steviedee Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Hi I'm looking for for a DI with some tone shaping, I used to have the EBS Microbass which was great but it's a bit overkill, I don't need overdrive or an extra channel. But the tuner in the Microbass III looks very useful and the the send/return. I'm thinking of putting together a small analogue board which will go straight to the desk .... no amp. The Ampeg SCR-DI looks like a contender any recommendations much appreciated! Cheers S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lidl e Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 from the stupid amount of research i did on this, Bar getting a ridiculous one like a noble or a reddi, i'd go for one of these: https://www.radialeng.com/product_category/direct-box 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itu Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 Has your bass a preamp or is it only vol + tone? If there's a preamp, is it enough, or what do you need from the tone shaping? An example: you can have parametric one channel Artec, which is dirt cheap and then use practically any DI after it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 20 minutes ago, itu said: Has your bass a preamp or is it only vol + tone? If there's a preamp, is it enough, or what do you need from the tone shaping? An example: you can have parametric one channel Artec, which is dirt cheap and then use practically any DI after it. I'd be looking at using a few different basses, some with pre-amps and some without. it's really so I can have a bit more control over the EQ. It's just an notion to have an analogue board instead of always using a Helix ... I suppose something like an Origin Effects bass rig could be good but expensive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) 37 minutes ago, lidl e said: from the stupid amount of research i did on this, Bar getting a ridiculous one like a noble or a reddi, i'd go for one of these: https://www.radialeng.com/product_category/direct-box Bassbone looks good! Edited February 2, 2023 by steviedee 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 Bassbone autocorrects to Bassoon 🤣 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) You say you want something small and you don't need overdrive but then you say you are looking at the SCR-DI, which is a large pedal (bigger than the MicroBass II) and kind of the point of it is that is has overdrive. If you're interested in Ampeg, they do another smaller preamp pedal 'Classic Analog' with their tonestack but without the 'Scrambler' (overdrive) section. For your setup, you'd use it in conjunction with a separate DI box. Or if you were happy with the MicroBass II, how about MXR M81, which is a good quality, transparent EQ preamp with DI. I had one for a while and thought it was really good. I saw that there's one for sale in the marketplace (no relation to seller). Edited February 2, 2023 by jrixn1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lidl e Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 10 minutes ago, jrixn1 said: You say you want something small and you don't need overdrive but then you say you are looking at the SCR-DI, which is a large pedal (bigger than the MicroBass II) and kind of the point of it is that is has overdrive. If you're interested in Ampeg, they do another smaller preamp pedal 'Classic Analog' with their tonestack but without the 'Scrambler' (overdrive) section. For your setup, you'd use it in conjunction with a separate DI box. Or if you were happy with the MicroBass II, how about MXR M81, which is a good quality, transparent EQ preamp with DI. I had one for a while and thought it was really good. I saw that there's one for sale in the marketplace (no relation to seller). You just linked back to this thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 7 minutes ago, jrixn1 said: You say you want something small and you don't need overdrive but then you say you are looking at the SCR-DI, which is a large pedal (bigger than the MicroBass II) and kind of the point of it is that is has overdrive. If you're interested in Ampeg, they do another smaller preamp pedal 'Classic Analog' with their tonestack but without the 'Scrambler' (overdrive) section. For your setup, you'd use it in conjunction with a separate DI box. Or if you were happy with the MicroBass II, how about MXR M81, which is a good quality, transparent EQ preamp with DI. I had one for a while and thought it was really good. I saw that there's one for sale in the marketplace (no relation to seller). Cheers I must have been foxed by the size of the pic! Not that fussed re Ampeg but just looking for options. I just never used the EBS drive though I did use the 2nd channel. The MXR is good I had one before but I'm veering towards the bassbone which look enormous so maybe the EBS after all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 2 minutes ago, lidl e said: You just linked back to this thread! Oops - I meant https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/474410-mxr-m81-bass-preamp and will fix my original link. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 3 minutes ago, steviedee said: Cheers I must have been foxed by the size of the pic! Not that fussed re Ampeg but just looking for options. I just never used the EBS drive though I did use the 2nd channel. The MXR is good I had one before but I'm veering towards the bassbone which look enormous so maybe the EBS after all! I had a MicroBass 3 for a while and it's also really good. It's definitely handy that everything (tuner, DI, headphone amp) is contained in one unit. If you use a separate power supply, check it will be ok with the MicroBass 3's quite high current requirement of 750mA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) Nordstrand Starlifter Preamp? Phil Jones Bass PE-5 Preamp? Edited February 2, 2023 by steviedee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 And if you like the second channel of MicroBass 3 but not bothered about overdrive, there is the EBS Stanley Clarke. It doesn't have a tuner though. They market it as an 'Acoustic Preamp' due to the features like 10 Mohms input impedance, mic input, and notch filter, but it's good on electric too. It's my current preamp and I use my P bass through it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 1 minute ago, jrixn1 said: And if you like the second channel of MicroBass 3 but not bothered about overdrive, there is the EBS Stanley Clarke. It doesn't have a tuner though. They market it as an 'Acoustic Preamp' due to the features like 10 Mohms input impedance, mic input, and notch filter, but it's good on electric too. It's my current preamp and I use my P bass through it. Could double in the upright and get rid of my Headway maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrixn1 Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 27 minutes ago, steviedee said: Could double in the upright and get rid of my Headway maybe. Ah great you play upright. I had a Headway (EDB-1) in the past but I found it a bit clunky, and it felt more suited for the studio than to put on a pedalboard. Even more reason to definitely consider the Stanley Clarke then! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulThePlug Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 On a budget? Caline Wine Cellar or Behringer BDI21 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 (edited) 2x EBS MicroBass II: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/472885-ebs-micro-bass-2-twin-channel-preamps-price-includes-uk-postage/ Laney Digbeth Preamp: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/474509-laney-digbeth-di-£105-posted/ MXR M81: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/474410-mxr-m81-bass-preamp/ Another MXR M81: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/474500-mxr-m81-bass-preamp/ PJB PE-5 Preamp: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/474267-phil-jones-bass-pjb-pe-5-preamp-di-for-sale-£125-uk-posted/ Tech21 VT Bass Deluxe: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/473741-tech-21-xotic-line-6-mxr-keeley-way-huge-tc-electronic/ Radial Bassbone: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/473715-radial-bassbone-od/ Caline Wine Cellar: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/473634-caline-wine-cellar-preampdrive-di-for-bass/ Ashdown OriginAL Valve preamp: https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/468545-£150-ashdown-origin-valve-pre-di-pedal/ Just a quick search, not affiliated to any seller. Some excellent options there, MicroBass, OriginAL, PJB... Edited February 2, 2023 by Skybone 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviedee Posted February 2, 2023 Author Share Posted February 2, 2023 1 hour ago, Skybone said: Just a quick search, not affiliated to any seller. Some excellent options there, MicroBass, OriginAL, PJB... Thanks so much mate. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skybone Posted February 2, 2023 Share Posted February 2, 2023 If it were my money, the VT Bass Deluxe or the Digbeth would be first on the list, closely followed by the OriginAL. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skychaserhigh Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 https://reverb.com/uk/item/42144898-jt-amplification-alpha-direct-box-standard I can recommend the JT Alpha Di. I've had mine a while now and I wouldn't be without it now. Great bit of kit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lozz196 Posted February 3, 2023 Share Posted February 3, 2023 The Ampeg SCR-DI is nice, it’s pretty much the only preamp/DI pedal I’ve had where increasing the low end doesn’t result in major boom. The option of adding in (in my case a small touch of) drive without changing the volume is nice as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmc79 Posted February 6, 2023 Share Posted February 6, 2023 (edited) Tech 21 VTDI is versatile and about as compact as these things get. I mainly go straight to the sound desk with this by XLR unless practicing at home. The magic with this is in a full band mix. I'm not crazy about it during solo practice, but the band mix is where it really shines. The key is to take your time figuring out how the Blend, Character & Drive knobs interact. It can get grindy & aggressive if you want it to, especially with the Bite switched pressed in. You can also turn the Speaker Sim off if you want. Basic EQ controls, ground lift & more. The only thing the Tech 21 options lack for me is the option of plugging headphones in for quiet practice. Edited February 6, 2023 by dmc79 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fabbabass Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 The Radial Engineering OD is excellent if you have a couple of basses, or even an electric and Double Bass/Piezo driven bass. The HPF and filters on individual channels also work well. I use it for practice to running an audio input in one channel, bass in the other and the headphone out. Oh, it’s a radial DI too and will drive a power amp. For reference I have other preamps; Tonehammer, Bassics, Mesa 800+, which all have DI’s but none as flexible as the Radial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAS Bass Posted April 2, 2023 Share Posted April 2, 2023 Keep your eyes open for a S/H Dave Hall (DHA), something like the VT1 EQ DI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GremlinAndy Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 I found this fascinating. I figured my hearing was shot, and I wouldn’t be able to tell any difference, but I was pleasantly surprised. Test yourself with this vid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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