Whirlwind IMP 2 Review. What you should know before you buy it.

Whirlwind IMP 2 is a Passive DI (Direct Injection) Box and a simple one too. It is very easy to set up and use. Plug and play type thing which is small plus rugged in nature.

You can easily carry it anywhere (portable size). I would say a Budget range DI box which gives a punch for the price range. If you are looking for something in a DI that are in sync with these characteristics, then you should go for this.

There a lot of better DI Boxes than the Whirlwind IMP 2 but it’s the best for the given price range and You won’t find another DI Box of this caliber.

The thing is that you can use this DI Box with other instruments too and not only with acoustic and bass guitars. And the main function of a DI Box is to convert an unbalanced input signal to a balanced output signal.

It was first produced at around 1981 by the Whirlwind Company. They were the first ones to produce DI Boxes for commercial use in the Audio Industry.

You will find almost all pro studios have this DI box among their gears. The reason is that it can be used for a wide variety of situations and comes as one of the favorite DI Boxes among others.

Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Who Is This Product For?

Many people have their own opinions on this – some say you don’t need it in some situations while others say that you need it in all situations. Now, let’s get into some common sense.

Ask yourself – Are you producing the music only for yourself or maybe to hear it with your friends?? (not for a professional thing) Then you can manage without the DI box.

On the other hand, if you are producing music that you plan to publish it for the public audience then the DI Box is a must-have gear. These two factors are also not the only factor that you should consider.

What I have mentioned above are the two general things you should consider. You can still get it if you want a better quality recording from your acoustic and electric guitars or keyboards, etc. (as long as they are instrument level signals)

As they will help in balancing the input signals, eliminating the humming sound effects, etc. caused by various other factors which I will mention below.

And if you are going to record live music then this piece of Box is a must-have.

So, the deciding part is yours and for the info – Not that expensive, you won’t break your bank balance ;). It’s always nice to have something cheap that can enhance the quality of your records.

Check out the 15 Best Products for a Home Recording Studio here!

You can Check the Current Price Here.

Overview of the features

Some of the main features are –

1. It comes with a full metal body which is very tough and can handle any type of environment. It has excellent built quality on both the inside and the outside.
2. It has two 1/4″ input and output jacks which are to take in unbalanced input signals and give out balanced output signals to an Amp (which is used in live music shows).
3. It also has an XLR output which is meant for connecting to a recording software which only supports mic level input.
4. It has a Ground Lift switch which would help in eliminating the humming and buzzing effect caused by electromagnetic interference. Which is done inside the transformer of the DI Box by isolating the Hum and the Buzz
5. It is small in size and therefore portable in nature. You can carry it anywhere.
6. Inside the DI Box, it has the Whirlwind’s TRHL Transformer – which is meant for converting high Impedance signals to low Impedance signals and hence the metal cases for better shielding.
7. It is also used as a splitter for splitting the line level audio signals.
8. It can be used without any source of power – doesn’t need any extra power for it to work. All you have to do is plug in at the right input or output jack. Now, It’s ready to do the job for you.

How To Use it

It is very simple and easy to use. You can plug in an instrument which is unbalanced at the 1/4″ input and it will be balanced by the transformer. The balanced output can be received in two ways.

As I have mentioned above, it has two output – at which the balanced output can be received. The 1/4″ high output parallel to the input 1/4″ can be used for connection to an Amp if you are going to use it.

And the other XLR output (low output) is to be used for connection to a Recording or Mixing software. You don’t need a mic to record your instrument if you are using this.

You can use any type of instrument as long as it gives an instrumental level signal or even line level signals. It will automatically be converted into low-level mic input signals which can be fed to a mixing console.

You should always use the Ground Lift switch and keep it at the “Ground Lifted Position” as long as possible to avoid any unwanted things from happening. Only keep it at the Grounded Positions when it is necessary like when you use an instrument that needs grounding like a passive guitar.

Note: You can read all about DI and Ground Lift here at Whirlwind

For The Information

There are two types of DI – Active DI and Passive DI

Active DIs are the one which needs a power source to work like a battery or a phantom power. While Passive DI don’t need a power source to work.

Passive DIs generally contains a simple transformer to convert a high Impedance signal to a low Impedance signal and they can’t do any type of improvement to the signal as they don’t have an amplifier.

Whereas in the case of Active DIs they have preamplifiers and can handle even low-level inputs. They are more complex as compared to the Passive ones. They also can provide higher and stronger signals.

Both of these two types of DI have their own advantage and disadvantages and work the best in their own situations.

What Other Users Say

All the owners of this DI Box have given a positive opinion on it and you can find it in the reviews too. And here are some of the important points they had about the product –

• Using the DI box helps in eliminating the Interruptive sounds and it works great in doing so.
• It is the perfect gear to use at a stage and record the live performance through it to a mixing console. So, It will be helpful to you if you are doing live performances.
• It is well built, rugged design and will last for a long time. Does a good job in cleaning up the signals.
• It provides everything that a DI box would do and at a cheap and affordable price range.
• It is also one of the DI box recommended by the Whirlwind Company.

Some Alternatives

If you want some alternatives to look at before you get one of this, then here are some of the alternatives –

• Whirlwind Director 1-channel (Passive)
• Radial ProDI 1-channel (Passive)

These two a little bit more expensive than the first and you really don’t need to get the expensive one if you don’t need extra stereo inputs and all. They all will give you the same performance and their main difference is at the input part.

So, choose something that fits your need and buy it.

Last update on 2024-04-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

Conclusion

To keep it Simple and in my opinion, this product is an absolute bang for the price. And the performance it can give with a small sized box is astonishing.

You can opt for others with greater features for a higher price but it will be hard to find something like it at this price range. It is robust, rugged, and has an excellent built quality which can be used in a rough environment.

I absolutely vouch for this DI Box that it is of a high-end quality from Whirlwind.