Floor-based preamp/DIs - what're the options?

[Ian Savage]

Looking for something to run straight into one of my PA power amps to avoid having a bass head kicking around the place, which'll give me some EQ control and a DI out for live sound; I've currently got a Bass Metaphors which I quite like but it doesn't play nicely with other pedals on the same power supply (a 'positive-ground' design, apparently) and I can't be doing with having multiple power supplies when I only use three stompboxes!

Had a look at the Hartke Bass Attack, but where possible I try to avoid buying Chinese-made stuff on ethical grounds; the Sansamp Bass DI looks good but is a bit pricier than I can justify unless I find one secondhand - is there anything else out there that I've missed?

Thanks in advance!

[phil.i.stein]

[quote name='Ian Savage' post='1024166' date='Nov 15 2010, 12:11 AM']Looking for something to run straight into one of my PA power amps to avoid having a bass head kicking around the place, which'll give me some EQ control and a DI out for live sound; I've currently got a Bass Metaphors which I quite like but it doesn't play nicely with other pedals on the same power supply (a 'positive-ground' design, apparently) and I can't be doing with having multiple power supplies when I only use three stompboxes!

Had a look at the Hartke Bass Attack, but where possible I try to avoid buying Chinese-made stuff on ethical grounds; the Sansamp Bass DI looks good but is a bit pricier than I can justify unless I find one secondhand - is there anything else out there that I've missed?

Thanks in advance![/quote]
Hartke Bass Attack is awesome, dismiss ethics in this case.

mxr m-80 also brilliant. more versatile too. but there's something beautiful about that tone shape on the hartke vxl..

i got shot of the sans-amp bddi. didn't do the right thing for my ears.

i would love to try some dha stuff..

[EskimoBassist]

MXR M-80. Used for live and in the studio for two years now, great pedal. Very versatile EQ section, seperately switchable distortion circuit (with an included noise gate) and a clean DI.

[Happy Jack]

The Sansamp BDDI does it for gritty valve-driven sounds, but if you want something cleaner then check out the Radial Bassbone. They're pretty similar prices, mind.

[Happy Jack]

Or you might be interested in [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=110992"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=110992[/url]

WAY too complicated for a simple person like me, but I imagine it will do everything you could want.

[Ian Savage]

Thanks for those, some food for thought - the MXR does look good, a bit more than I'd want to spend new but I've saved an eBay search! The Digitech looks interesting but no XLR DI out (and may be a bit overkill for my needs )

[s1ater]

DHA vt2 twin std its got 2 12ax7's in it, 2 channels with separate eq's.

great pedal

[Ghost_Bass]

Sadowsky pré/DI
Aguilar Tonehammer

These would be on top of my list, ahead of the Sansamp. Mind they're a bit pricey but worth every penny!

Also you could try the EBS Valvedrive.

[deej]

[quote name='EskimoBassist' post='1024890' date='Nov 15 2010, 05:21 PM']MXR M-80. Used for live and in the studio for two years now, great pedal. Very versatile EQ section, seperately switchable distortion circuit (with an included noise gate) and a clean DI.[/quote]

Another one for the MXR here. I actually almost sold it at first, but now its become probably my most essential pedal. The EQ is always on for me as I like how it can fatten up my sound, and its always useful to have a distortion with a built in blend. Just frees up another space on my board.

[gafbass02]

Another big fan of the hartke here

[Ghost_Bass]

When i got my SR5 i stopped using the EQ in my amp but now with my TRB-5PII even the mixer stays flat! All my EQ is done on the on-board pre-amp and i can get all the sounds i need (and more) with very little trouble. If you have a good instrument there's no need for EQ'ing. You only need a good tranparent pre (or a DI in this case) and power amp coupled with some nice cabs

[xilddx]

[quote name='gafbass02' post='1025068' date='Nov 15 2010, 07:35 PM']Another big fan of the hartke here [/quote]
Me too, great bit of kit and quite cheap, does everything you want.

And dude, if you have nothing Chinese, your home must look a bit bleak, either that or you've spent your cash on very expensive alternatives hence your lack of available funds for a programmable SSPBDDI

[wateroftyne]

EBS Microbass II. Beautiful.

[yorick]

There's also the cheapskate's version, the Behringer BDDI21. Adds a bit of grit, some EQ and a DI out. If you want to try one out, you can borrow mine......

Nige

Edited November 16, 2010 by yorick

[Bay Splayer]

+1 for the [b]aguilar tone hammer[/b]

[EBS_freak]

[quote name='wateroftyne' post='1025781' date='Nov 16 2010, 12:51 PM']EBS Microbass II. Beautiful.[/quote]

Indeed. Got both Microbass 2 and the Valve drive. I prefer the Microbass but the Valve drive is great if you are into your dirtier crunchier stuff. I actually run the gain on the valve drive really low to add a little warmth to the signal when recording using my computer's soundcard.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='yorick' post='1025782' date='Nov 16 2010, 12:53 PM']There's also the cheapskate's version, the Behringer BDDI21. Adds a bit of grit, some EQ and a DI out. If you want to try one out, you can borrow mine......

Nige[/quote]
I`ve got both this Behringer BDDI and the Sansamp Bass Driver. They are very comparable units. Yes, the Sansamp does sound better, but in reality, is it 6 times better than the Behringer - £180 as oppose to £30 - no it isn`t, in my view. Nice warm sound on the Behringer, great at adding some grit into the sound. Thoroughly recommend trying this one. One thing I`m sure, if you don`t like this, in all likelyhood you won`t like the Sansamp.

[janmaat]

[quote name='EBS_freak' post='1026771' date='Nov 17 2010, 12:08 PM']Indeed. Got both Microbass 2 and the Valve drive. I prefer the Microbass but the Valve drive is great if you are into your dirtier crunchier stuff. I actually run the gain on the valve drive really low to add a little warmth to the signal when recording using my computer's soundcard.[/quote]

Microbass 2. Phantastic, I'll marry mine. I use EBS multidrive and multicomp with it. WOOW. I shopped everything else.

[dave_bass5]

[quote name='Lozz196' post='1026840' date='Nov 17 2010, 01:25 PM']I`ve got both this Behringer BDDI and the Sansamp Bass Driver. They are very comparable units. Yes, the Sansamp does sound better, but in reality, is it 6 times better than the Behringer - £180 as oppose to £30 - no it isn`t, in my view. Nice warm sound on the Behringer, great at adding some grit into the sound. Thoroughly recommend trying this one. One thing I`m sure, if you don`t like this, in all likelyhood you won`t like the Sansamp.[/quote]

Ive got both as well and agree with you. I would be happy using either but i do only take my BDDI to gigs now. I find its a bit warmer, and maybe less sparkly than the BDI21.

Ive also had a Sadowsky DI/pre and while it did what its supposed to do, i felt it was quite boring and most of the time pointless using it. I wouldn't want to use it as a pre with only bass and treble control.

IME of course.

Seeing as the OP doesn't really want Chinese made gear i guess Behrigner is not on the list.

Edited November 19, 2010 by dave_bass5

[Ian Savage]

Cheers all, the EBS is now also on the list to check out - although I've found that I should be able to run the Bass Metaphors at the same time as my other bits using an isolated power supply which might be a [i]slightly[/i] cheaper option than selling on the EHX and getting an EBS or MXR...again, food for thought though, cheers!

[quote name='silddx' post='1025774' date='Nov 16 2010, 12:46 PM']And dude, if you have nothing Chinese, your home must look a bit bleak, either that or you've spent your cash on very expensive alternatives hence your lack of available funds for a programmable SSPBDDI [/quote]

It's both apart from my laptop (which apparently are ineviatably Chinese ) and I think a Boss pedal or two I don't think I own anything made in the PRC/Taiwan...it's a tiny, tiny moral victory for human rights but, y'know, an EU-made microwave or whatever only usually costs 10-20% more than a Chinese one...