RUclipsrs take note, THIS is how a proper comarison is done. No slow knob turns, no leaving every knob at noon. You pick a type of sound to go for and see how well the pedals do that
no it is not...too many variables of eq tone settings, levels, etc. Turn any one or more of the knobs on any of them just a bit and the tone can be completely different. @@arsenije_wav8620
Wow. Absolutely epic. Thank you for taking the time to do that. This just goes to show what a great time it is to be a bass player. So many fantastic options out there. I was surprised by how great the darkglass X ultra sounded by itself. I always thought of it as more of a distortion pedal, but it makes for a very full, fat bass preamp on its own as well. I may need to pick one of those up.
Wtf even is this????!!?! This is the BEST RUclips comparison video I have ever seen in my 20+ years playing bass. Bravo indeed. I didn't even know the tech 21 Steve Harris preamp existed and now I have one on order. From the bottom, much appreciation.
Wow, thanks so much for the video and the bloody effort put into it! This is the reason why I subscribed to your channel so many years ago. When it comes to these preamps, I really feel that the ones that have some kind of cab sim have a slight advantage in this particular shootout. Also, crazy how good the everlasting Sansamp Bass Driver gets the job done in most situations here.
Pleasant surprises: The Trickfish Minnow EQ was consistently impressive. There is an art to choosing frequency centers and Qs, and they nailed it. The Orange Butler is actually way more versatile than I imagined.
@@worshipbass9913I own a few of these including the Bass Butler and it's a great sounding pre.Defineitly does dirt but has a great clean tone.It's a good one!
Love the Digbeth! Sounds great, even without a speaker sim. Orange Bass Butler is much more versatilve and better sounding than I expected. Darkglass is excellent, as always. Origin Effects Super Vintage is also superb sounding!
I guess I learned that Tech 21 and Darkglass are what I like! The Tech21 Geddy Lee and the Darkglass Alpha-Omega were the ones I listened to a few times.
A lot of people citing we missed “their favorite” well your favorite companies aren’t always eager to help. 🤷🏻♂️ we did what we could with all the rad companies that support us in supporting them. Thanks again for watching!
Of the handful of things this video demonstrates, perhaps one of the most important is that very good bass gear cannot make up for not so good bass playing. Great comparison thanks for the effort
I’ve played through Ampeg amps for the past 45 years. I own an original SvT Classic and B15. I was the touring bassist for the Motown group The Miracles for several years up until Covid and always had the SVT Classic waiting for me on stage as my back line. So when I went to find a preamp to put on my pedalboard I knew exactly what I was looking for tone-wise. I demo’d the Noble, Bassrig Super Vintage, Sansamp and the Ampeg SCR DI. Honestly they were all great. I blindfold tested each of them on 3 different settings I typically use and in every case my ear went right to the Ampeg SCR DI. Just the exact touch of grit for the classic Motown tone I love so much and know so well. That said they were all pretty close and all would have been a great add to my board. But the Noble was a bit too bright and clear for my liking and I had reservations about it holding up on tour.. The Ampeg is built like a tank and also has the earphone out and aux for practicing. The Bassrig was the closest to the Ampeg to my ear and the Sansamp was also close. I was able to dial the Ampeg right in and it was like being with an old friend. Now I don’t play heavy metal or hard rock so I can’t opine on those genres. But for R&B and Funk the Ampeg kills it and at a very reasonable price. I use it on the road and on studio dates and it always gets the job done. I work with some of the best sound engineers in the business and they just love it. For me it’s the best choice and I don’t see it coming off my rig anytime soon. I highly suggest when you demo any pedal you do your own blindfold test. I’ve surprised myself with some other effects pedals and you will find that price does not always reflect the best tone. You will all have your own sound your looking for so go at it that way and not by name brand, trends or dollar value. Confirmation bias is widespread amongst musicians when it comes to pedals and something you want to try to avoid.
I use the MXR M-80 and it seems to me that the color button was not activated in most parts. This button triggers an optimized frequency preset. I thought it was unfair because without it the sound is weak as I heard here. Other than that, I thought the test was sensational. Congratulations! 👏👏👏
I feel bad for the poor Trace Elliott pre, just awful in all the songs. Of course the SansAmp products were excellent, except the dUg. GK Plex and Bass Butler were nice. Dark horses are the MXR Bass D.I.+ and EH Battalion. Cheapest of the bunch and held their own.
Every time I go for a pedal preamp, the MXR M80 is always at the top of the list right alongside whatever hot new thing. I've had a half dozen of them by now I'm sure.
So, what I learned… The only preamps that I liked better than mine, were already on my radar but passed over for value (go ahead, call me cheap). I’m happy with the Sansamp VT. It works well for what I do. The other thing I learned…I REALLY want a Dingwall now. That thing made the lesser preamps sound better!
Can confirm as someone who plays an NG3 thru a VTDI: Dingwall isn't anything special. It's great for sure, but just as great as any other bass you enjoy and find comfortable. I enjoy my Ibby EHBs more.
Surprisingly, I loved how the Batallion held its own against heavy players (Origin, Sansamp, etc). Also, how many Darkglass demos we need to say they all sound the same ?
I feel like the color switch is almost necessary on the MXR one. Otherwise, I really dug the Bassrig Black Panel. Really glad you guys did this so I don't have to lol
Best comparison video I have ever seen! Great job, I am partial to the good old sansamp bass driver, but really liked both darkglass pedals and the Bassrig SVT was awesome. Thank you for the great content!
This was an awesome comparison! Hearing each of these preamps mixed with different styles is a huge help! I realized I consistently liked the SansAmp Bass Driver DI and Dark Glass B7K in pretty much all styles, but consistently disliked the Ampeg SCR-DI and the Trace Elliot preamp in every single style. All others were a mixed bag.
Same for me really. Aside from the Sansamp and B7K, I would add the Trickfish, Microtubes ultra and MXR to the ones I liked. I really didn't like the Trace Elliot at all. The rest were not great, not terrible.
Thanks for the comparison... very comprehensive. Must have taken a minute or two to put this together. Overall, the Radial, the Trace Elliot, the Ampeg and the Dug Pinnick usually sounded pretty bad and just way too bassy. Tech 21 and Darkglass stuff generally had good showings the Orange was a surprise.
Great way to do a shootout!! I watched it a couple of times. I found it best to not look at the screen and only look up when i heard something i liked or didn't like. Pretty much all of them produced tones that were more than acceptable. It's really just a matter of what you like, the features, and price. The one that i consistently did not like was the Trace Elliott. It sounded muffled and lifeless. I found i liked the Sansamp, the Laney Digbeth , the Soniccake, and the Dark Glass ones (yeah,.i cant tell them apart, either).
I really liked The Bass Butler. Great sound. Also liked the good old BDDI and the B7KU. I need to explore the Bass Butler more though. I’m very interested!
If I were to guess, they had a clean recording of the show and used a re-amp box to create the various preamp samples. No way they had these hooked up live
@@moarbutterythantoast That's the way it should be done. Because if not, then the test is invalid. The playing should be the same every take. Doing that removes that variable.
None of them sound BAD My favorites were the tech 21s, the Ampeg alwayys sounded HUGE but not muddy. The standout was the Sonicake its only 90 bucks and has the preamp compressor distortion and octave. If you are shopping for any bass players for Christmas especially newer players I would put that sonicake in their stocking.
Still happy with my Palmer Pocket Amp Bass. Serves as a decent di, but is also super handy for quiet playing as it has a aux in and a headphone out. Something I don’t see on some of these.
very cool. I had once a trace elliot amp. the preamp sounds exactly like the amp did. I guess I gonna stay with my line6 helix. But if I had to choose. With ampeg I had never issues. and the classic of all. Tech sansamp sounds so familiar.
I think more than anything this just shows that they are all pretty capable. Most still sound derivative of those early amp sounds by Ampeg, Fender, GK, & Acoustic, while the remaining few have that clanky modern sound. There's really not that many different sounds when you get down to it. Just identify which of those sounds fits your style, and then which of the similar preamps have the feature set you need. It's all about context. Thanks for taking that into account.
GREAT JOB ON THIS VIDEO!! Every preamp sounded good in context, to me except the origin effects offerings. But it seems that I gotta start saving for a bass butler..
The effort on this is a service to us all. Thank you... What I just learnt is, pick your poison... I have a Dark Glass Alpha and Omega Ultra and it's very neutral and a little over rated/over priced. And after this video I think I'm also going for the Ampeg as a complement..... Otherwise, if you want to save some coin, a Boss bass EQ pedal does ok as well, although it adds a bit of compression.
Amazing video. I use the X Ultra and I've been really happy with it. The filters allow you to leave a hole in the mids which is why it sometimes doesn't come across real well. If you keep them abutting it's a nice balanced sound.
@@lummond Depending on what genre you play, that "chasm" could be exactly what is needed for the mix. Fat and punchy compressed lows with a clanky high end will sit perfectly in pretty much any metal mix.
@@EvilBlakey A straight up null at 500hz to 1000hz is some prime sonic real estate, and then you have the problem of how damn scratchy the treble is from there. Someone someday will figure out a proper crossover distortion
@@lummond Yea you're kind of locked into setting them both to 500hz so there's no gap. It doesn't bother me much since at that point the basic goal of keeping the low end clean is being acheived, and there's still plenty of flexibility in the pedal beyond those tiny knobs. Being able to adjust the filters is just a bonus imo.
The X ultra is what I was going to get for myself eventually but scared that its too hot of a distortion. But people you can adjust it so its more subtle
The funniest thing about this video is the layman will probably think they all sound the same, but bass players will debate which one sounds best forever. Great video. Darkglass pedals are like waving a magic wand on your bass tone. The Origin Effects just sound good, bet these would grow on you. I’m guess the Trace had the mid pre shape engaged because it sounded weak.
I was just about to buy the Geddy Lee, but I think I'll get that VT bass instead.. It sounded good and stood out to me in every single category, and I’m using studio monitors.
Well guys, there's pretty much no what left to say about this... I'm virtually taking my hat off, bravo!. It's outstandingly well put to evidence that wen folks in forums basically in each thread about gear: "depends on what do you what to achieve with it" it's because that is the first thing that anyone should have clear before GASSing, right?. It's truly amazing you did this to really help people that are still confused about that, and others that can not go to a store and try anything by themselves... And I speak for myself when I say that over here in my city if you're lucky you can find a Squier Affinity that surely has fallen from a plane or something and you better don't buy it, but it says "by Fender" somewhere and there's a poster of whoever besides her... underdeveloped country... you wouldn't get it :P ...that's the only GAS that anyone can have in real life, and probably that will be the better quality instrument that they'll may afford actually, yes Sad but True lml It amazes me when I think that you put all the effort, patience, time that you could surely be occupying in actual practicing or spending with family, or whatever, and do this. You are amazing dudes, keep it up!!!
I have the EHX Battalion and am very satisfied with it, and chose it over the MXR M80. I like the sound of the Origin Effects BassRig Super Vintage, but it's out of my price range. Same for the DarkGlass preamps. Great comparison video showing each in action in different genres and mixes.
The main takeaway for me is I can stop beating myself up about my pocket not always being dead on in live recordings. Also there are a few preamps that were on my radar I can rule out thanks to you. On the other hand I really like the Orange - better than the DP-3X I'm currently using.
My personal ranking: the Radial is on the last place ...no low end. I like both of the Origin pedals the most and for modern tones I like the Orange Bass Butler. The Arkham Oracle seems also nice for more vintage tones. Very nice comparison! Thanks for this!
The 21 Sansamp nailed it somehow in every gendre. Very universal like a swissarmy knife. Didn' t expect this. The DG Alpha Omega is for me the best universal solution for rock and metal. The ampeg and trace elliot preamp are disappointing. A preamp should never be a onetrickpony. Great review!
Was surprised to see the Sonic Cake in this. I own one, bought it on a whim. Never could get a decent sound out of it. Maybe I need to give it another try.
This an aweseome Vid! I have a Sansamp, really good pedall, can fit into any genre, however thanks to this vid I really wanna try the Bass Buttler, and Tech 21 VT-RM. Darkglass sounds great but in my ear they sound better for specific genres rather than a universal preamp like the Sandsamp and other 2 I'd want to try. The bass buttler specifically sounded great in every single test, followed by the VT-RM
I‘ve liked it a lot, thank You! I just would have appreciated also to hear the GR Bass and the Markbass preamp, which are also fantastic 😊 Have a beautiful Day
Thanks for the time and effort you put into this! Several sounded better in one genre than another. So I guess you would have to take that into account when choosing your poison. Surprised how good the sonic poundcake sounded in some genres. Those I find most intriguing are the DSM, Tech 21 Geddy Lee, DG b7k ultra, Laney Digbeth, and the Walrus Audio Badwater. Would like to have an opportunity to sit with them and my bass.
Surprised by the Battalion, probably the cheapest of the group, and according to your EQ and my taste, is the one that seems to always cuts a little better trough the song.
My challenge with selecting preamps has always been that the ones that sound good clean don't sound good with overdrive tones and the ones with good overdrive tones don't sound good clean. This is what pushed me to buy a clean preamp and a separate overdrive pedal.
What clean preamp? Cause I'm thinking of doing this. A Darkglass Vintage Microtube into some kind of preamp, or amp head with DI out. I mean, I'm considering a Sansamp BDDI and just setting it to clean and have the VMT on the board earlier.
Год назад+3
I have to say that I really liked the Walrus Badwater, it was the most consistent in all registers. The Sonic Cake was a great surprise, sounded really good for such a cheap unit, although you could tell it's a bit noisy. The Tech 21 units all sounded good as well, specially the Sansamp. Like, it was never the best sounding unit of the pack but always sounded good in every register. Also liked the Laney Digbeth. Once more, my favourite Darkglass was the Alpha Omega. And I need to get me one of those Trickfish. On the low side, my major disappointments were the Trace Elliot Transit B and the Ampeg SCR. I know that Trace Elliot has a signature eq tone but I just didn't bond with what I heard. And the Ampeg was just mehh... The Origin Bassrigs also sounded good but not exceptional, which was bit of a disappointment because I was expecting better tones of it. Overall, one of the best preamp videos I've see so far.
The Darkglass Microtubes X is so good on most everything, and it's compact for what it does. The Sansamp VT and Geddy Lee just always work. The only one that was consistently disappointing was the DSM & Humbolt Bass Simplifier. It just had no low end. It's a very complex pedal so I wonder if playing with the cab sim could have fixed it.
Interesting is the cheaper pedals actually fit in the mix better. (Sans amp, MXR, EHX) really liked the Trickfish, and Laney including a surprise from Orange. The Radial always sounded like crap and the Origin and Darkglass way over hyped.
Some of them are good in specific genres, some of them are just same sounding in every genres (usually not so good [Trace Elliot, dUg]) and some of them are good at everything (The darkglass family, the everlasting Bass Driver and so on)! I love the X Ultra by DG and the SH1 by TECH21. I first bought SH1 since I love Steve Harris, but then I started using it for different things and generes... A few months ago I bought the X Ultra to try it with my metalcore band and it's amazing but I missed some features of the SH1 so I started using them together and now i can blow up skyscrapers😅
Beautiful test, but very subjective because it dependes on the parameter choices of the tester. Nevertheless of great value. Digbeth is my favourite performance/cost player
This is the most helpful video I’ve watched on bass preamps. I finally know which one I’m going to buy. Thank you! Out of interest, did you have the cab sim turned on for the Alpha Omega Ultra? If you did, which cab did you use?
The DSM & Humbolt seemed the most consistant over all, along with the Digbeth and the Bass Butler. Not to say the others were bad, they all had their moments.
Hey Guys. just wondering if we could get you to do a comprehensive comparison on a bunch of the bass preamps that are out there?............................................................Just kidding!😄 Tremendous effort Guys really! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving! -Brent,VT
It lacked a little low end punch on "Top End Crunch - Alternative" 12:51, but it always performed well. I think the "Big Low End" 4:27 segment shows it can probably do it if set correctly. The Trickfish "Heavy Distortion" at 34:25 is boomy and lacks some character. The Darkglass Microtubes X is good on most things, and it's compact for what it does. The Sansamp VT (little more mid scooped) and Geddy Lee (more presence) just always work. The super feature rich DSM and Humboldt Bass Simplifier has the chance to be one of the most important bass pedals in existence, but the preamp (or adjustment for the video) needs some work. It was anemic on almost everything.
RUclipsrs take note, THIS is how a proper comarison is done. No slow knob turns, no leaving every knob at noon. You pick a type of sound to go for and see how well the pedals do that
Personally speaking, I didn't see any effort to go after a particular sound.
@@MotoGreciaMarios personally speaking, get a pair of eyes
@@ileutur6863 didn't mean to offend you dude. I truly see no way to objectively compare those pedals between each other in this type of comparison.
@@MotoGreciaMarios There is no one true objective way, but this is far far better than the usual style of demo
no it is not...too many variables of eq tone settings, levels, etc. Turn any one or more of the knobs on any of them just a bit and the tone can be completely different. @@arsenije_wav8620
Wow. Absolutely epic. Thank you for taking the time to do that. This just goes to show what a great time it is to be a bass player. So many fantastic options out there. I was surprised by how great the darkglass X ultra sounded by itself. I always thought of it as more of a distortion pedal, but it makes for a very full, fat bass preamp on its own as well. I may need to pick one of those up.
Wtf even is this????!!?! This is the BEST RUclips comparison video I have ever seen in my 20+ years playing bass. Bravo indeed. I didn't even know the tech 21 Steve Harris preamp existed and now I have one on order. From the bottom, much appreciation.
Wow, thanks so much for the video and the bloody effort put into it! This is the reason why I subscribed to your channel so many years ago.
When it comes to these preamps, I really feel that the ones that have some kind of cab sim have a slight advantage in this particular shootout.
Also, crazy how good the everlasting Sansamp Bass Driver gets the job done in most situations here.
Fuck man… what a comprehensive comparison… this must have been painstaking to do. Massively impressive. Just fuckin awesome
Love both the Orgin Effects preamps
I have the Battalion, but like what I heartd from the Origin Effects too. Unfortunately, out of my price range.
Pleasant surprises:
The Trickfish Minnow EQ was consistently impressive. There is an art to choosing frequency centers and Qs, and they nailed it.
The Orange Butler is actually way more versatile than I imagined.
That’s the one that consistently stood out to me.
@@worshipbass9913I own a few of these including the Bass Butler and it's a great sounding pre.Defineitly does dirt but has a great clean tone.It's a good one!
Bass Butler fan here too. I liked what that had to say.
This is honestly so damn useful. Must have been a ton of work but I hope it gets turned into a series with other pedal/effect/amp types too!
Love the Digbeth! Sounds great, even without a speaker sim. Orange Bass Butler is much more versatilve and better sounding than I expected. Darkglass is excellent, as always. Origin Effects Super Vintage is also superb sounding!
I keep coming back to the Ampeg. Thanks for the epic comparison
I guess I learned that Tech 21 and Darkglass are what I like! The Tech21 Geddy Lee and the Darkglass Alpha-Omega were the ones I listened to a few times.
The Geddy and the DG Vintage Ultra for me. I expected one of the Origins to win, but wasn't really all that impressed by them.
sansamps a golden standard for ages now
A lot of people citing we missed “their favorite” well your favorite companies aren’t always eager to help. 🤷🏻♂️ we did what we could with all the rad companies that support us in supporting them. Thanks again for watching!
Sweet Jesus, you covered over 25+ pedals. People if that’s not enough to help you on your journey then you are a lost soul.
You guys are absolute goats in these bass demos. Since day one 🙏
MAJOR congrats to this video. Good grief! That was a thrill ride. It definitely feels like I should pick up a few preamps >_>
Of the handful of things this video demonstrates, perhaps one of the most important is that very good bass gear cannot make up for not so good bass playing. Great comparison thanks for the effort
Big fan of the GK Plex. Haven't played without it since 2018.
This is fantastic! Tremendously helpful demo of real, practical uses for this stuff. Thank you so much for making this!!
i do love that ampeg scr DI beefy
I’ve played through Ampeg amps for the past 45 years. I own an original SvT Classic and B15. I was the touring bassist for the Motown group The Miracles for several years up until Covid and always had the SVT Classic waiting for me on stage as my back line. So when I went to find a preamp to put on my pedalboard I knew exactly what I was looking for tone-wise. I demo’d the Noble, Bassrig Super Vintage, Sansamp and the Ampeg SCR DI. Honestly they were all great. I blindfold tested each of them on 3 different settings I typically use and in every case my ear went right to the Ampeg SCR DI. Just the exact touch of grit for the classic Motown tone I love so much and know so well. That said they were all pretty close and all would have been a great add to my board. But the Noble was a bit too bright and clear for my liking and I had reservations about it holding up on tour.. The Ampeg is built like a tank and also has the earphone out and aux for practicing. The Bassrig was the closest to the Ampeg to my ear and the Sansamp was also close. I was able to dial the Ampeg right in and it was like being with an old friend. Now I don’t play heavy metal or hard rock so I can’t opine on those genres. But for R&B and Funk the Ampeg kills it and at a very reasonable price. I use it on the road and on studio dates and it always gets the job done. I work with some of the best sound engineers in the business and they just love it. For me it’s the best choice and I don’t see it coming off my rig anytime soon. I highly suggest when you demo any pedal you do your own blindfold test. I’ve surprised myself with some other effects pedals and you will find that price does not always reflect the best tone. You will all have your own sound your looking for so go at it that way and not by name brand, trends or dollar value. Confirmation bias is widespread amongst musicians when it comes to pedals and something you want to try to avoid.
Thank you so much for making this video 🔥...this is one of the best bass preamp pedal comparison 🎯
This is the best gear demo I have ever seen, and I work in the guitar/bass industry.
I use the MXR M-80 and it seems to me that the color button was not activated in most parts. This button triggers an optimized frequency preset. I thought it was unfair because without it the sound is weak as I heard here. Other than that, I thought the test was sensational. Congratulations! 👏👏👏
Thank you!! I've been trying to convince my wife that there IS a pedal for every song! 😉
This is the most helpful YT video I have literally ever seen. Thank you!
Origin Super Vintage was my fav followed by the DG AO and Oracle. I was surprised to see so many cutting their mids.
Honestly that Ampeg pre sounds fantastic. Wish the combos sounded that way...
I feel bad for the poor Trace Elliott pre, just awful in all the songs. Of course the SansAmp products were excellent, except the dUg. GK Plex and Bass Butler were nice. Dark horses are the MXR Bass D.I.+ and EH Battalion. Cheapest of the bunch and held their own.
Every time I go for a pedal preamp, the MXR M80 is always at the top of the list right alongside whatever hot new thing. I've had a half dozen of them by now I'm sure.
@@davedixon2167 I use one at our practice space. Gotta have the "Color" button engaged though. For the $85 I paid for mine it's surely worth it.
Trace Elliot sounded fine in Black Dog, right? Which makes me wonder why it didn’t get along well in the other songs… settings, mixes, basses?
The trace elliott is not that awfull, it has its caracteristic low mids tone and the Dug sound super good too, they are certainly not bad products
I feel bad for any bassist that doesn’t have the EBS valve drive.
Walrus Audio's Badwater was my fav. I own a DG Vintage Microtubes (and love that grunt switch), the DGV gave a good showing in your shootout as well.
More of this sort of thing, please. I found this very useful.
So, what I learned… The only preamps that I liked better than mine, were already on my radar but passed over for value (go ahead, call me cheap). I’m happy with the Sansamp VT. It works well for what I do. The other thing I learned…I REALLY want a Dingwall now. That thing made the lesser preamps sound better!
I also play a VT through an Orange amp. The tone is really good especially with my Fender jazz basses.
I advise to play one first. I didn't like the abz
Having a Darkglass preamp in the bass helps alot . Lol
Can confirm as someone who plays an NG3 thru a VTDI: Dingwall isn't anything special. It's great for sure, but just as great as any other bass you enjoy and find comfortable. I enjoy my Ibby EHBs more.
Surprisingly, I loved how the Batallion held its own against heavy players (Origin, Sansamp, etc). Also, how many Darkglass demos we need to say they all sound the same ?
I feel like the color switch is almost necessary on the MXR one. Otherwise, I really dug the Bassrig Black Panel. Really glad you guys did this so I don't have to lol
M80 with Color on is like THE TONE for me - not sure why I keep trying to outdo it with amps and stuff LOL
for me personally:
1. Orange Bass Butler
2. GK Plex
3. EHX Battalion
i wish Aguilar Tone Hammer was part of this test :(
Best comparison video I have ever seen! Great job, I am partial to the good old sansamp bass driver, but really liked both darkglass pedals and the Bassrig SVT was awesome. Thank you for the great content!
This was an awesome comparison! Hearing each of these preamps mixed with different styles is a huge help! I realized I consistently liked the SansAmp Bass Driver DI and Dark Glass B7K in pretty much all styles, but consistently disliked the Ampeg SCR-DI and the Trace Elliot preamp in every single style. All others were a mixed bag.
Same for me really. Aside from the Sansamp and B7K, I would add the Trickfish, Microtubes ultra and MXR to the ones I liked. I really didn't like the Trace Elliot at all. The rest were not great, not terrible.
Unbelievable production quality in this video. Helped me a lot.
Thanks for the comparison... very comprehensive. Must have taken a minute or two to put this together. Overall, the Radial, the Trace Elliot, the Ampeg and the Dug Pinnick usually sounded pretty bad and just way too bassy. Tech 21 and Darkglass stuff generally had good showings the Orange was a surprise.
Totally agree! I was surprisingly disappointed in the Ampeg!
@@wmdbassplayer I have the Ampeg Classic (with no Scrambler or DI) and it doesn't sound overly bassy at all.
@@czguy3045 the ampeg was too bad! very disappointed as well
Yea, that Dug pedal is practically a distortion pedal, any other setting other than all knobs cranked up sound bad
This guy had the ultra low switch on which essentially scoops the mids that’s why it sounds so scooped with the button disabled it sounds way better
Great way to do a shootout!!
I watched it a couple of times. I found it best to not look at the screen and only look up when i heard something i liked or didn't like.
Pretty much all of them produced tones that were more than acceptable. It's really just a matter of what you like, the features, and price.
The one that i consistently did not like was the Trace Elliott. It sounded muffled and lifeless.
I found i liked the Sansamp, the Laney Digbeth , the Soniccake, and the Dark Glass ones (yeah,.i cant tell them apart, either).
That trace Elliot was horrible. Only one of them all that was just unacceptable on anything.
I really liked The Bass Butler. Great sound. Also liked the good old BDDI and the B7KU. I need to explore the Bass Butler more though. I’m very interested!
That was the standout to me as well
Yeh, me too.
B7K sounded amazing for the Extreme Mid Scoop Slap section. Mega Tony Levin vibes there.
Amazed that I like the BDDI the most of all of those 😶
Wow, can't imagine the organisation that went into producing this - well done. Darkglass Vintage Ultra takes it for me.
If I were to guess, they had a clean recording of the show and used a re-amp box to create the various preamp samples. No way they had these hooked up live
@@moarbutterythantoast That's the way it should be done. Because if not, then the test is invalid. The playing should be the same every take. Doing that removes that variable.
This is the way you make a comparison video! Good job! The Origin bassrig super vintage sounds surprisingly good
Surprised the dUg wasn't as prominent in the mix as I thought it would be.
This is a fun idea regardless of how they are being compared. Pretty cool idea.
None of them sound BAD My favorites were the tech 21s, the Ampeg alwayys sounded HUGE but not muddy. The standout was the Sonicake its only 90 bucks and has the preamp compressor distortion and octave. If you are shopping for any bass players for Christmas especially newer players I would put that sonicake in their stocking.
Itas true , the sonicake sounds asthonishly good in this comparisson ...
Same thoughts about Ampeg. That one jumped for me from the line, although I play with Sansamp rbi. Very punchy sound, but many here seem to diskike it
Still happy with my Palmer Pocket Amp Bass. Serves as a decent di, but is also super handy for quiet playing as it has a aux in and a headphone out. Something I don’t see on some of these.
very cool. I had once a trace elliot amp. the preamp sounds exactly like the amp did. I guess I gonna stay with my line6 helix. But if I had to choose. With ampeg I had never issues. and the classic of all. Tech sansamp sounds so familiar.
This is one of the best gear review/shootout/etc thing I've ever watched.. Great stuff.. And I finally know which preamp I need... Plex
excellent review, very helpfull, thanks a lot, trikfish and phil jones sound good for me
Tech 21 and Darkglass microtubes x are the best!
Battalion user here. I'm happy that one of the cheapest pedals is keeping up after much pricier. Good choice :)
Use it too and it's great souding , really better than in that test
It sounds really good in the video. I have the super bass big muff and it's killer. Probably getting another preamp though the battalion sounds yummy.
I think the SansAmp DI sounded best on my first clip for country or the last Geddy Lee Sansamp, great comparisons!
This is the best and most correct pedal review I have seen in my life. God bless your rock and roll souls dam
I think more than anything this just shows that they are all pretty capable. Most still sound derivative of those early amp sounds by Ampeg, Fender, GK, & Acoustic, while the remaining few have that clanky modern sound. There's really not that many different sounds when you get down to it. Just identify which of those sounds fits your style, and then which of the similar preamps have the feature set you need. It's all about context. Thanks for taking that into account.
Thanks for this superb comparison between these preamps!
Incredible video. Thanks!
GREAT JOB ON THIS VIDEO!! Every preamp sounded good in context, to me except the origin effects offerings. But it seems that I gotta start saving for a bass butler..
LIked the Plex, The Bass Butler, DK Vintage of course, but my good old SansAmp Bass DI still put in a very solid all around showing.
Thanks for that!
The effort on this is a service to us all. Thank you... What I just learnt is, pick your poison... I have a Dark Glass Alpha and Omega Ultra and it's very neutral and a little over rated/over priced. And after this video I think I'm also going for the Ampeg as a complement..... Otherwise, if you want to save some coin, a Boss bass EQ pedal does ok as well, although it adds a bit of compression.
Amazing video. I use the X Ultra and I've been really happy with it. The filters allow you to leave a hole in the mids which is why it sometimes doesn't come across real well. If you keep them abutting it's a nice balanced sound.
You were 100% right on that. Half of the high pass filter isn't usable because it leaves a chasm in the mid-range that you simply cannot fix.
@@lummond Depending on what genre you play, that "chasm" could be exactly what is needed for the mix. Fat and punchy compressed lows with a clanky high end will sit perfectly in pretty much any metal mix.
@@EvilBlakey A straight up null at 500hz to 1000hz is some prime sonic real estate, and then you have the problem of how damn scratchy the treble is from there. Someone someday will figure out a proper crossover distortion
@@lummond Yea you're kind of locked into setting them both to 500hz so there's no gap. It doesn't bother me much since at that point the basic goal of keeping the low end clean is being acheived, and there's still plenty of flexibility in the pedal beyond those tiny knobs. Being able to adjust the filters is just a bonus imo.
The X ultra is what I was going to get for myself eventually but scared that its too hot of a distortion. But people you can adjust it so its more subtle
I missed Aguilar's tone hammer but there were some really good options demonstrated. Great video!
The funniest thing about this video is the layman will probably think they all sound the same, but bass players will debate which one sounds best forever. Great video. Darkglass pedals are like waving a magic wand on your bass tone. The Origin Effects just sound good, bet these would grow on you. I’m guess the Trace had the mid pre shape engaged because it sounded weak.
That's awesome, and pretty much confirms what I've always known -- I'm a SansAmp guy through and though.
Sans amp BDDI, PJD and Digbeth each time. Thank you so much, reduced the options to me, that's perfect!
My favorites: 1. both of the Bassrigs, 2. MXR, 3. Bass Butler, 4. The Oracle. ....... After these 4, the rest were okay.
1. Ampeg.
2. EHX
3. the blue one (Phill Jones?)
4. MXR
5. Laney/Orange.
Awesome video!! I want that Ampeg :D
I was just about to buy the Geddy Lee, but I think I'll get that VT bass instead.. It sounded good and stood out to me in every single category, and I’m using studio monitors.
Fantastic video. Makes me happy I made the right decision with the EHX Battalion.
Well guys, there's pretty much no what left to say about this... I'm virtually taking my hat off, bravo!.
It's outstandingly well put to evidence that wen folks in forums basically in each thread about gear: "depends on what do you what to achieve with it" it's because that is the first thing that anyone should have clear before GASSing, right?. It's truly amazing you did this to really help people that are still confused about that, and others that can not go to a store and try anything by themselves... And I speak for myself when I say that over here in my city if you're lucky you can find a Squier Affinity that surely has fallen from a plane or something and you better don't buy it, but it says "by Fender" somewhere and there's a poster of whoever besides her... underdeveloped country... you wouldn't get it :P ...that's the only GAS that anyone can have in real life, and probably that will be the better quality instrument that they'll may afford actually, yes Sad but True lml
It amazes me when I think that you put all the effort, patience, time that you could surely be occupying in actual practicing or spending with family, or whatever, and do this. You are amazing dudes, keep it up!!!
I have the EHX Battalion and am very satisfied with it, and chose it over the MXR M80. I like the sound of the Origin Effects BassRig Super Vintage, but it's out of my price range. Same for the DarkGlass preamps. Great comparison video showing each in action in different genres and mixes.
The main takeaway for me is I can stop beating myself up about my pocket not always being dead on in live recordings.
Also there are a few preamps that were on my radar I can rule out thanks to you. On the other hand I really like the Orange - better than the DP-3X I'm currently using.
These are all good and should satisfy any kind of bassist looking for the "tone"
My personal ranking: the Radial is on the last place ...no low end. I like both of the Origin pedals the most and for modern tones I like the Orange Bass Butler. The Arkham Oracle seems also nice for more vintage tones. Very nice comparison! Thanks for this!
It looks like the high-pass filter on the Radial was set to 80hz instead of flat.
The ampeg has a fantastic low end
The 21 Sansamp nailed it somehow in every gendre. Very universal like a swissarmy knife. Didn' t expect this. The DG Alpha Omega is for me the best universal solution for rock and metal. The ampeg and trace elliot preamp are disappointing. A preamp should never be a onetrickpony. Great review!
Totaly agree ...
Was surprised to see the Sonic Cake in this. I own one, bought it on a whim. Never could get a decent sound out of it. Maybe I need to give it another try.
After this I’m still satisfied with my Palmer pre pedal.
This an aweseome Vid! I have a Sansamp, really good pedall, can fit into any genre, however thanks to this vid I really wanna try the Bass Buttler, and Tech 21 VT-RM.
Darkglass sounds great but in my ear they sound better for specific genres rather than a universal preamp like the Sandsamp and other 2 I'd want to try. The bass buttler specifically sounded great in every single test, followed by the VT-RM
I‘ve liked it a lot, thank You! I just would have appreciated also to hear the GR Bass and the Markbass preamp, which are also fantastic 😊 Have a beautiful Day
Thanks for the time and effort you put into this! Several sounded better in one genre than another. So I guess you would have to take that into account when choosing your poison. Surprised how good the sonic poundcake sounded in some genres. Those I find most intriguing are the DSM, Tech 21 Geddy Lee, DG b7k ultra, Laney Digbeth, and the Walrus Audio Badwater. Would like to have an opportunity to sit with them and my bass.
Ampeg, Origin Effects, Trickfish, and PJB sound the best to my ears.
Great video!
The X ultra showing dominance
Surprised by the Battalion, probably the cheapest of the group, and according to your EQ and my taste, is the one that seems to always cuts a little better trough the song.
My challenge with selecting preamps has always been that the ones that sound good clean don't sound good with overdrive tones and the ones with good overdrive tones don't sound good clean. This is what pushed me to buy a clean preamp and a separate overdrive pedal.
What clean preamp? Cause I'm thinking of doing this. A Darkglass Vintage Microtube into some kind of preamp, or amp head with DI out. I mean, I'm considering a Sansamp BDDI and just setting it to clean and have the VMT on the board earlier.
I have to say that I really liked the Walrus Badwater, it was the most consistent in all registers. The Sonic Cake was a great surprise, sounded really good for such a cheap unit, although you could tell it's a bit noisy. The Tech 21 units all sounded good as well, specially the Sansamp. Like, it was never the best sounding unit of the pack but always sounded good in every register. Also liked the Laney Digbeth. Once more, my favourite Darkglass was the Alpha Omega. And I need to get me one of those Trickfish.
On the low side, my major disappointments were the Trace Elliot Transit B and the Ampeg SCR. I know that Trace Elliot has a signature eq tone but I just didn't bond with what I heard. And the Ampeg was just mehh...
The Origin Bassrigs also sounded good but not exceptional, which was bit of a disappointment because I was expecting better tones of it.
Overall, one of the best preamp videos I've see so far.
The Darkglass Microtubes X is so good on most everything, and it's compact for what it does. The Sansamp VT and Geddy Lee just always work. The only one that was consistently disappointing was the DSM & Humbolt Bass Simplifier. It just had no low end. It's a very complex pedal so I wonder if playing with the cab sim could have fixed it.
unfortunatelly no.
I own a slew of preamps including a few here and I must agree the" Gedal" 2112 is so versatile and sounds amazing.
Interesting is the cheaper pedals actually fit in the mix better. (Sans amp, MXR, EHX) really liked the Trickfish, and Laney including a surprise from Orange. The Radial always sounded like crap and the Origin and Darkglass way over hyped.
Oh damn, I've never seen such a good comparison video. Half of these pedals sound great, imo.
I liked the badwater most, followed by darkglass microtubes x ultra, digbeth and also the EHX battalion. Gk plex was ok
Vídeo top, já precisa atualizar essa lista 🎯🚀🔥
Tem até um Tagima em 15:44. Kkk muito bom!
Some of them are good in specific genres, some of them are just same sounding in every genres (usually not so good [Trace Elliot, dUg]) and some of them are good at everything (The darkglass family, the everlasting Bass Driver and so on)! I love the X Ultra by DG and the SH1 by TECH21.
I first bought SH1 since I love Steve Harris, but then I started using it for different things and generes...
A few months ago I bought the X Ultra to try it with my metalcore band and it's amazing but I missed some features of the SH1 so I started using them together and now i can blow up skyscrapers😅
Beautiful test, but very subjective because it dependes on the parameter choices of the tester. Nevertheless of great value. Digbeth is my favourite performance/cost player
I like when the bass is louder so I can hear the tone, but I wish there was a way to hear how the bass sits in a normal mix.
This is the most helpful video I’ve watched on bass preamps. I finally know which one I’m going to buy. Thank you!
Out of interest, did you have the cab sim turned on for the Alpha Omega Ultra? If you did, which cab did you use?
The DSM & Humbolt seemed the most consistant over all, along with the Digbeth and the Bass Butler. Not to say the others were bad, they all had their moments.
Hey Guys. just wondering if we could get you to do a comprehensive comparison on a bunch of the bass preamps that are out there?............................................................Just kidding!😄 Tremendous effort Guys really! Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving! -Brent,VT
Trickfish was always perfect. I also loved the Sansamp and Darkglass stuff. Great video.
It lacked a little low end punch on "Top End Crunch - Alternative" 12:51, but it always performed well. I think the "Big Low End" 4:27 segment shows it can probably do it if set correctly. The Trickfish "Heavy Distortion" at 34:25 is boomy and lacks some character. The Darkglass Microtubes X is good on most things, and it's compact for what it does. The Sansamp VT (little more mid scooped) and Geddy Lee (more presence) just always work. The super feature rich DSM and Humboldt Bass Simplifier has the chance to be one of the most important bass pedals in existence, but the preamp (or adjustment for the video) needs some work. It was anemic on almost everything.