The Radial Engineering JDX-48 is a direct box for the contemorary professional. The prevailing complaint about direct boxes for electric guitar is that they do not capture the guitar's details properly. By designing the JDX-48 to be comfortable deriving its signal from a powered signal from the head, it is far superior to DIs built into guitar heads, which typically tap the preamp output. That approach entirely misses the characteristics that power tubes and solid state power stages lend to a guitar sound.

Apart from taking the complete guitar amp signal as its sound source, the Radial JDX-48 features 100% discrete class-A circuitry and a transformer-coupled 'reactive load' that captures both the sound from the amp head along with the back electromagnetic impulse from the loudspeaker. This produces a more realistic rendering than the usual resistive pad offered by other manufacturers. The signal is then processed via a carefully designed multi-stage filter to emulate the tone of a 4x12 half stack cabinet.

In use, the JDX-48 delivers greater consistency over a typical microphone as irregularities such as mic placement and varying acoustics no longer play the dominant role on stage. This is most appreciated when using in-ear monitors as the tone remains consistent from one show to the next, resulting in shorter setup times and a more comfortable audio feed for the artist.

Although originally designed for guitar, the JDX has also become a favorite on bass. The clarity and punch in the lower midrange delivers a tone that is reminiscent of an Ampeg SVT connected to an 8x10 cabinet. On guitar it sounds as if you have a Shure SM57 in front of a Marshall half-stack. This new version also offers greater power handling for 300 watt amps and extended low end for deep bass frequencies.