Analog bass preamp

[Winny Pooh]

I've been very happy with the "Natural Bass" preamp model in my GT-1000 core (adds some tubey tone and removes the top end stringy clang) but would like an analog equivalent to build a single pedal board.

Anything out there thats not super transparent nor overdriven? 

[MrDinsdale]

What kind of budget are you talking?

 

the Shiftline Olympic mk3 is excellent but it’s not cheap. I used to use the Natural bass amp when I had the GT1k core, the Olympic to me was the sound it was trying to emulate but far more harmonic goodness and plays very nicely with other effects. 

 

I use a 0xEAE Bass Driver now, same lineage as the Rusty Box. It’s got more colour and can do more grit if needed but does an excellent clean tone. EAE are in the process of reworking it for a smaller enclosure too which should be available in the not too distant future.

[fretmeister]

Mark Bass Vintage Preamp is lovely.

[Nickthebass]

Big vote for the Origin Effects BassRig SV - an SVT in a wee box. I use both as a preamp and my DI. Most of the demo videos will make you think it does distortion and nothing else - they’re wrong. This box is so much more than just a driven rock sound.

 

The clean valve / edge of break up sound is great. The cab sim (on the DI only) is excellent and is a big part of the DI sound. The way it tightens the lows and rounds off the highs is great. 
 

I use mine (generally) as an always on pre-amp with the DI taking the amp and cab sound to the desk. Jack out takes the amp sound (“head” part of the circuit only - no cab sim) to back line - also with it’s own EQ to help you tune the sound for the stage without messing with the FOH signal.

 

This is my board - normally with the EQ, comp and BassRig all on, jack out to back line and XLR to the desk.

 

 

I’ve been really digging the sound of the EQ-comp-cab sim - it’s a great clean sound. I can then use the “amp” part of the circuit to give me a dirty sound without having the two be so different that they can’t work in the same mix.

 

Just using it as a preamp is also great, I’ve got a portable, vibey sound with saturation (clean or as dirty as I want) that makes me impervious to random rehearsal room or borrowed amps!

 

I’ve also used to do the clean / dirty thing on a small gig. Clean from the amp when needed and a little grit from  the SV when needed. 
 

You don’t get the cab sim on the jack out (only on the XLR) - but there is an extra “jack out only” EQ - the two small silver knobs and switch just above the “BASSRIG” logo. I’ve managed to get these to give me a pretty decent approximation of the rounding and warming effect of the cab sim. This could work really nicely if you’re not going to use the XLR.

 

I’m in the process of building out a “noises” board to stick into loop 2 on this small main board. Anything I throw into the BassRig sounds great - fuzz, envelopes, octavers, synths all benefit from the head, cab or both on the SV.

 

It has taken a bit of time for me to get used to it - I felt for a little while as though I was fighting the cab sim but that was my fault. Right now the only thing I’d even think about switching it for is if Origin release a B15 flip top BassRig.

Edited yesterday at 19:39 by Nickthebass

[thumbo]

I think this is a good encapsulation of where pre-amps are currently at.