HLabs Audio DI02S is a Class-A stereo direct box in a 1U chassis, with a pair of Carnhill VT24499 transformers, a VU meter and an output pad reaching -36 dB. Used in mono it behaves like a single DI02 channel.
Keyboards and synths in stereo without chaining two boxes
Running a stereo synth through two separate direct boxes means two independent paths you can only level-match by ear, and two transformers with slightly different behaviour. The DI02S puts a matched pair in one chassis under shared controls, so the stereo image stays stable. Switchable 0 or +13 dB input gain evens out the difference between a low-output instrument and a line-level module.
An output pad that opens the door to a mic preamp
A standard DI hands over a line-level signal you cannot sensibly feed into a microphone input — it clips on the first chord. The -12, -24 and -36 dB output pad brings the level down into mic range, so a bass or a Rhodes can run through a tube preamp and take on its character. The VU meter with clip indicator shows how hard the transformers are being driven, which is precisely the parameter that decides how much saturation you get.
KEY FEATURES
- Class-A stereo direct box in a 1U rack chassis
- Pair of Carnhill VT24499 output transformers
- Input impedance above 4 MΩ, independent of the pad position
- 0 or +13 dB input gain
- -12 / -24 / -36 dB output pad for feeding microphone preamps
- VU meter with clipping indicator
- Buffered LINK output
- Rear instrument input linked to the front-panel input
- Independent earth lift on each XLR output
- Designed and assembled in Saint-Vérand, France
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
- Type: Class-A active stereo direct box
- Input impedance: above 4 MΩ
- Input gain: 0 or +13 dB
- Output pad: -12 / -24 / -36 dB
- Maximum input level: +9 dBu without pad, +18 dBu with pad
- Maximum output level: +22 dBu without pad, +19 dBu with pad
- Output transformers: 2 × Carnhill VT24499
- Frequency response (1 kΩ load): ±1.0 dB from 5.4 Hz to 25+ kHz; ±0.2 dB from 20 Hz to 20 kHz
- Signal-to-noise ratio: above 102 dB (0.2% max THD)
- Mains: 100–240 V, 50–60 Hz
- Dimensions: 483 × 260 × 44 mm (1U), weight 4.3 kg
