Double Bass Variable input impedance for DB amplification

[Earl]

The only thing I remember is a number of players saying they were surprised they actually preferred a lower input impedance than they would have thought. A lot of them landed at 2 or 3 meg. The most common input impedance request I get is 5 meg, so I'm thinking the 10 meg might be too high for a number of people. Totally depends on your pickup, though.

Yes, 1meg is good for me with the Yamahiko pickup. Once in a while 5meg, but 10meg is too bassy and blurry for me.

 

[Ben Rolston]

Yes, 1meg is good for me with the Yamahiko pickup. Once in a while 5meg, but 10meg is too bassy and blurry for me.

Whats the rest of your gear Earl? I don't even like 1meg with a realist

 

[flatback]

Well my 2C
the Sarno V8 tube preamp with an Fdeck HPF is just a killing combo. The VariZ on the Sarno (along with the bass knob can control almost anything) but for efficient speaker and killing sound those two together are just so great.

 

[Ric Vice]

Whats the rest of your gear Earl? I don't even like 1meg with a realist

Ben,
I'm curious, what preamp/amp do you use that's set below 1 Meg. It seems to be the standard input impedance with the only exception I know of

being a majority of the Markbass Amplifiers. Just curious. I can certainly function at 1 Meg Ohm, because all the three Walter Woods amps I've owned

were set there, from 1980 on. Walter was a little ahead of his time. As a side note, even the Ampeg B15 had higher input impedances on the bass channel. Just

my take, whatever works works.

 

[Ric Vice]

Well my 2C
the Sarno V8 tube preamp with an Fdeck HPF is just a killing combo. The VariZ on the Sarno (along with the bass knob can control almost anything) but for efficient speaker and killing sound those two together are just so great.

Agreed, Brad's a genius at this stuff, just wish the Black Box could be a downsized a bit, but I don't think it can, cause it's got a pretty substantial set of components

stuffed inside that black box.

 

[peterpalmieri]

Many years ago I had a preamp made by summit audio with variable input impedance. The nice thing is that you can dial in the right setting for your instrument. But once you do you can glue the knob in place.

 

[Ben Rolston]

Ben,
I'm curious, what preamp/amp do you use that's set below 1 Meg. It seems to be the standard input impedance with the only exception I know of

being a majority of the Markbass Amplifiers. Just curious. I can certainly function at 1 Meg Ohm, because all the three Walter Woods amps I've owned

were set there, from 1980 on. Walter was a little ahead of his time. As a side note, even the Ampeg B15 had higher input impedances on the bass channel. Just

my take, whatever works works.

I guess that could be read either way. I meant 1meg is too LOW for me, even with a realist. The realist pickups are less finicky but I think they sound better at 5 or 10megaohm

 

[Earl]

26071952[/URL], member: 78704"]Whats the rest of your gear Earl? I don't even like 1meg with a realist

Sometimes a Headway EDM1 preamp, very old GK 200MB amp, or PJ Double four, or Traynor SB106 or SB112. Ideally no gear, but you know…drummers. 1meg tends to work best on my 7/8 very resonant and thus difficult to amplify main bass.

 

[Ric Vice]

I guess that could be read either way. I meant 1meg is too LOW for me, even with a realist. The realist pickups are less finicky but I think they sound better at 5 or 10 meg ohm

Cool, I re read the post you phrased it correctly. 5 seems to be the sweet spot for most piezo pickups. The older Headway EDB 2 had settings for 1, 5, and 20 Meg Ohm, (the new Headway EDB 2 H.E. is set at 6.8) it was nice to be move between 1 and 5 to see what you preferred. I tried 20 once

or twice and decided that wasn't for me. Just my take