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A preamp that will not destroy the mix

#21
My .02 - Keep the pre you like and get some kind of dirty boost or tone-sweetener in front of it. Typically, in my experience that setup changes the inherent sound of a pre the least but gives you the extra footswitch to easily engage/reengage the overdriven sound as needed. Overdrive is after all, an original signal just being pushed with extra gain, no change in signal path or components.

Solid boost options off the top - Spark Booster, Studio Mini, Silver Peg, Phat Phuk B, Sushi MORE, Barbershop, Schaffer Replica, Edison.
 
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#22
JoeDoe said:
My .02 - Keep the pre you like and get some kind of dirty boost or tone-sweetener in front of it. Typically, in my experience that setup changes the inherent sound of a pre the least but gives you the extra footswitch to easily engage/reengage the overdriven sound as needed. Overdrive is after all, an original signal just being pushed with extra gain, no change in signal path or components.

Solid boost options off the top - Spark Booster, Studio Mini, Silver Peg, Phat Phuk B, Sushi MORE, Barbershop, Schaffer Replica, Edison.
Click to expand...
Agreed! Just got the TC Spark to drive my Edison. This gives lots of tonal OD variety that cuts thru the mix.
 
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#24
The DCX Bass is a handy preamp. The drive can be set with light saturation when playing normally with fingers, then gets gritty when you dig in, and get nice OD if you switch to a pick. The EQ on the DCX is excellent, as well. The sound of your bass is maintained (and improved). No DI, though.
 
#25
PabloPL said:
Hi all!

From the last time I am so confuse on preamp market. I am searching a pedal, that have clean section to adjust, and drive section, that will provide only warm drive but will not alternate the sound level and overall the tone of the bas (like going from nice bassy sound to nasty middle one).

Right now I have Darkglass Vintage Deluxe V2 and clean section lets say it is ok, but when I am hit the drive button, the output level changes and bass slightly disappear from the mix. And overall the drive on this pedal is still, I don't know how to fraze it, to modern?

The goal is that I will be connected to Tube amp (Orange AD200), sometimes Orange Little Bass Thing, but also I want to have possibility to play without amp and cab, and still maintain acceptable sound. So my main focus is to have nice clean sound with little warm (so AD200 is doing this) but sometimes I need to add more drive in the middle of the song. I don't want to have distorted sound to much with lot of highs and midds. Just something that will enhance the sound with nice drive that will not take away the bass and headroom and will not destroy the bands mix during the live show.

Any recommendations? Go with preamp with drive, or separate preamp?
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Here are two to consider:
Bergantino Super Pre - - $699
Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe - No longer made but you can usually find them on Reverb for $350 to $400. These are like "collector's items". The don't come up
for sale very often.
 
#30
Have you tried VooDoo LB’s Sparkle Drive? Plenty on the used market. It’s basically a Tube Screamer with a wet dry blend knob. So you can blend the dirty signal into your clean one. Not a Preamp pedal, but does what you’re asking.

The origin effects bassrig pedals do blend the overdriven sound with the clean. I had the ‘64 for a while and it was a very nice pedal. You might try those as well. ~$500 USD and they retain value used it seems
 
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#32
PabloPL said:
Hi all!

From the last time I am so confuse on preamp market. I am searching a pedal, that have clean section to adjust, and drive section, that will provide only warm drive but will not alternate the sound level and overall the tone of the bas (like going from nice bassy sound to nasty middle one).

Right now I have Darkglass Vintage Deluxe V2 and clean section lets say it is ok, but when I am hit the drive button, the output level changes and bass slightly disappear from the mix. And overall the drive on this pedal is still, I don't know how to fraze it, to modern?

The goal is that I will be connected to Tube amp (Orange AD200), sometimes Orange Little Bass Thing, but also I want to have possibility to play without amp and cab, and still maintain acceptable sound. So my main focus is to have nice clean sound with little warm (so AD200 is doing this) but sometimes I need to add more drive in the middle of the song. I don't want to have distorted sound to much with lot of highs and midds. Just something that will enhance the sound with nice drive that will not take away the bass and headroom and will not destroy the bands mix during the live show.

Any recommendations? Go with preamp with drive, or separate preamp and separate drive?
Click to expand...
Lusithand Ground and Pound and Kasleder Jellyfish don't increate vol with gain (The G&P a bit but not like other pedals)

This video has good exampes of both

 
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#33
gtirard said:
Jad Freer Capo lets me do all that, and more:
- 2 independant channels with gain and level for each, 3 band EQ for channel A
- Sounds amazing, not too modern. The "Style" knob on channel A give a nice control over the color of the distortion.
- Can use A alone, B alone, A->B, B->A

The only drawbacks:
- The price
- Currently 20 weeks delivery time: the demand is so high that they can't catch up
- The price used is consequently even higher than new (like for the Noble preamp)

Worth the wait IMHO (even if I had to wait mine only 4 weeks at the time)

View attachment 7125290
Click to expand...
Came here to say the same
 
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#34
RevOgre said:
Lusithand Ground and Pound and Kasleder Jellyfish don't increate vol with gain (The G&P a bit but not like other pedals)

This video has good exampes of both

Click to expand...

He just keeps on saying it's amazing but no playing. Should we just believe that. Oh wait he has an outro for like 10 seconds but not sure what the preamps were on and what the settings were. And it's not really that amazing. It is okay and functional.

For me as a previous player who still have Mesa Boogie Guitar amps, the only satisfactory bass guitar grind is to use separate amps. Split one signal and even just a humble tube screamer into a tube guitar amp with the bass control cut to 0 - 2 and the tube guitar amp on the edge while the other split signal runs through a regular bass amp providing bass tone is the no compromise solution. Of course that is heavy and cumbersome. Try it sometime.
 
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#35
logdrum said:
He just keeps on saying it's amazing but no playing. Should we just believe that. Oh wait he has an outro for like 10 seconds but not sure what the preamps were on and what the settings were. And it's not really that amazing. It is okay and functional.

For me as a previous player who still have Mesa Boogie Guitar amps, the only satisfactory bass guitar grind is to use separate amps. Split one signal and even just a humble tube screamer into a tube guitar amp with the bass control cut to 0 - 2 and the tube guitar amp on the edge while the other split signal runs through a regular bass amp providing bass tone is the no compromise solution. Of course that is heavy and cumbersome. Try it sometime.
Click to expand...
Neat.
 
#37
logdrum said:
the only satisfactory bass guitar grind is to use separate amps. Split one signal and even just a humble tube screamer into a tube guitar amp with the bass control cut to 0 - 2 and the tube guitar amp on the edge while the other split signal runs through a regular bass amp providing bass tone is the no compromise solution.
Click to expand...
I will vouch for this approach

I used to have a SWR WM 15 combo, I'd stack a guitar combo on top
run the bass amp tuner out into all the pedals and then the guitar amp
So I had a pure undiluted bass signal , with all the Hi frequency tweaks coming from the guitar amp.

It's the ultimate cure for "my pedal kills the bass"
 
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#38
logdrum said:
He just keeps on saying it's amazing but no playing. Should we just believe that. Oh wait he has an outro for like 10 seconds but not sure what the preamps were on and what the settings were. And it's not really that amazing. It is okay and functional.

For me as a previous player who still have Mesa Boogie Guitar amps, the only satisfactory bass guitar grind is to use separate amps. Split one signal and even just a humble tube screamer into a tube guitar amp with the bass control cut to 0 - 2 and the tube guitar amp on the edge while the other split signal runs through a regular bass amp providing bass tone is the no compromise solution. Of course that is heavy and cumbersome. Try it sometime.
Click to expand...
Wet/dry is key whenever things are going to get muddy to the ears, imo.

I rarely like grit on bass alone but can like it quite a bit in a band mix.

YMMV.
 

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