Preamps - dumb questions - help

[toddmcm]

If this is just dumb, I apologize.

I've been kind of inadvertently collecting "preamps".

All of a sudden I find myself wanting to have several of these on a perhaps "dedicated preamp" pedal board. Before hitting my standard pedals and primary amp.
Is this dumb? Anybody else use this concept?

Just throwin it out there and probably gonna pick up the new ampeg Sgt to play with.

Fwiw main amp is a d800+

 

[Wasnex]

I wouldn't call it dumb, but it's a bit esoteric, and also implementation will likely be somewhat complicated and expensive.

The only way I can think to do it, would be to use some sort of switcher. For optimal results I believe you need to switch both the input and output.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Are we talking rackmount preamps or pedal preamps?

 

[Michedelic]

If this is just dumb, I apologize.

I've been kind of inadvertently collecting "preamps".

All of a sudden I find myself wanting to have several of these on a perhaps "dedicated preamp" pedal board. Before hitting my standard pedals and primary amp.
Is this dumb? Anybody else use this concept?

Just throwin it out there and probably gonna pick up the new ampeg Sgt to play with.

Fwiw main amp is a d800+

What exactly is the endgame? Are you gigging in such a manner that you need that kind of tonal variation? It’s not dumb, but potentially unwieldy, and not very ergonomic.
How many units, which ones? Then, adding in whatever effects you have, how big of a board would you want to put up with?
I use an original Radial Bassbone, as a ‘nerve center’/distribution point for everything…basses, eq tweak, effects loop, DI, before it gets sent to whatever full-on bass amp I might be using.

 

[gtirard]

you could also keep your preamps for studio use, then capture them with Tonex and use the Tonex pedal for gigs

Maybe less fun but more efficient...

 

[gtirard]

do you plan to chain them or use them one at a time?

 

[Marko 1]

Are we talking rackmount preamps or pedal preamps?

... perhaps "dedicated preamp" pedal board.

 

[toddmcm]

To clarify they're all pedal preamps and would only ever use them one at a time. Essentially using them AS effects pedals. Would never be switching on the fly in the middle of a song.

I like the tonex idea. I have one of those on order... Should be here today actually.

Thanks for your time and input guys.

 

[Killing Floor]

Not dumb. But I agree @Wasnex fully. Get a switcher / loop manager so you don’t just push noise into your amp. You’ll like the results.
If you like it, then it is good.

 

[Slough Feg Bass]

I have several rack preamps that get used once in a while, but mostly for studio use.
live preamp pretty much stays in the live rig, but I use some preamp pedals sometimes for tonal variation, but also happy to use just the pre that is in the live rig. Just depends on my mood and the gig, if I need any flexibility on the gig or not.

 

[smeet]

I’m almost using a preamp pedalboard, although it wasn’t planned. I have a Jad Freer Capo, Arkham Oracle, and Jule Simone. I use them in different combinations. I also have a Cali76 compressor and an MBD 2. Everything goes through a road rage loop switcher, except the Simone which is the front end to the power amp. They really are just tone shapers, so why not.​

 

[Gorilla Monsoon]

The biggest issue you’ll face is improper gain staging. You don’t necessarily want to be TOO loud going into your amp input, and you want to gradually increase volume as you go through the chain, if anything.

 

[moon-bass]

I'm kind of in the same boat - see this thread - My preamp journey

I *LOVE* preamps. At one point I was putting together five separate pedal boards, each one had at least two preamps on it. Long story short, I ended up consolidating down to three boards and an HX Helix Stomp XL.

I need a small, reliable, portable board, a larger "at home" board, and then the Helix helped with the multiple preamp models. My MO is that if it's on the Helix I don't need a dedicated preamp pedal.

So that being said, I had quite a few preamp pedals that I like that aren't on the Helix - an Eden, a Trace Elliott, a few others - and I did exactly what you are thinking about doing - I put together a dedicated preamp board with (I also added a Q-Tron+, which I also love, but don't have a home for on my other boards) specifically for these preamps. YMMV, but I just did them all straight in a line without a blender or switcher and I don't have any more noise than a normal board.

I haven't heard of the Tonex before, but I am going to check it out!

 

[jdjk7]

If this is just dumb, I apologize.

I've been kind of inadvertently collecting "preamps".

All of a sudden I find myself wanting to have several of these on a perhaps "dedicated preamp" pedal board. Before hitting my standard pedals and primary amp.
Is this dumb? Anybody else use this concept?

Just throwin it out there and probably gonna pick up the new ampeg Sgt to play with.

Fwiw main amp is a d800+

I don't think it's weird at all. I've tried something similar myself... I have a collection of preamp pedals, and I've thought about putting together a dedicated board that would go along with my main board. Signal chain would be bass > main pedalboard > preamp board (preamps > cab sim) > DI out on cab sim / fx return on amp.

The idea is pretty much to make it so that A) I would need to be changing out preamps far less often, because instead I bring several with me that I can select between. Theoretically I could stack them, but that could get out of hand. I would have the preamp board on top of my amp, so they wouldn't be stompable, but in my use case I would only be engaging/disengaging them between songs (unless I only use one)

 

[moon-bass]

I don't think it's weird at all. I've tried something similar myself... I have a collection of preamp pedals, and I've thought about putting together a dedicated board that would go along with my main board. Signal chain would be bass > main pedalboard > preamp board (preamps > cab sim) > DI out on cab sim / fx return on amp.

The idea is pretty much to make it so that A) I would need to be changing out preamps far less often, because instead I bring several with me that I can select between. Theoretically I could stack them, but that could get out of hand. I would have the preamp board on top of my amp, so they wouldn't be stompable, but in my use case I would only be engaging/disengaging them between songs (unless I only use one)

I also like the fact that I get to use them more and more easily. I have a real aversion to letting things like preamps collect dust in my closet, so I try to either sell or use them. I get to use them more easily this way.

 

[Altitude]

In related news, Devon Smullen just rolled out hot swappable onboard preamps on his basses. He has 3 or 4 options ready.

I’m not an active bass guy much, but it’s a neat idea he had.

 

[Queue]

My brother is a bit of a tone chaser with guitar amps. So much so that he's got several amp/cab stacks in his basement studio, and has them all connected using some concoction of Radial splitters.

Instrument Splitters - Radial Engineering

Not sure if those would help you, but there's tons of stuff out there...

 

[moon-bass]

If this is just dumb, I apologize.

I've been kind of inadvertently collecting "preamps".

All of a sudden I find myself wanting to have several of these on a perhaps "dedicated preamp" pedal board. Before hitting my standard pedals and primary amp.
Is this dumb? Anybody else use this concept?

Just throwin it out there and probably gonna pick up the new ampeg Sgt to play with.

Fwiw main amp is a d800+

Something like this? The empty space is for an incoming Billy Sheehan drive pedal.

 

[Jeff Scott]

In related news, Devon Smullen just rolled out hot swappable onboard preamps on his basses.

Remember these?

 

[Fynn]

It ain't dumb if it works. And it sure will work fine, unless you maybe start turning all of them on at the same time haha
It's actually quite a nice idea if you have a bunch of different tones you really like.
Les Claypool used to have two MXR M80s on his board. Probably one for more grit and the other for a little less. Or he used them as backups, or for different instruments. Now he's got a couple different channel strips and a single Tech21 bass VT.

I personally don't have enough different tones that I like to justify something like this. Although I did think about getting a second Tech21 for a different tone too. Can't turn up the drive and turn down the level at a show, or change the character setting!