Para DI question please - How to set it and retian the guitars tone

[vbfvbf]

Hello everyone, new member and first post. Please go easy on the newb.

I recently purchased a Para DI and gigged with it last night. The sound difference between using it and a Radial Pro D2 Passive 2-ch DI was big and it sounded like I lost the guitar's great tone using the Para. I admittedly had little time to solo it through the PA and adjust all the controls and hoping it can be adjusted to retain the guitar's tone.

As a new user of a Para, can you please suggest a starting point for all of the controls? The guitar has an under-saddle, rope-style piezo and no preamp. The guitar is a late 80's, MIJ, Alvarz-Yairi and has a one piece spruce top, rosewood laminate back and sides, ebony fretboard, ebony bridge, and mahogany neck.

Thank you!

[Caleb_Elling]

Hey vbfvbf,
If you are using a passive pickup, switching from a passive DI to an active DI will definitely result in a pretty big difference in tone. To be fair, the active DI is probably a better representation of how the pickup actually sounds. The passive DI will not preserve the tone of the pickup as well, especially if you use longer cables between the guitar and the DI. That could be a good thing though, depending on the combination of gear. Guitar tone is weird like that.

Anyways, I would start by playing through a good PA system to dial your DI in. Amps are OK, but setting up an acoustic guitar on PA will usually translate better to other systems. Start with all of the EQs and the Volume set at "0" or noon. Then set the gain as mentioned in the manual.

From there, it's best to take a little time to get to know the EQ of the Para DI. Sweep each control up and down while you play so that you can hear what it's doing to your tone. Once you get an idea of what each EQ band is doing, you can tweak the tone to your preference. Every pickup is different, so using your ears is always the best way to dial your gear in. If you don't trust your ears, have a friend help you out.