plumbob Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 (edited) Was just listening to this [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGgAJMGTsJE[/media] Can't understand a word the chap is saying, but thought it was nicely recorded so as to give you an idea of the colourisation of the bass sound by the selected preamp , the only thing that I thought we should have had was a straight unpreamped bass sound for comparison. Having had a recent discussion with our keyboardist , who having just come back from a sucessfull well known studio ,where he had done some A & B comparisons with actual very expensive rack units , and equivalent software plugins , he was of the opinion that the software ones only really scratched the surface. So you would you spend this sort of money for that sound , and if so which would you choose? Recording starts at about 2.10 Gear used: -Musicman Stingray5 (Ed Garnett) -Apogee Symphony Interface -Tube-Tech MEC 1A -Focusrite Red 1 -HHB Radius 10 -Summit 2BA-221 -Avalon Design U5 -ART Pro-MPA Edited April 11, 2013 by plumbob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecoldbass Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 The U5 is the mutts nuts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 [quote name='stonecoldbass' timestamp='1365634080' post='2042285'] The U5 is the mutts nuts. [/quote] I have to agree, after listening to the whole vid and then quickly switching between all of them a few times, the Avalon sounds really lovely, warm and more gutsy, that would be the one I would choose. Very interesting to hear, thanks for posting it, plumbob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike257 Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Can't stick the video on as mini-Mike has just gone back to sleep on me, but I've tracked through a U5 before and they're wonderful things, would definitely be on my studio shopping list. I'm pretty sure Alex (Mr Barefaced himself) used to use one as the centrepiece of his live rig - U5 into a massive power amp and a BF cab. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lowdown Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 I have the U5 - And just love it, more than likely that there are many more out there that do the job just as great. I purchased two second hand for £500.00 [long story but all legal] Sold one of them to a lucky Bassist from South Essex for £250.00. Win win all round, lovely pre-amps. Garry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMG456 Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Very interesting and useful. I have no preconceptions about these things and have to say that most of my recordings as hired player have been done straight to the desk via a DI, but I can see that using a purpose designed preamp could make it easier for someone to get an appropriate sound together quickly. In contrast to opinion here so far, my favourite was the first one, the Tube-Tech, followed reasonably closely by the Summit. They sounded clearer, snappier and more transparent than the rest. A trip down to the old Bass Centre in Wapping many years ago to try some preamps, clearly taught me the absolutely *massive* differences between the tone of different preamp circuits so it is a crucial and often overlooked component in the bassist's overall soundscape. Would I spend this sort of money? Well, depends how much and how much it might change my sound but back then I did shell out about 400 quid for an Ampeg SVP-Pro which I am still enjoying to this day. Cheers Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 I listened to all of them. I'd be more than happy with any of them from a mix perspecctive. I've had to work with a hell of a lot worse thats for sure Which one is 'best' is entirely dependant on the rest of the mix/instrumetnation/song. One is best for one bassist on a specific bass on a certain day for a certain piece of music, but one persons warm Avalon is another persons rather lacking in top end definition and bite Avalon for this track, I would rather have the Tube-tech sound for this (for instance). The Avalon has more low mid in this, but lacks a rather tasty groinky mid range that some of the others show, and to my ears is smoothing the transients in a way that may not be what I'd want. Also of note is the Avalon has pretty limited EQ, I dont know if he has set these all flat: the Avalon tone is set on 5 which is 'something' not sure what, but from having played with Alex's Avalon into his uber rigs I'm not at all convinced that that is particualrly flat. So any of the rest of them that have even a two band eq could add that bit of warmth in if you needed it.. In contrast the TubeTech has a 3 band eq (mid sweep) and a very very very nice optical compressor - dont know if or how those have been used in this case either. Making it significantly more versatile. Its all good kit though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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