Preamp qns

[playguitar]

Hi guys,

If if i'm using a Preamp (Hartke Bass attack) do i still need a EQ pedal for my bass guitar?

I'm not really sure what's a preamp for beside it's DI function, for what i know it shape my tone nicely when I kick in the pedal.

 

[shinobi]

to make matters more confusing for yourself, di and eq functions are seperate from the preamp function. some preamps dont come with di (eg. xotic, demeter), and some not even an eq, save a bass/treble boost/cut

without going into too many details, the preamp basically... amplifies your signal. and it is done before the amp. hence 'preamp' 8) . you know active basses? the battery that you put in the bass is used to power the preamp

i was surfing headphone forums and more or less the same question came up. consider the fact that amplifying your signal is not the same as increasing the volume

 

[Surf3r]

let's say if your bass is not an active bass. So means cannot use preamps?

 

[ulysses]

to make matters more confusing for yourself, di and eq functions are seperate from the preamp function. some preamps dont come with di (eg. xotic, demeter), and some not even an eq, save a bass/treble boost/cut

Hey Shinobi.. just wondering.. the Hartke Bass Attack has a 3-band bass, treble and bright control... That would mean that it has no eq right? Cause I was thinking of getting a separate EQ pedal but I've been told that that would be redundant. Please enlighten me! Thanks!

 

[shinobi]

according to some softies who use preamp pedals with their active basses, it works fine

regarding the eq... it depends on the onboard electronics. sometimes the active tone controls are cut-only (i.e. fender jaguar bass), whereas on other basses it is boost-only (i.e. ibanez srx). so i guess its probably inappropriate to call it an eq

you could still get an eq pedal if there is a need. graphic eq's offer far more flexibility than any parametric one on a preamp. but that also means it could be a pain in the ass as it is more complicated to use

 

[Z3r0_G]

Hey Shinobi.. just wondering.. the Hartke Bass Attack has a 3-band bass, treble and bright control... That would mean that it has no eq right? Cause I was thinking of getting a separate EQ pedal but I've been told that that would be redundant. Please enlighten me! Thanks!

The bass, treble and brite functions are still eq controls, minus the mids. if you want a extra mid control on your pedal board then it would be possible to get a bass eq pedal. For me, reworking the eq on the amp is enough.

 

[shinobi]

with regards to what zeroG said, i think its also a matter of what kind of rig you play on. personally i use the parametric eq on my preamp/di because i don't trust amp eq, and i usually set the amp eq flat.

i usually don't trust amps because in the event that you actually use the di out, your amp essentially becomes a monitor and what you hear is not the same as what goes to the FOH... which can be catastrophic, especially if u use alot of effects. but sadly, good monitoring is rare

but my point is, eq pedals and outboard preamps mainly put the tone control back in your own hands

other than that, i feel that the outboard preamp enhances my tone somewhat

 

[rufus9549]

but i don think u shld get a eq pedal a compressor would be better if u are intrested in improving the sound i am also using hartke bass attack but hoping to buy a compressor soon when i have the cash

 

[Resetti]

For the Bass Attack, I usually leave the EQ (Bass, Treb, Brite) alone.

The thing that affected my tone the most was both the "Shape" and the Harmonics knobs. I can get a very very good sound from that.

The Shape knob is basically a parametric EQ that will boost the frequency that you sweep with the knob, and the Harmonics knob is a tube-like simulation.

Eventually I sold the pedal not because I don't like it... I really love the sound I can get from it.

The reason I sold it was because I bought a Hartke 3500a amp which has 10-band EQ, low and high pass filter and 2 pre-amps - a real tube pre-amp and a solid state pre-amp which I can mix the 2. Which is really good enough for me

 

[Mitsugi]

so to summarize all that has been said,..
you still need an eq, besides the hartke bass atttack? (even on active bass?)

 

[Resetti]

so to summarize all that has been said,..
you still need an eq, besides the hartke bass atttack? (even on active bass?)

Well, the Bass, Treb and Shape knobs are already EQ functions on the bass attack.

Pre-amp is just to amplify your very low signal of your bass to a stronger one that the power amp can handle.

But most pre-amp comes with EQ (like the bass attack) and tone coloring (the harmonics knob on the bass attack) options.