I wanted to start a new thread here, because these two products together make great companions and because together they push upward upright bass amplification's highest practical ends.
The Remic Red mic although not as feedback resistant as the Green model sounds like a recording microphone (as present and rich as a good condenser) and can achieve on its own enough volume and presence to play a lot of gigs. For all the old school mic only guys, this mic is going to be the one, once it gets into a few more hands. Unlike it's best rival the DPA 4099 shotgun, the Remic RED IS a recording mic and sounds so much better, and is compliant to a lot of eq-ing while still sounding good and having a high feedback resistance ( for example rolling off a lot of bass HPF when mixing with a pickup)
THe Grace Design Felix is a two channel studio preamp in a rugged well thought out floor based design that creates a sonic presence that is just beautiful. The mic channel is their well known Grace 101 mic preamp, and the Felix has every configuration that you could possibly need as a string player to mix pickup and mic (or two pickups) at the highest most musical quality. From the moment you plug it in, you can hear why it is twice the cost of other preamps, it creates a clear pure sonic picture (similar to listening back in a recording studio) that is amplify-able.
These two products together cost that much too. This combination is not for the faint of heart. The Remic is $900. and the Felix is about a grand. And you still need an amp or PA.
But what you can do is pretty amazing.
I have been playing gigs with the Remic for about six months now and I either mix the mic with a pickup thru the AI Focus or the Headway EDB1. (or both actually because the pickup sounds better thru the EDB1 while the mic requires 48 Volts Phantom and while it works with the Headway, it sounds better thru the Focus. The mic adds a deep realism and dimension to the sound that keeps me using it gig after gig, even on noisy gigs where there is a fair amount of bleed from the Bar. Once you start playing the instrument, the Remic picks up so much bass that the bleed is easily overcome. The mic has a mix of two sound sources, one a channel in the foam that takes a near (but not quite) contact sound from the surface of the instrument (like an EAP) thru the foam and another perpendicular channel that pics up sound resonating in the few inches in front of the instrument (and the Remic can be placed either under the fingerboard, between the feet of the bridge, or behind the tailpiece all three yield excellent but different sounds)
The mic just delivers....every previous mic I have tried: DPA 4099, ATM 35, Troll, mini mics, dynamic mics, etc) gets to be too much of a pain in the ass after a while and I stop using it. Too many rooms where it cant work, too many cords and stuff hanging on the bass, too much feedback (my ears can't take the feedback any more) but the Remic is demure: a sliver of a foam wedge that hides behind the tailpiece or fingerboard and makes no noise, the cord is soft cotton so there is never any handling noise.
THe FELIX is a perfect match for the Remic. ITs mic channel, is just superb, clear, present, with a presence like a medium sized well padded studio room. It presents the sound of the mic in way that is super musical, and that is just flat, turning it on for the first time. With the excellent HPF alone a wide variety of useful variations are easily dialed up from a lot of deep bass to a clear open but bass reduced tone (good for mixing the bottom end of the pickup in) The eq I haven't fully explored, partly because flat sounds so good and partly because (particularly on the pickup channel) it didn't seem to have great effect, so had better read some on how to use the parametric mid eq. The Pickup channel sounds really excellent, with different impedance settings (which have a big effect) and phantom options (you can use a Schertler or other 12volt phantomed pickup without an extra box...big plus) BUT, if I was not so into this mic, and just using a pickup I dont think I would spend a grand for just the pickup preamp. What makes this a great preamp and worth the money is that it makes using a mic with a really excellent usable sound a real possibility on every gig.
Having the Felix on the floor is a great idea. Within a minute I was already using the mute switch with my foot instead of reaching up to the little button on the amp. WHile I have never thought of using one, the boost switch seems really musical for those inclined...It amps the sound in a linear way so it does not feel artificial. Don't know if I would use it but...
I am super committed to the MAS 46 that Mike made me, it sounds just superior to anything else I have tried so if I buy a FElix (this one is on loan: THanks Doug Wood at Grace Audio) I will be looking for some super small power amp that I can afix to the MAS46 and keep the Felix on the floor. Having the preamp on the floor means short cables from the bass, and only one to the amp, clean, uncluttered and not too many gain stages or things to mess up.
I'll add some clips (I am going to mic my CABINET rather then a direct signal which I think is more realistic of the sound live) and pics later....
The Remic Red mic although not as feedback resistant as the Green model sounds like a recording microphone (as present and rich as a good condenser) and can achieve on its own enough volume and presence to play a lot of gigs. For all the old school mic only guys, this mic is going to be the one, once it gets into a few more hands. Unlike it's best rival the DPA 4099 shotgun, the Remic RED IS a recording mic and sounds so much better, and is compliant to a lot of eq-ing while still sounding good and having a high feedback resistance ( for example rolling off a lot of bass HPF when mixing with a pickup)
THe Grace Design Felix is a two channel studio preamp in a rugged well thought out floor based design that creates a sonic presence that is just beautiful. The mic channel is their well known Grace 101 mic preamp, and the Felix has every configuration that you could possibly need as a string player to mix pickup and mic (or two pickups) at the highest most musical quality. From the moment you plug it in, you can hear why it is twice the cost of other preamps, it creates a clear pure sonic picture (similar to listening back in a recording studio) that is amplify-able.
These two products together cost that much too. This combination is not for the faint of heart. The Remic is $900. and the Felix is about a grand. And you still need an amp or PA.
But what you can do is pretty amazing.
I have been playing gigs with the Remic for about six months now and I either mix the mic with a pickup thru the AI Focus or the Headway EDB1. (or both actually because the pickup sounds better thru the EDB1 while the mic requires 48 Volts Phantom and while it works with the Headway, it sounds better thru the Focus. The mic adds a deep realism and dimension to the sound that keeps me using it gig after gig, even on noisy gigs where there is a fair amount of bleed from the Bar. Once you start playing the instrument, the Remic picks up so much bass that the bleed is easily overcome. The mic has a mix of two sound sources, one a channel in the foam that takes a near (but not quite) contact sound from the surface of the instrument (like an EAP) thru the foam and another perpendicular channel that pics up sound resonating in the few inches in front of the instrument (and the Remic can be placed either under the fingerboard, between the feet of the bridge, or behind the tailpiece all three yield excellent but different sounds)
The mic just delivers....every previous mic I have tried: DPA 4099, ATM 35, Troll, mini mics, dynamic mics, etc) gets to be too much of a pain in the ass after a while and I stop using it. Too many rooms where it cant work, too many cords and stuff hanging on the bass, too much feedback (my ears can't take the feedback any more) but the Remic is demure: a sliver of a foam wedge that hides behind the tailpiece or fingerboard and makes no noise, the cord is soft cotton so there is never any handling noise.
THe FELIX is a perfect match for the Remic. ITs mic channel, is just superb, clear, present, with a presence like a medium sized well padded studio room. It presents the sound of the mic in way that is super musical, and that is just flat, turning it on for the first time. With the excellent HPF alone a wide variety of useful variations are easily dialed up from a lot of deep bass to a clear open but bass reduced tone (good for mixing the bottom end of the pickup in) The eq I haven't fully explored, partly because flat sounds so good and partly because (particularly on the pickup channel) it didn't seem to have great effect, so had better read some on how to use the parametric mid eq. The Pickup channel sounds really excellent, with different impedance settings (which have a big effect) and phantom options (you can use a Schertler or other 12volt phantomed pickup without an extra box...big plus) BUT, if I was not so into this mic, and just using a pickup I dont think I would spend a grand for just the pickup preamp. What makes this a great preamp and worth the money is that it makes using a mic with a really excellent usable sound a real possibility on every gig.
Having the Felix on the floor is a great idea. Within a minute I was already using the mute switch with my foot instead of reaching up to the little button on the amp. WHile I have never thought of using one, the boost switch seems really musical for those inclined...It amps the sound in a linear way so it does not feel artificial. Don't know if I would use it but...
I am super committed to the MAS 46 that Mike made me, it sounds just superior to anything else I have tried so if I buy a FElix (this one is on loan: THanks Doug Wood at Grace Audio) I will be looking for some super small power amp that I can afix to the MAS46 and keep the Felix on the floor. Having the preamp on the floor means short cables from the bass, and only one to the amp, clean, uncluttered and not too many gain stages or things to mess up.
I'll add some clips (I am going to mic my CABINET rather then a direct signal which I think is more realistic of the sound live) and pics later....
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