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Rack preamps with EQ: what's out there?

xiaoma

xiaoma

Apr 10, 2020
53
99
#1
Hi everyone, I've been searching TB and watching YouTube videos for weeks now and I'm still confused about what to do. I need your guidance!

In short: I am going the pre + power amp + passive cabs route, all in one rack.

For the cab I have a Glockenklang 2x12" but it will be replaced by two Barefaced for a more modular solution.

Must haves:
1) quality preamp that can make passive basses hot enough for the power amp
2) EQ section , even a simple 3 band
3) XLR FOH out plus either an XLR or 1/4" out for the power amp

Good to have:
2 channels so that I can switch between for two basses (i.e. a passive P and an active JJ), each one with their own setting

I noticed 99% of the preamps that are currently in production come as a pedal, and also on the used market it's not easy to find rack ones - what's available is usually very old, too.

I'm interested in something that can give me some flexibility via EQ to convincingly cover anything from early to latest Jamiroquai, a bit of disco (think anythjng by Nile Rogers as in Chic etc.) but also Incognito, AWG, Brand New Heavies so a bit more modern.

I'm based in Europe and as for the budget I think I might spend up to 900 usd (new).

What are my options?
 
#2
xiaoma said:
Hi everyone, I've been searching TB and watching YouTube videos for weeks now and I'm still confused about what to do. I need your guidance!

In short: I am going the pre + power amp + passive cabs route, all in one rack.

For the cab I have a Glockenklang 2x12" but it will be replaced by two Barefaced for a more modular solution.

Must haves:
1) quality preamp that can make passive basses hot enough for the power amp
2) EQ section , even a simple 3 band
3) XLR FOH out plus either an XLR or 1/4" out for the power amp

Good to have:
2 channels so that I can switch between for two basses (i.e. a passive P and an active JJ), each one with their own setting

I noticed 99% of the preamps that are currently in production come as a pedal, and also on the used market it's not easy to find rack ones - what's available is usually very old, too.

I'm interested in something that can give me some flexibility via EQ to convincingly cover anything from early to latest Jamiroquai, a bit of disco (think anythjng by Nile Rogers as in Chic etc.) but also Incognito, AWG, Brand New Heavies so a bit more modern.

I'm based in Europe and as for the budget I think I might spend up to 900 usd (new).

What are my options?
Click to expand...

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#5
Rack stuff is just out of fashion which is a real shame. If you're into cleaner, more versatile sounds then don't discount channel strips. I had a rig once where I was aiming for one channel of a good PA and I had a Presonus Studio Channel that was amazing. Everything from Behringer to Millennia Media. The other thing to think about is that you could get a rack Helix for about 900 if you wanted to go used. Just sayin' :D
 
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#10
If you're in Europe I'd be looking hard at Warwick. They have some older heads that would sound excellent with your Glockenklang. If you see an older SWR head or rack mount grab it. They are special. Maybe the older ebs stuff would do it for you. If channel switching is a must I would definitely recommend getting a Radial bassbone. It will definitely help you gain some versatility. You can actually rig up 2 basses at the same time and hit the switch to go back and forth. It has EQ as well so it's helpful. It's a pedal but useful.
 
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#12
There are more than a few 1U half rack studio preamps out there that would work marvelously and you could fit two of them in a single rack space. Maybe something like the Golden Age Pre-73. Those show up used all the time for a pretty reasonable price.

I recently picked up an older SansAmp RBI for a silent stage/ in ear rig and until that day I never realized just how good they can sound.
 
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#14
If you want to see what other people here are using, check this thread out from last year.

Let’s revive Bass preamps (rack mounted!)​

L

Thread 'Let’s revive Bass preamps (rack mounted!)'

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I move that we revive the rackmount bass preamp! With powered speakers made by great companies like bag end, Wayne Jones and GR (now making super lightweight graphite cabinets) , all you need is a great preamp and you are good to go ….(remember the preamp is way lighter than an actual amp!).
After many years of collecting bass preamps these are my top choices :
For TUBE Vintage tones :
1. Kern ip-777 all tube...
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#16
There were several that met the "Must Have"... it's the "Good to Have" that's the tricky part. I recommended the two 1/2 rack solution cause it's probably the simplest to find and they have DI out and 1/4 out options. Not perfect, but it's the closest thing to a Grace Felix I could think of.
 
#20
I have run rack rigs. I am not necessarily opposed to the idea, but I think your vision may be a bit misguided. Your must haves have no mention of your artistic vision (the type of sound you want). The range of possible tones a preamp can produce depends on how it is voiced and how the EQ section operates, which can vary widely. For me the sound is usually the primary justification.

The current preamp rack preamp I thought of that meets the must haves is a Jule Monique. The "new price" is double your budget. This is a mono preamp, so it will not meet you channel switching requirements. Shop

I own the version of Monique with a built in 700W amp. It's a fabulous piece of kit. However some people love the way it sounds and some don't.

I am not familiar with Helix or other modeler options. However I know they are versatile. Even if a modeler rack is one channel, you should be able to run a reverse ABY to switch instruments and then select patches custom tuned for whatever instrument and sound you want. My guess is this option will best meet your needs.

My last touring rig was rack based. The front end of the rig was an Ashly MX508 rack mixer. This mixer is over your budget, but there are plenty of options that cost less. Some even have High Z inputs on a couple of channels. I chose this route to facilitate switching between fretted bass guitar, upright bass with a pickup, and electric upright bass. This MX508 does not have instrument level inputs. I used Shure A95U line matching transformers so I could plug into the mic inputs. This gave me gain and EQ for each bass. Also the mixer had a button to select between line and mic inputs. This line selector effectively served as a mute switch.

If you can let go of the rack mount requirement, you may find one of the 2-channel Grace preamps meets your needs. https://gracedesign.com/products/instrument-preamplifiers The Felix is over your budget.

Another company to consider is Headway: Pre-amps – Headway Music Audio

Also Radial: PZ-Pro - Radial Engineering

These three pedal based preamp are really intended for acoustic instruments.

I used to fantasize about certain rack preamps. Two I still think about from time to time are the Kern IP777 and Midas XL42. These are rare and long out of production and I have passed up reasonable deals on both.
 
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