Hi folks,
I'm new to electronics as you may notice.
We are playing with in-ear monitors. I play bass direct to the mixer. The sound is not exatly how I'd like it to be. I have quite low output picups on my bass (Bartolini CBJD1) . I was thinking that MAYBE I could use RealMcTube between the bass and mixer to boost the bass signal a bit and give some tubey warmth to the sound. I don't need tonestack, just a booster that gives quite clear, non-distorted tubey sound.
Is RealMcTube correct device for this use? Or is there some other tube-based device that would work better? Should I mod it somehow to suit better to this purpose? And could someone please make a power supply schematics for 220V/50Hz we have here in Finland.
Marko
I'm new to electronics as you may notice.
We are playing with in-ear monitors. I play bass direct to the mixer. The sound is not exatly how I'd like it to be. I have quite low output picups on my bass (Bartolini CBJD1) . I was thinking that MAYBE I could use RealMcTube between the bass and mixer to boost the bass signal a bit and give some tubey warmth to the sound. I don't need tonestack, just a booster that gives quite clear, non-distorted tubey sound.
Is RealMcTube correct device for this use? Or is there some other tube-based device that would work better? Should I mod it somehow to suit better to this purpose? And could someone please make a power supply schematics for 220V/50Hz we have here in Finland.
Marko
I'm not a bass player. I am a guitarist and I'm into guitar electronics for a long time. And I don't get your point at all. Well, as far as "we" know (or should know), difference between tube and transistor is basically "distortion characteristic". It means that you cannot hear any difference until amplifier overdrive the signal. There is no such thing like tubey undistorted sound. It's just clean sound. That's the fact.
Many jazz players use only ordinary amplifier (very often they use transistor amps not tube) to amplify the sound from the guitar and nothing more. No effects, no distortion.
If you want just boost the signal, you can use FETs or OpAmps, but even a tube will be good, but I bet you won't hear the difference in blind test.
I think I'm clear, the choice is your which device you will use.
Peace!
TH.J.B
Many jazz players use only ordinary amplifier (very often they use transistor amps not tube) to amplify the sound from the guitar and nothing more. No effects, no distortion.
If you want just boost the signal, you can use FETs or OpAmps, but even a tube will be good, but I bet you won't hear the difference in blind test.
I think I'm clear, the choice is your which device you will use.
Peace!
TH.J.B
years ago i designed and built a simple op amp preamp for a bass player. it was a battery powered preamp using a TL072. one half of the op amp was used as a variable gain (0-10x) preamp, and the other half split battery voltage to make a +/- 4.5V supply (it created an "active" ground). it's output was very clean, and except for the gain boost, one wouldn't know it was there.
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Surely the existing output from the bass is more than high enough to feed the mixer? - perhaps you're feeding into far too low an impedance, use an active DI box between the bass and mixer, that's what I always do, I wouldn't consider connecting it directly - as well as matching the impedance it also provides a balanced output for the mixer as well.
I actually use Behringer two channels DI's, I've found these excellent, and usually use one channel for bass, the other for guitar.
I actually use Behringer two channels DI's, I've found these excellent, and usually use one channel for bass, the other for guitar.
I've had less than impressive experience with the 2 channel Beringer DI's (quite happy with the bigger single channel though, I use those very regularly) but completely agree with Nigel.
I haven't built the McTube because the sound samples didn't really inspire me to consider it as a nice bass effect, it struck me as being a bit thin sounding...for my sound. I think that after I finish with my headphone infatuation I will return to bass electronics...perhaps then I will be able to provide an opinion.
Just a small aside but I would be careful about a first project that was fiddling around with high voltage tubes...its humbling but something that runs off a simple 9V plug pack could save your life.
I haven't built the McTube because the sound samples didn't really inspire me to consider it as a nice bass effect, it struck me as being a bit thin sounding...for my sound. I think that after I finish with my headphone infatuation I will return to bass electronics...perhaps then I will be able to provide an opinion.
Just a small aside but I would be careful about a first project that was fiddling around with high voltage tubes...its humbling but something that runs off a simple 9V plug pack could save your life.
i built a nice two-tube preamp using milsurp submini tubes that runs off of 12V..... not a whole lot of gain at 12V, as it maxes out at about a gain of 10 or 15, but it does have a nice smooth tube fuzz sound when it's overdriven.... i might put a DC-DC converter in it to increase the plate voltage (and the gain) but it works at a nice safe voltage...
If your Bass has a Low output then why not add active electronics to your Bass....I have a very simple single opamp design that has very low output impedance and Variable gain and really adds a lot of punch to your Bass...I have a design for active guitar and bass and I use it in both my guitar and bass ...
The PCB is very small at about 1.5in Square and will fit in most if not all Guitar/Basses and runs off of a 9v battery....
If yer interested I"ll post it for you....
Cheers
The PCB is very small at about 1.5in Square and will fit in most if not all Guitar/Basses and runs off of a 9v battery....
If yer interested I"ll post it for you....
Cheers
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