What’s your favourite preamp/DI pedal? Where would you put it on this list? Also: A couple of mistakes I picked up when editing on the names of some of the pedals! All have been corrected in the list in the description. See you in the next video! T
I'm weighing up whether to get a bass amp head with DI out or use a preamp pedal with DI out for recording purposes. Also, what are your thoughts on the EHX Battalion? 🤔
@@bandninkasimusic6484 I love EHX gear! The Battalion with built-in comp, gate, 4 band EQ and very versatile drive is an entire pedal-board in one. I does NOT color your tone. That may be good or bad depending on your desires. I was looking for a pre that sounded like a mic’d amp.
I've played bass forever but never had a preamp pedalboard rig. I've yet to own something like Sansamp, Ampeg, etc, but for the meantime I am absolutely happy with... a Joyo British Sound! It wasn't actually made for bass per se, but it sounds amazing! Playing it clean with the right settings, you get a thick and punchy tone with no noise, and it sounds like a real bass amp!
The MXR M 81 is a great pedal. Wondering about the ranking. Pure neutral tone, great DI and EQ with parametric mids. Not bigger than a standard Boss Pedal. In my opinion a preamp should not colour the tone.
I need a bass di for recording cause my bass direct in sounds very shitty for so long... Now with guitar i have the iridium with ir responses... What about bass? Are cabsims needed? A preamp should make my sound hopefully better
@@marcusstrymon693 yes. IRs make bass direct sound more realistic. NUX makes a blue preamp that stores IRs and has usb interface for real time adjustments.
@@marcusstrymon693 Recently seen a video of SCR DI where the dude claimed he does not even use cabsim with that pedal. I planned to get a pedal for a practicing and packing with cabsim box as well, but we shall see. Nonetheless, ended today with Scrambler DI, but did not try yet.
MXR M80 DI is my go to. It's been on my board since it came out. I was going to get the sands amp because I had a Bass Comp that I loved until it broke. I liked the 2 channel option and the noise gate on the dirty channel. The clean channel has 2 voices. Built like a tank. It survived a house fire and works fine
If you're into tube preamps, I'd suggest to try the EBS Valve Drive. It's a very clean sounding all tube preamp pedal with incredible signal to noise ratio that can also do pretty nasty overdrive sounds if you crank it. Can either be used as a standalone preamp or as an overdrive pedal. Everything from crystal clean warm funk sounds to roaring pure rock'n'roll madness a la Motörhead. Only con is the loss of low end definition in overdrive mode. But that's just what real tube distortion does.
i use the Laney DB-preamp, for the price it is fantastic, all quiet switching, 2 channels (tube & fet) can mix both or use each individually, 4 band eq with 3 position low-mid settings, mute/bypass footswitch & fet or tube or mix of both footswitch, from soft clean tone to full on drive...& the best bit the Tilt pot..great idea...better than most sub £250 pre-amp pedals for just £125...XLR, DI, pre-post switch & earth lift etc...i luv it.....fantastic tones to be had from it....
A preamp DI that always gets over looked, that I think is awesome, is the TC electronic Spectradrive. I use TCE amps, so this pedal gives me the exact same thing minus the capability to power a speaker. 20+ years playing so I know what I want to hear and love that I get the same sound weather it's from my amp or di pedal. The tone print thing I thought would be a gimmick, but it gives you a large option for compression and drives. Take a look if you haven't tried one yet.
If I'm going for a clean and usefully bass tone my Sansamp is my preamp of choice. If I'm looking for a distorted tone I use my Darkglass B7K. This summer I bought a Boss GT1000 Core and I'm using it as an all-in-one solution and I'm planning to insert my Darkglass B7K in the FX loop. One of the most underrated pedals is the TC Electronics Spark Booster. It can be used as a clean boost, light overdrive and some tone shaping. If you like the Sansamp tone and you're in a budget you can try the Caline Wine Cellar or the Behringer BDI21.
I have an m81. I think about it as an active di box with light eq rather than a preamp. I think for that case it works great. I use mine a lot for upright gigs where I just was a clean tone. If you already have your tone and just want a way to interface with front of house, I think the m81 is a little better than using a di box but it won't do any tone magic.
I actually really appreciated this. I can find clips of them played all over TH-cam (usually without any helpful info as to the setup), but this kind of feedback from living with them is harder to find. In general yeah, you need to hear them, but this honest user review thing is rarer and I liked it for that
I’m looking forward to testing out the soon to be released XB Driver from Tech 21. Split the signal at your own preferred frequency, compress below, drive above, EQ, DI, though no digital impulse response
I have the Ampeg Classic and it changed my bass like night and day. I can also get several types of sounds as far a bright and aggressive or deep, low window shaking. If you learn to use it, it is a great pedal at a budget price. Just fyi this one is being used on a passive bass and now sounds better than my neighbors bass which is a very nice active bass. Even he was blown away. I also have the Ampeg Opto compressor and a Hartke bass attack 2, but the "good stuff" is coming from the Classic.
@@TylerSpicer Yeah, that is oddly kind of the point with the opto. Ppl get the nice ones with so many knobs and have a super hard time honing it in to what they are looking for it to do. This one is super easy and hard to get wrong. Options are minimal but yet it does a pretty good job of compression and sustain without the fuss. I have had comps with many more options, but have to say this is just like plug and play and no one who has checked it out has thought it was lacking in execution. Just my opinion of course,
I got the bass driver programmable, used it really often and love it. You can reconstruct the settings with the flashing led. But I also got the HX Stomp since one year ... and yes, it's a killer pedal. Totally agree. And also agree: I got the BassVT as rack unit and it serves as quick and easy frontend to my DAW - with DI and the SansAmp output ... great unit. Of course not so flexible as the HX, but just plugin and play something / practice ... great. So thank's for the video, like it. Always searching for tips and opinions about gear and it served me well. Even if it just confirmed my love to the HX Stomp ;-)
If you're looking for an excellent compressor pedal you should try the empress compressor. For me it's the best compressor pedal by far. Real studio quality compression in pedal format with all the features you'd expect from a studio compressor.
@the3-dkiller1 Thanks for the advice. Haven't tried one yet. I'm pretty happy with my empress so far. Maybe I'll give it a try if I have the chance to get one.
@@threndor9017 Maybe the TC Electronic spectra comp or hyper gravity could be an inexpensive option. They're digital multiband compressors, programmable with "toneprint". Haven't used one yet, but you get a lot of options for your money.
This is always going to be dependent on the type of music you play. I was the touring bsssist for The Miracles so a Jamerson Motown sound was what I needed. Thus I used the Ampeg SCR DI as it nails that sound. Sansamp is also good for that though I prefer the Ampeg. Nobody does the Ampeg sound better than Ampeg. If you need a heavy metal or rock sound then Darkglass probably works better for you. For recording these days I use a Noble but won’t tour or play out with it. I still stick with my Ampeg for that. One sleeper preamp is the Melvin L Davis by NUX. It’s very good with a jazz bass and gives you some amp sim capabilities at a very good price. Lots of good choices out there depending on your needs.
good review. suggestion: when speaking. 1. change the voice tempo form fast, medium to slow. 2 change you voice range dont stay in the same nerrow tone range though the entire review. change the pitch. dontforget to put a few brief pauses in your speach. and say something funny or catchy once in a while. I really enjoy your channel. keep it up.
I bought the NU.X MLD pre-amp DI that does many things which many others don't...a fantastic pedal i use any time i cannot use an amp head & cab...works with a live rig as well...clever box with an interface & editing built in & a choice of bass amps & cabs with every switchable set up possible...a great price for a fantastic pro level pre-amp DI which takes up to 6 string bass's..Melvin Lee Davis uses mostly 5 & 6 string bass's..does everthing for a fraction of the price of most pre-amp DI pedals...i think it was out then ,yeah it was..
Would've needed this yesterday, before I bought mine :D In the end I got the B7K v2 Ultra, so the bigger brother of the one you had here. Fooled around with all of these from the list at the music store for several hours, and I kept circling back to the B7K I was eyeing the Helix after playing through my friends, but I just got overwhelmed trying it out
Good review. Absolutely right about the stomp. Also, the EBS Microbass and Nu-X Melvin Lee should be considered. Obviously I don't expect you to own them all. Love the classic Sansamp as long as you the blend is no more than 10 o'clock.
The SansAmp bass driver has a speaker simulation like the VT too, and it is an Amp Sim like the VT too and not a simple harmonic saturator. The BDDI has a V2 now
Thx for this excellent video review. I already have a Line 6 Helix for guitar, so it is also now my bass DI.. even more value added to owning a good modeling unit 👍🏼
Excellent review. I'm interested too, where the new version version of the Sansamp Bass Driver would sit with its 500/1000hz selectable mid control....
Probably a little higher! 1k is a really useful frequency for bass to be more prominent in a mix without muddying anything or getting in the way of anything else! T
In my opinion, the best overall pedal preamp is the Grace Design Felix. It sounds awesome and is versatile as hell. (It's got dip switches to change all sorts of things. It even has a clean boost with a footswitch!) And it's not just a bass preamp either. It can used as a pre for any electric or acoustic instrument, or even vocals. And have you any of you guys ever heard of Suncoast preamps? I haven't heard them, but they look pretty awesome. One of their models, the BC-3 XL, is a stereo preamp with dual clean channels and an overdrive channel complete with it's own EQ. (It was designed with Billy Sheehan. BassCentral carries it). And then there is the Acoustic Image Flex. It's mostly known be used by upright players, but is of very high quality. You can even put in on an optional stand or integrate into one AI's powered speakers. (kind of like the Mesa Subway series amps)
I'm kicking myself, because I bought the MXR pedal last week, and THEN I saw this review. Had no idea there was a preamp pedal review on your channel. Wish I had checked. LESSON LEARNED. (Also, Tyler, you were the single biggest deciding factor in my purchase last week of the Aguilar DB751. Can't wait to receive it. Hmm... now that I'm thinking about it, I LOVE the fact that I'm sitting here annoyed about a pedal, rather than having regrets about a $2,500.00 amp. Hah, now I feel good again.)
My favourite preamp is the Tech21 Steve Harris Signature Sans Amp! It‘s pretty expensive, But completely worth it! Even if you aren‘t looking for Steve harris (like me), But you are looking for a slight Drive in your tone, then it‘s your thing! Better than Most overdrive pedals. I only Miss a mid Control for 1Khz (ist has 200 hz and 500 hz for the mids). But still, it’s going to the Grave with me.
Comparing the HX-Stomp to analog preamp pedals? Come on, Tyler! That's not a fair comparison. But yes, I totally agree. I use the HX-Stomp for bass and guitar and it's absolutely stunning, that the sound quality of almost every single effect can easily compete with the original it was modeled after. I have an Ampeg SVP-CL all tube preamp from the early 2000s, one of the best 19" preamps I know. I was surprised how close the SVT 4 preamp model of the HX-Stomp gets in direct comparison. You won't be able to hear any difference in a mix for sure. With all its possibilities and the superior sound quality there simply is no real competitor for the HX-Stomp these days, I think. It's just an awesome all-in-one solution for any pedalboard. One of the (very few) cons of the HX-Stomp though, is the poor DSP-power. With the 3.0 software update, there are some really great new features like the "poly capo", that unfortunately take so much DSP-power, that you cannot combine 'em with some other effect blocks. A real bummer for me. But for the price point and the small footprint, it's the best you can buy in my opinion.
I had the same thing with the fender! It was half price on black Friday and I kind of thought ‘oh their rumble LT and studio are good, if nothing else it’ll do the bass man and rumble tones well’. Ended up returning it even at half off just because it was massive and didn’t really seem to do much more than eq and drive, and lord knows there’s enough drive pedals on everyone’s board already
My favorite format at the moment are the Tech21 Fly Rigs. I own the Bass Fly Rig and the SH-1. With a tuner and a DI-out you have everything in one unit, and they both sound awesome. I like the Helix for its versatility. I use it at home most of all to record and play guitar. But as a bass preamp it lacks an DI-out and it does not feel as real as an analog unit to me. The VT Bass DI used to be my bead and butter pedal also, but was replaced with the Fly Rig and the SH-1.
What I want to accomplish is as follows: Plug bass into bass preamp - pedal size or slightly larger preferred. Plug BALANCED LINE LEVEL OUT of preamp directly into my Ad/Da converter to capture PROCESSED signal. TRS or XLR is fine. Simultaneously I would like to take an INSTRUMENT LEVEL output from the preamp and plug it into the instrument level inputs on one of my mic pres to capture the UNPROCESSED DI. Right now the only thing I’ve been able to find with these features is the MESA SUBWAY DI box. But I’d like a few more options to choose from before spending any money. Nice Overdrive and eq section is a bonus. Any suggestions that can achieve that routing?
Currently using eden wtdi and does what I need it to do live. In the studio i usually have some plugins too and most of producers want my stems dry any way so they can add their own stuff on top. Also use the Sadowsky preamp in my Mike lull jazz - so smooth and just sits where I want it
Very informative, thank you. Have you ever tried the Boss GEB-7? Great tone enhancer or clean power boost. It just lacks a di connection. I use it much more than my MXR M81. The MXR was kind of disappointing.
I can concur! GEB-7 bass equalizer pedal is a great pedal. So much boost where I need it and gives so much tone. I even run it with my line 6 bass pod. I’ve been eyeballing the mxr 81 but haven’t tried it personally. When recording I did use the Darkglass b7k and it blew me away! Need to buy that one next
I agree with you on HX stomp but I think it stumbles in the area of overdrive. Otherwise it really gives great freedom in terms of routing, EQ, compressors etc.
Just because he owns it, in psychology, this is called defending your purchase. It's made in Asia, and imho is not as good as the Tone Hammer or Sansamp.
I’ve heard great things about the GK and love the all in one design. Not really seen the trace around much but definitely remember seeing it and thinking it looked cool! Have you used them yourself? T
I play an MXR Bass DI and it has a very natural sound, it doesn't get to fat and bright but for me it works because I play punk music, I also run it with the overdrive just a tad above the transparent mark and then I run a TC Electronic mini Spark. My head is a simple Hartke LH 500 which has a rube preamp and a 3 band eq. It really just use it for the power because on its own its pretty neutral sounding. I did buy the Sans Amp Deluxe but that thing was super bland and didn't do anything for my amp so I sold it. My first preamp pedal was a Sans Amp VT original which sounded really nice but for some reason I got rid of it 🤦♂️, also had a Hartke Bass Attack 2 which wasn't bad but it was a little too "fake" sounding once I compared it to the MXR.
The best budget preamp is the NUX MLD. It punches way above its price point and NUX themselves are the best Chinese pedal company by far. On a different level from joyo, biyang, etc.
I know this video is 2+ years old, but you didn’t mention the price of each pedal, or if that even figured into your review. The price range for the pedals reviewed is around $150 to $700. That’s a huge factor, especially for beginner bassist. So, the question is, would you shift the rankings around with cost figured in?
Oh great, I sold my HX Stomp (great pedal, but wanted to move back to analog for guitar). I've been using the new SansAmp BDDI (with mids), but think I'll try the Sadowsky. Not sure it'll make my P-bass sound like a Sadowsky though. I've owned Sadowskys and have loved them, but, like moving back to analog from the HX, I moved back to passive Fender bass for the classic rock sound and sold my Sadowskys. Yours are my favorite reviews, with intelligent opinions, so thanks!
I'd love a Vintage Microtubes Ultra but currently using a NUX Martin Lee Davis Preamp/DI. Punches well above it's weight. NUX make quality gear and are the best of the chinese pedal companies by far, blowing joyo and the like out of the water.
Just found your channel Tyler. Very useful! Could you offer any advice on a tonal issue I’ve had for ages please? I’v always been looking for that piano tone with what some would call ‘clank’🙄 but never been satisfied. I’ve tried loads of setups over the years… full on valve Ampeg+810 (painful for the body!), biamping my Sansamp RBI into a 212 and my Ampeg 7pro cleaner and fatter into a 410, the RBI into my Crown power amp into some 410’s. Now I’ve bought a Darkglass B7K to run with the RBI into the power amp to get a little bit of colour and different mild drive and nothing seems to get that sort of Chris Squire/Geddy tone. Any ideas what might work? I can’t seem to get the right gear!
Hey Stuart! I can try! A lot of that kind of sound is going to be living in the 1.5-3.5k range. I would be grabbing a parametric EQ and just trying to find where that “piano sound” is for you, and your ears. With those kind of tones it’s all about the mid range and evenness and maybe going a little light on the bottom end (particularly sub 80hz). Strings are also going to be really important, are you using steel or nickel wound strings at the minute? I’d associate that tone more with steel. Also the type of bass and right hand technique are gonna be a big factor in that tone as much as anything! Let me know! T
@@TylerSpicer thanks for the really quick reply. I use steel strings (Rotosound, so very standard stuff). Bass-wise, I use mainly use my Warwick Streamer Jazzman but I also use a Stingray, Precision and even a Jackson. I’m 99% finger style but I tend to play heavy. Atm I’m playing hard rock/metal with Marshall-wielding guitarists so a very narrow frequency window to cut through!
What are your thoughts on TWO bass preamps on a pedalboard to combine tones? Is it something that people do, or am I just thinking too far out of the box?
If it sounds good and works in your playing situation, it is good! Preamps are just colours so use them to paint the picture you want! It was very popular at one point to pair the sansamp VT bass as a drive saturation in-front of anything as a “make it sound better pedal”
Do u know of good tube preamps for bass that are in rack mount form? The Demeter VTBP-201S, the Demeter HBP-1, the Ampeg SVP models, and the Fender TBP-1 are pretty much all i could find and the Fender and Ampegs are rare to find used, plus the Ampeg SVPs (especially the Pro) are prone to being noisy. I just really want to find more rack mounted options that are tube based preamps. The Demeters seem like my best bet though. They are fantastic sounding, but just trying to see if other options are out there in 2021. Seems like everything has gone pedal format and solid state Edit: not looking for an amp, just tube preamp designed for bass in particular. I want to go the old school route and build a rack
Nice! Definitely a cool thing to do! Check out Jule as well for tube pres. They’re rare, but there are rack mount ones out there I believe. There are also some of the older Aguilars, the DB 680 and 659 which come really well regarded. As I remember Henrik Linder recorded all the direct sounds on the first Dirty Loops record through one, and I think Thundercat may do the same. As you’ve said, you can’t go wrong with the Demeters either! T
I would probably put it in the same tier, just from a tonal perspective. A solid and versatile workhorse but just never been wowed by the tones. YMMV of course! T
I've watched this video multiple and thanks for putting this massive list together. I was wondering if you any recommendations on what preamp would be good if your using an active bass? I know you dont really need one, but I would like to have some more tonal options during live performances.
Thank you for watching! It really depends on what you want to change about the sound? Is it to add a different tonal colour to it or to EQ it differently than you already can on the bass? I always like the HX Stomp as you can do anything you can think of with it - so long as you don’t mind digging in a little and trying different settings. T
@@TylerSpicer I do really like the HX Stomp, but its a little out of my budget. I would be using the pedal mostly for live gigs and home recording. I've kind of narrowed it down in my mind to the Tech 21 VT, Ampeg SCR-DI or the NUX Melvin Lee Davis.
@@joshbaker5403 I’d go for the VT bass out of those. A good vintage tone shaper and character box, but also a a wide range of characters in it with the character knob. I think it sounds fatter and more natural than the Ampeg, and gives you something different to your active bass circuit. T
If you have the AGS on the Tone Hammer on at about 7 o'clock at the highest, always on? It's a pretty great tone. I find it to be a bit of a one trick pony, but it's a big ass pony!
nice video, but your supper is not a pre-amp, and if you go all-in-one route - than as sound quality Boss GTCore take it from the moment it;s on, the DAC (we shouldn't even mention this when we talk preamp/di pedals) is in a different league. You are missing the 2 of the best MODERN companies (both from Sweden, and both doing almost 100% bass products) - 1. EBS (my choice) 2. Darkglass (Metal heads choice). I use 2 preams (and a very big digital board for a bass player GTcore + SY1000 + Tonex + H9 + H90), depending on style, as my entry point (to design the sound coming in) I use either 1 EBS microbass III cover the entire Modern sound I need, 4 metal I'd use Darkglass, but I dont do metal and it gives my the bare minimum for the little metal sound I do use rarely, or 2. SansAmp 2nd gen (the one in the video) 4 everything classic\vintage.
I'd put the EBS at S, and the SansAmp at A, and I think the reason is that I want variety of sound, and you look for a specific sound, anyways the sansamp is on so many 90's albums that it is a specific sound by now, I dont use a preamp to get a specific amp sound, I have Tonex 4 that, I use it to "sculpture"the sound coming into the pedalboard. 4 Jam sessions I'll usually take the EBS, unless it's a jazz/RnB jam and than the SansAmp, but it is also depends on the bass I take, for example electric upright is exclusively SansAmp.
Good comparison of preamps. Appreciate real touring experience. . But odd to include a multi fx 😂 Maybe a comparison of multi fx pedals would be more interesting?
Nice! I haven’t used it I’m afraid, looks like a versatile unit, but I think I’d miss the screen for dialing things in, like the HX. Using both together sounds like the best of both worlds! T
It’s so tough to cover them all - and I’ll only give my opinions on things that I’ve played! I’d definitely love to cover this again in the future and maybe do a full comparison with each brand! T
I don't care for preamp pedals that are ran through the send/return. They often get stacked with other EQ's. If I'm using a preamp -- its usually a stand alone rackmount into a power amp.
hey Tyler do you have any info about basses weight comparison? think to get rid of my heavy warwick streamer std for something lighter, you think fender squier a good way to go???...thanks for all great info
@@TylerSpicer no man...i 'm not into much technical stuff, although i guess many others would be interested, just trying to find something not to break by back
Hey Tyler, I'm looking for a preamp only pedal (already have big muff for the dirt) and I don't have room for big pedal. I'm looking for Ampeg Classic Analog which you put on lower tier. I use Ampeg BA108, is the Classic Amalog gimme that sound? Is it good enough pedal for my need? Compact non dirt pedal. Thank you before!
I think it’ll very much replicate that same EQ sound you’re used to with the BA. However, it doesn’t produce enough character to my mind to be a preamp on its own. I would consider the VT bass non-DI pedal, if that would fit on your board? T
@@TylerSpicer I don't think it'll fit my board. How about MXR Thump? Have you already try it? The MXR bass preamp is out of my budget. Tbh, I'm torn between this and Envelope Filter. I already use compressor, fuzz, and chorus and only one final spot left. Which one should I buy?
I've never used it - principally due to price! I've heard great things, but I'm not sure I'd invest in one myself - for studio work I'd rather put the money towards a B15, a Tubetec CL1B or a Neve clone channel strip. However, still an undoubtedly good looking and sounding piece of gear. T
@@TylerSpicer Your comment is 3 years old but I saw that you were contemplating the Tube-Tech CL-1B. I owned one and it was the best piece of studio gear that I ever used. It made everything sound better: vocals, bass, guitar, drums especially kick drum, and anything that was put through it. It’s the best piece of gear imaginable.
The HX Stomp? Isn't that a guitar multi-FX pedal? I thought this list was strictly one for analog bass pedal/DI's? Well, regardless, I've heard that the HX Stomp can used for bass, but I thought there was only a few bass patches at best?
Loads of bass stuff! Tonnes compared to every other effects maker. Most of the team at Line 6 are bassists, not guitarists ironically. I think it’s a great option, especially as you can take just the preamp sections from the amp models if you want. Most versatile piece of gear I own, and I’d ditch the presets straight away. If I had to sell everything and have only one piece and a bass, this would be it! T
They should have made a YYZ in the Mini Fly rig version like the DP-3X or the SH-1 with DI and a tuner. At least the new MP 40 special edition should have got an DI out ... but no!
@@Klaus80804 I liked the sound of the YYZ so much that I sold it and bought a DI-2112 which offers many configurations and the XLR direct out.It's a very great sounding and versatile preamp.
I'm really struggling to find an amazing tube DI, I'm looking at the REDDI, Noble, 610 solo, and Acme MTP-66, my tobias has no thickness which is what im trying to solve
In the same price range, you also have the Monique bass preamp, too expensive for me but demos sound great (especially if you need a thick and warm sound)
@@TylerSpicer I have a MTD lynn keller 532 (pistachio top, walnut body, ash neck, roasted birdseye board) I would definitely say its midrange im looking for, in order to fill out the sound, It sounds not very fat through an amp compared to my musicman string ray 5. Its almost as if the wave form only represents the center points boosted on the bartolini preamp.
I love my HX Stomp. It's really pretty impressive. However, after spending a lot of time with it, it can't still take the place of my Ashdown OriginAL preamp pedal.
What’s your favourite preamp/DI pedal? Where would you put it on this list?
Also: A couple of mistakes I picked up when editing on the names of some of the pedals! All have been corrected in the list in the description. See you in the next video! T
I'm weighing up whether to get a bass amp head with DI out or use a preamp pedal with DI out for recording purposes. Also, what are your thoughts on the EHX Battalion? 🤔
I’ve used the Sadowsky pre/ di with passive basses for around ten years. I like it and more importantly, FOH guys like it!
@@bandninkasimusic6484 I love EHX gear! The Battalion with built-in comp, gate, 4 band EQ and very versatile drive is an entire pedal-board in one.
I does NOT color your tone. That may be good or bad depending on your desires. I was looking for a pre that sounded like a mic’d amp.
I've played bass forever but never had a preamp pedalboard rig. I've yet to own something like Sansamp, Ampeg, etc, but for the meantime I am absolutely happy with... a Joyo British Sound! It wasn't actually made for bass per se, but it sounds amazing! Playing it clean with the right settings, you get a thick and punchy tone with no noise, and it sounds like a real bass amp!
@@benjaminvega8112 Holy Cow! How’d I miss that! The Joyo British Sound sounds amazing with bass guitar! And only $39! Add a di and you’re set!
The MXR M 81 is a great pedal. Wondering about the ranking. Pure neutral tone, great DI and EQ with parametric mids. Not bigger than a standard Boss Pedal. In my opinion a preamp should not colour the tone.
I need a bass di for recording cause my bass direct in sounds very shitty for so long...
Now with guitar i have the iridium with ir responses...
What about bass? Are cabsims needed? A preamp should make my sound hopefully better
@@marcusstrymon693 yes. IRs make bass direct sound more realistic. NUX makes a blue preamp that stores IRs and has usb interface for real time adjustments.
@@marcusstrymon693 Recently seen a video of SCR DI where the dude claimed he does not even use cabsim with that pedal. I planned to get a pedal for a practicing and packing with cabsim box as well, but we shall see. Nonetheless, ended today with Scrambler DI, but did not try yet.
MXR M80 DI is my go to. It's been on my board since it came out. I was going to get the sands amp because I had a Bass Comp that I loved until it broke. I liked the 2 channel option and the noise gate on the dirty channel. The clean channel has 2 voices. Built like a tank. It survived a house fire and works fine
Well sir, you have sold me on the Tech 21 VT! I just ordered one.
If you're into tube preamps, I'd suggest to try the EBS Valve Drive. It's a very clean sounding all tube preamp pedal with incredible signal to noise ratio that can also do pretty nasty overdrive sounds if you crank it. Can either be used as a standalone preamp or as an overdrive pedal. Everything from crystal clean warm funk sounds to roaring pure rock'n'roll madness a la Motörhead. Only con is the loss of low end definition in overdrive mode. But that's just what real tube distortion does.
i use the Laney DB-preamp, for the price it is fantastic, all quiet switching, 2 channels (tube & fet) can mix both or use each individually, 4 band eq with 3 position low-mid settings, mute/bypass footswitch & fet or tube or mix of both footswitch, from soft clean tone to full on drive...& the best bit the Tilt pot..great idea...better than most sub £250 pre-amp pedals for just £125...XLR, DI, pre-post switch & earth lift etc...i luv it.....fantastic tones to be had from it....
Cool video man! Some great choices there. My favourite preamp is the Tech21 Sansamp Bass Driver V2🤘
Hard to go wrong with it! It’s a classic for a reason! Thank you for watching. T
A preamp DI that always gets over looked, that I think is awesome, is the TC electronic Spectradrive. I use TCE amps, so this pedal gives me the exact same thing minus the capability to power a speaker. 20+ years playing so I know what I want to hear and love that I get the same sound weather it's from my amp or di pedal. The tone print thing I thought would be a gimmick, but it gives you a large option for compression and drives. Take a look if you haven't tried one yet.
The big sansamp programmable DI brought to a whole new level the expression "Set it and forget it"! 😅😂
dUg Pennick has great tone stack and the FET sounding, to me anyway, compression is very good. Easy to dial in crunch too
If I'm going for a clean and usefully bass tone my Sansamp is my preamp of choice.
If I'm looking for a distorted tone I use my Darkglass B7K.
This summer I bought a Boss GT1000 Core and I'm using it as an all-in-one solution and I'm planning to insert my Darkglass B7K in the FX loop.
One of the most underrated pedals is the TC Electronics Spark Booster. It can be used as a clean boost, light overdrive and some tone shaping.
If you like the Sansamp tone and you're in a budget you can try the Caline Wine Cellar or the Behringer BDI21.
The best pedal that crushes all of these is the Tech 21 SansAmp DP-3X - Dug Pinnick signature pedal that has a tuner, compressor and headphone jack.
I have an m81. I think about it as an active di box with light eq rather than a preamp. I think for that case it works great. I use mine a lot for upright gigs where I just was a clean tone.
If you already have your tone and just want a way to interface with front of house, I think the m81 is a little better than using a di box but it won't do any tone magic.
Totally can see it being useful in that capacity and it is super small in comparison to most DIs! T
@@TylerSpicer and it's cheaper than a jensen j48
Bro can we use the m81 instrument output (to the amp as a stage monitor) and xlr output (to the FOH) at the same time just like any radial di box?
@@babahfaiq yes
@@jaredhouseman2094 nice, i’m using mxr m80 btw , but yeah still wondering if m80 will works just same like m81, Like u said.
I really would love you showed HOW THEY SOUND
Thanks for the comment. Saved me some time.
No shit, good info, but way to much talk. Less talk more play= more views.
I actually really appreciated this. I can find clips of them played all over TH-cam (usually without any helpful info as to the setup), but this kind of feedback from living with them is harder to find.
In general yeah, you need to hear them, but this honest user review thing is rarer and I liked it for that
I’m looking forward to testing out the soon to be released XB Driver from Tech 21. Split the signal at your own preferred frequency, compress below, drive above, EQ, DI, though no digital impulse response
I have the Ampeg Classic and it changed my bass like night and day. I can also get several types of sounds as far a bright and aggressive or deep, low window shaking. If you learn to use it, it is a great pedal at a budget price. Just fyi this one is being used on a passive bass and now sounds better than my neighbors bass which is a very nice active bass. Even he was blown away. I also have the Ampeg Opto compressor and a Hartke bass attack 2, but the "good stuff" is coming from the Classic.
Nice stuff my man! I’ve always been intrigued by the opto too, but by the sounds of it, nothing too special? T
@@TylerSpicer Yeah, that is oddly kind of the point with the opto. Ppl get the nice ones with so many knobs and have a super hard time honing it in to what they are looking for it to do. This one is super easy and hard to get wrong. Options are minimal but yet it does a pretty good job of compression and sustain without the fuss. I have had comps with many more options, but have to say this is just like plug and play and no one who has checked it out has thought it was lacking in execution. Just my opinion of course,
I would like to buy the ampeg classic but a bunch of people talk shlt about it. Would you recommend it?
of time with the settings before making a rash decision.
Darkglass X Ultra, Radial bassbone OD, mesa boogie Subway, Mxr M80, Sansamp VT Deluxe.
I got the bass driver programmable, used it really often and love it. You can reconstruct the settings with the flashing led. But I also got the HX Stomp since one year ... and yes, it's a killer pedal. Totally agree. And also agree: I got the BassVT as rack unit and it serves as quick and easy frontend to my DAW - with DI and the SansAmp output ... great unit. Of course not so flexible as the HX, but just plugin and play something / practice ... great.
So thank's for the video, like it. Always searching for tips and opinions about gear and it served me well. Even if it just confirmed my love to the HX Stomp ;-)
Haha! Thank you so much for the support! The HX Stomp just never fails to impress me! T
do one for compressors as well ;)
I will do! T
If you're looking for an excellent compressor pedal you should try the empress compressor. For me it's the best compressor pedal by far. Real studio quality compression in pedal format with all the features you'd expect from a studio compressor.
@the3-dkiller1 Thanks for the advice. Haven't tried one yet. I'm pretty happy with my empress so far. Maybe I'll give it a try if I have the chance to get one.
@@bones2532 Any affordable options? :D
@@threndor9017 Maybe the TC Electronic spectra comp or hyper gravity could be an inexpensive option. They're digital multiband compressors, programmable with "toneprint". Haven't used one yet, but you get a lot of options for your money.
This is always going to be dependent on the type of music you play. I was the touring bsssist for The Miracles so a Jamerson Motown sound was what I needed. Thus I used the Ampeg SCR DI as it nails that sound. Sansamp is also good for that though I prefer the Ampeg. Nobody does the Ampeg sound better than Ampeg. If you need a heavy metal or rock sound then Darkglass probably works better for you. For recording these days I use a Noble but won’t tour or play out with it. I still stick with my Ampeg for that. One sleeper preamp is the Melvin L Davis by NUX. It’s very good with a jazz bass and gives you some amp sim capabilities at a very good price. Lots of good choices out there depending on your needs.
good review. suggestion: when speaking. 1. change the voice tempo form fast, medium to slow. 2 change you voice range dont stay in the same nerrow tone range though the entire review. change the pitch. dontforget to put a few brief pauses in your speach. and say something funny or catchy once in a while.
I really enjoy your channel. keep it up.
Hi! I’ve got a lot of your preamps but my favorite is still the « Le Bass » from 2 notes. Cheers! 😉
I like a clean sound and am very pleased with my Mesa Subway Bass DI-Preamp pedal.
Mesa stuff has always sounded great! Can’t to wrong! T
I bought the NU.X MLD pre-amp DI that does many things which many others don't...a fantastic pedal i use any time i cannot use an amp head & cab...works with a live rig as well...clever box with an interface & editing built in & a choice of bass amps & cabs with every switchable set up possible...a great price for a fantastic pro level pre-amp DI which takes up to 6 string bass's..Melvin Lee Davis uses mostly 5 & 6 string bass's..does everthing for a fraction of the price of most pre-amp DI pedals...i think it was out then ,yeah it was..
Would've needed this yesterday, before I bought mine :D
In the end I got the B7K v2 Ultra, so the bigger brother of the one you had here. Fooled around with all of these from the list at the music store for several hours, and I kept circling back to the B7K
I was eyeing the Helix after playing through my friends, but I just got overwhelmed trying it out
Good review. Absolutely right about the stomp. Also, the EBS Microbass and Nu-X Melvin Lee should be considered. Obviously I don't expect you to own them all. Love the classic Sansamp as long as you the blend is no more than 10 o'clock.
The SansAmp bass driver has a speaker simulation like the VT too, and it is an Amp Sim like the VT too and not a simple harmonic saturator.
The BDDI has a V2 now
Thx for this excellent video review. I already have a Line 6 Helix for guitar, so it is also now my bass DI.. even more value added to owning a good modeling unit 👍🏼
Excellent review. I'm interested too, where the new version version of the Sansamp Bass Driver would sit with its 500/1000hz selectable mid control....
Probably a little higher! 1k is a really useful frequency for bass to be more prominent in a mix without muddying anything or getting in the way of anything else! T
I would to see this done with a more exhaustive list of preamps!
In my opinion, the best overall pedal preamp is the Grace Design Felix. It sounds awesome and is versatile as hell. (It's got dip switches to change all sorts of things. It even has a clean boost with a footswitch!) And it's not just a bass preamp either. It can used as a pre for any electric or acoustic instrument, or even vocals. And have you any of you guys ever heard of Suncoast preamps? I haven't heard them, but they look pretty awesome. One of their models, the BC-3 XL, is a stereo preamp with dual clean channels and an overdrive channel complete with it's own EQ. (It was designed with Billy Sheehan. BassCentral carries it). And then there is the Acoustic Image Flex. It's mostly known be used by upright players, but is of very high quality. You can even put in on an optional stand or integrate into one AI's powered speakers. (kind of like the Mesa Subway series amps)
I strongly suggest you try Behringer's bass di. People say it's almost identical to a Sansamp, I'd say it's worth the shot for 30 bucks.
I’d say it’s worth me finding out too! T
Joyo has something similar. DR J Sparrow which gets quite a bit of praise.
I'm kicking myself, because I bought the MXR pedal last week, and THEN I saw this review. Had no idea there was a preamp pedal review on your channel. Wish I had checked. LESSON LEARNED. (Also, Tyler, you were the single biggest deciding factor in my purchase last week of the Aguilar DB751. Can't wait to receive it. Hmm... now that I'm thinking about it, I LOVE the fact that I'm sitting here annoyed about a pedal, rather than having regrets about a $2,500.00 amp. Hah, now I feel good again.)
My favourite preamp is the Tech21 Steve Harris Signature Sans Amp! It‘s pretty expensive, But completely worth it!
Even if you aren‘t looking for Steve harris (like me), But you are looking for a slight Drive in your tone, then it‘s your thing! Better than Most overdrive pedals. I only Miss a mid Control for 1Khz (ist has 200 hz and 500 hz for the mids). But still, it’s going to the Grave with me.
That’s awesome! Tech 21 definitely have the prowess when it comes to preamp pedals! T
Comparing the HX-Stomp to analog preamp pedals? Come on, Tyler! That's not a fair comparison.
But yes, I totally agree. I use the HX-Stomp for bass and guitar and it's absolutely stunning, that the sound quality of almost every single effect can easily compete with the original it was modeled after. I have an Ampeg SVP-CL all tube preamp from the early 2000s, one of the best 19" preamps I know. I was surprised how close the SVT 4 preamp model of the HX-Stomp gets in direct comparison. You won't be able to hear any difference in a mix for sure.
With all its possibilities and the superior sound quality there simply is no real competitor for the HX-Stomp these days, I think. It's just an awesome all-in-one solution for any pedalboard.
One of the (very few) cons of the HX-Stomp though, is the poor DSP-power. With the 3.0 software update, there are some really great new features like the "poly capo", that unfortunately take so much DSP-power, that you cannot combine 'em with some other effect blocks. A real bummer for me.
But for the price point and the small footprint, it's the best you can buy in my opinion.
I had the same thing with the fender! It was half price on black Friday and I kind of thought ‘oh their rumble LT and studio are good, if nothing else it’ll do the bass man and rumble tones well’. Ended up returning it even at half off just because it was massive and didn’t really seem to do much more than eq and drive, and lord knows there’s enough drive pedals on everyone’s board already
My favorite format at the moment are the Tech21 Fly Rigs. I own the Bass Fly Rig and the SH-1. With a tuner and a DI-out you have everything in one unit, and they both sound awesome. I like the Helix for its versatility. I use it at home most of all to record and play guitar. But as a bass preamp it lacks an DI-out and it does not feel as real as an analog unit to me. The VT Bass DI used to be my bead and butter pedal also, but was replaced with the Fly Rig and the SH-1.
What I want to accomplish is as follows:
Plug bass into bass preamp - pedal size or slightly larger preferred.
Plug BALANCED LINE LEVEL OUT of preamp directly into my Ad/Da converter to capture PROCESSED signal. TRS or XLR is fine.
Simultaneously I would like to take an INSTRUMENT LEVEL output from the preamp and plug it into the instrument level inputs on one of my mic pres to capture the UNPROCESSED DI.
Right now the only thing I’ve been able to find with these features is the MESA SUBWAY DI box. But I’d like a few more options to choose from before spending any money. Nice Overdrive and eq section is a bonus.
Any suggestions that can achieve that routing?
Currently using eden wtdi and does what I need it to do live. In the studio i usually have some plugins too and most of producers want my stems dry any way so they can add their own stuff on top.
Also use the Sadowsky preamp in my Mike lull jazz - so smooth and just sits where I want it
Very informative, thank you. Have you ever tried the Boss GEB-7? Great tone enhancer or clean power boost. It just lacks a di connection. I use it much more than my MXR M81. The MXR was kind of disappointing.
I can concur! GEB-7 bass equalizer pedal is a great pedal. So much boost where I need it and gives so much tone. I even run it with my line 6 bass pod. I’ve been eyeballing the mxr 81 but haven’t tried it personally. When recording I did use the Darkglass b7k and it blew me away! Need to buy that one next
I agree with you on HX stomp but I think it stumbles in the area of overdrive. Otherwise it really gives great freedom in terms of routing, EQ, compressors etc.
Ampeg SCR DI Hands down. Love it!
Why?
Just because he owns it, in psychology, this is called defending your purchase. It's made in Asia, and imho is not as good as the Tone Hammer or Sansamp.
You reviewed the old sansamp. I have the version 2 and it does have a midrange knob and boost button
Nice comparison Tyler.👍🏻
If you’re going to do another one of these may I suggest the GK Plex and Trace Elliot Transit B?
I’ve heard great things about the GK and love the all in one design. Not really seen the trace around much but definitely remember seeing it and thinking it looked cool! Have you used them yourself? T
@@TylerSpicer no. Not yet. I haven’t seen the Trace around here at all but the Plex is to be had just not in my city.
I play an MXR Bass DI and it has a very natural sound, it doesn't get to fat and bright but for me it works because I play punk music, I also run it with the overdrive just a tad above the transparent mark and then I run a TC Electronic mini Spark. My head is a simple Hartke LH 500 which has a rube preamp and a 3 band eq. It really just use it for the power because on its own its pretty neutral sounding. I did buy the Sans Amp Deluxe but that thing was super bland and didn't do anything for my amp so I sold it. My first preamp pedal was a Sans Amp VT original which sounded really nice but for some reason I got rid of it 🤦♂️, also had a Hartke Bass Attack 2 which wasn't bad but it was a little too "fake" sounding once I compared it to the MXR.
Great info. Thx! Definitely would like to hear a sound version playing through…
Have you tried the Orange Bass Butler yet? It definitely exceeded all my expectations. No need for other pedals anymore.
Have one on my board ! Love it ! It replaced my Ampeg SCR-DI.
Bass Rigs are nice,and the Bass Butler and Le Bass work great.Of course the Geddy 2112 is a good one.
The best budget preamp is the NUX MLD. It punches way above its price point and NUX themselves are the best Chinese pedal company by far. On a different level from joyo, biyang, etc.
I know this video is 2+ years old, but you didn’t mention the price of each pedal, or if that even figured into your review. The price range for the pedals reviewed is around $150 to $700. That’s a huge factor, especially for beginner bassist. So, the question is, would you shift the rankings around with cost figured in?
used a sans amp for years, now i have the hx stomp... with the sans amp sim on it...
How does the stomp compare to the actual pedal??
@@LutherDesigns very close, and with the amp sims and cab IRs my sound is just beter
Haha! I think it’s great to have so much on board the stomp... I’ll stomp before the fan boying continues from me once again 😂😅
Tyler you should review the EHX Battalion. Looks like a great and versatile pedal for the money. Curious why you will think of it.
Oh great, I sold my HX Stomp (great pedal, but wanted to move back to analog for guitar). I've been using the new SansAmp BDDI (with mids), but think I'll try the Sadowsky. Not sure it'll make my P-bass sound like a Sadowsky though. I've owned Sadowskys and have loved them, but, like moving back to analog from the HX, I moved back to passive Fender bass for the classic rock sound and sold my Sadowskys. Yours are my favorite reviews, with intelligent opinions, so thanks!
Tyler what about a video on where to put pedals on a pedal board for best sound.
Ooo! A controversial one as everyone’s tastes are different but I can definitely do one on the order that I like my board? T
@@TylerSpicer that would be great, mate. Thank you so much.
I'd love a Vintage Microtubes Ultra but currently using a NUX Martin Lee Davis Preamp/DI. Punches well above it's weight. NUX make quality gear and are the best of the chinese pedal companies by far, blowing joyo and the like out of the water.
Just found your channel Tyler. Very useful! Could you offer any advice on a tonal issue I’ve had for ages please?
I’v always been looking for that piano tone with what some would call ‘clank’🙄 but never been satisfied. I’ve tried loads of setups over the years… full on valve Ampeg+810 (painful for the body!), biamping my Sansamp RBI into a 212 and my Ampeg 7pro cleaner and fatter into a 410, the RBI into my Crown power amp into some 410’s. Now I’ve bought a Darkglass B7K to run with the RBI into the power amp to get a little bit of colour and different mild drive and nothing seems to get that sort of Chris Squire/Geddy tone. Any ideas what might work? I can’t seem to get the right gear!
Hey Stuart! I can try! A lot of that kind of sound is going to be living in the 1.5-3.5k range. I would be grabbing a parametric EQ and just trying to find where that “piano sound” is for you, and your ears. With those kind of tones it’s all about the mid range and evenness and maybe going a little light on the bottom end (particularly sub 80hz). Strings are also going to be really important, are you using steel or nickel wound strings at the minute? I’d associate that tone more with steel. Also the type of bass and right hand technique are gonna be a big factor in that tone as much as anything! Let me know! T
@@TylerSpicer thanks for the really quick reply.
I use steel strings (Rotosound, so very standard stuff).
Bass-wise, I use mainly use my Warwick Streamer Jazzman but I also use a Stingray, Precision and even a Jackson.
I’m 99% finger style but I tend to play heavy.
Atm I’m playing hard rock/metal with Marshall-wielding guitarists so a very narrow frequency window to cut through!
… I’ve been ogling a Spector Euro 4 as everything I read and hear seems it can lean towards that sort of tone, but…£££!!!
Have you any samples or demos you have created with the HX stomp ? Now that would be brilliant !
What are your thoughts on TWO bass preamps on a pedalboard to combine tones? Is it something that people do, or am I just thinking too far out of the box?
If it sounds good and works in your playing situation, it is good! Preamps are just colours so use them to paint the picture you want! It was very popular at one point to pair the sansamp VT bass as a drive saturation in-front of anything as a “make it sound better pedal”
Nice video. Wondering your thoughts on the DSM & Humboldt Simplifier Bass Station?
I’ll have to take a look! I’m not familiar! T
Do u know of good tube preamps for bass that are in rack mount form? The Demeter VTBP-201S, the Demeter HBP-1, the Ampeg SVP models, and the Fender TBP-1 are pretty much all i could find and the Fender and Ampegs are rare to find used, plus the Ampeg SVPs (especially the Pro) are prone to being noisy. I just really want to find more rack mounted options that are tube based preamps. The Demeters seem like my best bet though. They are fantastic sounding, but just trying to see if other options are out there in 2021. Seems like everything has gone pedal format and solid state
Edit: not looking for an amp, just tube preamp designed for bass in particular. I want to go the old school route and build a rack
Nice! Definitely a cool thing to do! Check out Jule as well for tube pres. They’re rare, but there are rack mount ones out there I believe. There are also some of the older Aguilars, the DB 680 and 659 which come really well regarded. As I remember Henrik Linder recorded all the direct sounds on the first Dirty Loops record through one, and I think Thundercat may do the same. As you’ve said, you can’t go wrong with the Demeters either! T
@@TylerSpicer awesome thanks for the suggestions man. Definitely going to check those out and see what i can find. Thanks so much
Hello, Why we are using extra DI Box with preamps which has DI output like B7K ?
I use a pike vulcan XL, but it will be replaced as soon as I save enough money to buy a noble.
There is a SansAmp Bass Driver DI V2 that has a mid control. Where would that be in the tier list?
I would probably put it in the same tier, just from a tonal perspective. A solid and versatile workhorse but just never been wowed by the tones. YMMV of course! T
I've watched this video multiple and thanks for putting this massive list together. I was wondering if you any recommendations on what preamp would be good if your using an active bass? I know you dont really need one, but I would like to have some more tonal options during live performances.
Thank you for watching! It really depends on what you want to change about the sound? Is it to add a different tonal colour to it or to EQ it differently than you already can on the bass? I always like the HX Stomp as you can do anything you can think of with it - so long as you don’t mind digging in a little and trying different settings. T
@@TylerSpicer I do really like the HX Stomp, but its a little out of my budget. I would be using the pedal mostly for live gigs and home recording. I've kind of narrowed it down in my mind to the Tech 21 VT, Ampeg SCR-DI or the NUX Melvin Lee Davis.
@@joshbaker5403 I’d go for the VT bass out of those. A good vintage tone shaper and character box, but also a a wide range of characters in it with the character knob. I think it sounds fatter and more natural than the Ampeg, and gives you something different to your active bass circuit. T
@@TylerSpicer thanks for tip. I appreciate the quick response. -J
How does the Sadowsky Clean Preamp sound compare to Darkglass's B7K clean Preamp with no distortion
If you have the AGS on the Tone Hammer on at about 7 o'clock at the highest, always on? It's a pretty great tone. I find it to be a bit of a one trick pony, but it's a big ass pony!
What about this one : Eden Amplification Terra Nova Module Bass Preamp w/ Effect Loop
How about Sansamp Bass Driver DI V2 ?
Is version 2 better or worse?
Have you tried out the Aguilar DB 925? I’m really curious about it
nice video, but your supper is not a pre-amp, and if you go all-in-one route - than as sound quality Boss GTCore take it from the moment it;s on, the DAC (we shouldn't even mention this when we talk preamp/di pedals) is in a different league. You are missing the 2 of the best MODERN companies (both from Sweden, and both doing almost 100% bass products) - 1. EBS (my choice) 2. Darkglass (Metal heads choice). I use 2 preams (and a very big digital board for a bass player GTcore + SY1000 + Tonex + H9 + H90), depending on style, as my entry point (to design the sound coming in) I use either 1 EBS microbass III cover the entire Modern sound I need, 4 metal I'd use Darkglass, but I dont do metal and it gives my the bare minimum for the little metal sound I do use rarely, or 2. SansAmp 2nd gen (the one in the video) 4 everything classic\vintage.
I'd put the EBS at S, and the SansAmp at A, and I think the reason is that I want variety of sound, and you look for a specific sound, anyways the sansamp is on so many 90's albums that it is a specific sound by now, I dont use a preamp to get a specific amp sound, I have Tonex 4 that, I use it to "sculpture"the sound coming into the pedalboard. 4 Jam sessions I'll usually take the EBS, unless it's a jazz/RnB jam and than the SansAmp, but it is also depends on the bass I take, for example electric upright is exclusively SansAmp.
Good comparison of preamps. Appreciate real touring experience.
.
But odd to include a multi fx 😂
Maybe a comparison of multi fx pedals would be more interesting?
Thoughts on new Darkglass 'ADAM' ? Just bought it and i use it in fx loops of my HX. It rivals the HX when it comes to versatility.
Nice! I haven’t used it I’m afraid, looks like a versatile unit, but I think I’d miss the screen for dialing things in, like the HX. Using both together sounds like the best of both worlds! T
@@TylerSpicer I believe it works with a phone app for editing the torpedo cab m+ is another that im a huge fan of and it also has a phone app
aside from the mediocre gate, the EHX Battalion holds more than it's own against most of these pre-amp pedals with a $150 price tag
Jup, sounded much better than my Metaphore.
EHX battalion is hands down my favorite pre amp pedal
Awesome bunch of information. I wonder how similar products by EBS, eden, gk, orange, xotic, markbass and gr bass would've compared...
It’s so tough to cover them all - and I’ll only give my opinions on things that I’ve played! I’d definitely love to cover this again in the future and maybe do a full comparison with each brand! T
What about the deluxe bass big muff?
LR Baggs Stadium DI ?
picked one up for cheap.. my jury’s still out!
Usefull vid thanks a lot
Glad you liked it! Thank you for watching. T
I don't care for preamp pedals that are ran through the send/return. They often get stacked with other EQ's. If I'm using a preamp -- its usually a stand alone rackmount into a power amp.
hey Tyler do you have any info about basses weight comparison? think to get rid of my heavy warwick streamer std for something lighter, you think fender squier a good way to go???...thanks for all great info
Are you you looking for general rules on which types or woods/constructions etc. Are best for you lower weight, or specific manufacturers? T
@@TylerSpicer no man...i 'm not into much technical stuff, although i guess many others would be interested, just trying to find something not to break by back
@@4low395 have you tried any short or medium scale basses? The Squier Jaguar 32” model might be one of my favourite low prices basses ever.
@@TylerSpicer should check it out, i see good reviews, big thanks for reply
If you're on a budget the Behringer (I know!) BDI 21 is a great pedal for £20 - basically a copy of the sansamp
Here, here. Many people prefer it. Or the Dr. J Sparrow.
I've heard good things! May be worth a video! T
Hi, Did You tried the zoom gx1 bass?
Hi, whats your opinion or rank with tech21 bass flyrig and dp3x?
Hey Tyler, I'm looking for a preamp only pedal (already have big muff for the dirt) and I don't have room for big pedal. I'm looking for Ampeg Classic Analog which you put on lower tier. I use Ampeg BA108, is the Classic Amalog gimme that sound? Is it good enough pedal for my need? Compact non dirt pedal. Thank you before!
I think it’ll very much replicate that same EQ sound you’re used to with the BA. However, it doesn’t produce enough character to my mind to be a preamp on its own. I would consider the VT bass non-DI pedal, if that would fit on your board? T
@@TylerSpicer I don't think it'll fit my board. How about MXR Thump? Have you already try it? The MXR bass preamp is out of my budget. Tbh, I'm torn between this and Envelope Filter. I already use compressor, fuzz, and chorus and only one final spot left. Which one should I buy?
bass preamp dunlop+fender player precision+hartke b900=====POWER
What style of music do u play?
You should try Simplifier Bass Station
I ordered it! Looking foreward to use it! Do you use it?
@@oskarbuvarp6216 yepp I use it for about one year. It's sounds fantastic for me!
What’s your opinion on the Noble Pre-Amp?
I've never used it - principally due to price! I've heard great things, but I'm not sure I'd invest in one myself - for studio work I'd rather put the money towards a B15, a Tubetec CL1B or a Neve clone channel strip. However, still an undoubtedly good looking and sounding piece of gear. T
@@TylerSpicer Your comment is 3 years old but I saw that you were contemplating the Tube-Tech CL-1B. I owned one and it was the best piece of studio gear that I ever used. It made everything sound better: vocals, bass, guitar, drums especially kick drum, and anything that was put through it. It’s the best piece of gear imaginable.
The HX Stomp? Isn't that a guitar multi-FX pedal? I thought this list was strictly one for analog bass pedal/DI's? Well, regardless, I've heard that the HX Stomp can used for bass, but I thought there was only a few bass patches at best?
Loads of bass stuff! Tonnes compared to every other effects maker. Most of the team at Line 6 are bassists, not guitarists ironically. I think it’s a great option, especially as you can take just the preamp sections from the amp models if you want. Most versatile piece of gear I own, and I’d ditch the presets straight away. If I had to sell everything and have only one piece and a bass, this would be it! T
You might like the One Control mini preamp pedals.Also the Tech 21 YYZ is mighty good.
They should have made a YYZ in the Mini Fly rig version like the DP-3X or the SH-1 with DI and a tuner. At least the new MP 40 special edition should have got an DI out ... but no!
@@Klaus80804 I liked the sound of the YYZ so much that I sold it and bought a DI-2112 which offers many configurations and the XLR direct out.It's a very great sounding and versatile preamp.
Great rundown...But you most certainly have a lean towards the Ampeg sound.
Tyler you should check out Two Notes Engineering Le Bass pre-amp pedal. I’ve tried a mountain of pre-amps and this has blown me away
I’ve heard amazing things! I’ll add it to the list! T
Couldn’t hear what the top pick was. Was it VX?
Line 6 HX Stomp! T
Trickfish Minnow ( and the stomp ) 😊
I dig the Trickfish amp tone! Definitely need to try a Minnow out!
Not all preamps have EQ, and not all preamps have XLR, so what really IS a preamp?
I think it’s a device that takes instrument level and outputs line level, no?
I'm really struggling to find an amazing tube DI, I'm looking at the REDDI, Noble, 610 solo, and Acme MTP-66, my tobias has no thickness which is what im trying to solve
Is it an MTD or an earlier Tobias? What woods is it made of? Is it bass thickness or midrange that you’re looking for? T
In the same price range, you also have the Monique bass preamp, too expensive for me but demos sound great (especially if you need a thick and warm sound)
@@TylerSpicer I have a MTD lynn keller 532 (pistachio top, walnut body, ash neck, roasted birdseye board) I would definitely say its midrange im looking for, in order to fill out the sound, It sounds not very fat through an amp compared to my musicman string ray 5. Its almost as if the wave form only represents the center points boosted on the bartolini preamp.
Auxiliary inputs are a factor for some people looking into pre amps. Thanks for sharing.
Anyone tried the stone deaf Q boost as a bass preamp?
I haven't! In fact I haven't heard of it - I'll check it out! T
@@TylerSpicer th-cam.com/video/MapkLqomjao/w-d-xo.html
I love my HX Stomp. It's really pretty impressive. However, after spending a lot of time with it, it can't still take the place of my Ashdown OriginAL preamp pedal.
what about just using a pod go?