Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
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Double Bass Headway EDB1 preamp
- Thread starter bassinstincts
- Start date
Clink,
At the moment I'm locked out of sending you a PM because although I renewed my subscription to Talkbass they are evidently waiting for the Pay Pal payment to clear. So I'll PM you when they get it straightened out. I've sent them a couple of messages but I haven't got a response yet.
Ric
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
The reality didn't last. Won't know for a few gigs but running into the aux input of the GK the tone is much fatter than the GK pre. There is a three dimensional quality to it that sounds more like a good mic than just a pickup. I can see the notch filter being used in some rooms. I tried it with an AI Ten2 combo and thought it sounded at least as good as the AI pre.
I will update in a week or so.
I will update in a week or so.
Clink,
It's a really nice box. If I could find a reasonably priced digital power amp that had adequate power output (i.e the Focus SA) I would probably use it as part of a mini rig.
Ric
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
Is there a workable solution if you want to use a condenser mic (like the DPA 4099) with the Headway?
Greg Clinkingbeard
Commercial User
Yes,
Phantom power is there but it's low. I've used it successfully with the Audio Technica ATM 35 mic. The volume is much lower than my Full Circle but it is adequate and with separate gain for each channel it works fine.
Do a search or just take the time to read the entire thread. There is some discussion about the phantom power issue. It is a great preamp.
Phantom power is there but it's low. I've used it successfully with the Audio Technica ATM 35 mic. The volume is much lower than my Full Circle but it is adequate and with separate gain for each channel it works fine.
Do a search or just take the time to read the entire thread. There is some discussion about the phantom power issue. It is a great preamp.
Jazzdogg
Less barking, more wagging!
I've really gotten into appreciating the Headway as a preamp from my realist into my Phil Jones SuperFlight Case or as DI on an amp less gig. I'm not using it as much to mix my DPA 4099B, instead sending that to front of house and letting them handle it, though I will likely be using the mic channel for an upcoming Broadway show gig where I'm playing arco a lot in somewhat silent pit setting and I need to be able to mute the mic when I switch to electric bass. (FOH has their hands full and can't mute me every time I switch.)
I have one problem with it though- it seems to be prone to distortion on loud, low notes sometimes, even with both pre and master gain levels set ridiculously low. The thing is, the problem is somewhat intermittent. I was trying to use it as a DI at a gig the other night and it kept breaking up and I abandoned. Then last night it was fine through my amp.
I know that Gage pickup is pretty hot and I just ordered the attenuated cable from them, but since I often play without issue and then at other times it is distorted, I wonder if there is a a short in the pre somewhere? It sometimes sounds like the battery is dead, but I always plug it in with the adaptor. Any other ideas of what this could be? I'm having a hard time getting the problem at home.
FWIW, I also recently tried the Fdeck HPF for the second time and much preferred the Headway's tone, at least with my rather dark sounding bass and Realist.
I have one problem with it though- it seems to be prone to distortion on loud, low notes sometimes, even with both pre and master gain levels set ridiculously low. The thing is, the problem is somewhat intermittent. I was trying to use it as a DI at a gig the other night and it kept breaking up and I abandoned. Then last night it was fine through my amp.
I know that Gage pickup is pretty hot and I just ordered the attenuated cable from them, but since I often play without issue and then at other times it is distorted, I wonder if there is a a short in the pre somewhere? It sometimes sounds like the battery is dead, but I always plug it in with the adaptor. Any other ideas of what this could be? I'm having a hard time getting the problem at home.
FWIW, I also recently tried the Fdeck HPF for the second time and much preferred the Headway's tone, at least with my rather dark sounding bass and Realist.
Hi,
i just returned the EDB 1 back to my dealer, here is why:
I like the overall concept and the build quality.
The HPF feature is great and works as expected.
Unfortunately i found the EQ Frequencies not very suitable for my setup. (Fishman BP 100) They are not good for bass instruments. Also did the notch filter alter the sound too much.
Ahnother thing i noticed is, that it is a bit noisy. There is always a little hiss going on.
So, my search for the ultimate DB Preamp goes on......
Regards,
Paul
i just returned the EDB 1 back to my dealer, here is why:
I like the overall concept and the build quality.
The HPF feature is great and works as expected.
Unfortunately i found the EQ Frequencies not very suitable for my setup. (Fishman BP 100) They are not good for bass instruments. Also did the notch filter alter the sound too much.
Ahnother thing i noticed is, that it is a bit noisy. There is always a little hiss going on.
So, my search for the ultimate DB Preamp goes on......
Regards,
Paul
My review of the EDB-1 on my '42 Kay with a Fishman Full Circle Pickup. I love mine! http://basstony.wordpress.com/2012/...guitar-player-it-has-got-to-be-headway-edb-1/
P Brown,
If you take a look at Paulitto's post, he's using a Fishman BP-100 pickup. IME, IMHO it's my least favorite pickup. It mutes the bridge with felt padded brass clips, demands a 10 meg input impedance, and has a tonal quality that I found emphasized the wrong midrange frequencies.
I own a Headway EDB-1 and if you're willing to put up with it's little inconsistencies, then it can be a great little box.
Since the input gain structure on Channel 1 is so hot, it really wasn't a good match with my older Realist Pickup (copper foil version). My solution was to send the unit back to Headway and have their technician modify Channel 1, lowering it to unity gain. Once that was done, the Realist's output wasn't an issue anymore. David Gage's solution, was to provide a attenuated Planet Waves cable that lowers the Realist's output, and solves this problem without having to do any modification on the circuitry of the EDB-1. The modification can be reversed, but, the charges for sending it back and forth to Headway, make it very expensive to do more than once.
Blending the Realist with a DPA 4099 worked well, but since the DPA requires 48 volts phantom power and the Headway only provides 18 volts, there is a noticeable hiss that is audible, it tends to disappear in the mix, but it's nonetheless there.
Using either of my Walter Woods amplifiers, the Pre Amp section of the Headway boosts the signal so much that it's better just to send it's signal directly into their power amp sections, bypassing the Woods' pre amps. Having to EQ the Woods to compensate for the Headway just wasn't practical. From what I gather it really works best into a powered speaker like a QSC K10.
Ric
P.S. I guess, for me at least, having to purchase a new power amp, or powered speaker, just doesn't offset the Headway's feature set. The added cost of modifying the box, or purchasing a cable to use the Realist may also be a consideration.
Attachments
I agree with you on the BP-100(The BP is not even comparable to the Full-Circle if you haven't tried it out yet), I wouldn't discount the pre-amp, when a better purchase would be a higher end pickup. I had the K&K bass master stereo pickup and pre but it really wasn't the sound I wanted, so when I dove in and purchased the Full Circle I was pleased, but because of my SWR Natural blonde I needed to cut the lows out in a big way. The BP is not even comparable to the Full-Circle if you haven't tried it out yet. The EDB-1 was perfect for that. I will admit that the gain is high and didn't know that was the reason, and I appreciate you sharing! I barely turn my gain up! That is also interesting about the DPA, I have tried one but found that I couldn't use it live because it would feed back instantly at very low volumes. Figured it wasn't meant for club use(any advice?)-I also didn't try it out with a pre amp... just the EQ from my natural blonde. How did you get your Walter Woods? I have never heard them, thought you might enjoy this Link Removed
Thanks for your knowledge! P
P Brown,
I purchased an Ehrluhd EAP and Preamp, right after I sent the Headway EDB-1 to England for the modification.
That pickup works so well with my Mirecourt Bass, Walter Woods MI-400-8 or WW Electroacoustic, and the Thunderchild TC 112 cabinet that the EDB-1 is just sitting in the box.
Since I have Ebony Bridge Adjusters, and like them. I'm not interested in switching them out for Aluminum ones to use the Full Circle. There just to pretty.
Unfortunately, with the Realist, and apparently the Full Circle, the input structure of the Headway is just to hot. Conversely, the switchover to unity gain doesn't work with the Ehrlund. Here's the link to the Realist Padded Cable that David Gage sells.http://www.davidgage.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=491
I've used the DPA FOH, lots of times. I even used it in a couple of small clubs. I've never been successful using it with an amplifier. I owned the predecessor to the Natural Blond, the SWR Baby Blue. I loved the sound of the cabinet, but really disliked the EQ on the head. By the time SWR released the Natural Blonde, I had invested in the Walter Woods MI-400-8. So I took a look at it, but passed. Funny thing though, it has a rear firing driver,
just like Duke LeJune puts on the TC 112 AF (Acoustic Friendly Version)
Walter sells his amplifiers direct. I'll dig out his number and send you a P.M. . They are very expensive now, it's around $2,700 for his Electroacoustic Ultra, but it produces 800 watts at 8 ohms and 1,200 watts at 4 ohm. Whether anyone needs that kind of power, including me, is up for debate. Acoustic Image, Euphonic Audio, and others produce very reliable micro heads. I just happened to get a great deal on a used one. Actually, I talked to Hubert Liegos about his amp, a couple of years ago. At the time, they actually cost more than a Walter Woods Ultra, due to the exchange rate between the U.S. and France.
Ric
i wanted to give this thread a little updade. im someone who does not like the headway sound for live use, but i recently just bought a mic preamp for home recording, the golden age one, and for home recording, the headway sounds way better. im using a dynamic mic. havent compared condensers yet, but the headway doesnt provide the 48v that the golden age provides, so im not sure if that will make a sound difference.
Steve,
Are you still enjoying that Walter Woods MI-100-8 single channel you recorded those clips with recently. I thought it sounded very good? Great playing by the way! With my bass, strings, and two different Woods amplifiers, the Headway EDB-1 is redundant, into the Channel inputs on Walter's amps. It's simply got to much gain, to work that way. I would also agree that Walter's pre amp sounds so good that you probably need look no further. Having two different pre amps, with two different EQ sections really muddies the waters for me, as it's way to complicated.
Where it did work for me, was into a power amplifier, as the sole pre amp in the chain. Under those circumstance, using only a pickup, IME, IMHO, I think the EDB-1 shines.
As to the 18 volt phantom vs the 48v, there is a difference in the noise floor, that presents itself as white noise through an amp, but in a live performance, I've noticed that tends to disappear in the mix, at least to some degree. Cheers
Ric
