Preamp/DI/Valve Emulator Alternatives Do Exist

[faceinbass]

So.... my last thread on this subject was closed.
Too bad really, there was some useful info in there.
Info that imo does provide some much needed balance to this forum.

After discussing this with the moderator who closed that thread, I am going to follow his advice and give this another shot.

We all know that LOTS of people like Tech21 products and use them faithfully. & Some post about them.... a lot. Great. Good for them. I am happy they are 'set' in their bass tone and jazzed to post about it. This thread isn't for them.

This thread is for those of us interested in alternatives to the Tech21 line of pedals/pres/di's/emulators. And for sharing our experience. Let's call this sans sanssansamp thread

Here is a quick list of pedals that fit into this category of tone effectors:

The Mesa Boogie V-Twin (used to own, never should have sold)
Hartke Bass Attack (own, like)
The SFT (own/use)
The Rusty Box (own/use)
RealTubes The Blue Tube (own, like)
MXR M80 (friend uses it, sounds great imo)
Radial Bassbone and their other DI boxes (no experience)
DHA VT-1 (member recommendation)
Aquilar Tone Hammer (member recommendation)
Fuchs Plush "Valve Job" (member modded for bass)
Darkglass B3k or B7k (member desires one)
English Muff'n (member recommendation)
Aphex BASS Aural Exciter (member recommendation)
Creation Audio Holy Fire into the Retrospec Squeezebox (member recommendation)
BJFE Blueberry (member recommendation)

I myself love the SFT > Bass Eq > RustyBox > solid state amp.

I get the sound I hear in my head for my "clean" tone this way. I can dial in 3 very different forms of "grind" and "cut" with this set up.

If you are so inclined, Please post OR REPOST what you use and why you chose it.

[totalimmortal08]

I have the DHA VT-1. It adds to my overall sound and is usually on 80% of the time.

[M0ses]

I have the DHA VT-1 and it's my only preamp, going straight into an SS power amp. So yeah, it's on all the time. The DI out is really great, too. Picture perfect tube tone, from clean to dirty. I'd also like to throw in that Dave Hall has the best customer support around: I bought the pedal used, and when there was a problem with the DI, Dave paid for it to be shipped to the UK for free servicing. Yeah.

[Eric!]

I've been looking into alternatives for a while..that V-Twin looks like an awesome pedal! Been meaning to look into a Rusty Box..

[bongomania]

I support DHA 100%, good stuff. My very favorite "dirty tubes" tone from a pedal right now is from a Fuchs Plush "Valve Job" that I modded for bass. I have not heard a better tube-dirt pedal, period. For a more VT-like pedal setup, I get great results running various overdrives though a Fromel "Shape EQ" set with a frowny shape emphasizing the low mids and rolling off highs above 3KHz give or take. The reason I bother with a two-pedal approach like that is (a) for different flavors of OD, within the same general "shape" of tone; and (b) I use noiseless OD's, and the Fromel is noiseless, so the 2-pedal tradeoff is I get VT tone with zero noise.

[magneezius]

Subscrizzled


I really wanna get my hands on either the Darkglass B3k or B7k (with eq and DI)...Both look and sound gnarly judging from the video demos.

[gnasher1993]

The SFT is cool. I'm a WIIO user now . I love it, it's got the exact sound I need/want.

[P-oddz]

Aguilar's Tone Hammer should count as well. I love mine.

Preamp/DI/EQ and overall purveyor of wonderfulness.

It gives my jazz a little kick in the pants, while still maintaining my jazz sound and overall tone. With the AGS (gain stage switch) you can dial in a very tube-esque warmth and grit, that has proven to be extremely useful as an EQ in my setup, and a DI for recording or sending sound to the front of the house.

Current config:
'62 RI Jazz -> Octamizer -> Agro -> Tone Hammer - which all pushes to my Fender Bassman TV fifteen. Tone is warm, gritty, and punchy all together. I kick on the Agro when I want real aggressive OD.

[cheapbasslovin]

English Muff'n. Good (not amazing) on its own, but has made every dirt I've ever played sound amazing. Hate the power supply, size, and noise potential (power supply location affects this greatly), but love the sound and can't get rid of it.

[faceinbass]

All of these suggestions are so welcome!

I want to eventually do a pic gallery of them in this thread so keep them coming!

[faceinbass]

Originally Posted by Eric!

I've been looking into alternatives for a while..that V-Twin looks like an awesome pedal! Been meaning to look into a Rusty Box..

If you have any questions about either, I am your man.

The V-Twin's "green" channel is an amazing bass clean tone.
The "red" channel is a decent overdrive too boot.
I never really bothered with the "blue" channel.

The RustyBox is just fun and has all the SS grit and girth you could want.

[Crystalman85]

I personally like the hartke bass attack pedal for it's tone shaping capabilities. it also sounds cool with the effects that I use. I had this pedal once and I was thinking about buying it again. I also think that the mxr m80 sounded pretty cool. this pedal does have a nice clean sound and pretty cool grinding distortion sound. it's a shame that not every bass player likes the distortion sound on the mxr m80. but I think it sounded pretty cool.

[timbledum]

Not exactly pedal tube emulator, but what do you guys think of the GK supposedly valve-like overdrive. Do you think it pulls it off?

[BasslineBullet]

Not so sure if this counts, but my Aphex Aural Exciter shapes the low end nicely for the sound im looking for, and the DI works great on it. the only thing its lacking is a little dirt...

[Jared Lash]

Originally Posted by timbledum

Not exactly pedal tube emulator, but what do you guys think of the GK supposedly valve-like overdrive. Do you think it pulls it off?

If you're talking about the GK Diesel Dawg pedal (which uses the circuit from the dirty channel of the 2001RB-II, then no, it isn't tube-like at all - but it isn't meant to be. If you're talking about the new Fusion amps they have a very tubey pre-amp but still have the "GK sound". Very much a hybrid sound.

I can feel that I'm going to soon give in and go back to an all tube amp, but for now the Mesa Walkabout scratches that itch.

Previously I've used quite a few preamps and tube emulators (including the VT Bass, Flipster and SFT) but my most recent combo for old school tube tone was the Creation Audio Holy Fire into the Retrospec Squeezebox. Tubelike OD into a great tube compressor. The Squeezebox also had a DI which was handy.

The BJFE Blueberry was the most tube-like OD I've ever used, even moreso than pedals with actual tubes. Unlike that pre-amp grit, the BBBOD truly sounded like sweating power tubes.

Right now I have a Darkglass B3K preordered and the last email I got said it should ship in a few days.

[faceinbass]

Thanks guys~

I keep updating the list in my first post.
If anyone has rec's on these or others, please post them!

[gnasher1993]

Originally Posted by gnasher1993

I'm a WIIO user now . I love it, it's got the exact sound I need/want.

Originally Posted by faceinbass

I keep updating the list in my first post.
If anyone has rec's on these or others, please post them!

You missed one . I know a lot of bassists turn their noses up at the WIIO but I think it's awesome. It really nails the Hiwatt sound. It's a seriously under-rated pedal, I think more bass players need to try it .

[metalmariachi]

Another one to try is the MOEN Buffalo it does a nice job at a low price, and has an XLR out put.

The DHA VT-1 is very nice, I use it as an overdrive mostly though.
The Blue Tube also works very well.

How about the Barber Lynden.
The Flipster or many of the other OLC pedals. More useful as overdrives/distortion with specific colors ie Marshal, Orange etc.

MM

[jcburn]

I used to used the MXR M80. Great clean preamp but what I didn't like was when the OD was engaged the Colour function became automatically on. The EQ curve dropped certain mids I think I wanted in there. I also found the OD to be a little on the fizzy/SS side of things.
Im currently using the Drive function of my Ashdown ABM 500 and pushed to about 2 oclock gives me all the grit I need without the sound being fully distorted.

[Eric!]

I've come back to say that the Rusty Box kicks so much tail, it ain't even funny.