I am doing some recording, going direct into my focusrite Scarlett 18i20. Any recommendations on a tube preamp to get fatter tone, maybe a little overdrive? I am trying to keep the budget within the $300 range. Is it worth it, or don't mess with it and just keep using the preamp on the Scarlett?
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Tube preamp for recording direct?
- Thread starter leemurray
- Start date
With that budget, I would recommend skipping the tube pre. Overdrive through a pre doesn't sound that good at that price point. Look into some decent modelling software. I own a few. But find Softube Bass Amp Room really useful and flexible for fat, grindy, manageable bass tracks. It can work some real miracles with poorly recorded bass tracks, too.
If you're dead set against software, your best bet is a sansamp of some sort with speaker emulation to shave the rasp off the driven tones.
If you're dead set against software, your best bet is a sansamp of some sort with speaker emulation to shave the rasp off the driven tones.
Good modeling software
Even modeling SS
A "Fat Sound" is all subjective. I don't know how "Thin" you sound now, but there are plenty of modeling options to fatten it up, after you've recorded a clean track. In fact I'd say to now do anything to fatten until you're listing to the total mix. Sometimes what people perceive as thin may just be their hearing more midrange when listening to the bass only. In a mix, louder sounds mask quieter ones, so the midrange will tend to be masked by midrange instruments - i.e. guitars.
Even modeling SS
A "Fat Sound" is all subjective. I don't know how "Thin" you sound now, but there are plenty of modeling options to fatten it up, after you've recorded a clean track. In fact I'd say to now do anything to fatten until you're listing to the total mix. Sometimes what people perceive as thin may just be their hearing more midrange when listening to the bass only. In a mix, louder sounds mask quieter ones, so the midrange will tend to be masked by midrange instruments - i.e. guitars.
Not for $300. but you don't always need a tube to get "that sound". This is somewhat close to your price range. DSPdoctor - Acme Audio Motown DI If you must have a tube and you don't want cheap crap that might as well not have a tube because it doesn't run the tube at the proper voltage, you're going to spend even more. A Designs REDDI Tube Direct Box | Musician's Friend
I'd agree with all the ideas prior, and would also add that as a session bassist who does a lot of 'virtual' tracks for clients, I've had a ton of success (software) using the Ampeg collection from IK Multimedia (Amplitube). The emulations are dead on, IMO. For direct, I go through one or the other of my Summit Audio boxes - a suggestion if you want to keep your budget under $1 K would be the 2BA-221 Mic/Instrument preamp module. It offers both tube and solid state, and you can really dial in as much or as little of each as you need. Those tend to run in the $600-$700 range, but I ended up buying a floor/demo model a few years back, in pristine condition, for under $500. They also make a really nice tube-only instrument preamp (TD-100) for about $450 - though I just saw one on Reverb for $369. And it does the job really well for all kinds of basses. Do some comparing and shop around.
Record direct and clean. If you need to add grit then use a plug-in as suggested (you can tweak to suit the track) or play it out and through an amp and rerecord (reamping). There are little tube amps there which are loud enough for reamping. Again with reamping you can tweak to suit the track and if you need to remix the track you can. You will need a decent interface and tweak for latency, though.
Even used thats a bit low. If you could stretch to 500 you could get a used almebic f1x
Alembic F-1x Bass tube pre-amp | Reverb
or trace elliot v type
RARE V Type Trace Elliot Preamp All Valve Bass Preamplifier | eBay
basically the same thing. sounds great tho
Alembic F-1x Bass tube pre-amp | Reverb
or trace elliot v type
RARE V Type Trace Elliot Preamp All Valve Bass Preamplifier | eBay
basically the same thing. sounds great tho
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Think about an Isolation Cab with a 15 and Mic all sealed in a ISOLATION box but able to breathe out air.... I made one that I would pair with a direct line, if you use a good Condenser and build with 1in MDF the Volume in the box is always louder than you think based on Db levels out side the box, put the iso in a closet or next room and then pair with a direct line using a tube pre or Tech21/Ampeg direct pre keeping all tone flat, Keep the bass tracks separate but mix them PAN center and pump em up with waves or Voxengo plugins on the backend. Done properly with levels kept at unity and proper inline compression during tracking you will be surprized at the flexablity youll have at mixdown. I have done ALOT of experimentation with hardware and software modeling, various combination s of both and what you find is THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR AIR MOLICULES SLAMMING INTO A TRANSDUCER CAPTURING the ANALOG warmth and pairing it with a clean flat tube warmed direct line. AT 300.00 dollars its doable but budget..... ALWAYS use fresh strings, have you bass setup properly and lay your tracks alone or with your engineer. HALF of your "TONE" is created by your playing style and technique.... try to sometimes think out of the box...... Bass tracks are some of the most challenging audio to capture REMEMBER that your tracks should be as tonally FLAT as possible, MIXDOWN can transform what hyou were initially not happy with......
Remember, James Jamerson's tracks were recorded DI only. If it sounds good, it is good.
On the point about panning as long as the sounds are reasonably similar you can consider a small amount of pan in the two channels but with the centre of the power being panned centre (or wherever, but traditionally centre) for a bigger sound on mix down. I've used it as well with radically different sounds too, but then it is an effect on its own as it will sound more than one bass track, potentially. Since I was using dry, synth, and octaved signals AND a second bass track it was fine for me.
New Strings and a Hartke Bass Attack 1 or 2 with an Active Bass. (Stainless not nichol rndwnd.)
New Strings and a Hartke Bass Attack 1 or 2 with an Active Bass. (Stainless not nichol rndwnd.). I replied the wrong way above ....my bad
