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Using a Preamp pedal as you main tone source.


lefrash
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Hi guys,

I'v always wondered about this. The majority of my gigs are smallish, multi-changeover gigs. The usual gig night that we all know about. The vast majority of my gigs I dont use my amp. At Practice I do use my own amp, so over the years I have decided its easier just to put up with what we're given for back line. The problem with that is of course each gig I turn up to, I will sound different depending on the amp, room, crowd etc.

My question is, do any of you lot use a preamp pedal as your main tone source and bypass the supplied amp's preamp? Using it as a power amp really? That will also give you a high quality DI. I know som of you will pipe in and say that I shouldnt be doing gigs without my own gear etc, but to be honest, I cant be arsed taking my rig to every gig; I want to keep things as simple as possible (Just like I have done for 15 years).


The only reason I bring this up is because I've recently needed the use of a few effects (which I've done without my whole gigging life) and now that I have a pedal board, I might as well go out and get myself a nice preamp/DI pedal!

I'm not really looking for reccomendations as to what pedal to get (I have my own preferences for that), I'm more keen on finding out your experiences of doing this. And if its worth the expenditure. Will I get a more familiar sound each time I gig? Or is it just another pedal to fiddle with?

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Interesting. I've just started thinking about doing something similar. Despite offering an attenuated di the output from my bass terror is still too hot for some sound techs.

I'm thinking of permanently adding a modelling DI box into my chain and giving that signal to foh if required.

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I did a few gigs where the promised backline didn't appear, or when it did appear I was told to not adjust anything (which was fair enough as I was borrowing it). So I DI'd from my Sansamp or DHA, and ran into the poweramp in of the backline.

It worked fine...

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The done thing on the originals circuit round here is either the venue to provide the bass rig, or the headliner to leave theirs on stage all night, so when we're not headlining I regularly do exactly what you're suggesting and it works well. I have a very simple pedalboard set up with my wireless, tuner, compressor and sansamp, and plug into either the front-end, fx-return or power-amp-in of whatever I'm borrowing. The Sansamp makes it easy by having switches for both the jack and xlr outputs to select between line or instrument level on each, so you're rarely (read: never) stuck for a way to connect in, and setup takes all of about 5 minutes including tweaking the sound to compensate for the difference in rig.

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Well you all more or less confirmed what I was thinking. This is a perfectly viable solution. I'm currently building my pedal board up, so getting a preamp pedal will more than likely be last on the shopping list but I'l more than likely get a BDDI (or If im being cheap a hartke bass attack). I dont have loads of effects either, just some fuzz, compression and and bass synth wah.

I suppose the object of the exercise for me is not to get a world class tone from it, its more to do with getting a more familiar tone that my effects will react similar to, no matter what kind of backline is supplied.

Cheers for the input lads!

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I've recently started doing this for originals gigs. I just take my bass and a Hartke Bass Attack pedal. I love it, you have normal pre amp bits a eq sweep boost (changeable) and you can get a tubey sound from it. At the last gig i did the bass player in the band supplying the amp said don't touch the eq. I just said don't need to. I just used the pedal before it and turned off the compression on the amp. Afterwards he was asking what make my bass was cos it sounded so good through his amp. The pedal can also be used as a D.I box, pre and post.

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i've used my ebs microbass for many years to do exactly what the OP describes and also at practice studios where the amp you use may vary from one week to the next. it certainly removes one variable from the equation.

live it also means you can leave the amp owner's settings as they are which will no doubt make them happy !

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[quote name='lefrash' timestamp='1348949236' post='1820122']
Hi guys,
...

My question is, do any of you use a preamp pedal as your main tone source and bypass the supplied amp's preamp? Using it as a power amp really? That will also give you a high quality DI. I know som of you will pipe in and say that I shouldnt be doing gigs without my own gear etc, but to be honest, I cant be arsed taking my rig to every gig; I want to keep things as simple as possible (Just like I have done for 15 years).

The only reason I bring this up is because I've recently needed the use of a few effects (which I've done without my whole gigging life) and now that I have a pedal board, I might as well go out and get myself a nice preamp/DI pedal!
[/quote]

Hello - good thread! :hi:

I've been using a preamp/DI for Live and at home (albeit a rack mount) for more years' than I care to remember. I've been through a SANSAMP and an Aguilar, and both were exceptional, but I just prefer the sound of my Trace. It also has an effects send/return for my pedals and a headphone out for use at home..
The thing about the whole preamp/DI thing, is that I can have a much smaller set up on stage - you can get away with a 2x10 or 1x15 in front of you - like a monitor? which YOU control through the head (combo or power amp); and take as much power as you need to crank it up. Foh won't care, because they've got your front-end sound anyway..
I got really fed up with lugging my 4x10 around and having to compete with all the other back-line, drums etc
I've even had a vocal feed from the house PA coming through the other channel on my amp, which was a bit of a luxury! :D

Let us know how you get on!

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A very cost-effective way of doing this is the Behringer BDI21. Great piece of kit, at under £40. I`ve been using provided amps recently at gigs, but luckily they`ve all been Fenders/Ampegs, so I`ve been able to get what I want from them. If they`d been modern sounding amps, the BDI21 would have been put to use. As I`ve got a Markbass amp, have been seriously considering the Booster/DI, but the Behringer gives a sound I`m happy with.

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The behringer DI seems to get a lot of love on this forum. I'm far from being a brand snob - I own loads of behringer stuff, and in fact iv got a behinger compressor on my board. But, For some reason that wee BDI21 thing doesnt fill me with confidence. At that price it might be worth a punt, but I do think that the £30-40 would be better put towards a 'better branded' one. I could be totally wrong though (and from the feedback from BC forumites, I probably am).

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If you're plugging into the FX return of someone else's amp, surely the power amp and speaker in that amp are going to colour your sound? OK if you have decent tone shaping on your preamp.

Have to say I always like to take my own kit, but once did a dep gig (on guitar) for a dance band where they provided the amp. I only needed to get the 'jazz guitar' sound, so that wasn't a problem.

Another solution is to take a lightweight digital head and connect to whatever speaker is available.

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My main rig consists of the bass going into a DHA VT1 EQ and I take a DI out of that before any effects. I'm yet to have a sound guy complain about the signal (mostly because it's noise free and sounds great), then I take a 1/4" output to the pedalboard and amp - a Hartke LH500 running a flat EQ. If I'm feeling fussy I'll have the cab miked up to put the effects through the FOH, but that's a rarity.

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