The Great Bass Preamp/DI Comparison

[Cuzzie]

Yep looked at the Olympic, but it’s a lot of lolly, so it’s on the back burner, but it’s an intelligent feature set.

If I did have spare cash I would be all over the Verellen Meatsmoke pre amp pedal.

it’s not just the name, it’s wonderful craftery

 

[keatz]

I will say, the Thumpinator being in front of the VT Bass really makes the low end sound better. It's a magnificent little simple high pass filter that cuts all the mud out of the bottom.

So you love the thumpinator and that AGSlike OD? You need to try the grizzly bass

 

[chadhargis]

So you love the thumpinator and that AGSlike OD? You need to try the grizzly bass

I wouldn't say I liked the AGS in the Tone Hammer. I tried it, and it took more away that it gave. The channel B on the Le Bass is about the best OD I've heard. The clean channel is nice too. Fat, round, and warm without trying to sound like an SVT or some other amp.

At this point I am getting fatigued with trying to find what I want. I may end up just tossing the Le Bass back on the board.

 

[chadhargis]

Thanks goes out to Joe Schafer, my Sweetwater sales rep. I returned the VT Bass Deluxe today and chatted with him about options. He's a good dude!

Since I'm waiting on my gently used Q/Strip to show up, I stopped by my local Guitar Center at lunch. They had very limited choices for bass pedals, but they did have a BDDI Programmable. Now...go back to page one of this thread where I tell you I've tried it and didn't like it. That was maybe 10 years ago. So why would I try it again? Because Guitar Center had it marked down. It was the display and had no box or anything and they have a return policy, so I figured I'll take it home and see if it still sounded as bad as I remembered.

Well....it didn't. That Bass Fly Rig that I liked so much runs a SansAmp section which I thought was based on the VT Bass, but as it turns out, the BDDI sounds very similar when set similarly. Instead of a "Character" control of the VT Bass, there is a "Presence" control, and it is evil and bad juju and should be left almost off as it's brings the dreaded "clank". The pedal is quiet. Bass slightly rolled off (shocking!), treble flat, drive at noon, and that evil presence knob in the barely on 9 o'clock position....pretty nice! I have the blend knob full up running no mix of the dry signal. I'm almost afraid to touch it out of fear it will change something. Thankfully it's the programmable version that doesn't care where the knobs are, so I have no fear of bumping knobs or having to make labels on where they are set....just stomp preset 1 and rock on.

So here's what it sounds like:



The other sound samples I made in this thread were mostly my former Jazz Bass V running passive. Since its been sold, this clip was recorded with my Reverend Mercalli 5. A MUCH, MUCH beefier bass even though it is 100% passive. It's like the hammer of Thor. I love this bass.

I haven't messed around with a overdriven tone yet. And the Q/Strip is arriving tomorrow. So the quest for tone is not over yet!

 

[tonymcbony]

PUH-LEASE give me a review of that pedal when you get it. I almost pulled the trigger on one, but shipping from Russia is a long wait.

So I got it today - GREAT pedal. The two cab sims are absolute gold. I was using it with headphones and aux in to practice and I have to say that the sound quality on the headphones from the aux is exceptionally good. I did not expect that.

In terms of EQ, I think they put you in the sandpit to make sure you can't get a bad sound. My only gripe is that sometimes I wanted more extreme settings and I couldn't quite get there. For example, I wanted more mid scoop or more bass or more treble and I couldn't quite get it BUT the result is that you can use extreme settings that keep you sounding awesome instead of super hyped. I tried out using my VT Bass DI with the speaker sim off into the return jack of the Olympic Effects loop with the speaker sim engaged. From there I could get my hyped sounds and it was a lot of fun. Sure made the VT Bass DI sound waaaaaay better than it normally does.

Once I brought tracks in to play with, it was a different story though. The tones that sounded great by themselves on the VT + Oly combination suddenly lost their luster and the Oly by itself started to shine.

In the end I was so happy with the tone I forgot what my bass normally sounded like direct and it wasn't a nice reminder

This was with a Stingray I'd be struggling with to make sound good so I was chuffed that it worked out so well. My Fender AVRI 75 Jazz sounded heavenly at any setting so wasn't even worth mentioning.


The Tone Hammer was totally kicked to the curb, and it's no slouch. I have a hankering to get an EQ of some sort to pop in the FX loop of the Olympic to add a little more tonal flexibility but I really don't need to.

 

[chadhargis]

So I got it today - GREAT pedal.

Awesome! I really want to try one, but I have two problems. The solution I'm looking for needs two things:

1. A bypass switch so I can send a signal straight out the DI and let the sound guy do his thing
2. An overdrive function I can engage at the click of a switch that will be level matched to my clean tone

#2 was the reason I started this whole thread. The Tone Hammer was awesome, but the AGS was useless as an overdrive as it significantly raised the volume level when engaged.

The Q/Strip arrives today and I'm hoping it will be good enough to be my clean tone and DI, and I can use the BDDI for a vintage, driven, and dark tone using the three presets. My H9 also has some killer ability too and there are times when I would bypass the BDDI and the Q/Strip and let the H9 do its thing since it has EQ and everything built into the patch.

So whatever direction I go, I need to be able to bypass it completely.

 

[Rickter]

Thanks goes out to Joe Schafer, my Sweetwater sales rep. I returned the VT Bass Deluxe today and chatted with him about options. He's a good dude!

Since I'm waiting on my gently used Q/Strip to show up, I stopped by my local Guitar Center at lunch. They had very limited choices for bass pedals, but they did have a BDDI Programmable. Now...go back to page one of this thread where I tell you I've tried it and didn't like it. That was maybe 10 years ago. So why would I try it again? Because Guitar Center had it marked down. It was the display and had no box or anything and they have a return policy, so I figured I'll take it home and see if it still sounded as bad as I remembered.

Well....it didn't. That Bass Fly Rig that I liked so much runs a SansAmp section which I thought was based on the VT Bass, but as it turns out, the BDDI sounds very similar when set similarly. Instead of a "Character" control of the VT Bass, there is a "Presence" control, and it is evil and bad juju and should be left almost off as it's brings the dreaded "clank". The pedal is quiet. Bass slightly rolled off (shocking!), treble flat, drive at noon, and that evil presence knob in the barely on 9 o'clock position....pretty nice! I have the blend knob full up running no mix of the dry signal. I'm almost afraid to touch it out of fear it will change something. Thankfully it's the programmable version that doesn't care where the knobs are, so I have no fear of bumping knobs or having to make labels on where they are set....just stomp preset 1 and rock on.

So here's what it sounds like:



The other sound samples I made in this thread were mostly my former Jazz Bass V running passive. Since its been sold, this clip was recorded with my Reverend Mercalli 5. A MUCH, MUCH beefier bass even though it is 100% passive. It's like the hammer of Thor. I love this bass.

I haven't messed around with a overdriven tone yet. And the Q/Strip is arriving tomorrow. So the quest for tone is not over yet!

Sounds pretty darned good. Definitely a big, beefy sound.

Now you've got me looking at a Reverend Mercalli 5. LOL

 

[chadhargis]

Now you've got me looking at a Reverend Mercalli 5. LOL

I’d never played a Reverend bass until I saw it hanging in the used section of GC. I played it and fell in love. All passive, but big tone. The neck is on of the best I’ve sampled including boutique brands.

 

[Rickter]

I’d never played a Reverend bass until I saw it hanging in the used section of GC. I played it and fell in love. All passive, but big tone. The neck is on of the best I’ve sampled including boutique brands.

Played several Reverend guitars back in the day, their quality vs price seemed exceptional.

 

[chadhargis]

Played several Reverend guitars back in the day, their quality vs price seemed exceptional.

Indeed! I knew nothing about the brand. A month passed between me playing the bass and buying it. I only went back because I couldn't stop thinking about it. It's a Korean made bass, quality checked and set up in Toledo, OH. I kept telling myself it wasn't as good as I thought, but when I went back and played it again....it just thrilled me. And any instrument that thrills you like that you should buy. I got the same thrill from a G&L L-2500 I had years ago. I played it in passive/serial mode and loved it. The Mercalli is very similar, but not quite as "in your face" as the G&L. You can solo the neck reverse P pickup and it does a great impression of a P bass, only with more defined bottom end.

 

[WilbursaurusRex]

So I got it today - GREAT pedal. The two cab sims are absolute gold. I was using it with headphones and aux in to practice and I have to say that the sound quality on the headphones from the aux is exceptionally good. I did not expect that.

In terms of EQ, I think they put you in the sandpit to make sure you can't get a bad sound. My only gripe is that sometimes I wanted more extreme settings and I couldn't quite get there. For example, I wanted more mid scoop or more bass or more treble and I couldn't quite get it BUT the result is that you can use extreme settings that keep you sounding awesome instead of super hyped. I tried out using my VT Bass DI with the speaker sim off into the return jack of the Olympic Effects loop with the speaker sim engaged. From there I could get my hyped sounds and it was a lot of fun. Sure made the VT Bass DI sound waaaaaay better than it normally does.

Once I brought tracks in to play with, it was a different story though. The tones that sounded great by themselves on the VT + Oly combination suddenly lost their luster and the Oly by itself started to shine.

In the end I was so happy with the tone I forgot what my bass normally sounded like direct and it wasn't a nice reminder

This was with a Stingray I'd be struggling with to make sound good so I was chuffed that it worked out so well. My Fender AVRI 75 Jazz sounded heavenly at any setting so wasn't even worth mentioning.


The Tone Hammer was totally kicked to the curb, and it's no slouch. I have a hankering to get an EQ of some sort to pop in the FX loop of the Olympic to add a little more tonal flexibility but I really don't need to.

Awesome! I really want to try one, but I have two problems. The solution I'm looking for needs two things:

1. A bypass switch so I can send a signal straight out the DI and let the sound guy do his thing
2. An overdrive function I can engage at the click of a switch that will be level matched to my clean tone

#2 was the reason I started this whole thread. The Tone Hammer was awesome, but the AGS was useless as an overdrive as it significantly raised the volume level when engaged.

The Q/Strip arrives today and I'm hoping it will be good enough to be my clean tone and DI, and I can use the BDDI for a vintage, driven, and dark tone using the three presets. My H9 also has some killer ability too and there are times when I would bypass the BDDI and the Q/Strip and let the H9 do its thing since it has EQ and everything built into the patch.

So whatever direction I go, I need to be able to bypass it completely.

Going along with both of you I can confidently say I love the Olympic! Super beefy, great headphone amp, really nice and dynamic overdrive, build in a very solid enclosure.

Now I understand some people preferring a bypass switch, but it does have an unaffected out that you could send to a standard DI and let the FOH blend as they see fit. The only way to address the switchable overdrive would be to set your gain lower and have another pedal push it into overdrive...but then you loose the utility of having those features in one pedal.

 

[chadhargis]

Tech 21 Q/Strip Initial Impressions

The Q/Strip came today and I hooked it up and started tinkering. Lots of good tones in this box that is limited only by two things. 1) Your ears and 2) How much time you want to spend continually twisting knobs.

The manual gives you some suggested settings and I started out with the SansAmp setting since I have one plugged in to compare it to. Then it became abundantly clear to me why I don't absolutely love the SansAmp tone. In the suggested setting of the SansAmp it shows FULL cut (as much as the Q/Strip will allow...18db...which is A LOT) at 700hz. Wait! What? That's near the center of the fundamental frequencies for bass guitar. So in essence you're just majorly mid scooping things.

So I modified the suggested setting to my taste. I used the low shelving EQ to boost a wee bit, I cut a bit of 400hz (maybe 4 or 5db...it isn't marked, so I'm guessing) as that range is typically unpleasant sounding to me, I boosted about 2000hz just a wee bit, then I used the high pass shelving EQ to roll off highs a bit. I engaged the LPF to attenuate the highs above 6khz. I did NOT engage the HPF since it cuts 45hz and below and it majorly crippled the lower notes of the B string. Great for a 4 banger, not so much for a fiver. I stuck my Thumpinator in front of the Q/Strip which attenuates 30hz and below at a much steeper slope. If you're not familiar with the Thumpinator, I can tell you that it's absolutely awesome. Still get the big low 31hz fundamental of the low B, but all that subsonic mud is gone. People who claim their low B is "muddy" need to give a Thumpinator a try.

I really didn't make any huge adjustments because I think the bass sounds pretty good by itself, but the Q/Strip smoothed out the top end, plumped up the bottom end, and cut some of the unpleasant frequencies. I am getting a really nice, clean, fat tone. Very nice.

Of course the Q/Strip doesn't color the tone or provide any sort of overdrive, but it has my clean tone covered and that could allow me to use the BDDI programmable or the Le Bass (once I get it back) to cover driven tones. The Q/Strip can go last in the chain and serve as my DI. The XLR output is very, very quiet. I hear no noise from it.

I'll do some more tinkering tomorrow and try to record a clip.

 

[Rickter]

Tech 21 Q/Strip Initial Impressions

The Q/Strip came today and I hooked it up and started tinkering. Lots of good tones in this box that is limited only by two things. 1) Your ears and 2) How much time you want to spend continually twisting knobs.

The manual gives you some suggested settings and I started out with the SansAmp setting since I have one plugged in to compare it to. Then it became abundantly clear to me why I don't absolutely love the SansAmp tone. In the suggested setting of the SansAmp it shows FULL cut (as much as the Q/Strip will allow...18db...which is A LOT) at 700hz. Wait! What? That's near the center of the fundamental frequencies for bass guitar. So in essence you're just majorly mid scooping things.

So I modified the suggested setting to my taste. I used the low shelving EQ to boost a wee bit, I cut a bit of 400hz (maybe 4 or 5db...it isn't marked, so I'm guessing) as that range is typically unpleasant sounding to me, I boosted about 2000hz just a wee bit, then I used the high pass shelving EQ to roll off highs a bit. I engaged the LPF to attenuate the highs above 6khz. I did NOT engage the HPF since it cuts 45hz and below and it majorly crippled the lower notes of the B string. Great for a 4 banger, not so much for a fiver. I stuck my Thumpinator in front of the Q/Strip which attenuates 30hz and below at a much steeper slope. If you're not familiar with the Thumpinator, I can tell you that it's absolutely awesome. Still get the big low 31hz fundamental of the low B, but all that subsonic mud is gone. People who claim their low B is "muddy" need to give a Thumpinator a try.

I really didn't make any huge adjustments because I think the bass sounds pretty good by itself, but the Q/Strip smoothed out the top end, plumped up the bottom end, and cut some of the unpleasant frequencies. I am getting a really nice, clean, fat tone. Very nice.

Of course the Q/Strip doesn't color the tone or provide any sort of overdrive, but it has my clean tone covered and that could allow me to use the BDDI programmable or the Le Bass (once I get it back) to cover driven tones. The Q/Strip can go last in the chain and serve as my DI. The XLR output is very, very quiet. I hear no noise from it.

I'll do some more tinkering tomorrow and try to record a clip.

Thanks for posting this. You may have just cinched my next pedalboard addition....
Have heard a lot of people preaching the virtues of the Thumpinator/MicroThumpinator. Have been contemplating one of those or one of the Broughton equivalents.

 

[chadhargis]

Thanks for posting this. You may have just cinched my next pedalboard addition....
Have heard a lot of people preaching the virtues of the Thumpinator/MicroThumpinator. Have been contemplating one of those or one of the Broughton equivalents.

I have the micro Thumpinator, and I curse that it doesn't have a switch, but it's really not something you notice until you remove it and the mud comes back. It allows you to really push the bottom end of a fiver and not get all that sub sonic doo-doo.

 

[Rickter]

I have the micro Thumpinator, and I curse that it doesn't have a switch, but it's really not something you notice until you remove it and the mud comes back. It allows you to really push the bottom end of a fiver and not get all that sub sonic doo-doo.

I'm thinking I really could use something like that since I play a P5 through a sealed/tweeterless 410. Really like the idea of the Broughton LPF/HPF. May be springing for that sooner rather than later.....

 

[chadhargis]

I'm thinking I really could use something like that since I play a P5 through a sealed/tweeterless 410. Really like the idea of the Broughton LPF/HPF. May be springing for that sooner rather than later.....

The Broughton is what I would have bought if I'd have known about it before buying the Thumpinator. But then again, the Thumpinator is a plug it in and forget about it affair. No worry of bumping a knob or anything. I am putting it in an effects loop pedal I ordered for $25 so I can turn it off if I wish.

 

[chadhargis]

Tech 21 Q/Strip Impressions

Welp....the Q/Strip continues to impress me. I am sure I can get it to sound even better. The EQ is very powerful. Two shelving knobs for high and low and then the two semi-parametric "mids" (this is not true...they can be low, mid or high...depends on the frequency selected). I may end up with a preamp on my board, but let the Q/Strip add or remove what I don't like about the preamp and be the DI. It's really that good. A brilliant piece. And it's not bass specific, so you can use it for vocals, guitar, keys...anything!

I took the BDDI back to Guitar Center. On my return receipt the reason for return was "customer remorse". Well...I won't go that far, but I think I've discovered one very critical thing. I don't like amp emulators. Based on my experience with the Bass Fly Rig, it may be that I don't like tube amp emulators, because I'm still liking and gigging with the fly rig. I'm thinking it will live in my bass case as a light rig when my full board isn't required and a very capable backup in the event something happens to my board (blown power supply, bad cable, or something).

Here's a clip I recorded with the Q/Strip. I'm again playing my Reverend Mercalli 5...totally passive. The B string just BOOMS through this Q/Strip. Almost as if some of the preamps I've been trying have a roll off. Yes...it's good anyway, but with the Thumpinator in front of the Q/Strip (I'm not using the HPF on the Q/Strip...only the LPF) I can make a liar out of anyone who says a passive 34" five string can't have a huge B string. No magic strings either. Just run of the mill cheapo D'Addario Nickel XLs.

 

[sisos]

Tech 21 Q/Strip Initial Impressions

The Q/Strip came today and I hooked it up and started tinkering. Lots of good tones in this box that is limited only by two things. 1) Your ears and 2) How much time you want to spend continually twisting knobs.

The manual gives you some suggested settings and I started out with the SansAmp setting since I have one plugged in to compare it to. Then it became abundantly clear to me why I don't absolutely love the SansAmp tone. In the suggested setting of the SansAmp it shows FULL cut (as much as the Q/Strip will allow...18db...which is A LOT) at 700hz. Wait! What? That's near the center of the fundamental frequencies for bass guitar. So in essence you're just majorly mid scooping things.

So I modified the suggested setting to my taste. I used the low shelving EQ to boost a wee bit, I cut a bit of 400hz (maybe 4 or 5db...it isn't marked, so I'm guessing) as that range is typically unpleasant sounding to me, I boosted about 2000hz just a wee bit, then I used the high pass shelving EQ to roll off highs a bit. I engaged the LPF to attenuate the highs above 6khz. I did NOT engage the HPF since it cuts 45hz and below and it majorly crippled the lower notes of the B string. Great for a 4 banger, not so much for a fiver. I stuck my Thumpinator in front of the Q/Strip which attenuates 30hz and below at a much steeper slope. If you're not familiar with the Thumpinator, I can tell you that it's absolutely awesome. Still get the big low 31hz fundamental of the low B, but all that subsonic mud is gone. People who claim their low B is "muddy" need to give a Thumpinator a try.

I really didn't make any huge adjustments because I think the bass sounds pretty good by itself, but the Q/Strip smoothed out the top end, plumped up the bottom end, and cut some of the unpleasant frequencies. I am getting a really nice, clean, fat tone. Very nice.

Of course the Q/Strip doesn't color the tone or provide any sort of overdrive, but it has my clean tone covered and that could allow me to use the BDDI programmable or the Le Bass (once I get it back) to cover driven tones. The Q/Strip can go last in the chain and serve as my DI. The XLR output is very, very quiet. I hear no noise from it.

I'll do some more tinkering tomorrow and try to record a clip.

Vs le bass?

 

[chadhargis]

Vs le bass?

Different animal. The Q/Strip has no distortion, multi channel, midi, or fx loop. It also doesn’t color your tone with a tube or have any sort of cab sim.

It’s just a really good EQ in a pedal format. Much different than a traditional graphic EQ.

 

[chadhargis]

Noble DI

Yeah...I've been wanting one for a long time. For many reasons. It's a REAL high voltage tube preamp. No 9v or 9v or 18v nonsense....120v AC into a real Jensen transformer. Two tubes. A nice shelving EQ. I have been slobbering over one of these for a long time. No, there is no overdrive function, no bypass function, not trickery. I'm selling off a lot of my stable of pedals to afford this thing and I hope it's as good as I have heard it is. Many folks have PM'd me and told me to get a REDDI, Noble, Rupert Neve, etc. They are supposed to be THAT good. We'll soon see. The Noble will be here mid week sometime.

In the mean time, if you want any of the goodness I'm selling to help me fund this next review, see here:

For Sale - ***Big Sale!*** MXR, Tech21, Temple Audio, Source Audio