I think you'd be more than good with either the Sansamp BDDI (newer one) or the VT. Those would help you get to where you want to be and they are commonly carried at local music stores most times.
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Help me choose a Preamp pedal?
- Thread starter VanishingPoint
- Start date
I use the Tech 21 BDDI it's the best purchase I've ever made IMHO
Al Kraft
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- May 2, 2016
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"Fatter, fuller sound" screams Diamond Bass Compressor to me - more so than one might expect. That having been said, I own and like the MXR M80 and would imagine the M81 is easily as good or better, especially with the semi parametric mid control.
The TH pedal is also a big favorite (in multiple ways) and I liked it so much I bought a TH500 amp. As for SansAmps, I have no complaints with my BDDI, Para Driver or VT Bass V2, although I will readily admit they are not everyone's cup of tea.
Every one of the above mentioned devices can get you a lot of nice tones (and some really awful ones as well). For the money, MXR stuff is hard to beat and good quality, but the Tone Hammer has been a favorite for me. However, the Tone Hammer does have a learning curve and requires a little understanding of how the controls interact to get the most out of it.
The TH pedal is also a big favorite (in multiple ways) and I liked it so much I bought a TH500 amp. As for SansAmps, I have no complaints with my BDDI, Para Driver or VT Bass V2, although I will readily admit they are not everyone's cup of tea.
Every one of the above mentioned devices can get you a lot of nice tones (and some really awful ones as well). For the money, MXR stuff is hard to beat and good quality, but the Tone Hammer has been a favorite for me. However, the Tone Hammer does have a learning curve and requires a little understanding of how the controls interact to get the most out of it.
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+1 for the Tone Hammer. Since I already use the Tone Hammer 500 head, another great option is the tech 21 VT bass DI (which is a stomp box).
I use mine as the pre amp and run into my effects return to just use the power amp section of my head. Gives me more control over the signal and tone I'm sending FOH and to my onstage rig since I'm controlling the pre
From what I have seen, which is admittedly limited, if you are wanting a pre pedal that adds warmth and fatness, then I would say to take a good look at the Aguilar ToneHammer. It really fattens things up, almost TOO much for my tastes in my limited testing. But if you're wanting a thick, warm, vintage-esque tone, I think that the ToneHammer would be the way to go.
father of fires
Commercial User
If you're not sure what you want you CAN'T go wrong with a Sansamp BDDI (and to a lesser extent the Behringer BDI 21 - which some people prefer).
Either you'll love it.
Or...you'll find out real quick that it's not your thing.
Buy used or with a good return policy.
You don't have to get it right the first time.
It's a journey.
Either you'll love it.
Or...you'll find out real quick that it's not your thing.
Buy used or with a good return policy.
You don't have to get it right the first time.
It's a journey.
Well, I guess fatter and warmer, that could be a comp too. You could save a lot of money and just get a DOD milk box too. Talk about warm and fat. That thing rules for that type tone.
I'd recommend either (1) Xotic BB - fatter, fuller, with the ability to go from clean up to tubey overdrive, or (2) Xotic RC - fatter, fuller but generally a clean boost/preamp kind of affair (though the Gain control can add some notable meat). Xotic fanboy here
What I love about both is it still sounds like your bass--for example, a passive bass doesn't come out the other end sounding "active".
What I love about both is it still sounds like your bass--for example, a passive bass doesn't come out the other end sounding "active".
Al Kraft
Supporting Member
- May 2, 2016
- 10,771
- 40,450
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I'd recommend either (1) Xotic BB - fatter, fuller, with the ability to go from clean up to tubey overdrive, or (2) Xotic RC - fatter, fuller but generally a clean boost/preamp kind of affair (though the Gain control can add some notable meat). Xotic fanboy here
What I love about both is it still sounds like your bass--for example, a passive bass doesn't come out the other end sounding "active".
I didn't mention the Xotic in my first response (I own the Bass RC Boost), but it could be a nice option for all the reasons you stated.
For me the Xotic's magic is how little it effects your tone for the gain increase you can get. The EQ is quite nice and very straight forward, so with a few simple tweaks I guess you could fatten up the sound a bit. I like it the best with a passive bass because as you said, it keeps a passive sounding passive, just with more gain on tap.
The Joyo American is a great OD and amp simulator pedal. But it's not what I'd call a pre-amp and it's certainly very colored in it's sound. I puts a big Fender guitar valve amp sound, which can't be dialed out. It's great for an effect and for a few songs but it's not a sound I'd want all the time.
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Yeah, the dangerous thing with the RC is once you use it, it's hard to NOT want to use it all the time. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but you know what I mean….
An EQ is a tone control array. So something like a 12/10/6 band graphic equaliser tends to fall in this category. A preamp is an amplifier that acts with a lot of controllable gain before your main or power amplifier. In the old HiFi days, the power amp was the last stage (and big volume knob) and the preamp had various inputs, input volume knob and tone controls. These were in separate boxes and sold individually. Later they were integrated....hence the integrated amp with combined the two into one box. Bass amps usually have a pre-amp stage and a power stage, but are all in the one box.
The common 2 or three band active EQ's found on many posh basses are also called pre-amps. This is because they buffer the bass signal before the amp.
In the world of effects pedal, I would classify a preamp as a box with extensive tone controls, an input and output volumes and ideally a DI. This would then place it just before your amp or mixing desk / PA. An EQ pedal is generally at the beginning of your pedal chain, buffering the input.
The Empress ParaEq is more of an EQ than a Pre-amp. it's a specific tool for tone shaping and adjusting. It's about the best there is for that specific task, but it's not quite a Pre-amp although it can cover that task well. But it doesn't have a DI, which is a pity.
What I'd like to see is a pre-amp with Bass Mid and treble controls, each with sweepable frequencies and adjustable Q...and an input and output volumes...and a DI...and a funky meter too...plus a send and return loop...now THAT's a fantasy pre-amp!
Yes that does look sweet. I just wish there was more information about the tone controls, some of the labeling is quite cryptic and not very helpful. I really like the send and return feature.
