@terb and I are preamp geeks. Ask me anything 
3 Likes
Whats a pre-amp? 
2 Likes
Alrightā¦ onto pre-amps thenā¦
So, there are a few challenges Iām havingā¦
-
Itās hard for me to detect much difference between them apart from the gain/disortion and I generally donāt like most of the gain/distortion Iāve heard on a pre-amp. Would rather just use my Green Russian for that.
-
I get lost in all the extra features. Things like effect loops, signal padding, stereo mode, etc. Iām not sure what I actually need to be future proof.
-
Of course, everyoneās tastes are different. One review raves about something and another one bashes it. This makes it hard to really work out what people think about them.
Having watched what seems like thousands of pre-amp demo videos, the ones Iām normally drawn to are what people tend to call things like āmuddierā, ādarkerā, āold-schoolā.
As of this morning, the one that sounds the best to me is the EBS ValveDrive DI. But I donāt know if it has the right features for me and some people have moaned about the build quality. Others have raved about the pedal.
I donāt really have a budget. Happy to spend whatever within reason. Not going to lay down silly money, but up to Ā£400/$500 or so is fine if Iām buying something that I love and will last me for many years to come.
Also, I have pretty bad tinnitus (which sucks!) and that might be why its harder for me to pick out the subtle differences. I still have good hearing overall, just a constant buzzā¦
2 Likes
I happen to own an EBS ValveDrive. Mine is built like a tank 
I understand what you are saying about the bells and whistles. Really I would just focus on the tone. Preamps in general are useful for providing EQ and boost, some are good at providing tone coloring, others are nearly transparent. Some have good distortion and/or overdrive, many have very mediocre distortion.
Transparent preamps do not interest me much at all. I have owned one (EHX Battalion) that I really liked but I liked it for other reasons (good distortion, really nice EQ, etc).
For me, tone coloring preamps are where itās at. The ValveDrive so far is the king of the hill I found there for anywhere near the price - it definitely provides a very nice tube character to the sound. It also has a truly great overdriven sound. It sounds like a tube amp. Its only draqback is it doesnāt do much else - it is two dimensional, but those dimensions are amazing.
One thing to realize is that nearly all the tone in modern amps, class D amps in particular, comes from the preamp. Those awesome sounding Darkglass amps sound that way because their preamps are literally a Darkglass Vintage Microtubes or other DG preamp.
Thereās a number of truly great tone coloring preamps that are not very expensive. A nice intro-level one would be something like the Behringer BDI-21, which sounds exactly like the SansAmp Bass Driver DI, and costs $35.
Me too. It sucks so bad.
2 Likes
For recommendations, probably the three best options I have found that I liked most were:
EBS ValveDrive - fantastic tube character, nice Fender-circuit EQ, great overdrive
SansAmp VT Bass DI - this thing just sounds amazing. Solid state, but still adds a very tube-like tone, lots of presence. I absolutely loved mine, until I destroyed it accidentally
Any of the Darkglass. I owned a Microtubes X which I liked a lot, but not the preamp version with full EQ. The Vintage Microtubes, B7k, X7, or Alpha/Omega in their preamp versions would be worth checking out for sure. I own a sim of the VMT and B7K Ultras, and itās amazing.
I start to document my love affair with the ValveDrive here:
Itās one of three pedals I have left
1 Like
Is is Pre-amp or Preamp?
1 Like
Not liking the SansAmp VT Bass DI, but I know people rave about it.
I do like the VMT sound, but generally donāt like all other Darkglass sounds. Shame the VMT doesnāt have a DI out. The bigger Vintage Deluxe v3 and Vintage Ultra v2 I donāt like as much and they have too many controls for me really. Maybe I donāt need a DI out though. I currently plug straight into my DAI as it has one of those multi-sockets. Not currently playing anywhere where I wouldnāt plug into an amp. I also like the form factor of the VMT. But do you think I donāt need EQ then? Or are you suggesting I use the EQ on the amp or computer instead?
Seems to be EBS ValveDrive vs VMT at the minute.
2 Likes
I would say decouple the preamp from the DI. You can always buy a cheap DI later if you need one. Plus, I have never wanted the DI to be at my preamp - usually after the reverb, which is always after my preamp.
2 Likes
Yes.
BTW, Iām also checking out the Mesa Boogie Subway and the Noble Pre-amp
2 Likes
May also want to look at the Two Notes Le Bass.
Yeah, I looked at that one already. Seems very complicated and didnāt like the demos I heard of it.
1 Like
Not the cheapest one 
Seems to be top of the heap though 
2 Likes
My opinion of that thing isā¦ strong
Two band EQ? No.
I get that it is supposed to be the pinnacle of a DI box.
If it doesnāt have at minimum a mids control, then itās useless as an EQ, and would require another pedal.
And while I am sure it sounds great, it wonāt sound that much better than, say, a ValveDrive. If it sounds better at all (which is not at all a given.)
It also costs two to four times what an excellent preamp should. I get that it is hand made. It still, at $1100, is a joke for pricing for what you are getting.
And a 13 week wait.
Justā¦ no. If I had one, I would sell it immediately and buy a more capable preamp and two or three other top tier pedals, and still sound indistinguishably good.
Still pretty expensive but much more reasonable and worth checking out. Excellent tone shaping controls and very versatile looking. Love the dual parametric mids. Looks like a nice solid state preamp and Iād like to hear one
3 Likes
Iāve just ordered a TC Electronics Spectradrive. Donāt really know why, a case of some late-night GAS I think but it was ridiculously cheap at Ā£145 from DV247. I donāt need DI and I sit about two foot away from my Ampeg in my practice room so itās not as if I need a more easily accessible EQ but what I do like is the fact it comes with headphone and aux in sockets and has the Spectracomp compression architecture and overdrive circuits built in so its virtually a complete headphone amp in a small box.
3 Likes
Itās a very versatile little preamp and has some cool options for practicing with just it.
Itās also a very transparent sounding EQ and all the tone for it comes in TC toneprints, which is either good or bad depending on if you like them.
I considered one really early on and itās got some neat features! I decided against it because I donāt want a clean, transparent preamp - but it looks like a really viable option for someone that does. Looking forward to hearing how you like it!
People seem to love the SpectraComp so I bet the compressor part is cool.
3 Likes
Yeah, I knew it was expensive, but not THAT expensive. Was expecting more like $600 rangeā¦
I donāt think itās worth it for an amateur like me. Not yet anyway. But, Iām getting close to making a decision.
1 Like
Donāt worry, I donāt think the Noble is worth more than $300 for anyone, regardless of level. And I would not pay that for it personally.
Itās nice and handmade and everything, and I am sure gearsnobs are very proud of having it, but the utility just isnāt there over something like the ValveDrive, Le Bass, or other tube preamp choices with more control options. Which in the end will also sound just as good (and likely can be dialed in to sound better.)
On the other hand the Subway definitely looks worth checking out to me. Curious how you like it.
1 Like
Might want to check this out:
@DaveT has one and it looks and sounds great to me. Like the ValveDrive, itās got Fender tonestack style EQs and should be much like an improved version of the ValveDrive. Very nice looking preamp.
3 Likes
The problem with that one is that I canāt find a demo with bass anywhere and there are threads saying it is optimized for guitar, not bass. On their site it says it behaves well with bass too, but thatās not quite the same thing. Could be great, but I wouldnāt buy it blind. Need to hear a bass demo.
1 Like