Anybody rocking a Head+ Pre-amp

[powmetalbassist]

Alright! So I'm just entering into this racked, pre-amp / poweramp world and see alot of that combination. Now, I understand that a Head is an amp and has a built in pre-amp, and I've been told that a seperate pre-amp will give me more control. Is this true? Anyone actually tried this?

My gear:

Peavey Tour 700
Dbx Compressor/Gate
BBE 383 Bass pre-amp (currently in transit)

[Zooberwerx]

According to the specs, the Peavey 700 is an integrated head combining both pre and power amps. Are you dissatisified with the tone? If so, I'm sure you can use the BBE and bypass the 700's tone circuitry. Here's the manual:

http://www.peavey.com/assets/literat...00584100_3.pdf

Let us know how it works out.

Riis

[vivifiction]

I do that with an ampeg b2-re (which I just use as a poweramp) and then a Fender TBP-1 Preamp. Check the user's manual- plugging the preamp into the effects return on the amp should bypass the preamp section of your amp, making a pre/power combo. Lots of amps will also have a "Power amp in" jack, which is made specifically for plugging in an external preamp into the power section.

[BrianVengeance]

Originally Posted by powmetalbassist

Alright! So I'm just entering into this racked, pre-amp / poweramp world and see alot of that combination. Now, I understand that a Head is an amp and has a built in pre-amp, and I've been told that a seperate pre-amp will give me more control. Is this true? Anyone actually tried this?

This is correct. Your bass head will have a preamp and power amp in it, and likely a few dynamics processors like compression, limiting, and equalization.

A lot of people go the preamp + head route, myself included (SVT4PRO + RBI) and I can anecdotally relate that the preamp provides a much wider and more sensitive range of gain, eq and output. It is probably safe to generally assume that adding an additional preamp to your signal chain will give you more knobs to twist, and maybe more control. It really depends on the preamp / amp and how you're routing your signal.

The biggest thing you have to watch out for is making sure that you aren't applying so much gain to your signal that you're clipping the amp and cooking your speakers in the process. Control over your sound will rapidly decline after that.

[JGR]

I'm not a fan of running a preamp into the front (preamp) of another head. Either find a head that works, or a preamp and separate power amp.

[powmetalbassist]

I talked to a guy at the College in town who has gone through the Music Industry Arts (studio recording) program here. He says that if I run the Pre amp through my head I can use both my pre amp and head settings together to form my tone.

Also mentiones on this whole cooking your speakers that pre goes into the amp and post goes out so then without putting too much post with high pre I shouldn't roast my speakers just get alot of distortion (doesn't really matter I tend to play mostly clean anyway)