My Red-Eye improves both the sound of my Realist Lifeline and the Ehrlund EAP. It’s very impressive. 
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Double Bass Red Eye Preamp
- Thread starter Pat Harris
- Start date
My Red-Eye improves both the sound of my Realist Lifeline and the Ehrlund EAP. It’s very impressive.
Do you also have a Sarno Blackbox? If so, how do they compare?
Red eye is part of my regular pedalboard now. Less eq needed after it. I set the boost for pizz, turn off for arco, and use the treble knob for helping myself to cut through the mix a little bit. Nice product.
It seems to, but the timing of its arrival was terrible as it arrived right after a busy period of performing, a day or so after the last performance - a faculty concert with guest Tamir Hendelman. I would have really have liked to test it on that show. I’m going to keep it another week so I can use it on a show next Wednesday and then send it on its way. Everything else I could say right now is out of context.
I'm going to send my Redeye Twin back...So that Daren can install a power adapter instead of the two 9v batteries. He said this is a quick mod. I played a gig this past week with the Twin -and two cords - one to the EAP and one to the Yamahiko. Total overkill. But strangely excellent. The EAP becomes a whole other pickup on my travel bass when plugged into the Redeye. Just stellar and excellent and present and woody and totally usable. The Yamahiko sounds great too. Really no need to use two at the same time, no great advantage, no reason to do it other then I have the twin.
On that gig for the first time I didnt use the Sarno V8 tube preamp (which has tone controls) ...Didn't miss it either. The thing the Redeye does to the sound makes anything after it fairly redundant. Same with the blending of two pickups, fairly redundant. If the Redeye was built into the front end of a combo amp (I already floated this idea to Rick at AI) I would buy that amp and sell all my other equipment. I am still going to sell a bunch of stuff that I dont need anymore because of it....Grace Felix?Dont need it. Tube pre's?Dont need it.
On that gig for the first time I didnt use the Sarno V8 tube preamp (which has tone controls) ...Didn't miss it either. The thing the Redeye does to the sound makes anything after it fairly redundant. Same with the blending of two pickups, fairly redundant. If the Redeye was built into the front end of a combo amp (I already floated this idea to Rick at AI) I would buy that amp and sell all my other equipment. I am still going to sell a bunch of stuff that I dont need anymore because of it....Grace Felix?Dont need it. Tube pre's?Dont need it.
Piro,
So, Just curious, did you sell your powered MAS 1/8 as well? The Red Eye is great, but I still need a preamp for powered speakers.
I guess we’re of like minds, cause if they built the Red-Eye system into the front end of a amp that would be stellar. Good call.
So, Just curious, did you sell your powered MAS 1/8 as well? The Red Eye is great, but I still need a preamp for powered speakers.
I guess we’re of like minds, cause if they built the Red-Eye system into the front end of a amp that would be stellar. Good call.
Selling stuff while basking in the glow of new love is a bad idea. Like shopping when you're hungry but more expensive.
Is there anything that you are NOT selling? Anything that you plan to continue to use along side the Red-Eye? Is a phase control, for instance, still useful?
I'll bet a lot of those AI speakers from the past 20 years (the downfiring ones all the way up to the doubleshot) will sound better with Redeye. I love the MAS stuff (the redeye into the MAS46 is so Sick I want to buy Ben's little blue power amp (the Jule one for sale here) and just take that to gigs Redeye>Jule Poweramp>MAS46. I don't have a poweramp for the 46 right now (using it as an extension of the 18) but with the Redeye that box sounds unreal.
You guys are definitely a bad influence! I ordered one today after overcoming my usual sales resistance to new gear. I'm looking forward to checking it out.
So, I have an opportunity to try out an earlier gen of the Red Eye (no 9/18v input.) First impressions are definitley positive. I'm using this stomp box tube pre as my first in/buffer for a Realist Copper and that will not change as the SushiBox has a 5.6Mohm input that is pure heaven for the Realist. I tried the Red Eye in front but it sounds noticeably better with the tube pre first. The Red Eye smooths out what little boxiness is left and straight into the FX return on my Clarus SL/Thunderchild 112 rig is a glorious 3D signal, not exactly MBOL but hyped in all the best ways for an amplified sound. The treble knob on the RE is definitely a secret sauce type deal that I imagine is what tweaks for various rooms. I have a gig using a backline tomorrow so I'll have a chance to check this in the real world.
Signal chain- NS Cleveland laminated w/gut > Realist Copperhead > Sushi Box Slampegg Bee X > Red Eye DI >FOH/???
Signal chain- NS Cleveland laminated w/gut > Realist Copperhead > Sushi Box Slampegg Bee X > Red Eye DI >FOH/???
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Thanks for the reminder to switch things up! After reading your post, I went and plugged the Noble in front of the Red Eye instead of the other way around. Strangely, it sounds way better that way.. at least in the music room through the monitors. I'll try it both ways on the gig this week.
I’m no “ESN” but tubes are magic for the Realist in my experience.
