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The Great Bass Preamp/DI Comparison

#881
scubaduba said:
Sure, if you have an OBP-1 installed in your bass.

Just like the Starlifter is a Nordstrand preamp in a box (albeit with a couple extra features).
Click to expand...

The Starlifter isn't just like the Nordstrand Preamp. Carey has even said so hisself. Sure there is similarities but from a man who's had multiple basses with Nordstrand 3 band preamps and gigged the Starlifter exclusively for months there is a lot of differences tonally.
 
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#882
Look. The point is so many of the pedal form preamps out there are versions or modifications of existing tone stacks. Ampeg derived tone stacks. Fender tone stacks. Alembic tone stacks. Clones of onboard and/or other tone stacks.

Doesn't make something bad or not worth trying. Especially when many here are stacking EQ's on top of one another. I.E. an onboard preamp with outboard Preamp. Remember, even onboard preamps with dials set "flat" can impart coloration.
 
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#883
MascisMan said:
Yep. Especially if it was a tube preamp with an on-board DI, HPF/LPF, Effects Loop, 1/4" Thru output (in addition to the XLR), all in a nice 125BB/1590BB size enclosure. If you want to also throw in a 3-band EQ, I wont argue. :)
Click to expand...

It won't go in a 1590BB but I am trying to cram it into a 1590D or EE if it won't fit in the D.

emjazz said:
Do tell!
Click to expand...

I've been working on this project for the past year, and have been following this thread for a good bit of it. I originally started with the idea of a tube preamp pedal with a limit of two tube envelopes. I wanted to do something that wasn't a direct clone of an existing design but that might fill a niche in the market. I couldn't quite get to where I wanted with just 4 active stages so I experimented with a bunch of hybrid topologies and I think I have finally found a good solution. I'm doing this in my spare time so development is slow. :D

What I have on my bench right now is a hybrid design with tube gain stages up front and post EQ and a tube driven James tone stack (a la Ampeg) for Lo and Hi EQ. There are two op-amp based sweepable mids, a 24dB/Octave variable HPF and a 12dB/Octave variable LPF. I haven't implemented the DI out and FX loop in the hardwired prototype but those are pretty routine engineering bits so I will add them when I design the PCBs. I figure I will add boost (fixed gain boost with some level adjustment) and mute (for tuner) footswitches.

For the power supply, I orginally was going to go with 120VAC via IEC connector but that has a lot of regulatory issues that can be gotten around with a DC or low voltage AC supply. I've decided that 12VDC is the way to go for input power. 700mA should do it by my calculations. Boost converter to get the 300V B+ and a similar converter to a bipolar supply for the op-amp stages (+/-15V).

It's a long way from finished but I'm getting there...

20190925_212335.jpg
 
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#884
scubaduba said:
Sure, if you have an OBP-1 installed in your bass.

Just like the Starlifter is a Nordstrand preamp in a box (albeit with a couple extra features).
Click to expand...

Yes, but that is my point. Why not just install the OBP-1 in your bass (if possible) rather than have the box? Sure it is footswitcheable, but, so is a push/pull active/passive pot on your bass.

The Starlifter at least is also a DI and, like you said, has other features (like the Tone Hammer vs. DB925). The DB925 is literally just a 2-band EQ pedal. I can see its value for someone that wants to keep their guitar in stock form (vintage?) or doesn't have the internal room for an on-board preamp, but that is about it.
 
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#885
monsterthompson said:
Maximum amount of boost:18db, occurring at 40 Hz for the bass, and 4kHz for the treble

40Hz? Hope that’s a wide Q or a HPF could roll it right off. Still seems like a deep range for most speakers to reproduce too.
Click to expand...
The OBP-1 has a ridiculously unusably low and powerful bass control. IMHO. Barely a touch and the low end is overwhelming. I'm not sure what they were going for, but with my amps and speakers and ears, it's just way over the top.

I'm really enjoying the Starlifter. After trying many excellent onboard preamps, I settled on the Nordstrand 3-band for all my active basses. The Starlifter has higher fidelity than the onboard pre. For the first time, I'm keeping my actives in passive mode and letting the pedal do the work, because it sounds so good.
 
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#888
smeet said:
The OBP-1 has a ridiculously unusably low and powerful bass control. IMHO. Barely a touch and the low end is overwhelming. I'm not sure what they were going for, but with my amps and speakers and ears, it's just way over the top.

I'm really enjoying the Starlifter. After trying many excellent onboard preamps, I settled on the Nordstrand 3-band for all my active basses. The Starlifter has higher fidelity than the onboard pre. For the first time, I'm keeping my actives in passive mode and letting the pedal do the work, because it sounds so good.
Click to expand...
I do the same now with my Tone Hammer, run my basses passive. It just depends on what sound you're after. I like a big low end that hugs the band instead of punches through. It always works for me.
 
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#889
scubaduba said:
Look. The point is so many of the pedal form preamps out there are versions or modifications of existing tone stacks. Ampeg derived tone stacks. Fender tone stacks. Alembic tone stacks. Clones of onboard and/or other tone stacks.

Doesn't make something bad or not worth trying. Especially when many here are stacking EQ's on top of one another. I.E. an onboard preamp with outboard Preamp. Remember, even onboard preamps with dials set "flat" can impart coloration.
Click to expand...
To this point, I'm used to running into an amp where I can EQ it, and then I usually add a bit of bass boost from my onboard eq. Now I'm trying to run my bass into a floor preamp and straight into a small power amp. This is for City gigs and for travel. If I find a backline amp that I really like..perfect! Run right into the amp and done. Otherwise I now have the option to get a great sound in any situation. Works for me. If I were doing mostly studio and IEM gigs I'd run the Starlifter. Since I'm mostly live the TH won out (for my tone goal). Pretty amazing all this stuff is available to us.

For those that don't want to route their bass out for a preamp, the tiny DB925 is going to be amazing.
 
#892
monsterthompson said:
I posted a link to it a few pages back. It looks, and sounds pretty nice. Not a fan of the SVT Growl distortion in the demo, but all else looks pretty strong.
Click to expand...
Got ya!
I didn't realize our pal at @Dsmnoisemaker was involved. Pretty cool. :)
I'm not a huge fan of the graphics (middle aged eyes ;)) but it looks like its got everything but the kitchen sink built in?
Best wishes,
Brent
 
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#893
Mark Reccord said:
It won't go in a 1590BB but I am trying to cram it into a 1590D or EE if it won't fit in the D.



I've been working on this project for the past year, and have been following this thread for a good bit of it. I originally started with the idea of a tube preamp pedal with a limit of two tube envelopes. I wanted to do something that wasn't a direct clone of an existing design but that might fill a niche in the market. I couldn't quite get to where I wanted with just 4 active stages so I experimented with a bunch of hybrid topologies and I think I have finally found a good solution. I'm doing this in my spare time so development is slow. :D

What I have on my bench right now is a hybrid design with tube gain stages up front and post EQ and a tube driven James tone stack (a la Ampeg) for Lo and Hi EQ. There are two op-amp based sweepable mids, a 24dB/Octave variable HPF and a 12dB/Octave variable LPF. I haven't implemented the DI out and FX loop in the hardwired prototype but those are pretty routine engineering bits so I will add them when I design the PCBs. I figure I will add boost (fixed gain boost with some level adjustment) and mute (for tuner) footswitches.

For the power supply, I orginally was going to go with 120VAC via IEC connector but that has a lot of regulatory issues that can be gotten around with a DC or low voltage AC supply. I've decided that 12VDC is the way to go for input power. 700mA should do it by my calculations. Boost converter to get the 300V B+ and a similar converter to a bipolar supply for the op-amp stages (+/-15V).

It's a long way from finished but I'm getting there...

View attachment 3659719
Click to expand...

As the OP in the thread, allow me to volunteer to be a beta tester.
 
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#900
Krisfield said:
Short demo of the Suncoast B1p. Two channels in parallel, drive channel and a clean channel. Jim at Suncoast makes some outstanding bass preamps.



View attachment 3660645
Click to expand...

By the beard of Zeus! That sounds fantastic! But I just looked up what it costs. I'm out. Lol. But it sure sounds great.
 
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