The Great Bass Preamp/DI Comparison

[scubaduba]

Yep, it sure does.

 

[scubaduba]

Here’s the ALiX

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

The Grace:
Fuller
More spacial
More flexible with far more robust EQ
Smooth
Bottomless
Punchy but in a less aggressive way
Somehow manages to keep your sound yet adding some sparkle. Really hard to describe but it just sounds better.

Oracle:
More colored
Not as smooth
Not as clear
More aggressive
Punchy
Little hairy (but not much)
Not as full sounding
Didn’t work as well with all my basses

The Grace sounds like a studio console. The Oracle is less refined.

Tube versus solidstate pretty much

 

[PeterH]

Tube versus solidstate pretty much

Using a Broughton ETDI/Night Owl Edison into a Grace ALiX... best of both worlds?

 

[jacoby75]

Using a Broughton ETDI/Night Owl Edison into a Grace ALiX... best of both worlds?

I though about adding a night owl Edison in front of my SVPre, but then I’m looking at $400 in two pedals. I could not buy the Edison, sell the SVPre, and buy a SLO. But I don’t know if that’s a smart move because I like the SVPre a lot. But I feel like I’m missing the tubiness I used to have in my rack with my Demeter VTBP-201s. It’s been a years long search to replace that in pedalboard format, with other added goodies.

 

[Ethereal Thorn]

Using a Broughton ETDI/Night Owl Edison into a Grace ALiX... best of both worlds?

My solution was a qstrip with a verellen meatsmoke pre

 

[fast slapper]

Using a Broughton ETDI/Night Owl Edison into a Grace ALiX... best of both worlds?

I use a Bix into a Hamstead Subspace. Gets you all the typical amp sounds from super clean to extreme distortion. Favorite front end to date.

 

[Mushroo]

OK. I have a behringer xenyx 802 mixing board and love it.

I've had one of those on my home office desk for, gosh, going on 20 years? And still ticking. The mic preamps are pretty good. I use it for routing audio back and forth between my computer, speakers, headphones, podcasting mic, the rare occasion I need RCA jacks to plug in an old tape deck, etc.

 

[shaggy45]

I've had one of those on my home office desk for, gosh, going on 20 years? And still ticking. The mic preamps are pretty good. I use it for routing audio back and forth between my computer, speakers, headphones, podcasting mic, the rare occasion I need RCA jacks to plug in an old tape deck, etc.

I’ve used the xenyx2442fx forever before switching to a zoom l-12

 

[Mushroo]

I’ve used the xenyx2442fx forever before switching to a zoom l-12

LOL, I recently bought a Zoom L-8. We're almost twinsies! I bet my old Silver Deluxe sounds good into it.

The Behringer 802 is perma-wired to my desk, and my L-8 travels as needed. My favorite feature is being able to simultaneously use it as a recorder and an audio interface, so I can record two fully redundant safety/backup copies, or two different mixes.

Back on-topic to preamps for a second, I am so sorely tempted by that Nordstrand Starlifter. Such a clever design, with all the necessities and no more. And everybody raves about the tone! But that power adapter, oof, that's a tough sell.

Another entry in the "already would have bought it, if it ran on standard power" category is the Quilter InterBass. I'm a Quilter fanboy and it's such a clever design. But again, I've just been burned too many times of showing up to play with my latest toys, only to realize I've forgotten the power adapter at home. So my new resolution for 2020 is to only buy new gear that runs on standard AC power, or that I can power from my 9/12/18v DC pedalboard power supply.

And that is why I kind of have my eye on the Arkham Oracle right now: It's not tiny, but it doesn't require a separate power brick.

 

[scubaduba]

Tube versus solidstate pretty much

That’s not how I’d describe it. The ALiX has that 3D, spatial feel that many associate with tubes. It is deeper and wider than both the Noble and Oracle. The ALiX has little in common with the typical sterile solid state products on the market. Other than not having tubes and much in the way of “hair” it has beautiful tonality. Nothing boring about it.

 

[uwrossl]

I received my Noble today and honestly, I’m not all that impressed. The RNDI sounds just as good, if not better than the Noble with EQ flat.

I definitely prefer the Oracle and Grace ALiX to the Noble.

Thanks for further stoking my desire for an Oracle. I'm trying to be responsible rn!

 

[scubaduba]

Back on-topic to preamps for a second, I am so sorely tempted by that Nordstrand Starlifter. Such a clever design, with all the necessities and no more. And everybody raves about the tone! But that power adapter, oof, that's a tough sell.

Another entry in the "already would have bought it, if it ran on standard power" category is the Quilter InterBass. I'm a Quilter fanboy and it's such a clever design. But again, I've just been burned too many times of showing up to play with my latest toys, only to realize I've forgotten the power adapter at home. So my new resolution for 2020 is to only buy new gear that runs on standard AC power, or that I can power from my 9/12/18v DC pedalboard power supply.

I’ve had little interest in trying either of those products for that reason.

 

[tedsalt]

That’s not how I’d describe it. The ALiX has that 3D, spatial feel that many associate with tubes. It is deeper and wider than both the Noble and Oracle. The ALiX has little in common with the typical sterile solid state products on the market. Other than not having tubes and much in the way of “hair” it has beautiful tonality. Nothing boring about it.

It's digital?

 

[Ryno1330]

That’s not how I’d describe it. The ALiX has that 3D, spatial feel that many associate with tubes. It is deeper and wider than both the Noble and Oracle. The ALiX has little in common with the typical sterile solid state products on the market. Other than not having tubes and much in the way of “hair” it has beautiful tonality. Nothing boring about it.

I very much appreciate your contributions and experience in this thread, but this seems a little bit like hyperbole being that it's simply a digital product. I'm not trying to start anything, I just wonder what makes this so much different than the others you've tried? Is it the EQ curve?

 

[ThisYouCanTrust]

Haven’t tried that one. Maybe I should.

Yup, that one plus the bassics bpa1 and the api tranzformer, those are the three which I think are missing the most in your list.

As I understood it you will never test any rack preamp ?

 

[scubaduba]

I very much appreciate your contributions and experience in this thread, but this seems a little bit like hyperbole being that it's simply a digital product.

OK

 

[scubaduba]

As I understood it you will never test any rack preamp ?

I don’t currently have use for a rack preamp so probably not.

 

[jimfist]

I just posted up some Atomic Amps Bass Box clips over here: Atomic Amplifire Bass Box at NAMM

These are specifically focused on the SVT 8x10 rig, and tone for hard rock/metal (without OD/distortion). Don't bother yourself unless you're into this type of sound/style. I'll be offering up other styles as time allows that demonstrates versatility.

For me, the Bass Box is legit as a preamp, even if all you focus on is the EQ, Dynamics and Amp controls (no drive boost, no cab sims). 3 types of Comp/lim; 3 types of EQ; 3 types of output amp model. The ability to have a tube amp output modeled is big. Routing options are many and spot on. Stock IRs and IR loading is a bonus. Though I initially found the Boost settings a bit fussy, implementation is settling in and works well for adding OD/Distortion (Tube Screamer OD, Tube or FET drive boost).

More to come as time allows.

 

[Slaymus]

@scubaduba Will you do a more detailed review of the Alix ? Was looking for the Noble, but your comparison of the Alix and the Oracle made me doubt about my initial plan. Thanks !