Double Bass Red Eye Preamp

[crd]

I didnt realize that the DeeEYE had the same impedance matching thing...that into a Felix, hmmmm.

Do they have a different initial impedance though? ( i.e. Whats the impedance for the lowest note of the bass? ) I too am thinking about what to use in front of a Felix...

 

[flatback]

finally got around to using the Redeye with the Felix. I really like the idea of a no gain/no button Redeye (Deeeye) to plug just before going into the Felix- and then using the felix for the gain/boost eq etc. BUT the Deeye takes phantom power so there goes the mic channel.(and I guess the impedance is different?) Mixing a mic (Remic green/red) in with the Redeye'd channel sounds so damn good and is so blend-able (a tube pre mixed with a mic gets a little too much of the microphonic thing happening and does not work as well). I love using the blend on the Felix if each channel is really staying in its own lane and doing what it does best. It makes using a mic so much less of a headache. And what sounds the best is being able to go from a perfect pickup channel to dialing in the right amount of mic for the stage.
The Y (single E) with the Redeye is so good though I don't really see NEEDING to blend, I just tried it because I had the Felix hooked up.

 

[Kristian]

finally got around to using the Redeye with the Felix. I really like the idea of a no gain/no button Redeye (Deeeye) to plug just before going into the Felix- and then using the felix for the gain/boost eq etc. BUT the Deeye takes phantom power so there goes the mic channel.(and I guess the impedance is different?) Mixing a mic (Remic green/red) in with the Redeye'd channel sounds so damn good and is so blend-able (a tube pre mixed with a mic gets a little too much of the microphonic thing happening and does not work as well). I love using the blend on the Felix if each channel is really staying in its own lane and doing what it does best. It makes using a mic so much less of a headache. And what sounds the best is being able to go from a perfect pickup channel to dialing in the right amount of mic for the stage.
The Y (single E) with the Redeye is so good though I don't really see NEEDING to blend, I just tried it because I had the Felix hooked up.

So no tubes for you any longer? It’s time for you to try the Xlson. I just bought one and it’s crazy good! I’m mixing the Xlson and a Wilson with a Headway but the piezo sound could be a bit better. I was waiting for the new Headway with tubes but based on your comment, running my Wilson through a red eye before my current Headway should have a better result… Any dealers in Europe?

 

[flatback]

Kristian, that pedal board tube warmer mentioned above looks sick. Hey I was looking at pictures of Serena. SO beautiful man. How is the sound? I just had a new sound post put in...I always felt like it opened up when it was hot here....which it never is. Made a huge difference....

 

[Kristian]

Kristian, that pedal board tube warmer mentioned above looks sick. Hey I was looking at pictures of Serena. SO beautiful man. How is the sound? I just had a new sound post put in...I always felt like it opened up when it was hot here....which it never is. Made a huge difference....

Hey man! To be totally honest, I was a bit disappointed at first. She didn’t sound as loud as my other bass and it was very difficult to reach thumb position and the 11 and 12 „fret“ with my pinky, so for a while I was thinking of selling her. But then she began to sound better and better and I’ve made some changes to overcome the technical difficulties. Right now I’m very happy and I sold my Turkish bass instead!

 

[BlueRock]

I suspect there won't be but has anyone noticed any meaningful difference in headroom running 18v vs. 9v?

 

[DoubleMIDI]

I suspect there won't be but has anyone noticed any meaningful difference in headroom running 18v vs. 9v?

I assume you mean running a phantom powered mic.

18 volts is a bit low for membrane power, so the output is lower and therefor S/N-ratio smaller, but high enough to power the amplifier part of a condenser mic.

With 9 volts, and keep in mind that some might get lost by internal voltage regulation, might be too less. So you might not even get less output and smaller S/N-ratio again, but there might be either some more distortion if it works at all. Even 12 volts might not work well for some mics.

Electrets are a bit simpler and can run (depending on the electronic design around) down to a 1.5 volts battery. But it depends.
Which mic were you referring to and what type is it?

 

[Kristian]

I assume you mean running a phantom powered mic.

18 volts is a bit low for membrane power, so the output is lower and therefor S/N-ratio smaller, but high enough to power the amplifier part of a condenser mic.

With 9 volts, and keep in mind that some might get lost by internal voltage regulation, might be too less. So you might not even get less output and smaller S/N-ratio again, but there might be either some more distortion if it works at all. Even 12 volts might not work well for some mics.

Electrets are a bit simpler and can run (depending on the electronic design around) down to a 1.5 volts battery. But it depends.
Which mic were you referring to and what type is it?

Would it work (theoretically) to run a phantom powered mic in the second channel with an adapter?

 

[DoubleMIDI]

I don’t know the device well enough to answer this, but if the input can take a dynamic mic and you put a phantom power adapter in between it would.

 

[Jeff Kissell]

Theoretically if the mic gets the phantom it needs via an inline power source, it should work fine. I’m assuming you mean something like this?

 

[BlueRock]

Thanks for the replies I should have been more clear. I'll be using an EAP or other piezo.

The specs say the Red Eye can run on phantom, a 9v battery or a 9v or 18v power supply.
Since I'll be running mainly on a power supply my question is has anyone using any type of pickup heard a difference between running the device on 9v vs. 18v?

Sometimes 9v or 18v doesn't matter. But the MXR 10 band graphic eq and Diamond compressor are two devices that can sound better on 18v. It's not an issue of them crapping out on 9v but more that there's slight distortion that creeps in and robs a bit of upper end focus..."sparkle" if you will. You wouldn't likely notice unless you A/B'd them on the different voltages.
Since my first post I went ahead and ordered a Red Eye so I'll be able to answer this question soon enough.

 

[DoubleMIDI]

If it is specified to run with a 9 volts power supply it should do as well as with a higher voltage that main transfers to heat (or it is a more sophisticated solution to avoid that waste of energy).

Devices that run on 9 volts battery often need a higher voltage on a power supply to reduce noise by a voltage regulation, but if even the 9 volts is not need but reduced, it might as well run with the same voltage from a power supply.

So you can expect to hear no difference from higher or lower voltage as long as you use a well filtered one.

BTW, the EAP doesn’t need any supply voltage, only it’s buffer needs it. But since your Redeye should do a much better job, you don’t need it.

 

[flatback]

Soooooo....I've been using the Redeye now for some months and it is one of those boxes that I just don't leave home without. In that time I had my small contrabassetto gone over to make more playable and put a new sound post in but Matt Bohn really got a lot more tone and sound out of the instrument. I had already passed on the Redeye twin to bdowd on the trial list (it took way too long to get there note:don't ever say yes when the USPS asks if there are batteries in the package). When I got the CB back the sound was so much better I thought I would try the EAP again and it sounds great, way better. I want the Redeye-twin back.... This morning I get this message from Daren:
Thanks for offering to test out a modified Red-Eye tone control aimed to help bass players!

We just shipped you a modified Red-Eye Twin in order to test a modified Treble Control for upright bass players.

The modification...
Channel A has the normal high-treble focused Treble Control.
Channel B is modified to change the Treble Control to affect mid-range and treble. In effect, the channel B Treble Control will hold the bass steady while it increases or decreases mid-range and treble. I did not make a sophisticated mod. In particular, the Treble Knob position for flat response is not exactly when the knob is centered.

Here is a chart that shows what the mod is doing.
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Im stoked because the Redeye twin worked great for blending two pickups, and I think this mod will really be a great way to A/B if the mid tone mod is good for upright....

 

[bdowd]

Yes, I have the demo twin, and although I haven't yet gigged it, I have run it in various places within my rig. I'm a doubler, so a p bass to one channel, New Standard Cleveland with full circle and mittles to the other. For db purposes,, this thing is really good. I have used most preamps on the market except for grace, and I always come back to my fdeck/boss bass eq/radial jdv signal chain. With the fdeck I sometimes wish for a middle setting between the 2 phase settings, one is too beefy, the other thin yet brings the clarity. I dont believe the twin does anything phase wise, but it just presents a really nice clean and fat signal at the same time. And boy, any eqing you do after the twin is way more responsive, def more usable range. I didn't find the piezo honk completely gone, but I felt I attenuated 500hz a little less than I usually would. This is all in my music room...
I like it a lot. Solid construction, easy buttons, felt lehle-ish. Overall a sweet piece of gear. I'll move it on early this week. Is Chris Fitzgerald next??
Btw, yes I'm ordering a twin, or single channel, annndd this thing rocks for electric as well.

 

[bassically_eli]

Soooooo....I've been using the Redeye now for some months and it is one of those boxes that I just don't leave home without. In that time I had my small contrabassetto gone over to make more playable and put a new sound post in but Matt Bohn really got a lot more tone and sound out of the instrument. I had already passed on the Redeye twin to bdowd on the trial list (it took way too long to get there note:don't ever say yes when the USPS asks if there are batteries in the package). When I got the CB back the sound was so much better I thought I would try the EAP again and it sounds great, way better. I want the Redeye-twin back.... This morning I get this message from Daren:
Thanks for offering to test out a modified Red-Eye tone control aimed to help bass players!

We just shipped you a modified Red-Eye Twin in order to test a modified Treble Control for upright bass players.

The modification...
Channel A has the normal high-treble focused Treble Control.
Channel B is modified to change the Treble Control to affect mid-range and treble. In effect, the channel B Treble Control will hold the bass steady while it increases or decreases mid-range and treble. I did not make a sophisticated mod. In particular, the Treble Knob position for flat response is not exactly when the knob is centered.

Here is a chart that shows what the mod is doing.
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Im stoked because the Redeye twin worked great for blending two pickups, and I think this mod will really be a great way to A/B if the mid tone mod is good for upright....

The treble setting affects the signal whether the boost switch is engaged or not?

 

[flatback]

The thing I like about the Redeye is it can really deliver a flat signal that mostly does not need any other treatment. I plug it into high end SS pre's and tube pre's and run it essentially flat. Which means I can do without the big box eq.
Daren sent me this new modified RETwin with a mid control for Ch.B and after just a few minutes with it, it DOES an effective job of dipping or juicing the mids right where it sounds best on bass. I still like the flat best BUT man the twin is a killing little box especially with this mod. Roll off the mid and it is all thump, roll up the mid and you get definition without much piezo whine at all. So it is doubly effective for me because there are situations where I would really like the piezo chirpy whine gone totally but not at the expense of all the mids being rolled off and not being able to hear myself. I have played around with the eq endlessly on the Grace Felix and not got this good a sound (piezo) because rolling off the mids (or up the lower mids) reduces the whine but clouds the sound on the Felix. Here boosting the mids does not add more chirp just definition.
Daren I think is sending these testers out from old stock that does not have the ability to plug the twin in (I really like having everything powered and strapped into a pedal board) but the for sale twins can be powered with a wall wart.
The other thing is blending- with an EAP in ch A with the treble UP and the Y in Ch B with the mids DOWN, the blend is sick-direct AND body sounds in their own lane not competing. I really like this box on both my basses and I really like super easy blending like this.
Total winner for me.

 

[Jason Hollar]

Coupla dumb questions… Thinking about the Red Eye:

Is the boost switch the newer soft click type?

Would a One Spot type 9v work for ample headroom?

Anyone try this with a passive Fender? Thoughts?

 

[JBarz]

Yes. Yes. No.

 

[bdowd]

Yes with passive Fender, sounds great, evens the fretboard out, quasi-compressor style, makes things nice and crispy.

 

[flatback]

played a trio gig last night in a big outdoor place. used the redeye twin with the new mod-EAP and E side Yamahiko blended, best sound ever.