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Mic Pre for Live Bass?

#22
Jack Wilcox said:
ART Pro Audio
Click to expand...
if it sounds good it is good, and you won't know until you try... but my opinion is if you're going to do this, at the $300 price point, you would be better served with a preamp designed for bass guitar rather than one designed for microphones. If you're talking about a high-end mic pre, then sure, you are going to get detail, clarity, definition, etc. It's nice that they run the tube at the proper voltage, but this is not a high-end channel strip. It's not going to touch a millenium, neve, great river, any other high-end mic pre as far as what it will do to get you the best sound.
 
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#23
I bought one of the ART Tube Preamp Project Series and velcroed it up underneath the bottom of my board. It adds some nice tube warmth and a switchable HPF to the signal. I can leave my rack at home and have basically the same functionality and tone.

Well worth it. Upgrade the tube and for less than $100 you've got yourself a surprisingly great sounding tonal addition.
 
#25
Be sure the pre has a true instrument input. Some do not, or have a 1/4" line input with a low (relative to an instrument input) input impedance
 
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#26
Jack Wilcox said:
MODS: Not sure if this should be in the Amps or Effects boards, feel free to move as you see fit!

Does anyone have experience using Microphone Preamps with live bass? I really like the (relatively flat) tone I have coming off my board, but a guy in my local classifieds is selling a Mic Pre with a variable HPF, it's got me interested to say the least.

For reference, I'm using
SR505 (old model)
-> MXR10 Band
-> EHX DBBM
-> LH500 (set pretty flat)
-> Fearful 15/6/1
Click to expand...

I have a Presonus Bluetube that I scored used for cheap and I love it. Makes a great DI too. Also use its 80Hz HPF. I play it into an active EV ZLX15P. Happy camper.
 
#28
Yeah Chadds,

Actually, mine are not even the extended versions which had bigger boxes that went down below in the bass register. In the studio, particularly, I like to use a REDDI that feeds a preamp to the engineer's liking, the Millennia (either TD-1 or HV-35P), and a mic'ed IP112+HT112 (a broadcast mic like Shure SM-7 or EV RE20). I love the mix of that sound...

If you are interested, please check my tone on my album "Different City, Different Mood" which should be on all the streaming sites...

Cheers,

Alper

chadds said:
Love IPs!
While we couldn't talk him into reissuing them he said this month that there's nothing outdated about them.
Click to expand...
 
#33
Jack Wilcox said:
MODS: Not sure if this should be in the Amps or Effects boards, feel free to move as you see fit!

Does anyone have experience using Microphone Preamps with live bass? I really like the (relatively flat) tone I have coming off my board, but a guy in my local classifieds is selling a Mic Pre with a variable HPF, it's got me interested to say the least.

For reference, I'm using
SR505 (old model)
-> MXR10 Band
-> EHX DBBM
-> LH500 (set pretty flat)
-> Fearful 15/6/1
Click to expand...
Sure. I have used mic preamps along with other rack mount items like eq, compression and enhancement BBE or Aphex. They work great. But, understanding the best way to hook them up and manage them to play well together to keep the noise floor low requires research, experimentation and patience (not to mention investment in appropriate cables, ensuring that grounds are like, etc). If I had unlimited money, I would experiment with some very well respected and expensive equipment. Alas, money like that is not available to me. What I use is a result of years of experimentation and I am feeling pretty good that I can run stereo with all kinds of "stuff" and get a very low live noise floor. And my application is for extended range bass from sub-contra to top guitar range. And I don't require a noise gate for live applications. I have even less of a noise floor for playing standard 4-5 string bass ensemble parts.
 
#34
Go for it! I would change out to a power amp as well though.
I currently run from my bass to a line 6 multi effects board into 2 of the presonus studio channels in series with the lovely tube gain used only on both. Sounds glorious! And I have a 1/4" trs connection to a power amp and also an xlr for the sound man with great tone in it. Mostly just use the signal sent to foh in my in ear monitors for monitoring and have the power amp and cab hooked up and ready as a backup/as needed for extra thump.
 
#35
I've tracked my Alembic with a Manley Voxbox on a couple of projects a long time ago - very nice although I would probably prefer using their Core if it were my money. Anyhow, take a look at the products from companies well known for producing high quality mic pre's; for example Grace. They make great studio mic pre's and that technology has migrated to their preamp/di pedals which are gaining a lot of traction with acoustic musicians and double bassists - and are much more affordable. You might also look at units that are known for coloration (I'm thinking Joe Meek) as we tend to look at preamps and effects as part of our sound
 
#36
My "amp" for tonight's gig is going to be my Empirical Labs Mike-E preamp, an Empirical Labs Lil FrEQ EQ strip, and a QSC GX7 power amp into a Barefaced Big Twin II. This is a FANTASTIC preamp, it can be super transparent, but it becomes a bit magical with the CompSat section set properly...I love this setup.

20170407_000613_zpsvddin7eq.jpg


I've been using my Mesa D800+, which is a KILLER head, but I just got the cab, so I want to run it with my rack and see how the cab sounds with it...
 
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#37
pbass6811 said:
My "amp" for tonight's gig is going to be my Empirical Labs Mike-E preamp, an Empirical Labs Lil FrEQ EQ strip, and a QSC GX7 power amp into a Barefaced Big Twin II. This is a FANTASTIC preamp, it can be super transparent, but it becomes a bit magical with the CompSat section set properly...I love this setup.

20170407_000613_zpsvddin7eq.jpg


I've been using my Mesa D800+, which is a KILLER head, but I just got the cab, so I want to run it with my rack and see how the cab sounds with it...
Click to expand...

Oh wow! I've used (most of) Empirical Labs' products in studios, I'd sell kidneys to have a few for live use! Fantastic company, fantastic products, hope all goes well for you this evening!
 
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#38
Also by the way, I ponder on purchasing a tube preamp/DI actually intended specifically for use with instruments and actually running a high voltage tube, as it happens I found one going for just about what equals 75$.

A Bellari ADB3b to be exact.

bellari-adb3b-2721.jpg


7a52-f0a5-49bc-b955-e5e0371683ce.jpg


Mainly plan on using it when recording bass and guitar though instead of the Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic100 with starved tube I use now.

Unfortunately this dosn't have neither an XLR in or phantom power for mic use.
 
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#40
Heisenbass said:
I have a Presonus Bluetube that I scored used for cheap and I love it. Makes a great DI too. Also use its 80Hz HPF. I play it into an active EV ZLX15P. Happy camper.
Click to expand...
I used a Presonus Channel Strip with a Mackie 1400i power amp and got good results. One drawback is the wall wart. I fashioned a holder for it that I bolted to the inside of my rack case and, after tidying up the extra wire, I don't even know it's there.
 

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