Adding Tube Warmth to Solid State amp

[ezbass]

12 minutes ago, Sharkfinger said:

Ohhh, hello....

Just came across some demo's of the Basswitch Sonic Spark.  Sound like it does exactly what I need: add nice harmonics and overtones.

Ed Friedland's got a good demo of it on youtube.

Either way, I think I'm going to sell the BDDI Deluxe: just not for me, I think.  I like what the SFT clone does at low gain but I can't seem to dial in a tone that I like with just bass and trebble.

That's a great sounding pedal. The controls seem like a good idea once set, but man alive they look fiddly!

 

[Bob Lord]

I'm lucky enough to have a Tech 21 VT bass pedal and an SVT. The pedal does that scoopy grind thing really well. I'm not sure I could tell the difference on a recording, but a lot of the SVT experience is the sheer volume, and the way the cab delivers it, and how it stays somehow pleasant to listen to as it gets louder and louder even while sounding (as the americans might say) kinda gnarly. I think that's probably down to the tube power section and the cab, and they're probably about 60% of the equation.

I've tried using the VT bass into my ashdown rig, so I could have a more portable and flexible version of the SVT, but ultimately stopped bothering, as the tube drive built into the head (this is an evo iv 600) sounds better than anything I've managed to dial in with the VT bass. Doesn't sound like the ampeg, but it does give a convincing bit of tube warmth, used in moderate doses. Dunno if Ashdown have a pedal that does that though

Edited January 10, 2019 by Bob Lord

[Bob Lord]

21 hours ago, Sharkfinger said:

What I'm after I guess is that SVT tone, like (almost) everyone else.

......

Let's face it, I'm going to buy another amp, aren't I?

part of the fun of being a musician is trying out and learning about loads of different types of gear, but I personally would have saved loads of money in the long run if I'd just gone and got the actual thing i'm aiming for, in the first place

[Lozz196]

28 minutes ago, Bob Lord said:

I've tried using the VT bass into my ashdown rig, so I could have a more portable and flexible version of the SVT, but ultimately stopped bothering, as the tube drive built into the head (this is an evo iv 600) sounds better than anything I've managed to dial in with the VT bass. Doesn't sound like the ampeg, but it does give a convincing bit of tube warmth, used in moderate doses. Dunno if Ashdown have a pedal that does that though

I think their Original DI/Preamp does that, but it doesn`t come cheap. Still, quality often doesn`t.

[Sharkfinger]

1 hour ago, Sharkfinger said:

Ohhh, hello....

Just came across some demo's of the Basswitch Sonic Spark.  Sound like it does exactly what I need: add nice harmonics and overtones.

Ed Friedland's got a good demo of it on youtube.

Either way, I think I'm going to sell the BDDI Deluxe: just not for me, I think.  I like what the SFT clone does at low gain but I can't seem to dial in a tone that I like with just bass and trebble.

No sooner said than bought.  INCOMIIIING!!!!

Will report on how I get on with it.

50 minutes ago, Bob Lord said:

I've tried using the VT bass into my ashdown rig, so I could have a more portable and flexible version of the SVT, but ultimately stopped bothering, as the tube drive built into the head (this is an evo iv 600) sounds better than anything I've managed to dial in with the VT bass. Doesn't sound like the ampeg, but it does give a convincing bit of tube warmth, used in moderate doses. Dunno if Ashdown have a pedal that does that though

I used to have the rack an Ashdown rack preamp and didn't really like the valve drive, even after trying different tubes.  Just sounded like OD to me.

[dave_bass5]

On 09/01/2019 at 10:40, ezbass said:

As I understand it, the BDDI has a pre-set mid scoop and one would be fighting with the pedal to alter that (unless you want a mid scoop of course), which is why I went with the VTDI. Not only does it have a mid control, but the character control seems like another mid control to me. Plus, you also have the bite and speaker emulation buttons (always on for me).

The latest BDDI has a mid knob, with selectable freq (only 2 though). It does make a big difference over the older versions. I loved my VTBass DI (never got on with the stomp box version), but i keep going back to the BDDI as it has a warmth i just couldn't get out of the VTBass.

[Beedster]

2 hours ago, Bob Lord said:

part of the fun of being a musician is trying out and learning about loads of different types of gear, but I personally would have saved loads of money in the long run if I'd just gone and got the actual thing i'm aiming for, in the first place

Which assume that the journey itself wasn't what allowed you to decide what it is that you wanted

All joking aside, this stuff is fun, expensive at times, but fun. I'm playing pretty much the same rig I when I got back into bass about 10 years ago. This would be OK if it wasn't for the fact that I've probably owned about 15 different rigs in the intervening years! What did I learn? I like tubes and I don't like things that pretend to be tubes. I like to carry heavy gear (which given the previous point is fortunate). I like to simply plug and play, bass-cable-head-cable-cab. Took me a while to get there though, but it was fun. We should never deny anyone else the same journey just because we know better 

[Sharkfinger]

3 minutes ago, Beedster said:

Which assume that the journey itself wasn't what allowed you to decide what it is that you wanted

All joking aside, this stuff is fun, expensive at times, but fun. I'm playing pretty much the same rig I when I got back into bass about 10 years ago. This would be OK if it wasn't for the fact that I've probably owned about 15 different rigs in the intervening years! What did I learn? I like tubes and I don't like things that pretend to be tubes. I like to carry heavy gear (which given the previous point is fortunate). I like to simply plug and play, bass-cable-head-cable-cab. Took me a while to get there though, but it was fun. We should never deny anyone else the same journey just because we know better 

Here here!

[dave_bass5]

4 hours ago, Sharkfinger said:

Ohhh, hello....

Just came across some demo's of the Basswitch Sonic Spark.  Sound like it does exactly what I need: add nice harmonics and overtones.

Ed Friedland's got a good demo of it on youtube.

Either way, I think I'm going to sell the BDDI Deluxe: just not for me, I think.  I like what the SFT clone does at low gain but I can't seem to dial in a tone that I like with just bass and trebble.

Never heard of this before, but because you posted about it i went and had a look. Damm if this isnt what ive been looking for (but didn't know it). I can see me getting one very soon and finally getting away from my BDDI.

 

EDIT: What the heck, just ordered one from BD. i hope this is 'the one' lol.

Edited January 10, 2019 by dave_bass5

[Bigwan]

While that Lehle sounds nice, I'm not hearing anything I couldn't do with my Hartke Bass Attack and hand position/pickup pan.

[dave_bass5]

i agree, its not a unique tone, but in my situation i have always used something like a BDDI to warm up my SS heads. This has always worked well but ive always felt i wanted the warming without too much colouration. Ive gone through a few Pre amps/EQ's but keep coming back to the BDDI. I could hear shades of the BDDI in the video, but without the bit i dont always need.

I always play with a pick and tend to not move my hand position much, so im hoping it will fatten up things a bit.

To me is a bit like the Aphex Big bottom pedal i had years ago, but with a bit more 'magic'. We shall see. im not looking for dirt or OD as such, i have a COG for that, just looking to add a bit more width to the tone.

 

[Tradfusion]

Reading through a similar thread over on TB and this pedal gets lots of love... http://www.barberelectronics.com/linden_compact.html  It is just an EQ pedal though and not a preamp!

Apparently it was discontinued but re-released again last year. The circuitry is described as emulating a B15, so warm and fat etc... its a nice compact size too... the only problem is that its in the US so will need to be shipped/imported etc and it also appears to be out of stock at the moment... sounds like it could be worth waiting for though?

[Sharkfinger]

3 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

To me is a bit like the Aphex Big bottom pedal i had years ago, but with a bit more 'magic'. We shall see. im not looking for dirt or OD as such, i have a COG for that, just looking to add a bit more width to the tone.

This is my view. In my ignorant opinion, most preamps are mainly EQ, with a bit of Gain. The harsh, buzzy kind. Others, are just OD with EQ thrown in.

What I'm after is more richness in the form of harmonics and a gentle and pleasant clipping, rather than OD.

The SFT clone survived so long on my board because it offered some of what I'm after but I ultimately got frustrated with it because I feel they overdid the simplicity and crippled it. It's geared up to be an OD.

There's some really fancy parts in that Pedal, I'm sure it's capable of a lot more. If mods became available to unleash it's potential, I'd be really interested.

[ezbass]

I’m really looking forward to @Sharkfinger and @dave_bass5‘s views when this pedal lands.

[Al Krow]

4 hours ago, dave_bass5 said:

Never heard of this before, but because you posted about it i went and had a look. Damm if this isnt what ive been looking for (but didn't know it). I can see me getting one very soon and finally getting away from my BDDI.

EDIT: What the heck, just ordered one from BD. i hope this is 'the one' lol.

@Sharkfinger...see what you've gone and made Dave do?! He's just gone and broken his 2019 Sibob vow of chastity 😂

4 minutes ago, ezbass said:

I’m really looking forward to @Sharkfinger and @dave_bass5‘s views when this pedal lands.

You and me both.

On the plus side, it's saved me from getting it as I can hear one of these boys playing it live first!

Only one thing for it: we should defo come check out your next E London gig with you playing through my marvellous ex cab (which is FINALLY being let out the house to be gigged) and this new Basswitch SS pedal (and maybe get @Reggaebass to come along for the ride - particularly as I've just ordered 4 bass books from Amazon including a Bob Marley greatest hits...)  

Edited January 10, 2019 by Al Krow

[Reggaebass]

22 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

@Sharkfinger...see what you've gone and made Dave do?! He's just gone and broken his 2019 Sibob vow of chastity 😂

You and me both.

On the plus side, it's saved me from getting it as I can hear one of these boys playing it live first!

Only one thing for it: we should defo come check out your next E London gig with you playing through my marvellous ex cab (which is FINALLY being let out the house to be gigged) and this new Basswitch SS pedal (and maybe get @Reggaebass to come along for the ride - particularly as I've just ordered 4 bass books from Amazon including a Bob Marley greatest hits...)  

Just let me know when and where Al ,I’d love to 👍.  The Hal Leonard Bob Marley bass collection is good too 😀

[Al Krow]

11 minutes ago, Reggaebass said:

Just let me know when and where Al ,I’d love to 👍.  The Hal Leonard Bob Marley bass collection is good too 😀

Was it this Hal Leonard edition? (That's the one I bought).

I'll need to leave young master s-finger to let us know when his next (preferably Friday) East London live set is going to be and we can coordinate diaries!  

[Crawford13]

If you do decide to go down the route of getting a different amp, i think it would be a decent shout to try a Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 or above. Tube pre amp and solid state power amp. Sounds fantastic and is very light. You can pick them up used pretty cheap.

[Reggaebass]

6 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Was it this Hal Leonard edition? (That's the one I bought).

I'll need to leave young master s-finger to let us know when his next (preferably Friday) East London live set is going to be and we can coordinate diaries!  

Yeah that’s the book , keep me posted on dates ,sounds great 😀

[dave_bass5]

2 hours ago, Sharkfinger said:

This is my view. In my ignorant opinion, most preamps are mainly EQ, with a bit of Gain. The harsh, buzzy kind. Others, are just OD with EQ thrown in.

What I'm after is more richness in the form of harmonics and a gentle and pleasant clipping, rather than OD.

The SFT clone survived so long on my board because it offered some of what I'm after but I ultimately got frustrated with it because I feel they overdid the simplicity and crippled it. It's geared up to be an OD.

There's some really fancy parts in that Pedal, I'm sure it's capable of a lot more. If mods became available to unleash it's potential, I'd be really interested.

Yep, lots of nice Pre amps out there but untimely most are just replicating EQ that I have on my amp, but with an added ‘feature’, normally OD.

My dirt comes from my COG Knightfall 66, which I find amazing both for OD and just thickening up my tone, but it seems to lack the real tube girth (love that word). I’m hoping the BW will just stay on all the time doing that, and leave the COG to do what it does best. Coupled with my Jack Casado I think I’m going to have a lovely fat tone. 

My next rehearsal isn’t until 23rd Jan. Until then ill only be able to use it with headphones so not really a good test, although I will post my thoughts on using it like this. 

[dave_bass5]

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

@Sharkfinger...see what you've gone and made Dave do?! He's just gone and broken his 2019 Sibob vow of chastity 😂

You and me both.

On the plus side, it's saved me from getting it as I can hear one of these boys playing it live first!

 

You know you will be welcome to try mine out Bas, and yes, ill give you first refusal when I sell it 🙂

[Count Bassy]

12 hours ago, ezbass said:

That's a great sounding pedal. The controls seem like a good idea once set, but man alive they look fiddly!

 

Just got to say that(IMHO) Ed Freidland does the best bass & Gear demos/reviews out there.

[Al Krow]

8 hours ago, Count Bassy said:

Just got to say that(IMHO) Ed Freidland does the best bass & Gear demos/reviews out there.

16 hours ago, Bigwan said:

While that Lehle sounds nice, I'm not hearing anything I couldn't do with my Hartke Bass Attack and hand position/pickup pan.

The Ed Friedland demo on the Lehle SS (and clips I've previously heard from the Hartke Bass Attack) have been a bit of an "ear opener" for me in that I've heard in pedal form something similar to the "magic sparkle" from my Mesa M6 that I wasn't getting from my MB LM3 head or even quite from my DG M900 head with a "touch of drive" engaged.

Finally putting 2+2 together in my little brain and realising that delicious "magic sparkle" is down to the complex overtones / harmonics that the M6 is deriving from its 12Ax7 tube pre-amp.

I think I heard something pretty similar from @krispn's Fender TB600 which has a not dissimilar architecture to the M6 in terms of valve pre + power set up.

Just wondering whether, for a cost not much more than the Lehle pedal,  @ebozzz was getting the same from his Bughera Veyron BV1001T?

[Sharkfinger]

17 hours ago, Bigwan said:

While that Lehle sounds nice, I'm not hearing anything I couldn't do with my Hartke Bass Attack and hand position/pickup pan.

Hmm, I'll have a look out for one of those then.  Seem to go for about £40 on the bay, so worth a punt.

17 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

The Ed Friedland demo on the Lehle SS (and clips I've previously heard from the Hartke Bass Attack) have been a bit of an "ear opener" for me in that I've heard in pedal form something similar to the "magic sparkle" from my Mesa M6 that I wasn't getting from my MB LM3 head or even quite from my DG M900 head with a "touch of drive" engaged.

Finally putting 2+2 together in my little brain and realising that delicious "magic sparkle" is down to the complex overtones / harmonics that the M6 is deriving from its 12Ax7 tube pre-amp.

That's certainly part of it.  It's the part I'm not getting from OD/preamp pedals or the amp I'm using. 

Those that have said to just get the amp you're trying to emulate are of course completely right and were it not for my back problems, I'd do exactly that.

I'll probably end up buying a Mesa head, like the Big Block 750.....

[GisserD]

I'm a bit late to this thread i appreciate, but the strymon Deco adds all the saturation and overtones i could ask for, into my fairly clinical genz benz head (which i love like my only child). Its effectively a tape recorder saturation and flutter/wow emulation pedal.

here's a great Italian bass demo, the satutation solo`d starts at 3:10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c3SQjePF5I

The saturation side of the pedal is by no means an obvious "effect" but gives a subtle warmth to the sound that wont change the core tone like all the pedals already mentioned on this thread.

The flutter side of the pedal can do everything from subtle tape warble, lush chorus and into double tracking. And it has stereo outs if your into that sort of thing!

Edited January 11, 2019 by GisserD