The Sumo - that's what I was thinking of. I had the Baby Sumo - very transparent and built extremely well, but in the end the Quilter was actually more portable (but more expensive). I'm hoping to check out the GR stuff soon.
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I just realized that when I get the Valvedrive traded I won't have any preamps with a built in DI, which I actually kind of need. I do have an Eden WTDI, but the DI is awful. I need something that sounds good and reliable, kind of like a grab and go.
I'll open this one up - suggestions? OD would be nice, portable. I would only use it sparingly, So I'd like to keep it under $150-ish. Fender tone stack would be nice.
I was actually thinking about picking up an EHX Battalion. I rember liking it a lot, but I never used the DI so I don't know if there are any concerns there. Maybe Sansamp. A Shift Line Olympus would be nice, but a little pricey. A Two Notes LeBass a little less pricey. Oh, and I don't dig Darkglass. Just not my bag.
What haven't I tried that y'all would recommend?
I'll open this one up - suggestions? OD would be nice, portable. I would only use it sparingly, So I'd like to keep it under $150-ish. Fender tone stack would be nice.
I was actually thinking about picking up an EHX Battalion. I rember liking it a lot, but I never used the DI so I don't know if there are any concerns there. Maybe Sansamp. A Shift Line Olympus would be nice, but a little pricey. A Two Notes LeBass a little less pricey. Oh, and I don't dig Darkglass. Just not my bag.
What haven't I tried that y'all would recommend?
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Master Effects Super 400 is out! Got mine on order.
Also ended up picking up a Two Notes LeBass for a good price, so hopefully that will cover DI needs. I've heard good things.
Sushibox Fluffy Kitten and Finally is on their way, Free the Tone Bass Blaster on order... and with that, I may be GAS free ....
Also ended up picking up a Two Notes LeBass for a good price, so hopefully that will cover DI needs. I've heard good things.
Sushibox Fluffy Kitten and Finally is on their way, Free the Tone Bass Blaster on order... and with that, I may be GAS free ....
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Thanks a lot for the insight and recommendations guys. I might look into a second hand Bb800 at some point soon. Do you guys use the Direct out for house/ recording?
Do speaker outs do 2x8 ohm or just 4 ohm? What are your favorite cabs to use with it? I would probably run it to my GK2x12 and to house, bringing along a couple Master Effects preamps.
Do speaker outs do 2x8 ohm or just 4 ohm? What are your favorite cabs to use with it? I would probably run it to my GK2x12 and to house, bringing along a couple Master Effects preamps.
> Do you guys use the Direct out for house/ recording?
No, I go directly from the preamp balanced out to the house / audio interface.
> Do speaker outs do 2x8 ohm or just 4 ohm
Only one speaker output, you can plug it to a 8 ohm speaker, or a 4 ohm speaker. It's 400 W at 8 ohm and 800 at 4 ohm. If you plug it to a 8 ohm cab, then from this 1st cab to a second 8 ohm cab, you got 4 ohm load from the amp.
> What are your favorite cabs to use with it?
I have a Barefaced One10 at home and for small gigs, sounds great but I never push the master volume above 9 o'clock. I will probably buy a 212 one day for bigger gigs. Anyway, when I take the BB800 to rehearsals in my gigbag, I noticed any available cab sound better with this head. I'm sure it sounds great with GK2x12. But don't expect miracles, as it was said previously it's very transparent, so you might be dissapointed if you expect some sort of "wow effect". There's just a nice heft/authority in the low frequencies and clarity/musicality in the mids and highs. But moreover, you'll get exactly what comes out from your bass and preamp.
My preamp journey seems to be totally coming to a blessed end as well!
I gigged my Noble last night. All I can say is, I have not had that much fun listening to myself play, EVER! I actually had "the sound in my head", coming out of my cabs during a real gig! I'm sure I had a very stupid grin on my face the whole night. If I was an even more impulsive guy, I'd sell every other preamp I currently have, because I probably will never, ever, use them again. But, I am not that impulsive.
Last night was these basses-
Fishman Fluence-equipped Spector NS-4 & NS-5XL
Thru this thing of beauty-
Into this rig-
(pic NOT from last night, LOL!)rack bag on top contains a QSC GX7 power amp.
I texted my wife last night and told her how happy I was with my tone, she said she almost fell out of her chair, LOL! There is one more preamp I want to try out, the Sushi Box SBVT, because the Noble doesn't sound like an SVT(Or it sounds like an SVT with really good manners), but I'm pretty much done with the preamp search. I hope everyone reaches their "Tone Nirvana" goals.
I gigged my Noble last night. All I can say is, I have not had that much fun listening to myself play, EVER! I actually had "the sound in my head", coming out of my cabs during a real gig! I'm sure I had a very stupid grin on my face the whole night. If I was an even more impulsive guy, I'd sell every other preamp I currently have, because I probably will never, ever, use them again. But, I am not that impulsive.
Last night was these basses-
Fishman Fluence-equipped Spector NS-4 & NS-5XL
Thru this thing of beauty-
Into this rig-
(pic NOT from last night, LOL!)rack bag on top contains a QSC GX7 power amp.
I texted my wife last night and told her how happy I was with my tone, she said she almost fell out of her chair, LOL! There is one more preamp I want to try out, the Sushi Box SBVT, because the Noble doesn't sound like an SVT(Or it sounds like an SVT with really good manners), but I'm pretty much done with the preamp search. I hope everyone reaches their "Tone Nirvana" goals.
That's awesome! My wife understands as well, we're lucky men
So the Two Notes is MUCH bigger than I thought it would be. Going to play around with it a bit this week and see if it will work, but I might be "trading it in" for something smaller.
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Ended up picking up a DSM Bass Simplifier as well. It will be a shoot out between the LeBass and the DSM for an all-in-one grab and go preamp/DI. The LeBass sounds great. Thick and full, no loss of low end even when really gritty. I'll post thoughts on the DSM when I get it.
On a side note, I picked up a Cioks AC10 instead of the DC10, and I ran out of Velcro so the final boards will be a bit delayed.
On a side note, I picked up a Cioks AC10 instead of the DC10, and I ran out of Velcro so the final boards will be a bit delayed.
Btw I absolutely love the paint jobs on both of your basses!My preamp journey seems to be totally coming to a blessed end as well!
I gigged my Noble last night. All I can say is, I have not had that much fun listening to myself play, EVER! I actually had "the sound in my head", coming out of my cabs during a real gig! I'm sure I had a very stupid grin on my face the whole night. If I was an even more impulsive guy, I'd sell every other preamp I currently have, because I probably will never, ever, use them again. But, I am not that impulsive.
Last night was these basses-
View attachment 4471692
Fishman Fluence-equipped Spector NS-4 & NS-5XL
Thru this thing of beauty-
View attachment 4471700
Into this rig-
View attachment 4471703
(pic NOT from last night, LOL!)rack bag on top contains a QSC GX7 power amp.
I texted my wife last night and told her how happy I was with my tone, she said she almost fell out of her chair, LOL! There is one more preamp I want to try out, the Sushi Box SBVT, because the Noble doesn't sound like an SVT(Or it sounds like an SVT with really good manners), but I'm pretty much done with the preamp search. I hope everyone reaches their "Tone Nirvana" goals.
I have a pair of the Barefaced One10s. I had Tuki build me a custom case so that I could easily take both of them if I needed something bigger. The system works really well.
Thanks! A wee bit subdued, but still quite a bit "flashier" than my Dingwalls, LOL!
What's weird is I think I still prefer matte finishes, but on Spectors, it just doesn't seem right...LOL!
I'm excited to hear your thoughts on the DSM Simplifier. I looked very hard at that one.
The DI is fantastic. The 2020s adds that transformer tone effect ...
Man, the DSM vs the LeBass was a tough one.
The LeBass has the tone. It's thick, rich, and the fusion modes kick ass. It can go light, touch sensitive OD to full heavy grind and everything in between - and doesn't lose low end at all. I also love the mid on channel 2. Great product.
The DSM is a completely different beast. Single channel, but more cab options. It's not as flexible and lacks the tubey goodness of the LeBass, but it still sounds good. It will get a little brighter, but doesn't lose low end. The OD is good, but not foot switchable.
The kicker is the size. I prefer the Two Notes tone wise for sure - I def have a thing for tubes. But the DSM is more flexible and smaller. Keep in mind the Simplifier is absolutely no slouch - it sounds amazing and the cab options are top notch - it's not a fair comparison as the two are made for different use cases. So, the Two Notes is up for sale and the Simplifier is my grab and go DI.
