Double Bass One box front-end pre/HPF/EQ/DI

[Ryan in PDX]

This board has been working for me lately.

Sometimes it's more than I need...

I'm still trying to understand what the magic is, exactly I know a sufficiently hi-Z buffer is critical, but is the Redeye doing something besides that? It's marketing stuff talks about "impedance matching", and I don't know if that's a real thing that adjusts the input buffer to load different pickups, or it's just sufficiently high (like most piezo-oriented preamps). Just trying to grasp if it has some kind of baked-in EQ or filter beyond however it's doing its input buffering. I'd consider a two-box solution if necessary, but I'm really wanting one.

All of their spec sheets listed 1MΩ input impedance until a couple of years ago, when some of them switched to meaningless buzzwords instead of numbers. Marketing is important, and they've figured that out. And at the end of the day, there's more to an amplifier circuit than a single resistor.

I had the pass-around unit for a little while. At home, it made my piezo sound less bad, and the one-knob tone control had a lot of range. I wasn't able to give it a real-world test, unfortunately.

 

[Pings Bass]

Update: I got a fishman platinum pro EQ and have been getting it dialed in. So far so good! I'm surprised it doesn't work with phantom power, but other than that I can't find anything to complain about. It does everything I need from the hi Z buffer, HPF, and EQ to the tuner and DI. The notch filter and one-knob compressor are added bonuses that sound natural and are easy to use.

I'm happy to go from this

To this

The former works but has too many wires and single points of failure for my comfort.

The latter does it all and then some, with far less to worry about and keep track of. It think cost-wise it's a wash, too.

 

[Zbysek]

• Are there other all-in-one options in the sub-$350 range that do the things I think I need?

I am using Broughton Messenger with my (electric) upright. It's perfect, IMO.

Messenger | Broughton Audio

UpdatesThis revision of the Messenger has a few changes from the previous releases, including: Input impedance optimized for upright and electric bass Phase switch added at the input Parallel output (labeled Tuner) is now buffered so that any parallel devices do not load down your instrument The...

www.broughtonaudio.com

 

[Paul New]

My Fishman Platinum Pro has started acting strange and is eating batteries. It has been dropped a few times. Does Fishman repair these, anyone?

 

[Pings Bass]

My Fishman Platinum Pro has started acting strange and is eating batteries. It has been dropped a few times. Does Fishman repair these, anyone?

They offered to RMA mine for a flat $50 repair charge plus return shipping. I filled out their support contact form on the Web and they got right back to me.

 

[Bruce Calin]

My Fishman Platinum Pro has started acting strange and is eating batteries. It has been dropped a few times. Does Fishman repair these, anyone?

I had mine repaired locally several years ago and was told it was pretty straightforward internally. A couple of things had to be replaced but parts were available as I recall. That might be the simplest solution if you have a place. I should mention that mine is the old, original one that still does everything I need.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Check out the empress para deluxe bass EQ II. I believe the TRS output is a DI out, and it handles piezzo pickups well. The only thing missing is the tuner, but with a mini tuner you should be fine and still not messy.

 

[Paul New]

I will have it repaired then.

I wish Fishman built a 2-channel version!

 

[Martin Beer]

I'm still trying to understand what the magic is, exactly I know a sufficiently hi-Z buffer is critical, but is the Redeye doing something besides that? It's marketing stuff talks about "impedance matching", and I don't know if that's a real thing that adjusts the input buffer to load different pickups, or it's just sufficiently high (like most piezo-oriented preamps).

I've also wondered this - while for someone to trace and publish the actual schematic would be poor etiquette for a product that's in production, it would satisfy some curiosity if someone knowledgeable could take a look at the input stage and describe the basic topology. Is it something relatively commonplace that they've just described in a fanciful way, or a genuinely novel circuit?

 

[Jens Telemark]

I'm still trying to understand what the magic is, exactly I know a sufficiently hi-Z buffer is critical, but is the Redeye doing something besides that? It's marketing stuff talks about "impedance matching", and I don't know if that's a real thing that adjusts the input buffer to load different pickups, or it's just sufficiently high (like most piezo-oriented preamps).

The voltage output from any kind of pickup fluctuates depending on how hard you drive the pickup. My rudimentary understanding of the Red-Eye is that it uses a FET circuit to track the source impedance and adjust input impedance to match it. I’ve heard of it being used in high voltage radio antennas where an impedance mismatch can catastrophic. It’s a completely plausible the concept would work in an instrument preamp.

I’d like to know what the range of input impedance is with Red-Eye. Master amp designer and audio engineer Andy Field (aka agedhorse on the forum) said recently that in his testing of a bunch of piezo pickups most sounded best with an input impedance of 1-2M ohms. I was very skeptical but after trying it I haven’t gone back to a high input impedance preamp. The low frequency reduction I was so worried about is pretty much what I was filtering out with a HPF.

 

[stefaniw80401]

I use the Peterson mini strobostomp tuner pedal first in my chain. The tech doc claims a 5Mohm input buffer. I'm using the k&k single bass max pup. Then I go to a broughton HPF, then into an Origin DCX bass pre pedal, then to a lusithand alma comp, then to a boss eq-20 10 band eq pedal. Then into a Radial JDI. All mounted on a small pedal board with iSpot power block. I like this setup better than my fishman platinum pro. All enclosed in a On Stage pedal board bag. I just plop it down on the floor.

 

[Jason Hollar]

I use the Peterson mini strobostomp tuner pedal first in my chain. The tech doc claims a 5Mohm input buffer. I'm using the k&k single bass max pup. Then I go to a broughton HPF, then into an Origin DCX bass pre pedal, then to a lusithand alma comp, then to a boss eq-20 10 band eq pedal. Then into a Radial JDI. All mounted on a small pedal board with iSpot power block. I like this setup better than my fishman platinum pro. All enclosed in a On Stage pedal board bag. I just plop it down on the floor.

Does the tuner provide the impedance buffer when not actually using the tuner? That is, if you use it as a mute? It is there an always on / pass through feature?

Photo please!

 

[stefaniw80401]

The EQ-20 has 10 presets. Currently showing setup for my Fender J-bass.

 

[Jason Hollar]

My current gizmo assortment.

Clip on tc tuner. Very accurate. Turns itself off after 5 min!

OG fdeck HPF. Lives in the double bass gig bag with fresh 9v. I generally use this on quick hits with in & out setups.

Fdeck mini v3. I use this on most casuals and not-too-loud trios or on longer gigs where everything is plugged in for several hours. Love this thing.

Empress para EQ2. This is my “louder box”. Works great when playing with louder drummers in louder venues. The amount of EQ options can be daunting but I find it pretty intuitive. I didn’t realize how much I liked the LPF. It allows use of the tweeter on the cab for definition but helps smooth it out just right.

The venerable Boss Bass EQ is always in the car kit bag. Haven’t used it in a while - but prefer it when doing those dirty outdoor type gigs when brute force is required.

~~~

Would love to upgrade to a single unit as well - especially something with a DI. Love the look of the Genzler pre or one of the single Grace units. Never tried either one though.

 

[stefaniw80401]

The DCX bass pre on my tone board is really good with the K&K Bass Max wing pup. It fattens up the tone. I'm conflicted about placement of the EQ-20 pedal. Should prolly go before the comp?

 

[lurk]

View attachment 7207594
Checks all your boxes. Has 5 band EQ, HPF, compressor, and phase switch. Also handles piezo pickups, $100-$200 used (no longer in production). Has pre-or post DI and phantom. This one is mine.

Yes me too. I often put a RedEye in front of this and it's a really nice addition. Great piece of gear and if you come across one for the price mentioned you'll be happy.

 

[Dave Hill]

Just got a Fishman Platinum, and my first impression is favorable. It’s transparent, has a lot of tools packed in, and is easy to use. It replaced 4 pedals.

I tried the Red Eye in front of it, but it kinda blurred the tone and lost some of the character of the bass(es). I’ll keep it on the board as a backup.

On a side note, the routing and jack placement on the RedEye are frustrating. The power and loop jacks (all on the same side) are so close together, you have to find particular cables to work. A dedicated amp out jack would also be nice.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

I use the Peterson mini strobostomp tuner pedal first in my chain. The tech doc claims a 5Mohm input buffer. I'm using the k&k single bass max pup. Then I go to a broughton HPF, then into an Origin DCX bass pre pedal, then to a lusithand alma comp, then to a boss eq-20 10 band eq pedal. Then into a Radial JDI. All mounted on a small pedal board with iSpot power block. I like this setup better than my fishman platinum pro. All enclosed in a On Stage pedal board bag. I just plop it down on the floor.

That's interesting to me that the Strobostomp Mini has a 5Meg input-Z. My Strobostomp 2 from ~2008 (with the built-in DI) was only 500k ohms and never sounded good with electric in buffered mode. It's still my favorite tuner for studio sessions on electric and for setting intonation, but it lives on a dedicated tuner output on one of my boards. However, I have a Mini on another board that I will most definitely have to try with upright. I usually use a Felix with a Boss TU-3 on the tuner output, which is really nice when I use my AMT mic and a pickup together, but I'd like a more compact setup when I'm playing sans mic. I may have to also steal my MXR M81 back from my son to run as EQ/DI...

 

[Clyde Stats]

Tonedexter II will do everything you mentioned, plus a whole lot more (notch filter, semiparametric EQ, boost, tuner, feedback killer, reverb, looper, phantom power, pick-up/mic balancing, etc.). Oh yeah, almost forgot, it can make your pick-up sound like a mic. Costs more than your $350 budget though.

… and now, with the latest upgrade, compression! Sheesh!

 

[Ric Vice]

Compression is a double edged sword of Damocles “a little goes a long way” with ybass\. Pickup and amplifier. I rarely use it and the GR Bass AT Cube Acoustic has a compressor built in. I rarely use it, mostly with bass guitar.