General preamp/EBS Microbass 3 question….

[Skinnyman]

I’m looking for a DI/preamp box for home practice and recording.

 

It needs to have aux in, a headphone socket, XLR switchable between pre- and post-EQ and a decent EQ section. 
 

I’m not too bothered about IRs or cab sims - nice if they’re there but their absence wouldn’t put me off a specific pedal. 
 

I’m also not too bothered about insane levels of drive. I’d like to be able to dial in a little tube breakup and some light distortion but I’m not playing any sort of metal so it needs a bit of drive but nothing over the top.

 

Tone-wise I’m after smooth, fat vintage tones (amongst others but smooth and fat are essential) - Ampeg B15 style

 

I’ve narrowed the field down to the Ampeg SGT-DI and the EBS microbass 3. I am leaning towards the functionality of the EBS (and a possible bargain on a used one that a friend of a friend’s friend knows of a bloke whose uncle has) but all the demos I’ve heard have shown off the drive capabilities or clean, modern tones so before I start calling in favours I’m wondering if it’s versatile enough to do the “vintage” thing or whether I should just do the obvious thing and buy the Ampeg?

 

Insight from anyone who’s used the EBS would be very much appreciated 😎

[Osiris]

Mildred, my love... Oops sorry, just having a flash back 😲

 

I can't speak for the EBS Microbass 3 but I've been using its predecessor, the Microbass 2 for some time now and it fills your requirements perfectly. It's not obvious from looking at it but you can link the 2 channels to give you a very flexible EQ section with parametric mids, a mid cut/treble boost sweep on the treble control using the filter button, and a broad bell shaped treble boost (preferable to shelving types, IMO) using the Edge control. The gain control on the drive channel goes from clean through some authentic sounding edge of breakup type sounds and beyond. There's also a little valve (or toob* as the cool kids call it these days) simulation button that adds a fatness to the signal without overdriving it. I've not tried it myself but I'm assuming you could use the fx loop return as an aux input too. I don't think it's in production now that the mk3 is out but you can pick up used ones fairly cheaply. 

 

*Not to be confused with a certain Manc halfwit. 

[Skinnyman]

Thank you George 😁

 

I hadn’t considered the MkII but that sounds ideal! 
 

And possibly cheaper too 🙂 

Edited November 23 by Skinnyman

[prowla]

I have a Microbass 3; the normal channel is excellent.

However, the drive channel doesn't do it for me: I'd prefer it if they had two normal ones (like the Stanley Clarke acoustic bass model); if they released a model like that I'd buy one.

It has an Fx loop, so you can use it as a hub on a pedalboard, eg. including a drive pedal; on my board the Fx Send/Return connect to a Quartermaster with 4 other pedals in switchable loops.

 

[Skinnyman]

1 hour ago, prowla said:

I have a Microbass 3; the normal channel is excellent.

However, the drive channel doesn't do it for me: I'd prefer it if they had two normal ones (like the Stanley Clarke acoustic bass model); if they released a model like that I'd buy one.

It has an Fx loop, so you can use it as a hub on a pedalboard, eg. including a drive pedal; on my board the Fx Send/Return connect to a Quartermaster with 4 other pedals in switchable loops.

 

Thanks for that - I really don’t want to have to add external pedals if I can avoid it.   I’m not too bothered about drive so long as a very small amount can be dialled in now and then and be acceptable. 

From what @Osiris has said, the MkII might be the better fit - but if the MkIII can do an acceptable low level drive then it will do for my purposes. I’m thinking that it’s worth seeing if this used one I’ve been told about is in decent nick and try to get that at a good price - if I don’t get on with it I should be able to move it on without losing any money. 

[prowla]

22 minutes ago, Skinnyman said:

Thanks for that - I really don’t want to have to add external pedals if I can avoid it.   I’m not too bothered about drive so long as a very small amount can be dialled in now and then and be acceptable. 

From what @Osiris has said, the MkII might be the better fit - but if the MkIII can do an acceptable low level drive then it will do for my purposes. I’m thinking that it’s worth seeing if this used one I’ve been told about is in decent nick and try to get that at a good price - if I don’t get on with it I should be able to move it on without losing any money. 

With the 3 you can set the channels in series or parallel.

I've never looked at a 2 and thought I'd rather have that.

The 3 has a tuner and compression as well.

[Osiris]

36 minutes ago, Skinnyman said:

Thanks for that - I really don’t want to have to add external pedals if I can avoid it.   I’m not too bothered about drive so long as a very small amount can be dialled in now and then and be acceptable. 

From what @Osiris has said, the MkII might be the better fit - but if the MkIII can do an acceptable low level drive then it will do for my purposes. 

 

It does that - pushed valve amp, just fattening up the sound without obviously distorting it - sound brilliantly. From what I've heard of the MK3 it's more of a modern distortion sound, but the MK2 is definitely more on the vintage side.

[Bleat]

The Laney Digbeth Preamp has all the features you require, and should give you the tones that you're after also. 😎

 

https://www.laney.co.uk/amps/bass/digbeth/db-pre

[Skinnyman]

And the quest is now over....

 

My Nux MG30 was never unpacked after the house move 9 months ago and I suddenly remembered a) its existence and b) that it has 3 bass amps plus a bunch of cab IRs. 

 

Duly dug out (why is it always the very bottom box?), fired up, treated to a firmware update and a new patch created based on their models of an Aguilar Tone Hammer and 8x10 cab.

 

Brilliant. Does everything I need - the only downside is the lack of XLR but I can use USB to talk to the compooter so that'll do me nicely.

 

Part of me is a little disappointed that I don't get to buy something shiny - that Ashdown Pro DI on sale at PMT was calling my name....

 

But the MG30 does sound excellent so I get to save my pennies 🙂

 

[prowla]

Well next time just look in your packing cases instead of asking damfool questions here!

🤣

[Boodang]

TC Electronic Spectradrive has everything you need plus toneprints for the drive and comp, so you can choose from a range of downloadable options. 

[SumOne]

If you are going to be doing home recording then I presume you already have a Laptop and DAW and some sort of interface. In which case, you can get great sounds basically for free.

 

I've recently discovered that my Laptop with a UA Volt interface (comes with lots of high quality plugins), Reaper DAW (can use for free), and free/cheap plugins is superior and cheaper than using hardware pedals for home practice and recording. 

[Skinnyman]

10 hours ago, Boodang said:

TC Electronic Spectradrive has everything you need plus toneprints for the drive and comp, so you can choose from a range of downloadable options. 

It looks like the Spectradrive is discontinued and the replacements don’t appear to have aux in or headphone sockets. A used one would have been worth a look if I hadn’t found my MG30 buried in the garage. 

[Skinnyman]

3 hours ago, SumOne said:

If you are going to be doing home recording then I presume you already have a Laptop and DAW and some sort of interface. In which case, you can get great sounds basically for free.

 

I've recently discovered that my Laptop with a UA Volt interface (comes with lots of high quality plugins), Reaper DAW (can use for free), and free/cheap plugins is superior and cheaper than using hardware pedals for home practice and recording. 

I’ve been using the plugins in Logic which are great but I’m trying to move my effects outboard as much as possible to prevent me being reliant one a specific DAW or OS (I have a load of old projects that will no longer open properly because they rely on deprecated plugins, etc). I also wanted a stand-alone box that I could use for practice without having to fire up the Mac.