What preamp do you use?

I bought the Fishman Platinum Pro EQ lately, all I need for DB really. It's got a tuner, a HPF, 4-band eq with mid-sweep and a notch filter.

 

The Red Eye preamp from Fire Eye works incredibly well with my Realist
Life Line into any amp I’ve used it with.

 

Headway EDM1 - pocket sized with EQ, HPF and notch filters. Red Eye if I don't need EQ.

 

Schertler Stat-Pre, because my Schertler Stat-B needs 10V phantomcurrency.
For my romanian i donˋt need a pre, because ist is combined with the Jack (Bassbalsereit-Studio). But it needs 48V phantom.
LG Ralf

 

For my acoustic upright I use an FDeck model 2.
For my Yamaha SLB 300, is use a LR Baggs Para Acoustic DI. It helps if I lose battery power; I can still send the signal from the piezo to the amp.

I've also used a Headway EDB 2, but right now the channel two mic input has a cord stuck in it. Apparently a known issue with this model, but I'm way past warranty so have to deal with it on my own at some point.

 

Well, I use an Acoustic Image Contra (first or "R2D2" generation) so no pre-amp necessary. That was one of the reasons I bought it, no more fiddling with a preamp with my piezo pickup.

Simplify, simplify, simplify (though if Thoreau had been serious, he'd only have written one "simplify"...)

 

I use a Headway EDB-2 H.E. For a single channel preamp, I don't think there's a better value than the EDM-1 H.E. It has tons of features, it's super compact, and is only $195 at Gollihur Music. I might actually buy one as a backup and sell my other backups.

 

First off, I'm still using a Realist. On my bass, at least, it's very dark, with an excessive midrange loading, regardless of the impedance (1Meg, 2.2Meg, 10Meg, etc).

My main preamp for the last 5+years has been a Grace Felix, but I've never been able to achieve the note clarity of the Full Circle on my previous bass through the EQ on the Felix. However, I recently plugged into an MXR M81 preamp (2.2Mohm input, 3-band EQ w/semi-parametric mids, separate Gain/Level controls, and DI output). Through some careful A/B'ing against an Austrian AKG C3000 and some decent isolating headphones, I was able to get a significantly more balanced and natural sound out of the Realist using the M81 feeding into the Grace.

To be sure, I used that setup at church with a few minor tweaks to the EQ and HPF. A) it sounded great in my IEMs, and B) I got a lot of complements from ears I trust that the bass sound in the room was "ideal" (as in, acoustic sounding, not overly electrified).

I still love the Felix for my mics, and I'm sure it would be great with another Full Circle, or any number of other pickups, but it just doesn't work as well as I'd wish with the Realist on my bass.

 

Fishman Platinum, but I’ve only used it a few times. I’d like to use it a lot.

 

Either a Grace Felix, or an F-Deck into a Trickfish. Also just got into a Tonedexter, which is pretty killer! All going into a Bergantino IP112.

 

For many years now the fDeck HPF-Pre has seemed like everything I need & nothing I don't. The response almost always seems better with it inserted for piezo buffer duty. It was cheap to buy and a 9V lasts me for months.

 

Alix and Messenger V2

 

my 3 options are

1 - No preamp, straight to AI Coda
2 - Fdeck HPF Pre v2 (when going to bass guitar cabs)
3 - Tonedexter - to anything, to FOH, bass amps, audio interface

 

Very happy with the Redeye – I use a twin because I also double on electric bass, and it lets me set separate gain levels for both instruments. The high boost is really effective, and I love having a very simple preamp

 

Headway EDB2, but will play quite a bit without a preamp at all and go direct into my amp.

 

Radial PZ Pre. I keep the HPF engaged. That runs into a Traynor SB110 at home, and an SB112 at rehearsal. If I’m doubling BG, I use a Korg Pitchblack+ to switch between them.

Edited to add: German ply 5/8 bass, Gage Realist pickup, Spirocore lights

 

1) Vintage Revolution Acousticbox II
2) Basswitch IQ
3) Redeye Twin
4) Headway EDB-2 H.E

retired:
Fishman Platinum D.I
Grace Felix
Ehrlund pre
Headway EDB-1
Tonedexter

Man, I’ve been around…

 

Ditto

Headway EDB-2 H.E.
Grace Felix
RedEye
3Leaf Audio Enabler

Retired
Headway EDB-1 & EDB-2
Fishman Bass Blender (remember those?)
Fishman Model B Preamp ( Ancient Artifact)
Barcus Berry Preamp (Neolithic Piezo Technology)