Anybody using three pre amps…?

[BassyBill]

… By which I mean one in your active bass, one on your board and one in your main amp. Just curious is all. My current main preference is for my passive PJ, running into one of a few different pedal pres I own then either my GR Pure 800 head or Mesa TT800 head, plus a 212 cab.

When I actually receive my long awaited SGT-DI I think that is likely to often be my pre amp of choice, straight into the Pure 800.

 

[foal30]

Hey Bill

Sometimes.
MusicMan Stingray Fretless - Sadowsky Pre - Ashdown Klystrom

MTD Grendel - Solidgoldfx Beta V - Ashdown CTM-300

 

[Zbysek]

Yes, I do

active Bass-pedal preamp-Bass amp

I send the signal to FOH from the pedal preamp, though

the amp is for my monitoring only

 

[Passinwind]

… By which I mean one in your active bass, one on your board and one in your main amp. Just curious is all. My current main preference is for my passive PJ, running into one of a few different pedal pres I own then either my GR Pure 800 head or Mesa TT800 head, plus a 212 cab.

When I actually receive my long awaited SGT-DI I think that is likely to often be my pre amp of choice, straight into the Pure 800.

Yep, occasionally. I built all three pieces specifically to work well with each other. I also finally caved and put a preamp bypass switch in one bass too though, since I don't own any passive basses but sometimes need one for pedal testing.

 

[JRA]

same as @foal30 and @Passinwind, "sometimes."

PJ with an audere > board with ampeg classic > any of my amp pres.

 

[_Some Dude]

Spector (EMG BTS) -> BDDI -> SVT

 

[Killing Floor]

Bass to a pedal to an amp? Yes.

 

[mambo4]

I guess technically I have done so. Bass > sansamp > bass amp
But now I generally run my bass passive and lately I leave my pedal board packed up
My Amp's pre does all I want, and makes 3 pre amps seems like overkill.

I guess if you want to experiment pedals re the cheapest option tho

 

[40Hz]

My short answer is: no

A rule of thumb I follow is to do my main EQ settings using one tonestack only whenever possible. Otherwise you can go crazy trying to figure out which tonestack is doing what to the overall sound.

So whenever I'm using a preamp pedal, everything else plugs into that, and the preamp goes into either a power amp or the effects return of an instrument amp.

If I'm playing an active bass, I'll usually set the primary sound on the amp or preamp and then fine tune with the onboard preamp. But doing the opposite can work equally well depending on the bass and the amp. For example, if the bass has a filter based tonestack then I'll set up the main tone with the onboard preamp and fine tune with the bass amp.

If you're running a wet/dry or dual amp setup the above holds equally true for each signal path. The only difference is there's two signal chains to set up. But I still want only one tonestack calling the shots on each chain.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Yes, 3 but it's not by design, planning, nor intention: Active bass (Fernandes or Soundgear) > Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig > BBE BMax.

Riis

 

[Slade N]

Yes. bass>qstrip>amp

 

[TheArchitect]

My TRBX has a preamp. The board has a Finally, Digbeth and Supervintage that can run in parallel

 

[mdogs]

And I thought I was the only one who did that. Normally, I play passive basses, so only 2 preamps, but this weekend I am going to use my Lakland, so that add the 3rd. Works for me.

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

Passive bass, no amp, but I have a preamp at both the start and end of my board.

 

[TOOL460002]

When I did it was using the pre pedal as mild OD, and I always keep all my EQ at 9/10 on my bass, so really only one layer of tone shaping for the sake of EQ/clean tone.

 

[r_bnks]

For recording, I usually use three tracks. My GK800RB as a main track, a DI track to a WA73 Neve style preamp and a SansAmp BDDI preamp track. Unbeatable with a Spector.

 

[bassbrad]

I have a pretty good selection of preamp and amp in a box pedals I use to get various tones, occasionally I may use more than one on a board but usually for guitar or piccolo bass. I don't usually have more than 2 on at any time. I use mostly passive basses.

 

[mambo4]

Part of me thinks shouldn't ONE *decent* EQ be enough?

But then I recall the variety of EQ control schemes I've seen over the years.
10+ band, Bass/mid/Hi knobs, Parametric (some with Q control), straight up hi pass / low pass switches
and even within a similar control scheme, the circuitry is likely to vary significantly

So even if, in theory, one EQ could be enough for you
some controls are easier than others to get the sound you want
and some circuits more easily zone in on the sound you want

I don't do it, but I get it.

 

[JimmyM]

I have but I'm not at the moment. And I don't run active hardly at all anymore, so I guess I probably won't be doing it again for a while.

 

[DaveParker39]

I mean, technically.
My EMG pickups have built-in preamps, plus the onboard tonepump, so that's two-three in my bass alone, I have a line driver at the front of my board, a buffered boss octave pedal, and a preamp in my amplifier or DI.
Probably most guitar and bass rigs have a whole lotta preamps.