A versatile boost/overdrive designed specifically for bass players, the Bass BB preamp provides a variety of gain structures with up to 30dB+ boost.
Ideal for virtually any playing style, the Bass BB Preamp's gain knob can add a presence to your clean tone, or you can crank it up and enjoy everything from subtle break up to smooth distortion that never loses low-end definition.
New features include DC jack located at top of pedal, for easier positioning on crowded pedalboards. And most importantly, the pedal can run from 9 to 18 DC volts using an external power supply. This new feature offers more sonic versatility that is especially useful for bassists: as you increase external DC power voltage from 9 to 18 volts, your bass signal becomes less compressed and you’ll get more headroom. The new Bass BBPreamp 1.5 also includes a useful cosmetic upgrade: white “Top Hat” style knobs have been added for enhanced visibility on stage.
With its four-knob control set – Volume, Gain, Bass and Treble – the Bass BB preamp makes it easy to dial in a great bass tone no matter what amp you’re using.
- Four knobs: Volume, Gain, Bass and Treble controls
- True bypass foot switch
- Top mounted AC power jack
- 9- to 18-volt DC operation (battery compartment available for 9-volt operation)
Xotic’s Bass BB Preamp 1.5 has a $180 street price.
For more information, please visit xotic.us.
Bass BB PRE 1 Tarka Layman
When using low-output dynamic or passive ribbon microphones, a consistent struggle is the introduction of noise from external preamps. Consoles, mixing boards, interfaces, and other preamps can sometimes require the gain to be maxed out, amplifying unwanted noise and often still being too quiet in overall volume. The Hosa MPA-149 Mic Preamp provides an immediate 26dB’s of gain with an impressive -97dBu signal-to-noise ratio, giving users a very clean and immediate gain boost for louder, clearer microphone performance.
Many volume-boost solutions include more cables, electronics, and failure points, whereas the HosaMPA-149 simply connects directly into the microphone. This convenient solution makes it ideal for podcasters, streamers, public speakers, and gigging professionals relying on unpredictable venue preamps to power low-output ribbon or dynamic mics. The Hosa MPA-149 only needs a preamp supplying 48V phantom power but does not pass the phantom power onto the microphone.
The Hosa MPA-149 utilizes a discrete Class-A circuit design and selected FET circuitry to help achieve a clean signal path and low-noise operation. Its compact metal housing is designed to perform reliably in any circumstance, whether it’s standing up to harsh environmental changes, eccentric performances, or getting thrown in and out of gig bags on the road.
The new Hosa MPA-149 Mic Preamp is available at an MSRP of $127.45. Street pricing $88.95.
For more information, please visit hosatech.com.
PRS’ first foray into stompboxes yields sonic gold.
Inside each box containing a brand new PRS pedal, there’s a little fold-out card with a picture of Paul Reed Smith and a simple caption: “I hate pedals.” It’s not hard to imagine Smith’s indifference to stompboxes. PRS guitars are immaculately executed, ultra-playable instruments that reflect a focus on elemental interactions between fingers, strings, and fretboard. Indeed, for much of Paul Reed Smith’s career, stompboxes were probably held in the same regard as a broken toaster—a needless impediment to the communication of unadulterated tone.
Certainly, there is a visceral thrill to playing a guitar without effects—particularly one as nice as the average PRS. But while that’s true, stompboxes are, to many musicians, equally artful and thrilling vehicles of expression. And more than a few pedals have done their magic with a PRS guitar at the other end of a cable.
PRS’ three debut pedals—an optical compressor, overdrive, and dual flanger—do not feel like willy-nilly concessions to market pressures. In fact, in keeping with PRS tradition and ethos, these pedals seem selected and designed to offer minimal intrusion on the guitar/amp relationship if the player chooses that route. But they also have the bandwidth to be bold and even positively extroverted. Unsurprisingly, they are also built to a very high standard of quality and reflect an intense attention to detail.
Read the reviews of each pedal here.