Products

Vocal and instrument processors

Radial HDI - Studio-Grade Direct box with Transformer saturation, line output

Product Code: RA-HDI

Brand
Radial Engineering
RRP $1,809.00
*Recommended Retail Price may not be a true representation of the market price
 
Quantity In Cart:  
Unit of Measure
EACH

 

3 Year
Features
UPC 6 761010 4497 9    Radial Part No.
R800 2025
Technical Specifications
Brands Radial Engineering
Product type DI boxes
  • Details
  • Downloads
  • Where to Buy
  • Ordering

High Definition Studio Direct Box

The HDI is a studio-quality direct box designed to create exceptional recordings with any instrument, utilizing premium Jensen transformers and a unique Color control that provides an entirely new yet familiar-sounding sonic palette to experiment with.

  • Dial in an amazing tone within seconds
  • Blend from ultra-clean to amp-like distortion
  • Smooth Opto compressor for peak reduction
  • Mic and line-level outputs
  • Oversized custom-wound Jensen transformer

Instant Gratification

Despite the complex circuitry housed within the unit, the HDI has an elegant set of controls that allows the musician or engineer to dial up a record-ready sound with a minimal amount of tweaking required. The Level control drives the inputs of the HDI with instant visual feedback from the responsive front panel meter, while the Color knob provides seamless blending between an ultra-clean tone and amp-style distortion and saturation, so you can add just the right amount of character and grit to your instrument. A smooth Opto compressor can be engaged to control the peaks of the input signal, and a High-Pass Filter clears up any excessive low frequencies added by the Color control. Lastly, a Presence control accentuates the highs and high-mids, providing the ability to cut through the mix with results that are sure to impress.

A close-up of a deviceDescription automatically generated

Looks and Personality

With its gunmetal anodized 1/4" thick milled front panel and distinctive styling reminiscent of classic outboard studio equipment, the HDI is sure to turn heads in any recording space. A custom output meter provides a level check at a glance, with oversized chrome knobs for precise adjustments and easy tweaking on-the-fly. The HDI is a stunning standalone unit, but it also comes complete with mounting hardware to install in standard 19" equipment racks. One or two HDI's can be installed side-by-side in a 2RU rack space, and like all Radial products, they are built with rugged components and designed to easily withstand the rigors of concert touring.

Behind the Design

While the HDI is incredibly easy to use - requiring only a few seconds to achieve great-sounding results - both the design philosophy and the under-the-hood processes at work are anything but simple. Click here to read an interview with the HDI's designer, W.C. "Hutch" Hutchison for an in-depth look at how the HDI came to be and what makes its circuitry so unique.

HDI Applications

A guitar and amplifier with a guitar and sound mixerDescription automatically generated with medium confidence

Using the HDI alongside an amplifier

Record bass directly from the HDI while also feeding the unbuffered Thru output to a mic'd up amplifier to blend the two signals together. The HDI sounds so good on its own you just might mute the amp track altogether.

A person playing a guitar next to a amplifierDescription automatically generated

Using the HDI on acoustic guitar

The HDI pairs well with any instrument - with acoustic guitar it can add additional body and character that other direct boxes may lack. Take the line-level XLR output directly to your recording interface to bypass the need for any additional preamps in the signal path.

A guitar and amplifier with arrowsDescription automatically generated with medium confidence

Using the HDI Processed Output

The HDI can be simultaneously used as a DI and as an instrument preamp, providing additional gain, saturation, and distortion before feeding the affected signal through to a clean amp or an amp modeling system.

A black electronic device with knobs and dialsDescription automatically generated

Using the HDI with modular synthesizers

A dedicated Synth Input has a lower sensitivity to accommodate the hot outputs of modular synths or even other studio outboard equipment, allowing you to use the HDI to process any instruments or tracks you can think of.

 

Ordering from Amber Technology

Logging in

New to Amber Technology?

You can place an order using guest checkout, and we’ll email your order details when we ship.

You can register by following this link. When you register, we will retain your order history and checkout information for future transactions. Registration is quick and free. We’ll never share your registration details outside Amber Technology.

Are you an Amber Technology account customer?

Your user id is the email address that’s recorded for your account. If you don’t know or have forgotten your password, please reset it using this link.

If you need help with any login or site-related issues, please contact us here.

Shipping

Orders placed though the Amber Technology website are despatched from our Sydney warehouse. Orders placed before 1.00pm Sydney time (for items in stock) will generally be shipped on the same day. 

We ship using Startrack Express. We deliver Australia-wide to residential, business and PO box addresses.

Shipping is free for all orders over $275 including GST (effective 1 March 2018). There is a $22 (including GST) shipping and handling charge for all orders under $275 including GST. 

Tracking

You can track your shipment through the web sites of our couriers:

Star Track Express 

Tracking numbers for your order can be found in the order history section of your dashboard. If you have any questions regarding shipping, please contact us.

Warranty

Our goods come with guarantees that cannot be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law. You are entitled to a replacement or refund for a major failure and compensation for any other reasonably foreseeable loss or damage. You are also entitled to have the goods repaired or replaced if the goods fail to be of acceptable quality and the failure does not amount to a major failure.

All items purchased from Amber Technology will be covered under warranty. The duration and terms of this warranty are specified by the manufacturer unless otherwise stated. Warranty information is available on the individual product listings on this site.

Refurbished items will include a 12 month warranty unless otherwise stated.

Please contact us if you have received an item which has been damaged in transit or is otherwise not working correctly when you receive it. Subject to availability, we will arrange for a replacement item to be despatched and for the faulty item to be returned to us. 

Amber Technology maintains a nation-wide network of carefully selected Authorised Service Agents to ensure that you are never far from convenient, expert technical and service support. If your item develops a problem and requires servicing under warranty, please contact your local Authorised Service Agent.

Stock Availability

The availability of stock is communicated via the indicator of each product listing page. "Available" means that reasonable stock is in our warehouse, ready for immediate shipment. "Limited Stock" means that we have only a small number of items in stock. "Out of Stock" means this item is currently unavailable for immediate shipment - orders placed for ‘Out of Stock’ items will be fulfilled as soon as replacement stock arrives.

"Special Order” items are products that are not generally kept in stock in Australia. Lead times for Special Order items vary depending on country of origin, manufacturer’s stock levels, factory production schedules and/or incoming shipment transit times. Please contact us for an estimate as to the likely lead time. Please note that finalized sales for special order items cannot be cancelled.

Refurbished items

If refurbished stock is available, this will be shown on the summary page for the product. If a product listing only allows you to choose refurbished stock, we are not holding new stock and we can no longer obtain new stock.

Refurbished items are always in perfect working order and will include all accessories. Refurbished items are may

  • have a damaged carton
  • have been used for demonstrations
  • have been repaired
  • have minor imperfections that do not impact performance.

Refurbished items include a 12-Month warranty unless otherwise stated.

Technical Support

Please visit the Get Support page to find a service agent, log a service ticket, or ask a technical question about your product.

Returns

Please contact us if you have received an item which has been damaged in transit or is otherwise not working correctly when you receive it. Subject to availability, we will arrange for a replacement item to be despatched and for the faulty item to be returned to us.