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IP310 with these preamps??

Bjazzman

Bjazzman

Dec 7, 2004
2,732
1
46
Madison WI
www.myspace.com
#1
Has anyone had the chance to try out their IP310 with the following preamps:

Aguilar DB659

Mesa M-Pulse Walkabout

Summit TD-100

Walter Woods Ultra

From what i've been reading and listening to samples, i have it narrowed down to one of these for my next purchase. The only thing about the Woods head is that it's soo expensive and it might seem like a waste not using all of the head
 
#2
Hi. Search and you will find my review of the Summit TD-100 with the Berg IP mod. You can order them with the mod which retains all the numerous functions of the TD with a TRS output optimized for the IP through direct consultation between Jim Bergantino and Eric Papp of Summit. Eric has a new often requested (by IP owners) feature for the TD-100 but I won't speak more of it until early next week otherwise it's vapor ware. He is including a mute switch that I can say. Previously you have to just unplug from it to change instruments as the Volume doesn't cut off completely.
I will say with the mod the TD-100 is the closest thing to plugging directly into the back of the IP. Yet it adds the gain of tube richness plus clarity. Each note is warm rather than your whole tone just getting fat with a loss of note distinction. Also tube drive and grit is available when cranking this babe.
 
#5
I can't really comment on the IP match-up... but man, Ive never seen a list of more different sounding gear!:eek: You have a range of massively warm, tubey vintage tone to the most clean, hi fi studio tone in your list.

What type of tone are you looking for? That would help the IP guys suggest an option. As you mention, the Walter Woods makes very little sense, since it is an expensive all in one head. There are other tube pre's that will give you the Walkabout type vintage tone (Alembic, etc.) without carrying around a power amp that you won't be using.
 
#7
Bjazzman said:
currnetly i have a sib fatdrive which is awesome. the only thing is it doesen't have an xlr out. i thought about just getting a countryman di and be done with it but... i like choices. I really like tubey warmth but i also want clarity. I don't know if these will do both
Click to expand...

Tubey warmth and clarity is exactly how I would describe the 659... if you can find one. Awesome tube pre... punchy and warm, but still defined and clear to my ear.

I've never played out of a summit... but isn't that designed to by totally clean and crystal clear? If so, that would not get you where you want to be.
 
#9
Please tell us about this Brunetti "Bugatti" Italian Job Pre. Are you holding out on us? Kjung makes a great point Bjazzman that your list spans the gamut. I recommend the Summit if you love the sound of your bass plugged directly into an IP. Now it's not sterile and if you can go from a jazz walking tone to James Gang with your fingers then nothing else is needed. In a session today I was really able to get distinct tones out of my basses eq. that were not apparent through more traditional gear. I would have had to have tweaked the amps eq. mid song. I can now make only one note growl by touch rather than set the amp up for "growl tone" for this song or set. It's a new ballgame.

_________________________
Save the cheerleader, save the world
 
#11
chadds said:
Please tell us about this Brunetti "Bugatti" Italian Job Pre. Are you holding out on us?
Click to expand...

I will be posting a more substantial review of the Brunetti soon, after I get a digital camera (no pics, no pre!), and after I get some additional feedback at a special mini-GTG with 4mal and Passinwind tomorrow. It's extremely rare -- a google search turned up hardly anything, and a TB search turned up nothing except the name Brunetti. They are no longer made.

In the meantime, I'll just say that it's a fantastic tube preamp -- very neutral, with a very revealing high end, a middle that is neither scooped nor mid-forward, and a bottom end with booty to spare. In short, I think it could well be the best sound I've ever gotten out of a rig, though a large part of that is certainly the IP310. Here's a couple pics from the ebay auction:

27_3.jpg


fd_3.jpg


Two channels (one clean, one overdrive), seven tubes. :D
 
#13
Bjazzman said:
the only thing is that the summit seems more like just a direct box in which case my money would best be spent on something like the countryman di since the summit is more transparent.
Click to expand...

No sir. Now if you mean it's clean it is. If you mean is it sterile no sir. Have you ever plugged into a Fender Bassman head circa late '60s. It has this fat syrupy tone. Imagine that tone on each note with none in between so the definition of each note is clear. That's what this does. Kudos to the Bergantino IP because it reproduces this faithfully. So if you can make a Ric sound like Motown by touch then you hear Motown. Next song some Funk or Fusion just by touch or twidling some knobs on your bass. This is what it does for me. It may not be what you need but if you read my review I tested DIs including the countryman which I own and IMHO think that a direct box with an IP is useless. In fact you get no gain whatsover. The minute you plug directly into the back of the IP you hear it's potential. A pre brings this out whether it's an SVT pre or a Summit or Millenia or a Kern or Eden or AG you get the flavor you want.
As a direct box the Summit is one of the best I have heard. It has so many usable features that most DIs except the Radial don't have with a sound according to a Platinum producing studio engineer that is splitting hairs with the Millenia. For $425+/-.
Then add that as a preamp it can be optimized for the Bergantino IP whoa! Now it still may not be the sound you seek. So be it. If you just need a DI then the Countryman or Demeter Tube Direct is good. The Demeter is about $400+ though.
 
#14
BartmanPDX said:
I will be posting a more substantial review of the Brunetti soon, after I get a digital camera (no pics, no pre!), and after I get some additional feedback at a special mini-GTG with 4mal and Passinwind tomorrow. It's extremely rare -- a google search turned up hardly anything, and a TB search turned up nothing except the name Brunetti. They are no longer made.

In the meantime, I'll just say that it's a fantastic tube preamp -- very neutral, with a very revealing high end, a middle that is neither scooped nor mid-forward, and a bottom end with booty to spare. In short, I think it could well be the best sound I've ever gotten out of a rig, though a large part of that is certainly the IP310. Here's a couple pics from the ebay auction:

27_3.jpg


fd_3.jpg


Two channels (one clean, one overdrive), seven tubes. :D
Click to expand...

Wow... that's a beauty. NICE find! I get it sounds great!
 
#17
Bjazzman said:
the only thing is that the summit seems more like just a direct box in which case my money would best be spent on something like the countryman di since the summit is more transparent.
Click to expand...
summit also has a [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] that also fits into half the width of a 1U rack space.
Search talkbass -- some dealer is selling the combination for little or no profit for the short-term to build exposure.
 

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