Advice with preamp and amp connecting please?

[Kaz99]

Hi everyone, 

 

Sorry if this seems like a stupid question, I'm a relative newbie to bass and not the most technical so I'm a bit confused as to how to set up a preamp/DI box (behringer bdi21) to my amp (peavey tnt115 bw equipped). I figured now that I'm getting to grips with playing bits and pieces it's time to look at improving my sound. I've heard the bdi21 can function as a preamp but I'm not too sure I've got it connected correctly to my amp? I've heard some sites say to connect my bass to the preamp then plug into my amp but I'm not sure where I should be plugging this into exactly as some say the "power amp" part of the amp but then others say preamp? 

 

I've looked through forums but I'm relatively new to all the technical jargon so it's a bit over my head haha. Would anyone be able to offer any guidance please? Again sorry if this is a stupid question, hopefully by naming the gear I'm using it might help? 

Many thanks! 

[Mudpup]

In its simplest form just plug your bass into the input (IN) of the BDI and run a lead from the output (OUT) straight into the front input of your amp (where you would normally plug your guitar lead into). Probably best to set all your amp tone controls flat in this case until you've had a play.

 

When you want the BDI to work just hit the switch on it and you'll hear the difference it makes. The amp will work perfectly fine without the switch engaged.

 

The 'BLEND' knob on the front regulates how much of the effected sound you will hear - fully anticlockwise and its mainly just your natural bass sound and as you rotate it clockwise it will mix in your effected signal.

 

If you need to run into a PA you can connect into a desk via the XLR output 

 

And if you wanted to totally bypass your amps tone controls you can plug the BDI into the effects return (if your amp has one) and you will then be using the BDI as your amps 'front end' whilst using the amps power amp to supply the total volume.

Edited November 7, 2021 by Mudpup

[ezbass]

As a starting point, I’d just set the eq on the amp flat and plug your preamp into the normal, instrument input. Then you can play around with the tones on the pedal. You can plug into the FX loop’s return input, bypassing the amp’s tone circuit, but I’d try straight into the ‘front end’ first.

Edited November 7, 2021 by ezbass

[Kaz99]

1 hour ago, Mudpup said:

In its simplest form just plug your bass into the input (IN) of the BDI and run a lead from the output (OUT) straight into the front input of your amp (where you would normally plug your guitar lead into). Probably best to set all your amp tone controls flat in this case until you've had a play.

 

When you want the BDI to work just hit the switch on it and you'll hear the difference it makes. The amp will work perfectly fine without the switch engaged.

 

The 'BLEND' knob on the front regulates how much of the effected sound you will hear - fully anticlockwise and its mainly just your natural bass sound and as you rotate it clockwise it will mix in your effected signal.

 

If you need to run into a PA you can connect into a desk via the XLR output 

 

And if you wanted to totally bypass your amps tone controls you can plug the BDI into the effects return (if your amp has one) and you will then be using the BDI as your amps 'front end' whilst using the amps power amp to supply the total volume.

Thank you for breaking this down for me! Sorry if it was a stupid question, it's my first time actually delving into the more technical side of things rather than just plugging my bass guitar straight into an amp (I know its probably really simple but first timer here haha). Thanks again for explaining things! 

[Kaz99]

1 hour ago, ezbass said:

As a starting point, I’d just set the eq on the amp flat and plug your preamp into the normal, instrument input. Then you can play around with the tones on the pedal. You can plug into the FX loop’s return input, bypassing the amp’s tone circuit, but I’d try straight into the ‘front end’ first.

Thank you for explaining, first time delving into actually altering the sound of my bass rather than just plugging it into the amp and practicing so I was bit thrown when trying to set it up haha

[Mudpup]

32 minutes ago, Kaz99 said:

Thank you for breaking this down for me! Sorry if it was a stupid question, it's my first time actually delving into the more technical side of things rather than just plugging my bass guitar straight into an amp (I know its probably really simple but first timer here haha). Thanks again for explaining things! 

Gotta start somewhere buddy! Not a stupid question at all..... 

[Bunion]

Oh just wait until you get into ohms and compression 😂🤣😂

[Hellzero]

There are no stupid questions.

 

Your Peavey TNT 150 equipped with a Black Widow (BW) 15 inches speaker is already a really good combo (a head with a cabinet).

 

I'm not sure the Behringer BDI21 adds something, on the opposite, as the 9 bands EQ + plus Bass and Treble and the Punch button of this combo are already excellent and it has a very good integrated chorus too.

 

I would use the Behringer BDI21 for what it's intended when it's needed : a D.I. box.

 

Here's the manual for you great (but really heavy) combo : https://peavey.com/manuals/80300755.pdf

 

Check the proposed settings as a good start up for your sound.

[Chienmortbb]

15 hours ago, Hellzero said:

There are no stupid questions.

 

Your Peavey TNT 150 equipped with a Black Widow (BW) 15 inches speaker is already a really good combo (a head with a cabinet).

 

I'm not sure the Behringer BDI21 adds something, on the opposite, as the 9 bands EQ + plus Bass and Treble and the Punch button of this combo are already excellent and it has a very good integrated chorus too.

 

I would use the Behringer BDI21 for what it's intended when it's needed : a D.I. box.

 

Here's the manual for you great (but really heavy) combo : https://peavey.com/manuals/80300755.pdf

 

Check the proposed settings as a good start up for your sound.

To be fair the BD!21 does give a nice slightly overdriven sound that you cannot get from any amp I have tried.

[Kaz99]

16 hours ago, Hellzero said:

There are no stupid questions.

 

Your Peavey TNT 150 equipped with a Black Widow (BW) 15 inches speaker is already a really good combo (a head with a cabinet).

 

I'm not sure the Behringer BDI21 adds something, on the opposite, as the 9 bands EQ + plus Bass and Treble and the Punch button of this combo are already excellent and it has a very good integrated chorus too.

 

I would use the Behringer BDI21 for what it's intended when it's needed : a D.I. box.

 

Here's the manual for you great (but really heavy) combo : https://peavey.com/manuals/80300755.pdf

 

Check the proposed settings as a good start up for your sound.

Thanks for the advice, I'll have a look into it 

[NancyJohnson]

Looking at the user manual, I'd plug the unit into the Patch area on the front fascia. 

 

I haven't got a clue what the processing power is of the Behringer, but you may find that the unit alone can shape your tone adequately enough in isolation, so you'd just be amplifying that. 

 

Conversely, plugging it into the amp's main input risks hitting the amplifier's pre-amp with too hot of a signal, which can cause clippage/mush.

 

 

[Chienmortbb]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

Looking at the user manual, I'd plug the unit into the Patch area on the front fascia. 

 

I haven't got a clue what the processing power is of the Behringer, but you may find that the unit alone can shape your tone adequately enough in isolation, so you'd just be amplifying that. 

 

Conversely, plugging it into the amp's main input risks hitting the amplifier's pre-amp with too hot of a signal, which can cause clippage/mush.

 

 

From memory the BDI21 has a slightly mid scooped sound. However I never felt is was too scooped aand of course you can nreduce the bas/treble controls to compensate. I have the equipment to measure the output of the BDI21 and of course I have a BDI21 however both are in storage at the moment.