My brain just did a "does not compute". Some of my best-sounding shows at the multisite church I played at a few years ago were done with a passive Precision Bass into a ProDI and straight up to the board. (And I've got more preamps and DIs than fingers on my hands.) Christian music typically needs none of the effects or edge or "character" active boxes with multiple controls provide. You know what makes an experienced sound tech breathe a sigh of relief? When a bass player walks in the front door with a Precision and a ProDI or JDI or Pro48 and nothing else. Nice and predictable, no bs, and he gets to make all the decisions around frequency slotting and mix/blend, without interference from someone who may have "his own ideas about things" that are typically self-serving.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
Welcome to TalkBass! Want to remove ads? Register an account and login to see fewer ads, and become a Supporting Member to remove almost all ads.
What bass pres should I consider for a church?
- Thread starter Heath_eld
- Start date
My brain just did a "does not compute". Some of my best-sounding shows at the multisite church I played at a few years ago were done with a passive Precision Bass into a ProDI and straight up to the board. (And I've got more preamps and DIs than fingers on my hands.) Christian music typically needs none of the effects or edge or "character" active boxes with multiple controls provide. You know what makes an experienced sound tech breathe a sigh of relief? When a bass player walks in the front door with a Precision and a ProDI or JDI or Pro48 and nothing else. Nice and predictable, no bs, and he gets to make all the decisions around frequency slotting and mix/blend, without interference from someone who may have "his own ideas about things" that are typically self-serving.
Regardless of what you supply, won't at least half come with a pedalboard equipped with a preamp?
I would have thought having a J48 or similar there is enough. Other than that, something that is capable of a neutral clean tone:
THDI
MXR M81 or M80
Sansamp Q Strip, Para Driver, VTDI etc
Laney Digbeth
Mesa Subway
So many options
I would have thought having a J48 or similar there is enough. Other than that, something that is capable of a neutral clean tone:
THDI
MXR M81 or M80
Sansamp Q Strip, Para Driver, VTDI etc
Laney Digbeth
Mesa Subway
So many options
Couldn't agree more. I was in a Christian band for years at a big church and with multiple bass players and you want to keep it as simple as possible. The VT Bass is a great pedal but a nightmare if you just come in some night and start twising knobs. I can only imagine some the tones you heard, lol! Just provide a simple DI.
I'd love to try one and it looks like Tech21 discontinued it?
Back to the OP, I agree with @MaxSpinrun and @TomJ4Eden on the Genzler Pre. I just used mine for the 2nd time this morning and it may become my main preamp.
Last edited:
I also love my Trickfish Minnow, which is less versatile than the Genzler Pre, which has the scooped/bumped mids selection, but it does the clean so very well!
Try using the Radial DI to feed the FOH, and the VT for you in-ears only. That might reveal more of what's going on.
I've never found the VT "clanky", but I never engage the "Bite" switch, and more recently, I use the speaker emulation switch, which rolls off the Highs.
Not at all.
I used my country man DI for the 1st time in years this past week, with a passive jazz. (I brought a 2nd amp to try out, otherwise, I'd just run it out of the Genzler.)
The sound man, who I do trust, said it sounded great.
Someone said it here but the idea of having an HX Stomp and every bass player having their own presets saved into it sounds amazing.
Obviously this is an expensive route to go for and a wee bit complicated to hook up to FOH. Also it takes time and energy to dial in a preset that each player will like.
I guess there’s a reason as to why your church doesn’t use amps?
Obviously this is an expensive route to go for and a wee bit complicated to hook up to FOH. Also it takes time and energy to dial in a preset that each player will like.
I guess there’s a reason as to why your church doesn’t use amps?
Check the following thread:
You will find that many church players use Aguilar Tone Hammer. That's what I would recommend.
Check also the following page:
worshiponline.com
You will find that many church players use Aguilar Tone Hammer. That's what I would recommend.
Check also the following page:
5 Worship Bass Pedalboards You Must See
Unleash the full potential of your worship bass guitar sound with our in-depth look at these five pro worship bass pedalboards!
worshiponline.com
Many of those suggested are great choices. My personal preference is the Ampeg SGT-DI.
Yeah, it's still up on Tech 21's web site, and Amazon has them, but Sweetwater says no longer available. Weird. I think it would be a shame if they quit making them. I bought one a couple years ago and I think it's a great piece of work.
I never leave home without my Khan VTDI tube DI. Very simple.
Most all the other bassists at our church (2 campuses - campi?....
) have a couple or more pedals and both campuses have HX Stomps available.
And I believe they all make good use of what they bring and sound pretty good.
But the production guys lovely simple arrangement with only the tube DI.
I use it with a FSO Jazz bass, a Stingray 5, and I have used with with a Precision-style bass with passive pups. All of them sound wonderful.
Granted, the thing is $600, but it's been worth every penny.
I used to have a REDDI, but it wouldn't go in my backpack when I flew overseas for a festival. That's when I got the Khan. Not to mention, the REDDI is over $1000 now. Eeek!! The Khan sounds every bit as good as the REDDI to me.
Most all the other bassists at our church (2 campuses - campi?....
) have a couple or more pedals and both campuses have HX Stomps available.And I believe they all make good use of what they bring and sound pretty good.
But the production guys lovely simple arrangement with only the tube DI.
I use it with a FSO Jazz bass, a Stingray 5, and I have used with with a Precision-style bass with passive pups. All of them sound wonderful.
Granted, the thing is $600, but it's been worth every penny.
I used to have a REDDI, but it wouldn't go in my backpack when I flew overseas for a festival. That's when I got the Khan. Not to mention, the REDDI is over $1000 now. Eeek!! The Khan sounds every bit as good as the REDDI to me.
Same. And regardless of whether I use an active or passive bass, it sounds great out front.
With that variety of basses and players, I'd keep it as simple and clean as possible and go with a Radial J48 or similar DI. If a player wants something with more character, let them bring their own and plug into the DI. Some people care a lot, some don't care, but you don't really want 5 different people readjusting everything every week. It creates a lot of hassle for the sound folks to deal with, and (IME), leads to a lot of inconsistency from week to week.
The J48 is ideal for a fixed installation with phantom power. It has a lot of headroom and can handle a wide variety of input levels. It doesn't attenuate the signal like a passive DI. It sounds great with passive and active instruments. It's robust.
Personally, I use a Sadowsky or MXR preamp into a J48. Sometimes a Grace Felix (which, always bypasses the J48). I don't use effects at church, but will occasionally (rarely) use a Xotic BB-Pre for a bit of dirt. Other players in the rotation will go direct to the J48 and it always sounds great in the house. FWIW, we have a 25yr verteran full-time tech guy that cares about his mix more than most, so it always sounds fantastic.
The J48 is ideal for a fixed installation with phantom power. It has a lot of headroom and can handle a wide variety of input levels. It doesn't attenuate the signal like a passive DI. It sounds great with passive and active instruments. It's robust.
Personally, I use a Sadowsky or MXR preamp into a J48. Sometimes a Grace Felix (which, always bypasses the J48). I don't use effects at church, but will occasionally (rarely) use a Xotic BB-Pre for a bit of dirt. Other players in the rotation will go direct to the J48 and it always sounds great in the house. FWIW, we have a 25yr verteran full-time tech guy that cares about his mix more than most, so it always sounds fantastic.
+1 It's a keeper. Input and output knobs, Well designed 3-band EQ with well designed EQ points, including mid sweep, adjusable HPF, TWO different character knobs with toggle foot switch, aux in, headphone out, it's got it all!
Used Tech 21 Q Strip Pedal | Guitar Center
For greater savings check out our Used Tech 21 Q Strip Pedal and get a great deal today!
I don't think this is really a thread about good DI's or pre-amps. There are a lot of good ones out there that people like. The point is what will work best for a church situation with 5 different bass players.
I've worked with a couple of big churches with all the bells and whistles, trained sound people, people showing you where to stand etc. As a bass player the "tone I like" didn't carry much weight. It's just my opinion but in a situation like that, you need a sound that works in the mix. You don't need a bass player fussing around trying to get their "tone", while 5 or 6 other people are doing the same. You just don't have the time for all that. The only person who can make that happen is your sound man.
The simplest possible approach for your sound techs would be best. A basic, good quality DI, no eq. You could still screw it up with your tone knobs, but you can't control everything. Church bands in my experience aren't like a band that's out hustling for gigs. More turn over, different singers, greater gaps in experience etc. The last thing you need after all that is some bass player chasing after their "tone".
It's possible to find yourself in a more professional atmosphere where all the nuances could be handled quickly and easily. But I was in a band at a big mega church for 10 years, and that never came close to happening. Keep it simple and if you pray, pray for a good sound tech.
I've worked with a couple of big churches with all the bells and whistles, trained sound people, people showing you where to stand etc. As a bass player the "tone I like" didn't carry much weight. It's just my opinion but in a situation like that, you need a sound that works in the mix. You don't need a bass player fussing around trying to get their "tone", while 5 or 6 other people are doing the same. You just don't have the time for all that. The only person who can make that happen is your sound man.
The simplest possible approach for your sound techs would be best. A basic, good quality DI, no eq. You could still screw it up with your tone knobs, but you can't control everything. Church bands in my experience aren't like a band that's out hustling for gigs. More turn over, different singers, greater gaps in experience etc. The last thing you need after all that is some bass player chasing after their "tone".
It's possible to find yourself in a more professional atmosphere where all the nuances could be handled quickly and easily. But I was in a band at a big mega church for 10 years, and that never came close to happening. Keep it simple and if you pray, pray for a good sound tech.
Similar threads
