Most "universal"? Xotic Bass RC. Sounds just like your bass, just more of it.
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most universal preamp?
- Thread starter Piranha The B
- Start date
JeezyMcNuggles
Inactive
- Feb 23, 2018
- 14,723
- 20,970
- Disclosures
- I suck, but nobody really notices
If you want the tube pre-amp sound, and don't need the EQ... let me make this easy for 1/3 the price of Noble
khanaudio.com
No knobs, no dials - it doesn't need them. The sound just expands.
I've been through half a dozen preamps in the last few years... nothing competes with Khan
Khan Audio
khanaudio.com
No knobs, no dials - it doesn't need them. The sound just expands.
I've been through half a dozen preamps in the last few years... nothing competes with Khan
Source Audio ZIO Bass Preamp
+/- $249
Check it out...all analog, HPF (Focus), DI, Headphones...
+/- $249
Check it out...all analog, HPF (Focus), DI, Headphones...
Shift Line Olympic MKIIIs. I have one and like it. Great pedal.
Others I have and recommend -
TritonLab Infinity
AMT Bass Crunch
Tone Hammer
JHS Clover
EBS Valve Drive DI
Others I have and recommend -
TritonLab Infinity
AMT Bass Crunch
Tone Hammer
JHS Clover
EBS Valve Drive DI
I'll say this about your desire to change your compressor. I've heard that Boss is pretty good. I've owned/used an OE Cali76 BC more than once. If you want to color your tone, the Cali76 BC will do that for you in a pleasant way, but it will always be that way. I would bet that the Boss is not going to do the same thing when applied for best results. If you have a solid state amp and want a tube tone with just a compressor the Cali76 BC can't be beat!
The Noble is not cheap but it's the type of investment that you have to decide and commit to. Your tone will be amazing but I wouldn't recommend the Cali76 BC in that scenario. You may find the Empress Bass Compressor to be a better choice if you want to run the two together.
A really nice and not a crazy "arm and a leg" compressor is the Duncan Studio Bass +/- $179 and would go well with a good preamp like the Noble or several others mentioned.
(I'm not currently using a pedal compressor and just have the compressor on my amp doing duty on the whole chain pre-EQ.)
TC Polytune3 mini > VRTX Boost MKII > Catalinbread SFT Sapphire (Stones) > *Fender Waylon Jennings Phaser > SA ZIO Bass Preamp > Amp/[Two Notes CAB M+]
*Has some nice features in "Sweet" mode for hi/low separation of the effect/dry signal blend. Its something I hadn't ever had with a phaser before. It's nice!
Good luck!
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If by universal you mean versatile then I’d suggest a looking into getting programmable graphic EQ rather than a preamp. The Source Audio EQ or EQ2 is an example of how a graphic EQ can provide a variety of selectable characters to your sound.
D
I love the EBS Valvedrive, but it depends very much on what kind of tone you're looking for, and how it will work with the rest of your setup.
It has an inherently "warm" tone, and it will make your tone slightly "darker". There is a slight boost to the lows/low mids even with the BASS knob all the way down. Forget about a super hi-fi "modern" tone. In my experience it can get a bit muddy when used with tube amps that are already on the warm side tonally.
Unlike some other "toob" pedal gear I think it actually runs the tube at a proper voltage. At least it sounds that way.
It compresses peaks in a way that I really like. This means I can get away with far less compression downstream. I normally use it at the edge of breakup (gain around 11 o'clock) in "normal" mode. This gives me a very nice tone with a bit of edge/dirt when digging in hard. I don't like the "vintage" mode very much, too "fizzy" for my taste, doesn't sound even remotely like a real tube amp IMO, maybe leaning more towards a fuzz/muff tone. "Normal" mode is closer to a real tube amp IMO.
Of course it doesn't sound or feel 100% like a proper tube amp, but probably the closest I've gotten from pedal (but I don't own a Noble, which seems to be the gold standard for tube pedal preamps these days).
I use mine mainly when I need to go direct but sometimes also to mellow out my Hiwatt DR201 a bit (Hiwatts can be a bit aggressive in the upper mids for some types of music).
It's worth noting that the Valvedrive will sound slightly brighter/thinner if the 12AX7 is replaced with a 12AT7 (which will also affect the amount of gain) but I much preferred it with a 12AX7.
Of course there's no speaker sim, but it doesn't seem like you need one.
It's the perfect pedal for MY needs, but like I said, it depends very much on what you're looking for tonally.
It has an inherently "warm" tone, and it will make your tone slightly "darker". There is a slight boost to the lows/low mids even with the BASS knob all the way down. Forget about a super hi-fi "modern" tone. In my experience it can get a bit muddy when used with tube amps that are already on the warm side tonally.
Unlike some other "toob" pedal gear I think it actually runs the tube at a proper voltage. At least it sounds that way.
It compresses peaks in a way that I really like. This means I can get away with far less compression downstream. I normally use it at the edge of breakup (gain around 11 o'clock) in "normal" mode. This gives me a very nice tone with a bit of edge/dirt when digging in hard. I don't like the "vintage" mode very much, too "fizzy" for my taste, doesn't sound even remotely like a real tube amp IMO, maybe leaning more towards a fuzz/muff tone. "Normal" mode is closer to a real tube amp IMO.
Of course it doesn't sound or feel 100% like a proper tube amp, but probably the closest I've gotten from pedal (but I don't own a Noble, which seems to be the gold standard for tube pedal preamps these days).
I use mine mainly when I need to go direct but sometimes also to mellow out my Hiwatt DR201 a bit (Hiwatts can be a bit aggressive in the upper mids for some types of music).
It's worth noting that the Valvedrive will sound slightly brighter/thinner if the 12AX7 is replaced with a 12AT7 (which will also affect the amount of gain) but I much preferred it with a 12AX7.
Of course there's no speaker sim, but it doesn't seem like you need one.
It's the perfect pedal for MY needs, but like I said, it depends very much on what you're looking for tonally.
What about the JHS Colour Box? It's based on the Neve mixing console, so it should be flat as its original application requires.
This is a really good point.
I ended up pretty much replacing my B7KU with a Whirlwind Bass X EQ. I don't regret it for a second. I always say this, the B7KU is a great unit. Great DI, great preamp and EQ options, but it always has its own flavor just like any other preamp. I wanted to get myself out of that box I was in (even though I do use the Rusty Box on both my boards haha). A buddy recommended that I replace my pre with that specific EQ. He'd been using it for a couple years by that point. I tried it out at his place once and I was pretty much sold. That particular EQ is hella powerful and can give you almost any type of tone you could want. I am very happy I decided to go with it ultimately.
I've always been curious about the SA PEQ2 as well. I used to have the PEQ1 years back and remembering I really liked it. I'm sure the 2 is even better.
If you want the tube pre-amp sound, and don't need the EQ... let me make this easy for 1/3 the price of Noble
Khan Audio
No knobs, no dials - it doesn't need them. The sound just expands.
I've been through half a dozen preamps in the last few years... nothing competes with Khan
I’ll vouch for the khan. I had both the khan and the noble at the same time and if I was going to buy one again, I’d get a khan. Now I have neither… The noble is great as well, Jack built an outstanding box. But my personal preference was for the khan.
Both good, just different.
Helix HX One Using the Regal Bass DI (Noble Model) into a DI Box would be a cheaper solution for the Noble idea. You'd run the HX One into the DI and to FOH via XLR with the 1/4" pass-thru going to the Hartke amp for stage monitoring.
Personally I didn't buy into the Noble hype. I tried a TON of DI boxes for ampless playing and the best I found for the type of sound you are going for was the Ampeg SGT-DI.
Personally I didn't buy into the Noble hype. I tried a TON of DI boxes for ampless playing and the best I found for the type of sound you are going for was the Ampeg SGT-DI.
I’m still using the PEQ1. The extra features on the PEQ2 are pretty cool. And the app is a big plus that you definitely need with the PEQ2 since that’s a far more complex box. But I manage just fine with four presets. And I limit my use of MIDI to keyboards. So the original is all I feel I’ll be needing. At least for the time being.
Much in the way of good advise being delivered here.
The bit about the swap from 12AX7 to a 12AT7 was exactly what I did with a Two Notes ReVolt Tube Bass Preamp. That SA EQ2 is a very good idea. Also in flexibility flavor corner the Line 6 HX One is exceptional.
Unless you have a great deal of disposable income or are a Nashville session player the Noble is just too much money when considering other very good options available for a fraction of the price.
I would like to toss out an idea that will absolutely be noise-free, super flexible and would allow for stereo OR dual mono operation would be this chain:
Source Audio ZIO Bass Preamp
Source Audio Atlas Compressor
Source Audio Programmable EQ2 (Boost + Tuner)
(You could go crazy with the HX One in there, too.)
Do some shopping, hold a pedalboard liquidation sale and convert to a very nice rig for a reasonable investment with no maintenance costs!
The bit about the swap from 12AX7 to a 12AT7 was exactly what I did with a Two Notes ReVolt Tube Bass Preamp. That SA EQ2 is a very good idea. Also in flexibility flavor corner the Line 6 HX One is exceptional.
Unless you have a great deal of disposable income or are a Nashville session player the Noble is just too much money when considering other very good options available for a fraction of the price.
I would like to toss out an idea that will absolutely be noise-free, super flexible and would allow for stereo OR dual mono operation would be this chain:
Source Audio ZIO Bass Preamp
Source Audio Atlas Compressor
Source Audio Programmable EQ2 (Boost + Tuner)
(You could go crazy with the HX One in there, too.)
Do some shopping, hold a pedalboard liquidation sale and convert to a very nice rig for a reasonable investment with no maintenance costs!
If you were thinking about a Noble, which never got the hype about, it’s a 2 band EQ and a tube, check out the Sadowsky SBP-1. I use mine as a DI for a lot of different things, sounds great! (Bass, Guitar, Synth) I actually use it at the end of my pedalboard, prior to my “preamp” pedal. Slight bass boost and treble up to about 1oclock. Gives the low end a little bump and it adds back in some high end sheen that I may have lost if using reverbs or analog delays.
It’s a great way to get a clean bass DI prior to using my Ampeg SGT-DI if I’m recording with just my pedalboard.
I’m a big fan of the Diamond Bass Comp, use that first in line and the Sadowsky last, been happy with it for years at this point.
It’s a great way to get a clean bass DI prior to using my Ampeg SGT-DI if I’m recording with just my pedalboard.
I’m a big fan of the Diamond Bass Comp, use that first in line and the Sadowsky last, been happy with it for years at this point.
Guys, stop it with the Ampeg SGT. OP’s got a VT Bass already, they’re pretty much the same (you know what I mean).
