Duplex Mk4 Development
The Duplex has evolved following the 10 year development
of the Radial JDI. In 1996, the JDI started life
as a hand assembled direct box housed in an aluminum
tube. It would be 5 years later that the JDI would
be transformed with its innovative book-end design
that at once increased performance capabilities
while reducing costs to where it became an affordable
solution for those that face the many challenges
encountered daily in the ‘real world’
of professional audio. The new book-end format would
also enable us to produce a wider body and the first
product bearing this new design would be the Duplex.
The original concept behind the Duplex was to
provide a simple stereo solution for hectic stages
that would combine the features found in two Radial
JDIs and fit them into a single box. Right from
the get go, the Duplex found an audience with
pro-touring rigs for stereo keyboards. Soon after,
major recording artists like bassist Tony Levin
of Peter Gabriel and King Crimson fame began using
the Duplex for more complex instrument systems.
As radial popularity grew, audio-visual companies
began adopting the Duplex as a ‘Swiss Army’
fixit box that could be used just about anywhere
to eliminate buzz and hum in sound systems.
The Duplex made it easy. All you needed was a
few RCA adaptor and you were set to go. Then one
day, one of our customers piped up and said: “If
only we could connect those high-output Sony VTRs
to your direct box, we could then meet any challenge”.
This got us thinking and spawned the development
of the next generation Duplex. The Mk4 incorporates
added connectivity with both RCA connectors and
+4dB line level inputs for extra high output sources.
The first Duplex Mk4 was sent to U2’s keyboard
player and computer guru Terry Lawless.
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