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New Basss Preamp by TC Electronics - Spectra Drive
- Thread starter Nunovsky
- Start date
one of 250mA outputs on Pedal Power should suit it, give it a try.
Maybe it's just the way we are used to ear a bass sound: thru bass cabinets. 99% of DI are without cab sims, that's what is going out to FOH and what the audience is used to ear. I use the cab sims on my Eleven Rack when I play at home but I disable it when I play with a band as I found the bass is sitting better in the mix, in our context (no amps on stage and all direct to FOH).
What, you didnt read the manual ;-)
Not saying everyone would need it but even if the Aux in went to the XLR or main out, it would only come out in mono. Id rather have a stereo output if im playing backing tracks etc through mine, so that means the Headphone out anyway.
So, I had to send mine back, TC told me with the tone print issues I was having, a new unit would be the best remedy. Seeing how much you are all enjoying your's really makes me want my replacement SD to arrive even more. Ordered a month ago and still waiting . But I know from testing the limited function on my tone printless unit the wait will be worth it.
Well at least you got to the bottom of it, and well done TCE for sorting you out quickly.
Obviously this had to be sorted, but i dont think the OD tone prints are all that at the moment. Hopefully more will appear soon. I do like the interaction between the Gain knob and the OD level, takes a bit of tweaking but you can get some nice mild tube warmth out of it. Dont think ill ever use it as full on dirt though.
Actually the reason I enjoyed it so much was because of how the dirt seemed to perform well as subtil effect. I don't like highly saturated drives. The pedal in perfect working order will be great for me since compression and light drive are all I use effects wise most of the time and I like a simple compact setup. My plan is to pair it with an ms60b which will more or less cover my effects needs for anything. That plus a tuner and I'm good.
But yes TC was very attentive and great to deal with, its obvious they care about customer service.
Sounds like we have the same idea about the SD. I too have a 60B, but dont use it live.
I really love my Aftershock and that will provide all the more noticeable dirt, but i want the SD to just warm things up a bit. Im going to play around with it a lot more, and try and get a tone im happy to use all the time, that will include the OD. Then ill just kick the AS in and out when needed
I really love my Aftershock and that will provide all the more noticeable dirt, but i want the SD to just warm things up a bit. Im going to play around with it a lot more, and try and get a tone im happy to use all the time, that will include the OD. Then ill just kick the AS in and out when needed
I've got an aftershock as Well. I just can't get a handle on all the parameters. I think the reason I like the SD is because TCE can design the tone prints and I can just decide which ones work for me. With the aftershock I find my self fiddling with settings more than playing. The SD seems easier to just dial in and go.
Yup. I believe outputs 5&6 are designated "L6"(Line 6) and are 250mA each. Those are the two that I'm powering my SD's with. What I'd really like to try is to split a 400mA output on my 4X4, and see if they'll run on 200mA. That would let me remove one of the power supplies and lighten my board considerably...
@dave_bass5, you are a genius! I should be able to run an aux cord from the HEADPHONE out to the Zoom and get CAB SIM! I'ma try this in a little bit...
I also agree that loading the Natural Drive print did make the overall sound dirtier. It's fine, as it really just seems to warm it up a bit, but it's definitely a wee bit hairier than it was when I first turned them on. I'll load some other prints and see what happens.
I also agree that loading the Natural Drive print did make the overall sound dirtier. It's fine, as it really just seems to warm it up a bit, but it's definitely a wee bit hairier than it was when I first turned them on. I'll load some other prints and see what happens.
Yeah, the SD is just simple to use, but with a lot going on under the hood. I love the fact that there isnt a lot to play with. I was like that with my Spectracomp and Helix phaser. My only reservations regarding the Spectracomp tone prints is the amount that are written with slapping in mind. I play mostly with a pick, so although they do work, its been hard finding one that does a good job for pick playing.
My all time fav, and i only started using it since i got the Spectradrive, is the ParallelComper. I didnt like it with the stand alone SC, but in the SD it seems to be exactly what ive been looking for.
When i got my Aftershock i spent hours playing with all those settings, i then reverted it back to factory default and now just use those. All those functions are great if you have time, but i found i was always messing about with them and couldnt settle.
Best compression tone print for pick I've found to be rockwool.
Glad to help. The SD has a lot of short comings compared to a lot of the more comprehensive digital processors out there, but i think the good, solid tone it produces is a good foundation for adding things on top.
Plus if TCE had to add another jack out it would possibly increase the size and cots of the box. I like the fact that its based on 1/4 jacks for the headphone and aux in. Not pro standard, but but at least i dont need to hunt around for adaptors like i do with my Zoom B3n. Its like there is a pro side, for live use, and a home playing side. I like that balance.
Yep, i was using that and Rockateer with my stand alone SC. I tried a few of the celeb ones but never really found anything that i felt was just right.
Have another look, its on page 7.
"The signal flow from input to outputs does not follow the physical placement of
the knobs. The SpectraComp TonePrint comes first, followed by Gain, TubeDrive,
4-band EQ, and finally the Level control.
As mentioned previously, the Thru jack only carries the dry signal, the Out jack
follows the on/off switching of the footswitches, and the Line-Driver jack can
operate as a dry output or include the effects.
The Aux input is routed directly to the Phones output and to the Out jack, but is
not included in the Thru or Line-Driver outputs. Keep this in mind when playing
audio into the Aux jack while also connected to a loud amplifier"
"The signal flow from input to outputs does not follow the physical placement of
the knobs. The SpectraComp TonePrint comes first, followed by Gain, TubeDrive,
4-band EQ, and finally the Level control.
As mentioned previously, the Thru jack only carries the dry signal, the Out jack
follows the on/off switching of the footswitches, and the Line-Driver jack can
operate as a dry output or include the effects.
The Aux input is routed directly to the Phones output and to the Out jack, but is
not included in the Thru or Line-Driver outputs. Keep this in mind when playing
audio into the Aux jack while also connected to a loud amplifier"
Don't feel bad, bro, I didn't really read the manual either, he caught me, too...
