Ultra-simplified quick explanation (I gotta do my taxes :-(
DI (Direct) just means that the signal is changed from unbalanced to balanced so you can have long cable runs without (much) loss.
Unbalanced means the cable just has signal and ground (essentially) - which is conducted over a TS (Tip-Sleeve) connector cable from your guitar to the box (look at the connector). Balanced means that there are 3 wires in the cable (there are a couple of ways to do that: TRS - R means Ring -or XLR connectors)a ground plus two signal wires. Arithmetic can be done (analog arithmetic, too) - in a couple of ways - on the 3 wires so that noise gets subtracted from the signal and inevitable transmission losses are minimized.
I gotta go mess with the IRS. If anybody wants to deunclarify what I wrote, feel free.
quote:DI (Direct) just means that the signal is changed from unbalanced to balanced so you can have long cable runs without (much) loss.
More or less.
DI actually stands for "Direct Injection." The idea is to use a DI (AKA Direct Box) to change the impedence so you can plug a Hi Z source -- like a guitar or bass -- into a lo Z input on mixer. As a side benefit, you get the long cable runs.
For anyone interested in this stuff, I'd suggest checking out the excellent online "Word of the Day" and "Tech Tip of the Day" archives at Sweetwater.com: