L.R. Baggs Venue DI Acoustic Guitar Preamp and DI

I'm a semi-full time musician that does acoustic duo gigs with an awesome percussionist about 2-4 times a month. We have been playing since 2014. I use a Martin D28 (bought in 2005) and lately, a 2021 Martin 000-18. Both of these have K&K pure mini pickups in them.The Venue DI has been a workhorse for me and incredibly reliable. It is relatively easy to use, has a quite a bit of options that come in handy during live performances (i.e. the boost, mute button, the notch filter, ground/lift switching, battery level indicator, if you use a battery, etc). It also sounds fantastic.There is an impedance mismatch going from the K&K pickup into the Venue DI, but I just put a Boss tuner pedal in between the two end points and the impedance is correct.And if that isn't enough, LR Baggs actually cares about their customers. On two occasions I have shipped my Venue DI to their office in California. The first time the boost stomp switch was sticking and not always engaging the first time I stomped. This is normal wear and tear, especially when you stomp the crap out of them during a live performance over the course of 6-7 years. It cost me $45 for shipping there and back. The repair was free. They even replaced the mute button/switch since they were in there, and I didn't even ask for that. I'm no expert on the subject, but that level of customer service seems to be the exception these days, and not the norm.The second time is in process right now because the power connector is loose, again from 8 years of wear and tear from essentially constant gigging. I just got off of the phone with them. This inspired me to post this review.All of this for $300? Consider that a bargain.Yeah, the tuner could be better, but by now that shouldn't surprise anyone.

...saw Leo Kottke using this in 2012. I researched it, bought it and never looked back. Is it insanely expensive? Yes. In my life's experience, when you lean toward "Cheaper," you almost always wind up with that little, haunting voice resonating in the back reaches of your mind, "You get what you pay for...you get what you pay for...." When I allow myself to be smart enough not to let the seemingly high price of something scare me off simply on its own account -- and then do some thorough research into the matter -- having determined the item's worthiness and subsequently gone ahead with the investment, I nearly always hear that little voice in my head, "You did good, this time...so glad...."Like I said, I never looked back.I play a Guild F-50, and three Taylors -- a Mahogany GS mini, an LKSM 12 (in C#) and an LKSM 6 (in "standard" tuning). I use the G-7th 6-string and 12-string capos. (See my review on the capo.)Get it.A Special Note on Tuner "Issues":I never have had a problem with the tuner foot-button engaging the tuner -- never...ever...never...not once. There is a "Time-Out" feature, for lack of a better term, that I have a recollection of encountering. After engaging the tuner and then getting involved in dealing with a distraction which lasts, say, longer than would normally be expected to tune the first string since engaging the tuner (or what would be longer than normally expected for moving to the next string after having tuned the previous), the tuner must be cycled through a couple button clicks to re-engage. It is my suspicion that something related to the "Time-Out" feature is why others are making claims that criticize the tuner's reliability. I can tell you; I never once saw Leo struggle with the tuner`s reliability, and I have "never...ever...never...not once" had to deal with un-reliability in any aspect of this device.Is it really, actually possible that L.R. Baggs would market and then allow to remain on the market this high-end product if the device was not reliable with regard to the interfaced tuner? Really, "guys," ya might expect that of, as an example, the $39.95 CRONCO Super-amper DI Mini Mixer.I never once saw for myself (or heard about) a major music industry entity making a negative critical remark about the tuner reliability of the LR Baggs Venue DI Direct Box.This L.R Baggs device is a fine, high-end DI. It's worth the investment, and it will make you glad you bought it.Learn the proper way to use the device...learn its ins-and-outs...and as Confucius suggests, "...look within...."

The L.R. Baggs Venue DI is a wonderful piece of tech for acoustic players who want their live sound to shine. It’s built like a tank and super easy to use, with a 5-band EQ that lets you fine-tune your tone to perfection. The built-in tuner is a lifesaver—accurate, bright, and paired with a mute footswitch that makes quick, quiet adjustments on stage a breeze.The real MVP, though, is the notch filter, which zaps feedback without messing up your tone. And the DI output sends a clean, strong signal straight to the soundboard, so every little detail of your playing comes through. Sure, it’s a bit pricey, but for the sound quality and reliability you’re getting, it’s worth every penny. If you’re serious about performing, this pedal is a no-brainer.

Tuner is useless but the rest does the job well. Use it for church worship and allows me to use some effects in the loop. Great way to help with the sound especially if the sound guy doesn’t know what they are doing lol

I love these. I’m a professional musician. I use them five days a week. One of them I’ve been using for 15 years now no problems. The other one is about five years old. The newer ones have brighter LED lights. A great investment.

Really liking this preamp! It allows me to tweak the sound of my instrument to exactly what I want it to sound like. A little reverb through the effects loop and xlr'd out to my mixer and I'm in heaven.

I switch between fiddle and mandolin on stage and bought this as a 'secondary' DI box, thereby putting the instruments on separate amp channels. This model has sophisticated EQ controls and a notch filter, which pretty much controls feedback at the relatively high volumes we play -- important with finicky acoustic instruments. Also important to me was the boost pedal feature since I play solos on both instruments. I've always been quite happy with LR Baggs gear.