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Double Bass Tl :dr; summary on the Red Eye please?

I bought a Fire-Eye Bright-Eye recently, which has the same impedance matching ability. I emailed the company, and they said all of their products have that. I have only gigged it once so far, and while it is quite good, it is not sufficient alone for my needs. That is why I bought the Bright-Eye instead of the Red Eye--I would not use the DI on the red-eye as I definitely need some tone shaping, HPF, etc. in my chain after that.

The big limitation for my on the one gig I used it on was the HPF, or lack there of. I have been playing the same gig/venue every couple of months for a year or so, and I normally use my Headway into a PJB Double 4, and that is more than enough volume for that gig playing gypsy jazz in a small room. I had intended to use the Bright-Eye into the Headway, but my batteries in the Headway failed, and I did not have the power supply handy. Without the HPF, the Double 4 was maxed out and still not really sufficient.

Tonight I am going to use my Tone Dexter II on a gig without the Bright-Eye. Once I get more familiar with the TD, I will decide on whether adding the BE to the signal chain is worth it. I think that will depend on the wet/dry blend I find works with the TD. I think if I find over time that I use very little dry signal, then the BE will not be useful, but perhaps if I use 50/50, it will be. Or, perhaps it will be useful to have two boost switches since I switch from arco to pizz to soloing very frequently.

Personally, I think the Bright-Eye is much better bang for the buck than the other products and has all the attributes I want.
 
Well, in a word unless I’m missing something, unless you’re using a little electret condenser, that takes minimal phantom power voltage (9-18v)then it’s not an option is it? My Remic D5400’s need more than that. :thumbsup: A DPA 4099 DVote should ( technically) work with those “restrictions’. The Ischell mic’s work in that phantom power range. I
 
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You could use a dynamic mic and a transformer (a passive DI box will work). You could also use an inline phantom power supply. But it probably makes more sense to just buy a single channel Fire-Eye and a two channel preamp.
 
At some point, I suppose I should create a new WaveMap on the Tone Dexter with the Bright-Eye engaged during the training process. It will be very interesting to see how that works out.
I've never thought of this....Duh. Let us know how this works, or maybe I'll try it myself and report back. I have tried the Red Eye before the Dex once on a gig and didn't hear much difference.
 
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Since I’m not into a signal chain of several boxes strung together, it’s just simpler to use the Grace Felix with the RedEye Twin. The RedEye Single doesn’t
have a Volume Control Just my take however based on a whole slew of gig's using the Grace and RedEye Twin with the Ehrlund EAP.
 
I bought and sold one within a few weeks. I liked the idea of simplicity, but on the job it was too simple for my needs. I'm used to more tone shaping options on my end to get past substandard soundguys who think an upright is a reject Fender cello. I do think they are a decent option for minimalist people who don't use or have a lot of experience packing around a whole pedalboard full of processing toys.
 
d one within a few weeks. I liked the idea of simplicity, but on the job it was too simple for my needs. I'm used to more tone shaping options on my end to get past substandard soundguys who think an upright is a reject Fender cello. I do think they are a decent option for minimalist people who don't use or have a lot of experience packing around a whole pedalboard full of processing toys.
You're describing the situation I'm in now. Most of the gigs I do currently don't involve FOH. When I think of the gear I used to haul it makes my today self want to take a nap. When I do have a sound guy to deal with I explain my set up and what works best and that seems to do the trick. After that it's up to them. I worried about this stuff when it was part of my managerial duties. Now I simply don't want to think about it. I think about playing. I want my rig to be simple and reliable. It would drive me crazy as a bandleader when somebody in the band had something that didn't work or they kept fussing with tone. I didn't want to be that guy in other peoples' groups. All I can say about the RE is it does what I need it to do in my current rig and I'm happy.
 
Darren at Redeye can tweak the eq knob on a redeye for upright. It has a massive effect on the sound from way brite to nicely muted. He was supprised that he nailed it first time with mine (expecting to have to dial it further) but it works great...I loaned my little Redeye to a friend and he never uses it and when I went to his house and plugged it in I could see why. Somehow on his bass with his amp, it made no difference in the sound. It was weird. So.
 
Piro,

When I purchased my RedEye Twin, I asked Darren about the modification and at the time he said they had only done that on the demo that circulated
to TB members and had no plans to offer it to customers. So, unless things have changed since then it’s isn’t something they are doing.
 
I bought and sold one within a few weeks. I liked the idea of simplicity, but on the job it was too simple for my needs. I'm used to more tone shaping options on my end to get past substandard soundguys who think an upright is a reject Fender cello. I do think they are a decent option for minimalist people who don't use or have a lot of experience packing around a whole pedalboard full of processing toys.
This is basically my take as well. But, they (particularly the Bright-Eye imo) are also a good option for someone already using pedals I think. My thinking with the Bright-Eye was to use it as a boost pedal into my Headway preamp, replacing the Boss EQ I sometimes use that way.
 
My little bluegrass pedal board includes a Red Eye preamp and a Genzler re/Q (HPF/LPF and EQ). I’ve also used the Red Eye by itself as a DI when there is FOH (rare in my world). The Red Eye’s impedance matching is the secret sauce with simple piezo wing pickups, such as the K&K and Vic’s on my Kays. The treble control is useful as a single-knob attack-noise control — I tend to roll off the zing on my steel-strung bass and crank up the attack on my gut-strung instrument. The Red Eye’s XLR out feeds the effects return on whatever head I’m using; the head’s DI out feeds the band’s PA or FOH.
IMG_0887.jpeg
 
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“………….The Red Eye’s impedance matching is the secret sauce with simple piezo wing pickups, such as the K&K and Vic’s on my Kays. The treble control is useful as a single-knob attack-noise control — The Red Eye’s XLR out feeds the effects return on whatever head I’m using; the head’s DI out feeds the band’s PA or FOH.”

The RedEye works with any pickup I put through it the Ehrlund EAP, Planet Wing, Cremona, Realist Life Line, Bartolini, LR Bags. Frankly anything I plug into it and plug it into.
The RedEye works with any pickup I put through it the Ehrlund EAP, Planet Wing, Cremona, Realist Life Line, Bartolini, LR Bags. Frankly anything I plug into it and plug it into.
 
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