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Double Bass Presonus Tube pre as a live preamp?

malpasso

malpasso

Apr 24, 2005
183
64
#1
Hi!
My next step as a newbie in the double bass world is amplification for live ourposes. i'm gonna buy a Revolution Solo II pickup and, from what I've gathered reading the pickup-preamps threads, it'd be useful to get a preamp or active dI box to match the output impedance of the piezo pickup to the input impedance of my amp (Ashdown ABM 500).
Leaving apart expensive high-end units like Avalon 5, D tar Equinox and Solstice and others over the 300 Euros bar, I found recommendations for Fishman Bass Pro EQ Platinum, Lr Bags Para Acoustic DI or Tech 21's para Acoustic DI. Still, following the Avalon 5 track, I came across this little Presonus Tube Pre: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] , that boasts phase shifting, possibilities, notch filter, xlr output, clean and acclaimed circuitry, phantom power and a very tempting price tag, far below the mentioned units.
my question is: has anybody had any experience with it?
Would it suit my needs as an impedance adaptor for my piezo pickup? (input impedance= 1 Mherz)
Would it improve the pickup's performance?
Would it soothe the alleged harshness of piezo transducers?
Would the lack of EQ controls be a drawback?
Thanks for your comments
:D
 
#2
The "high instrument" input on the Ashdown is 3.9m Ohms. So I could be wrong, but I don't think you need a preamp for impedance buffering.

I have a Rev Solo II and it sounds good to me with or without a preamp feeding into 1m Ohm inputs on both my amps.

Also, as a generaliztion, the tube thing might create a fat sound and tame piezo honk. But it might be too fat and too tame for an accurate DB sound. Depends on your personal preferences really.

That said, many preamps do include useful features like you said for amplifying DB such as phase reversal and high pass filters.

Really boils down to your gigging needs and what your ears tell you. If you really wanna know, might just have to try and it and see. I'd try it w/out the preamp first and see how it sounds. And then maybe make sure you can return the pre if you buy it, try it, and don't dig it. Then the most you'll pay is return shipping if you decide not to keep it.

That way you'll know for sure, having tried it with your own ears. I've cycled through lots of configurations doing just that. Still cycling ...
 
#3
Thanks for your contribution, Bolo!
:hmm: From what i see, the 1 MHerz input impedanance in the Presonus Tube Pre is not particularly adapted to piezo pickups output, is it?
What would the indicated input impedance range for that purpose be?
 
#4
Some of the older piezo designs needed like 10 Mohm inputs to sound their best. But for most contemporary pickups, I think 1 Mohm input impedance is fine as a general guideline. So with the Presonus at 1 Mohm like you said, I would think it should work fine w/ most piezo p/u's w.r.t. impedance matching / buffering.
 
#7
malpasso said:
What about your own wxperiences, what do you, guys, use!
Click to expand...
My bass is currently equipped w/ a Rev Solo II pickup. When I am using just the pickup, I don't use an external preamp at all with my main rig, an AI Focus 2R head and an EA Wizzy M-line, or with my backup rig, an EA Wizzy combo.

When I want to blend a mic with my pickup, I use a D-TAR Solstice in front of the Wizzy combo. Not because I need it as a preamp for the Rev Solo, but because I need it to blend or mix the p/u and the mic.

With the Focus 2R, I can plug the p/u and the mic into separate channels, and don't need an external preamp / mixer / blender at all.
 

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