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Rack preamps really aren't that popular anymore....

#21
tabdog said:
Who needs a rack mount preamp.

Just get a stomp box and a great
sounding Crown PA amp.

Simple and lots of headroom with
great sound. Also, light weight,

3-8-3b-1.jpg


Stomp box - $70 used

Used Crown - $130

Total - $200

Then comes the $$$ part, Speakers,

Tabdog
Click to expand...

I prefer rack, so it can be all in one unit and there's less set up, less clutter, less chance of things being stepped on on the ground or falling off the amp if perched on top. For guys who carry a pedal board, it can be a great option, or in some cases, you might want a pedal board with a few preamps on it then you can choose according to band, song or set.
 
#22
JoeVictim said:
<<<SNIP>>>

I love having a 1000 watts under 20lbs.

<<<SNIP>>>
Click to expand...

This! I think part of the lack of popularity is due in part to heavy power amps in the past. I mean, who wants to tote around a CA6 / CA9 (et al) lead sled to get great LOUD sound? I certainly don't. But I do love my BBE BmaxT loaded with a Telefunken tube over a Crwon XLS1500 Drivecore. 1500 watts, great tube sound, a decent easy-to-use compressor that works FOR ME. Yes, the whole thing weighs a bit more than my MarkBass head, but not appreciably so in the scheme of things.

LIked the Demeter, Ampeg, and Read preamps a lot, too.



dcr
 
#23
dcr said:
This! I think part of the lack of popularity is due in part to heavy power amps in the past. I mean, who wants to tote around a CA6 / CA9 (et al) lead sled to get great LOUD sound? I certainly don't. But I do love my BBE BmaxT loaded with a Telefunken tube over a Crwon XLS1500 Drivecore. 1500 watts, great tube sound, a decent easy-to-use compressor that works FOR ME. Yes, the whole thing weighs a bit more than my MarkBass head, but not appreciably so in the scheme of things.

LIked the Demeter, Ampeg, and Read preamps a lot, too.

dcr
Click to expand...

I think that one of the nice things about a dedicated preamp is that the attention to detail and build quality and feature set tend to be above what you end up with in an 'amp head'. That combined with your choice of power amp (you want that sound at 250w or at 2000w, your choice) makes it a nice place to be.

The one thing I traded going from my LMII to a pre/power setup was the ability to put it in a shoulder bag and carry it in with a cab and my bass at the same time. It's a full sized 3 space rack worth now, but I think the extra volume, headroom, low end fidelity and tonal quality more than makes up for it.
 
#24
I'm a huge fan of the pedal board and power amp. Looking forward to the price on powered modules coming down so I can skip the power amp :)

There's a pretty good selection of pedal preamps capable of driving a power amp.
 
#25
BurningSkies said:
I think that one of the nice things about a dedicated preamp is that the attention to detail and build quality and feature set tend to be above what you end up with in an 'amp head'. That combined with your choice of power amp (you want that sound at 250w or at 2000w, your choice) makes it a nice place to be.

The one thing I traded going from my LMII to a pre/power setup was the ability to put it in a shoulder bag and carry it in with a cab and my bass at the same time. It's a full sized 3 space rack worth now, but I think the extra volume, headroom, low end fidelity and tonal quality more than makes up for it.
Click to expand...

I'm 62. I only play with friends and my
21 year old son who is a bass player.
Every once in a while I play at the
Senior Citizen's Center. So, I don't
have to worry too much.

I never put on the floor. I use the knobs,
if anything. It's just simple. You got to have
a DI ro something. I just use something with
some EQ.

You can get more from the multi effects and
amp modeling tube stomp boxes.

Over lapping, sweepable shelving with deep
cuts and high boosts.

Surprising how well even my $30 eBay find
works. You don't have to put it on the floor
either, if you don't want to.

4-9-2.jpg


Don't have the added weight and bulk of a
rack case. I usually use a 1X12 cab or a
1X12 combo. Sometimes I use borrowed.

I'm sure the $500 Boss version would work
better. They work better than some rack
mount units.

Tabdog
 
#28
The Stewart is not "really" just 1RU because it has to have 1RU of empty space above it, or it overheats and shuts down.

Peavey made a couple of 1RU power amps, several years ago, that don't have the same reputation for shutting down--but I think they didn't succeed on the market partly because of the Peavey brand name not getting any respect, and partly because they were ahead of their time, nobody trusted the ultralight amps back then.
 
#30
bongomania said:
Try these:
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Invalid Link Removed
Click to expand...

Yes, you're correct. I was told to steer clear of the Stewart because i would have wanted to bridge into 4 ohms, and apparently that causes it to burst into flames without proper ventilation.

I've been keeping my eye on the MB1000 for months now, and still haven't found any pricing or info on its availability in the US. Do you know of anyone selling it? Thanks, Bongo
 
#31
bongomania said:
The Stewart is not "really" just 1RU because it has to have 1RU of empty space above it, or it overheats and shuts down.

Peavey made a couple of 1RU power amps, several years ago, that don't have the same reputation for shutting down--but I think they didn't succeed on the market partly because of the Peavey brand name not getting any respect, and partly because they were ahead of their time, nobody trusted the ultralight amps back then.
Click to expand...

You do have a very good point, however I have gotten away without doing so by mounting a VERY shallow unit above it such as a tuner or power strip. Just keep a little air around and above 80% of the fins on each side, you should be fine.

I have the pro-reference 1000 version which I believe is exactly the same except for the chrome. I have had no issues with mine and i've had it for about a decade now. (I've never bridged it though... never needed to.)

I'm sure there's lots of more modern options now though.
 
#32
BurningSkies said:
I think that one of the nice things about a dedicated preamp is that the attention to detail and build quality and feature set tend to be above what you end up with in an 'amp head'. That combined with your choice of power amp (you want that sound at 250w or at 2000w, your choice) makes it a nice place to be....
Click to expand...

Exactly! So many options!
Check out all the preamps on basstasters.com: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I used to run an Ampeg SVP-CL into a Crest CA9. What a great combination! A class D poweramp that could be "remotely" compared with a Crest CA9 would be a hit for sure. That's next on my list.
 
#33
I just went back to a component system after a long time with GK and a brief try with Mesa.
Picked up an old Trace GP11 and Crest poweramp at Jammin' Jersey in LA last week. Gonna run into either my Mesa Vintage 2x15" with EV 15 BX's or bi- amp it with my PAS 18" ported cab and PAS 15+compression driver top cab. Trying it tonight on the gig, untested!! :-)
 
#34
vail_bass said:
I just went back to a component system after a long time with GK and a brief try with Mesa.
Picked up an old Trace GP11 and Crest poweramp at Jammin' Jersey in LA last week. Gonna run into either my Mesa Vintage 2x15" with EV 15 BX's or bi- amp it with my PAS 18" ported cab and PAS 15+compression driver top cab. Trying it tonight on the gig, untested!! :-)
Click to expand...

Please report back, very curious how that compares, what GK rig(s) were/are you using as your benchmark ?
 
#35
Eminor3rd said:
I've been keeping my eye on the MB1000 for months now, and still haven't found any pricing or info on its availability in the US. Do you know of anyone selling it? Thanks, Bongo
Click to expand...

To be honest, I don't even know if it's available yet--I just posted it because it is "supposed" to be what a lot of us were waiting for. I'll have to eat crow if it turns out to have the same overheating issue as the Stewart. :p

BTW Nev, good to hear the overheating can be avoided if a very shallow rack unit is mounted above it. That's useful to know!
 
#36
I love having the choices. Rack mount pres seem designed to meet tone and pro flexiblity goals. The good ones have a completely isolated DI section that's no after thought.

Besides I've always been one to shy from the popular. I like what gets out of my way but has it's own tonal taste. The Glock BAC cured my gas. The Kern was such a different animal while being just as professional and pure.
 
#37
dhsierra1 said:
Please report back, very curious how that compares, what GK rig(s) were/are you using as your benchmark ?
Click to expand...

2001RB with two 4x12 Neo cabs
1001RB with two 1x15 Neo or two 2x12 Neo cabs
1001 2x12 Combo

I used my new rig with a 1x15 Mesa PH cab ( because my cabs are with Keb Mo and won't see them until Sept. 1st)
Sounds great even with just 120 watts in the 8 Ohm cab.
WAY cleaner, punchier and louder than the 1001RB/ Mesa 2x10 PH rig that I A/B'd against.
Should be very cool with my 2x15 Mesa PH with the amp bridged into 8 ohms 300 watts.
Can't wait!
BTW, the Trace direct out sounds fantastic, foh loved it!
 
#38
So this wasn't a really loud rig then, eh? What's your stage volume usually like with Kenny? You weren't overly loud in the house, but it filled the room very well. Dude on sound was workin' it.
 
#40
no, a super loud rig isn't necessary at this point. When we were playing arenas every night, that was a different story for sure. We were usually around 110 to 114 dB on stage on the loud bits.
Much quieter now. I try to let the FOH handle it and I use my rig just for the band.
The Keb Mo gig is an 'ears' gig, so the rig is just for front fill in the small places we play, usually around 2,000 people. The 2x15 will serve quite nicely for that, past the 4th or 5th row you won't hear any stage level. I'll get to try that in Montana next week, 1 more KG/ Bolton gig before that.
 

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