What does everbody use for a bass Pre amp?

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chingon

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Just curios on what people are using. It's something I dont see talked much around here, or maybe I'm to lazy to run a search. What do they use in big fancy shmancy studios?
 
Don't know what they use in fancy studios, but I usually record bass with a sansamp bass di going into the console. The parallell out of the sansamp goes to a bass cab with an audiotechnica ATM25 in front of it. Both signals are recorded on separate tracks with as little compression as I can get away with. No EQ.
 
Most of the fancy-schmancies are mic'ing an amp . . . usually an Ampeg or similar. And they're taking a DI -- using either a Countryman, or the real schmancies have an Avalon U5 on hand.

A lot of mic pres also have an instrument input as an added feature; some prefer those. Even some of the el-cheapo starvedplate toob dealies like the ART Tube MP can be really useful in that role. You might be surprized at how much that actually gets used. The Peavey vmp2 is another mic pre that is relatively popular amongst the professionals for it's DI capabilities.

The other option is to use a dedicated amp modeler-type device. Behringer and Line6 have dedicated units solely for that purpose, but by far the most popular among them is the Sansamp Bass Driver, as Strangeleaf mentioned.

For me, it varies depending on the situation. My favorite is probably going direct using the ART Tube MP, and then using one of the models in Amplitube should we decide we want a little more of an "amped" sound. I like that because it's easier. :D But if the client comes in with a real kickass-sounding bass amp/cab, then I'll usually mic it up and do the A/B splitter so I'll also have a direct feed. From there, we either decide which we like better, or we'll mix the two.

Why I go to all this trouble, I don't know. :D If you're smart, you'll just pick up a Sansamp, and get better bass sounds than me, and you'll get it done a lot quicker and easier.
 
I use a Johnson J-Station.
For $150 or less it is a really good sounding amp simulator.
Although it was made primarily for electric guitar, it has a few Bass cabs as well. Surprisingly enough I use the Johnson clean Guitar amp model for the bass and it is wonderful.
 
tmix said:
I use a Johnson J-Station.
For $150 or less it is a really good sounding amp simulator.
Although it was made primarily for electric guitar, it has a few Bass cabs as well. Surprisingly enough I use the Johnson clean Guitar amp model for the bass and it is wonderful.
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I have a Digitech Genesis 3 amp modeler since 1.5 weeks and even though it doesn't have bass amp models, the Black Face model gives me a very passable sound when I plug in my bass.
With some Meek compression one step down the signal chain, I'm pretty happy with what I get out of it (for now).
 
I use quite a few different rigs, depending on where the bass is going. I have a Hughes & Kettner B.A.T.T. that is pretty cool. Also a HHB Radius 5 Fatman that's VERY nice vintage sound for bass. For something more aggressive, I have a Acoustic 450 that I take the line output from that I like. I'd love to pick up an Avalon U5.
 
Just bought an active bass, and am getting nice sounds running it through my GK combo, line out into the mixer. However thinking about a Sansamp for my old passive 4 string, when it comes back from the defretting shop
 
If the bassist's rig sounds good, I'll throw a mic up on it, along with a DI...

If the amp sounds like crap I'll run them with something like a Sansamp Bass Driver, along with a DI - or sometimes just the DI.
 
I use one of three options depending on the sound I need.

Slightly warm with a lot of compression - Direct in to a Focusrite Voicemaster Pro. going directly to soundcard

Clean to retro - Genesis 3 to board or to soundcard

Room sounding - Behringer Bass Amp mic'd about 6 inches out to pick up the room and amp.

OR, sometimes I combine one of the directs above with the amp.

For real fun I mic a Double Bass and take it through the amp set in the bathroom for a real slap back sound. Then I mic the amp into the board. Gives it a real live amibient jazz club kinda sound.
 
Thanks for all the feedback. It's interesting to see what everyone uses. I myself use a Aguilar DB680. It has five tubes and a parmametric EQ. I like it cause you can plug straight into your sound card and hit record. I get a pretty fat and juicy sound but sometimes its hard to get it to stand out in the mix. I dont know why, I think a lot of it has to do with my shitty mixing skills.

I've also been thinking about checking out a U5.
 

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chingon said:
I dont know why, I think a lot of it has to do with my shitty mixing skills.

I've also been thinking about checking out a U5.
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If you have a problem with your mixing skills, buying a U5 won't help.

Practice practice and practice. I need to take my own advice. :D
 
I use a older Alesis quadverbGT straight into the sound. It adds a bit of edge for rock based music.
 
I like the Millenia TD-1 and the A Designs MP-2 for bass DI duties.

We've also gotten good results with the Bass POD. I hate emulators but the Bass POD does a decent job.

The Audio Buddy can do a workable job on bass DI.

I think the runs the gamut of budget.

Steve
www.mojopie.com
 
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If the axe sounds good enough - I'll run it thru an Art Tube MP.

If I think it needs some help, I'll run it thru a J-Station

Low tech - but works in my crappy little studio.
 
I use either a Johnson J-Station or Joe Meek VC3Q.....

Im just starting to experiment with miking my Kustom K100 bass amp with a Peavey PVM520i mic to blend in with the direct........
 
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