JPJ Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Howdy folks, I recently completed my first recording assignment (nothing flash, honest). For that job I just plugged my Overwater direct into the desk and whilst it sounded ok, I think I need a bit more beef next time around. I've another session coming up in January and have decided I [u]MUST[/u] have a preamp before then. I have been thinking about sticking a preamp/di box in my gig bag for a while and am thinking of (in no particular order); 1) Aguilar Tone Pump 2) Sansamp BDDI 3) EBS Microbass 4) SWR Marcus Miller Whilst my first choice is the SWR, the price is a little out of range given that Christmas is just over etc. Anybody using the other options regularly for recording? Also any other options I'm not thinking of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 Don't forget the Bass Buddy by Phil Jones Bass. Not cheap, but it's a pre-amp, a DI box, a compressor, a superb headphone/practice amp, and a front-end to your computer. (This last I have to take on trust, since I don't actually use that function.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M4L666 Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I would go for the SWR, seeing as it's the best (in your opinion), and it is going to be cheapest now after Xmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted December 29, 2008 Author Share Posted December 29, 2008 [quote name='Happy Jack' post='365604' date='Dec 29 2008, 05:19 PM']Don't forget the Bass Buddy by Phil Jones Bass. Not cheap, but it's a pre-amp, a DI box, a compressor, a superb headphone/practice amp, and a front-end to your computer. (This last I have to take on trust, since I don't actually use that function.)[/quote] mmm Hadn't thought of the Phil Jones, more to ponder........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted December 29, 2008 Author Share Posted December 29, 2008 [quote name='M4L666' post='365609' date='Dec 29 2008, 05:25 PM']I would go for the SWR, seeing as it's the best (in your opinion), and it is going to be cheapest now after Xmas.[/quote] It'll have to come down in price quite a bit to match the others considering its £699 list price in the UK That said, I have a huge SWR bias so who knows what could happen in the sales Anybody (other than Stuart Clayton) tried one yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pookus Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 I always record using my amp head and usually a cab mic'd up too. Isn't going straight into the desk even with a pre amp a bit dry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fede162162 Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 what head do you have got? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayfan Posted December 29, 2008 Share Posted December 29, 2008 (edited) Aphex Punch Factory. Adds nice bit of compression to beef up your sound and gives you an XLR balanced DI out to boot. Dial in any extra EQ on the desk. Edited December 29, 2008 by stingrayfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fede162162 Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 i owned the aphex.. if do you need a comp with a di..it worths to spend money..but if you need a preamp who gives your sound,(as recording bass-mixer), but with a touch of beef....i suggest other. i had your same matter... for recording i used to sound only bass(jazz)-mixer, and i loved absolutly that sound;but since the sound wass very very flat and articulated, it was not easy to play,and i needed a lot of concentracion on my touch to play perfect as a rec needs. I solved this little problem thanks to this: [attachment=17831:IMGP2120.JPG] it give the same perfect sound of a super natural jazz bass.BUT with the little beef to allow you to esecute your bass lines easier, and allowing you to give more dinamic to your sound(for example play a note stronger without get harshy and annoing sounds). today i had a rec, and the sound engineer doens't stop to congratulate with me for my execution. he saved the FIRST rec of the bass. yes the hands are important, but this great pre-amp was helpful to me, and it costs as a pedal. listen to this song: [url="http://www.gospel.bo.it/albums/userpics/10137/L_Una_-_un_po__di_me.mp3"]http://www.gospel.bo.it/albums/userpics/10...n_po__di_me.mp3[/url] the sound engineer doesn't touch the bass rec,is it absolutely as I played. (both pups open, tone closed) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Don't forget the MXR-80+ DI............ G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 [quote name='stingrayfan' post='365873' date='Dec 29 2008, 11:22 PM']Aphex Punch Factory. Adds nice bit of compression to beef up your sound and gives you an XLR balanced DI out to boot. Dial in any extra EQ on the desk.[/quote] Funnily enough, I tried both my punch factory and bass exciter on the last session, but found the (digitally) recorded signal to be highly coloured by the aphex DI in a way which the engineer really disliked. As I'll be working with the same producer/engineer team this time, I thought I'd have a look around for something different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 [quote name='fede162162' post='365870' date='Dec 29 2008, 11:19 PM']what head do you have got?[/quote] Rather predictably from my earlier comment, but my main amp is an SWR750x. We tried this the last time too, but the engineer thought the DI was too noisy to be used and that the miked sound (through one of my Goliaths) was too rock. I should probably mention that I'm recording with a female vox and acoustic guitar duo who just want some bass to widen out the sound spectrum on their recordings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 [quote name='Pookus' post='365641' date='Dec 29 2008, 05:53 PM']I always record using my amp head and usually a cab mic'd up too. Isn't going straight into the desk even with a pre amp a bit dry?[/quote] I think the producer wants a very pristine but defined tight sound "almost hifi but with some implied warmth" his words not mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 [quote name='fede162162' post='365911' date='Dec 30 2008, 12:20 AM']i owned the aphex.. if do you need a comp with a di..it worths to spend money..but if you need a preamp who gives your sound,(as recording bass-mixer), but with a touch of beef....i suggest other. i had your same matter... for recording i used to sound only bass(jazz)-mixer, and i loved absolutly that sound;but since the sound wass very very flat and articulated, it was not easy to play,and i needed a lot of concentracion on my touch to play perfect as a rec needs. I solved this little problem thanks to this: [attachment=17831:IMGP2120.JPG] it give the same perfect sound of a super natural jazz bass.BUT with the little beef to allow you to esecute your bass lines easier, and allowing you to give more dinamic to your sound(for example play a note stronger without get harshy and annoing sounds). today i had a rec, and the sound engineer doens't stop to congratulate with me for my execution. he saved the FIRST rec of the bass. yes the hands are important, but this great pre-amp was helpful to me, and it costs as a pedal. listen to this song: [url="http://www.gospel.bo.it/albums/userpics/10137/L_Una_-_un_po__di_me.mp3"]http://www.gospel.bo.it/albums/userpics/10...n_po__di_me.mp3[/url] the sound engineer doesn't touch the bass rec,is it absolutely as I played. (both pups open, tone closed)[/quote] Thanks for that, another contender emerges! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 [quote name='geoffbyrne' post='365916' date='Dec 30 2008, 12:36 AM']Don't forget the MXR-80+ DI............ G.[/quote] ....and another Anybody using the MXR? How does it sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pookus Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 If you are after a nice clean natural sounding bass sound with a bit of warmth etc you could look at the double bass pre amps like Fishman etc. Dunno might be worth a look? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 [quote name='Pookus' post='365941' date='Dec 30 2008, 01:29 AM']If you are after a nice clean natural sounding bass sound with a bit of warmth etc you could look at the double bass pre amps like Fishman etc. Dunno might be worth a look?[/quote] Cheers for that, I guess this isnt going to be an easy search with all these options. How does your MXR sound in the flesh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-77 Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I use a Superfly head with the DI output going in to my Yamaha 01x desk, I quite like the Superfly as i can save different EQs/Inputs/Comp for each of my basses, also with the combination of the Superfly & 01X i can save off and recall set up should i need to go back to something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPJ Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 [quote name='G-77' post='365953' date='Dec 30 2008, 02:01 AM']I use a Superfly head with the DI output going in to my Yamaha 01x desk, I quite like the Superfly as i can save different EQs/Inputs/Comp for each of my basses, also with the combination of the Superfly & 01X i can save off and recall set up should i need to go back to something.[/quote] I was really thinking of something in a pedal format. Whilst my primary need is for this forthcoming recording sesh, I thought it might be useful to have a 'plan B' in the gig bag in the event that my amp went tits up mid gig. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stonecoldbass Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I use the MXR di+ thingy and it rocks, it will do exactly what you're looking for, fattening out the sound. The 'colour' switch on it just sweetens everything. Very handy little unit and I love the fuzz I get from it too. I also use a summit audio td-100 half valve preamp/di which is buttery clean :-) c Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fede162162 Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 do you like to get a clean-flat sound or something more coloured?(coloured sometimes is bad,sometimes is good, the sansamp colour is enough good =D first of all,according to your purpose, i suggest to not spend too much money, just the necessary for a pedal/pre as the mxr, sansamp,the pedal i have,a fodera or sadowsky pre amp pedal,or the tri logic by xotic.. let's understand better what do you want? modern or classic sound? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 I really liked the EBS when I had it. It was coloured but very natural, unlike the SABDDI which.. isn't. IMO. The EBS is also very flexible and useful for loads of other stuff. If you do get caught short, you're more than welcome to borrow my [url="http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/preamps_paradi.shtml"]L.R. Baggs Para DI [/url]which is very nice, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wateroftyne Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 [quote name='fede162162' post='365911' date='Dec 30 2008, 12:20 AM']listen to this song: [url="http://www.gospel.bo.it/albums/userpics/10137/L_Una_-_un_po__di_me.mp3"]http://www.gospel.bo.it/albums/userpics/10...n_po__di_me.mp3[/url][/quote] I enjoyed that tune. Thanks for posting it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnylager Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 [quote name='wateroftyne' post='366075' date='Dec 30 2008, 11:05 AM']I really liked the EBS when I had it. It was coloured but very natural, unlike the SABDDI which.. isn't. IMO. The EBS is also very flexible and useful for loads of other stuff. If you do get caught short, you're more than welcome to borrow my [url="http://www.lrbaggs.com/html/products/preamps_paradi.shtml"]L.R. Baggs Para DI [/url]which is very nice, too.[/quote] I must agree with our 1 point less but 6 goals more friend - I'm on my 3rd DI in just over a year... 1st was a programmable SABDDI - 3 channels was nice, but needed to boost the mids on me amp, 2nd was a Sansamp Paradriver - added mid control, close but no cigar, 3rd & current - EBS MicroBass II - seems to give exactly what I need, whatever that is. That Baggs jobbie looks proper tasty though. Must...not...buy...another...DI... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fede162162 Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 ebs microbass is such a special think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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