Solving Problems in the Studio with the Undertone Audio GB-Tracker Direct Box and ReAmp Unit
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.พ. 2025
- Quick overview and review of recording studio solutions provided by the Undertone Audio GB-Tracker DI Box and Re-Amper.
Why use a DI box or reamping when recording electric guitar or recording bass? Is the the best DI box and re-amp solution? Why I use this in my personal home recording setup. A recording studio gear review by music producer/audio engineer, David Peters, from his home studio - Oak House Recording.
www.oakhousereocrding.com
Instagram: @oakhouserecording
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Bought two of these boxes when they just came out, and they are one of the best studio purchases I did. Solved soooo many issues. Had a little labs PCP, radial x-amp and palmer reamp before but they all alter the tone or the level in some annoying way, this is really the first box to really have “what goes in, comes out the same”.
For mixing with effects I still like my radial EXTC’s better, as they sit nicely in a 500 rack (exact level doesn’t really matter here).
But for tracking guitars or bass in full band configuration I always put these right after the guitar and let the player use their setup, and when the session is done and the guitar or bass sound is missing something, you just take the DI into the reamp section again, put up some amps and go for something different or just add it to the existing tone. Whatever you want to do guitarwise is now possible (without alternation in the tone or level!).
The boxes are so versatile… Eric and its team at UTA did an amazing job.
So I’m not the only one! Yes, it’s definitely a problem solver here and I don’t have any worries about screwing with the sound. The guys at Undertone have always taken really good care of me as well. It’s a win from all angles.
Props to the director of photography!
Only talking to the camera for 12 minutes about a DI box would be pretty boring. Kids suggested dinosaurs and duck puppets, so we did dinosaurs and duck puppets!
Excellent video, David. I recently discovered your channel and really enjoy the content. GB-Tracker is quite the useful device, thanks for the breakdown!:)
Man, thanks for watching and for the kind words. Happy you’re here!
You are great at explaining things. I have the older version it works great
Thanks so much! It took a few revisions on this end, but hopefully I got there in the end.
At $310 The Little Labs Red Eye does all that (including expander/splitter functionality), also has active and passive inputs and sounds great. I don't doubt that UTA's product sounds good, but it costs almost three times as much. Great video and nice studio, greetings from Argentina.
I'm going to check that out!
Does the red eye allow you to use the DI & reamp simultaneously? I have the old passive red eye & you can’t do both simultaneously. I have other little labs boxes though & I think they all have an expansion port to send line level signal to & from different little labs boxes/locations. I’ve used line level out from a preamp as well though & it worked fine. It’s definitely more work to match signal levels than the GB tracker & if I wasn’t already invested in the little labs stuff I’d consider this option.
@@valentetorrez3398
Yes, the new Red Eye 3D Phantom lets you re-amplify and use the di inputs at the same time. It has two internal transformers and two signal paths. Obviously when you reamp, you lose the thru output of the di. And yes, You need at least another Red eye for split/daisy chain like the Undertone satellite.
@@lucianoluggren cool. Might have to trade up on the passive red eye.
Excellent job!
Thank you very much! Trying to figure it all out.
Thank you! This is exactly what I need in my studio!
@@SJinn-gp1eg Glad this helped!
Excellent video
Thank you, sir. You’ve been a real help to me over here!
Great review.
Many thanks!
good stuff 🎸🎸🎸
@@HughesandKettneramps Many thanks!
Lovely Studio
Thanks, Wild Bill! Baby steps over a long period of time.
Bought one and love it!
@@GaryMcT have you had it long?
I feel like the last application is really the main problem solved here. If you track guitars with the player in the control room as I greatly prefer, all the other solutions that are out there come at a compromise. Taking a clean split of the guitar to send to both a DI and SGI-type box is much easier said than done and it's often the main thing that negatively affects the tone. Then add the coloration of the preamp on the DI signal which is really inefficient when you think about the fact that it's knocking an instrument level signal down to mic level only to be amplified again (with more potential for coloration). The LIVE and DAW toggle is also essential to make sure that you capture a signal that will successfully reamp as you expect with the added benefit of letting you do your edits on the DI track if you comp on the fly. I've been waiting for something like this to come out for a long time.
@@qiuz51 We agree. There are other ways to get these jobs done, but none are as elegant or trustworthy.
How is the through output going into germanium fuzzes like fuzz face or tone bender? I was just thinking I need to start taking a DI for every track. But I like to use finicky fuzzes
It's still pretty new to me and I'm an engineer more than a guitar player, so the only fuzz I've used it with so far is the Chase Bliss Automatone. (and some various overdrives) But it has worked great wherever I put it in the chain! The first version of the Tracker had a couple situations where certain pedals got a little weird, but this is the mkii and I think they made a change to deal with it.
@@davidpetersmusic Thanks. It looks cool, so does all of Eric's stuff. Thanks for getting back to me. Glad I found your channel. Subscribed this morning
Great video! Didn’t realize this product was out. When using it to send signal to combo amp in another room through your PB, are you finding it’s adding any noise or interference vs plugging directly into the amp? I have a setup from another company that’s specifically made to do this but find the amount of noise it can add results in me not using it and going back to the cord through the door BS.
If it’s as clean as plugging directly into the amp, then it’s more than worth it for that alone IMO.
So far so good here! I have had to use the ground lift switch on occasion, but that's nothing new. I have not noticed an degridation when running the amp at a distance though it. I haven't done exhaustive testing really, but it's felt and sounded really good to me everytime I've used it. Maybe I'll have more to say once I've had it longer.
@@davidpetersmusic thanks for the reply. Think I’m gonna get one in and try it out. Thanks!
@@dmsaudio It’s a pricy option but it’s helped workflow over here and it always inspires confidence. I hope you have the same experience if you jump!
You got me at 3:49.
@@someoneacomputer1905 I loved that show. That bit has become a running joke in my family. Even the kids hang their head and sing that song when they lose a game or something.
@@davidpetersmusic It's way too fun :D ! On the gear side of things, I'm supposed to go to the bank right now to send money to POM for two Pom Pye units ! Two yes, Imma be dead broke by day's end. But so I appreciated your Pom Pye demo yesterday. You said it, there is very little audio material floating around regarding these. But Paul from Morcheeba having been so adamant on this comp for so long on several forums, I knew I had to get one, or two. Pom can't stand me no more, I've been on his back since 2022.
@@someoneacomputer1905 I just got an email from POM this morning about my new unit that I’ve been waiting three years for! …but this time it’s not a Pye. ;-)
@@davidpetersmusic damn... Nice !!! I hope you'll make something on TH-cam on the new unit :).
Sub-SCRIBED!
I thought that was a "Roger Mayer RM-58 in your rack, but it's a POM...🤔
They kinda have a similar look!
Great video and channel! Sub'd.
Awesome, thank you!
Where I live people say "kill 2 rabbits with a water tank"
I'd like to hear that one explained!
As soon as I saw the name Undertone I knew it was going to be something too expensive for what it does and I don't need it.
That’s why it’s nice to live in a world where we have many options!
@@davidpetersmusicIndeed! I just wish it was 1/2 the price. It's priced high for what it does.
want!
Yeah…. 900 dollars for a fancy DI box is hilarious
Comment and sub for the algo. Will come back, for sure. I want to get this thing. My wallet doesn't thank you though......
It feels like quite an investment for a DI/Reamp box, but it pays back dividends over time! 😎
@@davidpetersmusic I also like to use guitar pedals in post and my present solution isn't ideal but works enough to get by. I'm still using a Mackie 1640i from 2012 to run stuff from ProTools into the board and back via inserts and back.
@@matthew_b_golden Luckily there are several good affordable options for making that work. Until recently I was using an inexpensive passive system and a preamp. It worked well, it was just not as streamlined.
Cool, but $900?! I think Ill stick with my Radial X-Amp for $100 minus a feature or two
I agree it's pricey. It may not worth it for many circumstances, but it's paid for itself several times over here. It's all about how you work and if you need those features.
It's a good system and it certainly sounds good, but frankly it is at least 100% overpriced - the sonically brilliant Mr. Valentne very apparently hasn't got an equally brilliant sense of realistic of pricing for his products or of the value of money for most people.
Also, and especially at this price, that little satellite box should offer more simultaneous outputs.
Hard to argue with either point. It is a pricy box. I'm just not aware of a good alternative that handles all those jobs so easily.
4 birds 2 stones
Because of the Satellite? If so, fair point. That's kinda like 4 birds 1.5 stones. 😉