I occasionally use the Return jack on my Tonehammer 500 in this way (with other replacement preamp devices) and it works great!
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
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.
All-New Ampeg SCR-DI!
- Thread starter CharlieC
- Start date
I occasionally use the Return jack on my Tonehammer 500 in this way (with other replacement preamp devices) and it works great!
Subbed... I like the idea of possibly using this to run a power amp. I like my pf500, no problems here, but can't seem to get any useable fuzz/distortion/drive out of it.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,634
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
Mine is coming tomorrow...it's good to be an endorser! Too bad I have so many gigs this week and probably won't get a lot of time to spend with it before next week. Doubtful that it's going to replace my REDDI as my #1 DI 
but like Hodgy, I could see a scenario where I'd use it in place of the VT Deluxe when I don't need 3 different settings or when I don't feel like taking the REDDI on a fly gig. Plus it's always good to have a little Swiss Army DI for convenient practicing, and neither the REDDI nor the VT Deluxe do that, though the REDDI does make an awesome headphone amp through the computer.
but like Hodgy, I could see a scenario where I'd use it in place of the VT Deluxe when I don't need 3 different settings or when I don't feel like taking the REDDI on a fly gig. Plus it's always good to have a little Swiss Army DI for convenient practicing, and neither the REDDI nor the VT Deluxe do that, though the REDDI does make an awesome headphone amp through the computer.
I ordered mine from Amazon a few weeks back - they have given no indication of a shipping date. I looked on Musician's Friend website and they are estimating March 7th IIRC.
My little pedal is probably out at sea somewhere - just like Jimmy would be at times
My little pedal is probably out at sea somewhere - just like Jimmy would be at times
Some would argue that I'm always a little out to sea.I ordered mine from Amazon a few weeks back - they have given no indication of a shipping date. I looked on Musician's Friend website and they are estimating March 7th IIRC.
My little pedal is probably out at sea somewhere - just like Jimmy would be at times
If I'm getting one, that probably means that they're about to hit stores. Don't hold them to it on my account, but I got the V4B and BA112 v2 the same day they hit stores. Actually got the V4B the next day since I gave them the wrong credit card number which delayed shipment. You have no idea how angry I am at myself for doing that. I will never be able to say that I got the new V4B before anyone else. I don't have many regrets but that's my biggest. I will forever bear that shame and there is nothing I can do about it. STUPIDSTUPIDSTUIPD!!!
OK, I feel better now. The tide finally came back in.
- Feb 16, 2008
- 21,240
- 23,634
- Disclosures
- John K Custom Basses
I have one on pre-order from amazon but it won't be here for a while.
It arrived half an hour ago! Hefty little box, very simple to use. The 10 minute headphone tryout went very well...sounds like an active DI with an Ampeg flair. For $200 I had to dial my expectations down a little from a B-15 with a speaker level DI but it's a very nice sounding box, and the 3-band EQ with ultra switches is versatile but much simpler to find good sounds than something like the VT (one of my favorite pedals of all time), which has more versatility but is way more complex to dial in.
As for the Scrambler overdrive, I think the big concern people have at the moment is not having a speaker sim and sending too much high end response for overdrive to the PA. There was a post someone made about an Ampeg rep saying that you don't need to worry about that with the Scrambler, and I agree. The Scrambler's highs are already attenuated so there won't be any icepicks to the eyes or blown PA tweeters. Sounds pretty darn good, too. Dirt simple to use, voiced very well, has a pretty decent range of distortion. Won't do fuzz but will get pretty heavy. Overdrive can be pretty tricky to set up for bass, but the Scrambler takes the guesswork out of it and doesn't let you dial in bad sounds. You trade a little versatility of tone for that, but I'm finding it hard to care.
So in my 10 short minutes of messing with it, I'm not finding anything to complain about yet It's a pretty darn useful little box IMHO and well thought-out.
but it's a very nice sounding box, and the 3-band EQ with ultra switches is versatile but much simpler to find good sounds than something like the VT (one of my favorite pedals of all time), which has more versatility but is way more complex to dial in. As for the Scrambler overdrive, I think the big concern people have at the moment is not having a speaker sim and sending too much high end response for overdrive to the PA. There was a post someone made about an Ampeg rep saying that you don't need to worry about that with the Scrambler, and I agree. The Scrambler's highs are already attenuated so there won't be any icepicks to the eyes or blown PA tweeters. Sounds pretty darn good, too. Dirt simple to use, voiced very well, has a pretty decent range of distortion. Won't do fuzz but will get pretty heavy. Overdrive can be pretty tricky to set up for bass, but the Scrambler takes the guesswork out of it and doesn't let you dial in bad sounds. You trade a little versatility of tone for that, but I'm finding it hard to care.
So in my 10 short minutes of messing with it, I'm not finding anything to complain about yet
It's a pretty darn useful little box IMHO and well thought-out.
I hope the DI on this thing is better than the one on my PF500. Jimmy is the gain on the Scrambler similar to the gain on the PF500 difference being you have much more gain on tap with the Scrambler? I really dig the gain control on my PF500 for adding just a touch of break-up. I have no need for distortion.
Nice informations !It arrived half an hour ago! Hefty little box, very simple to use. The 10 minute headphone tryout went very well...sounds like an active DI with an Ampeg flair. For $200 I had to dial my expectations down a little from a B-15 with a speaker level DI
As for the Scrambler overdrive, I think the big concern people have at the moment is not having a speaker sim and sending too much high end response for overdrive to the PA. There was a post someone made about an Ampeg rep saying that you don't need to worry about that with the Scrambler, and I agree. The Scrambler's highs are already attenuated so there won't be any icepicks to the eyes or blown PA tweeters. Sounds pretty darn good, too. Dirt simple to use, voiced very well, has a pretty decent range of distortion. Won't do fuzz but will get pretty heavy. Overdrive can be pretty tricky to set up for bass, but the Scrambler takes the guesswork out of it and doesn't let you dial in bad sounds. You trade a little versatility of tone for that, but I'm finding it hard to care.
So in my 10 short minutes of messing with it, I'm not finding anything to complain about yet
Tonewise, is it really different from the VT Bass ? I mean, does the VT Bass can be setted to sound the same, or is it really different ?
Haven't really got that far with it yet. I just tested what it sounded like, then I had just enough time to write a post about it and had to go to my gig and wanted to spend more time with it before I used it on a gig. All I know so far is it sounds good and you can go from a touch of breakup to pretty hard distortion with the Scrambler, but not quite fuzz.
The tones are in the same family and comparable in quality. The VT probably has a little more range and more ability to fine-tune your sounds, but it's not like the SCR-DI is lacking in versatility, and the controls are considerably simpler to use. The VT has a fairly steep learning curve at first because its controls are so sensitive and make huge changes with just a little movement. The SCR-DI you could whip it out for the first time and have a good clean sound and a good overdrive sound within seconds.
The SVT-CL was a brilliant idea but apparently HEAPS of them had buzzing/humming issues which put too many people off. I read in a few places that swapping out the valves could fix it... As for me I've been dying to get my hands on one for quite a few years now!
The SVT-2 Pro is/was also brilliant but once again, issues, issues, issues...
Those things pop valves like popcorn!
The SVT-CL was a brilliant idea but apparently HEAPS of them had buzzing/humming issues which put too many people off. I read in a few places that swapping out the valves could fix it... As for me I've been dying to get my hands on one for quite a few years now!
The SVT-2 Pro is/was also brilliant but once again, issues, issues, issues...
Both models that you referred to are full bass heads - not preamps. Do you mean to critique the "SVP-CL" and "SVP-Pro"?
I'm sure you mean the SVP-CL and SVP-Pro preamps, not the actual SVT heads. The SVP-Pro did have buzzing issues sometimes, I believe, but not the SVP-CL.
First I'm hearing of this, but since it's discontinued, oh wellThe SVT-2 Pro is/was also brilliant but once again, issues, issues, issues...
I'm sure you mean the SVP-CL and SVP-Pro preamps, not the actual SVT heads. The SVP-Pro did have buzzing issues sometimes, I believe, but not the SVP-CL.
First I'm hearing of this, but since it's discontinued, oh well
The 2 Pro has an insufficient stock cooling fan. I added a larger unit to mine - I only had to re-tube about every 5 years or so - and it was my only amp about half that time (I had it for about fifteen years).
I'm still thinking about one of these. My hesitation is that the mid dial is at 500 Hz and I've grown to really love the sound of my V-4B or PF-500 when engaging the ultra lo, thereby cutting 500 Hz, but then boosting mids at 800 Hz via the selector switch. I wish there wasn't the redundancy of frequencies effected by the ultra lo and mid.
