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GK 800 RB - Do I need a preamp?

#42
Kukulkan61 said:
My thinking is, you buy a certain brand amp because of its tonal character, GK has its punch and growl, Mesa is warm and thick etc. why change its tone with other pre amps, if you want Vintage Ampeg tone play an Ampeg amp, just sayin.
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where did he say he wanted JUST the ampeg tone. he said both tones. blending combinations of tones gets you new tones. experiment a little. have fun. be different. stand out and get noticed! dont be boring ;)
 
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#43
An 800RB has an effects loop on the rear panel. Top right side, below the direct out.
Send = Out / Return = In
I had one for many years. Great amp.
But, you do not need a pre-amp with this, IMHO
As slagbass mentioned, do you actually have an 800RB?
Can you post a pic of the amp?
js2boyigfdjpylc1zqos.jpg
 
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#44
2saddleslab said:
Just did [trying not to pi$$ off the neighbors] and you are absolutely right. Using the effects send was quiet, using the effects return was much louder. Really appreciate that info, thanks!
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Now you have any number of options on-tap...and depending on the mood of the day! In our rehearsal space, I have a cast-off QSC RMX power amp. I have three preamp pedals all of which are capable of driving a slave amp...the SCR falls within this realm.

Riis
 
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#46
#51
TomB said:
Work on your technique to get those 1/8th's right. Then sell the compressor :).
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Compressors are used for WAY more than evening your technique. Some styles require it. Lots of famous bassists have one comp that is always on... in a subtle way. It can be the difference between sounding really good but like everyone else, and sounding "like that album - see, that's why we hired this guy."
 
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#52
Hey now TB memebers..... what's with the anti-rack stomp pedal elitists LoL showing up in this new member's thread?

Let the poor guy run a rack compressor! It's been done forever by tons of bassists - why tell him to get a stomp compressor? He doesn't like his, he presumably ALREADY HAS the rack comp.

Nice welcome to the forum here folks LoL.... I am not quoting here, but summarizing what I got from the mood here..... "Welcome! Go buy this other product, ANY other product, because it's form factor is what I use." "You want to use a rack compressor? No. Run a stomp. That will fix everything, and of course you won't miss anything from your rack compressor even though I have no idea what it is or how you use it." "Learn to play without relying on a compressor"

... What the heck, folks? Who called the compressor police? He asked literally zero questions about his compressor, how to use it, if it was a choice you would approve of. He has had to answer about it because of the questions related to it - and he shouldn't have had to.

He asked about a preamp as a solution to his problem - and some good suggestions have been made about effects loops. But lots of stuff was posted that just questions his decisions leading up to this point, as though there's something wrong with using a rack compressor.

He asked a specific question about products he ALREADY BOUGHT.

I used pricey studio comps, affordable but highly respected older rack comps, and finally settled on the cheapest make out there in rack comps because it sounded great and gave me, a guy with lots of technical knowledge, the controls to set my compressor EXACTLY how I want it due to the multitude of knobs and switches, combined with solid descriptions of exactly how it's VCA setup works inside. People have reasons for their choices - why assume they're wrong just because they didn't volunteer a paragraph about their decision in an otherwise unrelated thread?

Anyhoo - OP, welcome! If you can wade through the muddle of posts not trying to answer your question, I see that there are some people here truly trying to help you out.

I believe there's an effects loop on your amp on the back, but I could be wrong. Could you send pics of your exact pieces of gear, or at least the amp. Or pics from the net that look identical to your exact amp.

If the location of, or existence of, an effects loop is still part of the discussion, at least!

I might be behind :)
 
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#59
Mingo Sanders said:
A musical instrument (electric bass or electric guitar) preamp accepts an instrument (pickup) signal and among other things raises it to line level to be sent to/accepted by a power amplifier.
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This is generally true, but not always. Some pedals are called preamps, but they don't actually produce enough output to drive a power amp; I.E some preamps receive and send instrument level. Also line level is not one specific level. If a preamp generates a weak line level signal it still may not be sufficient to drive a power amp that requires a hot line level signal to reach full power. Learning how to read and interpret the specs is necessary to ensure you buy compatible equipment.
 
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#60
Many rack mount compressors NEED a line level signal because there is not enough input gain to achieve adequate internal level for the compressor to work properly. This is WHY many amps that expect to be used with line level devices have a line level effects loop.
 
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