The Great Bass Preamp/DI Comparison

[bdowd]

One of those tubes is an octal type, likely a 6SL7, rather than a "miniature" 12ax7 .

Ah, you are right! Forgot about that, he mentioned it was an expensive tube..

 

[sifrancis]

I have had the opportunity to A/B the Linden and Noble a couple of times, and I find the Linden EQ much more pleasing and musical than the Noble for my needs - in particular it affords me greater options around mid range retention, or even boost, as well as more articulation which allows me to better find a place in the mix.
I have found a combo of Linden EQ + RNDI delivers what I have previously hoped to get out of the Noble.
I would love it if the Noble implemented a Baxandall tone stack like the Linden rather than the boost-only shelving EQ it currently uses.

 

[SteveC]

I want my bass to sound like the bass on Jamiroquia albums. Either bass player. It's always so awesome sounding.

 

[chadhargis]

I want my bass to sound like the bass on Jamiroquia albums. Either bass player. It's always so awesome sounding.

Great bass tone!

I discovered a band years ago who I fell in love with. They are great showmen but also great musicians. The bass player's tone is what I define as "bass". Round, warm, and fat. Just beautiful.

 

[Bassist30]

The sound is going through very good comps and eq's. The more I use the API Tranzformer LX the more I like it. Its a very good studio quality one trick pony transformer type eq/comp.

 

[SteveC]

The sound is going through very good comps and eq's. The more I use the API Tranzformer LX the more I like it. Its a very good studio quality one trick pony transformer type eq/comp.

Which is why live sound is never as good as recordings.

 

[Bassworship1]

Which is why live sound is never as good as recordings.[/QUOTE

if you are feeding a good signal to a sound engineer that knows what he's doing. I've had a couple that blew me away with how good they had the house sound.

 

[scubaduba]

I love the Retrospec Squeezebox. Anybody have a Juicebox or ever played through a Juicebox?

 

[uwrossl]

I want my bass to sound like the bass on Jamiroquia albums. Either bass player. It's always so awesome sounding.

Paul Turner is working on some new stuff with Matt Johnson(Jamiroquai). It's good.

 

[fivestringgecko]

Paul Turner is working on some new stuff with Matt Johnson(Jamiroquai). It's good.

Man, this thread is full of all sorts of little gems! I haven't heard this... Looking for info now!

5sg.

 

[uwrossl]

Man, this thread is full of all sorts of little gems! I haven't heard this... Looking for info now!

5sg.

There's a little clip on Paul's insta. And if you check out Matt's he's got new music dropping on the 30th. I don't know how many in total he and Paul worked on together but it's all sounding pretty cool.

 

[fivestringgecko]

There's a little clip on Paul's insta. And if you check out Matt's he's got new music dropping on the 30th. I don't know how many in total he and Paul worked on together but it's all sounding pretty cool.

Found it! Them, actually... Found the Insta preview, and Matt Johnson also posted an album teaser on Youtube. I also found Llama Karma and Trioniq in my searchings. Kiiiiiiilllllerrr bass tones all around. Not sure about what the gear Paul's using with Matt Johnson (but I can imagine!), but he's got a B15 with Llama Karma, and a Jule Monique cage with Trioniq.

Some preamp G.A.S. for sure.

5sg.

 

[uwrossl]

Found it! Them, actually... Found the Insta preview, and Matt Johnson also posted an album teaser on Youtube. I also found Llama Karma and Trioniq in my searchings. Kiiiiiiilllllerrr bass tones all around. Not sure about what the gear Paul's using with Matt Johnson (but I can imagine!), but he's got a B15 with Llama Karma, and a Jule Monique cage with Trioniq.

Some preamp G.A.S. for sure.

5sg.

On Paul's insta page he was playing a P Bass through Monique on the track he was working on for Matt. Cool sounds indeed. And it keeps us talking about preamps! From what I read With The Music is Matt's lead single off an upcoming full length solo album. Hopefully Paul ends up on a handful of the tracks.

 

[SteveC]

P with flats even. Kind of surprised at that. It sounded awesome and made me want to go play my P with flats. No Monique at my house though.

 

[Texican]

I recently bought a Linden for the second time after mistakenly selling it a while back. It's a keeper for me. B15 in a box with this great, thick low end. It's definitely my new go-to tone. I won't play without it . . . unless I'm using my Broughton SVPre for the times when I want the SVT tone. Those two have me covered for most anything I could need.

I really, REALLY, should have bought your last Linden! I wish it had top jacks though. Do you still that Southampton Ictineo?

 

[jacoby75]

I really, REALLY, should have bought your last Linden! I wish it had top jacks though. Do you still that Southampton Ictineo?

I don't. I sold that one to fund a Trickfish Minnow. I don't regret it. It was a worthwhile upgrade for my purposes. But the Ictineo IS awesome.

 

[Texican]

A very similar sentiment to what I was already thinking. I've also not been a big fan of the Scrambler sound from the videos I've watched on the SCR-DI. Like I said, I was just curious as to people's thoughts.

I have to disagree with iTzPrime on the SCR-Di not stacking up against the Aguilar Tone Hammer. I was never happy with the tone I got from the Tone Hammer, found the volume issues between the two channels unacceptable, and found the 18v power requirement slightly annoying. The SCR-Di may have a slightly cheesy overdrive channel, but at least it is actually useable as a second channel. Factor in that it has a headphone jack and auxiliary input, and you have a great practice tool as well. It's not my go-to preamp/DI, BUT I still own it and use it quite a bit... the Tone Hammer got sold and I never looked back.

 

[MascisMan]

I have to disagree with iTzPrime on the SCR-Di not stacking up against the Aguilar Tone Hammer. I was never happy with the tone I got from the Tone Hammer, found the volume issues between the two channels unacceptable, and found the 18v power requirement slightly annoying. The SCR-Di may have a slightly cheesy overdrive channel, but at least it is actually useable as a second channel. Factor in that it has a headphone jack and auxiliary input, and you have a great practice tool as well. It's not my go-to preamp/DI, BUT I still own it and use it quite a bit... the Tone Hammer got sold and I never looked back.

The TH is not really two separate channels. It is one channel, clean or dirty. If you look at the TH in that way, the volume "issue" is irrelevant.

Nowhere in Aguilar's materials does it describe or claim the AGS circuitry is a second channel.

So if a user is expecting a second, independent, channel from this unit, then yes, they will be disappointed.

 

[Texican]

The TH is not really two separate channels. It is one channel, clean or dirty. If you look at the TH in that way, the volume "issue" is irrelevant.

Nowhere in Aguilar's materials does it describe or claim the AGS circuitry is a second channel.

So if a user is expecting a second, independent, channel from this unit, then yes, they will be disappointed.

Aside from the fact that they charge you for both channels, yes, I'm aware of the fact that you can only use one or the other... I see that as a con, buts not a deal breaker. My problem with the TH was that I didn't particularly love the tones from either channel. Not to mention that the XLR level was much hotter than the 1/4 out.

I'm sure that there are excuses, secret explanations, and "yeah buts" for all that... but for my money the SCR-Di was simply a better buy and definitely more bang for the buck. I was replying to the guy that said it couldn't hang with the Tone Hammer, which simply wasn't true in my experience.

For what it's worth, I play a wide variety of stage situations like in-ears/silent stages, ampless with wedge monitors, bass amp with FOH, etc. I need my preamp/DI to be flexible... but the Tone Hammer actually needed me to be flexible to it's "needs". Nope. Sorry.

 

[MascisMan]

Aside from the fact that they charge you for both channels, yes, I'm aware of the fact that you can only use one or the other... I see that as a con, buts not a deal breaker. My problem with the TH was that I didn't particularly love the tones from either channel. Not to mention that the XLR level was much hotter than the 1/4 out.

I'm sure that there are excuses, secret explanations, and "yeah buts" for all that... but for my money the SCR-Di was simply a better buy and definitely more bang for the buck. I was replying to the guy that said it couldn't hang with the Tone Hammer, which simply wasn't true in my experience.

For what it's worth, I play a wide variety of stage situations like in-ears/silent stages, ampless with wedge monitors, bass amp with FOH, etc. I need my preamp/DI to be flexible... but the Tone Hammer actually needed me to be flexible to it's "needs". Nope. Sorry.

Aguilar isn't charging for "both channels." They charge for one channel that you can keep clean or make dirty.

If you don't like the pedal's tones with or without added AGS, then sure, you aren't going to like the pedal at all. Makes sense to me. You obviously would not like the Tone Hammer amps either. Nothing wrong with liking the SCR-DI pedal more, different strokes for different folks, only thing wrong is expecting the TH to be a two-channel preamp when it isn't.

And don't get me wrong, sure, it would be nice if the AGS had it's own independent gain/volume controls (as Im sure most would agree), but that isn't how the pedal is designed. To expect a design to be something it isn't, nor does it claim to be, doesn't really constitute a "con" to me.