Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Which preamp/DI box do you use/recommend? The stomp boxes, not the rack mounts.

I have a Tonehammer but the bass 40hz response is aggravating my right ear. I notice sansamp has different bass frequency tunings. Maybe that will help.

Thanks!

Nu-x NBP5

https://www.nuxefx.com/melvin-lee-davis.html

Ashly BP41 for classic setup, for high tech you can't beat an Avalon U5, sorry no stomps suggestions though.

I have both of those as well. I've used the Ashley in my live setup for 25+ years and the Avalon for recording. Both are exceptional.

I have used an MXR M-80 Bass DI+ for nigh-on 20 years. Fantastic little box, great DI. I use it for DI and very slight EQ and it is my main 'light grit/distortion' unit. It can have a slightly modern sound, but not as extreme as Darkglass units. It can be very transparent, compared to most SansAmp units. I have grown to like/tolerate SansAmp units, but find they are too coloured. In my opinion the MXR does very well to preserve your tone.

Only caveat is the distortion channel automatically engages the colour button (mid scoop) on that channel, meaning you are blending clean without the mid scoop and a mid-scooped distortion. That said, I have found settings that make it work nicely for all my basses. Sounds great with my 4003. I aim for a nice almost tubey grind with good clarity.

The EQ affects both channels, settings below do not impact clean tone very much, barely noticeable, but make a big difference to the distorted tone. These settings may not look like much more than boosting, but they are more effective than that. It actually results in a bit of extra goodness, like umami I guess results in the DI sounding a little more like cab emulation, which this thing technically doesn't do, unlike the SansAmp stuff.

I used to avoid the clean section, instead using it just for dirt, but that was before I was re-enlightened. Now the clean section is always on.

Colour: OFF
Clean Volume: 10:30
Dist Volume: 10:30 - 11:00
Blend: 10:00 - 10:30
Trigger: 3:00 - 4:00
Gain: 8:00 - 9:00
Bass: 1:00ish
Mid: 2:00 - 2:30
Treble: 1:00ish

(I will double-check these settings on the weekend)

If you're curious, check one of my vids - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOncb7lY__c. Disclaimer: this tone was from before the latest tweaks I made. I was experimenting with a more extreme setting. Later videos I have made with the Thunderbird are better. Even though the TBird has a thicker tone, the Ric now sounds fuller with the new settings and not quite as harsh/grindy.

I have played with a SansAmp programmable DI and was happy enough with it once I dialled back the flavour. Bonus with that unit is the flexibility of three channels. Again though, it isn't a flavour I wanted to live with permanently.

Dirk wrote: ↑Thu Dec 08, 2022 10:51 am Ashly BP41 for classic setup, for high tech you can't beat an Avalon U5, sorry no stomps suggestions though.

I had that Avalon years ago. Excellent sound for sure. Sold it along with all kinds of other items in a kind of haste.

I'm at home with an Earthquaker White Light (DOD 250 ish) these days. Always on clean tone...

but the bass 40hz response is aggravating my right ear.

Maybe try a low pass filter?

The filter on my Mesa D-800+ was what I had been looking for my whole life (without knowing it).
Unfortunately, I bought the amp about 2 gigs before I quit gigging!

I will have to check into the low pass filter.
My Aguilar tonehammer’s bass sounds boomy where sans amp bass sounds tubby. So it may or may not be the Hz vs. just the tone of the preamps. I kind of like the tubby sound better because seems easier on my ears and has more depth.

Broughton audio makes great filters, but you have the wrong one, you want a high pass filter which will allow all the highs through and roll off the ultra low end.
https://www.broughtonaudio.com/product- ... ***-filter
They are greatly regarded and not that expensive considering their boutique nature.

Great to see all the others using Ashly and Avalon.

teeder wrote: ↑Fri Dec 09, 2022 9:57 am

but the bass 40hz response is aggravating my right ear.

Maybe try a low pass filter?

The filter on my Mesa D-800+ was what I had been looking for my whole life (without knowing it).
Unfortunately, I bought the amp about 2 gigs before I quit gigging!

I meant to say High Pass filter.

The Tech 21 NYC DI-2112 (and it’s Rackmount equivalent GED-2112) are excellent and even eliminates the need to use RIC-o-sound in my opinion.

I have a SanaAmp Programmable Bass Driver DI and love it. With three programmable channels, you can't go wrong. I personally believe you can't go wrong with anything SanAmp.

But no mids control on the programmable Sansamp? What does it do with the mids?
Programmable sounds interesting so I can program EQ for different basses.

I used to use mine to set for three different bases I used during gigs. I have also used it for one bass to set three different sounds for different parts of the show. It is also a very easy tool to tune in a room at a gig. Not sure how it all works but I would think the spectrum you are affecting could be broken up into whatever groupings one would want. Be it two zones or three zones or twelve zones you are still managing the full spectrum. Just by how fine an increment would be the difference. To know for sure with regards to SansAmp I guess you'd need to talk to them how they manage it.

My pedalboard. The gold pedal is a JHS Prestige, which can be used as a buffer, add some overdrive or cranked for distortion. I use it as a buffer. I use the VT Bass pedal for overdrive or distortion, the Sansamp BDDI for slight overdrive and the Darkglass Harmonic Booster for clean tone. After this photo was taken, I put the Prestige before the Darkglass Hyper Luminal