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Double Bass Preamp (pedal or rack) recommendation for EUB recording.

C

cuatro_cuerdas

Apr 2, 2010
92
8
#1
Hi,

I have a BSX Allegro, which as we know is an active EUB, and I think that the signal is a bit too low for recording directly into my soundcard. Can any of you recommend me a good preamp (tube or SS, pedal or rack) to use with my BSX Allegro? or maybe a good DI could do the work?

Thanks in advance.

Cheers.
 
#8
I think you should check your soundcard input type first before you decide what you may need.
There are instrument level (varying widely about 1V, typically 300K to 10M on some passive piezos), line level (0.7V, 10K) and mic level (0.002, 600 Ohms) inputs.

Even if your instrument is active, the output impedance of it might be too low for your soundcard.
Don't use a mic input, the impedance is much too low. Either a mixer with an intrument input and (consumer level) line output (typically cinch/RCA) will do the job or a preamp with a low output impedance (around 1K would be good) and voltage amplification (to raise the signal level if needed).

But also check that your computers audio mixer is set correctly. Maybe only this is the problem.
 
#10
DoubleMIDI said:
I think you should check your soundcard input type first before you decide what you may need.
There are instrument level (varying widely about 1V, typically 300K to 10M on some passive piezos), line level (0.7V, 10K) and mic level (0.002, 600 Ohms) inputs.

Even if your instrument is active, the output impedance of it might be too low for your soundcard.
Don't use a mic input, the impedance is much too low. Either a mixer with an intrument input and (consumer level) line output (typically cinch/RCA) will do the job or a preamp with a low output impedance (around 1K would be good) and voltage amplification (to raise the signal level if needed).

But also check that your computers audio mixer is set correctly. Maybe only this is the problem.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice DoubleMIDI, I will check the specs of my soundcard ( I use propellerhead balance), the levels from my BSX Allegro are low but not too low, is not that I can not hear it is just that compared to my musicman stingray the signal is weaker, so what I am after if actually a DI box or preamp that can spice up the signal of my BSX allegro, you know a bit more volume and maybe rounder and warmer sound.
 
#11
The problem is the impedance, not the volume itself. Since you have an active output, you are probably in the 10 to 50 KOhms region.

If you have 10KOhm inputs on your soundcard, the output of whatever plugs in there should be not much more than 1KOhms.
(You get a voltage divider, so that you get 91% of the signal with a 1 KOhms output impedance, only 50% from an 10KOhms output impedance if you plug into a 10 KOhms input.

If you have smaller value capacitors in the chain somewhere, your bass might loose a bit and the sound might get coloured if you plug a higher impedance output into a lower impedance input. This usually happens with passive piezos. Sometimes even the electronics from the manufacturer is bad (I got such an older instrument from a well known EUB builder).

But I think I would check the input and output impedances of instrument, soundcard (and also of any preamp you might consider to buy).

Are you sure there is only the magnetic pickup on the instrument? Often the magnetic ones are there if you need to play with higher volume to avoid feedback, but the piezo is usually the standard (but might be well hidden unter the bridge foot). But well, what do I say, I don't know the instrument good enough.
 

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