Preamp with a compressor for guitar/bass

anyone recommend a reasonably priced preamp with a compressor? Just want to get one for tracking guitar and bass. Or could I just use a stand alone compressor also (like a compressor pedal)? 

I've been using ART MPA Gold (the new version is now Pro MPA II) preamp (2 in 1) for couple of years. Very flexible and reasonably quiet.
ART PRO VLA II compressor (2 in 1) for gentle levelling is good, too. 

Considering the low cost, both items are surprisingly well made and, in my experience, very reliable.

MusicLine


I've been using ART MPA Gold (the new version is now Pro MPA II) preamp (2 in 1) for couple of years. Very flexible and reasonably quiet.
ART PRO VLA II compressor (2 in 1) for gentle levelling is good, too. 

Considering the low cost, both items are surprisingly well made and, in my experience, very reliable.

My thoughts exactly. I upgraded the valves straight away and it made a big difference. I don't remember which valves I used and my gears in storage at the moment so I can't get to them to see.

just wanting to track with some light compression on the bass, smooth it out a little before hitting the computer. same with guitar. recently saw a video regarding amp sims, and they don't seem to have much sustain. a little light comp should help with that. at least the video suggested that. wouldn't hurt get a decent preamp anyways, so may as well get on with a comp.

I try not to compress anything going into the DAW, but if you do, make it very light. What noise the outboard compressor generates will be amplified by any other compression stages in your mix. 

I'll get bashed on for this, but if you've ever heard my recordings, I use a charcoal colored kidney bean, Bass Pod. Best $299 I ever spent. Compressor works lightly, and the sounds in it allow for a nice pre-amp'd bass tone with quite a bit of customization.

Of course there are other methods that I use, but they are quite pricey and involve other bits of hardware. But you can't go wrong with a Bass POD, that's for sure. :)

-Danny

@Danny, it was actually a video demo , and I think you were demoing the acme bar gig plug and you showed how a compressor helps with the sustain of guitar and bass when using the smp sims.  
 
@Chuck  - When I say preamp, I am mostly talking about a bit of gain to ge the level up. I love p basses however the pickups are NOTvery hot. And I need a decent all around preamp anyway. Figure if I get one reasonably priced unit, can use for multiple applications.

Tech21 SansAmp is a good option for bass preamp and compression. It attempts to capture the analog feel of a bass amp and the natural compression of tubes. I really like how smooth and focused the sound is, and how little EQ is necessary if you start with a good instrument, new strings, spot-on intonation, and professional technique. That is the formula for a great bass track IMHO.
 
Paul

TraceyStudios


@Danny, it was actually a video demo , and I think you were demoing the acme bar gig plug and you showed how a compressor helps with the sustain of guitar and bass when using the smp sims.   
  

Yeah you can use just about any hardware compressor for that. I wouldn't use a pedal though. But honestly, check out that bass POD. It will make a huge difference in the sound of your bass because it's geared for bass tones. Plus you get a wide array of sounds with it that are easy to tweak.
 
Put it this way...if you're not quite happy with your bass tones, a compressor won't do much good. It will condition your signal like you want it to but that's about it. The bass pod is a pre-amp made for bass loaded with bass tones. So you're going to get something that excels at bass tones with a compressor built in that you can use lightly while getting solid bass tones instead of using a guitar sim plug or a bass going into a direct box. The pod also can act as a direct box too which is a nice added feature.
 
-Danny

chuckebaby

Danny Danzi

TraceyStudios


@Danny, it was actually a video demo , and I think you were demoing the acme bar gig plug and you showed how a compressor helps with the sustain of guitar and bass when using the smp sims.   
  

Yeah you can use just about any hardware compressor for that. I wouldn't use a pedal though. But honestly, check out that bass POD. It will make a huge difference in the sound of your bass because it's geared for bass tones. Plus you get a wide array of sounds with it that are easy to tweak.
 
Put it this way...if you're not quite happy with your bass tones, a compressor won't do much good. It will condition your signal like you want it to but that's about it. The bass pod is a pre-amp made for bass loaded with bass tones. So you're going to get something that excels at bass tones with a compressor built in that you can use lightly while getting solid bass tones instead of using a guitar sim plug or a bass going into a direct box. The pod also can act as a direct box too which is a nice added feature.
 
-Danny

do you side chain the pod,i use it to but only on certain songs because once mixdown starts if i want to change the sound of the bass and the pod's been printed to a track i find im kinda stuck with that sound.
i use a compressor to just smooth the sound out,thats about it.
but ive been trying to figure a decent way of side chaining the pod so i change presets later on incase im not happy with the sound during mix down.
i have the same one you do i believe,well mines a few years old,i love it for certain songs.your right the presets are awesome.

Nah, I stay away from side-chaining unless I absolutely have to. You know Chuck...on certain things, it doesn't bother me to go "destructive". The reason being, after doing this stuff for over 30 years, you kinda just know what will work and what won't, ya know? Most times, when I record a bass with the pod, all I have to do is adjust the low end a little with a high pass and add a little "clack" at like 2.5 k using a UAD Helios, some compression and I'm golden. With everything else (other than if we're doing a bass amp and sending signals into our Drawmer tube comp which totally kicks butt) I find that I sit there tweaking and tweaking, and I'm never happy with a bass tone.
 
This is especially true if the bass being used is something super cheap. But with a good sounding bass along with a guy that can actually play it, I can get a good sound out of anything. But that pod really works well for me. I don't use any of the presets though. I started with one of course, but then totally changed it, killed the effects and stuff and have it sounding great with any bass that plugs into it. A few knob tweaks and it's ready to roll with any bass. Mine is old too...I think I got it in like 2002. 
 
-Danny

Danny Danzi

chuckebaby

Danny Danzi

TraceyStudios


@Danny, it was actually a video demo , and I think you were demoing the acme bar gig plug and you showed how a compressor helps with the sustain of guitar and bass when using the smp sims.   
  

Yeah you can use just about any hardware compressor for that. I wouldn't use a pedal though. But honestly, check out that bass POD. It will make a huge difference in the sound of your bass because it's geared for bass tones. Plus you get a wide array of sounds with it that are easy to tweak.
 
Put it this way...if you're not quite happy with your bass tones, a compressor won't do much good. It will condition your signal like you want it to but that's about it. The bass pod is a pre-amp made for bass loaded with bass tones. So you're going to get something that excels at bass tones with a compressor built in that you can use lightly while getting solid bass tones instead of using a guitar sim plug or a bass going into a direct box. The pod also can act as a direct box too which is a nice added feature.
 
-Danny

do you side chain the pod,i use it to but only on certain songs because once mixdown starts if i want to change the sound of the bass and the pod's been printed to a track i find im kinda stuck with that sound.
i use a compressor to just smooth the sound out,thats about it.
but ive been trying to figure a decent way of side chaining the pod so i change presets later on incase im not happy with the sound during mix down.
i have the same one you do i believe,well mines a few years old,i love it for certain songs.your right the presets are awesome.

Nah, I stay away from side-chaining unless I absolutely have to. You know Chuck...on certain things, it doesn't bother me to go "destructive". The reason being, after doing this stuff for over 30 years, you kinda just know what will work and what won't, ya know? Most times, when I record a bass with the pod, all I have to do is adjust the low end a little with a high pass and add a little "clack" at like 2.5 k using a UAD Helios, some compression and I'm golden. With everything else (other than if we're doing a bass amp and sending signals into our Drawmer tube comp which totally kicks butt) I find that I sit there tweaking and tweaking, and I'm never happy with a bass tone.
 
This is especially true if the bass being used is something super cheap. But with a good sounding bass along with a guy that can actually play it, I can get a good sound out of anything. But that pod really works well for me. I don't use any of the presets though. I started with one of course, but then totally changed it, killed the effects and stuff and have it sounding great with any bass that plugs into it. A few knob tweaks and it's ready to roll with any bass. Mine is old too...I think I got it in like 2002. 
 
-Danny

as always,awesome response.
 
UAD Helios: i know someone else who uses this and says its the secret ingredient !
good stuff danny.

TraceyStudios


just picked up a bass pod on ebay for $50. Thanks !!!!

nice score,youll love it.
 
you can also hook it up online and download/exchange presets from line 6

TraceyStudios


just picked up a bass pod on ebay for $50. Thanks !!!!

Good choice man. For $50, that's a steal! Watch the "drive" on it if you want cleaner bass tones. Try to stay away from the effects. That makes things super destructive and if you blow it, you'll be re-recording. Watch how much of the compression you use. You can gain a little drive when using it to the extreme as well as some hiss.
 
I leave my "drive" all the way down as I hate drive on a bass. If you need to add some, it does work well, it's just not a sound I particularly care for. Try the compressor at like 12 o'clock and see how it sounds. You don't want to rely on it to compress...just to give you a decent signal going to disc. Channel and output level will be your signal going to disc. See how they work with your bass. You may end up with both being at 12 o'clock or one being higher than the other. Just test out how each reacts on your bass and playing. The idea is to keep the bass signal clean and clear in my opinion...unless you want a little drive.
 
Just keep in mind, the more you drive a bass to distortion, the harder it is to control if you will also have distorted guitars in the mix. A light gain or saturation so to speak, can be a good thing on modern tunes or dropped tuned basses....but just be careful because now you are introducing a low pitched distortion into the mix that can really wreak some havoc if you're not careful. This is why I hate driven bass so much. It just sounds terrible unless you high pass the heck out of it. And then you're stuck with a bass that sounds like a cheap immitation of a distorted guitar. So if you have to drive it, drive it to where it still sounds like a bass so you're not high passing all the GOOD bass lows out of it. :) Good luck!
 
-Danny

Right on...let us know how you make out with it. :)

-Danny