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The Great Bass Preamp/DI Comparison

#2,861
jimfist said:
This thread. OMG.

View attachment 3844611
Witi.gif
Click to expand...
But once you catch the tail, the tone is so great!

...Squirrel!! :hyper:
 
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#2,862
I've been toying with the idea of picking up a Henretta Engineering Emerald Prince, a tiny little 2" x 2" EchoPlex-style preamp that you adjust using an internal volume trim pot and bright switch, basically a "set it and forget it" type thing. I was also interested in his tiny Orange Whip compressor, which is based on the Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer circuit. I have liked versions of that circuit I've heard before at milder settings. This one is also an internally-adjusted item. I was looking around on Reverb, and saw that someone had Kevin Henretta make them a combo pedal with both these circuits, plus an external volume knob for the pre, but that the person abandoned their board project and was selling it. It was a lot less than buying both of them individually, so I decided to grab it.

After buying it, I noticed that there is an orange external switch as well as the volume knob. The switch wasn't mentioned in the description, but I guess it's probably an on-off for the Orange Whip compressor. I'm messaging the seller to get the details. Anyway, I've really been wanting to try an EP-style pre as an always-on sort of thing, plus play with this type of compressor, so I'll have fun playing around with this thing when it gets here. I'm really curious to see how it plays with the Nux. Here are some pics from the Reverb listing:
HenrettaOrangeWhip_EmeraldPrince1.jpg
HenrettaOrangeWhip_EmeraldPrince3.jpg
HenrettaOrangeWhip_EmeraldPrince4.jpg
 
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#2,864
Inara said:
I've been toying with the idea of picking up a Henretta Engineering Emerald Prince, a tiny little 2" x 2" EchoPlex-style preamp that you adjust using an internal volume trim pot and bright switch, basically a "set it and forget it" type thing. I was also interested in his tiny Orange Whip compressor, which is based on the Dan Armstrong Orange Squeezer circuit. I have liked versions of that circuit I've heard before at milder settings. This one is also an internally-adjusted item. I was looking around on Reverb, and saw that someone had Kevin Henretta make them a combo pedal with both these circuits, plus an external volume knob for the pre, but that the person abandoned their board project and was selling it. It was a lot less than buying both of them individually, so I decided to grab it.

After buying it, I noticed that there is an orange external switch as well as the volume knob. The switch wasn't mentioned in the description, but I guess it's probably an on-off for the Orange Whip compressor. I'm messaging the seller to get the details. Anyway, I've really been wanting to try an EP-style pre as an always-on sort of thing, plus play with this type of compressor, so I'll have fun playing around with this thing when it gets here. I'm really curious to see how it plays with the Nux. Here are some pics from the Reverb listing:
View attachment 3845183 View attachment 3845184 View attachment 3845186
Click to expand...

Interesting the OS comes up this afternoon as I've been sitting here listening to the PC-2A I just bought. Controversially, I am probably going to flip it immediately! It does sound very close to the 2As I have, which are the Klark Tekniks, but I just... am a very confused man. After listening all night last night and all morning this morning, I prefer the compression I was getting from the Edison's tube to pretty much every compressor I have around, except for the Analogman's OS side! I just gravitated from using it because, well, it is what it is. It can't be tempered. There's a volume control. But now, after flailing around exactly as depicted in that dog gif, I guess I should look into OS comps with more controls. After which I may well end up preferring the Edison anyway. -DOG GIF INTENSIFIES-
 
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#2,866
I think the clean tones sounded ok to me, but the extreme settings didn't sound to good. I thought he touched on a nice grinding bass tone. It may sound different with another bass/player or in the mix. More demos required I think.

BrentSimons said:
I've got to listen with some decent headphones. I'm hearing lots of distortion? And not the good kind ! :)Thank you for posting!
Brent
Click to expand...
 
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#2,867
Budget Baby Board Update

Sweetwater Claus visited yesterday. Got the Nano, Mini IsoBrick, volume pedal, and cable kit in. Turbo Tuner came a few days earlier.

Becos emailed me today saying 7 to 10 days before the parts to build the pedal arrive. Then they have to build and ship, so I'm probably a month out on the compressor.

I am going to have room for one more mini pedal. A drive? An octave? What would you guys suggest? Constraint is that it has to be a mini pedal and it has to be under $150.

Obligatory pics:

AFF1AEA6-7CFC-4EFA-9DB9-FE06C8E9AB67.jpeg
D0148C27-6320-40A7-8E80-C4965789AE3A.jpeg
 
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#2,869
chadhargis said:
Budget Baby Board Update

Sweetwater Claus visited yesterday. Got the Nano, Mini IsoBrick, volume pedal, and cable kit in. Turbo Tuner came a few days earlier.

Becos emailed me today saying 7 to 10 days before the parts to build the pedal arrive. Then they have to build and ship, so I'm probably a month out on the compressor.

I am going to have room for one more mini pedal. A drive? An octave? What would you guys suggest? Constraint is that it has to be a mini pedal and it has to be under $150.

Obligatory pics:

View attachment 3846615 View attachment 3846616
Click to expand...

COG T-16 is right around $150

Curious on the decision to use a volume pedal?
 
#2,872
MascisMan said:
A lot of people rave on the T-16. Tracking is supposed to be really solid despite it being analog. Heck I am looking for one right now.
Click to expand...

I use a drive more than an octave. I know the Nux has a drive built in, but I leave it on and use it to add some character to my normal tone. I'm thinking of maybe picking up another Hooker's Green Bassmachine. I had one before and it's a really nice, not over the top, drive pedal. Gives a nice rock tone.

But I'm interested in what all is out there.
 
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#2,873
chadhargis said:
I use a drive more than an octave. I know the Nux has a drive built in, but I leave it on and use it to add some character to my normal tone. I'm thinking of maybe picking up another Hooker's Green Bassmachine. I had one before and it's a really nice, not over the top, drive pedal. Gives a nice rock tone.

But I'm interested in what all is out there.
Click to expand...

Yep I have been doing the same with my NuX Drive.

I know this would be more than $150, but, COG also does custom pedals. How about a Mini 66/T-16 combo pedal like this? Octave + Overdrive:

29nxcaf.jpg

Would fit perfect between your tuner and the NuX. You would probably have to ditch the volume pedal for your compressor.
 
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#2,874
MascisMan said:
Yep I have been doing the same with my NuX Drive.

I know this would be more than $150, but, COG also does custom pedals. How about a Mini 66/T-16 combo pedal like this? Octave + Overdrive:

View attachment 3846690

Would fit perfect between your tuner and the NuX. You would probably have to ditch the volume pedal for your compressor.
Click to expand...


Looks sweet, but no room for one that big. The volume pedal has to stay. I play one bass that has two volume controls and I need to be able to do swells and fades. I do a LOT of swells and fades. I can do it with just a volume control, but it's clunky and one my two volume bass I can't pull it off.
 
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