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Double Bass Brad Sarno’s V8 Octal preamp
- Thread starter flatback
- Start date
Yeah I think I like to have the powered speaker approach (prolly because I just bought one) but I was PMing with Brad today about the V8, and I was saying how I liked it with the front gain turned way up (with the Wilson) he said I might notice a little compression at the top of the range but that the preamp is designed for studio clean 3D. "Front gain is AFTER the first two tube stages and EQ but BEFORE the 2nd tube (driver stage) so more gain hits tube 2 harder" I tried turning it ALL the way up and the amp way down and wow that sounds frickin great. Slight compression but PHAT. I love this preamp so many different relevant tones.
And likely pretty expensive, "were gonna need a bigger box" and a whole nother set of dials.
It does make the MAS 1/8 a little taller, and a bit heavier, but it's hardly noticeable.
I've taken the V8 with the Focus strapped on top...on top on the MAS18 to gigs (in fact I just ordered a studio slips bag that will fit it. Not so bad. Lots of functionality. I wouldn't want the power amp in with the preamp but truth is the V8 is in a box that has tons of room inside. Unlike the BB which is crammed full, the V8 is lighter and emptier.
Spaeaking of which I had a discussion about the V8 with Brad yesterday and whether the BB sounds good plugged into it. The V8 sounds so pure and open but the 12AX7 in the BB has a different sound. I like both but the V8 has a whole other level of 3D purity. It really is a most excellent upright preamp, just on it's own, nuthin else needed.
Spaeaking of which I had a discussion about the V8 with Brad yesterday and whether the BB sounds good plugged into it. The V8 sounds so pure and open but the 12AX7 in the BB has a different sound. I like both but the V8 has a whole other level of 3D purity. It really is a most excellent upright preamp, just on it's own, nuthin else needed.
I was talking with Brad the other day and he told me he has a V8 with the Variz that was a demo ... with a demo price, .
//UPDATE//
So after six months I have found a new piece of gear that just blows the V8 out of the water......
Nope. Not.
The V8 is totally the sickest piece of bass gear ever. I just made a remote covid CD for Peggy Honeywell (we all sent our parts from home studios) and the Engineer calls me back to say "What? Sick bass tone what are you using?" The V8 and the Octals just rock it, I even used the Wilson K4. Just killing.
So after six months I have found a new piece of gear that just blows the V8 out of the water......
Nope. Not.
The V8 is totally the sickest piece of bass gear ever. I just made a remote covid CD for Peggy Honeywell (we all sent our parts from home studios) and the Engineer calls me back to say "What? Sick bass tone what are you using?" The V8 and the Octals just rock it, I even used the Wilson K4. Just killing.
So I was able to get the V8 demo model with the vari control. I've been intrigued by this preamp for a little while now, mostly due to Flatback's exuberant and persistent praise. Well, all I gotta say is "wow!" And thanks to Flatback. The tone is so clear and solid up and down the frequency range. And the notes are thick/firm/solid. Not Aguilar thick, which sounds great but can lose the note edges and get a little muddy, while the V8 is just clear all the way. And it's so small and portable and has a lot of gain on tap! It has no bells and whistles (other than the vari control on mine, which is quite nice, but fairly subtle), but just gives big clean tube tone. Very nice.
I used both, the little bass sounds good with a little pickup underneath, plus my studio is a treehouse so There is some creaking and wind noise to overcome .
I ve been fooling with the eq after reading Chris's review... the V 8 sounds the most real with the eq like Chris has it : bass flat treble juiced a quarter turn. But I have been using it with both bass and treble way up and using the vari Z ( the Noble has HPF) as the bass reducer. Works so well. Happy Dee Man is digging it. THe Black Box is a great box but the Octal tubes and that EQ have just the right amount of functionality to make your sound great without too much control (like the Felix) I have been messing again with the Remic Green blended in and it sounds great that way, but the truth is the texture of the sound coming out of the V8 covers so much of the right frequencies that it just feels right and all those extra cords and preamp are redundant. Not totally but it is just so much nicer to have the one box and a great sound with minimum fuss.
I ve been fooling with the eq after reading Chris's review... the V 8 sounds the most real with the eq like Chris has it : bass flat treble juiced a quarter turn. But I have been using it with both bass and treble way up and using the vari Z ( the Noble has HPF) as the bass reducer. Works so well. Happy Dee Man is digging it. THe Black Box is a great box but the Octal tubes and that EQ have just the right amount of functionality to make your sound great without too much control (like the Felix) I have been messing again with the Remic Green blended in and it sounds great that way, but the truth is the texture of the sound coming out of the V8 covers so much of the right frequencies that it just feels right and all those extra cords and preamp are redundant. Not totally but it is just so much nicer to have the one box and a great sound with minimum fuss.
Am I to understand that there is a demo V8 in circulation (and is it the version with the piezo-friendly vari-Z range)? If so, how would one que-up to try it?
And am I imagining that, somewhere in one of these threads, I saw or read of one with a mid control in addition to the Bass/Treble EQ?
@flatback, I've read with interest your accounts of using the V8 with and without the Black Box. Is there anything, aside from simplicity of setup, that you feel you lose (clarity, whatever) when running with both pieces as opposed to just one?
Thanks, all.
And am I imagining that, somewhere in one of these threads, I saw or read of one with a mid control in addition to the Bass/Treble EQ?
@flatback, I've read with interest your accounts of using the V8 with and without the Black Box. Is there anything, aside from simplicity of setup, that you feel you lose (clarity, whatever) when running with both pieces as opposed to just one?
Thanks, all.
Hi Mark. As stated above, I purchased the demo V8 with the vari-Z range you're probably thinking of. But I'm sure Brad could make another. You won't be disappointed if you want strong, clean tube tone.
There was a Octal V8 with a midrange control and pictures here on the TB, maybe on the BG side. I don't remember where they showed up. It's an older model of the
preamp..
Ah, I see -- I thought "get" in your earlier post meant that you'd received one that was going around (as I recall reading the Headway folks did with some pres on here, awhile back) and were trying it out. I get it now!
Thanks, Ric. I'll look for it and maybe ask Brad Sarno about it.
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Yeah Brad can make them with a mid knob.
There is no demo but two in the Bay Area to try.
Brad told me that his flagship preamp has a Black Box front end into an Octal V8 preamp. At first I really liked having the BB in front of the V8 there is a slight difference in the signal : a little more direct into the slightly more wide open Octal preamp. But simplicity wins and the V8 by itself is quite the sound. Also I think I like the Octals doing the imp matching and the purity of that more then I like the slightly more granular 12AX7 tube as the first stage, but really ...this is a sentence that no one should feel good about... Just the simple V8 into a powered speaker is rocking.
There is no demo but two in the Bay Area to try.
Brad told me that his flagship preamp has a Black Box front end into an Octal V8 preamp. At first I really liked having the BB in front of the V8 there is a slight difference in the signal : a little more direct into the slightly more wide open Octal preamp. But simplicity wins and the V8 by itself is quite the sound. Also I think I like the Octals doing the imp matching and the purity of that more then I like the slightly more granular 12AX7 tube as the first stage, but really ...this is a sentence that no one should feel good about... Just the simple V8 into a powered speaker is rocking.
The vari knob on mine is the same as the mid knob above, but it's on the side of the preamp, just around the corner from the input. Could be a problem for those that want to rack this, but is a non-issue for me.
I noticed that on Flatback's Octal V8 as well. It's probably there because it has to come before the preamp stage in the circuit.
