I have been messing with this equiptment over 40 years but yesterday I hit a bump in the road. I have always played Ampeg amps an never had to hook all kinds of stuff up to get a good sound. I bought a genz benz 6.6 ( I know) to play some small places an mostly for the weight. Well the sound is so dull after playing tube amps forever that I was going to try to see if I could make it come alive. I was going to hook a ampeg svp preamp to it. Well I have tried every way I can think of an can't get it to work together..I know there has to be something that can be done to get it to work but I guess I'm getting old or the two just won't work together. Got any ideas.
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Bass preamp
- Thread starter hd5054
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- bass preamp preamp
Don't feel bad that's part of what this forum is about! Sharing info and learning.
I own a Genz Benz 6.2 as well. You want to go from your bass into the ampeg svp preamp and from the "out" on your svp preamp into the effects loop "receive" on the rear of your GB amp.
This will put your svp preamp after of the eq section of the Genz Benz (using the power amp portion of the GB to power your svp).
If I remember correctly the Volume on your svp preamp replaces the preamp volume on the GB. You use the Master volume on the GB as you normally would.
From page 4 in the GB 6.2 manual :
EFFECTS LOOP – A rear panel effects loop (SEND and RECEIVE jacks) is provided for connecting "serial" outboard devices such as compressors and may also be used for parallel type outboard devices (delays, reverbs, harmonizers, octavers etc.) by using the mix control located on the outboard device. This loop is located right before the Master Volume control and is also intended as a Preamp Out / Power Amp In connection for possible "chaining" of amplifiers in a Master / Slave configuration. The effects "loop" contains a "normal switch" in the receive jack that interrupts the signal path when a plug is inserted into the receive jack. The send jack may be used for an aux. output without breaking the signal path.
User manual - http://www.genzbenz.com/img/manuals/gb/stl6.2_manual.pdf
I hope this helps and doesn't confuse you further, all the best -Rob
Edit: Apologies Adam, didn't realize this was your thread till after I posted this.
I own a Genz Benz 6.2 as well. You want to go from your bass into the ampeg svp preamp and from the "out" on your svp preamp into the effects loop "receive" on the rear of your GB amp.
This will put your svp preamp after of the eq section of the Genz Benz (using the power amp portion of the GB to power your svp).
If I remember correctly the Volume on your svp preamp replaces the preamp volume on the GB. You use the Master volume on the GB as you normally would.
From page 4 in the GB 6.2 manual :
EFFECTS LOOP – A rear panel effects loop (SEND and RECEIVE jacks) is provided for connecting "serial" outboard devices such as compressors and may also be used for parallel type outboard devices (delays, reverbs, harmonizers, octavers etc.) by using the mix control located on the outboard device. This loop is located right before the Master Volume control and is also intended as a Preamp Out / Power Amp In connection for possible "chaining" of amplifiers in a Master / Slave configuration. The effects "loop" contains a "normal switch" in the receive jack that interrupts the signal path when a plug is inserted into the receive jack. The send jack may be used for an aux. output without breaking the signal path.
User manual - http://www.genzbenz.com/img/manuals/gb/stl6.2_manual.pdf
I hope this helps and doesn't confuse you further, all the best -Rob
Edit: Apologies Adam, didn't realize this was your thread till after I posted this.
Last edited:
hi hd-
never having owned any genz benz gear, i was happy to see that emptycup had jumped in with his great insight! if you are able to bypass the front end (input stage, preamp, tone controls) of the genz benz and utilize your ampeg preamp, instead then that is a good place to start. ultimately you would be trying to see if you could use the input stage and preamp section of your ampeg with the power amp section of your genz benz. if that doesn't work, then you have to go a different route. believe it or not, i have had success in the past achieving this type of goal by simply running through a preamp or series of pedals before going into the amplifier that i wanted to "improve". it may not seems as elegant solution, due to the fact that you are essentially stacking preamps, but if it gets you the sound you are looking for then it doesn't matter. so in this example you would run your bass into the ampeg and then take the preamp out from the ampeg (assuming you have one) and run it into the input of the genz benz. if there is an input buffer switch (sometimes labeled as an 'active/passive input') on the genz benz start by running it in the 'active' mode to avoid overdriving the input. set the genz benz tone shaping controls to completely flat and un-enhanced. then adjust the ampeg preamp controls until you get closer to what you are looking for.
at the end of the day, we can't overcome physics, and there will be instances in which the speaker and cabinet combination will have limitations to what it can reproduce. just remember that as you play with this; you may end up having to make somewhat of a compromise tonally in order to take advantage of the weight savings. lightweight gear is awesome (i use my lightweight aguilar rig more than any other rig right now), but some amps will sound better to you than others.
hope that helps!
oh, and emptycup, everyone is welcome to post and share their insight in here! thanks for contributing.
never having owned any genz benz gear, i was happy to see that emptycup had jumped in with his great insight! if you are able to bypass the front end (input stage, preamp, tone controls) of the genz benz and utilize your ampeg preamp, instead then that is a good place to start. ultimately you would be trying to see if you could use the input stage and preamp section of your ampeg with the power amp section of your genz benz. if that doesn't work, then you have to go a different route. believe it or not, i have had success in the past achieving this type of goal by simply running through a preamp or series of pedals before going into the amplifier that i wanted to "improve". it may not seems as elegant solution, due to the fact that you are essentially stacking preamps, but if it gets you the sound you are looking for then it doesn't matter. so in this example you would run your bass into the ampeg and then take the preamp out from the ampeg (assuming you have one) and run it into the input of the genz benz. if there is an input buffer switch (sometimes labeled as an 'active/passive input') on the genz benz start by running it in the 'active' mode to avoid overdriving the input. set the genz benz tone shaping controls to completely flat and un-enhanced. then adjust the ampeg preamp controls until you get closer to what you are looking for.
at the end of the day, we can't overcome physics, and there will be instances in which the speaker and cabinet combination will have limitations to what it can reproduce. just remember that as you play with this; you may end up having to make somewhat of a compromise tonally in order to take advantage of the weight savings. lightweight gear is awesome (i use my lightweight aguilar rig more than any other rig right now), but some amps will sound better to you than others.
hope that helps!
oh, and emptycup, everyone is welcome to post and share their insight in here! thanks for contributing.