Quickest preamp?

[silky smoove]

I've got one word for you my friend:

Go and pick up an Avalon U5....

 

[v-12]

I've got one word for you my friend:

Go and pick up an Avalon U5....

+1!! AWESOME tone and as simple as it gets!

 

[vicenzajay]

+1 for the Demeter VTBP-201S.

I can't say enough good things about this preamp; probably don't need to since there's no praise I can heap on this product that hasn't been articulated on talkbass many many times before (do a search if you're interested). If you need/want more tone shaping capability and are willing to do without the Jensen DI, (I didn't/wasn't) go with the Demeter HBP-1.

Good luck,

-- David

The Demeter 201 and the Epifani Quest II. I sold my Quest only because the Demeter was quick enough (and it's basic tone was similar enough) as compared to the Quest to not warrant having two preamps that covered the same ground. Plus, the liquid edge of the Demeter's tube tone was more to my taste. In addition, I had other issues with leveling the DI output for both channels of the Quest.

All that aside - the Quest had a fantastic, clear, quick tone...just brilliant.

And the Demeter is just tone city....especially with a nice pair of tubes.

Jay

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

This is same school of thought that says 15" speakers are too "slow".

I don't think there's much to it, myself. I've seen footage of Jumi Hendrix playing through a wall of 2 x 15" boxes...they weren't too slow for him. Jaco used to play through a rear firing 18" for Pete's sake.

And Mozart had no indoor plumbing so crapping in a bucket in the corner of his room was good enough for him.......

If either of those guys were playing today they'd probably both choose the technology that they didn't have to work against. There's no reason to not embrace better technology.

 

[chadds]

This is same school of thought that says 15" speakers are too "slow".

I don't think there's much to it, myself. I've seen footage of Jumi Hendrix playing through a wall of 2 x 15" boxes...they weren't too slow for him. Jaco used to play through a rear firing 18" for Pete's sake.

Any guitarist playing through 15" is not a good analogy as those cones are vibrating with guitar not thrusting. Also I hope that person that says that this or that is too slow is saying "for them". I think Ag GS112s are very slow. I use EA 12"s in one of my rigs. Some cabs can be slow. Jaco was a fast player with powerful hands. He may or may not have been struggling with carpal tunnel issues. He used a tremendous amount of delay and chorus. I was an original owner of a 360. The wave form developed so far out in front of the cab that to hear it on stage you listened inside of the cab. The quick response was happening as the note careened off the back wall. Some other 18" sound slow. In fact I just played an old SWR Bassic Black w/ 1x15. It was very quick. Jaco later went to front loaded cabs in addition to the rear folded 18". Any way neither of us is or will ever actually be Jaco Pastorius so what is quick to us is what matters.

 

[bassjam]

+1 for the Demeter VTBP-201S.

I can't say enough good things about this preamp; probably don't need to since there's no praise I can heap on this product that hasn't been articulated on talkbass many many times before (do a search if you're interested). If you need/want more tone shaping capability and are willing to do without the Jensen DI, (I didn't/wasn't) go with the Demeter HBP-1.

Good luck,

-- David

+1 i used the 201 for many years and switched to the hbp-1 about 6 months ago.while i love the 201,the extra eq section on the hbp-1 is great.it also sounds a bit more musical to me as well.i was concerned about giving up the jensen di on the 201 at first,but i cant really tell a difference.

 

[Mark Reccord]

'Quickness' in an audio amplifier isn't related to how fast the amp can respond. Even 'slow' preamps have a slew rate (which is ameasure of how fast the amp responds) above 5V/uS. That means that in one millionth of a second the amp can swing 5V which is more voltage swing than most preamps typically do. Most audio amps have slew rates well above that. But even the 'slowest' ones are way faster than adequate for audio frequencies.

I do hear the audible phenomenon but I think it's related to intermodulation distortion and the phase behaviour of the amp and not directly due to amplifier response time, in the same way that 'slowness' in speaker cabinets is sometimes caused by excessive port group delay.

 

[John D Harris]

The Demeter VTBP201S responds almost before you pluck a note. It's very punchy and ultra quick.

My experience agrees with this post 100%.

Some tube preamps are not as responsive as the Demeters (the VTBP-201S is also capable of amazing punch (especially when EQ'd just right)).

I would suspect that the Millennia TD-1 is quicker and has greater clarity (though probably lacking some of the tube-vibe mojo of the Demeters).

Depends on the tone you are looking for.

 

[pickles]

Demeter, Avalon, Neve, or if you're on a budget, SWR grand prix.

 

[Joelc73]

I would suspect that the Millennia TD-1 is quicker and has greater clarity (though probably lacking some of the tube-vibe mojo of the Demeters).

The TD-1 is ultra responsive as well. The STT-1 actually let's you switch between solid state and tube modes so it's a nice choice if you bounce between those two sounds/feels.

 

[brooklynbassguy]

The Summit TD100, consistently blows my mind in it's clarity, warmth, quickness, and it's ability to make my rig sound "perfect"!