Samson SAMDA1 Mono Active Direct Box

The Samson MDA1 Mono Active Direct Box provides a straightforward solution for converting unbalanced, high-impedance instrument signals into balanced, low-impedance signals suitable for mixing consoles and audio interfaces. The active circuitry, powered by either 48V phantom power from the connected mixer or an internal 9V battery, delivers consistent signal quality and handles high-impedance sources like piezo acoustic pickups and passive bass guitars better than passive DI alternatives. The 1/4-inch input accepts instrument-level signals, while the thru jack passes the unaffected signal onward to a stage amplifier.

The balanced XLR output sends a clean signal over long cable runs to front-of-house or monitor consoles without noise degradation. A two-position attenuation switch (0dB and -15dB) lets you pad down hotter sources such as active instruments or keyboard line outputs to prevent clipping. The Ground Lift switch isolates the XLR ground to eliminate hum from ground loops — a common issue in live sound environments with multiple power sources. The all-metal enclosure is built to handle the demands of touring and stage use, and the compact footprint fits easily on a pedalboard or next to an amp on stage.