Hi everybody,
I am on the market for a good external preamp to power up my passive basses, and I am attracted to the Ampeg Classic, the Sadowsky, the Aguilar (not the Tone Hammer, the small grey one) and the MXR Thump. Before I go try them, I’d like to pick your brains. Have you used them and can you let me know which one you favor?
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I’d missed it, thank you!
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I loved the Sadowsky. Was pleasantly surprised when I had it. I used the mini Aguilar as a boost, it was a nice preamp, but it kinda lacked controls.
The classic Ampeg preamp has a drive that sounds like a fart, but besides that it is a very good preamp too. Can’t go wrong with any of them.
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I’ve got a Battalion but I’ve been coveting the DSM Humboldt Electronics Simplifier Bass Station for a bit now.
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If you can wait for a little while longer, Janek Gwizdala is in the process of making another comparison video. See a bit on the progress and some sound bites here:
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For me, that I have owned:
EBS ValveDrive
Tech21 VT Bass DI
Behringer BDI-21 ← everyone needs one of these, it’s a $30 clone of the Tech21 SansAmp BDDI
I also owned an EHX Battalion. This was great as a clean, transparent preamp, but it was too transparent for me - I never want that.
I really loved my Darkglass Microtubes X but I just owned the regular and not the Ultra so it wasn’t a full preamp.
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Technically overdrive/distortions pedals are preamps too. Altho I do agree that for a decent preamp you need EQ
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I currently just use my HX stomp but heard one of these recently and am very tempted.
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Kind of my impression. It’s really my only major complaint. The built in compressor isn’t great, but it isn’t meant to be (lawdy I hope not) your only one. The distortion is actually very good imo. I’m not in a hurry to replace it but it’s going to become my backup at some point.
@Paul Another requirement for me at least is that I prefer putting it at the end of my chain, which is where I prefer sending the DI out from as well, so needs to have a DI.
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My current favorite preamp is the DemonFx Microtubes D7K Ultra, which is obviously a clone of the Darkglass B7K Ultra. I’d prefer a Darkglass, because the DemonFx lacks the IR loader. The problem is that the Darkglass is quite expensive. But one day, maybe.
I use it mainly as an overdrive, in front of another preamp (Ampeg SVT-III or Line6 Bass POD Pro). But even in pure clean tone, without the Distortion switch engaged, the tone shaping is excellent thanks to the very flexible EQ. That’s a great overdrive AND a great preamp.
true
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Or get the much cheaper Tonex One and load a Darkglass stomp box sim on it 
@faydout fully agree there, that’s why I always suggest to put preamps at the end of the chain.
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mmm I think I prefer a real preamp with the full tonestack 
But the ToneX is really interesting, yeah. I even could make a model of my SVT and add an existing IR for a 8x10, it would be really cool. And the D7K would be an excellent way to fine-tune the sound.
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Yeah the ToneX is almost exactly what I would want. Almost. If it were based on actual sims and not captures it would be perfect.
Or put another way, I would want a Quad Cortex that can load plugins, like DG/NeuralDSP keeps promising it will someday. Such good routing options there.
In the end though I am completely content with computers being part of my required gear for live music these days, not that I plan on playing live again. Even going back to the '80s we had a mac onstage at all of our gigs, sequencing our drum machine and synths.
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Yeah, I always said to myself that a device that could load VST’s could be the best of both words between the hardware and software approach.
We had an IBM on stage with a previous band, for the drum machine and a few samples. But I’d prefer something a bit more packaged, that would fit neatly in a pedalboard.
That said, for live music, I’m totally fine with the old school way. Amps.
We’re living a funny era. Previously, the goal was somewhat to try to bring the live sound into the recording process. And now it’s almost the opposite : trying to bring the software sound shaping into a viable live rig.
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Why is this not a thing (yet)??? Can’t get enough processor power into a “stompbox”? Or is it about being able to sell more/different products to people who would like to have both, full blown VSTs in a pedal AND also in their DAW at home?? Or is it an interface issue? But already now most people “program” their HX Stomps (or even the C4) via their computers and not so much directly on the device…
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Considering what we do with smartphone, I highly doubt this could be the limiting factor.
That’s my guess. But it seems possible to manage all parameters without the VST graphic interface, like in Reaper when we disable the interface on a VST (“UI” button). Or with a large touch screen to select the parameter to set up, and an actual pot (or several) to actually set the chosen parameter.
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I guess you could. ARM SoCs are inexpensive and very powerful nowadays.
Possibly it is a matter of compiling to a certain OS/CPU/RAM/DSP. Which only makes sense, if there is some kind of standard.
Currently, mostly WIndows, Mac and possibly Linux is targeted for VST, as far as I know…
@howard to the rescue!
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Steinberg’s VST3 is the plugin API standard for all DAWs except Logic (Audio Units) and Pro Tools (AAX).
There is a new plugin API gaining momentum, called CLAP. Basically it’s limited to Bitwig, Reaper, and a few smaller DAWs now but it seems way nicer to code to so hopefully it will take off.
There’s a few lesser plugin API standards but not really worth mentioning.
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The API is just the interface o communicate with the VST. I think the challenge is compiling the VST to OS & hardware.
Commercially that makes only sense if you can sell enough licences - hence the need for a standard target platform.