• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Double Bass Headway EDB1 preamp

bassinstincts

bassinstincts

Jul 7, 2004
1,465
81
Chapel Hill, NC
www.seenoweevil.com
Disclosures
Acoustic Image
#1
Just arrived. The greatest I have ever heard at making piezo pickups sound musical.

I will be selling my Fishman Platinum and my Sans Amp Para.

The EDB1 is just the best, most natural sounding preamp I have encountered. Makes my Wes Lambe ABG sound like an upright. Maximizes the sound from every piezo I own. Its the best.
 
#8
shwashwa said:
this looks interesting although the phantom power to the mic channel is only 18v. dont most condensers need 48v?
Click to expand...

No, this is a little more flexible than you're thinking:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar05/articles/condensers.htm

Read the section "All about Phantom Power."

The mics I like to use live for bass are the AKG C3000 and the ATM35

Happily, the AKG will operate at 9-52 volts
Invalid Link Removed

and the ATM35 is good at 11-52 volts
Invalid Link Removed

You have to check the specs for your mic.

This looks like a box worth checking out.... I await the review.

Brent
 
#11
If we are talking about John Littler, maybe you caught him on a bad day. I didn't actually talk to the guy but we traded numerous emails and he was very helpful and forthcoming with information...and thanked me for the order which was shipped the next day. He certainly is knowledgeable. The manual for the product reflects this.

On the strength of the preamp, I am giving thought to one of his pickups, too.
 
#12
thats the guy. i quite liked him, even if he was a bit grumpy.
(hows chapel hill music these days? i used to spend a lot of time in Asheville. miss north carolina loads..)

ive heard his pickups on violin, and they were alright. havent heard anything good nor bad about his double bass ones. they look like a tricky fit.
 
#13
Actually, I am a transplanted Brit, to NC via a long time in Canada.
The music scene here is better than most, but very crowded. I don't spend much time in Asheville, but I love the place.

Did you go 360 from Britain and back?

I now really love the sound of my uprights (Full Circle on one, Realist on the other) through the EDB-1. Also, the best sound I have ever had from my archtop fretless ABG. I should probably just stay with what I have on the latter (a Pickup The World piezo under one of the bridge feet, which sounds suitably woody).

Little says the Headway bridge and pickup would make for less handling noise on the ABG and give me a more "focused" sound and I believe him. But I am afraid it would also be more hard or brittle sounding. And I would know until I am a few hundred bucks into it.
 
#14
bassinstincts said:
If we are talking about John Littler, maybe you caught him on a bad day. I didn't actually talk to the guy but we traded numerous emails and he was very helpful and forthcoming with information...and thanked me for the order which was shipped the next day. He certainly is knowledgeable. The manual for the product reflects this.

On the strength of the preamp, I am giving thought to one of his pickups, too.
Click to expand...

yea John was quite nice when I communicated with him.
 
#18
gcordez said:
These things are excellent,

I got one about a month ago and been using it to blend my
Realist with the DYN-B or a ATM 350 mic. Best sounding preamp that ive come across so far. One thing though, its a bit annoying that the EQ settings arent for the seperate channels, but just the final output..
Click to expand...

G Cordez,
Are the lack of independent preamp settings for each channel just inconvenient or does it create problems that can't be resolved because the mic and piezo actually require different equalization? Unfortunately, there are no units that offer , dual channel, blending, with variable notch, phase, and lo cut filters. I would also prefer to be able to set the low cut myself rather than have it set at a fixed frequency.

Ric
 
#19
I just talked with Gordon at Nova Strings who distributes the Headway products. We talked about the EDB1 and its EQing of both channels rather then independant EQ...in the end we're just going to have to try it. But I also got some more information on Headway and John Littler who seems deeply committed to creating superior amplification products for string instruments. His bass pick up which like a few other has the disadvantage of needing to be routed into the foot of the bridge, is of a different type of piezo element and very intriguing.
I
 
#20
Ric Vice said:
G Cordez,
Are the lack of independent preamp settings for each channel just inconvenient or does it create problems that can't be resolved because the mic and piezo actually require different equalization? Unfortunately, there are no units that offer , dual channel, blending, with variable notch, phase, and lo cut filters. I would also prefer to be able to set the low cut myself rather than have it set at a fixed frequency.

Ric
Click to expand...

Rane AP13
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back