The Preamp DI Thread

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  • blobbblobb Frets: 2914
    edited August 2018
    I'll throw in the Eden WTDi:
    balanced and unbalanced output with ground lift
    3 band eq (bass/mid/treb) with bass boost and mid shift
    Gain / compressor / master vol
    'Enhance' control

    I use the balanced out (XLR) to DI into my interface when recording or the unbalanced (t/s) into f/x loop return for connection to an amp. You can use both at the same time.

    EQ is good and the bass boost/ mid shift allows you to focus the frequency it targets so you can get some good adjustment.

    Enhance is a strange one, I think it is unique to Eden and sort of flattens the sound out. Balancing this with the compressor gives some useable results.

    All in, pretty flexible tone shaper with good connectivity and definitely captures the Eden sound.

    I play two basses, an alum neck Kramer -which has a a very punchy sound - and a John Birch Rick copy which has incredibly powerful pickups. The flexibility of the Eden allows me to tame the JB!

    In front I have a Markbass micro distortion (which is fantastic by the way) or a darkglass vintage microtubes (also good but not cheap).


    Picked mine up for £49 second hand.

    Feelin' Reelin' & Squeelin'
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  • John_PJohn_P Frets: 2744
    Avalon U5.   Picked up a used one years ago and for any recording work it’s great - limited options that sound instantly.  

    My gigboard has a tech21 vt di -  very flexible and does the job.    I’ll either set a sound and do from there to the desk or do from my amp and use the vt as an od pedal I can switch in and out.  

    For live PA work I have a pile of simple boxes usually in pairs -  passive behringer, older HK red boxes, orchid actives and a groove tunes - not often I need to use them for bass as I’ll usually take a do out of someone amp but I give the option to do before the amp and usually go for the orchids - which are a bargain for anyone looking for a good simple di box.  

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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    @blobb - the Eden WTDI is on my list and looks great value for money!
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    octatonic said:
    I most use two preamps/DI’s on bass for recording.

    Phoenix DRS1R, 500 series format.
    Groove Tubes ViPre.

    Live I just take a lead out of my Mark Bass head to the PA, or out of the Peterson tuner if I am not using a bass amp.
    Is the groove tubes valve based?
    Very much so- 8 tube stages.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    octatonic said:
    octatonic said:
    I most use two preamps/DI’s on bass for recording.

    Phoenix DRS1R, 500 series format.
    Groove Tubes ViPre.

    Live I just take a lead out of my Mark Bass head to the PA, or out of the Peterson tuner if I am not using a bass amp.
    Is the groove tubes valve based?
    Very much so- 8 tube stages.
    Interesting.. is it a rack mount or a board pedal?
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    4u of rack space and it weights about 40lbs.
    You can do some very interesting things with it too- it has variable slew rate/rise time and impedance settings.
    You can do a lot more with it than just a bass DI.
    I use it on vocals, snare, guitar and bass drum.

    Looks like this:



    Inners look like this:



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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    @octatonic - interesting - I will investigate. Might be really good for my home setup.

    I have an Ampeg PF20T on the way which will be a good “real” amp - but a valve Preamp is very appealing
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    edited August 2018
    @octatonic - interesting - I will investigate. Might be really good for my home setup.

    I have an Ampeg PF20T on the way which will be a good “real” amp - but a valve Preamp is very appealing
    They stopped making them when Fender bought Groove Tubes (in 2008), so tracking one down will mean eBay or forums etc.
    They do show up from time to time.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    octatonic said:
    @octatonic - interesting - I will investigate. Might be really good for my home setup.

    I have an Ampeg PF20T on the way which will be a good “real” amp - but a valve Preamp is very appealing
    They stopped making them when Fender bought Groove Tubes, so tracking one down will mean eBay or forums etc.
    They do show up from time to time.
    Thanks I’ll keep an eye out.

    Looks like Yamaha, having taken over Ampeg, are discontinuing the small all valve portaflex heads - just to a new one with £200 off
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    @vale - I really wanted this to be an “all things to all boys &girls” - preamps suitable for stage, some for recording, some for bedroom enthusiasts - a sort of collective ramble through all things Preamp DI to give people ideas, inspiration and some reviews to decide what sort of pedals they do/don’t like.

    I have to say, knowing what you like sounds wise you would really like the Dave hall Amps Preamp I have with the valve in it - proper old school Voxy luscious thump 
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    I've had the Ampeg PF20T for about 6 months now. Got it as an upgrade to the Laney Cub 10 I'd been using up until then. Strange thing is - they sound very similar. Perhaps not that surprising as they both use 2 x 6V6 and 2 x 12AX7. In fact the Laney can dial in a bit of grit easier (at more room friendly levels). The Ampeg does have the ability to run without a cabinet attached which is a big plus and it fits neatly on the Portaflex cab with the flip top capability.




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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    JezWynd said:
    I've had the Ampeg PF20T for about 6 months now. Got it as an upgrade to the Laney Cub 10 I'd been using up until then. Strange thing is - they sound very similar. Perhaps not that surprising as they both use 2 x 6V6 and 2 x 12AX7. In fact the Laney can dial in a bit of grit easier (at more room friendly levels). The Ampeg does have the ability to run without a cabinet attached which is a big plus and it fits neatly on the Portaflex cab with the flip top capability.




    Is that the 15” pf cab? 

    I’m going to run mine into a Barefaced Compact 15 and apparently it’s a brilliant cab for getting that 60s Motown sound out of the PF20T. 

    I bouht it for the transformer DI out - if they have discontinued them then it’s a real shame. 
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    And on that subject - strictly speaking the PF20T is a pretty unusual Preamp/Di so fits in nicely with this thread as an option!
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    JezWynd said:
    I've had the Ampeg PF20T for about 6 months now. Got it as an upgrade to the Laney Cub 10 I'd been using up until then. Strange thing is - they sound very similar. Perhaps not that surprising as they both use 2 x 6V6 and 2 x 12AX7. In fact the Laney can dial in a bit of grit easier (at more room friendly levels). The Ampeg does have the ability to run without a cabinet attached which is a big plus and it fits neatly on the Portaflex cab with the flip top capability.




    Is that the 15” pf cab? 

    I’m going to run mine into a Barefaced Compact 15 and apparently it’s a brilliant cab for getting that 60s Motown sound out of the PF20T. 
    Yes, it’s a 15” rated at 450w, plus it has a horn. I haven’t been using the horn as I found it introduced a bit of noise.

    Did you look at the 50w head? I’ve read reports that it’s suitable for gigs and has a more refined mids circuit.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    JezWynd said:
    JezWynd said:
    I've had the Ampeg PF20T for about 6 months now. Got it as an upgrade to the Laney Cub 10 I'd been using up until then. Strange thing is - they sound very similar. Perhaps not that surprising as they both use 2 x 6V6 and 2 x 12AX7. In fact the Laney can dial in a bit of grit easier (at more room friendly levels). The Ampeg does have the ability to run without a cabinet attached which is a big plus and it fits neatly on the Portaflex cab with the flip top capability.




    Is that the 15” pf cab? 

    I’m going to run mine into a Barefaced Compact 15 and apparently it’s a brilliant cab for getting that 60s Motown sound out of the PF20T. 
    Yes, it’s a 15” rated at 450w, plus it has a horn. I haven’t been using the horn as I found it introduced a bit of noise.

    Did you look at the 50w head? I’ve read reports that it’s suitable for gigs and has a more refined mids circuit.
    I did look at the 50 - but I don’t have a need to gig it, it’s mainly for recording at home - and the general bass fora opinion is that the 20 is closer in sound to the b15 and the 50 is actually a bit more modern. 

    Plus - the discount I got was only on the 20, so the 50 would have been £400 more (!)
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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    JezWynd said:
    JezWynd said:
    I've had the Ampeg PF20T for about 6 months now. Got it as an upgrade to the Laney Cub 10 I'd been using up until then. Strange thing is - they sound very similar. Perhaps not that surprising as they both use 2 x 6V6 and 2 x 12AX7. In fact the Laney can dial in a bit of grit easier (at more room friendly levels). The Ampeg does have the ability to run without a cabinet attached which is a big plus and it fits neatly on the Portaflex cab with the flip top capability.




    Is that the 15” pf cab? 

    I’m going to run mine into a Barefaced Compact 15 and apparently it’s a brilliant cab for getting that 60s Motown sound out of the PF20T. 
    Yes, it’s a 15” rated at 450w, plus it has a horn. I haven’t been using the horn as I found it introduced a bit of noise.

    Did you look at the 50w head? I’ve read reports that it’s suitable for gigs and has a more refined mids circuit.
    I did look at the 50 - but I don’t have a need to gig it, it’s mainly for recording at home - and the general bass fora opinion is that the 20 is closer in sound to the b15 and the 50 is actually a bit more modern. 

    Plus - the discount I got was only on the 20, so the 50 would have been £400 more (!)
    Can't speak to the sound of the 50 but like you I chose the 20 for its similarity to the B15. Originally I was set on getting a B15 but in the end was nervous of getting an amp that would be 40+ years old, esp as they're so pricey. I've been very happy with the 20 and it still has the stock valves as I've never had a reason to change them.

    I used to think that solid state was perfectly adequate for bass but since I started using valve heads I'm totally sold on them. Using the DI function on the 20 head will let you get the full range of Gain driven sounds - should be awesome.
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    @JezWynd - agree - valves are the way to go for recording and solid state for live in my view. 
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  • valevale Frets: 1052
    edited August 2018
    @vale - I really wanted this to be an “all things to all boys &girls” - preamps suitable for stage, some for recording, some for bedroom enthusiasts - a sort of collective ramble through all things Preamp DI to give people ideas, inspiration and some reviews to decide what sort of pedals they do/don’t like.

    I have to say, knowing what you like sounds wise you would really like the Dave hall Amps Preamp I have with the valve in it - proper old school Voxy luscious thump 
    i have a few (maybe six) pre-amps in a box stomps that i will have to think about reviewing. i built my own ampeg avt, sunn and orange pre-s (either veros or pcbs), but i only ever got them to working stage never really dug in.
    that was one reason i stopped building (health and concentration another). because i ended up building for the challenge of building and never actually using them beyond checking they worked as intended.
    so i don't have a deep opinion of them, other than demos i heard of them prior to building must have impressed me, or i wouldn't have bothered building them at all.

    maybe the dave hall is related to the ampeg svt preamp?
    re the valve thing, some use it as a valve proper, for which you need a heater connection, but others use it as a glorified diode, to varying effect. some sound great, others fizzy. if you rate it then that's a good recommendation.

    valves are at the outer reaches of my understanding. but a valve wizard like @ICBM ;; may have a list of decent 'preamps in a box' that make good use of the single valve.

    will be interested to see what turns up in this thread. particularly the pocket money gems.
    hofner hussie & hayman harpie. what she said...
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  • valevale Frets: 1052
    JezWynd said:
    I've had the Ampeg PF20T for about 6 months now. Got it as an upgrade to the Laney Cub 10 I'd been using up until then. Strange thing is - they sound very similar. Perhaps not that surprising as they both use 2 x 6V6 and 2 x 12AX7. In fact the Laney can dial in a bit of grit easier (at more room friendly levels). The Ampeg does have the ability to run without a cabinet attached which is a big plus and it fits neatly on the Portaflex cab with the flip top capability.




    that's a very minimalist living room, if i may say so.

    if taylor wimpey built show homes for bass players...
    hofner hussie & hayman harpie. what she said...
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  • BridgehouseBridgehouse Frets: 24578
    edited August 2018
    vale said:
    @vale - I really wanted this to be an “all things to all boys &girls” - preamps suitable for stage, some for recording, some for bedroom enthusiasts - a sort of collective ramble through all things Preamp DI to give people ideas, inspiration and some reviews to decide what sort of pedals they do/don’t like.

    I have to say, knowing what you like sounds wise you would really like the Dave hall Amps Preamp I have with the valve in it - proper old school Voxy luscious thump 
    i have a few (maybe six) pre-amps in a box stomps that i will have to think about reviewing. i built my own ampeg avt, sunn and orange pre-s (either veros or pcbs), but i only ever got them to working stage never really dug in.
    that was one reason i stopped building (health and concentration another). because i ended up building for the challenge of building and never actually using them beyond checking they worked as intended.
    so i don't have a deep opinion of them, other than demos i heard of them prior to building must have impressed me, or i wouldn't have bothered building them at all.

    maybe the dave hall is related to the ampeg svt preamp?
    re the valve thing, some use it as a valve proper, for which you need a heater connection, but others use it as a glorified diode, to varying effect. some sound great, others fizzy. if you rate it then that's a good recommendation.

    valves are at the outer reaches of my understanding. but a valve wizard like @ICBM ;;; may have a list of decent 'preamps in a box' that make good use of the single valve.

    will be interested to see what turns up in this thread. particularly the pocket money gems.
    Dunno what it is about the Dave Hall.. it’s just, well, warm and thick in tone.

    The closest I can get to words for it would be “authoritative” and “chunky” - and it cost me just dead on £100
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