Sadowsky Outboard Pream and VT Bass Deluxe at the same time!

Using the Sadowsky Preamp and VT Bass Deluxe it’s a crazy thing?

  • Yes, go ahead and do it!

    Votes: 24 96.0%

  • No, you are a noob and you should be terminated!

    Votes: 1 4.0%
  • Total voters
    25
TheBogart

TheBogart

Oct 1, 2008
246
326
4,941
47
Lisbon, Portugal
#1
Hello there. Last night at my gig I tried a new thing. I had the Sadowsky Preamp going in to the VT Bass Deluxe. Just to drive that pedal with a better sound. To the FOH I sended two DI signals. One from the Sadowsky, as a clean sound (with a little boost on treble and Bass), and one from the VT Bass Deluxe as a dirty sound (some drive and character). Asked the FOH guy to give me 80% of dirty and 20% of clean. He had to invert phases but the sound was very good. Even if I used a little more overdrive in my VT Bass Deluxe, the sadowsky was sending a clean sound, so I never loosed the low end.

But a lot of people here says that is bad to use two preamps chained. I just feel the Sadowsky preamp is just a tool to give me a better sound from my 77’s Fender Precision (can’t explain but it’s just better and more soul). So will drive better anything I put after it. Including the VT Bass Deluxe. And has a fantastic DI and a mute switch.

Am I crazy to do this? Should I only use each one at a time? And have a ABY pedal to split the signal and have two DI to FOH? Not driving the VT with the Sadowsky?

Bass > Shure Wireless > Sadowsky Preamp > Russian Bassballs > VT Bass Deluxe.

9993A151-BF29-4330-8F2A-5D51C4B624FE.jpeg
PS: Just ignore the Zoom B1 was just working as a tuner out of the Sadowsky tuner out. So I can tune even in mute. I need to buy a tuner but this little B1 works well doing just that. :) and serves me as a backup in case any pedal die at the middle of a gig.
 
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#3
el murdoque said:
I've never read that opinion here. I'd even go as far and say chaining preamps is very common.
Everyone who uses an active Sadowsky bass and has a Sansamp on their board is essentially doing the same thing.
Click to expand...

That was my thought. Because the Sadowsky preamp is just a way to make my passive fenders sound better. It’s not like the other preamps with lots of options. It’s just a tremble and bass boost only. That give any passive Fender like my 77 Precision or my jazz a little more character. A few years ago a traded emails with Roger himself about where to put his outboard preamp. And the answer was to run the preamp just after the bass. To drive everything better that you out on the chain.
 
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#4
el murdoque said:
I've never read that opinion here. I'd even go as far and say chaining preamps is very common.
Everyone who uses an active Sadowsky bass and has a Sansamp on their board is essentially doing the same thing.
Click to expand...

True (in my opinion). I’ve often used a Sadowsky bass (in active mode) with a VT Bass, or with a Tone Hammer. I don't send separate signals to the board, but the concept would appear to be the same to the FOH, in the end. Has not been a problem. I suppose it would mostly depend on how hot the signal is to the board and ultimately in the final mix. But I’ve never been told my signal is too hot. You may not “like” the result, though. I find the undisturbed active Sadowsky sound is very nice, and I also like the tones I get through the VT with the Sadowsky pre engaged, or not engaged.
 
#5
Luckydog said:
True (in my opinion). I’ve often used a Sadowsky bass (in active mode) with a VT Bass, or with a Tone Hammer. I don't send separate signals to the board, but the concept would appear to be the same to the FOH, in the end. Has not been a problem. I suppose it would mostly depend on how hot the signal is to the board and ultimately in the final mix. But I’ve never been told my signal is too hot. You may not “like” the result, though. I find the undisturbed active Sadowsky sound is very nice, and I also like the tones I get through the VT with the Sadowsky pre engaged, or not engaged.
Click to expand...

for me it’s a matter of taste. I really love want the Sadowsky is doing for my passive fenders. Especially with my jazz bass. It’s like witchcraft, the tone is much better overall, more punchier and with more meat on the bones. A Fender on steroids.

the VT Bass deluxe it’s a real pedal with lots of options. With overdrive and that character knob to give you different tones that sound like tubes. The VT also has a EQ section with more control. For me they work great together to make me achieve my sound.
 
#8
Just a friendly tip. As they appear in your photo the knobs on the Sadowsky "shouldn't" be set like that, according to Roger Sadowsky, that is. He says the volume should be full, and the bass & treble boost only, around 8 and 9 o'clock respectively.
 
Last edited:
#10
funkifiedsoul said:
Just a friendly tip. As they appear in your photo the knobs on the Sadowsky "shouldn't" be set like that. The volume should be full, and the bass & treble boost only, around 8 and 9 o'clock respectively.
Click to expand...

The DI signal of the Sadowsky was too hot on the FOH mixer. The sound guy told me to lower the output. That’s why I have the volume in that position. :)
 
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#13
The Sadowsky preamp is an EQ with a gain control. The VT bass preamp is an EQ and a drive circuit with a gain control. Run them together and put the knobs wherever you want if you like the way it sounds.
 
#14
Every person who has an active bass and plugs into an amp has two preamps running.
If you have an active bass, plug into what ever preamp on your board (say an Aguilar TH), then plug into your amp (say Mesa D800), then you are running 3 preamps...

Do what sounds good.


Altitude said:
?
Click to expand...
The Sadowsky preamp is at unity with the volume all the way up. It is a volume cut only.
 
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#16
Altitude said:
So what?

Considering the OP was running two preamps serially, the notion that the resulting signal might be a bit hot isn’t shocking. But even absent that factor there’s nothing objectively wrong about any knob setting.
Click to expand...
In fact, on his outstanding Starlifter preamp, Carey Nordstrand decided to omit any hashmarks around, or dots on, any of the knobs for this reason. He wants players to focus on what sounds good to them, not on what settings might seem to be reasonable or correct.
 
#17
TheBogart said:
Hello there. Last night at my gig I tried a new thing. I had the Sadowsky Preamp going in to the VT Bass Deluxe. Just to drive that pedal with a better sound. To the FOH I sended two DI signals. One from the Sadowsky, as a clean sound (with a little boost on treble and Bass), and one from the VT Bass Deluxe as a dirty sound (some drive and character). Asked the FOH guy to give me 80% of dirty and 20% of clean. He had to invert phases but the sound was very good. Even if I used a little more overdrive in my VT Bass Deluxe, the sadowsky was sending a clean sound, so I never loosed the low end.

But a lot of people here says that is bad to use two preamps chained. I just feel the Sadowsky preamp is just a tool to give me a better sound from my 77’s Fender Precision (can’t explain but it’s just better and more soul). So will drive better anything I put after it. Including the VT Bass Deluxe. And has a fantastic DI and a mute switch.

Am I crazy to do this? Should I only use each one at a time? And have a ABY pedal to split the signal and have two DI to FOH? Not driving the VT with the Sadowsky?

Bass > Shure Wireless > Sadowsky Preamp > Russian Bassballs > VT Bass Deluxe.

View attachment 4944157 PS: Just ignore the Zoom B1 was just working as a tuner out of the Sadowsky tuner out. So I can tune even in mute. I need to buy a tuner but this little B1 works well doing just that. :) and serves me as a backup in case any pedal die at the middle of a gig.
Click to expand...

Remember, if it sounds good, it IS good.
 
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#19
funkifiedsoul said:
Just a friendly tip. As they appear in your photo the knobs on the Sadowsky "shouldn't" be set like that. The volume should be full, and the bass & treble boost only, around 8 and 9 o'clock respectively.
Click to expand...

Who makes these rules? What's the point of knobs if you "should" only run them set up in a particular way? Wouldn't we all be better off without knobs so we can't "mess up" anything?

hennessybass said:
The Sadowsky preamp is at unity with the volume all the way up. It is a volume cut only.
Click to expand...

When you boost the EQ, you're increasing the signal at every frequency affected by the control. If you want to maintain the same overall perceived volume between off and on, you have to reduce the volume control a little. If you just leave it on all the time, then you may have to reduce the volume so as not to overload the next stage (device) in your chain when you boost the EQ.

Plenty of reasons to use the volume knob. And yes, I have this same Sadowsky pre and use it that way all the time, live and as a studio tool.
 
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#20
lowfreqgeek said:
Who makes these rules? What's the point of knobs if you "should" only run them set up in a particular way? Wouldn't we all be better off without knobs so we can't "mess up" anything?



When you boost the EQ, you're increasing the signal at every frequency affected by the control. If you want to maintain the same overall perceived volume between off and on, you have to reduce the volume control a little. If you just leave it on all the time, then you may have to reduce the volume so as not to overload the next stage (device) in your chain when you boost the EQ.

Plenty of reasons to use the volume knob. And yes, I have this same Sadowsky pre and use it that way all the time, live and as a studio tool.
Click to expand...

I lowered the volume because the sound guy told me I was going too hot on the DI of the Sadowsky to FOH. I leave the pedal on all the time, so was not a problem for me to give him a lower volume. The tone I wanted was there. Boosted the treble to 3 and the bass to 5, to suit the room I was playing (it’s a job for the EQ right!?) I dont go by pre written spec or knob positions. I used my ears and adjusted to taste and to the room we where playing that night.

91A8B3A8-74C7-441C-817E-ABE89AB393FE.jpeg


This little box is just amazing. My Precision sounds so much better without losing any of his Personality. I really love this preamp DI box from Sadowsky.
 
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