HELP with BASS AMP for recording! Combo, Micro head, or big boy?

[Mrevol]

Hey gents, so this past weekend I tracked bass with a DI, Hartke Bass attack pedal, and a Princeton driven by a pedal. Tone was awesome. So I'm looking at buying a bass amp for the studio. I always do DI and possibly bass pedal but would like to add some air/crunch. Mostly record indie rock to metal. If I do something smoother then I would probably just stick with DI.

So here's the question for all you true bass tone adventure seekers.

I can go small combo (fender rumble, ebs, etc....). Pros: small, cheap Cons: have to tweak amp in live room then come and listen to monitors rather then tweak right next to monitors. Which combo if you recommend this route?

Or some of these small micro heads (Traynor, GK, Ampeg VR etc...) with a small cab. I would be able to tweak in tracking room.
But what cab and which micro head would you guys lean towards.

Or I can just buy a Ampeg Vb4 and small cab. Would love to have one of the best recording amps but once again what cab. And is it really worth the big price tag.

Thanks so much guys! Cheers

 

[Zbysek]

I have bought Ampeg PF-20T for these purposes...

 

[sifrancis]

Firstly, if the tone you got from the Fender Princeton was awesome why not just invest in one of those?
I love the sounds achieved from recording a bass through guitar amps; and have a Fender Princeton at my studio that get particular attention here, alongside a Peavey classic 30 combo.

However, if you after something more bass specific, or capable of delivering some deeper/fuller tones then I would definitely be looking at a low wattage all-tube bass head.
Something like the following:

Ampeg PF-20T
Ashdown CTM30 / Little Stubby

Both of these head can cover a wide range of sounds, from smooth and mellow to absolute filth and everything in between.
They also feature DI output that are derived from the output transformer, meaning you can record this line to blend with your other signals (clean DI, cab mic...etc) and also then feed through various speaker sims/IRs or even re-amp this signal through other speakers or microphone setups if needed.

Furthermore, the Ampeg PF-20T can be used without a load and essentially as a straight preamp, allowing for silent recording (applying a speaker sim/IR can then be added to this for mic'd amp tones).
The Ashdown CTM30 on the other hand must always be connected to a speaker or dummy load.

The Ampeg V4B is definitely worth considering too, it's extra power can makes it a bit more practical in live settings, though this can also lead to excessive volume when wanting a particularly distorted tone for recording which may or may not prove problematic depending on your setup and recording environment.
In this case of the V4b the DI is taken from the preamp section so will not capture any power amp coloration or distortion, which is a factor worth considering.

As for Speaker Cabinets, there're loads to explore; the Ampeg 210av, 112av, and 212av all deliver on classic tones, are portable and record well. Other 12" and 15" speaker cabinets are well worth exploring too.
Guitar speaker cabinets are also good fun to experiment with too - I regularly pair my Ashdown CTM30 with an unbranded open back 212 guitar cabinet and love the sounds I get from that setup, and offers a sort of hybrid between recording through a bass or guitar - specific amp (similarly applying guitar cab speaker sims to the DI signal allow for all sorts of virtual experimentation with this too).

 

[Mrevol]

So the pf50t covers the v4b ground? And what cab out of the av series you guys recommend. Leaning 2x10 or 1x12

I could save money and go svt 3 pro over the pf50t. Any thoughts there?

Please remember, I'm not necessarily looking for volume but just tone as this is just for studio.

 

[sifrancis]

PF-50T is tonally very similar to the V4B. The PF-50T has the same output transformer based DI as the PF-20T and can also be run without a load/speaker attached (allowing for silent use if so desired).

I'd avoid the SVT 3 Pro, and focus on Ashdown CTM 30/Little Stubby, and the Ampeg PF-20T. If it's possible for you to try them out then do.
If you feel you want the extra EQ of the Ampeg PF-50T then it's worth a look, and is more like the V4B sound than the PF-20T, however the simplicity of the PF-20T lends a slightly 'sweeter' tone to my ear, and I enjoy the lower wattage lending to earlier breakup.

The Ashdown little stubby has a fender style tone stack, which may or may not be preferable for you, and also has the 'feedback' control which is pretty unique feature to the amp, which can help shape the character and feel of the amp, particularly around the low end and midrange, which offers a really interesting range of sounds.
Worth noting the DI out here is over 1/4" TRS rather than the standard XLR.

Unless you are wanting to explore vintage and/or more expensive boutique amps these are the ones to be looking at for recording/studio purposes.