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Double Bass An Ehrlund blog, sort of

#501
If anyone wants to send me a bit of Schertler putty, I have the technology. Osillyscopes, spectrograffs, spirographs, and some tarot cards to boot.

Seriousness, I doubt it makes an acoustic difference, but more of a structural difference, ease of getting on and off. I have dropped more tiny balls of putty on the floor than I ever did with the Schertler, plus I like to move and remove the EAP constantly depending on gig and over time the putty gets dirty and loses tack, so perhaps it doesn't hurt to have a surplus.
 
#507
I just listed my Ehrlund for sale on the classifieds. Not because it didn't work well - I found a good spot on the bass fairly quickly and thought it did sound great. But after using it on a few gigs, I found I missed the extra low end from the Full Circle. The Ehrlund sounded like my bass, but the Full Circle adds some lower sonic foundation to the band that I felt was missing with the Ehrlund. I discovered that "my bass only louder" was not exactly what I want in a stage sound.
 
#508
I just borrowed an EAP for a week, I did 3 rehearsals and a concert, at a symphonic hall with jazz quintett ( Dr, Piano, perc, Sax, DB ) and a symphonic orchestra, it was not a quiet gig. I absolutelly amazed! It was unbelievable experience, to hear my bass loud behind me through my Aguilar amp without feedback. I used the pickup directly to the amp without preamp, works very well! The Aguliar AG500 has an excelent preamp section ( class A preamp ), I tired the pickup with my old GK MB150, this pickup need more gain than piezzos, if the amp's preamp not good enough, can not give enough gain without loss of some clarity, but it works well with GK too, just not as good as with my Aggie. I think the Ehrlund pickup is a new chapter in the double bass amplification. I long time hate piezzo pickups, I allways think piezzos as necessary evil, but now seems not as necessary.......
 
#509
Barcza said:
I just borrowed an EAP for a week, I did 3 rehearsals and a concert, at a symphonic hall with jazz quintett ( Dr, Piano, perc, Sax, DB ) and a symphonic orchestra, it was not a quiet gig. I absolutelly amazed! It was unbelievable experience, to hear my bass loud behind me through my Aguilar amp without feedback. I used the pickup directly to the amp without preamp, works very well! The Aguliar AG500 has an excelent preamp section ( class A preamp ),
Click to expand...

An estute observation, apparently the AG 500 has ample gain staging to properly increase the Ehrlund's output

Barcza said:
I tired the pickup with my old GK MB150, this pickup need more gain than piezzos, if the amp's preamp not good enough, can not give enough gain without loss of some clarity, but it works well with GK too, just not as good as with my Aggie. I think the Ehrlund pickup is a new chapter in the double bass amplification. I long time hate piezzo pickups, I allways think piezzos as necessary evil, but now seems not as necessary.......
Click to expand...

You didn't mention if you had access a Ehrlund Pre Amp, to do a comparaison. If you had, your avaliable gain would have been increased without that loss in clarity you experienced. I have yet to find an amplifier, where the EAP didn't benifit from using the Ehrlund Pre Amp. I used it with a Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0 10T, Ampeg B-15N, a Walter Woods MI-400-8, a Walter Woods Ultra, and a Acoustic Image Ten 2.

Ric
 
#511
Barcza said:
I had no acces to the preamp, just to the pickup, so I haven't tired the preamp. The Ehrund pickup just give clear gain, or it's pre filtered? Walter Woods doesn't sounds good enough? it has a good gain stage too.
Click to expand...

Barcza,
The Ehrlund Pre is ruler flat. Here's Les' analysis of the pre amp.


"I decided to find out! As it happens I have a gig tonight so my bass and rig are here at work. I took the Ehrlund pre into my lab. The picture below shows the spectrum of the Ehrlund pre between 0 Hz (DC) and 200 Hz with the switch set to "LOW." The vertical cursor is sitting at 20.5 Hz:"


"Note that the response is essentially flat down to below 20 Hz. I measured the response as being ruler flat up to at least 10 kHz. Changing to the "HIGH" setting increased the gain by 7.3 dB with no effect at all on the spectrum. There you have it, folks."

When you add the Pre Amp into the signal chain, you get a full spectrum boost of the entire frequency range. Using the pickup alone even with the Walter Woods you have to increase the Volume much higher and even then the timbral characateristics of the EAP aren't as sastisfying to my ear. The Pre Amp improves the tone quality and avaliable volume. IMHO

Ric
 

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#512
Thanks for pointing to my post, Ric. The "6" should be crossed out so that it reads 7.3 dB. That editing didn't make it through your copy and paste. Just didn't want folks to think it was 67.3 dB! :)

By the way, the small, random fluctuations in the plot are an artifact. They result from the averaging the pre-amp's response to a broadband noise source. If I had used a more involved technique, those fluctuations would be absent.
 
#513
I see, since the preamp has flat response, it just simulate a hotter output for the pickup, without coloration and your preamp have less "work" to get the right level, that way your amp add less color too. Nevertheless, I try to skip the Ehrlund preamp first, when I will buy the EAP ( must buy ), because I don't like battery operated units on stage, and I like to get a preamp with notch filter to deal with the instrument's resonant freq or feedback.
Do you know how rated the input impedance at the Ehrund preamp?
 
#514
Barcza said:
I see, since the preamp has flat response, it just simulate a hotter output for the pickup, without coloration and your preamp have less "work" to get the right level, that way your amp add less color too.
Click to expand...

That's precisely how it works

Barcza said:
Nevertheless, I'll try to skip the Ehrlund preamp first, when I will buy the EAP ( must buy ), because I don't like battery operated units on stage, and I'd like to get a preamp with notch filter, to deal with the instrument's resonant freq or feedback.
Click to expand...

Well, that is a choice that is entirely up to you. The Ehrlund Pre Amp is very quiet, and the battery lasts quite a long time. I've never had a need for a "Notch" filter with the EAP, as it's very feedback resistant, even through a large sound system. I find the Phase Reverse Switch on the Ehrlund Pre Amp to be quite effective.

Barcza said:
Do you know how rated the input impedance at the Ehrund preamp?
Click to expand...

I believe I read a post here on TB, where Goran Ehrlund mentioned that the input impedance was 2 Meg Ohms, but I could be wrong.


Ric
 
#516
engedi1 said:
I am trying to remember if I have changed my battery in the Pre after a year of use. I might have, just because I was worried about it, not because I noticed a drop in performance.
Click to expand...

Just an aside and recommendation, I love the little Avery 05422 1/2" x 1 3/4" removable self-adhesive labels (Staples generic, too). I jot dates for batteries (9v 4/2/13) and string change dates and stick them on preamps and other electronic devices, the backs of ebass headstocks, reference settings on amps, preamps, and pedals, etc. They peel off easily and don't leave marks or residue IME. Been using them for years, pick up a pack, they rock.
 
#519
My ehrlund preamp died, and Ehrlund is sending me a free replacement, but I have been using it without, out of necessity (and in preference over the full circle, still mounted). My Walter Woods 400 does the trick beautifully without the Ehrlund pre. I always have the WW amp all the way up, and the preamp at about a quarter. The ehrlund now takes about a third on the WW preamp. Sounds great. If I were to combine with the full circle, the phase switch on the ehrlund would be very valuable, but by itself, it is clear and beautiful.

And... the service from Ehrlund is first rate.
 
#520
notabene said:
My ehrlund preamp died, and Ehrlund is sending me a free replacement, but I have been using it without, out of necessity (and in preference over the full circle, still mounted). My Walter Woods 400 does the trick beautifully without the Ehrlund pre. I always have the WW amp all the way up, and the preamp at about a quarter. The ehrlund now takes about a third on the WW preamp. Sounds great. If I were to combine with the full circle, the phase switch on the ehrlund would be very valuable, but by itself, it is clear and beautiful.

And... the service from Ehrlund is first rate.
Click to expand...


Notabene,
We actually own the same Walter Woods amp! I had a similar experience, but I forgot my Pre-Amp. While it works very well without,
I really prefer the sound of the EAP when it's running through the Ehrlund Preamp.


Ric
 

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