| Pre-amp pedal/outboard pre reviews
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Since I've accumulated and used various pres over the years and since folks are frequently looking for opinions on them, I figured I'd take a stab at reviewing the various ones I've owned. Keep in mind that these are reviewed based upon my tastes and preferences, but I hope some can find this to be helpful.
1. Sansamp Bass Driver DI
Features:
- Level
- Blend – Allows you to dial in as much of the “tube” character as desired
- Treble
- Bass
- Drive – allows you to dial in relatively mild and subtle overdrive
- Presence – for definition in the higher frequencies.
- Two ¼” outputs
- DI out
Basics:
This pedal is actually my “MVP” pedal. If I were forced to take only one pedal to a gig, it would be this one. Tonally, it gives me usable, versatile settings for fingerstyle and slapping and, even though it doesn’t feature a mid adjust, it is voiced quite evenly across the spectrum. You can “boost” or “cut” the mids by dialing the treble and bass up or down. I’m typically a flat EQ guy, so I keep the bass and treble dialed at 12:00. I also keep the “Presence” dialed at 12:00, but a twist to the right brings out some nice, modern tones.
The “Drive” is nice and subtle, which I prefer, as I don’t like heavy OD, distortion or fuzz. If you want heavy distortion, you should look into a separate distortion pedal. I keep mine set at about 9:00 – 10:00, which gives just a hint of OD.
The “Blend” feature allows you to dial up the tube character - the greater the clockwise turn, the greater the degree of character. Be careful, however, as extreme settings result in serious mid cut and you will get lost in the mix. I keep my set at about 10:00.
The DI is quite good, when possible, I use it as my main DI (when I’m not running straight from my amp).
I also have the RBI version and, save for the lack of mid adjustment, this pedal compares quite favorably.
Pros:
- Super versatile
- Well built
- LOTS of usable tones
- Good DI
- Simple interface
- Parallel outs
Cons:
- No mid adjustment
- The “Blend” feature, at least for me, is only good (for me) when set to, at most, 10:00-12:00. Anything past that and I get lost in the mix in a band setting.
2. MXR M-80
Features:
- Distortion channel with gain, volume, and blend control
- Noise Gate
- Color knob
- Bass
- Mid
- Treble
- Phantom power
- 1/4" and XLR outs
- Parallel output jack
- DC adapter capable
Basics:
This pedal is actually my LEAST favorite of the preamp pedals I’ve owned. To me, this pedal is sterile and unexciting, tonally, though it does possess some nice features. In fact, I have never gotten a sound that I liked out of this pedal.
The Distortion is just too fuzzy and unusable for me, even though it features a “Blend” knob and separate volume controls. It’s as if they had all the right ideas, but the execution fell short.
The clean EQ personality is, frankly, pretty lifeless. By that, I mean that I could not dial in anything that gave me the sound that I prefer, personally. But then, if you’ve read my review of the BDDI above, you know what my tonal preferences are, and, simply put, I just couldn’t get “my” sound with this pedal. It’s almost as if this pedal actually “dulled” my sound.
The DI is nice, however, and the construction is rock solid – something I always expect from MXR anyway.
I tried, repeatedly, to get what I wanted, tonally and from a distortion effect perspective, but I was never successful. The recordings I made with this pedal produced my least favorite of any tones I’ve committed to tape.
Pros:
- Well built
- Good DI
- Nice set of features
- Pedal is labeled well
- Mid adjustment
- Parallel outs
- Phantom power
- DC adapter capable
Cons:
- I did not care for the tones, clean or otherwise. In the end, that’s what matters most to me.
3. Fodera 2000 (the old one without the DI)
Features:
- Volume
- Bass boost
- Mid boost
- Treble boost
- Mid cut
- 1/4" out
- 18v powered
Basics:
I sold this pedal a couple of years ago and I miss it. No, it’s not a DI pedal and no, it doesn’t possess a lot of features, but what it DOES feature are highly usable tones. I loved this pedal and regret selling it, frankly. Not a whole lot to say because, again, there are few features on this pedal, other than to state the fact that this pedal really gave me a bunch of tones that I liked and used, be it of modern or vintage nature. The bass, treble and mid are all boost only, but the mid can be cut, thanks top the mid cut switch.
One rather glaring feature that was missing from this pedal was an indicator light. It would have been nice to have had one or two, especially for live performances when you don’t always know if your mids have been cut, thanks to stage noise, etc.
The newer version of this pedal features a DI out and DC adapter capability. The old one only allowed battery power and, at that, you had to unscrew the entire bottom plate in order to access the two 9-volt batteries(!). On the plus side, battery life is RIDICULOUSLY long in this pedal. Be forewarned, however, as the “low battery” indicator light is hard to see.
The knobs are easy to see, but, compared to the MXR and Sansamp, they appear to be at least slightly more prone to damage. I never had a problem with them, but it is worth noting.
Pros:
- Well built
- GREAT tones and a nice variety
- Mid adjustment
- Mid cut switch
Cons:
- No DI (new model features a DI)
- No DC adapter capability (new model features DC power)
- Boost only (this may not really be a con, but it needs to be considered and the mid can be cut, thanks to the switch)
- No indicator light to alert when active or when mid is cut
- No parallel out
4. Sadowsky Bass Preamp/DI
Features:
- Volume
- Bass boost
- Treble boost
- Mute
- Tuner out
- DI out
- 1/4" out
- DC adapter capable
- Ground lift
Basics:
After searching for another Fodera 2000 recently and after coming to the realization that the market rate for the Fodera was more than I could justify, I “settled” on the Sadowsky. Fortunately for me, this was anything BUT a compromise. This pedal gives some of the nicest tones I’ve experienced in a pedal and it makes my passive basses “sizzle”. In fact, this pedal actually made me wish that more of my basses were either passive or allowed for passive/active switching so that I could use it with more of them! My MTD Kingston, which features a Bartolini pickup and preamp, allows for switching to passive, so I now bypass the Bart pre in favor of this pedal.
Because it’s boost only, you don’t need to twist the knobs too far, otherwise you may saturate your sound a bit (but some like that, so that’s fine). I keep the treble at about 10:00 and the bass at about 9:00. Sadly, there is no mid adjustment for this, but hell – you can’t have everything, right?
Other nice features include tuner out, mute and a quick access battery compartment on the side. I have yet to use the DI, so I can’t comment on it.
Pros:
- Well built
- GREAT tones and a nice variety
- Tuner out and mute features
- Quick access battery compartment
- Nice, bright indicator lights
Cons:
- No mid adjustment
- Boost only (this may not really be a con, but it needs to be considered)
- No parallel out
5. Hartke VXL Bass Attack
Features:
- Level
- Bass
- Treble
- Harmonics – allows you to dial in OD
- Shape – allows tone shaping adjustments
- Mix
- Brite
- DI out with pre/post
- Two 1/4" out
- DC adapter capable
- Ground lift and phantom power
Basics:
Okay, this pedal provided me with a pleasant surprise. Yes, Hartke often takes a beating on these boards and, truth be told, I’ve never been the biggest Hartke fan myself (just personal preference). However, for the price (and this is key), it is hard to beat this little gem.
The “Harmonics” knob allows you to dial in some nice, gritty drive while maintaining clarity, especially when used in conjunction with the “Shape” knob, which allows utilization of the Hartke shape circuitry. Instead of simply adding “fuzz” or noise, the Harmonics feature provides a rather convincing and usable OD effect. I typically set the “Harmonics” to around 11:00 and the “Shape” to around 12:00, at most.
The “Brite” knob can be quite “zingy”, if that’s your thing, and I keep mine set at around 12:00. I keep the Bass and Treble set at around 12:00 as well. One thing to keep in mind, though – even with “On/Off” and “Shape” set to the off positions, the EQ is always on. This is something to consider when using for live applications, especially with an active bass.
While the chassis itself is ruggedly built, the knobs are awful. They are cheap, flimsy and the setting notches are VERY hard to see. I’m thinking of replacing them so I don’t have to squint to see what my settings are.
I actually use this pedal on a weekly basis at practice as we run direct into a board for studio/headphone practices. I use the ¼” out to run to the board, though the DI is fine as well, if not the best in the business.
I bought this used from a fellow TBer for 45 bucks and I have MORE than gotten my money’s worth with this pedal. Don’t be swayed by bias against the Hartke name – for the price, this is a surprisingly good pedal.
Pros:
- Well built chassis
- Nice, usable tones
- Nice, bright indicator lights
Cons:
- No mid adjustment
- Cheap, flimsy knobs
6. Aguilar DB24
Features:
- Volume
- Bass boost
- Treble boost
- ¼” in/out
Basics:
Pretty simple outboard preamp. You don’t get a bunch of features – just basic tone shaping, and not terribly versatile shaping at that. This is a nice little preamp, but it wasn’t what I was looking for, so I sold it pretty quickly.
Tonally, this thing is WARM, so know that you aren’t going to get a modern, slaphappy, “hi-fi” sound out of this unit. It features the OBP-1 circuitry and, if you prefer warmth, this may be worth a look as they can be had for relatively cheap on the used market. It is boost-only and it is powered by 2 9v batteries (no DC capability).
This is not a DI, nor is it a “pedal”. It is, simply put, an onboard Aguilar preamp housed in an outboard box. Period. Its chassis is solid enough for a unit that won’t be stomped, but the knobs are a bit small.
Pros:
- Warm tones
- Well constructed
- Simple design
Cons:
- No mid adjustment
- Small knobs
- No DC compatibility (but this is really an onboard preamp in a box anyway)
7. K&K Pure preamp
Features:
- Volume
- Bass
- Mid
- Treble
- ¼” in/out
Basics:
Again, this is a simple outboard preamp with no features other than tone-shaping. It does not color your tone at all and I bought this for my passive EUB. Does the job just fine for what it is.
You can attach this to your belt and do your thing. Clean boost and clean frequency adjustment. No DI.
Pros:
- Clean tone adjustment
- Well constructed
- Simple design
- Mid adjustment
Cons:
- Small knobs
- No DC compatibility (but this is really an onboard preamp in a box anyway)
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