Digbeth Preamp - couldn’t stop myself

[Guest]

I tried to remain happy with my always on overdrive sound through the Sansamp Bass Driver 2 but it just wasn’t happening. Especially after someone posted a bass drive pedals shootout video and the Sansamp sounded feeble compared to everything else. 😳

 

Anyway, after much research (but only via videos, forums and reviews rather than trying things out), I bought a Laney Digbeth DB-PRE pedal. The signal path goes firstly into an Xotic Effects RC Bass Booster with moderate gain, then into a signal blender which I use to parallel blend the Digbeth (set with a mix of Tube and FET and fairly high drive) plus a Motorbass pedal set on quite high gain. The Digbeth is set more on the low end / low mids side and the Motorbass is set fairly high end.
 

I now have a slightly harsher sound than before, but the notes are clearer. On my own through an amp it sounds immense but that’s easy to say. I’ve yet to use it in my band which is of course the acid test.

 

I have yet again succumbed to the endless search for the perfect bass dirt sound. I’d love this to be the last time.

[Guest]

Meant to ask - does anyone else own the Digbeth, if so what are your thought on the drive sound from the (fake) Tube? I’m really impressed so far.

[MartinB]

I think the drive sound is superb - very happy with it!
 

I made a thread a while back with details of what the EQ controls do - might be of some use:

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, MartinB said:

I think the drive sound is superb - very happy with it!
 

I made a thread a while back with details of what the EQ controls do - might be of some use:

Thanks! I’ll take a look now…

[Guest]

12 minutes ago, MartinB said:

I think the drive sound is superb - very happy with it!
 

I made a thread a while back with details of what the EQ controls do - might be of some use:

I had a look and a listen, your post adds to the feeling that this pedal was definitely the right one for me, someone who likes warmth and tubelike drive in a bass rather than harsh high mids and Darkglass clank.

 

My Sansamp just wasn’t giving me the gritty power I wanted, the Digbeth certainly seems to be during my testing so far.

[Bassmidget209]

If you really want to complicate things, try the sansamp into the digbeth. Gives you the sansamp flavour with a more comprehensive EQ to bring out the character of the sound. I also use this set up to have a footswitchable gain but I don't think you need that judging by your description. 

 

In saying all that I have recently reverted back to just the digbeth. My band are without a drummer for now so having two preamps was a bit overkill for an acoustic set!

[Guest]

37 minutes ago, Bassmidget209 said:

If you really want to complicate things, try the sansamp into the digbeth. Gives you the sansamp flavour with a more comprehensive EQ to bring out the character of the sound. I also use this set up to have a footswitchable gain but I don't think you need that judging by your description. 

 

In saying all that I have recently reverted back to just the digbeth. My band are without a drummer for now so having two preamps was a bit overkill for an acoustic set!

So far I’m preferring the Digbeth so much that I don’t really want to add any Sansamp flavour back into it. What extra do you feel you get from adding the Sansamp into the Digbeth (ie what’s the missing ingredient in the Digbeth sound?)

[Lozz196]

47 minutes ago, Bassmidget209 said:

If you really want to complicate things, try the sansamp into the digbeth. Gives you the sansamp flavour with a more comprehensive EQ to bring out the character of the sound. I also use this set up to have a footswitchable gain but I don't think you need that judging by your description. 

 

I used to do that with an Aguilar Tonehammer, get the sound desired from the TH then add in the Sansamp with everything at midday (aside from Blend on full). It added a lot of oomph to the sound and sculpted it into the mix really nicely.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I used to do that with an Aguilar Tonehammer, get the sound desired from the TH then add in the Sansamp with everything at midday (aside from Blend on full). It added a lot of oomph to the sound and sculpted it into the mix really nicely.

Maybe my Xotic RC Bass Booster into the Digbeth covers everything. The BB thickens the tone with a bit of gain before the Digbeth. Then the Digbeth itself is awesome, and the icing on the cake is parallel blending in the Motorbass (blended in at about 60% of the volume of the Digbeth. I’m happy losing the Sansamp altogether because I think I have enough going on here.

[Bassmidget209]

Well to be honest yeah kind of like what you done with your own pedals (I have never played a BB or a tone hammer for that matter). I found the digbeth, while functionally great, to be very neutral sounding. I think I said it in another post somewhere but I kind of realised I wasn't happy with the natural sound of my bass, or perhaps I had used a sansamp for so long I had become accustomed to that sound. With both together I could get the sound from the sansamp while bringing out an eveb more desirable sound by tweaking the EQ in the digbeth that I couldn't really achieve in the same way with the on board eq on the sansamp (admittedly limited experimentations here). 

It's a cumbersome setup but does sound good but it's not my forever plan. I'm mainly restricted by finances at this point so I'm muddling through with what I have rather than buying something else. 

 

Although recently going back to just the digbeth has made me rethink all this. Also coming to the realisation that I and my 'technique' may be the problem rather than the boxes at my feet (shocking I know). Anyways glad your on the Laney bus. Always been a fan of the company since my guitar days. Looks like they are really getting a following with their bass stuff now!

[Guest]

8 minutes ago, Bassmidget209 said:

Well to be honest yeah kind of like what you done with your own pedals (I have never played a BB or a tone hammer for that matter). I found the digbeth, while functionally great, to be very neutral sounding. I think I said it in another post somewhere but I kind of realised I wasn't happy with the natural sound of my bass, or perhaps I had used a sansamp for so long I had become accustomed to that sound. With both together I could get the sound from the sansamp while bringing out an eveb more desirable sound by tweaking the EQ in the digbeth that I couldn't really achieve in the same way with the on board eq on the sansamp (admittedly limited experimentations here). 

It's a cumbersome setup but does sound good but it's not my forever plan. I'm mainly restricted by finances at this point so I'm muddling through with what I have rather than buying something else. 

 

Although recently going back to just the digbeth has made me rethink all this. Also coming to the realisation that I and my 'technique' may be the problem rather than the boxes at my feet (shocking I know). Anyways glad your on the Laney bus. Always been a fan of the company since my guitar days. Looks like they are really getting a following with their bass stuff now!

The BB does make all of my basses sound “bigger”, so it’s probably doing the same job for me that you get from your Sansamp.

 

Very true about Laney - I’m so impressed by the tones and the amount of control available. And the price! At around half the retail price of what Darkglass charge for their clank boxes which convert basses into lead guitars. It would be great to see Laney become big players in the bass pedal market, because whoever designed this Digbeth is a genius IMO.

[Baloney Balderdash]

5 hours ago, Lord Summerisle said:

The BB does make all of my basses sound “bigger”, so it’s probably doing the same job for me that you get from your Sansamp.

 

Very true about Laney - I’m so impressed by the tones and the amount of control available. And the price! At around half the retail price of what Darkglass charge for their clank boxes which convert basses into lead guitars. It would be great to see Laney become big players in the bass pedal market, because whoever designed this Digbeth is a genius IMO.

If you do like clank though, which I happen to do, the discontinued Tech 21 Oxford, or the current production much cheaper, but genuinely great, Joyo Oxford Sound clone of it, does a much much greater job at that than any Darkglass distortion, which sounds more like thin fizz than clank really to me, but if you happen to like fizz for some strange reason, which apparently, judging from how popular Darkglass is, many does, most cheap generic guitar distortion pedals will give you all the thin fizz you could ever want.

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, Baloney Balderdash said:

If you do like clank though, which I happen to do, the discontinued Tech 21 Oxford, or the current production much cheaper Joyo Oxford Sound clone of it, does a much much greater job at that than any Darkglass distortion, which sounds more like thin fizz than clank really to me, but if you happen to like fizz for some strange reason, which apparently, judging from how popular Darkglass is, many does, most cheap generic guitar distortion pedals will give you all the thin fizz you could ever want.

 

So true this - people might as well use a cheap guitar distortion rather than DG. I’ve been getting the feeling in the last year or so that the DG bubble has burst - a lot of people are saying they used to buy them but now won’t touch them, all the pedals sound the same etc. Add to that their recent pedals sometimes costing over £500 and I suspect their sales have dropped.

[Franticsmurf]

I've been using my Digbeth for a couple of years now and it took me a while until I got the drive side sounding as I wanted it. @MartinB's topic was very helpful in getting me on the right path (thanks). With the band I'm in I tend to use it on the clean channel and only hit the drive as a boost for a couple of solo spots and a couple of more rocky songs towards the end of the set (when everyone else has turned up the volume 😄). But in a previous band I was using the tube channel quite a bit to give me some edge.

[Jackroadkill]

I bought one for those occasions when I might not get to use an amp and I love it.  Great sounds, and very easy to use.

[MungoBass]

I bought one after reviewing @MartinB‘s thread and am delighted with it. At home, it adds so much extra warmth and oomph to my PJB combo. The tilt control is excellent, I usually turn it anti-clockwise to add depth - sounds great using a P with flats. 

 

Also, it is a fantastic practice kit! Plug in the aux and headphones and you have a compact and great sounding amp at your fingertips.

 

Has anyone compared it to the Digbeth 500 head? 

[MartinB]

Damn, I ought to be getting some commission! 😆

[MungoBass]

3 minutes ago, MartinB said:

Damn, I ought to be getting some commission! 😆

 

Yes you should!  😁

[thisisswanbon]

On 12/12/2023 at 17:46, Lord Summerisle said:

Meant to ask - does anyone else own the Digbeth, if so what are your thought on the drive sound from the (fake) Tube? I’m really impressed so far.

I may be a minority, but I use the tube drive more as am always on thickener/warmer upper than an all out drive/stompable effect.  Really adds weight to the note and overall tone.  I can't think of a preamp I've had that's had more of a 3D amp like quality (comparing to the likes of the Ampeg SGT-DI, Two notes Le bass, Markbass pre etc...)

Edited December 14, 2023 by thisisswanbon

[Guest]

7 minutes ago, thisisswanbon said:

I may be a minority, but I use the tube drive more as am always on thickener/warmer upper than an all out drive/stompable effect.  Really adds weight to the note and overall tone.  I can't think of a preamp I've had that's had more of a 3D amp like quality (comparing to the likes of the Ampeg SGT-DI, Two notes Le bass, Markbass pre etc...)

I’d agree - it provides that early QOTSA type of warm drive (eg Mexicola), exactly what I’m after.

[mattbass6]

Thank you for this wonderfully well presented thread. I’ve been through so many pre amps for recording, and none of them have really ever done the job I’ve wanted them to do. They all have characteristics that I like but are not the whole package. Also, some of them are so ridiculously priced. Anyway, I digress, this thread is what I needed to read. Going to order the Digbeth now. Thanks again ✨

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, mattbass6 said:

Thank you for this wonderfully well presented thread. I’ve been through so many pre amps for recording, and none of them have really ever done the job I’ve wanted them to do. They all have characteristics that I like but are not the whole package. Also, some of them are so ridiculously priced. Anyway, I digress, this thread is what I needed to read. Going to order the Digbeth now. Thanks again ✨

I look forward to your review! 👍

[MartinB]

Re Darkglass, I quite like running an Alpha Omicron* into the Digbeth - it tames some of the fizz and gives a nice snarly sound that neither pedal can achieve alone:

 

 

* Not a real one - a DemonFX clone

[Baloney Balderdash]

21 hours ago, thisisswanbon said:

I may be a minority, but I use the tube drive more as am always on thickener/warmer upper than an all out drive/stompable effect.  Really adds weight to the note and overall tone.  I can't think of a preamp I've had that's had more of a 3D amp like quality (comparing to the likes of the Ampeg SGT-DI, Two notes Le bass, Markbass pre etc...)

Maybe I ought to get one of these as well.

 

As is currently I stack and blend in parallel several preamps and drives to obtain proper depth and complexity, 3D effect if you will, of my tone in my "amp-less" setup. 

 

It does work great, however it would be nice if if could get that from just one single unit.

 

(I too by the way tend to use the build in drive in preamp pedals to add harmonic complexity and heft, rather than as a build in extra effect, and I feel that this was actually the intended purpose too on a lot of preamp pedals, at least as far as I am concerned it usually works best that way, even on pedals where the build in drive got a dedicated footswitch) 

 

Edited December 15, 2023 by Baloney Balderdash

[DocTrucker]

Pretty sure my Digbeth has developed a fault that makes it into something I can't rely on.

 

😞

 

Never knowingly pushed it hard but now the output occasionally drops to next to nothing. I did at first think it was the active electronics in my Harley 6 string, but it also happened with my Squire Vintage Modified Jazz 4 string. Alas well past warranty period.

 

Used the same combo amp without the digbeth at rehersal direct from the squire with no issues last week. It's a frustating occasional drop, perhaps something isn't cooling right.

 

30/12/23 Edit: Issue appears to be a PSU dropping out. Likely nothing wrong with the Digbeth Pre.

Edited December 30, 2023 by DocTrucker