Genzler Magellan or Bergantino Super Pre or....

[Wattson]

I currently have a Genzler 4 On The Floor going into a Hardke preamp pedal version 1 and am in DESPERATE NEED of a new preamp. I am wondering if I should go ahead and buy the Genzler Magellan preamp pedal or maybe consider starting over with the Bergantino Super Pre, which is a lot more money but does offer other benefits. I would appreciate some opinions on this, I am new to Talkbass but have been playing bass and keyboards for years. Also, I know the Super Pre has a OLED display and was wondering how readable it is outdoors in sunny bright conditions. I play in a 60-80's cover band. I know it seems logical to just get the Magellan, but I really have been struggling to get a good basic bass sound and I seem to be gravitating to these two preamps, but am open to suggestions. For example, is anyone using the Boss ME90B pedal in a classic rock band setting with great success? I guess I seem a bit confused, the old days of trying things out in a music store are gone, regrettably! I know it's personal preference but as this is my first post, I am hoping for some input.

 

[GrowlerBox]

There are a few threads here on each of these preamps. I have the Magellan and love it; it does everything I need and a couple of things I didn’t know I needed.

The Bergantino seems to be a high quality piece of kit (like everything else with that name on it), but is a pretty different animal, as far as I can make out. I have no aversion at all to digital signal processing, but put a screen and menus on a pedal and my eyes start to glaze over. That alone would keep me from accessing more than a fraction of the pedal’s capabilities.

The Genzler pedal is analogue, WYSIWYG simplicity itself, all very intuitive but with enormous tonal flexibility, very clean and very quiet. Of course, you’ll know all that from your experience with the overdrive (except, perhaps, for the clean bit ).

Easy choice for me, but our use cases likely differ. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Wattson]

Thank you so much for your reply, GrowlerBox regarding the Genzler Magellan preamp. I sincerely appreciate it, your comments were insightful...

On a logical sense, since I have the 4 On The Floor, it seems like a major upgrade from the ancient Hardke Bass Attack version 1...

I have seen the various threads on both pedals and they both are regarded well by various users. I could not go wrong with either company, the love, dedication, and passion by both companies is beyond reproach, to the point that they personally reply to various posts on a regular basis on TalkBass.

I honestly don't know if the praises of either the Genzler Magellan Preamp or Bergantino SuperPre are highlighted enough on Talkbass and was wondering if anyone else would be willing to share their experience with either one of these pedals because the only new things I see posted are on the "club" pages, and they are sporadic.

As I said in my last post, I play in a covers 60's, 70's and 80's band that places a high priority on authenticity, and I am looking for a great classic basic tone and a little overdrive when I need it.

One thing I wanted to know from my last post is if the Bergantino SuperPre screen was easily readable in bright outdoor conditions, and was wondering if anyone could answer that question. Unless I missed it, nobody seems to have asked that question on any forum.

Once again, GrowlerBox, thanks!

 

[Kristian Hansen]

I'll chime in with another recommendation for the Genzler Magellan Pre. I haven't tried out the Super Pre from Bergantino. I'm sure it's a great piece of kit!

What I absolutely love about the Genzler Pre is that it is totally quiet! I haven't tried anything else this quiet and "Hifi". It's a clean preamp that won't do overdrive or distortion. I have a Darkglass VMT for drive.

I find the variable high pass filter very useful when working with an inexperienced sound engineer for cleaning up rumble in the low end. The variable mid frequency is also very useful for shaping sound.

I also really love that it doesn't have any functions that you don't need. The DI is also one of the best sounding DI's I have had.

All in all highly recommended!

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

I'd base a decision between the two on whether you need programmable settings with an effects loop.
The Super Pre does a lot. I'd say the Berg for studio/recording and the Genzler for live on-the-fly.

 

[Wattson]

Thank you so much for the replies, that was a glowing report for the Magellan DI, Kristian; the Magellan doesn't have anything on it that you don't need and I bet it sounds great.

Also, you are right about the programmable settings, ImTheOnlyOne. That is a great advantage of the SuperPre.

Having said that, sometimes I actually wonder if playing live you only need two settings, clean and overdrive. We really don't play any songs with chorus, etc. The Magellan is missing a compressor, but I don't have one on my board now. It's logical since I have the 4 On The Floor and maybe at this point the number one consideration for me.

But still, I am intrigued with the Bergantino SuperPre, there is that flexibility to fine tune sounds for songs, but in a practical setting, I wonder if anyone would notice live. I am not a technological wizard but I do play a Kurzweil keyboard and I know I could figure it out. It would be nice if someone could comment on how easy it is to get up and running on it. Having said that, it may be overkill. Does anyone have an opinion on this point?

I forgot to mention that I don't use an amp, everything goes to the board. I use in ear monitor.

I guess I am obsessed about being able to see a screen because I have a tuner that is useless outdoors. I just bought a TC Electronics Unitune clip on that DOES work in the sun.

I play two instruments in the band, and my Kurzweil is TOUGH to see the screen outdoors. So this is my obsession with the question of being able to see the screen on the SuperPre. Maybe it is a silly question and something that I should know....

I really wish that others could chime in on both units, but having said that, I am so thankful that I got some replies back. I honestly am not trying to pit the two against each other.

The only other unit I was considering was the Boss ME90B.

Like I said, I have been trying to get opinions about both preamps, it is hard to audition anything anymore. I am seeing that once a unit comes out, the comments get less and less but I have noticed every once in a while on the club pages that there is a positive comment regarding both preamps. Has anyone out there bought both, lol?

So before I get too long, thank you again, and if any others have any comments about the Magellan Preamp or Bergantino SuperPre, I will thank you in advance.

 

[Kristian Hansen]

@Wattson - just a quick shot of my board. As you mentioned - the Genzler Pre doesn't have an onboard compressor (thankfully - since most onboard compressors suck anyway!). I do have both a tuner (Peterson StroboStomp Mini - that actually works fine outside!), comp (Becos CompIQ Mini Pro), octaver (Boss OC-5) and drive (DG VMT) on my board. All in all I feel that these effects suit my needs quite good. The comp is an always on effect for me (with just a touch of mild compression with a bit of clean uncompressed sound fed through with the clean blend option).

 

[Wattson]

That is a nice board, Kristian!

I originally just had the HARDKE BASS ATTACK which I bought used. I know, it's ancient!

I bought the BETA DLX to replace the Hardke based on some promo videos from SolidGoldFX. I never could get it to sound that way, even adjusting the internal pod for the distortion. I know others love this pedal but for me it didn't work as a stand alone preamp.

I decided a little over a year ago to get the 4 On The Floor and use it with the Hardke. Somewhere along the way I added the Beta DLX back onto the pedalboard figuring it would kind of be like Genzler Re/Q which I doubt it is. I only use the right side boost to go into the Genzler. I had read on Talkbass that the Re/Q was helpful to use in front of the 4 On The Floor so that was my illogical logic on it.

If anyone has any opinions on the Re/Q in front of the 4 On The Floor, I sincerely would appreciate it.

I know compared to other's pedalboards it is (without sounding self-effacing) a bit laughable...

I use a Fender American Standard Precision with Chromes which I haven't changed for about 3 years..

Thanks again Kristian, and all those who replied back. I am glad I decided to reach out for help, and if anyone else has an insight for me, thank you in advance.

 

[GTHintz]

I currently have a Genzler 4 On The Floor going into a Hardke preamp pedal version 1 and am in DESPERATE NEED of a new preamp. I am wondering if I should go ahead and buy the Genzler Magellan preamp pedal or maybe consider starting over with the Bergantino Super Pre, which is a lot more money but does offer other benefits. I would appreciate some opinions on this, I am new to Talkbass but have been playing bass and keyboards for years. Also, I know the Super Pre has a OLED display and was wondering how readable it is outdoors in sunny bright conditions. I play in a 60-80's cover band. I know it seems logical to just get the Magellan, but I really have been struggling to get a good basic bass sound and I seem to be gravitating to these two preamps, but am open to suggestions. For example, is anyone using the Boss ME90B pedal in a classic rock band setting with great success? I guess I seem a bit confused, the old days of trying things out in a music store are gone, regrettably! I know it's personal preference but as this is my first post, I am hoping for some input.

Welcome to talkbass and thanks for posting. I'm kinda curious why you're in desperate need of a preamp since the genzler and hartke bass attack are both great preamps. Not sure what your needs are for connectivity are but tonewise you have a ton of options. I've found that preamps are a way of incorporating different types of tone circuits in your signal path and it's like how we used to go amp and cab mixing. Some really great things come from it. I would start with really figuring out what type of tone you're after and try to narrow it down. If you're using a cab and amp still make sure it's going to enhance that. If you're going directly to the soundboard or monitoring system then absolutely think about what type of sound is your favorite. Do you like hifi type tone? Transparent like Eden or SWR? Do you like the GK tone? Maybe Ampeg or Mesa? Genz Benz maybe? Many of the pedals out there are replicating these types of tones. There's tons of good ones. Sans amp, Aguilar tone hammer, Mesa subway, GK Plex, Markbass little mark, mxr m80 are all great at shaping tone and giving you a bunch to work with. If You're looking for durability then I'd stick to like the tone hammer, mxr, Sansamp or anything else solid state. They just hold up and are simple meaning reliable. I'd probably look at those or even the hartke bass attack 2. The nice thing is that even the brands like caline and joyo are making some really cool pedals at cheap prices. They are simple but solid built. I've been looking at the Sansamp copy joyo tidal wave just so I can have a Sansamp sound if I want. To me it's good to have a nice mix of tones so I can mix and match. My favorite right now is blending a tone hammer with a TC spectra drive. It provides the coloration I wanted with the headphone and aux input of the spectra drive. It even sounds good on its own honestly. In the past I've had a GK Plex that did the same but all in 1 pedal. It was great being able to change the amp modeler settings and dial in so much room on the EQ. It did however die on me but damn it sounded great till it did.

 

[Wattson]

Thanks for the welcome, and you make some great points. Each preamp does add its own characteristic and I appreciate your thoughts that what I have now is not that bad. I honestly have found every post insightful and I so appreciate the feedback. I am sure the setup is not ideal, but it's not bad.

The sound I am looking for is just a basic classic rock bass, there are more than a few people on Talkbass that still like Jamerson or McCartney Beatles era, I guess I am one of them. (Please don't wince..lol) It was the reason I bought the Beta DLX about 5 years ago or so. I never learned to slap, as I said I really am a keyboard player that knows how to play some bass and copy it pretty well, as long as it is in my wheel well.

I wanted to keep things simple for the bass and I figured these 2 preamps would be fine. Honestly, I have no idea what the difference in preamp manufacturers is sonic wise, I will just admit it.

The Hardke Bass Attack still works but I felt it was time for a change, I feel I owe it to myself to upgrade, but it has served me all of these years.

The reason I thought about the SuperPre is because in my mind it had the flexibility to create a number of preamp tones, which is what people say. But there is a learning curve to it.

As I said, I wonder how much of a difference it makes when I am sending a signal to the board with no amp on stage and then the tone is further modified by our main speakers.

I am really surprised nobody has mentioned anything about the SuperPre, although I do know from time to time on the Bergantino club page, someone does. Nobody has anything to say?

I know it all comes down to personal preference, and you said that convincingly, GTHintz.

Thank you everyone for the replies. If anyone else has something to say please feel free! I know it has all been said before, but...

 

[GTHintz]

Thanks for the welcome, and you make some great points. Each preamp does add its own characteristic and I appreciate your thoughts that what I have now is not that bad. I honestly have found every post insightful and I so appreciate the feedback. I am sure the setup is not ideal, but it's not bad.

The sound I am looking for is just a basic classic rock bass, there are more than a few people on Talkbass that still like Jamerson or McCartney Beatles era, I guess I am one of them. (Please don't wince..lol) It was the reason I bought the Beta DLX about 5 years ago or so. I never learned to slap, as I said I really am a keyboard player that knows how to play some bass and copy it pretty well, as long as it is in my wheel well.

I wanted to keep things simple for the bass and I figured these 2 preamps would be fine. Honestly, I have no idea what the difference in preamp manufacturers is sonic wise, I will just admit it.

The Hardke Bass Attack still works but I felt it was time for a change, I feel I owe it to myself to upgrade, but it has served me all of these years.

The reason I thought about the SuperPre is because in my mind it had the flexibility to create a number of preamp tones, which is what people say. But there is a learning curve to it.

As I said, I wonder how much of a difference it makes when I am sending a signal to the board with no amp on stage and then the tone is further modified by our main speakers.

I am really surprised nobody has mentioned anything about the SuperPre, although I do know from time to time on the Bergantino club page, someone does. Nobody has anything to say?

I know it all comes down to personal preference, and you said that convincingly, GTHintz.

Thank you everyone for the replies. If anyone else has something to say please feel free! I know it has all been said before, but...

The only thing that drives me away from bergantino anything is the price. I'd imagine it'll be good for anyone. The sound I have in my head for you is pretty easy to get. You could get any tube sim and pull off the tone you're after. It's worth noting that if you have a transparent EQ setup the sound of the bass and strings really shine through and your bass and strings are already capable of a lot of warm thumpy big low end tone so the bergantino could work great. I'd personally save the money on that and go with something cheaper like the ones I mentioned. Honestly TC spectra drive would probably be a perfect fit for you. It's got a warm tube Like EQ that is probably more than enough for what you do. The compressor and drive are both very versatile and the tone print system means that you can pick from dozens of models. I'm using mine with thier ehx big Muff driver setting and even found a decent compressor setting. I don't use a compressor so that's something to be said. Also it pairs very well with other preamps and pedals. I run either a tone hammer or darkglass b7k to it and usually like to run it with the spectra drive on but you can bypass either so you have lots of room to fiddle. For you your genzler to the spectra drive would probably flavour your tone great. Even the hartke into it would be like having the hartke sound but heading into a modern pedal that you can tweak with the tone prints. I do that with my old EBS microbass 2. It's got an awesome tone that I can expand with the spectra drive EQ. That one is like adding smoother cabinet sim like tone to the tight and crunchy EBS tone. The next thing I'll try is running a joyo Mesa Boogie clone pedal through it and see if I like that sound. The main thing is I have all these options so I'll know what kind of bass rig I'd like if I ever get into needing one for playing on stage or whatnot. I just play at home or with friends and use my pedals predominately. I do have a cab and swr bass head that I like but it barely gets use anymore. Seriously considering downsizing it for a simple bass combo and run my pedals into that.

 

[agedhorse]

That is a nice board, Kristian!

I originally just had the HARDKE BASS ATTACK which I bought used. I know, it's ancient!

I bought the BETA DLX to replace the Hardke based on some promo videos from SolidGoldFX. I never could get it to sound that way, even adjusting the internal pod for the distortion. I know others love this pedal but for me it didn't work as a stand alone preamp.

I decided a little over a year ago to get the 4 On The Floor and use it with the Hardke. Somewhere along the way I added the Beta DLX back onto the pedalboard figuring it would kind of be like Genzler Re/Q which I doubt it is. I only use the right side boost to go into the Genzler. I had read on Talkbass that the Re/Q was helpful to use in front of the 4 On The Floor so that was my illogical logic on it.

If anyone has any opinions on the Re/Q in front of the 4 On The Floor, I sincerely would appreciate it.

I know compared to other's pedalboards it is (without sounding self-effacing) a bit laughable...

I use a Fender American Standard Precision with Chromes which I haven't changed for about 3 years..

Thanks again Kristian, and all those who replied back. I am glad I decided to reach out for help, and if anyone else has an insight for me, thank you in advance.

The Re/Q can go either before or after the 4OTF depending on what you are specifically trying to achieve. I find that some players prefer to eq the signal going into the 4OTF, but most prefer to eq/filter the signal coming out of the 4OTF. There is no wrong or right answer here.

 

[bass12]

Bergantino makes great products but I tend to shy away from anything "programmable" when it comes to amps and pedals. I simply function better with "one knob for one job" units and want nothing to do with scrolling through banks of functions (not on a gig at least). I've been using the Magellan Pre for maybe a year (I can't remember exactly when I bought it) and I have only positive things to say about it. The EQ section is very "musical" to my ears and I love the A and B Contours. The onboard HPF is also very much appreciated. The unit is compact and light and doesn't try to cover too much ground in its functions. Simple, easy to use and great sounding. A++

 

[ImTheOnlyOne]

Bergantino makes great products but I tend to shy away from anything "programmable" when it comes to amps and pedals. I simply function better with "one knob for one job" units and want nothing to do with scrolling through banks of functions (not on a gig at least). I've been using the Magellan Pre for maybe a year (I can't remember exactly when I bought it) and I have only positive things to say about it. The EQ section is very "musical" to my ears and I love the A and B Contours. The onboard HPF is also very much appreciated. The unit is compact and light and doesn't try to cover too much ground in its functions. Simple, easy to use and great sounding. A++

The Super Pre gets most of it right, in that it works more like a 2000's car stereo than a computer. Easy access to things in real time.

Wish someone would come up with an easy WYSIWYG save/retrieve system. No, "long hold two buttons" or "double press to save" nonsense that's different from pedal to pedal.

 

[Wattson]

Thank you for continued interest on my post, I never got an email from Talkbass that I had some new responses and I just noticed that a few more people have responded. Thank you SO much.

It's probably leaning to the Magellan preamp for me since I have the 4 On The Floor, and based on some of the responses I am getting from users of it.

No users of the Bergantino Super Pre seem to want to chime in...

I know there are a lot of bass guitar EQ pedals out there, but to keep things in the family, maybe the RE/Q is a pedal over time to consider if I buy the Magellan preamp.

The RE/Q must be centered on different frequency points when compared to the Magellan preamp.

Thank you agedhorse for your reply, I do understand your answer, I sincerely thought it was meant to go before the 4 On The Floor exclusively. I do understand your answer but won't really understand unless I buy one to hear what you mean... unless someone can put into words the difference...

Bass12, it's great to hear how musical the Magellan preamp is, what a glowing report of the Magellan! Others have said the Magellan preamp is very simple to use and does what it does well, and very quiet.

Nice analogy about the SuperPre, ImTheOnlyOne. It's probably a lot easier to use than some other menu pedals out there. I was hoping someone who used one live would tell me more about it, but it just isn't happening for my post.

I have been enjoying Talkbass for years, and I was worried my first post wouldn't get one response! I can't thank everyone enough for the replies, if anyone else has anything to add, it would be great to hear some real life users of the Magellan, or SuperPre in a live context.

 

[agedhorse]

Why don't you go to the website and download the owner's manuals, there's a lot of helpful information there.

 

[Wattson]

I am going to purchase the Magellan preamp since I have the 4 On The Floor. Does anyone who uses both have an idea on how long a patch cable I will need to connect the two due to the Magellan input location? Was looking at the EBS Premium Gold. I know, the 4 inch won't be long enough, is 7 ok or will I have to get the 11 inch one? They would be the only two pedals on my board right now.

 

[staccatogrowl]

Magellan for the win. Excellent analog sound quality with essential and usable features, shockingly simple to use, exceptional engineering and build quality, and highly affordable. No manual necessary. Plug and play. Enjoy!

 

[EricOnTheBass]

I also have a Magellan Pre and it sounds great. I run through an always-on Alma compressor, a VMT for light drive, B3K for more aggressive drive, into the Magellan. I have a Magellan 800 head, so if I'm using my own rig I have the option of removing the Pre from the board and using my head's preamp/DI instead, either way I can achieve the same sound.

 

[Wattson]

Great to know the Magellan Pre sounds comparable to the Magellan 800 head.

Those are some great pedals on that board! Bet it sounds awesome!

I bought a 7 inch patch cable. Hope it is long enough to connect the 4 On The Floor to the Magellan preamp, if not, I'll get another patch cable.

Thanks for the input from everyone.