Great River Pre/EQ combination

[Bassflute]

anybody tried this stuff? Just curious. Seems to be the only high-end preamps available with an insert point (effects loop).

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Any info would be most appreciated. Been looking for stuff to go with a couple of Berg IP's.

Cheers,
Cameron

 

[4Mal]

I did some tracks for my last band using a Great River. Sweet! Beautiful recording pre. We always recorded flat and EQ'd as part of the mix process so I'm not sure what you would add for EQ.

If you go that route - you're going to have to spend big ti get an EQ whose signal path won't degrade what you're gettting from the Great River.

I got very close to the GR using an Eden Navigator and switching out all the goodies. No turbo boost, no compressor, no EQ, basically a volume control on a DI ... which I think really says something for the basic preamp in the Navigator. Only reason I moved off the Navigator was to move to a simpler live rig. All my recording these days is via DI or DI & Mic anyway ...

 

[bongomania]

While the GR does have a "patch loop jack", there are a great number of half-rack preamps and half-rack EQ's on the market, and they all have an "effects loop" in the sense that you put your other processors in between the preamp and the power amp, and use the gain controls on the in-between processors the same way the second gain stage is applied in the GR pre's loop. The only thing special about the MEQ-1NV in that sense is the EQ gets a bit of extra tweakability before any other processor in the chain. There is no blend on that loop.

IOW there's no need to focus on the GR just for the sake of its loop jack. It's got a stellar pro reputation for its other merits though, if you've got the money.

 

[Bassflute]

I did some tracks for my last band using a Great River. Sweet! Beautiful recording pre. We always recorded flat and EQ'd as part of the mix process so I'm not sure what you would add for EQ.

If you go that route - you're going to have to spend big ti get an EQ whose signal path won't degrade what you're gettting from the Great River.

I got very close to the GR using an Eden Navigator and switching out all the goodies. No turbo boost, no compressor, no EQ, basically a volume control on a DI ... which I think really says something for the basic preamp in the Navigator. Only reason I moved off the Navigator was to move to a simpler live rig. All my recording these days is via DI or DI & Mic anyway ...

they make an eq - the model I'm looking at includes one.

Cheers,
Cameron

 

[Rick Auricchio]

The GR units are high-quality studio microphone preamps. Using something like this in a live rig seems like a waste of money.

 

[Bassflute]

While the GR does have a "patch loop jack", there are a great number of half-rack preamps and half-rack EQ's on the market, and they all have an "effects loop" in the sense that you put your other processors in between the preamp and the power amp, and use the gain controls on the in-between processors the same way the second gain stage is applied in the GR pre's loop. The only thing special about the MEQ-1NV in that sense is the EQ gets a bit of extra tweakability before any other processor in the chain. There is no blend on that loop.

IOW there's no need to focus on the GR just for the sake of its loop jack. It's got a stellar pro reputation for its other merits though, if you've got the money.

with an insert point. And I didn't want to have the effects directly in line like that, effecting the entire signal chain. And the effects I intend to use don't have a final gain control (Eventide stompboxes). And I can have the EQ before the effects ( I guess I could the other way as well) Also, with hard wire bypass, once they're out they're out.

I tried the Great River pre with an API eq and compressor - sounded amazing. Haven't tried the GR EQ yet, but have heard great things.

The API compressor - stunning! Very touchy controls, but what a fat, rich sound. Magnificent.

Cheers,
Cameron

 

[4Mal]

well it should... that setup costs more than I spent assembling a decent PA ... I can't really see bothering with something like that in a live environment - which is different than saying you shouldn't of course ... any pro-studio you visit will have a similar signal chain as well so for my uses - I'd sit on the cash ...

 

[Bassflute]

well it should... that setup costs more than I spent assembling a decent PA ... I can't really see bothering with something like that in a live environment - which is different than saying you shouldn't of course ... any pro-studio you visit will have a similar signal chain as well so for my uses - I'd sit on the cash ...

I guess I've reached the Nth stage of electric bass playing and am totally unhappy with all the bass rigs I've tried, including my own. The only part I like are my Bergs. I would just like some electronics that can keep up with and enhance my amazing MTD's and the luscious sound of those Bergs.

And I don't think it's a waste of money in a live rig situation. Look at the new Hellborg rig by Warwick - redone Neve strips - seems a lot of fine bass players are thinking the same way.

Not to mention Anthony Jackson's severe esoteric audio addiction.

Cheers,
Cameron

 

[chadds]

I guess I've reached the Nth stage of electric bass playing and am totally unhappy with all the bass rigs I've tried, including my own. The only part I like are my Bergs. I would just like some electronics that can keep up with and enhance my amazing MTD's and the luscious sound of those Bergs.

And I don't think it's a waste of money in a live rig situation. Look at the new Hellborg rig by Warwick - redone Neve strips - seems a lot of fine bass players are thinking the same way.

Not to mention Anthony Jackson's severe esoteric audio addiction.

Cheers,
Cameron

Berg IPs?

 

[bongomania]

This is the only one I've found with an insert point. And I didn't want to have the effects directly in line like that, effecting the entire signal chain. And the effects I intend to use don't have a final gain control (Eventide stompboxes). And I can have the EQ before the effects ( I guess I could the other way as well) Also, with hard wire bypass, once they're out they're out.

Do you already have those Eventides? Because I would be frankly shocked if they had no output gain controls, at least built in to the programming (i.e. a soft control, not a fixed "volume knob"). Also, the way the insert point on the GR works, the signal is completely in series, directly in line, the way you say you don't want.

The hardwire bypass on your effects has no relevance to the presence or lack of an insert point, or the insert point inherent in running these devices in series. If you meant the hardwire bypass in the EQ section of the GR, that bypass only affects the EQ, I wouldn't assume it has anything to do with other devices in the insert loop.

 

[Rick Auricchio]

And I don't think it's a waste of money in a live rig situation. Look at the new Hellborg rig by Warwick - redone Neve strips - seems a lot of fine bass players are thinking the same way.

I didn't mean to come off sounding so harsh.

How well can a perfect bass tone survive in the house with the rest of the band playing, and with audience noise? Clubs are anything but quiet.

In a concert environment, the audience is quiet. But in a concert, most of your sound is going to go through the FOH PA.

So it still sounds difficult to justify pristine tone outside the studio.

 

[FieldingMellish]

the GR bring my bass to life in a live situation like no other pre I've ever used. Sometimes I add the Jad Freer CAPO in front of it for eq - only if I need it. The GR sounds incredible just going into a power amp.

 

[deepestend]

I just found a great river pre on the street... someone was throwing it away. I plugged it in and it powers up. Haven't tested it for sound yet. Just reading about it now. What's the best use for it? Just playing at home? Try to use it for recording?

 

[fast slapper]

Nice find...recording is the main use for it. Patching into a power amp/bass effects loop return might be fun as well.

 

[deepestend]

I gave the owner a quick call this morning. He said that it was probably somewhat redundant in my home setup, but that "the price was right" so why not give it a go.

I did plug my passive P into it and then into my powered monitors (my home rig) and it sounded very good. Not sure if there was some bias there as I'd just read that it's an $1100 piece of gear, but I'll give it more of a go tonight.