Sans Amp or other direct-to-PA preamp pedals for jazz ?

[electricfactory]

I have a performance situation coming up where it would be more convinient not to have to bring an amp, however small. I'm therefore looking into direct-to-PA pre-amp type pedals which can render a nice, clean warm guitar sound to the mixing console. Although a reverb/ delay patch is welcome, effects aren't important in the decision. I also would prefer to avoid 'overkill' or too many bells and whistles which make on the fly operation more difficult. Just a warm, noise free pre-amp which is good at representing a good clean tube amp.
Is anyone using such a pedal now, if so please share your experiences.

[Fidelcaster]

I don't really use it, but own a Carl Martin Rock Bug, that sounds really good.

[Frank67]

I've tried a Tech21 paradriver and a blonde direct to a PA with quite good results. IMHO this is a good solution.

[electricfactory]

Have been doing some research and the CM Rock Bug is looking pretty good[ except for the name of the thing, whose idea was 'Rock Bug' anyway ?? Carl ? Carl ?? ]. I particularly like the cab choice feature and almost 'one knob' operation.
Now, to find one on the used market..

I don't really use it, but own a Carl Martin Rock Bug, that sounds really good.

[icr]

John McLaughlin discusses having gone direct on stage the last 20 years...

Video is supposed to cue up to 3:02.

[Robertkoa]

The Hughes and Kettner Tubeman especially the older Black model is a Tube Preamp which uses a 12 AX7 Tube and has a very warm clean sound with powerful EQ .

When you use higher gain there is a Diode but on the Clean Channel with a good Tube it will be very Similar to a Fender Front end as it runs the Tube at fairly high voltage similar to a fender Champ preamp stage.

It has a few different outputs one has a Redbox filter designed to simulate a Speaker...but you are much better off using modern Cab IRs .

Into a PA this will be much more realistic than a Sansamp pedal ..

You can also use a Silver Tubeman which is a more modern Version not quite as warm but has footswitchable Channels clean to crunch to gain.

For Jazz the Black one is better especially if you put in a JJ 803 longplate tube in it..

Should be about $100 used if you can find one.

[jzucker]

if you have the dough, the axefx ax8 is the ultimate device for that purpose.

[Tom Karol]

I don't really use it, but own a Carl Martin Rock Bug, that sounds really good.

Me too. It's mainly in case my amp dies: I can use it to play through a PA. But, with the cab set on "open" it gives my JazzAmp112 a touch of Fender Twin vibe when I play rock.

[Cunamara]

I use a Zoom MS100bt which does amp modeling, reverb, EQ and effects if you want. I run it into a powered speaker with very good results- basically like running straight to the PA. It's the size of a stomp box and can run on battery or an adapter (I use a 1 Spot with it). I got mine from Sweetwater.

Zoom MS-100BT MultiStomp Effects Pedal with Bluetooth | Sweetwater.com

I installed a free Acoustic 360 amp model for it which I think works very well with the Hall reverb patch. It also has a Fender Twin model, Deluxe model (which sounds a little harsh to me compared to my real 5E3) and many other options. Takes about 1/2 an hour to learn how to use it for basic stuff like this. I have not learned how to used most of the effects as all modulating effects, etc., tend to wear thin on me in about 10 minutes. I just don't like using effects, I guess, even though I hear other people sound great with them.

[steves3972]

if you have the dough, the axefx ax8 is the ultimate device for that purpose.

yeah this would be my pick, right now I have the atomic amplifire and will get an AX8 eventually. But right now I'm really happy with the twin reverb modeler on the amplifire.

[palindrome]

The Hughes and Kettner Tubeman especially the older Black model is a Tube Preamp which uses a 12 AX7 Tube and has a very warm clean sound with powerful EQ .

When you use higher gain there is a Diode but on the Clean Channel with a good Tube it will be very Similar to a Fender Front end as it runs the Tube at fairly high voltage similar to a fender Champ preamp stage.

It has a few different outputs one has a Redbox filter designed to simulate a Speaker...but you are much better off using modern Cab IRs .

Into a PA this will be much more realistic than a Sansamp pedal ..

You can also use a Silver Tubeman which is a more modern Version not quite as warm but has footswitchable Channels clean to crunch to gain.

For Jazz the Black one is better especially if you put in a JJ 803 longplate tube in it..

Should be about $100 used if you can find one.

I have owned both. I think they are normally referred to as Tubeman I and Tubeman II.

My Tubeman I (which I still have) is blue rather than black, and I don't think it actually has a built-in red box (the Tubeman II does). It does have a frequency-corrected output, though, and IMHO sounds a lot better overall than the Tubeman II. Noisy pots may be an issue.

[jorgemg1984]

Barber barb eq + Zoom MS100BT + Logidy Epsi works very well.

[fretcom]

I have the Tech21 Fly Rig 5 pedal into their Power Engine combo amp. It is versatile for jazz, rock, etc. depending on the guitar that you are using. The pedal is an analog signal path with their SansAmp technology so I can record direct and their Power Engine combo amp weighs maybe 30 lbs. My wallet, my back, and my ears luv this rig.

[JazzNote]

Into a PA this will be much more realistic than a Sansamp pedal ..

I once used a Sansamp original classic pedal for the same purpose but the result was not realistic at all.
(but i came to appreciate it for creating a distorted sound on those very rare occasions when i need that)

[Woody Sound]

John McLaughlin discusses having gone direct on stage the last 20 years...

Video is supposed to cue up to 3:02.

"went to the shop and asked for D'Addario, 'We've only got Ernie Ball' so I said 'Whatever, I'll just take what you have...'"

What a rip he is!

[oldane]

I use a Sansamp Paradriver DI with an AI head (and a Redstone speaker cab). It works well for me, but getting the settings right takes some getting used to. It's quite temperamental and a slight turn of a knob changes the sound a lot. The all important mid control knob is semiparametric so you can choose the center frequency from which it works. I consider it the Swiss knife of sound and with practice you can get almost any sound out of it from the cleanest to the most awfully distorted.

(I also use a Mambo 8 wedge amp - but that's another story.)

[MaxTwang]

Empress ParaEQ makes just about anything sound great!

[jorgemg1984]

I would use a Boss CS-2 compressor pedal. One of the nice things about this unit is that both the input and output is buffered even with the pedal in bypass mode. In other words it still works as a DI box even if you don't use the compression feature. Another unit would be a Boss LM-2. This is not a compressor but a limiter. Both the CS-2 and the LM-2 will prevent overdriving the PA system - a good feature!

Cheers and hope this helps - Avery Roberts

It is my understanding a DI does two things: lowers impedance and converts unblanced to balanced signals. Using a Boss pedal off would only achieve the first, not the second.

I would also avoid limiters for jazz, but that's just taste. Since this thread was started, there are many new excellent options to connect a guitar trough a PA.

[EastwoodMike]

Simple & cheap- joyo american
fancy but hard to beat- victory duchess v4 pedal (it is also a ClassD amp)

The para di does more than it’s name suggests- a DI interface with a mid control that you can cut/boost/shift with a drive blend and other low/high pass filters, ground lift, active/passive lift, through pass for monitoring etc etc. Practice before using live. As mentioned it is sensitive ‘cause it is an active EQ.

[Little Jay]

The Joyo American let's you do that, probably one of the best budget solutions. You would need some reverb to taste, but probably the mixer has it.

Nowadays my no-amp setup: the Quilter Superblock US (or UK). It has a couple of amp-presets (tweed, brown face and blackface) and speaker-sim (filters actually). And it has a very usable reverb. It's small, but still has a 25W power amp that you can use to drive a speaker enclosure. A bit more pricey than the Joyo but much cheaper than AxeFx.

[paulkogut]

I've heard good things about this pedal from folk I trust, I don't have one but I'll probably get one as the need arises

Dream '65 Reverb Amplifier


PK

[Christian Miller]

I have a performance situation coming up where it would be more convinient not to have to bring an amp, however small. I'm therefore looking into direct-to-PA pre-amp type pedals which can render a nice, clean warm guitar sound to the mixing console. Although a reverb/ delay patch is welcome, effects aren't important in the decision. I also would prefer to avoid 'overkill' or too many bells and whistles which make on the fly operation more difficult. Just a warm, noise free pre-amp which is good at representing a good clean tube amp.
Is anyone using such a pedal now, if so please share your experiences.

budget?

Also - do you need an XLR/balanced output?

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Nowadays my no-amp setup: the Quilter Superblock US (or UK). It has a couple of amp-presets (tweed, brown face and blackface) and speaker-sim (filters actually). And it has a very usable reverb. It's small, but still has a 25W power amp that you can use to drive a speaker enclosure. A bit more pricey than the Joyo but much cheaper than AxeFx.

It's also made more than a bit better than the Joyo. I love mine and would use it for a DI if I needed one. But I rarely have a gig for which it'd be neessary, and either my Blu6 or my SBUS (through one of my Toobs) is my regular amp for small to moderate sized venues. The Blu handles everything between small / moderate and 'way huge, at which point I use my DV Mark EG250 and RE10 unless there's a good house system into which I can go direct. If there are decent monitors, I'll use the SB as a DI and if not, it'll be the Blu's direct out for that.

But until you've experienced one of the pro DI boxes, it's hard to appreciate how good they are. The club in which I play regularly has a Reddi Tube Diect Box that's truly amazing - of course, it's also $1k (USD). But it gives my guitars the most wonderful sound. The designer's favorite amplifier is the original B15N with 6L6s, and that's how this box is voiced. So it's fantastic for jazz tones, regardless of the type of guitar being played through it. I tried both my SB and my ART preamp against it, and the Reddi is just sweeter!

[Christian Miller]

The Joyo American let's you do that, probably one of the best budget solutions. You would need some reverb to taste, but probably the mixer has it.

Nowadays my no-amp setup: the Quilter Superblock US (or UK). It has a couple of amp-presets (tweed, brown face and blackface) and speaker-sim (filters actually). And it has a very usable reverb. It's small, but still has a 25W power amp that you can use to drive a speaker enclosure. A bit more pricey than the Joyo but much cheaper than AxeFx.

As good a unit as this is, I’m less enamoured of the DI’d tone these days. I tend to take the fx send and run amp simulation in logic for recordings these days. I have used it live, but I think I may gravitate towards something else in time.

iirc this was recorded using the DI sound. It’s pretty good, but not as good as I’d like.

[SOLR]

budget?

Also - do you need an XLR/balanced output?

2016 thread!!

S