• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

di preamp

#4
There's a few. I have an MXR M80, which is a bass preamp, EQ, tube emulator, and over-drive (2nd channel). It has two 1/4" unbalanced outputs and an XLR balanced output. It can be run off a 9V battery, an external power supply, or off phantom power from the board.

There's also the ever popular Tech21 Sansamp Bass Driver/DI. Very similar to the MXR, but it has only one channel. I compared these two side-by-side, and I liked the MXR's clean sound better and liked the Sansamp's over-drive sound better. I went with the MXR because I expected to be using a clean tone most often.

There's a few transparent bass DI's as well (although the MXR is theoretically transparent if you have both channels off, or the tube emulation off and the EQ flat). Many folks like the Countryman (I've never used one), and our church PA uses Behringer Ultra-DI's which seem to be pretty transparent (although I use my MXR instead).

Post a little more detail about what you're trying to do and someone can probably point you in the right direction.

Btw, there's no such thing as a passive preamp... ;)

HTH,
Dave
 
#5
There are no onboard pre's that have an XLR out that I can think of ever seeing. Why not just get a DI box or pedal? The MXR is about $125, the Sansamp a little more. (Actually, there's a new 3-channel programmable Sansamp pedal, but I'm not sure it's officially released yet.) The tube emulation on both of these is very impressive. If you ever end up with more than one bass, you can use the pedal for both, plus you don't have to tear into your bass... :cool:

Someone mentioned the Radial Tonebone...I've never tried one, but they sure do look nice. The effects loop is something I wish both the MXR and the Sansamp had!

HTH,
Dave
 
#6
i jsut like convenince and taking apart my basses i guess..that might have been a contradiciton. i have a rapco di right now that i plug my bass straight into (i have an active preamp) and it sounds beautiful, but i was thinking that other day how cool it would be to combine the two to eleminate the exta box on the floor. jsut my thoughts. i have been looking into a preamp/di and my current bass is going the way of hte winds and being replaced very shortly.
 
#7
Alembic Nuts, Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Alembic seriesII basses had XLR balenced Outputs or at least they were available as an option. They actually came with pre amps to convert the signal back! InfamousXstopper, Question, Does any current Bass Amp accept a low impedence output (balenced), so what would be the purpose of that pre amp?
 
#9
Wal's have both an xlr DI and a jack socket on their basses.

Also, when I had my fretless 7 Sei bass made I asked Pete the Fish if I could have one of his sockets put onto my Sei. He was happy about that and so now I have an xlr and a jack socket on my Sei bass.

On occassions I have sent the signal from my jack to my amp and the xlr straight to the board. Works a treat.

Regards

Matthew
 
#10
burk48237 said:
Alembic Nuts, Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Alembic seriesII basses had XLR balenced Outputs or at least they were available as an option. They actually came with pre amps to convert the signal back! InfamousXstopper, Question, Does any current Bass Amp accept a low impedence output (balenced), so what would be the purpose of that pre amp?
Click to expand...
The Alembics aren't balanced out as a standard fitment. Just about anything is available as an option and that shouldn't be too hard to incorporate into the circuit.
My S1 has a custom onboard preamp that can drive a standard 1V balanced input poweramp directly. There are no 'normal' type bass preamps/combos that can accept a low Z balanced input but adding a Jensen or similar transformer at the preamp input would solve that.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back