Alembic FX-1 v. Demeter VTBP-201S v. Demeter Hbp-1

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by Arthur U. Poon

I was going to bring up the Read Purity. A very good recommendation IMO.

That and the Kern both trump the Alembics substantially, for my taste and IME.

[LaBassGuy]

Thanks for the real useful comments guys.

As far as the Demeters, are the HBP-1 and VTBP-201S substantially different from each other? Are they substantially different from the clean tone of an SWR lets say?

So far, I am leaning towards the Alembic to counter the clean and refined tone I get from the Avalon U5 and the SWR.

[bgavin]

Originally Posted by Passinwind

That and the Kern both trump the Alembics substantially, for my taste and IME.

Charlie,
Have you by any chance compared the Kern with SVP-Pro?
Just curious...

[LaBassGuy]

Originally Posted by bgavin

Charlie,
Have you by any chance compared the Kern with SVP-Pro?
Just curious...

I've casually played with the SVO Pro at GC few times, and the first impression was that it was real vintage tone capable of serious crunch and grind, whereas the preamps we've discussed aren't really designed for that type of crunch and grind.

That's been my impression thus far.

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by bgavin

Charlie,
Have you by any chance compared the Kern with SVP-Pro?
Just curious...

Hi Bruce,

Never side by side. I think I've only heard the SVP-Pro once or twice on gigs I was mixing, and the Kern at a TB GTG. I had the Read at my house for a few days, and have worked on and/or owned both flavors of Alembics and the Demeter 201, and have played through and heard the Avalon U5 quite a bit.

I mentioned the Jule Monique based on some conversations I've had with Jule Potter, which make me think my own daily driver DIY 6SL7 preamp is probably pretty similar sonically. Looking forward to hearing the Monique in person.

All of these are nice pieces. LaBassGuy, what amp(s) will you be driving with the preamp? If you go Alembic, the F1-X is a lot less picky about that than the F2B. However, the F2B has two channels and modding one of them for another flavor can work out pretty well IME.

[LaBassGuy]

Originally Posted by Passinwind

Hi Bruce,

Never side by side. I think I've only heard the SVP-Pro once or twice on gigs I was mixing, and the Kern at a TB GTG. I had the Read at my house for a few days, and have worked on and/or owned both flavors of Alembics and the Demeter 201, and have played through and heard the Avalon U5 quite a bit.

I mentioned the Jule Monique based on some conversations I've had with Jule Potter, which make me think my own daily driver DIY 6SL7 preamp is probably pretty similar sonically. Looking forward to hearing the Monique in person.

All of these are nice pieces. LaBassGuy, what amp(s) will you be driving with the preamp? If you go Alembic, the F1-X is a lot less picky about that than the F2B. However, the F2B has two channels and modding one of them for another flavor can work out pretty well IME.

Honestly, I don't know how I would best run the F1-X. My SWR Pre has a parametric EQ, Compression--etc. And those features would remedy the lack of EQ options on the F1-x.

So right off the bat, I am thinking I would put the F1-x in the SWR effects loop and drive the power amp with the SWR which I am doing now anyway.

I don't know if that would negate the power or tone of the F1-X in any way.

[LaBassGuy]

Any more comments here guys?

HOw does the Eden Navigator compare to the ones I've listed here, and to the SWR Marcus Miller Preamp and Avalon U5

[bgavin]

My F1X was sold in favor of the SWR IOD.

For starters, the passive Fender tone stack made me crazy because I couldn't wrap my head around the goofy settings for Flat.
The F1X is a buttery tone, for sure. It does that very well.
On the flip side, the IOD is more sterile, but has foot switch controllable grind and an active tone circuit for boost and cut.

I could probably do about the same with a VT Bass pedal and most any other preamp.
Neither IOD nor F1X can have sufficient output voltage to drive my PLX-3002 to full power.
I use a Rane ME30B equalizer between them to boost the signal.

I don't gig with the SVP-Pro or IOD, as I mostly play keys and don't want to haul a 4RU rack around.
I play one bass set through my bassist's LM-III rig.

If I did not already have the SVP and IOD, I'd opt for a Sansamp RPM and VT Bass pedal combination.

[pbassnut]

Originally Posted by bgavin

My F1X was sold in favor of the SWR IOD.

For starters, the passive Fender tone stack made me crazy because I couldn't wrap my head around the goofy settings for Flat.
The F1X is a buttery tone, for sure. It does that very well.
On the flip side, the IOD is more sterile, but has foot switch controllable grind and an active tone circuit for boost and cut.

I could probably do about the same with a VT Bass pedal and most any other preamp.
Neither IOD nor F1X can have sufficient output voltage to drive my PLX-3002 to full power.
I use a Rane ME30B equalizer between them to boost the signal.

I don't gig with the SVP-Pro or IOD, as I mostly play keys and don't want to haul a 4RU rack around.
I play one bass set through my bassist's LM-III rig.

If I did not already have the SVP and IOD, I'd opt for a Sansamp RPM and VT Bass pedal combination.

I have a Sansamp RPM and a VT Bass Pedal V2 ... how do you hook them up together?

[synaesthesia]

I have with me the Alembic F-1X and I have had 2 of these at one time for duplicating rigs.
I have the Demeter VTBP 201 (not s) the 1.5U model, and I have also had 2 of these at one time.

These are my faves, and I have kept them and use them. For me there is not much to choose between them, though if you ask me to choose in the studioI would pick the Demeter, but for gigs i would pick the Alembic (1U + crossover).

I also have the Fender TBP. Its nice and pillowy and I had the READ purity. I could never get the DI in the READ to work properly, i.e. it sounded like there was a hi pass filter on it, it was not the same sound as the line level signal. No such issues with the Alembic or Demeter. Haven't mucked about with the Fender enough to comment, but I like the tone I get from it. The READ was great for gigs though, and the EQ was different and very useable, definitely better than the Alembic or Demeter ( I always set these flat and I am not much of a EQ user - in the Rack though I use a Klark Teknik EQ if aim playing multiple basses in a show to 'equalise').

I had a Trace V type preamp, and it was good but it could not match the Alembic or Demeter. I relegated it to guitar use, and actually also used the READ as my guitar preamp for about a year.

I have had the SWR/Groove tube studio preamp and it could coax the SWR tone but it had a low mid hump and it was too noisy at idle level. Modified it with NE5532 chips replacing the TL072s....it was as quiet then as the Demeter or Alembic but the tone was still SWR - with that low end hump and (to me) a odd high end.

I'd pick up a Monique at some stage I guess. Or a REDDI.... they cost a bit and the difference to me with the Demeter DIed to a board is not enough for me to rush to get one.

[bgavin]

Originally Posted by pbassnut

I have a Sansamp RPM and a VT Bass Pedal V2 ... how do you hook them up together?

Use the pedal as an instrument pedal. Nothing fancy.

Set the RPM for whatever clean tone you desire, set the VT Bass for the dirty tone. Engage on demand.
I'm a simple player, don't need presets or a lot of tweaking between tunes. YMMV.

[zortation]

Originally Posted by LaBassGuy

Any more comments here guys?

HOw does the Eden Navigator compare to the ones I've listed here, and to the SWR Marcus Miller Preamp and Avalon U5

I would probably not put the Avalon in the same company as the other two you mentioned, as they aren't exactly "audiophile" quality...I can't really find the right word.

But regarding the choice between Alembic and Demeter, I once a/b'd these two units side by side and I would recommend Alembic ONLY because it's the only amp that can be dialed in to approach that Demeter muscley lean and clean tone, plus it can sound like only an Alembic can. A Demeter can never sound like an Alembic (just for the sake of argument).

You get two (or more) preamp sounds for the price of one. I would recommend the Alembic F-2B for this, not the F-1X