Pre-amp/EQ for direct recording

Gordon Titcomb · Post by **Gordon Titcomb** » 3 Dec 2003 7:39 am

I'm wondering if there are other steel players that would gladly buy a pre-amp /EQ designed specifically for steel guitar to use when going "direct" for recording?

I do a lot of jingles up here in New York City. Typically I don't bring an amp to these sessions as they are conducted with the rapidity of a "drive by shooting". As far as tone goes some engineers seem to "dial it in" pretty quickly, while others can't find it.
If we could "feed" them "our sound" as we like it, there would be no issue!
What I would LOVE to see is something on the order of a Peavey Session 500, or Peavey Nashville 1000 Pre-amp and EQ without the speaker,power amp,...just a single rack job with circuits voiced for steel guitar.

I'm hoping that if enough of us want such a thing, that the good folks at Peavey will consider building it.

Anybody else have thoughts on the matter?

------------------
Best regards-Gordon
http://www.gordontitcomb.com

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 3 Dec 2003 8:07 am

POD XT.

Brad Sarno

Gordon Titcomb · Post by **Gordon Titcomb** » 3 Dec 2003 8:52 am

I have tried the pod (don't know if was the XT or not).
Pretty cool, but I would be looking for somthing with a balanced output LoZ(xlr)as well as a HiZ output, and tone/eq options(i.e. parametric mid ).
The Pod that I used did not have either of these features,....it DID have some great amp modeling though.

------------------
Best regards-Gordon
http://www.gordontitcomb.com

Robert Parent · Post by **Robert Parent** » 3 Dec 2003 10:29 am

A Roland GP-100 pretty much has what you have described as being important. There are several on this forum that are using them as well as myself. A great unit IMHO.

Larry Bell · Post by **Larry Bell** » 3 Dec 2003 11:54 am

I use a Digitech 2112 as a recording preamp. It's usually in a rack with a Lexicon verb. It has
- tube preamp (2x12AX7)
- solid state preamp
- each preamp has its own 15-band EQ and they can be run separately or together, in/out of phase with each other
- a whole HEAP of Fx, whether you use them or not, it's nice to have them there -- many different delays (also has tap tempo), chorus, pitch shift, etc.

It's DEAD QUIET and clean as a whistle. Guitar, seat, and rack go to sessions where it is planned beforehand not to use an amp. I really prefer to go only through the tube preamp and run stereo with one side direct and the other side through a Standel or sometimes a '65 Bassman. Sounds pretty good to these old tired ears.

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 4 Dec 2003 12:02 am

I would love to see the Nashville 1000 preamp sold seperately, two XLR outputs and internal power supply, no wall warts please

------------------
<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_7_3.gif' border=0></a><a target='_blank' href='http://www.mymailsignature.com'>
<img src='http://www.mymailsignature.com/fwpdata/ ... CFAsig.png' border=0></a>

Michael Brebes · Post by **Michael Brebes** » 4 Dec 2003 9:18 am

The Pod Pro and Pod XT Pro are rackmountable and have XLR and 1/4 line outs. They usually have plenty of EQ for most needs.

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 4 Dec 2003 11:41 am

One problem with the Pods is that they doin't let you put some effects before the volume pedal, and some effects after, unless you buy 2 pods.
Roland GP-100 and Boss GX-700 let you do this. Boss is easier to tweak and easier to carry. Roland is expensiver and has less hum.

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 4 Dec 2003 1:25 pm

Gordon, something to consider about the POD XT or XTpro with regards to your desire for a parametric EQ. Usually the desire for parametric EQ is to get good control over the midrange frequencies that are sometimes excessive from a steel guitar pickup. The amp models in the POD XT have much of this already take into consideration. If you were to look at the EQ curve of say a Fender Twin, Marshall JTM45 or really most classic guitar amps, you'd see a tremendous dip in the midrange. It's part of the voicing in a guitar amp. Even though you dont have surgical type parametric EQ control in the POD XT, you'd be surprised at how pre-eq'd they already are, just by the nature of the amps that were modelled for the unit. And with the addition of 4 bands of EQ, it's pretty flexible.

I do think it would be killer if Peavey would release the Nashville 1000 preamp as a single rackmount unit. Even better would be a re-issue of the old Session 400 preamp. Man that would be a hit. Probably one of the best steel EQ's ever made.

------------------
Brad Sarno
Blue Jade Audio Mastering
St. Louis http://home.earthlink.net/~bradsarno/

[This message was edited by Brad Sarno on 04 December 2003 at 01:34 PM.]

Gordon Titcomb · Post by **Gordon Titcomb** » 4 Dec 2003 2:05 pm

Brad,
You are right on the money with regard to control over the mids. I used to carry an active graphic eq made by Klark Technik, it was super clean and had plenty of output.
It was easy enough to dial in the sound that I wanted,it was also a bit unwieldy. Seems to me that a single rack, front end stage of a Peavey Session 400,500 or Nashville 1000 complete with all of it's different patch points etc.( and sublime voicing!) would be a winner.

Pod notwithstanding,...maybe I should just "rack up" a channel strip from an old Neve 10 series console

------------------
Best regards-Gordon http://www.gordontitcomb.com

[This message was edited by Gordon Titcomb on 04 December 2003 at 02:07 PM.]

Brad Sarno · Post by **Brad Sarno** » 4 Dec 2003 2:46 pm

Or why not just use an API 312 preamp with a DI input into an API 550A eq in a small API lunchbox?

I bet that would do the trick. But seriously, have you seen the EQ's by Speck Electronics. Go to www.mercenary.com. Fletcher's got all the cool new toys.

Brad Sarno
[This message was edited by Brad Sarno on 04 December 2003 at 02:48 PM.]

Dennis Detweiler · Post by **Dennis Detweiler** » 4 Dec 2003 5:38 pm

Brad, yup...a rack mount preamp of the original session 400! Or...same thing with the option of a tube model? Not sure if this is possible?
OK...Mike Brown!...like Brad said, the rack mount preamp session 400. Let's get this into production. Put me on the buyer list! The choice of power amps would be a great luxury. Maybe plugging it into a tube head...whew!
Dennis

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 4 Dec 2003 6:55 pm

GD Walker....Stereo Steel 1 sp. preamp
designed specifically for steel guitar.
2 XLR's out...ft. mounted controls for sending to board...accepts offboard efx
units.[This message was edited by Jerry Overstreet on 04 December 2003 at 06:58 PM.]

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 4 Dec 2003 7:29 pm

Jerry
Any idea what The price is on this preamp and does it have a built in power supply. I went to the web site and it looks good

------------------
<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_7_3.gif' border=0></a><a target='_blank' href='http://www.mymailsignature.com'>
<img src='http://www.mymailsignature.com/fwpdata/ ... CFAsig.png' border=0></a>

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 4 Dec 2003 7:41 pm

John, been some time since I've seen a price list...I think I paid 750 for the Combo [amp and preamp unit] and seems like the pre sold for around 350 at that time, but don't hold me to it. Best to send Gerry an e...he loves to talk steel
It does have a built in pwr. supply.

[This message was edited by Jerry Overstreet on 04 December 2003 at 08:28 PM.]

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 5 Dec 2003 1:50 am

Thanks Jerry
I like his reasoning thats its easier to turn a knob on stage than the menu based things out now. I'm just looking for a super clean SS preamp (Don't need or want a Tube in it) and no frills. Sounds like a Decent price on his too.

------------------
<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_7_3.gif' border=0></a><a target='_blank' href='http://www.mymailsignature.com'>
<img src='http://www.mymailsignature.com/fwpdata/ ... CFAsig.png' border=0></a>[This message was edited by John Floyd on 05 December 2003 at 01:58 AM.]

Jerry Erickson · Post by **Jerry Erickson** » 5 Dec 2003 6:44 am

I've had pretty good luck with a Mesa Boogie V Twin preamp pedal. It's got a recording/headphone jack that's switchable. You could also try a parametric eq.
T.C.Electronic,Rane,Symetrix and probably a few others make single rack space units with balanced outs. The engineers would probably like that.

David Wright · Post by **David Wright** » 5 Dec 2003 6:53 am

I use a Profet`2 and go in to the board from it, I have them zero out the board , I use my EQ in the profex, I pretty much get the sound I want that way...

------------------
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.msapedalsteels.com">

</a>DavidWright.us

M.S.A.

M.S.A. Millennium
S-12 9 & 6
Bb is where it's at!
Peavey-2000-PX-300


[[This message was edited by David Wright on 05 December 2003 at 06:54 AM.]

John Floyd · Post by **John Floyd** » 6 Dec 2003 8:26 am

Jerry O
Better Get With GD and collect your cup of coffee. He said he owes you one for the sale of the Preamp.<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/15/15_4_105.gif' border=0></a>

Looking Forward to receiving it.

------------------
<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_7_3.gif' border=0></a><a target='_blank' href='http://www.mymailsignature.com'>
<img src='http://www.mymailsignature.com/fwpdata/ ... CFAsig.png' border=0></a>[This message was edited by John Floyd on 06 December 2003 at 08:28 AM.]

Jerry Overstreet · Post by **Jerry Overstreet** » 7 Dec 2003 8:53 am

Cup of coffee????? I want my $50 kick-back!!!! Seriously, I think you'll like it! Some of the above mentioned units have the pre and fx all in one box and that's compact and convenient too.

John Lacey · Post by **John Lacey** » 8 Dec 2003 9:50 am

Gord, have you tried the Evans preamp? I haven't but owned a FET500 for about 18 years and they sure make dandy amps. Fellow forumite Jeff Bradshaw has one in his rack for recording.