduce
susceptibility to RF noise.
DIGITAL SWITCHING PSU - Steps
up the internal rail voltage to 9-Volts.
The J48 will not choke like other DI’s
when hit with loud transients.
Using the J48 Stereo with a keyboard
The J48’s active circuit and amazing signal handling
makes it a great choice for both digital and old
school analog keyboards. A built-in pad reduces the
sensitivity if needed.
Radial Engineering Ltd. • © Copyright 2018 all rights reserved • www.radialeng.com • email info@radialeng.com • Subject to change without notice • Made in Canada
Using the J48 Stereo with two basses
The compact design makes it easy to connect two
guitars using one direct box. The great sounding
active circuit sounds as good as other DIs costing
fi ve times as much!
J48 Stereo with two different instruments
Use the J48 Stereo with two completely different
instruments. The low crosstalk makes it a great
choice when doubling between bass, acoustic
guitar, fi ddle, or mandolin.
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