Trace Elliot Transit B bass preamp - How close does it get to the real thing?

[Baloney Balderdash]

Anyone knows how close the new Trace Elliot Transit B preamp that is supposed to recreate the original classic Trace tone actually gets to the real thing?

 

I should maybe add that while I am a big fan of the classic Trace Elliot tone/sound, I've never been a fan of the Pre Shape, or should I say mid suck, button.

 

Edited March 30, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[2pods]

I thought that was the classic Trace sound ?

 

SMX amps had two pre shapes. The classic, and (I think, but I'm sure someone will correct me as I can't remember ) an upper mid boost ?

[thodrik]

To me the the pre shape pretty much was the classic Trace Elliot tone and sound. Sure you could get other sounds out of it with the graphic preamp, but to me I got the best sounds by using the pre shape and then dialling the mids back in with the graphic EQ. 

In terms of the pedal, it has the pre shape and a four band EQ rather then a graphic. It will be a good pre amp for sure, but to me without the graphic pre amp it just won't 'feel' the same, but you could certainly get a tone in the same general ballpark, particularly if you were never a player who actually used the preshape.  

A used version of the old Trace Elliot 7 band graphic EQ might get you closer to the 'classic' tone, though I think that the Transit will be a lot more flexible. 

 

On 30/03/2023 at 15:34, 2pods said:

 

SMX amps had two pre shapes. The classic, and (I think, but I'm sure someone will correct me as I can't remember ) an upper mid boost ?

Yes, the SMX and later SM amps had two pre-shapes. Pre-shape one was a 'boost bass and treble and cut mids' and pre-shape 2 was more generally a 'bass and low mid boost' with less of a treble boost. Some folk really preferred pre-shape 2, I just found it a bit 'wooly' and lacked definition, but with a bit of work with the graphic it could work really well too.

Edited April 1, 2023 by thodrik

[gafbass02]

That’s how I used to do it, run the pre shape and compensate.
 

…Except sometimes, when I just used the sheer power of an AH400smx into two 4x10s and a bright box to compensate for the mid cut 😂😂

Edited April 1, 2023 by gafbass02

[Merton]

2 hours ago, gafbass02 said:

That’s how I used to do it, run the pre shape and compensate.
 

…Except sometimes, when I just used the sheer power of an AH400smx into two 4x10s and a bright box to compensate for the mid cut 😂😂

One of my enduring early memories of the Bassworld days is a pic of you in front of that beast of a rig! I was always very jealous of it 😀

[Sparky Mark]

These are quite hard to find but do a darn close impression of the TE GP12 pre amp tone. The shape control is also adjustable rather than straight on or off which is a great feature IMO. 

[tony_m]

4 hours ago, Sparky Mark said:

These are quite hard to find but do a darn close impression of the TE GP12 pre amp tone. The shape control is also adjustable rather than straight on or off which is a great feature IMO. 

 

That's what I use, run through either a Trace AH200 head with the pre-shape and EQ both disengaged on the amp (sacrilege, I know... 🤨 ), or into one of my Ashdowns, again with the EQ disengaged or set flat, and a DI run from the pedal to the desk for FOH. Have to confess, I tend not to touch the 12-band graphic, just dial in an appropriate amount of pre-shape to get the sound I want - this seems to work well enough for the band I'm in, but guess I really must have a proper "Mess Around With The Graphic" session sometime to see if it could be improved any.

[gafbass02]

5 hours ago, Merton said:

One of my enduring early memories of the Bassworld days is a pic of you in front of that beast of a rig! I was always very jealous of it 😀

This one?  I actually had a second 8x10 stack with a Laney PB400 too, only used them both at the same time once, in a warm up gig for the Styx tour with Double Cross. It was a lot of fun and luckily the police didn’t arrive till after we’d finished 😂

Edited April 1, 2023 by gafbass02

[Merton]

That’s the one, thanks @gafbass02 😎

[evan47]

I have owned the Transit B for well over a year and it is a great preamp.

Definitely in the ball park for a good TE like sound.

It also has a very good dual band compressor, highly visible stage tuning function as well as bass enhance and overdrive.

It is my always on effects pedal.

[TheGreek]

On 01/04/2023 at 11:39, Sparky Mark said:

These are quite hard to find but do a darn close impression of the TE GP12 pre amp tone. The shape control is also adjustable rather than straight on or off which is a great feature IMO. 

 

Should I add this to my wish list??

[Sparky Mark]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

 

Should I add this to my wish list??

Only if you've got another amp you'd like to sound Trace Elliot-ish.

[2pods]

I'm going to try a DIY approach with a SA EQ2 for the graphic(it has 2 graphics)

 

I can either run the the first EQ and 2nd EQ in series for a "full" Trace Graphic, or use first EQ as the Trace graphic, and the 2nd EQ as either one of the pre shapes, again in series.

 

It's a bit convoluted, but I'm looking forward to trying it.