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Double Bass NS Design NXT Megathread

#1,661
I had initally skimmed that discussion back then because I didnt have any idea about what this thing could do. A couple night ago, I delved back into your posts and ended up purchasing the 3 sigma 1890s German IR and couldnt be happier.
On a non-NXT note, this thing can make my Trace Elliot elf sound like an Ampeg SVT 8x10 too in addition to just about any sound I would ever want. I dont think I will ever need to buy another pedal ever again.
 
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#1,664
Hi, does anybody know a nice alternative for the NS thumbstop?

The original one is quite expensive and has bad reviews, but the idea of a reference for 3rd position is something that would be appreciated.
 
#1,665
Deleted member 132197 said:
Hi, does anybody know a nice alternative for the NS thumbstop?

The original one is quite expensive and has bad reviews, but the idea of a reference for 3rd position is something that would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

I was looking for a reference for 5th position and I happened to have a sheet of adhesive cabinet door bumpers laying around, so I figured "what the heck" and gave it a try. Not as fancy as the NS thumb stop, but also a LOT less expensive. Worked pretty good, and it's still there. :thumbsup:

5sg.
 
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#1,666
fivestringgecko said:
I was looking for a reference for 5th position and I happened to have a sheet of adhesive cabinet door bumpers laying around, so I figured "what the heck" and gave it a try. Not as fancy as the NS thumb stop, but also a LOT less expensive. Worked pretty good, and it's still there. :thumbsup:

5sg.
Click to expand...
I feel like an idiot that I hadn't thought of something like this. Thanks!
 
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#1,670
DanielW said:
I use the Microbass II, which Stanley Clarke has endorsed, with my NXT today. So I'm thinking for piezos and mic systems for acoustic basses this will probably sound even better.
Click to expand...
If this had existed when I first worked out my NXT rig, I'd definitely have tried it. The Microbass II is my main studio bass DI, and it's superb for active/passive electric bass guitar, but while it is spec'ed up to piezo impedance, and it worked OK with the NXT, certainly better than any of my bass amps, the Fishman Platinum Pro proved to be much nicer for the NXT. That Clarke signature pre looks like everything I like about the Fishman, plus more, plus EBS mojo.
 
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#1,671
hi everyone,

i really wanna learn upright bass so bad. and find good deals on NXT 5 (not the NXTa), but not yet purchased because it's not the A variant, from what i understand is the stand for the active but not active preamp, it something for lower impedance amp? can someone explain it to me, what real-world problem that i will encounter if i go for non Active variant of NXT? like it's gonna not sound great with some amp/speaker? or not gonna sound at all? or it cannot plug directly to some Audio Interface? or it give totally different tonal capabilities ?

thx before
 
#1,672
klard said:
hi everyone,

i really wanna learn upright bass so bad. and find good deals on NXT 5 (not the NXTa), but not yet purchased because it's not the A variant, from what i understand is the stand for the active but not active preamp, it something for lower impedance amp? can someone explain it to me, what real-world problem that i will encounter if i go for non Active variant of NXT? like it's gonna not sound great with some amp/speaker? or not gonna sound at all? or it cannot plug directly to some Audio Interface? or it give totally different tonal capabilities ?

thx before
Click to expand...
I've been using a Fishman Platinum Stage but I'm actually selling it now since I picked up my HX stomp
 
#1,674
klard said:
thx for quick reply,
oh do you must use some kind DI box or Preamp to use it? what happend if you dont use it at all? nxt goes very low volume? or not gonna sounding at all?
Click to expand...
You do not need a preamp, but you do need a high-impedance buffer.
Most amps have an input impedance around 1 MegOhm which is fine for magnetic pickups (like EBG) but not for piezo pickups.
I use an fDeck High Pass Filter which has an input impedance of around 10 MOhms.
There are other devices (e.g. Radial BassBone) that perform the same function.
It's less about volume and more about tone. Plugged into my GK amp, my NXT5 sounds 'meh-to-okay.' With the fDeck HPF it really comes to life.
 
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#1,676
ArtechnikA said:
You do not need a preamp, but you do need a high-impedance buffer.
Most amps have an input impedance around 1 MegOhm which is fine for magnetic pickups (like EBG) but not for piezo pickups.
I use an fDeck High Pass Filter which has an input impedance of around 10 MOhms.
There are other devices (e.g. Radial BassBone) that perform the same function.
It's less about volume and more about tone. Plugged into my GK amp, my NXT5 sounds 'meh-to-okay.' With the fDeck HPF it really comes to life.
Click to expand...

Hendricks97 said:
It still works but the signal will be weaker and thinner. In my case, I had other basses and needed the Fishman to match power levels.
Click to expand...

hmm, unfortunately, device like Radial BassBone or high impedance buffer is real rare devices in my country.. so it's save to say just get NXTa variant to skip the headache with external devices? I'm a simple kind of guy, I don't even have an amp for almost 15 years playing just straight to interface and Yamaha HS5 + HS8S.

sorry for out of topic, but what about NXT range compared to Yamaha SLB-200? i cannot find a comparison video of that 2 basses. i got a similar price range for that two items. and never playing Upright Basses before.

if you guys in my shoes, what do you pick between those two?
 
#1,678
klard said:
hi everyone,

i really wanna learn upright bass so bad. and find good deals on NXT 5 (not the NXTa), but not yet purchased because it's not the A variant, from what i understand is the stand for the active but not active preamp, it something for lower impedance amp? can someone explain it to me, what real-world problem that i will encounter if i go for non Active variant of NXT? like it's gonna not sound great with some amp/speaker? or not gonna sound at all? or it cannot plug directly to some Audio Interface? or it give totally different tonal capabilities ?

thx before
Click to expand...
You will need an external pre-amp, but with a good deal on the NXT, you can still come out ahead, IMO.

The NXT has a passive piezoelectronic pickup with a very high impedance. It will sound like crap on most bass amps if you plug it straight in. So you need some kind of powered pre-amp to convert the signal into something that a standard amplifier or a mixing desk can deal with.

The NXTa wasn't out yet when I bought my NXT. I actually preferred to save money on the bass itself and be able to pick and choose the pre-amp, rather than rely on what fits in the bass. Tried a couple. Liked the Fishman Platinum Pro the best. That's about $300, but the cost of the NXT+Fishman was still way less than the cost of the pre-amp equipped CR model, and apart from the electronics, they were pretty much the same. The NXTa is far more affordable than the CR, but I have to believe that an outboard pre-amp on an NXT would sound better - if anyone has A/B'ed the two, with a decent outboard pre on the NXT, I'd be interested to hear. But no way am I replacing my NXT with an NXTa.
 
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#1,679
Hendricks97 said:
The Yamahas are much more expensive here. I've always been a fan of the NS Design anyway and ran into a great deal on an NXT5 so that's what I have
Click to expand...

i see, hmm this is hard choices for me..

Sid Fang said:
You will need an external pre-amp, but with a good deal on the NXT, you can still come out ahead, IMO.

The NXT has a passive piezoelectronic pickup with a very high impedance. It will sound like crap on most bass amps if you plug it straight in. So you need some kind of powered pre-amp to convert the signal into something that a standard amplifier or a mixing desk can deal with.

The NXTa wasn't out yet when I bought my NXT. I actually preferred to save money on the bass itself and be able to pick and choose the pre-amp, rather than rely on what fits in the bass. Tried a couple. Liked the Fishman Platinum Pro the best. That's about $300, but the cost of the NXT+Fishman was still way less than the cost of the pre-amp equipped CR model, and apart from the electronics, they were pretty much the same. The NXTa is far more affordable than the CR, but I have to believe that an outboard pre-amp on an NXT would sound better - if anyone has A/B'ed the two, with a decent outboard pre on the NXT, I'd be interested to hear. But no way am I replacing my NXT with an NXTa.
Click to expand...

yea, that CR way above my budget. and The Fishman Platinum Pro are like 500 USD in my country
also the big problem on my part is I cannot audition these basses anywhere, I will get one of them from overseas. so I just relied on couples of old demo on youtube.
and to my ear, what sound the best are Yamaha SLB300 (not the 200, the new ones) and NS Design CR series.
but if I'm backing up to reality ( budget) i just can afford the NXT 5 (not the a) or Yamaha SLB200.

anyway, thx for all the responses.

p.s i think this is the best youtube video comparison of EUB's, at least for sound quality-wise.


 
#1,680
klard said:
i see, hmm this is hard choices for me..

yea, that CR way above my budget. and The Fishman Platinum Pro are like 500 USD in my country
Click to expand...
You don't need a Fishman Platinum Pro to make the NXT sound good! The Fishman Platinum Stage has less fancy EQ, but should do the job nicely at about half the price. And while I have never actually seen one, there's the Radial Stage Bug SP4 Piezo out there for around $80 in the US. It has no level nor EQ controls, but it will do the job of getting the NXT's output into a form usable by bass amps and PAs.
 

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