Could not be happier with the J Retro. It's 3 screws and snap in the pickup leads. Box to bass installs in about 1 minute. Several knob options. Love it. And a very basic passive option if the battery fails.
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Best preamp for "clean" bass sounds?
- Thread starter Adrin
- Start date
There are two preamps i like in that arena. First let me say I generally look to a preamp for clean tone and will add dirt when necessary with a dedicated pedal.
Mesa Subway DI - Great clean tone and versatile.
Ampeg SCR-DI - It IS the Ampeg tone not an emulation. I don't use the scrambler side of the pedal
If you're looking for a rack pre... I have an Ampeg SVT-iiP I've had forever and can recommend that highly as well...if you can find one
I had myself in the same exact position as you, but a little different on the music tastes. No classic rock for me, just 80's metal Megadeth/Testament/Metallica (early)etc or hair bands (which a lot of them do have a really clean bass sound). I had nailed the clean bass part first with my Two Notes Le Bass preamp pedal. It has the 12AX7 tube so it gives that really nice warmth to the cleans, especially the really low bassey notes. You like emphasis on the clean mids and the right side of the the Le Bass has those controls, plus you can stack the two sides and still make use of the tube. Then I was looking for that newer metal bass tone (not the whole band tone) like your Tool band or Periphery for my old 80's metal groups so I bought the Microtubes X DG pedal and 'tamed' the distortion just a bit and its the perfect thing for like Megadeth. But I dont know, I saw that one guys picture of the Sans Amp with the para-metrics and I think I will check that out myself.
I need to get my hands on one of these. I play a piezo bass, and you can't go wrong with Fishman for piezo.
Over the years, I've had many different preamps. They have all been excellent.
1. Trace Elliot SM/SMX series rackmount. I will never not recommend these.
2. Trace Elliot V-Type rackmount. Like the Alembic F1-X, this is based on the Fender Dual Showman circuit, and has been well-regarded for 25 years since it was introduced in 1995.
3. SWR Interstellar Overdrive rackmount. I actually found myself using the solid-state side more than the tube side, but that's not because the tube side is bad. Bonus: built-in 5 W tube power amp can be used as a practice amp
4. JoeMeek VC1Qcs channel strip (rackmount). This makes an amazing bass guitar preamp, plus you get a built-in optical compressor that is fantastic.
Pedals on my list to buy/try;
1. DSM/Humboldt Simplifier Bass Station
2. Tech21NYC Q\Strip (and maybe SansAmp BDDI v2, PDDI v2, and VTBD)
3. Mesa Subway and/or Subway+
4. Fishman Platinum Pro
Others I like:
Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra v1 (but only clean)
SansAmp RBI and RPM rackmounts
What's on my bass pedalboard right now:
Boss AD-2 Acoustic Preamp
Boss BB-1X Bass Driver
Current amp:
Mesa Walkabout
The problem is, there are just so many great preamps out there, and I really don't need them all.
For awhile in the 2000s, I was bringing a 12-space rack to gigs, loaded with the SWR 'Stella, the Trace Elliot V-Type, and the JoeMeek VC1Qcs, and was planning on adding the SansAmp RBI to that rack. I was using those to feed an SWR Power 750 power amp (in the same rack), and it was an incredible rig. Totally overkill, of course. I had so many sounds and options at my disposal, when I really only needed one.
It made me happy to have my little preamp museum. I adored every single piece in that rack, and I honestly wish I hadn't been forced to sell them all off due to financial disaster later in life.
1. Trace Elliot SM/SMX series rackmount. I will never not recommend these.
2. Trace Elliot V-Type rackmount. Like the Alembic F1-X, this is based on the Fender Dual Showman circuit, and has been well-regarded for 25 years since it was introduced in 1995.
3. SWR Interstellar Overdrive rackmount. I actually found myself using the solid-state side more than the tube side, but that's not because the tube side is bad. Bonus: built-in 5 W tube power amp can be used as a practice amp
4. JoeMeek VC1Qcs channel strip (rackmount). This makes an amazing bass guitar preamp, plus you get a built-in optical compressor that is fantastic.
Pedals on my list to buy/try;
1. DSM/Humboldt Simplifier Bass Station
2. Tech21NYC Q\Strip (and maybe SansAmp BDDI v2, PDDI v2, and VTBD)
3. Mesa Subway and/or Subway+
4. Fishman Platinum Pro
Others I like:
Darkglass Microtubes B7K Ultra v1 (but only clean)
SansAmp RBI and RPM rackmounts
What's on my bass pedalboard right now:
Boss AD-2 Acoustic Preamp
Boss BB-1X Bass Driver
Current amp:
Mesa Walkabout
The problem is, there are just so many great preamps out there, and I really don't need them all.
For awhile in the 2000s, I was bringing a 12-space rack to gigs, loaded with the SWR 'Stella, the Trace Elliot V-Type, and the JoeMeek VC1Qcs, and was planning on adding the SansAmp RBI to that rack. I was using those to feed an SWR Power 750 power amp (in the same rack), and it was an incredible rig. Totally overkill, of course. I had so many sounds and options at my disposal, when I really only needed one.
It made me happy to have my little preamp museum. I adored every single piece in that rack, and I honestly wish I hadn't been forced to sell them all off due to financial disaster later in life.
Yes, it was much larger than I expected, too. I guess my eyes glossed over reading the dimensions or something. It's roughly twice the size of a "normal" pedal.
I have one and love it. Its the non DI one. But I wouldn't say it has much of the mids. Although it is a wide EQ, But it emphasizes the 50 and 5K. But again for me its a great choice for a clean eq.
For a clean sound (my preference), in order of least expensive to most expensive, ones I have owned and used and would recommend are the Broughton Messenger, The Grace Designs Alix, the A-Designs REDDI, and the Noble DI. If I want versatile then put I put the effect pedal of choice in front of it.
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Whatever Alien Audio uses ... too lazy to check the name, but that was one badass preamp. Wish I could find one in pedal form.
IMHO there is some kind of misconception of "clean" tone in context of a mix. Sometimes while we hear clean tone, indeed it is not. Some mild overdrive and light grit could give us perception of clean bass tone audible among other instruments. And sometimes true clean tone could lost top end details and nuances under heavy guitar tones.
I recently did some recording with my jazz trio and ran my fretless bass direct through the Q/Strip to a Behringer XR18, then on to Reaper. I got a great clean and warm tone that impressed my drummer, who is an experienced recording engineer. I have used the Q/Strip for other instruments, as well. I love it!
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