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REDDI Tube DI Mega-thread-III

#341
dDaddybass said:
Ok Jimmy, here's the real question. If you had to choose, would you use a Reddi to FOH, or mic you B-15?
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Yes I would.

:D

Look, there is no way I can answer this question without slightly insulting friends of mine. So I'll just answer it by saying it's like choosing between Marilyn Monroe or Sophia Loren in their primes. Both have absolutely wonderful qualities, and should you find yourself in this dilemma, you are quite the lucky bass player.
 
#342
JimmyM said:
Yes I would.

:D

Look, there is no way I can answer this question without slightly insulting friends of mine. So I'll just answer it by saying it's like choosing between Marilyn Monroe or Sophia Loren in their primes. Both have absolutely wonderful qualities, and should you find yourself in this dilemma, you are quite the lucky bass player.
Click to expand...

Jimmy! You sound like a politician;)
You can send me your answer in a PM:)
 
#343
Well put it this way...for the last year and a half I've been using just the REDDI for FOH. But I've recently forced an increase in stage volume with my band because I think we sound way better, and the more I turn up my onstage rig so it gets picked up by my vocal mic and/or bleeds out into the crowd, the more I'm liking the blend. I'm seriously thinking about doing both now and letting the soundman decide which to lean on.
 
#345
odin70 said:
Ur

No..but i think it sounds just as good. Imo a bass amp is for monitoring and there should be no reason to run a di trough you feel that you need to do that...maybe your amp is not good
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I have an Ampeg B3 head, SVT410HE AND SVT115E. I also have the Peavey power amp mentioned a few posts back. Do I think the B3 sounds as good as a Reddi, probably not. To be honest, I haven't compared the two side by side. What I may do is move the power amp, buy a Reddi and a small mixer (it would be nice to have for computer recording), keep the B3 and the cabs. Leave one cab at church, one at the practice space and tote the head back and forth. The B3 has an effects loop, so I could experiment with the Reddi through the mixer into the return.
 
#346
Dunno what odin70's amp sounds like but for myself the V4-B /SVT 212 sounds as good as the REDDI and the Aguilar TH350/Bag End S15-D or EV TL-606 is so close if that were my best sounding rig I'd have no complaints.

It's funny that both those amps were acquired after the REDDI with the REDDI totally being the sonic benchmark.....A guy walks into a music store and says "I want an amp that sounds as good as my DI....."
 
#347
REDDI vs Countryman Type 85 vs Fender TBP-1

Got a REDDI finally. Ran it in the studio, used a variety of basses closest to hand: my Alembic AXY equipped bass with graphite neck, another self made bass with Alembic Activators (Js), and an Ibanez RB850 with low impedance Ibanez pickups, a stock Rickenbacker 4003; Gotham cables, and NS1000M monitors. No EQ, no compression.

The countryman gives the best articulation of notes and being less bassy in girth the notes are punchier and offers best clarity of the three.

The REDDI retains some of that punch but has a girth in the low end that makes it sound like a mic'ed amp. Back and forth switching with the Countryman, the Type 85 can sound a bit thin on some tracks, but can offer better articulation (aka "cutting through the mix") in some cases. The REDDI is very good though and I agree about the instant gratification, it gives a great 'amp' sound.

The Fender TBP-1 has as much girth as the REDDI but the articulation is lost and a bit sloppy ... I noticed that it was a lot fatter than the preamps I was accustomed to when I first got the Fender, as for years I used either a Demeter VTBP (the old 1.5 U one) or an Alembic F-1X (and still do), which were clean and fat enough to serve as primary recording devices in my studio when I ran it commercially. I still keep those and like them, but I can see the REDDI taking a place in the studio for me.

I will do a live gig tomorrow and can decide whether for live use I can discern that much difference. As a recording device, it may be heresy to some, but it is the tool that gets the job done for a specific task and expense and reputation goes out of the window for me. I can see the REDDI being useful for the bulk of recording situations but coming from the years of using the Demeter and Alembic, it was not that much an epiphany for me, it was a nice surprise to hear the immediate difference to a Countryman.

The big question? Is that subtle difference worth the money? Paid about 800 AUD for it, and would say yes. It is easy to use, and gets you a tone with little set up.

Sorry if I don't share the euphoria some have, it is a great DI, but my bass DI epiphanies was first encountered with the Demeter/Alembic.
 
#348
The thinness is the deal breaker for me with the Countryman. Nothing I hate worse than playing a high note and having it lose its bottom. That's where the REDDI shines best IMHO. Can't say I hear it giving up any articulation points to the Countryman, either. I guess I can see if you came from the Demeter or Alembic as a preamp standard why you might say that, though.
 
#350
Check out my new Pelican 1560 case for my REDDI and other essentials!

98311c27cf9150b35a145d58c4c2321b_zpsd4d8ddba.jpg
 
#352
JimmyM said:
Pretty slick! Pelican makes one that fits just the REDDI too, but that one looks like it'll fit everything you need and then some.
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Yeah buddy...the one that fits the REDDI perfectly is a nice case. I had one but found I was always carrying multiple cases and finally decided I needed to get a big one with wheels and a handle that would fit everything but my pedalboard and basses.
 
#355
Maiden Bass said:
What is the consensus for the best gain level on the reddi?
I believe Peter once told me that it's between 9 and 11 oclock, but I can't remember.

Thanks in advance!
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I'm at about 9 oclock on mine with a typical 9v pre.
About 10 with a passive bass.

In my case.
 
#357
I used a Radial J48 DI as a volume reference. I did an A/B, going back and forth between the J48 and REDDI. Putting the gain on my REDDI at 11:00 achieved the same output level as the J48. I did it that way because I figured that would give most sound engineers an output level that they're used to working with.
 
#358
Killens84 said:
I used a Radial J48 DI as a volume reference. I did an A/B, going back and forth between the J48 and REDDI. Putting the gain on my REDDI at 11:00 achieved the same output level as the J48. I did it that way because I figured that would give most sound engineers an output level that they're used to working with.
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How does that output compare to something like a Whirlwind Imp (or any other equivalent)? To me, those are what most live engineers (at club level, anyway) are used to working with (unfortunately).
 
#359
Jeff Scott said:
How does that output compare to something like a Whirlwind Imp (or any other equivalent)? To me, those are what most live engineers (at club level, anyway) are used to working with (unfortunately).
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If I had to guess, I'd think it would be in the same ballpark. That's purely a guess though. I just wanted something that would let me know I wasn't way off the mark of output level from other DI's.
 

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