Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Double Bass Red Eye Preamp
- Thread starter Pat Harris
- Start date
Well, I'm glad SOMEONE is paying attention to my posts.
Thanks, Adam!
It’s interesting isn’t it. The Red Eye, Sarno Black Box, and Tone Dexter were all once christened “the new best thing” Some of them like the HPF Buffer Preamp
are “legacy Preamps”
I'm playing one of my rare BG gigs this weekend. While checking to see if my gear was set for this I plugged in the RedEye to see what it would do for this rig. It was pretty amazing: more level, fuller, rounder tone, and all-around better sound. I was pleasantly surprised. I don't do many of these anymore, but if and when I do I will make a point of using the RE.
I have the single channel(original?) one, so far all I need.
Still luv my Red-Eye. Gigged today on large outdoor porch with Life Line > Red-Eye > EA Doubler > TC 112 = sounded wonderful!
both the EAP Single and Red Eye Twin. Both Preamps work beautifully with the EAP. I haven’t used the Ehrlund Preamp for years as I have a Grace Designs Felix and a Headway EDB-2 H.E. and the Ehrlund Preamp is totality unnecessary with either of those Preamps. Once I got my first RedEye it was even better than either of those preamps. The RedEye Twin is the best as it has two gain controls, two tone controls, and a boost which is excellent for soloing. I can think of no better preamp than the RedEye for the EAP.
I've gone back to using the Ehrlund for some gigs. I'm using the RedEye with an old Fishman pre sometimes. It sounds great and the only limitation is if the gig is louder for some reason than this rig can handle without starting to feed back. Then I use a bridge pickup that is more electronic sounding but still works fine for my purposes. The RedEye helps in all those situations.
I’m quite surprised that the Redeye would have enough gain for the Erlund pickup. In theory I think I would like the twin better so I could blend the Erlund with my realist filling it out. I loved the Erlund sound on its own, so natural but it doesn’t pack the weight that’s needed when a group gets loud. I’ve tried in the past to blend these 2 pickups with an EA doubler but had trouble dialling it in. As soon as the realist on the 2nd channel was introduced, it seemed to take over.
Since the RedEye Twin has a “Gain” control for each channel and a “Boost” volume it’s much more effective with the Ehrlund EAP I.M.E. , The EAP tends toward disappearing in a blend between it and another Pickup like the Realist, because of it’s more transparent timbre and it’s linear gain structure. Just my take however.
You made me try and RedEye+Ehrlund was good but to my ears even better Sarno Black Box + Ehrlund
I think the Sarno,is a great product!! It’s made right here in St.Louis. On my bass, with the Grace Felix the Red Eye Twin isideal. Results may vary. The Sarno is a pretty large piece of gear, so in my instance the RedEye is a better fit and sound. Just my take of course.
Last edited:
So really the single channel version rather than the twin is the right move for an EAP.
Redtomfunk, have you tried EAP into sarno into Redeye? Kind of like Chris Fitzgerald (full circle/noble/redeye).2 preamps on paper seems overkill but it seems to work for some.
Not tried yet but I can try. I guess though that more variation comes from where you put the ehrlund and on what bass
Sorry for the confusion,
Actually no, the Twin has two gain stages, the volume control and the boost volume control. I own both the single and the twin. The twin has double the boost capacity for the EAP, so, if you can afford it, the RedEye twin will give you the most bang for the EAP. I’ve not used the RedEye with the Sarno but I’ve used them separately into the Grace Felix. I would think the RedEye Twin would be more than enough. Just my take.
Brad Sarno just sent me a pic of a new Mini BB that he has just developed. I hipped him to the SushiBox stuff a year ago or so just to see what he thought of the new lower power tube concepts and he got totally inspired and into it and made this new BB. He's gunna send me one. I am getting a new (old) bass with a super fat even singing sound so I am really interested in seeing how these pickups/preamps respond to that.
Attachments
I’d like to use the loop in my Redeye for a tuner and hpf, but I’d still like to have an effected out to an amp. Any routing suggestions?
