The Great Bass Preamp/DI Comparison

[matthewwithanm]

Thanks for the replies everybody!

You'll find more if you expand your search to include multi-effects, although I kind of took your search to mean you wanted to have dedicated EQ knobs rather than contextual ones.

Yeah, I'm not really interested in multi effects…but it makes sense that manufacturers would figure "hey why not add more stuff" once they're already in the digital realm.

FWIW, I have the Melvin Lee Davis and if you manage to get over the hurdle of getting it set up and working with your computer, I think it's a great preamp for the price.

Thanks for the recommendation!

 

[Erithon]

What's going on here?
View attachment 5412513

Demeter makes excellent preamps and power amps. I use one myself. Looks like it may be a low-profile preamp/DI w/headphone out?

 

[monsterthompson]

Demeter makes excellent preamps and power amps. I use one myself. Looks like it may be a low-profile preamp/DI w/headphone out?

And what looks to be 180 watts of speaker out.

 

[johnpaulbass]

If someone's interested I've made this a few days ago

Where you can hear the bass (which one is described in the track description) going through:

1. DI Sound (So straight into the soundcard)
2. REDDI
3. CAVEMAN
4. BASSRIG
5. TRICKFISH

Link:

 

[jacoby75]

If someone's interested I've made this a few days ago

Where you can hear the bass (which one is described in the track description) going through:

1. DI Sound (So straight into the soundcard)
2. REDDI
3. CAVEMAN
4. BASSRIG
5. TRICKFISH

Link:

Very cool. Thank you for posting that. I would love to hear a little more variety in tone, like maybe with the tone knob at 50%. I think more of the difference(s) might be apparent. But even with the tone rolled off, the differences are fairly stark. That Caveman sounds massive!

 

[fivestringgecko]

A little plug/bump for @johnpaulbass:
I made the mistake of only clicking on the play button in in his other thread, so I was unaware... if you go to his soundcloud profile, he's got a LOT more samples of his DI shootout than just the one he posted above.

5sg.

 

[fivestringgecko]

That Caveman sounds massive!

I noticed that about the Caveman as well, and want to explore JohnPaul's other clips now that I know about them. I'm curious though, because all of the other demos I've seen/heard for the BP1 Compact have a much more subtle shift in sound.

5sg.

 

[johnpaulbass]

Very cool. Thank you for posting that. I would love to hear a little more variety in tone, like maybe with the tone knob at 50%. I think more of the difference(s) might be apparent. But even with the tone rolled off, the differences are fairly stark. That Caveman sounds massive!

Thanks for your time for listening to my floppy playing
if you notice, as far as for the P bass, I did 3 takes (tone off, tone half open, tone open)

 

[chadhargis]

The Finally DI arrived today and I have spent a few minutes playing with it, but need to spend some more time.

The good news is that my Ciocks power supply runs it fine. That's a BIG plus. I did have to adjust the internal trim pots as the levels were not very hot the way it came out of the box.

When time allows, I'll do some sound clips. Stay tuned.

 

[chadhargis]

Sushi Box Finally v2

I've sufficiently tweaked and twiddled all the knobs (internal and external) on the Finally v2 and for the TLDR crowd...I like it!

First thing I noticed when I hooked it up is that the output was not very high. It wouldn't drive my power amp from the 1/4" out and the XLR required a +10db boost at my mixer to keep from maxing out the gain. I opened the case and dimed out the XLR pot and move the 1/4" pot up a bit and it drives the power amp well now. I set the gain at about 1:00 and get a little tube grit if I dig in, but not really overdrive. I needed to turn it up to about 3:00 to start getting drive. And of course, it's an overdriven tube, so it sounded pretty good. A nice ace to have up my sleeve if needed.

The v2 of the Finally has a different transformer and a different tube. It packs a 12au7 from the factory and honestly, I might grab a 12ax7 I have laying around and give it a go when I'm bored one day. I think it would sound better with a higher gain tube. But that's yet to be seen (heard), so I'll focus on what it is right now.

First thing I noticed is that the tone was less colored than I expected. Yes, it sounds good, but my Khan has a "sound" to it. There is some manipulation of the tone going on in that box other than the tube. Because of that, I think the Finally makes a better true "DI". The Canvas that is on my board is a what you put in is what you get out device. It doesn't impart any tone shaping, which is why it's great for coming out of the HX Stomp.

So how does it compare with my other DIs? Well...really well!

In the clips I linked below, the Canvas is running with the "Regal DI" in the HX Stomp. The Finally, Khan, and JDI do not have the Regal DI in the path. The biggest surprise, and why I still keep it aroud, is the JDI. For a simple passive DI it really sounds fantastic. It's my favorite simple no frills DI. I keep it in my gig bag as a "oh crap" incase something goes wrong on my rig.

After doing some A/B comparisons, I can honestly say, the "Regal" and the Canvas sound really freakin good and if the Finally was the size of the Khan or the REDDI, I'd probably leave my rig the way it is. But the Finally is powered by my Ciocks power supply at 12v 500ma and it is the same size as the Canvas. The jacks are even in the same location as the Canvas so I don't have to recable my board (other than running the power cable). So as it stands now, the Finally will probably boot the Canvas off the board. The Canvas is an outstanding DI though. It might have a permanent home.

Enough of my endless drivel. On to the sounds clips. Now....a disclaimer is in order. I can only record two DIs at once because the HX Stomp only has two outputs. So the clips don't sound exactly the same, but you will get a good idea of how things sound. Some of the clips are louder than others, so don't be fooled by the "louder is better" thing our brains do to us. Adjust your volume accordingly.

Signal path is:
Fender Am. Pro II Jazz Bass -> HX Stomp In -> FX Out to Becos Stella Comp -> FX in to the HX Stomp SVT emulation -> (Regal DI emulation - Canvas Only) -> DI

So hear they are...what do you guys think?

 

[Erithon]

Sushi Box Finally v2

I've sufficiently tweaked and twiddled all the knobs (internal and external) on the Finally v2 and for the TLDR crowd...I like it!
[...]
So hear they are...what do you guys think?

Thanks for the write-up! None of these DIs sound bad and that's worth noting because there are bad sounding DIs out there. The Khan VTDI was my favorite: it imparts tube warmth while maintaining a fairly transparent tone. It also brings a certain smoothness to the track. If I wanted a brighter tone (and for some reason didn't want to change the EQ to achieve it), I'd opt for the JDI. The Regal/Canvas is my least favorite of these four because it has the least character. It's more sterile sounding.

 

[amper]

straight into the soundcard

Soundcard? People still use soundcards?

 

[chadhargis]

Soundcard? People still use soundcards?

They are, but many don't realize it because the "card" is now built in. Some computers do a better job of digital to analog than others. Many mixing consoles also have D/A converters.

 

[chadhargis]

Thanks for the write-up! None of these DIs sound bad and that's worth noting because there are bad sounding DIs out there. The Khan VTDI was my favorite: it imparts tube warmth while maintaining a fairly transparent tone. It also brings a certain smoothness to the track. If I wanted a brighter tone (and for some reason didn't want to change the EQ to achieve it), I'd opt for the JDI. The Regal/Canvas is my least favorite of these four because it has the least character. It's more sterile sounding.

Yep, the Canvas is super transparent. The Khan is an amazing DI which is why I haven't sold it.

The Finally's ace up its sleeve is the form factor and power requirements. Tough to beat!

 

[scubaduba]

Thanks for the write-up! None of these DIs sound bad and that's worth noting because there are bad sounding DIs out there. The Khan VTDI was my favorite: it imparts tube warmth while maintaining a fairly transparent tone. It also brings a certain smoothness to the track. If I wanted a brighter tone (and for some reason didn't want to change the EQ to achieve it), I'd opt for the JDI. The Regal/Canvas is my least favorite of these four because it has the least character. It's more sterile sounding.

The Khan continues to impress. It really is a fine piece of kit.

 

[chadhargis]

The Khan continues to impress. It really is a fine piece of kit.

Yes it is. It's my favorite if all the tube DI only devices. Great tone, build quality, and features.

 

[Erithon]

The Khan continues to impress. It really is a fine piece of kit.

Yes it is. It's my favorite of all the tube DI only devices. Great tone, build quality, and features.

I concur. It's funny you posted this now because for the past three weeks I have been borrowing a Noble to compare with my Khan VTDI. I'll share my thoughts:

I think that both the Khan and Noble sound great, but they offer different tonal profiles. This naturally characterizes both the clean sounds and the dirt fed into them. The same dirt pedal, for example, sounds a little different depending on which DI I play through. The Khan is more neutral sounding: it doesn't do a ton of EQing and brings tube warmth in a subtle manner. The Noble has a midrange scoop and its tube color is more obvious, especially when playing in the lower register. It could be because of its midrange presence or it could be because of the type of tube character (or both), but the Khan sounds tighter to me. I prefer that tighter sound as well its midrange content: it made my signal sound fuller. That said, the Noble definitely brings more low end so if that's what you want then the Noble is the better choice. I myself prefer to add more low end (if I deem it necessary) via my on-board preamp or amp head, instead of having it baked in.

I think the Broughton Valve Champ, a low-gain tube drive, sounds better through the Noble than through the Khan: the mid scoop attenuates frequencies in the Valve Champ which I don't love. But most dirt I prefer through the Khan because I think those midrange frequencies add girth to a drive sound and help it cut through a mix.

My favorite settings on the Noble were with the EQ set flat or with a slight bump (no more than 8 or 9 o'clock) in the bass and treble (low cut off). More extreme EQing created a very unbalanced sound to my ear, though I am aware of the Noble's "pultec trick" with the low cut on and the bass boosted and I experimented with that. Overall, however, I preferred the clean sound of the Khan to the Noble.

I'm very thankful to have been loaned the Noble. It was most informative, and has saved me from placing an order for one or picking one up used only to find out it's not for me. I've been very happy with my Khan for some time now, but this experience has encouraged me to seek out additional tube preamp pedals, if only to hear how they differ. I did not care for the Shift Line Olympic MKIIIS and the Noble was not the sound for me, but exploring tube preamps sure is fun and educational. I already have an Oracle incoming on loan. I'd like to try a Jule Simone as well--anyone willing to loan me one haha?

 

[fivestringgecko]

@Erithon - Very interested to hear your thoughts on the Oracle, I've always been curious about it. Especially with the updated form factor. Not to mention the more palatable price than the Noble. I was also able to try a Noble on loan and it was really nice, but I wasn't into it enough to shell out the bucks for one.

5sg.

 

[SteveC]

Every day I listen to the clips I change my mind. REDDI. Then the Noble seems to sound "better" the next day. Then it might be the Khan. At this level it's variations of great.

 

[Erithon]

Every day I listen to the clips I change my mind. REDDI. Then the Noble seems to sound "better" the next day. Then it might be the Khan. At this level it's variations of great.

The clips are indeed a useful guide, especially for steering me toward which preamp/DIs to prioritize, but in my experience the only way to make a final determination is to play through the gear in my own musical context: through my signal path, with my gear, in the environments in which I perform.