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How about the Laney Digbeth preamp pedal?

I don’t know that I can answer that definitively, they’re very different tools that I think are equally as good at what they do.

The NUX is an awesome box that still gets used when I need a really clean tone (weddings, churches, school fundraising events, drum corps). It’s awesome in a small room when I want the band to sound bigger, because it has cabsim. The drive isn’t that great, kinda fizzy. And the eq isn’t that strong (the MXR in that pic has a stronger eq by miles), but it’s pretty broad and easy enough to find a sound I’m happy with.

The Laney goes to the bar on rock night, has a solid clean tone but it’s drive is what sells it. The eq is weird, the low mid/switch situation takes some experimenting with. The tilt feature is cool but I don’t think it’s something I’ll ever use. A low/high boost switch like on an SVT would have been more useful, otherwise it has a kinda narrow eq range. Not any huge amount of bass or treble unless you use the tilt knob which robs from the other side. And it’s gigantic, and heavy. And the headphone out is too quiet. But sometimes it’s fun to have a big heavy fun amp on stage and it looks just crackers on a pedalboard.

As far as missing IR, I am the absolute wrong person to ask. I’m a complete luddite in that regard and the NUX is my only experience with it. I will say that the NUX needs its IR to sound good, the Laney just sounds good.

Cheers Stephen- very informative post! Ive played the NUX fir a couple of years and like its functionality- the Digbeth is something Ive toyed with in my mind.
 
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Well I've had mine for a couple weeks now. I'm really diggin' the DigBeth! it's a keeper for me for sure. And agree with a lot of what Stephen had to say about it.

Pro's for me-
  • Really, really like the EQ (not too touchy but works well).
  • The Fet/clean channel sounds excellent, especially when the Fet Volume knob is set close to unity, (My basses are active and I like to use the DigBeth bypassed also, for another clean tone/channel right from the bass to a bass cab IR).
  • It's easy to balance the channels (either Fet/Tube or Fet/Mix).
  • Excellent sounding Overdrive on the Tube channel (I know it doesn't have a tube, but to me it sounds and feels like it does). I am using IR's with it and it sounds great!
  • Really nice touch sensitivity.
  • Well built and looks good (I really like the layout of the pedal).
  • It just sounds killer (with my setup).
Con's for me-
  • It has those clicky footswitches, but I can deal with it.
  • Didn't find the Tilt knob very useful yet (wish it had a master volume for the Fet channel instead).
The FX loop bypasses with the bypass switch, but the way I'm gonna use it (not using the DigBeths XLR out), it just saves my board a couple patch cables anyway.
I'll just place the Mod/Time effects and Cab IR loader after the DigBeths 1/4" out.

I'm waiting on a couple more things for my board, but the Laney DigBeth is definitely gonna be on there!







 
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I was wondering if the loop shut off in bypass. I suspected it did but wasn't sure.
This is the most recent iteration of what I want to do with my setup. Its a recording setup. The BassRIG provides the speaker simulation. It has up to 3 distinctive feeds to choose from. There is also chance I move the phaser/chorus into the loop of the Digbeth and use the link out from the Digbeth to feed the BassRIG. I lose the cab sim option on the Digbeth but the 2 options become unlinked and I can have a clean "amp" sound and really go over the top with effects on the Digbeth feed. Lots of experimenting that can be done and creative options for the studio

1-DI - to desk / thru to
2-Tuner
3-Compressor
4-Octave
5-Phaser
6-Digbeth - DI feed to Desk if desired
7-Chorus
8-Bassrig - DI to Desk / Cab Sim Always on
bassboard1b.png
 
Any other feedback from owners on this one? I’m not really in the market for a preamp, but I am highly intrigued by this one. Saw it in a live situation shootout and it was great. Maybe not the best I saw, but really good and “different”. The tones just stood out from everything else.
Crap, the dadgum GAS always comes back.
 
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Yes there is
Found it. None of the store photos seemed to show the back of the pedal. That definitely helps.

I typically run the Bass Attack DI straight to the board with just a couple effects before the Preamp.
Would love to hear more people who use this without an am.

I'm also toying with the idea of putting the effects in the loop rather than before the DI. It's just a chorus and Dtune pedal.

Any thoughts?
 
I run into my DI, then effects, into digbeth, and then the thru of the digbeth to an origin effects super vintage. Puts effects through both. I am inclined to try putting effects in the loop of digbeth and let the SV be clean too

I was looking to use this in place of my current Hartke Bass Attack Preamp DI. No amp behind it at all. I use the direct and use in ears. I wanna make sure this pedal will be the answer I’m looking for. I like what I hearing in the videos.
 
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I have one on the way as well. Will report as well. I’m going to try some effects in the loop (filter, chorus, secret pre) and see how that goes and will also give it a run as DI at my next live gig in a few weeks to see how it does. Wanted to give this a shot because the tones I’m hearing are different than most everything else I’m hearing out there and I dig it. We’ll see. If I don’t bond with it, I may look at the Origin 64 Black later on as it sounds really good.
 
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I have one on the way as well. Will report as well. I’m going to try some effects in the loop (filter, chorus, secret pre) and see how that goes and will also give it a run as DI at my next live gig in a few weeks to see how it does. Wanted to give this a shot because the tones I’m hearing are different than most everything else I’m hearing out there and I dig it. We’ll see. If I don’t bond with it, I may look at the Origin 64 Black later on as it sounds really good.


I agree on the loop. I have a chorus I will run thru it. I have the Dtune pedal which may just be part of the signal path. I'll go direct to the board and see how she sounds live.

The reason I got into the Digbeth was this shootout video. I had narrowed it down to the Bass Butler, Battalion and Digbeth. The digbeth across the board sounded pretty sweet. I was actually surprised at how unimpressive the Sansamp sounded. It's a long video but really shows a lot of styles and pedals.
 
I have one on the way as well. Will report as well. I’m going to try some effects in the loop (filter, chorus, secret pre) and see how that goes and will also give it a run as DI at my next live gig in a few weeks to see how it does. Wanted to give this a shot because the tones I’m hearing are different than most everything else I’m hearing out there and I dig it. We’ll see. If I don’t bond with it, I may look at the Origin 64 Black later on as it sounds really good.
Agree that it is a unique voice. I don't even think about amps any more for bass which is weird to say but makes sense as I don't play bass live these days
 
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I agree on the loop. I have a chorus I will run thru it. I have the Dtune pedal which may just be part of the signal path. I'll go direct to the board and see how she sounds live.

The reason I got into the Digbeth was this shootout video. I had narrowed it down to the Bass Butler, Battalion and Digbeth. The digbeth across the board sounded pretty sweet. I was actually surprised at how unimpressive the Sansamp sounded. It's a long video but really shows a lot of styles and pedals.

The Battalion and the digbeth were on the top of my list too with the SV. I didn't care for the sansamp either. Too mid scooped for my ear
 
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I agree on the loop. I have a chorus I will run thru it. I have the Dtune pedal which may just be part of the signal path. I'll go direct to the board and see how she sounds live.

The reason I got into the Digbeth was this shootout video. I had narrowed it down to the Bass Butler, Battalion and Digbeth. The digbeth across the board sounded pretty sweet. I was actually surprised at how unimpressive the Sansamp sounded. It's a long video but really shows a lot of styles and pedals.


That video was the reason I picked it as well. That is how a shootout video should be done.
 

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