New Music Gear Monday: Kush Audio REDDI Tube DI Plugin

Anyone who’s spent a lot of time recording knows that the type of DI used on a bass really matters. Use a cheap one and the bass will sound thin and dull; use one with a transformer and the bottom will be big and round, and use one with a tube and there’s a magic that happens where the bass maintains its big bottom yet pops right out of the mix. The original A-Designs REDDI was a DI that bass players swore by for its thick rich sound, and have the hits to prove it. Now you can capture that same sound with the new Kush Audio REDDI Tube DI plugin.

The original hardware REDDI was a tube design with beefy transformer and oversized power supply that had an uncanny ability to both reign in bass transients and punch them up at the same time yet without the use of EQ. The REDDI plugin is designed to be used just like any analog DI would be used, that is, first in the chain as an initial treatment before compression or EQ is added. 

The hardware unit was pretty basic in that it only had a volume control. The plugin has some extra features not found on the original hardware including a phase selector, a +20dB Headroom circuit, and a low shelf Bass control thats tuned for electric bass but can be very effective in adding weight and thickness to kicks, synths, and even vocals. The plugin also features separate input and output controls as well as a variety of presets.

The Kush Audio REDDI Tube DI plugin is available for Mac and PC and supports the last 3 versions of most DAWS. It’s also machine-authorizable and will not require an iLok dongle to operate. The price is just $49. You can find out more details on the Kush Audio website or from the video below.