Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Preamp for multiple bassists
- Thread starter two fingers
- Start date
I'd just tell everyone to get their own DI/Preamp pedal of choice. Send the wet mix to the IEM, pre/eq to the board, let the FOH eq it to sound as it should.
Tone Hammer------ each bassist will have to tweek, but as long as there is no dirt needed I find mine to be very consistent when I use it as a practice rig.
Tone Hammer---- into small Alesis mixer----- into powered JBL or headphones only.
Basses I use---- 2 different EUB's, 2 Squier P5's (flats and rounds), Elrick NJS5 sometimes with flats, sometimes with rounds.
Tone Hammer---- into small Alesis mixer----- into powered JBL or headphones only.
Basses I use---- 2 different EUB's, 2 Squier P5's (flats and rounds), Elrick NJS5 sometimes with flats, sometimes with rounds.
It's probably already been suggested, but a tech 21 RPM or Para Driver seems like it would do the job for all requirements in this case.
I'm really liking my Eden WP-100 pre amp. Has a tube for warmth and lots of options for fiddling with the mids if that's what your wanting.
Off topic but you guys must have a huge church. Back when I went to church, I was going there for years and they didn't have a bassist until I started playing bass. It was a moderate size church. Under 100 people. On second thought, maybe my idea of a moderate size church is way off :/
I suspect the only solution that would actually solve your sound person's issue would be to have one church bass that everyone plays; though I also realize that isn't what you asked.
Bass is somewhat of an odd instrument, in that the audience thinks they all sound the same, but, sound people struggle with them.
Good luck with the preamp. I use the Sadowsky outboard; but, it does NOT make all basses sound the same. And, it has especially unpredictable utility with active basses, in some cases requiring the preamp to be disengaged, which would defeat your purpose.
Bass is somewhat of an odd instrument, in that the audience thinks they all sound the same, but, sound people struggle with them.
Good luck with the preamp. I use the Sadowsky outboard; but, it does NOT make all basses sound the same. And, it has especially unpredictable utility with active basses, in some cases requiring the preamp to be disengaged, which would defeat your purpose.
If the sound guy is asking for more uniformity in sound, then it seems like you should be going for a less flexible setup. All those programmable preamp setups will result in dissimilar sounds again
I can totally see the beauty of a programmable version. Each bassist can do one long sound check to dual in a tone the sound guy can work with and from then on simply find your patch or step on your preset button. Done.
However, some of the other preamps are just really cool. With the Noble you are at the other end of the scale. It's so simple that any bassist can dial up in seconds (assuming he is willing to work with the sound guy and what he needs for the FOH mix. Worst case we can make marks on the dial positions for each player.
Both theories hold some merit.
However, some of the other preamps are just really cool. With the Noble you are at the other end of the scale. It's so simple that any bassist can dial up in seconds (assuming he is willing to work with the sound guy and what he needs for the FOH mix. Worst case we can make marks on the dial positions for each player.
Both theories hold some merit.
If you use a digital board, why don't you store presets for each bass player and just recall when needed?
Wht you're aksing for is like the right camera lens so everyone will look the same. Choposing a preamp won't help. They're gonna sound different. You'd be better off spending time with the bassists going over what you want in their tone, and helping everyone learn how to produce that sound than spending money on gear.
Or you could just say that, if they bought a REDDI, everyone would sound awesome. Which would be a lie, but you'd get a great DI out of the deal, and the people that already sound great would sound...a bit more awesome.
Or you could just say that, if they bought a REDDI, everyone would sound awesome. Which would be a lie, but you'd get a great DI out of the deal, and the people that already sound great would sound...a bit more awesome.
In a perfect world you would be correct. But we're dealing with humans....and bass playing humans at that.
I imagine that if we went to each player and attempted to convince them to "sound like we need you to" it would be interpreted as "Your sound is dumb. Make it sound like my sound". And that would just be a crapstorm.
I have been a sound man as well as a bassist. I have been down this road. I walk up to a bass player during sound check and say "Hey the tone you're sending me right now gets turned into a scooped mess through big PA speakers. Can you clear it up for me a bit? Maybe give me some mids and highs to work with?" U usually get "If you wuz werf a dang at running sound you could make my tone work. Why don't you go to sound college er sumfin?" Then they pick a booger and eat it or something equally dumb.
I think the programmable route is the way to go. Each guy has a preset. Each guy has another channel for their own amp which they can put in their IEMs if they want to.
Me? I never ever cared about having "my sound" on stage. Whatever the sound guy needs for the mix is fine by me. But, then again, I am a sound guy too. So I have a perspective on these matters they don't have.
As i started reading your post, my first thought was an Aguilar Tone Hammer. As I read more, I just thought more and more that it fits what you are looking for.
Hopefully you find something that works.
In a perfect world you would be correct. But we're dealing with humans....and bass playing humans at that.
I imagine that if we went to each player and attempted to convince them to "sound like we need you to" it would be interpreted as "Your sound is dumb. Make it sound like my sound". And that would just be a crapstorm.
I have been a sound man as well as a bassist. I have been down this road. I walk up to a bass player during sound check and say "Hey the tone you're sending me right now gets turned into a scooped mess through big PA speakers. Can you clear it up for me a bit? Maybe give me some mids and highs to work with?" U usually get "If you wuz werf a dang at running sound you could make my tone work. Why don't you go to sound college er sumfin?" Then they pick a booger and eat it or something equally dumb.
I think the programmable route is the way to go. Each guy has a preset. Each guy has another channel for their own amp which they can put in their IEMs if they want to.
Me? I never ever cared about having "my sound" on stage. Whatever the sound guy needs for the mix is fine by me. But, then again, I am a sound guy too. So I have a perspective on these matters they don't have.
As someone who is experienced at running sound, there is another thing with the zoom pedal that you might appreciate. The AC bass preamp model has a hpf control in it, or the parametric eq has an adjustable range down to 25hz. It is great for taking out the booming lows that some active basses put out. And not to mention about a dozen amp models to choose from including SVT and GK rb800 among them. The preamps include the sans amp and MXR m80 both with more mid control than the original ones. And some decent compressor models too. The models sound pretty close to the originals. Really the only drawback to the pedal is it's limit to 3 effects at a time....but you aren't really planning on using it as a pedalboard replacement, so that shouldn't be an issue with you.
your enquiry made no mention of any chronic midscooper in the roster. Are we not entitled to presume they have worthy and usuable tones for worship? So what is really with the desire to unify bass tones?In a perfect world you would be correct. But we're dealing with humans....and bass playing humans at that.
I imagine that if we went to each player and attempted to convince them to "sound like we need you to" it would be interpreted as "Your sound is dumb. Make it sound like my sound". And that would just be a crapstorm.
I have been a sound man as well as a bassist. I have been down this road. I walk up to a bass player during sound check and say "Hey the tone you're sending me right now gets turned into a scooped mess through big PA speakers. Can you clear it up for me a bit? Maybe give me some mids and highs to work with?" U usually get "If you wuz werf a dang at running sound you could make my tone work. Why don't you go to sound college er sumfin?" Then they pick a booger and eat it or something equally dumb.
I think the programmable route is the way to go. Each guy has a preset. Each guy has another channel for their own amp which they can put in their IEMs if they want to.
Me? I never ever cared about having "my sound" on stage. Whatever the sound guy needs for the mix is fine by me. But, then again, I am a sound guy too. So I have a perspective on these matters they don't have.
He is not trying to make us all sound identical. But it does take too long to get a handle on the bass sound when we come from four completely different tonal directions. So similarity is the goal. Not total equality.
