Hey ED. Sorry you weren't at the show this year. Fun hang. Anyway.... Trickfish is just putting out a two channel preamp. The Trilobite pre is "I believe" aimed at the doubling market. Simple but lots of features as I recall.
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Double Bass Best Two-Channel Preamp for Doubling?
- Thread starter edfriedland
- Start date
I just looked at their website. No details on it but there is a picture of it. Just looks like two identical channels. I would think they would need a high impedance input and a high pass filter of some sort. What would you say makes it aimed at doublers? Particularly upright bassist. I got to hear one of their amplifiers with an electric bassist recently and it sounded wonderful
I can't seem to find the info I originally saw on this preamp, but I thought I recalled it saying that there was a different input impedance on one channel.
Ed,
I also have used the Radial Pz-pre and have since moved to a Flex Preamp. Mostly because of the inclusion of HPF, phase, mic/line inputs, mute, eq, all but the mute on each channel. I'm curious, what is about the Flex Preamp that you find lacking as as doubling pre? You reviewed the Flex preamp and system and seemed to like it for both UB and EB. I'm guessing that it's the lack of a parametric eq? It seems to have pretty much everything else.
In my case I've found that by sending the Flex Pre output to the return of a integrated amp such as the GB Shuttle, the setup avoids the "voiced" sound of the GB preamp which is usually more geared to the electric. I found that by doing that I no longer need of a parametric, extreme HPF, or phase reverse for the DB. But I still have those available should a room situation require it. If I really want to get crazy flexible when doubling, I'll put an ABY switch between the GB send (A, EB), Flex Pre (B, UB), and the GB return (Y). That's a lot of flexibility with a relatively simple setup. YMMV.
I also have used the Radial Pz-pre and have since moved to a Flex Preamp. Mostly because of the inclusion of HPF, phase, mic/line inputs, mute, eq, all but the mute on each channel. I'm curious, what is about the Flex Preamp that you find lacking as as doubling pre? You reviewed the Flex preamp and system and seemed to like it for both UB and EB. I'm guessing that it's the lack of a parametric eq? It seems to have pretty much everything else.
In my case I've found that by sending the Flex Pre output to the return of a integrated amp such as the GB Shuttle, the setup avoids the "voiced" sound of the GB preamp which is usually more geared to the electric. I found that by doing that I no longer need of a parametric, extreme HPF, or phase reverse for the DB. But I still have those available should a room situation require it. If I really want to get crazy flexible when doubling, I'll put an ABY switch between the GB send (A, EB), Flex Pre (B, UB), and the GB return (Y). That's a lot of flexibility with a relatively simple setup. YMMV.
BTW I am trying to encourage Harun to produce a single channel preamp made specifically to deal with a Piezo pickup. Personally what I would want in one is: Variable impedance, variable phase, mid para eq (quack eliminator) tube preamp for warmth and presence,HPF,Notch, Di and maybe that is it (although I really like that he has a nice reverb in the paradox) and as small as possible. Just my two cents but seems to me variable imp and phase can do a huge amount for a piezo eq just by themselves.
You probably already know this, but the little Fdeck basic pre, (very small) has a 10 mohm impedance, phase switch, and high pass filter. Smaller than a pack of cigarettes and very inexpensive, but invaluable in many situations.
Seems reasonable to me. IME you would need a full on tube preamp which may not be necessary. FET’s can give you a lot of the warmth. There are also these new tubes.
I think there are a lot of options out there, variable input impedance if a feature of the Euphonic Audio Doubler. I've never heard it in action. My Walter Woods MI-400-8 has a phase reverse, and with a piezo pickup, especially the Underwood it can make quite a difference. It even effects the sound of the Ehrlund EAP.
Ric
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Well on the Felix there are three detents on the inp imp. 20m 10m 1m on line 2. If I plug a piezo into it and toggle between the switches, really there is a vast difference in tone. From almost sloppy fat bass to exceedingly thin and nasal. Likewise phase on a dial can have drastic tonal differences (for the most part having these choises for piezo pretty much makes the eq superfluous or can) where as for example right now I have the piezo on 20m (megohm) and then I cut back the bass. But on a dial, there is an obvious sweet spot....that is slightly different depending on the pickup bass place etc.
Did they change the impedance settings? My manual says this for the Felix:
Ch1: med - 1MΩ / hi -10MΩ / low – 10kΩ Ch2: med - 1MΩ / hi -20MΩ / low – 332kΩ
Hi. I an new to double bass, but not music. I just purchased a Silver Creek Lee Rocker Tuxedo Bass. I have a magnetic pickup, custom made by Sentell Pickups. The tone is great, but the output is low. I am considering a 2 channel pre amp that will handle the magnetic pickup and a piezo I have. What are your recommendations? I play rockabilly and jazz.
