Best dual mic pre for BASS GTR DI and AMP

[ixnys]

What seems to be an incredible dual mic pre for Bass gtr? I record DI as well as AMP. I was doing some research and it seems like the A Designs Audio MP-2 for $1,500.00 came in on top.

I own a Padulla 5 string and a Fender P-Bass. I do alternative rock music. My AD/DA is an Apogee PSX100se and I own a pair of Distressors and an LA2A.

[Dave Martin]

Originally posted by ixnys
What seems to be an incredible dual mic pre for Bass gtr? I record DI as well as AMP. I was doing some research and it seems like the A Designs Audio MP-2 for $1,500.00 came in on top.

I own a Padulla 5 string and a Fender P-Bass. I do alternative rock music. My AD/DA is an Apogee PSX100se and I own a pair of Distressors and an LA2A.

So what sort of research does one do to come up with the A Design on top?

But as I've said before on this forum, I really like the Great River NV on bass, both direct and miking my Ampeg B15 (typically with as RE-20 and an LA-2A in the chain. That's with a P bass, a Jazz and a Modulus; I've never been able to make a Pedulla fretted suit my needs (though I do have a Pedulla Pentabuzz).

[Mike Tholen]

The TAB-Funkenwerk V72s box is the shit for bass.
look at it on their site.

[kevinc]

I use a Manley 40 db tube pre for Bass.
I`m sure theres better things out there but it seems to do the trick. It`s also a great pre for vocals etc...


Kevin

[NathanEldred]

Great River NV, Chandler TG-2, Vintech dual 72.

[jon]

Depending on the color you're after, SSL J, Chandler TG2, Tubetech MP1A or GML 8304 pres are the usual winners around here, with the bass plugged into a Little Labs IBP box for buffered output to the amp and phase-adjustable DI to tape.

[lowswing]

i rarly mic bass, but i use a lot a passive di->v72->compex or la2a
always sounds great and if not than sommething must be wrong on the bass guitar...

[imacgreg]

We usually use a Pheonix Audio GTQ2 for bass DI and amp. Sometimes we'll run both channels through a Manley Vari-Mu for a bit of compression. If the GTQ is not available, I'll go with a Neve 1084 on the mic and a console pre for the DI. The GTQ2 pretty much rules on anything tho...


Ian

[ixnys]

how does gtsq compare to drs2?

[imacgreg]

I havent used the DRS2, but I swear there is a thread here where people go into the differences. Something to do with having I/P xformers or not, but I dunno...

Ian

[ozraves]

The Great River MP-2NV or the A Designs MP-2 will get the job done. I'd suggest getting an EQ, especially if you go the MP-2NV route. The Speck ASC EQ is plenty good for the job. I'd get the model with the output transformer.

Steve
www.mojopie.com

[zakco]

I second the MP2-NV suggestion....

I've been getting IMO, great results from it on bass.


Some basses sound best straight into the hiZ input, and some sound better DI'd into the mic inputs. Either way, the NV rocks for bass.

-Z-

[ixnys]

It seems I'm trying to take care of drum and guitar preamps first...once I have those, I think it would be impossible not to have a preamp in there that wouldn't be great for bass. In this case, I was already gonna get the Great River so I'm glad to hear it rocks for bass as well!

[e-cue]

Originally posted by Dave Martin
So what sort of research does one do to come up with the A Design on top?

The President of the company is a bass player. It's a great unit for this type of thing. Yesterday the producer and artist I was working with told me I got the best vocal sound they had ever heard out of the artist with a C12 going into the MP-2 into the compressor on the Avalon 737. Then, later that day we tracked bass d (my Reddi unit was at another studio- I didn't think I'd be tracking bass), and the bassist made the same comment about his bass. Times like that is feels great to be alive.

The Demeter VTMP-2Cx is also wicked awesome. It's very unrated imo. The DI inputs sound very present. I think someone here said the DI's weren't as good as using a tube direct, but they sounded fine to me without a/bing them.

Another great choice, and probably a better one if you are doing nu metal is the Pendulium Audio Quartet. It has a 'harder' sound than the A Designs and Demeter units.

[ixnys]

I did happen to read your article e-que so ya there was where I got some research as well.

What would in theory make a preamp good for rock bass? There are so many pre's and I've never been able to test out any "colored" pre's. What do you mean when you say the Quartet "hits harder"? I think I said earlier that I'd first rather find my drum kit pre's because once I found them, most likely there would be a pre in there that would be good for bass i.e. the Great River.

[CV7]

I had the Demeter VTMP-2bx and I hated that thing, can't say about the C.

[NathanEldred]

Originally posted by e-cue

Another great choice, and probably a better one if you are doing nu metal is the Pendulium Audio Quartet. It has a 'harder' sound than the A Designs

Isn't it interesting how we all use adjectives differently to describe audio gear? I hear the A Designs as being 'harder' and 'harsher' than the Pendulum. Put it this way, I do my share of bluegrass, I couldn't find a place for the A Designs anywhere in a typical four piece (8 mics) live in one room kind of recording. The Pendulum, we wished we had at minimum one for each vocal channel (3 voxs)...but unfortunately only had one at the time that I had the A Designs in here, and the Pendulum went on the main vocal with the Brauner BE....it was like silk.

[ozraves]

I don't find the A Designs harsh at all. I think it's got a bit of attitude but I'd ascribe that more to character. I probably would use one on sparingly on a Bluegrass session. I'd probably go with some lightly colored preamps such as the Great River MP-2NV to perhaps some with a little more than lightly colored such as the Sebatron.

But, I could probably see putting a Bluegrass vocal through an EV RE20 and into an A Designs MP-2. I'd admit that it is my favorite vocal pre and one of my favorite bass DIs.