Many bassists complete their stage, studio and even rehearsal setup with a bass preamp or DI box. The basic job of the DI is to convert and prepare your bass signal for the mixing desk while keeping the sound as clean, accurate and interference-free as possible. Meanwhile, a bass preamp hands bassists more accurate control over their bass sound. As such, combo preamp-and-DI boxes are insanely useful little tools, especially since they can even remove the need to set up a hefty bass amplifier. Simply plug into your preamp/DI box then connect that directly to the mixer. Job done.
Bass Preamps, DI Boxes or a Combo
We stock a selection of bass-focussed DI boxes that you can plug an electric, semi-acoustic or electro-acoustic bass into and send your sound directly to the PA system or audio interface. We also have plenty of preamps designed for the bass, which can give both active and passive models a nice volume boost while shaping the tone a touch along the way. An external preamp can also be teamed up with any power amplifier you want to result in fully-customised amplified sound. Of course, if you need a DI box and a preamp, then there are more than enough preamp pedals with a built-in DI section to choose from, including models made by big names like Ampeg, MXR and EBS as well innovative models by names like Tech 21 and Darkglass. For the best results when integrating your DI or preamp or combo into your rig, always place it before all of your other bass effect pedals - so, at the start of your effects chain. And, if you're looking for more standardised DI boxes, you'll find them in our DI Box section.
Bass Preamps with Extras: Valves, Compression & More
Many of the preamp and DI models that we stock will include a few handy extras designed to take your bass sound to the next level. Added compression can balance out your sound, or you could inject it with more power by getting a model that includes an overdrive, fuzz or distortion effect. A bass preamp fitted with a valve can coat your bass sound in sweet and warm, organic tone, and since most bass preamps comes with an extensive equalizer section, they can help hammer your total sound into shape. Some models also feature a boost function to give the volume a nice push at just the right moment, and these days, a lot of preamps will also come equipped with a ground-lift switch to counter the noise caused by ground loops.
Plug in Headphones, a Tuner & More
To support silent rehearsals as well as recording and even stage monitoring, a lot of bass preamps will feature a headphone output as well as a dedicated output for your tuner. In terms of connection options, most of the time, you'll be looking at unbalanced mono jack outputs for sending the sound to a power amplifier and a balanced XLR output for plugging into the mixing desk. If you're expanding your setup and need some extra effect pedal accessories, then you'll also be able to find a range of power supplies, daisy chains and patch leads.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bass Preamps & DI Boxes
What does a bass preamp do?
If you have a bass guitar with low output or you just want deeper control over your bass sound, then you could add a bass preamp to your rig. Preamps can basically set up a passive bass with all of the tonal options of an active bass, improving the sound.
What does a bass DI box do?
Bass guitars deliver a high-impedance audio signal, so if you want to plug a bass into a device that can only handle low-impedance audio signals, like a mixing desk, then you can use a DI box, which will convert and prepare the bass signal for the mixer.
Does my bass need a preamp or DI box?
If you want to give the volume of your bass a boost or want to be able to shape your tone in more detail, then you might want to get a preamp. If you want to plug a bass into a device that can only handle low-impedance audio signals, like a mixing desk, then you can use a DI box, which will convert and prepare the bass signal for the mixer.
Can I use a guitar preamp for my bass?
While you'll have no problem plugging your bass into a guitar preamp and getting sound out of it, the sound won't be that great. Since a guitar preamp isn't designed to handle the lower frequencies of a bass guitar, you'll notice that the sound is pretty much stripped of any bass frequencies- so it's just best to use a bass preamp.
Where should the bass preamp or DI box be placed?
Always place your DI box and preamp directly after your bass - so, at the beginning of your effects chain. This way, you're sending a clean signal to the mixing desk.
