Cheap Pre-Amp ?

wezzywest · #1 07-09-2012, 10:16 AM

Looking for a cheap pre- amp to use with a KK Mini passive pick up and a Roland AC 60, Any recommendations? Cheers.

ljguitar · #2 07-09-2012, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wezzywest

Looking for a cheap pre- amp to use with a KK Mini passive pick up and a Roland AC 60, Any recommendations? Cheers.

Hi wezzywest...

One of the best we've found inexpensively with the features you need is the UltraSound DIplus.

It's $129 and has 1/4'' inputs, 1/4'' and XLR outputs, tone, and shape controls, plus you can use it battery powered, or phantom powered from a PA board.

It is built like a tank.

Really fills out the sound of K&Ks (actually many types of pickups). While the controls seem simple, they are more than adequate for the task, especially through your Roland.

Ultra DIplus - Click

We own and use both these and their big brother (the two channel model) for live play a lot .

I've tried less expensive preamps, but they are pretty cheesy sounding compared to a decent preamp. This is one of the best at the price (especially because of the extra shape, notch, and dual output (each controlled by it's own volume control).

HOpe this helps...

Fran Guidry · #3 07-09-2012, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wezzywest

Looking for a cheap pre- amp to use with a KK Mini passive pick up and a Roland AC 60, Any recommendations? Cheers.

Do you have a problem you're trying to solve or do you just like having more knobs to twist?

Fran

ukejon · #4 07-09-2012, 04:57 PM

http://www.kksound.com/purepreamp.html

K&K pickups works very well with their own preamp. Fewer features than the Ultrasound buy maybe a better fit with the K&K transducer. I have used one and it is very impressive tonally.

Joseph Hanna · #5 07-09-2012, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fran Guidry

Do you have a problem you're trying to solve or do you just like having more knobs to twist?

Fran

This

To the OP. Whats wrong with the very good pre-amp in your Roland?

ljguitar · #6 07-09-2012, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna

This

To the OP. Whats wrong with the very good pre-amp in your Roland?

Hi Joseph (and Fran)...

I'm a K&K guy, and work with over a dozen players with them installed in a variety of guitars. We run them through Marshall, AER, Roland, UltraSound, Fender amps, and I have never used a passive K&K 'raw' straight into an amp or PA which could not be substantially improved by running it through a simple preamp.

And it's not just better to my ear, but the users themselves. We carry ParaDI, and 3 other brands of preamps with us when we do gigs, open mics, and PA work. In addition we have players show up with Fishman Platinum, K&K and other preamps which they have discovered for themselves sound better than passive straight into amp/PA systems.

I realize it's a compromise to use a pickup, and I want to make guitars sound as natural and non-pieozish as possible. I cannot give you a scientific, nor electronic explanation as to why the 'very good preamp' in our amps, PA boards etc do not do as good a job by themselves as when we add an external preamp between the guitar and amp/PA.

For those of us who use dual-source rigs, that determination is already made for us.

And if you use a K&K which you purchase from them, there are 2 mono preamplifiers, and 4 multi-channel preamps (5 if you count the internal one) recommended on their site. So evidently they believe we can improve the sound of the passive pickups with a preamp as well.

wezzywest · #7 07-11-2012, 04:06 AM

Thanks for the replies, sorry about the delay replying. I am just looking to get a bit more volume out the amp. Also the fewer knobs to twist the better for me Fran. I`m new to amplifying an acoustic guitar and i`m definatley not a techhead. Simple is good for me. Cheers once again.