• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

I can't decide on a preamp!

#41
Of course the choices are endless. Nevertheless, I will pitch in the Art Pro Channel, because I'm using it. It has good compressor and a very usable EQ. And on top of that the price is hard to beat.

It can do deep, warm, and fat.
 
#49
I had a Yamaha PB-1 that I had in front of a Crown DC-300 poweramp into a couple of cabinet configs, sometimes 15"/18", sometimes 8x10. I had that rig from 1984-2004. I donated the rig to a local school in 2004. I'm glad I did but I really wish I had that Yamaha PB-1 back. :-)

The Yamaha PB-1 is a absolutely fantastic preamp. Sounds great, can dial in some great tones with the parametric EQ. Can adjust both the frequency and the affected range (is that called Q?). In the mid 90's a friend used my rig in the studio and recorded both mic'd and directly from the Yamaha. The bass tone sounded great on the CD.

Little off topic. I say I want the PB-1 back but I don't know if I want to go back to amp/preamp and big racks. I like having a smaller 10-15 pound all in one. PB-1 by itself was 11-12 pounds, the DC300, jeez, it felt like it weighed a ton, with all the other gear I think the rack was pushing 60-70 pounds or so. I know amps are lighter now but with amp, preamp, rack, and any other gizmo in there I still think a rack-job would still be around 35-40 pounds minimum, compared to some all-in-ones 10-15 pounds. OK back on topic.

Even if you choose another preamp, I don't think you would go wrong by spending another $150 bucks or so on a used PB-1 to keep in the stable. I think I just convinced myself to scour craigslist and see if I can get a PB-1 to keep around, just in case. :-)
 
#50
Sorry to post so late in the game, but before you make your mind up...Have you rersearched TB threads for Furman PQ 3, 4, 6 or 8? The Furman PQ line is both a pre amp and a fully parametric equalizer. 1/4 inch inputs-outputs. You can use either / or ,but not both at same time. They are no longer in production.

Some prefer the original 70's green-face with rust colored knobs. Reissue is black-faced. I have a re-issue and use it to make my 1971 Kustom B200 sound good. It very significantly increases volume on pre-amp and very signficantly enhances tone with tweaking on the PQ. As I stated earlier, models include a 3 channel, 4 channel, then doubled for discreet stereo or for 2 separate instruments; the pq-6 and 8.
Ideally it may be suited to put in front of a Crown or any other raw power amp. Of course brand new pre amps come with warranty. I bought mine through thebay years ago...no worries..no issues and cost a fraction of new units. I am very satisfied.

Thanks..zon6c-f.
 
#51
The Furmans are quite nice; I used to have an original greenface PQ-3 that I bought new in the mid '70s, in more recent years I had a blackface PQ-3, just as nice, really. My drummer now has that in his recording studio to use for EQing his kick drum mic.
 
#52
Yeah, another former owner of the green-face Furman. It was in '76-'77. EQ-wise you could do almost anything with those parametrics, but man that preamp sounded almost frigidly clean and sterile. (However, I can see how some players/styles would go for that.) I used to run mine into a Coliseum, whose tone controls alone just couldn't give me the sound I was looking for through the cab I was using at the time, so basically I was using it as a unity gain EQ stage.
 
#53
Tunaman "I love my Eden Navigator but the DI hiss is terrible"

check this out:
"Navigator output switch change"
to reduce the output level and the resulting noise floor.

For the curious, once you open the unit the innocuous "white switch" is located on the top circuit board just about right behind the Sidechain pot on the front panel. The switch is a spring switch (like so many of the switches on the front panel of this unit) mounted horizontaly with the switch itself facing the front panel of the Navigator. It sits in such a position that you wonder if it was intended at one point to be part of the array of front panel switches. Push it once to change output, push it again to return to where you started - - darn simple."
 
#55
I have owned a ton of preamps here is my 2 cents

#1 by far aguilar db680 so much I bought 2 one is for sale car probs
#2 alembic f1x f2b they sound very sim.
I have owned a bunch others but these 2 are in a diff cat.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back