Unsing more than one preamp

[ImTheOnlyOne]

I always un-sing when playing bass.

What's been singed can not be unsinged.

 

[Sid the Kid]

I run IEM for one band and the other uses a traditional amp for all situations. In both cases I am running through 2 or 3 preamps. As long as you keep them relatively neutral it is a simple task. It’s also fun to switch up the order of pedals for different tones. I see no downside unless you are using the extremes of the preamps in which case it would be better to reevaluate how you are using them in the first place and you will likely have better results with less options.

 

[JohnnyChatter]

Haha. I am guilty of stacking preamps and though I understand all the reasons why not to. I have always made it sound good and get tons of compliments on my tone so I just keep doing it. So currently I’m running a Zoom B6 programed to be an MXR m80, a Sansamp, and a fender bassman. When I’m useing a backline and it’s a sterile amp I’ll plug that into my bass revolt to add some warmth.

Now before the zoom b6 I always used a Switchblade pro to split my signals into an MXR m80, and a Sansamp.

When I play live I normally plug that into my SVT.

The reason why I do the Zoom B6 now is that I play in 3 bands and it allows me to have different presets so I’m not always noodling with my tone.

 

[Jesuguru]

I always un-sing when playing bass.

Which might make you an unsung hero...

 

[CamJazzBass]

As noted above”preamp” is often used as a broad-brush term to cover many items including boosts, overdrives, EQ, and DI.

I’ve mostly been using a SansAmp BDDI recently and have been content with that. In the past I’ve combined various items with various results. I have a Night Owl Edison and a Nordy Starlifter in the shelf right now. I used them in combination before with good results, though nothing crazy magical.

My favorite drive pedals are often preamp pedals. I find that drive pedals with a couple of knobs for gain and volume just don't do it. I like a colored EQ with more EQ options, blend, and gain. People have looked at boards I ran in the past and couldn't grip why I would have a Sansamp and a Darkglass Vintage Ultra. They couldn't grasp that I was using the Vintage Ultra as a drive pedal. Do the same now with the VMT. I really is just a small preamp.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hello bass fellows.

I wonder if there's more of us bass players using multiple pedals with bass preamps inside for "the one" sound you'd like to achieve.

Over time I gathered several bass preamp pedals and although each item has a good sound on its own, I have one old cheap pedal (with preamp), that makes every other pedal. sound even better So I will end up with a first preamp and its signal going to another preamp pedal and the amp itself has another preamp too.

The funny thing is, that I totally could live with just the preamp out of the bass head too. But...

Well, I’m not one of them. In general I’ve been playing mostly passive basses for the last 50+ years with the exception of a Warwick Corvette I had for about 7 years. So for the most part I took good care choosing amps with good tonal controls. I have a core sound that transcends a lot of different genres. It’s warm not overly boomy, sits well in the mix, and has a touch of a piano timbre.

Almost all of my gigs have FOH support and my current band, I’m ampless. So I have an Ampeg SGT-Di for my current classic rock band band, an Eden WTDI for work with larger ensembles with horns and heaven vocals, and a DigiTech BR355 my son found in a garbage bin at his music school that I mostly use at home.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...I.E. if it sounds good to you...

IME it's very easy to fool ourselves when dealing with tone choices. The way we listen tends to vary over time. When you are tweaking your tone, you tend to focus in very narrowly on a certain quality rather than hearing your tone in it's entirety. Thus when you successfully add a certain sumtin, sumtin you might be totally pleased with the results.

However if you later do an AB comparison after your focus has broadened, you may find that the device that adds the certain sumtin, sumtin also adds other qualities that you don't want. You may not notice these qualities right away. But when you do, you may become fixated on them...or you may only notice when doing a direct AB comparison.

Bottom line, stacking too many devices usually ends up adding undesired artifacts. So it's a good idea to do an AB comparison to validate your initial impression. But ultimately, if it sounds good to you...

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