NPD: Laney Digbeth DB-PRE (featuring: graphs! 📈📉)

[Bassmidget209]

To me the digbeth is much more neutral. Yes you can tweak the eq and make It dirtier but it doesn't 'colour' your sound the way a sansamp does (for the record, have never used the VT bass, only the v1 sansamp and paradriver). Depends what you are looking for, or alternatively do what I do and run the sansamp into the digbeth - footwitchable drive and advanced eq while still getting the baked in sound of the sansamp (yes this is cumbersome but it does work surprisingly well).

[Supernaut]

I was after a more neutral preamp with a DI that could do the edge of valve breakup sound. I have been looking at this, the Battalion and the Tonehammer. Have to say, the Laney has impressed me in all the soundclips. 

[LukeFRC]

2 hours ago, Supernaut said:

I was after a more neutral preamp with a DI that could do the edge of valve breakup sound. I have been looking at this, the Battalion and the Tonehammer. Have to say, the Laney has impressed me in all the soundclips. 

Ild like to try one as it does sound good in soundclips 

[thisisswanbon]

Long shot, but has anyone tried one of these against the markbass vintage pre? I'd love to see how they stack up, love my MB pre, but gas for this just won't budge!

[jcburn]

I haven't commented on this forum for years, but the graphs and info are great. I've used an Aguilar Tone Hammer DI for many years as my preamp of choice but the Digbeth has got me interested.

[la bam]

I use a Digbeth head and it's superb. Really superb. If the pedal is almost the same then it's a winner. 

[thisisswanbon]

I feel like this should be the Digbeth owners club, as the info is great...

 

on that note - Has anyone come up with a work around or solution for the quiet Aux in?  After reading reviews and personal experience, it seems a lot quieter than any other aux in I've previously had.

[la bam]

20 minutes ago, thisisswanbon said:

I feel like this should be the Digbeth owners club, as the info is great...

 

on that note - Has anyone come up with a work around or solution for the quiet Aux in?  After reading reviews and personal experience, it seems a lot quieter than any other aux in I've previously had.

 

My aux in is fine? There's a volume dial next to it from memory? 

 

[thisisswanbon]

7 minutes ago, la bam said:

 

My aux in is fine? There's a volume dial next to it from memory? 

 

I wish there was, it'd be much easier!  The Aux In is definitely quiet though, I've read quite a few instances... maybe there's a dodgy batch

 

[la bam]

Ah sorry, I was thinking of the amp head, not the pedal. 

[Guest]

On 22/08/2023 at 23:43, MartinB said:

Still enjoying this pedal a lot! I've got it dialled in nicely now, and I'm using it weekly with IEMs for ampless rehearsals.
Here's me attempting to remember a bassline that I learned about 25 years ago:

 

 

PJ bass - P pickup only - tone rolled off a bit - plectrum
Little bit of 4:1 compression in front from a Keeley Bassist
DB-PRE settings: bass 7 - lo-mid 2 (switch down, so ~700Hz) - hi-mid 7 - tube channel - drive 6
 

And the bypassed signal, for comparison:

 

 

Proof that the tube drive actually really does sound like a tube amp, fantastic.

[ff.barione]

On 15/08/2022 at 12:58, mario_buoninfante said:

I'm also thinking this might be normal since the SEND comes after the PREAMP/EQ section on the pedal, so in my previous setup the signal from the MXR wasn't going through the preamp section at all.

Sorry, I just bought the DIgbeth DI, and  I'm searching for information until it arrive.

 

Get confused, reading the manual the send/return is after the EQ? Whats the advantage them? Always though  effect loop was before the EQ.

 

It ins't the same as using the effects between the bass and the DI?

[thisisswanbon]

Update on the quiet aux in issue...

 

Contacted Laney, who arranged to have the unit collected, modified it so that the aux in is a much better level, and shipped it back to me under warranty 👌. Can't get any more fair than that!

[Baloney Balderdash]

On 23/08/2023 at 12:06, Supernaut said:

How does this compare with the Tech 21 VT Bass DI? 
 

Big fan of Laney. I really liked their RB series amps. 

I have no experience with either, but given that the Tech 21 VT Bass got a build in speaker sim filter and that the Digibeth doesn't I'd say probably quite a lot, and I would think the VT Bass to sound more processed and the Digibeth to sound more neutral in comparison in relation to the input signal.           

[dudewheresmybass]

I picked up a dig pre from the classifieds here. 
to say I’m impressed is an understatement. My previous go to has been an mxr m80, and now I have two options that sound as good and suited for different situations. 

[youkoulou]

Hi, I have a problem with the headphone output of my laney preamp, the output is very quiet. Do you have a solution ? Are you experiencing the same problem?

thanks in advance

[paul_5]

Are these powerful enough to drive a power amp from the output?

[Skin Lewis]

8 hours ago, paul_5 said:

Are these powerful enough to drive a power amp from the output?

 

Yes. I use mine with a Baby Sumo. Works really well.

[stewblack]

In another thread I wrote about my plans to have a highly portable and powerful rig and use a variety of preamp pedals. 

The idea being I can effectively choose my amp for the evening without owning (and storing) a pile of different heads.

The Digbeth is high on my radar so this thread has been super instructive. 

The head I'm going to use just arrived, the cabs are in place so the preamp jamboree can commence!

[Franticsmurf]

23 minutes ago, stewblack said:

In another thread I wrote about my plans to have a highly portable and powerful rig and use a variety of preamp pedals. 

The idea being I can effectively choose my amp for the evening without owning (and storing) a pile of different heads.

The Digbeth is high on my radar so this thread has been super instructive. 

The head I'm going to use just arrived, the cabs are in place so the preamp jamboree can commence!

What an excellent idea - I don't recall reading your plans; are you using a power amp or a bass amp head that you know you can dial a neutral tone into? 

[stewblack]

6 minutes ago, Franticsmurf said:

What an excellent idea - I don't recall reading your plans; are you using a power amp or a bass amp head that you know you can dial a neutral tone into? 

I'm using the Harley Benton Block. 800 watts, preamp in, small and light. Uses the same power stage as the high end amps apparently. So I've read here anyway. 

Going into two Trace Elliot 2x8 cabs.

 

[Franticsmurf]

6 minutes ago, stewblack said:

I'm using the Harley Benton Block. 800 watts, preamp in, small and light. Uses the same power stage as the high end amps apparently. So I've read here anyway. 

Going into two Trace Elliot 2x8 cabs.

 

Thanks. Nice set up and as you say, small and light. I've been playing around with the power amp stage of a Peavey Minimax into a pair of TE 2x 10 cabs. In a previous rig incarnation I was using a Laney RB7 so when I got the Digbeth Pre part of the attraction for me was the Tilt function (called 'Enhance' on the RB7) that is great for tuning in to a room.

[stewblack]

6 minutes ago, Franticsmurf said:

Thanks. Nice set up and as you say, small and light. I've been playing around with the power amp stage of a Peavey Minimax into a pair of TE 2x 10 cabs. In a previous rig incarnation I was using a Laney RB7 so when I got the Digbeth Pre part of the attraction for me was the Tilt function (called 'Enhance' on the RB7) that is great for tuning in to a room.

Yes indeed that control appeals to me too. 

I like the height the 2x8s give me and the power in an easy to transport package. As I'm bypassing the preamp it doesn't bother me which amp but it has to be no more than 10 inches wide!

[dirgefornovember]

1 hour ago, stewblack said:

I'm using the Harley Benton Block. 800 watts, preamp in, small and light. Uses the same power stage as the high end amps apparently. So I've read here anyway. 

Going into two Trace Elliot 2x8 cabs.

 

 

I do exactly the same thing. No issues with the HB Block at all, and love the neutral tone. I use the EAE Model Fet as my preamp, and had nothing but compliments.