NAMM 2020: Direct Boxes and a Bus Compressor from Warm Audio

Ready to surprise the world pleasantly at NAMM 2020, Warm Audio has announced the release of three new products that will surely receive a warm welcome in studios, concert venues, and houses of worship. There's the BUS-COMP (you guessed it, a stereo bus compressor) and—this may come as a shock—the appropriately named Direct Box Active and Direct Box Passive are indeed direct (DI) boxes!
As for the DIs, average they are not; these models are laden with custom-wound CineMag USA transformers and made with a design philosophy that prioritizes audio performance. Let's start with the similarities.... Both DI boxes boast tough extruded-aluminum enclosures, rugged metal controls, gold-plated circuit traces, and identical I/O connectors. You'll find an unbalanced Hi-Z 1/4" input, which can be switched to accept signal properly from an instrument or a line-level source such as an amplifier's line out or a feed from an audio interface. The input is simultaneously routed to a 1/4" thru jack and a balanced XLR socket that outputs low-impedance, mic-level signal—feeding a mixer and an amp at the same time will be no problem.

Direct Box Active and Direct Box Passive

In addition to the expected switches for polarity and ground lift, both direct boxes feature a powerful and selectable function called a variable pad. This pad allows you to attenuate the input signal from -3 to -30 dB at the twist of a heavy-duty dial, ensuring that you have the power to prevent distortion before your precious signal is passed into other devices.