I received the MDB-1 Mixer/Direct Box/Pre-amp and the APD-1 Active/Passive Direct Box. Both of these units solve some basic problems' musicians come up against mostly when playing live or recording under not ideal situations. The MDB-1 is a three-input mixer with a separate output for your stage amp and a low impedance XLR line level output for recording or the PA's direct signal. This unit is for the musician who plays up to three different instruments during a show but would like to equalize the levels of the three instruments and freely go between them without having to plug and unplug. This also frees the PA mixer of the responsibility of getting the three instruments' level right every time.

The MDB-1 is battery-powered, has a "mute" switch that kills the output and Aux Send and Receive jacks with mixer for incorporating an external effect. The APD-1 is a low noise active direct box with a special output transformer. Also battery-powered, the unit comes with a nine-volt power supply and has two independent, switchable instrument inputs. There is one XLR output, both Aux Send and Receive jacks with mixer, output mute switch, passive phase switch, ground lift switch and tuner jack. The ADB-1 has a four-position output pad switch with up to +6dB of additional gain at the XLR out and a rugged cabinet design with handles that protect the front panel.