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The Great Bass Preamp/DI Comparison
- Thread starter chadhargis
- Start date
I have the Harmonic Booster.
I would describe the "character" knob as a "Dark Glass" knob. Turn it up and you get that Dark Glass tone we all expect, turn it down and you get your bass's natural voice back. It's basically a mid scoop knob but it does a little more than that.
As soon as my all the pieces of my lightweight budget board arrive I'll do some clips. Should be interesting.
I was wondering if that's what it was. Thanks for the confirmation. I kind of grew away from the Darkglass sound... I've liked all the DG pedals I've tried, but I've also always felt like they've had a specific sound/genre (heavy) that I was trying to force into my current gigs (70's funk to modern pop covers, and 80's covers). Maybe I'll leave the Harmonic Booster on my "maybe someday" list.
5sg.
For me the Darkglass stuff is a sort of tone homogenization utility. You can listen to the genres in which it seems most popular and decide whether or not that's something your ears like (guess it's been a no!) I mean, it's polished sounding. My instinct is to run as quickly as possible in any other direction. Just to bring some joy and variety into the world! I did buy the VMT, and sometimes when I record I put it up, find it sounds pretty good at all settings, but exciting at none. And it always sounds like someone's put a blanket over the sound. Your mileage WILL undoubtedly vary, given the ubiquity of this stuff.
I think you just did a much better job of describing what I was not saying very well!
I really like your description of "it's polished sounding." Clean almost to the point of being sterile. I've always thought the Darkglass preamps are very well done, they're just weren't what I was after... Even with some bass boost to try and get some fatness, they just couldn't get there for me. I think it's because the bass controls are centered at 100Hz (B7K and Vintage Ultra) and 80Hz on the Alpha Omega Ultra. Compare that to the Tone Hammer with a low frequency control at 40Hz, and there's some warmth ("oomph?") to the TH that I just couldn't get from the Darkglass stuff.
5sg.
As requested, here are raw samples of the Nux vs the Oracle.
There are no other pedals or effects in line and both samples were recorded from a Ditto Looper so they are the same sample track. No differences in technique on them. What you are hearing is the Nux and Oracle set to how they sound best to my ears. Your mileage may vary.
I should add that since the Oracle has no DI out, I am using the RNDI to go to my board. The Nux is using its onboard DI.
Be sure to wear good headphones....your iPhone speaker ain't gonna cut it. LOL!
There are no other pedals or effects in line and both samples were recorded from a Ditto Looper so they are the same sample track. No differences in technique on them. What you are hearing is the Nux and Oracle set to how they sound best to my ears. Your mileage may vary.
I should add that since the Oracle has no DI out, I am using the RNDI to go to my board. The Nux is using its onboard DI.
Be sure to wear good headphones....your iPhone speaker ain't gonna cut it. LOL!
Nice. Once again, these clips demonstrate the little NUX is no slouch.
Yes...it's really very good. But the raw clips also show the Oracle is better sounding when not in a mix. If you were doing studio work, the Oracle and RNDI would be the ticket. But live, through a PA, into a concrete floored room filled with people. Could anyone tell a difference...much less $400 difference (more if you add in the cost of the RNDI)? No. I don't think so.
My mini board will be here this week minus the compressor. God only knows when that's going to get on the slow boat from Romania.
I have to imagine that, if nothing else, although I do feel like there's a considerable difference between those clips, there's also going to be a playability difference between something like the NuX and the Oracle that can't be quantified in this sort of comparison. That to me can make the vast price gap completely worth it.
Completely different question. Kingsley preamps? Anybody? I think I've seen a post or two here or there. There are several that look interesting, though none with an explicit bass focus.
I'll agree with you.
And that really goes for not just the Oracle, but any quality tube preamp I've tested. They seem to "breathe" a bit. The react differently to the attack of the note. Something digital like the Nux gives you what you put in it. But the old school tube stuff has a quality about that I can't describe.
Tonight I spend about an hour playing through the Nux. It sounded good. But when I plugged back into my big board with the Oracle...it was like a tidal wave of fat goodness washed over me.
There is something there.
To me the quality tube preamps or DI's really shine in a live setting. I've never heard such a difference in what the Noble done for my tone this past week. I've never played something and just smiled thinking this is the tone I've been searching for years for. It's a great feeling.
Wouldn't be fairer to also run the NuX through the RNDI?
- John
- John
That's a good point. Once plugged into the RNDI I'd like to hear just a touch more clockwise twist of the bass dial.
The nux sounds very good.
The oracle has something in the mids that I really like though.
I was thinking along the exact same lines of both of these about Scuba's Noble/Nux comparison... "Is the Noble really $1k+ worth of "better?" Solidly followed by the thought that there's gotta be something to the Noble that simply can't come across on audio, probably similar to my '74 Ampeg V4B or Tubeworks BlueTube.
5sg.
If someone have a noble and a oracle at home is it possible to mimic try the noble sound ( bass 10 o clock and treble at 9 o'clock) with the oracle ? and tell me the settings please.
