Earl
Supporting Member
Yes, I am currently using (but check with me again tomorrow haha) the single sensor on the bass side with the Redeye. Best sound I have gotten from this pickup!
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Double Bass Red Eye Preamp
- Thread starter Pat Harris
- Start date
Do any of the Fire-Eye boxes boost or reduce your signal when the boost is NOT engaged? I have an issue with my Lifeline PU where it causes other devices to clip--it puts out a hot signal with a ton of low-end, on my bass anyway. (Specifically, it causes the harmonic enhancer on my Headway to clip. The H.E. is before the gain and HPF, so those don't help. I have a whole other thread on the topic.) I like the idea of getting a Bright-Eye to place between my PU and preamp, both for the improved tone and the boost footswitch. Since others have reported that the Fire-Eye products have reduced or eliminated their need for an HPF, I'm hopeful that the Bright-Eye could solve my issue with the Headway. My fear is, though, that the Bright-Eye could make the problem worse.
P.S--I already have other solutions as well. I have an HPF-Pre, as well as parts to make various passive attenuator cables, adapters, stomp boxes, etc. So no need to derail this thread discussing those options.
P.S--I already have other solutions as well. I have an HPF-Pre, as well as parts to make various passive attenuator cables, adapters, stomp boxes, etc. So no need to derail this thread discussing those options.
Wow, you skipped the Le Bass? I haven’t used mine for a while as well since I just bought a Xlson and I need phantom power. I’ve been using a headway and just mixed in a little piezo for clarity but maybe I should front run it with this, if it sounds even better than the Le Bass.
What about the Dee-eye and Bright-eye, do they also use the same technology? Looking for the smallest/cheapest option here…
They work well together, too, but I’m on a big “simplify my rig” kick and decided to put the Le Bass up for sale.
From Daren at Fire Eye:
"Yes, all of our products have the same impedance-matching input.
The Dee-Eye was made for the sound tech guys here in Austin. They wanted a DI box like the Red-Eye but with no controls. It requires 48 volt XLR phantom power."
I've been using the Dee-Eye with an EA Doubler and an AI Clarus+.
Both can supply phantom power through their XLR inputs.
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It seems like they have different baseline levels for the lowest impedance? I could be totally wrong but I think the Dee-eye and bright eye are 1 million ohms rather than 4.5 of the Red-eye. We need some electrical engineers on this board. Impedance is confusing enough without the mysterious matching input talk. I would much prefer a device that is just a buffer rather than a buffer with gain and eq etc
I've played enough things at this point to know how the different impedances behave with my bass and amp. I used my ears and took note of what the buffer's impedance is. 1m and 4.5m sound very different and I am looking for one rather than the other. I also like to be 100% about whatever I am buying. I rarely change gear and when I do it with the intention of using it for many years. I'm only asking questions about this product because I might use it as a buffer but I would rather not buy all three options just to find out which one does what I'm looking for.
Cognitive bias happens all the time when it comes to judging audio stuff. I've seen world class engineers turn the dials on compressors and eq for them to realize after we've all been saying "ah yes, so much better" the eq or compressor wasn't actually doing anything etc. It's just something that happens no matter how good your ears are. The eyes trick the brain all the time. It's doesn't hurt to know what's actually happening and use numbers to you know represent real world phenomenon. It won't make you less of an artist, promise.
Hi Jeff!
Not to be pedantic but I can't help myself: that looks like a drive pedal not a buffer. I bet it sounds great and it makes a lot of sense to put a "tube tone-sweetener" in the effects loop. But it would make no sense at all to put a buffer in your effects loop unless you were running a bunch of pedals in a chain or something crazy. Buffers are simply meant to match the impedance of the pick-up you are using to whatever you are plugging it into. Also, now I really want one of those boxes...
A lot of people do not need a buffer these days. I only use one so I can use the f-deck without having the 10m input impedance of that device effect my realist pick-up.
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What's interesting about this pedal is that it doesn't really break up, there is no gain, just volume which I'm assuming is tube saturation? I'm not that versed in the terminology or technology. In my experience putting it in front of the amp it's very much like a Sarno BB but in the effects loop it's acting on the buffered and EQ'ed piezo signal which to my ears is where the magic happens. It gets pretty micro-phonic when cranked all the way but in the sweet spot it adds a beautiful shimmer and sparkle to the sound.
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I should add, this is with Realist pickups, both the Copper and the Lifeline into an AI Clarus SL. I use the DI out into a powered PA speaker up on a pole so I hear what I would be sending to FOH. I'm going to experiment with bridge wing pickups next.
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Got me to exactly what is happening! Sometimes the non-linear nature of tubes sound super musical. I've been trying to do something similar with this tube limiter in my effects loop with the added bonus of making sure I don't push my speakers to failure when playing real hard.
If I get a shot at the Fire-eye that is going around on trial, I will make some audio a/bing it with the Sarno BB.
Sorry for the derail. I won't be annoying again until someone mentions phase coherence.
Just a heads up, I am the first in line for the trial, it hasn't arrived yet, should be any day I'm guessing. I'll probably move it pretty quickly to #2, I don't have any upright gigs for a month, so I'll just futz with it in my music room. More to come.
Absolutely. I used to string my bass in an unconventional way with the E on the peg highest in the box, the A in the next highest, etc. Several times I've seen guys sit in and decide to tweak the tuning and turn the tuner on a different string than the one they were playing and seem satisfied with the result.
