Double Bass Red Eye Preamp

[Jason Hollar]

Here are some thoughts as I wrap up two weeks with the Red-Eye Twin.

First off, thanks to the kind folks at Fire-Eye for providing this modded demo and for the trust in our TB/DB community for making this happen. I've got one more jazz trio gig that I'm going to try it on then it's off to the next in line, @Maple is that you?


I'm probably going to mirror some thoughts already expressed but here's my quick summary:


-Super clean, solid unit, well constructed, lots of routing options.
-Tons of clean headroom plus a killer boost option.
-The EQ knobs are wonderful!
-The high EQ on channel A is amazing and the mid EQ on channel B is also very musical.
-Whatever this preamp does to "thicken" the piezo signal just seems to work better with the amp.




I've done a number of practice sessions A/B'ing and combining:

both my bridge pickups (Full Circle & Upton Rev Solo)
through both my combo amps (MarkBass CMD 121p original Italian model & newer GK Legacy 800 1x12)
one or two QSC k10's (original models set flat)
with passive electric basses (Fender P4 with flats, Lakland Skyline J5 with rounds).


I did a low pressure jazz duo gig on upright with the idea of doing one set with each pickup, but I found a really nice blend and just left it there.

I planned to try it on two other gigs last week, but weather became a factor so I left extra stuff at home.



Here's what I've discovered:

I do NOT like the tone of my MarkBass CMD 121p with my upright! I've known this all along - but the convenience of this being my smallest and lightest and most paid-for amp tops the tone annoyance factor. That said, in some rooms - especially the jazz pub in-the-corner type gigs - the MarkBass really shines. It's rear ported so in some rooms it just fills the space quite nicely.

The very best sound I got was running Full Circle > Red-Eye Twin ch. A > fdeck1 hpf > GK Legacy800 1x12. This is a killer rig that would work great on louder shows.

A very compelling and "more natural" sound came from Full Circle > Red Eye Twin (via DI out) > QSC K10. I'd like to explore this some more but feel I'd also need some add'l eq controls to effectively gig with it.

I loved being able to A/B my electric basses would love this option on certain gigs.

I also A/B'd the upright on ch. A and the Fender on ch. B and quickly dialed in a workable blend - so this would be good for those occasional doubling hits.




I believe @flatback mentioned that if this preamp was incorporated into an amp, he'd sell everything! I like that idea.


So at this point, I can clearly see the need for an improved front end working with what gear I've got and the situations I typically encounter. Just trying to keep it as simple as possible.

 

[bassmanbrent]

the mid EQ on channel B is also very musical.

The twin has a mid EQ?

 

[Jason Hollar]

The twin has a mid EQ?

I believe this pedal has the mid mod on channel B.

If it doesn’t - it sure sounds like it does!

 

[basss]

If you had to pick one which would you prefer the original high cut or mid mod?

 

[Jason Hollar]

If you had to pick one which would you prefer the original high cut or mid mod?

I think being able to boost or cut the high control is a bit more satisfying to the ear.

That said, running my Rev solo (which is kinda sounds gnarly like an underwood) through the B channel and cutting the mids really seemed to improve the tone.

I don’t have enough gig time with it to say which one’s a keeper sorry to say.

 

[bassmanbrent]

I believe this pedal has the mid mod on channel B.

If it doesn’t - it sure sounds like it does!

I didn't know that was a thing. Thanks!

 

[Maple]

Here are some thoughts as I wrap up two weeks with the Red-Eye Twin.

First off, thanks to the kind folks at Fire-Eye for providing this modded demo and for the trust in our TB/DB community for making this happen. I've got one more jazz trio gig that I'm going to try it on then it's off to the next in line, @Maple is that you?


I'm probably going to mirror some thoughts already expressed but here's my quick summary:


-Super clean, solid unit, well constructed, lots of routing options.
-Tons of clean headroom plus a killer boost option.
-The EQ knobs are wonderful!
-The high EQ on channel A is amazing and the mid EQ on channel B is also very musical.
-Whatever this preamp does to "thicken" the piezo signal just seems to work better with the amp.




I've done a number of practice sessions A/B'ing and combining:

both my bridge pickups (Full Circle & Upton Rev Solo)
through both my combo amps (MarkBass CMD 121p original Italian model & newer GK Legacy 800 1x12)
one or two QSC k10's (original models set flat)
with passive electric basses (Fender P4 with flats, Lakland Skyline J5 with rounds).


I did a low pressure jazz duo gig on upright with the idea of doing one set with each pickup, but I found a really nice blend and just left it there.

I planned to try it on two other gigs last week, but weather became a factor so I left extra stuff at home.



Here's what I've discovered:

I do NOT like the tone of my MarkBass CMD 121p with my upright! I've known this all along - but the convenience of this being my smallest and lightest and most paid-for amp tops the tone annoyance factor. That said, in some rooms - especially the jazz pub in-the-corner type gigs - the MarkBass really shines. It's rear ported so in some rooms it just fills the space quite nicely.

The very best sound I got was running Full Circle > Red-Eye Twin ch. A > fdeck1 hpf > GK Legacy800 1x12. This is a killer rig that would work great on louder shows.

A very compelling and "more natural" sound came from Full Circle > Red Eye Twin (via DI out) > QSC K10. I'd like to explore this some more but feel I'd also need some add'l eq controls to effectively gig with it.

I loved being able to A/B my electric basses would love this option on certain gigs.

I also A/B'd the upright on ch. A and the Fender on ch. B and quickly dialed in a workable blend - so this would be good for those occasional doubling hits.




I believe @flatback mentioned that if this preamp was incorporated into an amp, he'd sell everything! I like that idea.


So at this point, I can clearly see the need for an improved front end working with what gear I've got and the situations I typically encounter. Just trying to keep it as simple as possible.

Cool, I’m really looking forward to trying it out!

I just dropped my bass off at Patrick McCarthy’s for some work and will have it back next week.

 

[Ric Vice]

If you had to pick one which would you prefer the original high cut or mid mod?

He only builds the original model, the mid mod was a prototype.

 

[basss]

Thanks I'm more just curious. I'm pretty happy with what the high cut does. The mid mod looks pretty drastic and would be a little much for me I would guess.

 

[flatback]

yeah dunno about that. The mid mod straight up is flat. up all the way is BRITE and rolled off all the way does the opposite. But just a little twist goes a long way on the gig. I am not using it at the moment but for a long while I was jazzed on using the EAP ( a body pickup) or the G side Yamahiko on the in the left (treble )channel with the treble turned up and then the Yama E side with the mids pulled just a bit. Sounded great. What is very cool is running two different kinds of piezos into that little box with slightly opposite eq tweaks. IMHO

 

[Alain Bass]

HI
Can some of you doublers tell me if those Eyes (specially the Bright Eye) are of any interest on electric or acoustic bass ? Do they work as well as they do for DB, or are they only good for piezo?
Everybody seems very happy with them, and I wonder if they could bring something to my Taka TB10 Acoustic bass.
Thank you for your answer.

 

[Povl Carstensen]

HI
Can some of you doublers tell me if those Eyes (specially the Bright Eye) are of any interest on electric or acoustic bass ? Do they work as well as they do for DB, or are they only good for piezo?
Everybody seems very happy with them, and I wonder if they could bring something to my Taka TB10 Acoustic bass.
Thank you for your answer.

That looks like an interesting instrument! I wonder if its pickup is not piezo-type. On the other hand, it allready has a preamp built in, which might make the red eyes impedance matching unbeneficial. Just my thoughts

 

[Hasty]

HI
Can some of you doublers tell me if those Eyes (specially the Bright Eye) are of any interest on electric or acoustic bass ? Do they work as well as they do for DB, or are they only good for piezo?
Everybody seems very happy with them, and I wonder if they could bring something to my Taka TB10 Acoustic bass.
Thank you for your answer.

While I wasn’t in love with it on my DB, I liked how it sounded with my active electric bass and it was easy to manage a doubling gig with the dual inputs.

 

[Alain Bass]

I wonder if its pickup is not piezo-type. On the other hand, it allready has a preamp built in, which might make the red eyes impedance matching unbeneficial

Yes, it’s a piezo (Fishman) , going into a preamp.
So from what I read, the interest of the Eyes seems to be the impedance matching.
With my Taka, I have already tested the change of impedance on my two Headway preamp (EDB1 EDM1), and I didn’t notice any difference in sound. So maybe the Eyes are not for me.

Hasty
Can I ask you in which way it improved the sound of your electric bass? Did it make it easier to play?

Thank you for your answers

 

[Hasty]

Yes, it’s a piezo (Fishman) , going into a preamp.
So from what I read, the interest of the Eyes seems to be the impedance matching.
With my Taka, I have already tested the change of impedance on my two Headway preamp (EDB1 EDM1), and I didn’t notice any difference in sound. So maybe the Eyes are not for me.

Hasty
Can I ask you in which way it improved the sound of your electric bass? Did it make it easier to play?

Thank you for your answers

I wouldn’t say it improved it. It sounded like I expected it to. I did like the clean boost, the sound was a little thicker (fuller harmonic range maybe?)… which is a sound I sometimes get with a good clean boost. I often use a Tillman preamp as a boost with that same effect. I don’t view it as a magic box. It just happens to be a very well thought out, and well built, preamp with a great dual channel option. I do love the phantom power option.

I’m glad I got the chance to test drive one.

 

[redtomfunk]

@flatback did you mention that you were asking Brad Sarno to incorporate it into your V8 preamp?
how did it go?

 

[mark0]

Looking at fire eye website I noticed that in the specs for Dee Eye and Bright Eye are reported to have " Input: high-impedance, 1 million ohms, maximum 5 volts peak-to-peak level." and not the impedance matching circuitry reported in the Red Eye and Twin options... Anyone can confirm that the impedance matching is absent in the Dee eye and Bright Eye options?

I don't need the boost button so the Dee Eye seemed a cheaper option for what I need...

 

[JBarz]

They all do ‘the thing’ with the impedance matching - can’t go wrong.

 

[Ric Vice]

@flatback did you mention that you were asking Brad Sarno to incorporate it into your V8 preamp?how did it go?

It’s somewhere in this vast RedEye thread, my guess is that Brad would have his own unique solution for this rather than just cloning the Red Eye. Just my take however.

 

[flatback]

Brad said that the idea of using a FET to control the impedance is not new (that famous central California amp maker used it in the 70's) and he said it would be easy to add to a circuit and he would do it. I didnt go there partly because i really like small manufacturers and cottage industries like Daren at RedEye and i would hate to go sideways on him, and two i think if it was that easy it would be common. a little velcro, a couple a pedal board connectors and the V8 and Redeye Frankenglom pretty good. With the twin you can get two channels into the V8 that way.