Cheap preamp/DI box with overdrive...

[Dubhghaill]

I've been looking at buying a preamp for my bass because I'm having trouble getting a decent tone by plugging it straight into my interface. I don't want to spend too much money because I'm only really recording bass for demoing purposes.

I really like the sound of this preamp: [url="http://www.monolith-loudspeakers.com/magma-10-bass-preamp.html"]http://www.monolith-...ass-preamp.html[/url] (see the video when he plugs into the A/B socket, not the audio clips) but it will cost a bit too much to buy one and get it delivered to the UK.

So ideally I want something I can plug in my bass and ideally have an XLR DI output for recording.

Any suggestions?

[charic]

Budget?

[Dood]

If it's for just recording decent bass tones, then I would highly recommend the Line 6 GX, UX1 or UX2. The newer models (with the black front, not red) come up really cheap second hand and give you full access to essentially a recording interface and a line6 X3 in a small box when using the Pod Farm 2 software included. (Amplifier and cabinet sims, distortion pedals, choruses.. Too much to list!!)

I've got a UX1.

[Dood]

http://line6.com/podstudioux2/podfarm.html

Pod Farm software for the interfaces mentioned.

[LiamPodmore]

The drive is a pile of sh*te if you ask me, but the Behringer BDI-21 is quite a nice preamp, especially for recording purposes. Takes a little while to get it set up sometimes, but it works damn well.

Liam

[EskimoBassist]

If you asked this in the effects sub forum I imagine they would say to look at the Sansamp Bass Driver, the MXR-M80 and the Aguilar Tonehammer. I love my M-80 .

[Dubhghaill]

Not really sure about a budget. The Magma one is £500 + delivery + import duty so I'm guessing it would come in at about £700. I'd say I'd like to spend £300 but I would stretch to £400.

As for Line6 stuff, I've got a PODxt with the bass add on and I don't really like it. It doesn't sound "alive", it sounds dull and lacks punch. I have POD Farm as well and it sounds the same.

The BDDI and the M80 look like the kind of thing I want, but they seem to lack the fullness/saturation that I'm after. I'm only going by YouTube videos though, so I might be wrong. The M80 is definitely the closest so far though...

[Commando Jack]

What's your live set up?

If the amp has a DI, use a dummy load and just take the DI out?

[Lozz196]

[quote name='LiamPodmore' timestamp='1345027375' post='1772426']
The drive is a pile of sh*te if you ask me, but the Behringer BDI-21 is quite a nice preamp, especially for recording purposes. Takes a little while to get it set up sometimes, but it works damn well.

Liam
[/quote]

Agree. Under £40, but punches well above its weight. I`ve had one of these, the Sansamp, the MXR M80, only one I`ve kept - the BDI21.

[barkin]

+1 for the Behringer BDI21 - remarkably good for very little money, IMO.

30 quid from Bluearan

http://www.bluearan.co.uk/index.php?id=BEHBDI21&browsemode=category

and you'll probably get half that back if you don't like it and decide to sell it on.

[Dood]

[quote name='Dubhghaill' timestamp='1345028485' post='1772457']
Not really sure about a budget. The Magma one is £500 + delivery + import duty so I'm guessing it would come in at about £700. I'd say I'd like to spend £300 but I would stretch to £400.

As for Line6 stuff, I've got a PODxt with the bass add on and I don't really like it. It doesn't sound "alive", it sounds dull and lacks punch. I have POD Farm as well and it sounds the same.

The BDDI and the M80 look like the kind of thing I want, but they seem to lack the fullness/saturation that I'm after. I'm only going by YouTube videos though, so I might be wrong. The M80 is definitely the closest so far though...
[/quote]

Sorry to hear it, but I have to say I can get waaaay better sounds out of Pod Farm than my M80 - It does need fettling with, yes - but I guess if you really want to spend £300 then maybe look at modelling plug ins instead of you have a decent interface? Start with Ampeg's SVX for decent amp sims for example.

If it's also just for demo purposes, then I think the Line 6 stuff is quids in - you can spend the change on other toys

[Dubhghaill]

Does the BDI 21 have a decent overdrive? The audio clips on the official site don't really sell it to me.

I have a half decent interface - the M-Audio Profire 610. It's fine for most things. I've tried the Ampeg SVX VST - it sounds ok but I still can't manage to get a tone close enough to what I want.

[barkin]

[quote name='Dubhghaill' timestamp='1345032861' post='1772579']
Does the BDI 21 have a decent overdrive?
[/quote]

If you're anywhere near Cambridge you're welcome to try mine.

[Lozz196]

Well the only drive I like is that typical amp breaking up sound, and the BDI21 does this easily, with much more left to go on the drive/gain.

[LiamPodmore]

Once you get it a bit higher than just a little breakup it sounds pretty sh*t in my opinion, more like distorting a solid state pre-amp than a nice drive, but that's just me. Different people might like it (Or spend the time to find a good drive sound) but personally, i don't. As a clean pre though, i absolutely love it. When i was using my board i had it set up for a much warmer, more rounded tone when we were doing more acousticy stuff.

Liam

[fatback]

Check these. Great quality:

http://www.davehallamps.co.uk/page8.html

[skidder652003]

[quote name='fatback' timestamp='1345043468' post='1772782']
Check these. Great quality:

[url="http://www.davehallamps.co.uk/page8.html"]http://www.davehalla...o.uk/page8.html[/url]
[/quote]

gotta say DHA all the way...