There were several I wanted to try but I was funding everything myself.
I’d really love to try the Shift Line MkIII
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The Great Bass Preamp/DI Comparison
- Thread starter chadhargis
- Start date
There were several I wanted to try but I was funding everything myself.
I’d really love to try the Shift Line MkIII
I have one of those and had it for years, really great little device but has a coloring/sound to it. The EBS sound, which I am a fan of...but I never used this as a main pre, used it as a headphone practice amp MANY moons ago just never let go of it when life didn’t require using it. My current project and redesign of my rig favors having my full sound on a single pedal board which I can send to a power amp so I, too, am now on this quest.
I am coming from using mostly a Dememter VTBP-201s or an Avalon U5 so beefy, warm, immaculate, whatever words you like to use for the tone in those is what I am looking for in a pedal.
I first ended up not going to my EBS since it has more features than I wanted and needed and the footprint was bigger than I wanted but am now reconsidering based on some other changes that have freed up real estate on my board. I currently have an MXR M81 on my board and I really like it. It is small, versatile and fairly easy to dial in a great sound. I am enjoying the way it sounds when coming out of my cabs (Demeter BSC 310 and a Euphonic Audio 112) through a Stewart audio 1.2 that I was using w my Demeter VTBP-201s, but it really lacks something when direct. I started looking at cab sims, but then a broughton one off was listed in the classifieds that I snatched up so we will see in a few days.
I can cut some clips to share of the MXR M81, EBS, and even the broughton when it arrives. I feel like the Noble is what I am ultimately after, but not ready to bite the bullet on that...have been thinking about trying the LeBass or the Shift line III. My main requirements are:
- Gotta have KILLER sound and not make me miss the VTBP-201s or the U5
- XLR out that can power a power amp
- fits on my pedalboard
- pref to no unneeded features like distortion or 2 channels to change...I just want it to sound great through my amp or direct or over the internet jamming...
- nice to have would be the ability to send in an aux input to run noisemakers or drum machine or something of that nature
Th Useful Arts BF-1 is an outstanding DI/Instrument Pre. Something you won't regret. Do yourself a favor and check it out.
So, i have been on the hunt for a Tube preamp other than the Noble, and I found one.
The Shaw tube injection.
This thing is awesome. If you haven't heard of it, do yourself a favor and check it out!
I did a ton of research before I pulled the trigger. The 3 way midrange switch convinced me to get it over the Noble.
It can power you whole pedal board.
This thing is awesome. If you haven't heard of it, do yourself a favor and check it out!
I did a ton of research before I pulled the trigger. The 3 way midrange switch convinced me to get it over the Noble.
It can power you whole pedal board.
Anybody have thoughts on the EHX Nano Battalion? I know it was just announced but are there any owners out here looking to switch over? If so why and what do you like about the regular Battalion?
Like the Noble, not a pedal, but a nice small footprint for a board. Pricey little bugger taboot taboot
Cheaper than the Noble. I did not not A/B them but the Useful Arts BF-1 is a hard one to beat.
Can you describe what you call "EBS sound", pls? I thought the MicroBass II was rather transparent. But I I haven't had many pre's so I can't compare..
First, I thought the same. Recently, I have realized that I am using almost all of the features regularly...
Yep, I like this one too. Very clear-sounding...
Which one?
Please do.
I don't get the Nano Battalion. They took away the XLR, Compressor (which was suboptimal anyhow, to be fair), and the distortion's dedicated footswitch. So it must be for people who just really like that specific EQ and dirt all the time?
So in the way that you feel that the MXR is very clear sounding (agree 100% by the way), the EBS is not. It has a sound. I have found most manufacturers have a sound. SWR has a sound, Ampeg, GK, Glockenklang, etc...where your bass will always have a certain nuance to the sound that you only get with that gear or emulators of that gear, their harmonic voicing so to speak. I get the sound from my EBS multicomp when in tubism mode...it's kind of like wrapping your bass sound in a warm blanket...keeps it all tucked in and nice and neat and warm and fuzzzy. Basically, if I set the MXR totally flat and unity gain, my ears aren't able to clearly tell you if the pedal is on or off...with things like EBS, even at unity gain and EQ flat, there is a tone to it. Don't get wrong, the tone is an improvement to the dry signal...it's also the way that the EQ sounds. A lot of times manufacturers stick with certain frequency bands or parts or manufacturing processes that ultimately lead to the sound, in the way that a restaurant might have a flavor to their grill that makes their eggs taste better to you.
I ended up snagging the Broughton Problem Solver so we'll see if that ends up scratching the itch. Exploring pre's is an expensive endeavor. I do have this lotto winner dream of having a closet full of pre's to hot swap on my board for whatever tone I'm feeling, but in reality I'm going to have start making some hard decisions soon as now my preamp count is at 5: Demeter VTBP-201s (rack), Avalan U5 (desk/rack mountable), EBS Micro II (pedal), MXR M81 (pedal), and the broughton makes 5. I have owned sansamps in the past and dug some of them so many should revsit?
I need to make a few new cables for my pedalboard that I'll hopefully do later on today/this evening and then it will make it easy to chain them all together. I can create a loop and then just feed the loop into the different pre's.
Nicely put...
I had to google this one as I had not known it....jeez, the description looks great! Can you post a picture?
Those will be hard decisions, indeed. Great preamps
I have acquired VTDI recently...I have yet to try it live...
the Broughton Messenger looks nice:
https://www.broughtonaudio.com/product-page/messenger
not alot out there for reviews, but given his reputation i'd guess its a high quality unit without alot of coloring... i'm waiting for it to actually be avail for sale. Seems pretty close spec-wise to the Q strip, not sure how the 2 compare sound-wise tho.
I'm still using my Alembic F1X (with upgraded jensen transformer) which sounds really awesome, i'd love to see someone that has both it and the Noble to give a comparison. I really want to move away from rack units tho...
i'm surprised folks haven't brought up the Radial Pre's - their stuff is really well engineered and tough as nails
I had the API tranzformer and while i loved the EQ and the transformer sound (sounded REALLY good) the compressor and DI sucked and I couldnt' justify a $450 EQ which was huge on the pedalboard. I'd love to find a unit with a big iron transformer in it, but they are pretty rare outside the rack mounted pro-audio channel strips (Neve, portico, manley, API, etc), and those run $1-3k for a channel.
-carl
https://www.broughtonaudio.com/product-page/messenger
not alot out there for reviews, but given his reputation i'd guess its a high quality unit without alot of coloring... i'm waiting for it to actually be avail for sale. Seems pretty close spec-wise to the Q strip, not sure how the 2 compare sound-wise tho.
I'm still using my Alembic F1X (with upgraded jensen transformer) which sounds really awesome, i'd love to see someone that has both it and the Noble to give a comparison. I really want to move away from rack units tho...
i'm surprised folks haven't brought up the Radial Pre's - their stuff is really well engineered and tough as nails
I had the API tranzformer and while i loved the EQ and the transformer sound (sounded REALLY good) the compressor and DI sucked and I couldnt' justify a $450 EQ which was huge on the pedalboard. I'd love to find a unit with a big iron transformer in it, but they are pretty rare outside the rack mounted pro-audio channel strips (Neve, portico, manley, API, etc), and those run $1-3k for a channel.
-carl
It does. I have been following it in the broughton thread. It's produced in small numbers..so it's usually sold out after several hours...
There is a new unit which caught my attention: Tonebone AC-Driver
My main 3 pre amps are the THDI, VT Bass deluxe, and MXR M81. Mainly used thru my Quilter BB800, driving a QSC K12, or ampless with IEM.
I use a BDDI mostly when I don't want to carry my amp and my pedalboard. I just plug it in the effects return of any amp I can find at the place and tweak my tone. At home, i use the BDDI for practice.
When I carry my BB800 and my cab, I usually rely on my Barber Linden EQ which I have in my pedalboard. It's not a preamp/DI pedal but as an EQ it does more than most of the preamp/DI pedals I tried.
When I carry my BB800 and my cab, I usually rely on my Barber Linden EQ which I have in my pedalboard. It's not a preamp/DI pedal but as an EQ it does more than most of the preamp/DI pedals I tried.
