With a G&L, you really don't need a preamp at all. They put out near line level. If you don't want to use one, then don't. The only drawback I could see would be if you plan on using a DI, you'll need a power amp with a balanced "line-though" send.
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Skip the whole preamp thing?
- Thread starter joey_g_funk
- Start date
I agree with the need for EQ, for acoustics...
THe G&L's output IS hot and provides almost the same volumes....
Great info.... Thanks....
Now I'm thinking:
-G&L to Avalon
-Avalon to House
-Avalon to Effects Return of Carvin head (w/mild graphic EQ) to cabs....
That should do the trick... Does that sound right?
THe G&L's output IS hot and provides almost the same volumes....
Great info.... Thanks....
Now I'm thinking:
-G&L to Avalon
-Avalon to House
-Avalon to Effects Return of Carvin head (w/mild graphic EQ) to cabs....
That should do the trick... Does that sound right?
i bought an Avalon U5, cause i loved the sound of my Sadowsky's with their onboard pre. i also use an Acme B4 4x10, so my setup is pretty much a mini PA.
do i love the sound of just my bass? you better believe it.
the 10" speakers give me punch and cut, and the treble/bass knobs of my Sadowsky's give me enough EQ'ing to cut thru most situations. granted i'll prolly never do a death metal thrash band, but i'm MORE than happy in most other situations.
do i love the sound of just my bass? you better believe it.
the 10" speakers give me punch and cut, and the treble/bass knobs of my Sadowsky's give me enough EQ'ing to cut thru most situations. granted i'll prolly never do a death metal thrash band, but i'm MORE than happy in most other situations.
Try a Countryman Type 85 DI, about $150. No knobs, crystal clear. I run straight to the board through one at rehearsals and small venues, and it sounds just like my bass. I also use an Avalon U5, and you can run it straight through with no tone shaping. It's about $480.
I'm liking the Avalon DI idea... sounds like the the Avalon mode with no tone-shaping would get the sound I'm after.
For other occassions, where the song might call for a traditional 'amped' sound, the mid dip on the Avalon, along with my onboard EQ would satisfy the songs' needs.
I've been a member for about 2 years, but now I can't understand why I haven't been logged into this site more often... It's great!!!!!! What was I thinking?!?!?!?!
For other occassions, where the song might call for a traditional 'amped' sound, the mid dip on the Avalon, along with my onboard EQ would satisfy the songs' needs.
I've been a member for about 2 years, but now I can't understand why I haven't been logged into this site more often... It's great!!!!!! What was I thinking?!?!?!?!
HA! I've got all of you beat...well for price anyways!!
Following reading the Bass Player that had an article with Mike Pope, and he said that he plugged into the effects return of his Walter Woods, and let his custom 5-band onboard preamp on his Fodera to do the work.
So, I tried plugging my Modulus Quantum 6 with Bart electronics and pickups, into the effects return on my Ampeg BSP preamp, and HOT ORANGES!! It sounded fantastic!!
So then, I tried my MIM p-bass into the effects return jack and WOW!!!
I was honestly astonished!! It sounds smashing on my SWR Workingman 10 combo's effects return. It's funny because, I always thought that I would want a massively colored tone, never use a Fender, never use SWR and never use Extra Light strings...well, thats what I play on now! My P-Bass sounds so incredibly balanced...
I recently played a Fusion/R&B gig with a couple of my friends back home, we had 2 bass players playing, and I didn't bring an amp...the other bass player brought his Carvin 15 combo, which had only one input, and when I tried plugging into his Effects Return, his signal would cut out...soooo we were able to rent a powered mixer and I plugged my Modulus straight into the board. I was a little apprehensive about plugging my passive SX fretless directly into the board. It does have Bartolini pickups in it, and the night before I slapped on some D'Addario Groundwounds, as well as reverting the wiring back to parallel. In short, my friend who asked me to play with them (a stellar saxophonist) RAVED about my tone that I was getting from my fretless.
I'm thinking about adding a Bartolini NTMB preamp to my fretless with either 9V or 18V to my SX...the same preamp as whats in my Modulus.
So in short, I'm a Effects Return/Preamp Bypass convert! Well...except for onboards....
Following reading the Bass Player that had an article with Mike Pope, and he said that he plugged into the effects return of his Walter Woods, and let his custom 5-band onboard preamp on his Fodera to do the work.
So, I tried plugging my Modulus Quantum 6 with Bart electronics and pickups, into the effects return on my Ampeg BSP preamp, and HOT ORANGES!! It sounded fantastic!!
So then, I tried my MIM p-bass into the effects return jack and WOW!!!
I was honestly astonished!! It sounds smashing on my SWR Workingman 10 combo's effects return. It's funny because, I always thought that I would want a massively colored tone, never use a Fender, never use SWR and never use Extra Light strings...well, thats what I play on now! My P-Bass sounds so incredibly balanced...I recently played a Fusion/R&B gig with a couple of my friends back home, we had 2 bass players playing, and I didn't bring an amp...the other bass player brought his Carvin 15 combo, which had only one input, and when I tried plugging into his Effects Return, his signal would cut out...soooo we were able to rent a powered mixer and I plugged my Modulus straight into the board. I was a little apprehensive about plugging my passive SX fretless directly into the board. It does have Bartolini pickups in it, and the night before I slapped on some D'Addario Groundwounds, as well as reverting the wiring back to parallel. In short, my friend who asked me to play with them (a stellar saxophonist) RAVED about my tone that I was getting from my fretless.
I'm thinking about adding a Bartolini NTMB preamp to my fretless with either 9V or 18V to my SX...the same preamp as whats in my Modulus.
So in short, I'm a Effects Return/Preamp Bypass convert! Well...except for onboards....
I too am an eefects return convert!! This is like some kinda new religion blossoming here! I just tried it with my SKB 3006 (18v 3 band eq.) and it sounded geat! Turning up the bass on the onboard pre no longer causes boom, and the nuances of my playing stick out a little more. 
Good call BASSnSAX!
But as for still going with a pre, i think the Raven Labs true blue eq and PHA-1 are nice solutions too, both under 400 bucks retail IIRC. and used they're a steal!
Good call BASSnSAX!But as for still going with a pre, i think the Raven Labs true blue eq and PHA-1 are nice solutions too, both under 400 bucks retail IIRC. and used they're a steal!
T
temp5897
Guest
Does this eliminate having the tuner out jack work on your pre? I personally like the sound of my bass better directly into the power amp as well (using a demeter pre which is good, but my bass sounds killer on it's own) but wouldn't want to lose the functionality of the tuner out for a rack mount...
Fretless5verfan said:I too am an eefects return convert!! This is like some kinda new religion blossoming here! I just tried it with my SKB 3006 (18v 3 band eq.) and it sounded geat! Turning up the bass on the onboard pre no longer causes boom, and the nuances of my playing stick out a little more.
But as for still going with a pre, i think the Raven Labs true blue eq and PHA-1 are nice solutions too, both under 400 bucks retail IIRC. and used they're a steal!
I personally think that the sound that the Bartolini generates an absolutely exquisite sound! The bass control was a bit too boomy through a preamp's coloration, but by itself, it is truly a beautiful and delicate and big and warm sound. Positively wonderful!
I can't wait to slap a NTMB into my fretless!!! WOO!!!
BTW, do you think you could post a picture of your Roscoe? I adore Roscoes, as to me, they sound like an active P-bass.
BASSnSAX said:I personally think that the sound that the Bartolini generates an absolutely exquisite sound! The bass control was a bit too boomy through a preamp's coloration, but by itself, it is truly a beautiful and delicate and big and warm sound. Positively wonderful!
I can't wait to slap a NTMB into my fretless!!! WOO!!!
BTW, do you think you could post a picture of your Roscoe? I adore Roscoes, as to me, they sound like an active P-bass.
I totally agree on both counts. My roscoe sounds like Cross between a P-bass and a grand piano
My only problem with running direct is that I don't get enough depth, at least not with my passive bass. Running through a Sansamp RBI gives me all the depth I need... but it's not a very pure sound. I might eventually go for either the Read Purity preamp, Demeter, Kern, Raven Labs USIP, or maybe some kind of crazy crossover dual preamp thing.
Jared Morante said:
Well, I just tried that, and I believe it still works...you'll have to try for yourself I guess. It might depend on the wiring layout, if the Tuner Out is directly after the input or if it is at the very end of the signal chain...
After also discovering Mike's method of plugging straight in I found it to be very clinical, sterile and unexciting. I do subscribe to the notion that the shorter signal path usually will sound the best but I have to personally disagree on this one. I do prefer the Demeter's slight color for most of my work as I usually leave any onboard and outboard EQ flat. I find that the older 12AX7LPS valves (if you can find them) are well balanced between neutral and musical and are perfectly suited for bass. All the Demeter 201s' come with LPS valves but if you can find the ones that were made earlier than last year they are noticably more consistent and accurate (if properly tested by your seller). My onboard pre is also a Pope. I rarely use the EQ and the only thing I ever touch is the blend control.
I use a Stewart 2.1 and its' input level and impedance are matched fine with my Fodera's hot output. When I want a real uncolored, accurate, high-resolution sound I like to use the Raven Labs MDB-1. Unless you can control the input impedance of your amplifier (I don't know of any), your passive basses will be rendered useless. Not only will it be very quiet but most of the high and low-end information will be completely lost since the impedance miss-match will load the pickups. The unbalanced input on the Stewart is only 10k Ohms. It's designed for line-level already-buffered signals. This might be fine for an 18V pre and most 9V systems as well but you'll need at least a 1M (Mega) Ohm input impedance to properly amplify any of your passive basses. Also be careful what DI you eventually use, if you do, because some are notoriously bad at handling active basses and vice versa. There was a Bass Player article a couple of years ago covering this. If I remember the Countryman is great at handling passive basses but terrible with hot active basses. It might be the other way around, I can't remember off the top of my head. I highly recommend the Raven MDB-1 as it (and most other Raven models) have a 10M Ohm input imped. making your faded P-bass' OEM pickups come to life. You could then put your hot active bass in one of the remaining two inputs and it would also be faithfully reproduced. Also just in case you were considering the Raven DI, I've heard that it pales when compared to the MDB-1. Some people claim to hear a slight compression with the Raven Labs products. I can hear a hint of what they're talking about but I find it helps my basses 'sing' in a certain kind of familiar way. The best part is that I use the option of powering my Raven units with 9Vs. Have fun!
Brad
I use a Stewart 2.1 and its' input level and impedance are matched fine with my Fodera's hot output. When I want a real uncolored, accurate, high-resolution sound I like to use the Raven Labs MDB-1. Unless you can control the input impedance of your amplifier (I don't know of any), your passive basses will be rendered useless. Not only will it be very quiet but most of the high and low-end information will be completely lost since the impedance miss-match will load the pickups. The unbalanced input on the Stewart is only 10k Ohms. It's designed for line-level already-buffered signals. This might be fine for an 18V pre and most 9V systems as well but you'll need at least a 1M (Mega) Ohm input impedance to properly amplify any of your passive basses. Also be careful what DI you eventually use, if you do, because some are notoriously bad at handling active basses and vice versa. There was a Bass Player article a couple of years ago covering this. If I remember the Countryman is great at handling passive basses but terrible with hot active basses. It might be the other way around, I can't remember off the top of my head. I highly recommend the Raven MDB-1 as it (and most other Raven models) have a 10M Ohm input imped. making your faded P-bass' OEM pickups come to life. You could then put your hot active bass in one of the remaining two inputs and it would also be faithfully reproduced. Also just in case you were considering the Raven DI, I've heard that it pales when compared to the MDB-1. Some people claim to hear a slight compression with the Raven Labs products. I can hear a hint of what they're talking about but I find it helps my basses 'sing' in a certain kind of familiar way. The best part is that I use the option of powering my Raven units with 9Vs. Have fun!
Brad
Fretless5verfan said:I too am an eefects return convert!! This is like some kinda new religion blossoming here! I just tried it with my SKB 3006 (18v 3 band eq.) and it sounded geat! Turning up the bass on the onboard pre no longer causes boom, and the nuances of my playing stick out a little more.
But as for still going with a pre, i think the Raven Labs true blue eq and PHA-1 are nice solutions too, both under 400 bucks retail IIRC. and used they're a steal!
Hey guys, could you elaborate on this? Did I misread? Are you plugging your bass into the effects send on your amps?
Stinsok said:
Not the send, the return. This bypasses every tone shaping mechanism in the amp.
From my roscoe i got an insanely hi-fi sound (like vintage said), but i also found that the onboard eq of the bass increased its power and musicality easily 5 fold. The bass ring/knob no longer causes boom and the mid controls are far more effective at mellowing out or making a tone more aggresive (epecially with the switchable 800-250Hz option i have on the SKB) I also found that the slap tone was FAR better than before. the percussiveness of my slap sound really came through, and punch was added to my fingerstyle tone. There was also an increase in the equality of fullness across all notes. (this all may be because my amp sucks A$$ though
)That's exactly the way I would describe my results with my G&L....
I haven't checked to see if the built-in DI from my head stills works when you plug in through the effects return. Maybe when I get home, I'll try it. I would imagine that every amp would be wired differently, so it might no be an across-the-board thing... Anybody try this already?
I haven't checked to see if the built-in DI from my head stills works when you plug in through the effects return. Maybe when I get home, I'll try it. I would imagine that every amp would be wired differently, so it might no be an across-the-board thing... Anybody try this already?
I was playing my G&L last night, plugged into the effects return of my Carvin R1000. Sounded great, but after maybe about 15min, there was a fizzling, distorted sound with a lower output. I unplugged and went back to using the amp through the regular input and it was fine for the rest of the night.
Any ideas as to what might have happened?
joey_g_funk said:
I was playing my G&L last night, plugged into the effects return of my Carvin R1000. Sounded great, but after maybe about 15min, there was a fizzling, distorted sound with a lower output. I unplugged and went back to using the amp through the regular input and it was fine for the rest of the night.
Any ideas as to what might have happened?
Your preamp got bored and attacked your amp section. Not pretty
You were probably overdriving the effects loop. G&L's are pretty hot.
I've been using an Amplified Music Products BH-420 head for more than a decade. It sounds like whatever I plug in, only louder. I rotate a lot of basses and the one constant is this amp, set flat, sounding as great (or not so great) as whatever I plug in.
Wow, this is near where I am right now. I play a Lakland Skyline JO with Lindy Frailins also, through an Ampeg SVT4Pro at church. We take an XLR to the snake from the back of my amp. While the sound is good, it is not quiet. When I put my hand on the strings it is quieter, but not quiet. My goal is to be quiet to the board, and if I can sound better/warmer in the process, I would be happy, and if I can be quiet to my amp also, then even better. I am thinking separate di, or separate pre/di. My goal is quiet output to the board, and "better" sound or "just as good" sound. I have been thinking Radial JDI (it is passive), BBE DI-1000 (it has sonic max'er), Sadowsky pre/di (good reputation), Aguilar DB 900 (warm good sound). I have searched and read everything here I can find. I have read the "Favorite D.I. Box" thread a dozen times.Big String said:
Question1: Do I need an active DI to make me quiet? Or will the passive JDI do the trick?
Question2: Is the 1/4 out to my amp effected or affected from the internals from any of these, or is the 1/4 out a "bypass" to the amp?
Question3: It seems that some pre/di's are liked because of where they put the bass in the mix, others are liked because they are transparent, and others are liked because they add warmth. It is difficult to read here when a person likes something what their reason or goal is. Which pre/di is liked best for where it puts the bass in the mix?
Question4: I have read that the Aguilar sounds good and adds warmth, but it needs 115v power and I have read that its output is low, so I am starting to not include this in my thinking. Is that a mistake?
My perfect solution would be a small DI box sized thing, with 9 volt battery, with 1/4 in, and effected/affected 1/4 out, effected/affected XLR out, with a good strong output, with fairly transparent sound or it puts the bass in a good place in the mix, and black. Is that the Sadowsky?
tim99.
