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The Great Bass Preamp/DI Comparison

#2,123
Jazzdogg said:
Which device does the best job of imparting clean tube tone?

I have a two channel Acoustic Image Focus, and I want to add some clean tube feel/feedback to the channel I am using for electric bass; no grit or grind needed. ;)
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You can probably get clean tube tone out of the Night Owl Edison, and it's not too expensive - https://www.nightowl.industries/edison-preamp
 
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#2,125
tedsalt said:
You can probably get clean tube tone out of the Night Owl Edison, and it's not too expensive - https://www.nightowl.industries/edison-preamp
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This pedal is tempting because I feel I have enough tone shaping and grit between existing pedals and the amp EQ. But I'm sure the tone stack on the Oracle has as much to do with the magic of it and being able to get those sounds out of it as the tube. Just convinced more and more that it's going to be the Oracle joining the cast on my board next month.
 
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#2,126
SteveC said:
Yeah, it's bad. I now think I need a $1K+ worth of tube preamp and tube DI...especially as almost all my gigs are DI/IEM.
From another thread, I could certainly use a new 15" cab for when I use a rig,which is like 5 times a year so I can have that big, full bottom for jazz and musical pit gigs. :rollno:
I bought headphones for recording - $99. Fortunately, I had everything else (an old Apogee Jam that still works fine) I needed to do bass tracks in GarageBand.
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A few Years ago now I was really close to pulling the trigger on a mates Avalon U5 that he was selling. I got it home on trial, set it up and played. Because of the nature of that Pre/DI, I wasn't using a Bass Rig, I ran it to a desk and to a Sub and top box to get an understanding of how it sound thru FOH. It sounded amazing as you'd expect. I then plugged in my trusty VT Bass Deluxe and tried to emulate the tone. It didn't take long to get the tone close, but it didn't have the girth. What I soon found was how important gain staging was. Once I padded the output of the VT's DI send so I could drive the input of the channel harder, everything changed. The Girth was there, and everything came alive. I'm not for a moment saying a VTBD is in the same league as a U5, I'm just learned that cheaper units can give you a sporting chance of getting you close if do things properly.

That cured my gas for high end Preamps for a long time. I did get an old SVP Pro II recently though, and damn, it does sound good.
 
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#2,127
Rocksolid said:
A few Years ago now I was really close to pulling the trigger on a mates Avalon U5 that he was selling. I got it home on trial, set it up and played. Because of the nature of that Pre/DI, I wasn't using a Bass Rig, I ran it to a desk and to a Sub and top box to get an understanding of how it sound thru FOH. It sounded amazing as you'd expect. I then plugged in my trusty VT Bass Deluxe and tried to emulate the tone. It didn't take long to get the tone close, but it didn't have the girth. What I soon found was how important gain staging was. Once I padded the output of the VT's DI send so I could drive the input of the channel harder, everything changed. The Girth was there, and everything came alive. I'm not for a moment saying a VTBD is in the same league as a U5, I'm just learned that cheaper units can give you a sporting chance of getting you close if do things properly.

That cured my gas for high end Preamps for a long time. I did get an old SVP Pro II recently though, and damn, it does sound good.
Click to expand...

For sure. I was recording tonight and it sounded good. I wondered how it'd sound with a beefy REDDI in front of it. I use the "Avalon" DI in GarageBand. The LA-1A tube compressor really adds something, but it isn't a "DI" like a "real" DI.
 
#2,130
Hypercaffium said:
Opinions about the Trickfish Minnow?
I already own a SLO MkIIIs and I want to see how I like this one.
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I hogged a Minnow for a few months and loved it. I've also owned the SLO, Mesa Subway Plus, REddi, RNDI, Starlifter, Khan and several others. Up to this point the Minnow was easily my 2nd favorite preamp to use love. It is very useful in the EQ with 4 bands that doesn't get bad no matter how extreme you move each band. I liked the clean and punch tone that cut through effortlessly in a busy full band mix. If you want clean tone that's your pedal.
 
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#2,132
Bassworship1 said:
I hogged a Minnow for a few months and loved it. I've also owned the SLO, Mesa Subway Plus, REddi, RNDI, Starlifter, Khan and several others. Up to this point the Minnow was easily my 2nd favorite preamp to use love. It is very useful in the EQ with 4 bands that doesn't get bad no matter how extreme you move each band. I liked the clean and punch tone that cut through effortlessly in a busy full band mix. If you want clean tone that's your pedal.
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Please explain what you said about the EQ. I've read similar things about the SLO's EQ, which is not too dramatic, it never sounds bad etc. I agree, but I'm looking for something with a wider range of tones, in terms of EQ. If the Minnow shares this particular aspect with the SLO, maybe I should look for something else. From the demos I've seen the EQ is very powerful and sensitive.
 
#2,133
Zbysek said:
What was your 1st, if I may ask…?
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My first right now is The Nordatrand Starlifter. Although I have a new Noble Preamp being built and due here in May. Hoping that will be the new #1. The Trickfish was a great pedal and close to my preferred Starlifter but I just like the smoothness of the Starlifter better. I currently have a RNDI in front of the Starlifter for my FOH and IEM feed and it is phenomenal together.
26B985FC-78B5-437F-B680-25E5C64ECCEF.jpeg
 
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#2,135
Hypercaffium said:
Please explain what you said about the EQ. I've read similar things about the SLO's EQ, which is not too dramatic, it never sounds bad etc. I agree, but I'm looking for something with a wider range of tones, in terms of EQ. If the Minnow shares this particular aspect with the SLO, maybe I should look for something else. From the demos I've seen the EQ is very powerful and sensitive.
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It I s a very useful EQ as you can really dial in for any room. I meant that even with extreme settings that the Trickfish was useful and didn't sound bad. Unlike others I've used where if you got much past or below center dentent it wasn't useable.
 
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#2,140
Hypercaffium said:
I'm a little bit disappointed. I just checked the Minnow dimensions. 153.8mm x 123.4mm x 44.1mm. It doesn't fit my board, unfortunately. Everything is so tight that I can't even rotate it or move it in a different place.
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That's the only negative. The Minnow seems unnecessarily large. I can't take it on my small pedalboard. But the clean tone it generates is great.
 

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