Hi all,

Has anyone here used Channel Strips as a front end for a stick rig? I'm looking at a couple of these;
http://www.presonus.com/products/Detail.aspx?ProductId=57

Like the idea of built in tube pre, comp, and EQ. Would use two (one for each side of the Stickup) and feed each into FX from there. I know I may want to put a good DI between them and the Stick which would feed into the mic inputs instead of the instrument input.

Any experience with these or other channel strips is appreciated.

Karma

Hi Karma,

does this channel strip have instrument level inputs? If not, you will get problems with bad sound from mismatched impedances if you plug in directly.

Yes it does. The impedance is 1 MegOhm which may obviously be a little low, but we'll see. I'm looking for warmth in my sound so it may be cool. Lots of good comments on this unit on the TalkBass forum, and the guy I buy all my gear from likes them too, so I think I may give it a try. I'm hopeful that a couple of these running into a Lexicon MX400 is the right setup for me. Would actually love a couple of SSL Aplha Channels but can't justify that amount of cash yet. As my playing continues to improve... then maybe.

I have an earlier Presonius channelstrip model, the VXP. It sounds great but I can't say it gives me a "warmer sound" than I get by plugging the PASV4 directly into my RME Fireface400 audio interface, at instrument level (laptop rig stereo to PA stagebox). I have grown a huge fan to the PASV4 pickup and think it sounds excellent just as it is, line in with only a little treble cut off and subtle compressing.

The "tube saturation" of the channel strip is something I never use because I don't like its sound, but maybe the algorithm has been improved in the model you are looking at? I sometimes use the Prosonic for studio recordings of sax because it has a great expander that is capable of masking out some metallic action noise you get from the mechanics of a tenor sax. But I have almost stopped using the channelstrip's dynamic EQ. With the RME and 24 bit recording it is faster, equally good sounding and a lot safer to do the processing post recording. I used the Presonus quite successfully live, on a tour eight years ago but then to achieve a more articulated tenor sax PA sound from a clip-on fly mic (using the awesome AKG C 414 B-TL2 in the studio and it is just like the PASV4: "plug-n-play")

You could say that my sonic ideals for Stick playing draws more on the John Abercrombie jazz guitar sound than on the Chris Squire Rickenbacker bass sound )