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DI Box

Countryman Type 85 Active DI

The Countryman Type 85 is one of the most trusted active DI boxes in professional audio, known for its exceptional headroom and transparent sound quality. Its active design handles both high and low impedance sources gracefully, making it versatile enough for everything from acoustic guitars to keyboards. You will find these on stages and in studios worldwide, and they are a reliable staple for connecting instruments to your mixer or interface.

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Photos

Manufacturer product photography showing the hardware, controls, and physical form.

Photo: CountrymanClick to zoom
Documented outputs
1One destination connection
Documented inputs
1Based on documented inputs
Rack space
Outside rackPlan a shelf, tray, or stage position
Power draw
UnverifiedPower requirement is not verified in the catalog
Catalog estimate
~$199Use retailer rows for current price and stock

01 · What it does—and what that changes in your rig.

Product overview

Start with the payoff, then work through how it functions, where it fits, and the details that change a real build.

The payoff

DI Box decisions, organized around the whole rig.

The Countryman Type 85 is a floor-grade active DI box that earns its place in serious rigs by doing one thing without drama: converting a high-impedance instrument signal into a clean, balanced line-level signal your console or interface can work with. It lives at the end of a keyboard snake, under a guitar player's board, or wherever a source needs to hit your snake without a transformer coloring it. It doesn't mount in the rack itself — it's a stagepiece — but it belongs in your kit list the same way a good cable tester does.

Documented outputs
1One destination connection
Documented inputs
1Based on documented inputs
Rack space
Outside rackPlan a shelf, tray, or stage position
Countrymanexternal · not rackmounted
Countryman product panelOutside rack · Unverified
Function

How it works in the path

The active circuit runs on phantom power drawn from your console, so it draws no additional power from your rig and carries no batteries to die mid-set. That active design gives it the headroom to handle the hot outputs of modern keyboards and synths without flinching, and the high input impedance means acoustic-electric pickups and passive basses see a proper load rather than a tone-sucking mismatch. The single TRS quarter-inch input and XLR male output keep the signal path simple — nothing to misconfigure under pressure.

Best fit

Where it earns its place in the system

If your gig involves keyboards, playback rigs with direct outs, acoustic instruments, or any source that needs to hit a stage box cleanly, a Type 85 or two is a no-brainer at this price point. Where it's not the answer is if you need a passive DI to tame a hot amp speaker tap — for that you want a transformer-based unit like a Radial JDI. It also won't help you if phantom isn't available on the receiving end, though that's rarely a real-world problem on any professional console.

In the rack

Details worth deciding before load-in.

  • Label each Type 85 with a strip of gaff and a permanent marker — they look identical on a dark stage floor and they wander between rigs if they're not marked as yours.
  • Confirm phantom power is active on the console channel before the player plugs in; the Type 85 won't pass signal without it, and 'my DI is dead' troubleshooting calls eat into soundcheck time.
  • For keyboard rigs running stereo outputs, carry two Type 85s and run them into adjacent channels — they're consistent enough unit-to-unit that you won't hear a difference between sides.
  • When building a playback or IEM rig that includes direct instrument inputs at the stage edge, patch the Type 85 output into your snake and keep the box velcroed or clipped near the stage lip so it doesn't slide around during the set.

02 · Know the whole path before you buy.

Signal path

Learn the route as a block diagram: source, product function, transport, and destination. Select any block to see what enters, what changes, and what leaves.

Interactive block diagramAuto-looping · hover, focus, or tap to hold a stage
Port-type signalProduct functionSystem boundary
Follow one signal from source to destination

Each block answers the same three questions: what arrives, what changes here, and what leaves.

01 · Source · selected
01 · Source

1 documented input

¼-inch TRS

Arrives as
1 documented input
Connector
¼-inch TRS
Signal
analog audio

03 · What this product asks of the rest of the system.

Compatibility

Treat connector names as the start of the check—not the answer. These are the boundaries that determine a complete working path.

Best fit · DI Box

Use it as di box tracked outside rack rails; follow the manufacturer’s mounting and form-factor guidance.

Plan the companion path

Complete the path with upstream and downstream gear that matches connector, direction, signal type, protocol, and wiring standard.

Connector boundary

Documented connectors: ¼-inch TRS, XLR male. Match connector, direction, and signal type—not shape alone.

04 · Every connector, grouped by job.

I/O ports

Switch the product view and the documented port inventory updates with it—hardware and data stay side by side.

Every connector, grouped by job.

Switch panels to keep the hardware view and the documented port list in sync.

Front panel
front connector map for Countryman Type 85 Active DIEXTERNAL UNIT · FRONTNo documented front ports
Rear panel
rear connector map for Countryman Type 85 Active DIEXTERNAL UNIT · REAR¼-inch TRSinputXLR maleoutput
All documented ports for Countryman Type 85 Active DI
PortPanelConnectorDirectionSignalChannels
Input (TRS)rear¼-inch TRS inputanalog audio—
Output (XLR)rearXLR male outputanalog audio—

Showing 2 of 2 documented physical ports.

05 · Compare the decision, not just the price.

Alternatives

The rows are organized around fit, power, I/O, and system role so a cheaper unit cannot hide a more expensive workflow.

Compare
Countryman Type 85 Active DI
BSS AR-133 Active DI
Fit📐 Outside rack📐 Outside rack
Power⚡ Unverified⚡ Unverified
Weight⚖️ 0.7 lb⚖️ 1.3 lb
I/O🔌 2🔌 4
Estimate💵 ~$199💵 ~$199
Deep diveCurrent selectionFull comparison →

06 · Resolve the questions that can change the purchase or build plan.

Planning questions

Short, source-backed answers surface rack fit, power, cabling, and connection details before they become surprises.

Where does the Countryman Type 85 Active DI live in a complete rig?

The catalog assigns it no rack units. Builder tracks it as non-rack gear; follow the manufacturer’s mounting, case, and form-factor guidance.

How much power does the Countryman Type 85 Active DI draw?

Its power requirement is not yet verified in the catalog.

What connections does the Countryman Type 85 Active DI have?

2 documented physical ports, including Input (TRS), Output (XLR).

07 · See this gear inside a complete system plan.

Builder preview

Builder keeps non-rack gear in the same bill of materials, budget, dependency, and connection plan as the rack-mounted system around it.Open in Builder
Type 85 Active DI tracked in a complete system planA simplified plan shows the gear tracked outside rack rails, with its documented connection path continuing to a planned destination.Tracked outside rack railsCountrymanType 85CONNECTED GEARnext signal destinationExternal system gear · no rack units assigned

08 · Related gear, in the order you may need it.

Radial Engineering product photo

DI Box

Radial JDI Passive DI

Outside rack · 3 ports · ~$229
Radial ProDI Passive DI

DI Box

Radial ProDI Passive DI

Outside rack · 3 ports · ~$109
Radial J48 Active DI

DI Box

Radial J48 Active DI

Outside rack · 3 ports · ~$219
BSS AR-133 Active DI

DI Box

BSS AR-133 Active DI

Outside rack · 4 ports · ~$199

Planning guides for di box systems.

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