• 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.

Mesa Subway Plus preamp

#81
I don't see a lot of rack gear getting used in clubs these days (unless it is older stuff). If you're going to an established studio, they're going to have stuff that the engineer is going to want you to plug into. Only time I've "brought my lunch" was with a Monique and the engineer knew of Jule so he was cool with it.

Hard to say where things are heading, but IEM is getting more common. Personally I'd rather bring a pedal board (or board plus a multiFX) for those gig. The rack form factor just isn't as convenient to me.

But maybe there is a market for it. I think 90% of bass players just have a head and a cabinet (or combo) and call it good. It is a small percentage who are running REDDI, Noble, Jule, etc. If that slice is worth the R&D investment, then I think it is viable. Particularly if there are other rack offerings that could be leveraged. But I certainly don't see myself heading to a rack solution, probably ever again.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jazzdogg and superheavyfunk
#82
nostatic said:
I don't see a lot of rack gear getting used in clubs these days (unless it is older stuff). If you're going to an established studio, they're going to have stuff that the engineer is going to want you to plug into. Only time I've "brought my lunch" was with a Monique and the engineer knew of Jule so he was cool with it.

Hard to say where things are heading, but IEM is getting more common. Personally I'd rather bring a pedal board (or board plus a multiFX) for those gig. The rack form factor just isn't as convenient to me.

But maybe there is a market for it. I think 90% of bass players just have a head and a cabinet (or combo) and call it good. It is a small percentage who are running REDDI, Noble, Jule, etc. If that slice is worth the R&D investment, then I think it is viable. Particularly if there are other rack offerings that could be leveraged. But I certainly don't see myself heading to a rack solution, probably ever again.
Click to expand...

I was in Austin for ever, and saw a lot of Mark Bass, Aguilar, GK, etc (lot of tube amps too) before I left. Moved to a more rural part of the state, and it was lots of ampeg 610s with SVT-3pro heads (or that type of rig). I got a lot of funny looks and lots of questions when I showed up with my TH500 and CN212.

I think there are still a lot of guys using racks, especially for road work where a trailer is involved. I have a "rack", but it's a 3U shallow, so not really an bigger than a led sled. Like an Aguilar DB. I think "rack" gear is fine for that, and a pretty practical way to manage gear... but I would never do the EQs, power conditioners, and all that stuff. I think if I had to go 4U, I would just get an integrated amp. I still like a simple bass, amp, and cab set-up (like the 90%), and don't mind a little larger amp. The new WD-800 is VERY appealing in this way.
I think a lot of it depends where you are at, and what circles you run in.

Agree about the studio. Producers like to use what they know, and their stuff is probably better than yours. But not always. Lot's of home and mid-level stuff going on these days vs big room studios stocked with the best gear.
Also agree that IEM is getting more common. I'm kind of assume that is something that I will have in my arsenal some day - probably sooner than later. For me, the interest in a small DI/Pre that can go on a board is kind of in anticipation of that. Also thinking that it could replace my rack pre, plus have a few more practical options.

I can see the math not working out as far as the R&D investment and all that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: nostatic
#87
agedhorse said:
Say a cross between an instrument and mic pre, more studio style like a lunch box format.
Click to expand...

This is my current go-to for that type of application. If I ran a rack for gigs, I'd likely use it (but I don't as there are smaller/lighter options that get me most of the way there)

empiricallabs_mikee_01-aZjnzoGJu0_.LE3Gx4RVZASqDdSApgRs.jpg


In that case what I'm paying for is a clean preamp and "character" from a compressor circuit. If I was playing live I'd want EQ - they make a fully parametric rack unit companion. When recording I can do all sorts of EQ in the box so I don't need it in my preamp. While I can do compression that way as well, I prefer to track with it, and good hardware beats good software in my experience. That becomes a bit of a religious argument though...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Al Kraft, hennessybass and agedhorse
#88
You see a pair of Fatso’s in just about every studio.

Invalid Link Removed

nostatic said:
This is my current go-to for that type of application. If I ran a rack for gigs, I'd likely use it (but I don't as there are smaller/lighter options that get me most of the way there)

View attachment 3232128

In that case what I'm paying for is a clean preamp and "character" from a compressor circuit. If I was playing live I'd want EQ - they make a fully parametric rack unit companion. When recording I can do all sorts of EQ in the box so I don't need it in my preamp. While I can do compression that way as well, I prefer to track with it, and good hardware beats good software in my experience. That becomes a bit of a religious argument though...
Click to expand...
 
#90
agedhorse said:
Say a cross between an instrument and mic pre, more studio style like a lunch box format.
Click to expand...

I'm probably getting in over my head here technically, but like the PreSonus Tube Pre, or Summit TD-1, but in a lunch box format? Does Reddi fall into that mic/instrument pre category? I think for me it would have to have EQ and be able to act like the front end of an amp in addition to a nice DI for it to be really functional.

I've actually thought about the Summit TD-1 and FeQ-50 together - but then you are back to a 1U rack size. Although, you could stack 'em in a half rack and have kind of a lunch box size thing.

My problem with the lunchbox format, is that you then still have to have amplification, and when you think about schlepping gear, a rack starts to makes a lot of sense at that point, and there are a lot of 1U preamps out there already.
I think @nostatic used to have the Monique dove cage with the Mini power amp? Maybe it was someone else. Probably my own neurosis, but for me, the less pieces of gear to deal with better. Like Nostatic said above, 90% of the guys out there use an amp and cab, or combo. When I think about what has really worked for me over the years, even though I've tried a lot, it's a single cab (410 or 212) and amp with plenty of juice. It's simple and can kind of do everything.

I always thought with the Lunch Box thing, why not just have an amp? Some of the Demeter lunchbox size stuff with the 800w power section is pretty appealing to me, and I've almost pulled that trigger a few times. The Demeter stuff is up in that higher $$ as well.

A very simple lunch box style head, that did the AP pre-amp thing, with a very simple tone stack (B/M/T or B/T and maybe a voice switch), and the right outputs would be very cool. Even more cool with your 800w power section? Kind of a throw back tube amp with modern power kind of thing. Think Demeter, Monique Tardis, etc. I think Arkham is actually about to put out their Zephyr with a class D module in it. You know what else would be very cool. A lunch box style tube pre with a couple of powered Subway cabs.

Modern times! Earlier I was thinking back to when I was starting out and going to my local music store to talk gear and see what they had in stock.
 
#91
hennessybass said:
I think @nostatic used to have the Monique dove cage with the Mini power amp? .
Click to expand...

Yup, was a great sounding rig and great looking as well. The dove cage is very retro-modern. At the end of the day I preferred to have one less piece of gear to load in/out so I went back to just a head. Since I end up playing a lot of different types of gigs, I try to have a flexible setup with some variation, but I will always go towards portability and efficiency as a main goal. I typically can set up and tear down/load out before anyone else in the band (except a vocalist who is only showing up with a mic ;)).

But I also like to experiment, and I try to use stuff on gigs as that is the acid test for me. So I test at home and some stuff ends there if it really doesn't work for me. Then the stuff that does goes out on a gig and it may end after that or stay.

Also depends on how bored I am :D
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jazzdogg and Chef
#92
nostatic said:
Yup, was a great sounding rig and great looking as well. The dove cage is very retro-modern. At the end of the day I preferred to have one less piece of gear to load in/out so I went back to just a head. Since I end up playing a lot of different types of gigs, I try to have a flexible setup with some variation, but I will always go towards portability and efficiency as a main goal. I typically can set up and tear down/load out before anyone else in the band (except a vocalist who is only showing up with a mic ;)).

But I also like to experiment, and I try to use stuff on gigs as that is the acid test for me. So I test at home and some stuff ends there if it really doesn't work for me. Then the stuff that does goes out on a gig and it may end after that or stay.

Also depends on how bored I am :D
Click to expand...
Yep.
 
#93
The concept of a standard API type 500 series lunchbox is of interest.

I’m aware of a few 500 series preamps that use 12AX7 tubes in the pre, Radial is one. An obstacle is the B+ voltage for those tubes since the power standard is geared to 24V transistor rails and phantom power.

Some units occupy two slots when the pre and EQ or compressor are in one unit. For example, 1066DL

Never heard of anyone using the nutube or any other miniature tubes in that format. A lot of possibilities.
 
  • Like
Reactions: agedhorse
#95
BadExample said:
Pre-ordering after some more liquid courage. My wife beats me.

Regarding studio/lunchbox, one thing I would have loved to see would have been a USB out for (home) recording, but then a camel is a horse designed by a committee. I'm not a typical or real bassist, much less a musician. Anything I want as a feature should probably be avoided.
Click to expand...

Congrats on your new gear.

Maybe something like the Shure X2U would work as a simple USB interface for home recording with your new pre.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BadExample
#99
agedhorse said:
Say a cross between an instrument and mic pre, more studio style like a lunch box format.
Click to expand...
Where I got the most compliments on my tone, was when using the Warwick Hellborg Pre 1U rack unit and corresponding power amp. Tone was super clear and not colored at all, so technique, bass and strings counted for most of the tonal coloring it seemed. This was like a studio strip preamp, similar to what you describe I think.
I liked it a lot, but the rack format was too big for me so after a while I sold it.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back