Personally I'd think twice about a studio if either a pod or sansamp sounded better than the gear they've got in house.
OK, the sansamp i admit isn't that great unless you're using it in an emergency - but please leave the pod out of it...it's not amazing, but its pretty good for clean sounds if you spend enough time setting up 3 or 4 nice ones (60's, 70's, slap, modern etc...) and you can always twiddle in a few effected sounds in a couple minutes till the producer reckons it sounds all right...he's always got the clean DI signal too - and probably a miked-up amp...
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Bass recording pre-amp
- Thread starter randysmojo
- Start date
- Nov 7, 2006
- 751
- 19
- Disclosures
- Endorsing-Trace Elliot,Peavey Basses,PedalTrain,Starkey inears
Last session in Nashville I used a Vintech X73 and a U5 with amazing results! I'm really sold on Vintech and they can be had for decent prices compared to the Neve's they are copies of.
That's a good signal path - interesting, though, that the engineer chose to use a preamp in addition to the U5, since the U5 will output line level. The DI on the Vintech is certainly workable on its own, too (though you'd need to be sitting next to it to use the DI) If Dallas at Vintech would build a version of either the X73 or the X81 that had a built-in power supply, I woudln't feel at all bad about carrying it around as my primary bass chain.
I mean no disrespect here - really - but why would you settle for 'pretty good' or 'sounds all right' when recording a project either for yourself or for someone else?
The u5 is not the best sounding DI in the world, hence the engineer took the neve clone direction for the obvious muscle in tone, comon Dave you should know that...
Thanks for the information, lambro; I'll try to remember the obvious muscle in tone that the neve clone direction will bring the next time some bass player brings in a U5.
Studios I've worked in of late mostly prefer to take my line into their gear, unless I insist on my rack stuff, which I don't, if they like their own. Most recently that's been into an old Pultech unit and also a U-5 for some tracks. I also know at least one engineer who's been using software models in mixdown... I took a look at the face of an 1176 on a computer screen complete w/virtual working controls; sounded OK in the end but not quite like the real thing, I didn't think...
- Jun 15, 2005
- 160
- 74
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Skjold basses,Zon basses,Aguilar,D'Addario,GruvGear
I answered a similar thread somewhere else, so I'll just list em'! 
I love these three in the studio (and most pro guys bring their own gear unless they know the studio will have one)
1 - Millenia TD-1 (around $2k)
2 - Avalon U5 (around $500)
3 - Alembic F1-X (I use this as in rig with a QSC power amp and it sounds fantastic in the studio, too) (i got a deal, but I think they retail for about $1400?)
Sorry, I didn't really read the whole post,. just figured I'd list my studio preferences...
I love these three in the studio (and most pro guys bring their own gear unless they know the studio will have one)
1 - Millenia TD-1 (around $2k)
2 - Avalon U5 (around $500)
3 - Alembic F1-X (I use this as in rig with a QSC power amp and it sounds fantastic in the studio, too) (i got a deal, but I think they retail for about $1400?)
Sorry, I didn't really read the whole post,. just figured I'd list my studio preferences...
Standard thing in Toronto sessions(commercials etc.) is to plug into the Avalon or if you're lucky some kind of UA or Millennia. I would bring my Envoice Mindprint which I love to bits. Engineers will tend to give you some "cool guy" flack 'cause that's what they do for kicks but if you show up with a nice pre and know how to dial it in they are usuaully appreciative. Cheap focusrite or presonus stuff will not get you any style points however. If you are going simple, a Jensen is always good.
Still, most of the sound comes out of your fingers.
Still, most of the sound comes out of your fingers.
The Inward connection stuff sounds lovely, though I still want to trade a couple o the EQ's for a couple of more compressors...
But really, the electric bass players who come out here almost ALWAYS bring their own signal chain - and as I said before, I'll happily use what they bring unless it either sounds really bad (the producer's call) or isn't working correctly (my call). Even when I'm the producer but I've hired another bassist for a session - which very occasionally happens - I'll use what they bring unless something is terribly wrong with what they're sending me. I should mention that pretty much all the guys who work here are studio guys, though, with decades of sessions behind 'em. We're all after the same thing, which is to make the client happy.
When I work with bands, I'm more proactive in helping the bass players in the bands to get the sound they want (which is sometimes different from the sound that they think that they're getting); sometimes that sound comes from their gear and sometimes it comes from mine. For example, the B15 is available for self-contained bands who come here for their projects (as are the vintage fender amps, the Marshalls and Randall stuf. But if they are enamored of the gear that they own and if the sound is workable, I'll let 'em use it.
With self-contained bands (as opposed to artists who use studio musicians), the thing for me is to remember that it isn't MY record, it's theirs.
I thought I was getting a pretty good sound with my Sansamp RBI (rackmount) but I guess you guys would think it is junk just like the pedal?
IF I may ask a noobie question, do these preamps you speak of have tubes? Or accurately emulate that?
Reason being is that I'm just about to start recording, and with the home PC stuff we've done to date, I much prefer running it through my Mesa Scout - direct out. I havent the experience to know whether Mesa does it best for me, but with all I've been able to plug my bass into, my "voice" requires a hint of "ballzy fuzz" from vac tubes. How do the pros do it?
We are using a professional studio here in Buf. But I'd like to hear the answer first from y'all. THNX.
Peace,
Gene
Reason being is that I'm just about to start recording, and with the home PC stuff we've done to date, I much prefer running it through my Mesa Scout - direct out. I havent the experience to know whether Mesa does it best for me, but with all I've been able to plug my bass into, my "voice" requires a hint of "ballzy fuzz" from vac tubes. How do the pros do it?
We are using a professional studio here in Buf. But I'd like to hear the answer first from y'all. THNX.
Peace,
Gene
The situation dictates what I bring.
My basic DI is a Radial JDI. I also have a Raven Labs MDB-1 which is a nice source blender/DI although a bit rigid at times. I've used the Alembic units before and they're great for a big warm sound.
My two main preamplifiers are a Demeter VTBP-201s valve pre and an Epifani Quest II solid-state pre. I've been favoring a more taut sound lately so I generally prefer the Epifani.
Just recently, I tracked in an established Brooklyn studio and I used their gear. They took an out from their old 1.5 space Demeter tube preamp and blended that with an old Ampeg B-15 mic'd with an even older Neumann U-47! While I felt that the high end was a bit shrouded for what we were doing (harmonics on one song), it went to "tape" very well and sounds quite stout. You can hear that signal path in the first three tracks on my myspace page.
I'd love to get a Millenia TD-1 or Origin someday but for now, I seem to be doing just fine without them!
My basic DI is a Radial JDI. I also have a Raven Labs MDB-1 which is a nice source blender/DI although a bit rigid at times. I've used the Alembic units before and they're great for a big warm sound.
My two main preamplifiers are a Demeter VTBP-201s valve pre and an Epifani Quest II solid-state pre. I've been favoring a more taut sound lately so I generally prefer the Epifani.
Just recently, I tracked in an established Brooklyn studio and I used their gear. They took an out from their old 1.5 space Demeter tube preamp and blended that with an old Ampeg B-15 mic'd with an even older Neumann U-47! While I felt that the high end was a bit shrouded for what we were doing (harmonics on one song), it went to "tape" very well and sounds quite stout. You can hear that signal path in the first three tracks on my myspace page.
I'd love to get a Millenia TD-1 or Origin someday but for now, I seem to be doing just fine without them!
bongomania
Commercial User
Some do, most don't. While there are some killer tube preamps and DI's on the market, none that I know of provide "ballsy fuzz" like an all-tube amp being pushed. For that sound a studio will probably mic an amp and cabinet rather than (or in addition to) using a preamp channel strip.
Sir, when I say a hint, I mean a hint of it. Not SVT at WOT. Some call it warmth. I hear it as the first beginnings of ballzy fuzz. Dreadfully old skool I am. But its me. ( I'm subscribing to this thread - great discussion folks! -uh other than a "hint" of acrimony here and there. Dont dig that)
P.S. the first studio we rehersed at, the guy had one of those old $$$$$$$$ Neumann's. Some other vintage $$$$$ compressor he ran me thru. Great sound. But not worth our first born child for 50-100 hours of time. My fingers can do it too, unencumbered and debt free. No quarter.
P.S. the first studio we rehersed at, the guy had one of those old $$$$$$$$ Neumann's. Some other vintage $$$$$ compressor he ran me thru. Great sound. But not worth our first born child for 50-100 hours of time. My fingers can do it too, unencumbered and debt free. No quarter.
oh Dave forget to mention...I just got my Lawson 47MPII Tube Mic!!!!...I assume you know Gene & Gayle
will be using it on my Lowden acoustic tonight
funny about the "rack' situation out there, I have not seen many bassists bring much, maybe its a city thing, with the major pain of parking, and in Berkeley & San Fran, the crime which is epidemic to say the least, there is no way I'm bringing gear if the studio has an SVT, B15 whatever and a decent console or pre selection. I'll bring 2 basses, my di, maybe an effect thats it. I think I would prefer the relaxed tennessee approach better.
will be using it on my Lowden acoustic tonight
funny about the "rack' situation out there, I have not seen many bassists bring much, maybe its a city thing, with the major pain of parking, and in Berkeley & San Fran, the crime which is epidemic to say the least, there is no way I'm bringing gear if the studio has an SVT, B15 whatever and a decent console or pre selection. I'll bring 2 basses, my di, maybe an effect thats it. I think I would prefer the relaxed tennessee approach better.
Yep, I know them, though I haven't seen Gene in a few years.
I think you're right; whether or not a bassist brings his own signal chain does depend (at least in part) on whether cartage companies are used, whether parking is available, and honestly, at least in part it would depend on how many sessions the player does every week. If you're only playing on 3 or 4 sessions a month, it's hard to justify the few hundred dollars for a U5, much less the thousands of dollars that some of my friends have invested in vintage neve preamps and Teletronix LA2A's....
enjoy the Lawson - they're good sounding microphones.
Hi, Dave (or anybody else who can help)
I was wondering if you could advice me on which preamp to choose. I looked at the BBE BMAX which seems to fit my needs. I am going to use it in the studio, recording soul and pop music, I would like to have the opportunity to add a little compressor, and then it would come in handy with one unit that combines a good preamp with a compressor(less cables and noise), it is for professionally use, if it is a stupid idea to have one unit with pre and comp let me know.
If any of you would recommend 1 pre amp (not necessarily with a compressor) for soul pop music what would it then be?,I am getting a little confused,and I am from Denmark, so it should be something there is available in Europe.
Is there any other preamp with comp that i´ve missed?
Thanks ahead
Mikkel
I was wondering if you could advice me on which preamp to choose. I looked at the BBE BMAX which seems to fit my needs. I am going to use it in the studio, recording soul and pop music, I would like to have the opportunity to add a little compressor, and then it would come in handy with one unit that combines a good preamp with a compressor(less cables and noise), it is for professionally use, if it is a stupid idea to have one unit with pre and comp let me know.
If any of you would recommend 1 pre amp (not necessarily with a compressor) for soul pop music what would it then be?,I am getting a little confused,and I am from Denmark, so it should be something there is available in Europe.
Is there any other preamp with comp that i´ve missed?
Thanks ahead
Mikkel
