Fire-Eye Red-Eye Pre-Amp

[open-road-matt]

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

Just for the good of the order, many AGF memebers are not aware that there is a Google Search function at the VERY bottom of each page. Just scroll down to the bottom as far as you can go, and type in RedEye and you will get a great many threads.

Steve

P.S. I am completely happy with my RedEye.

Nice! That Google search works great! Here is the thread I was talking about:

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=187477

Is the old search function at the top of the page disabled? I used to find things that way all the time.

[donh]

Originally Posted by Aaron Smith

At the risk of sounding naive- what does the RedEye actually do that a regular DI doesn't, other than allow you to adjust gain and turn down the treble? Is it adding some sort of pre-set EQ or coloration to the tone, or doing something like a sonic maximizer?

Exactly the opposite of your surmise. The RedEye is beautifully simple and allows the sound of the upstream signal to come through untrammeled. Daren has a write-up on his website, but the summation is that he totally re-thought the signal chain, optimised for signal purity (everyone *says* they do this, Daren actually *did* it), and managed to stuff it all in just the right sized box. Sometimes simpler is better, and this is a prime example.

[dcopper]

I like many others, was hesitant to buy a preamp with no eq. I have not regretted the purchase. Most of the time I don't change eq much during any gigs, just occasionally adding some treble for clarity. The RedEye just gives a nice smooth tone to any pickups I have put through it - just some are more drastic differences than others, especially piezo based pickups.

It is a great piece of gear that I carry everywhere.
davidc

[El Conquistador]

Originally Posted by open-road-matt

Is the old search function at the top of the page disabled? I used to find things that way all the time.

No, it is still as functional as it always has been, which is not too functional, which is why the google search was added about 3 years ago.

Steve

[Teleplucker]

I moved from the k&K preamp to the Red Eye, we use them on guitar with Pure western Mini, harp with a McIntyre pickup and a cello. Not sure what kind of pickup the cello has. I think the Red Eye is a cleaner more natural sound. Very happy with the Red Eye.

[wcap]

We use the Red Eye twin, plugging both my guitar and my daughter's guitar (both K&K equipped) into it when we perform together (you can either switch between the two, or you can play both through the Red Eye twin simultaneously).

(I wish one didn't need a screwdriver to change batteries, though I suppose this design makes it more rugged. This is reminding me that our Red Eye has been sitting unused since October with batteries in it - I should take the batteries out... I've had a few battery leakage mishaps with other devices this past year! Mostly we are using it with phantom power, but I do have batteries in it.)

[wcap]

Incidentally, my understanding is that the Red Eye was initially developed for use with violins (perhaps others can correct me on this though). We've yet to try my wife's electric violin through the Red Eye though.

[Steely Glen]

Originally Posted by wcap

(I wish one didn't need a screwdriver to change batteries, though I suppose this design makes it more rugged. This is reminding me that our Red Eye has been sitting unused since October with batteries in it - I should take the batteries out... I've had a few battery leakage mishaps with other devices this past year! Mostly we are using it with phantom power, but I do have batteries in it.)

I have a Twin that I bought used. The previous owner converted it from a battery-only unit to something that could be powered by a 9v DC power cord. Here's a pic of the mod; it works great.

[Gypsyblue]

I use a Red Eye Twin. It replaced my K&K preamp and the Fishman Aura preamp.

I really like the Red Eye and it's very easy to use.

Although it lacks bass and midrange controls, to my ears it has a great tone built right into it and all of my guitars sound terrific through it.

Wish I could talk my partner into getting one, but she thinks she needs more EQ...even though her guitar sounds better through my Red Eye than it does through anything else I've heard her plug into!

[El Conquistador]

Originally Posted by wcap

(I wish one didn't need a screwdriver to change batteries, though I suppose this design makes it more rugged.

I am a big believer in having no (0) (nada) (zip) batteries anywhere in my signal chain. I learned this through hard experience. One of the nice things about the RedEye is that it is an XLR out. Since I use a SolaAmp, I plug it into my XLR input and acces the SolaAmps phantom power. Voila, no batteries. In fact, I removed the battery from my RedEye unit.

The other advantage of using it with a SoloAmp is that all my EQ is done on the SoloAmp itself. In fact, I do not think of the "High" EQ on the RedEye as an EQ. I think of it as a nob to increase when the crowd noise gets so high that the tone is starting to become muddy. I just increase the nob a bit and dial the muddiness out.

Steve

[wcap]

Originally Posted by El Conquistador

I am a big believer in having no (0) (nada) (zip) batteries anywhere in my signal chain. I learned this through hard experience. One of the nice things about the RedEye is that it is an XLR out. Since I use a SolaAmp, I plug it into my XLR input and acces the SolaAmps phantom power. Voila, no batteries. In fact, I removed the battery from my RedEye unit.

The other advantage of using it with a SoloAmp is that all my EQ is done on the SoloAmp itself. In fact, I do not think of the "High" EQ on the RedEye as an EQ. I think of it as a nob to increase when the crowd noise gets so high that the tone is starting to become muddy. I just increase the nob a bit and dial the muddiness out.

Steve

Indeed, I normally use the Red Eye with phantom power from our mixer, but if, say, I want to plug it into the Bose Compact directly I need the batteries. This is rare though, so I think I should just take the batteries out.

(Given its cost, I don't understand why the Bose wasn't designed to provide phantom power if you want it. I guess the assumption is that anyone performing live is going to be using dynamic mics?)

Also, the batteries are being drained any time you have a cable plugged into the RedEye. This is sort of annoying, since turning off the mixer (and hence the phantom power) without unplugging the input cords from the RedEye means I'm draining the batteries. This is another reason to just have the batteries out most of the time.

(My wife's electric violin is similar - it is "on" and the battery is being drained whenever a cable is plugged into it. I guess this makes things simple, but it seems an off switch would be convenient.)

[hiddenmickey]

Originally Posted by kendallhadden

It's the only preamp I use live anymore. It is a point and shoot type preamp like Larry said, but I love the sound. I have a lot of control over tone with my digital board so I just need it for it's preamp qualities. It's definitely worth it and I will be buying a second one soon.
kwh

Kendallhadden - did you stop using the Radial Stagebug SB-4?

[xomox]

https://ibb.co/YbF2tSh

I use one too for mixing 2 pickups. And i connect effects to effects loop.

[capefisherman]

Originally Posted by Methos1979

The RedEye is my one and only pedal in my signal chain - it's a great little pre-amp. I need nothing else and sound men seem to love it as well. I dial in the EQ I like on the amp itself (SA220) and use the RedEye's treble to fine tune to the room/crowd. And if things get loud then I've always got the boost but I have yet to use it.

What are you looking to do? What is your playing situation, amp, guitar, pickups, other effects? Knowing these things will help us help you decide if it's right for you.

The RedEye is just a very simple pre-amp pedal. If you are just looking to get a great tone to a PA or amp with minimal fuss then it's a perfect fit. If you want or need more signal EQ'ing then it's not.

Exactly! Simplicity itself, makes my many K&K equipped Martins sound much better than the K&K pre-amp. Plus I like being able to tweak the treble a bit as a room I'm playing fills with people and the overall sound gets absorbed. Increasing the treble a bit lets me still be heard (with clarity) without having to turn up the volume and get into a volume war with the audience! I consider the RedEye an essential part of my rigs.

[Oregon Donor]

Does the Red-Eye successfully smooth out the somewhat “quacky” Piezo sound of a K&K Pure Mini? I run my K&K equipped Taylor 310 through a BBE Acoustimax preamp with the fairly standard K&K EQ adjustments (significant low and mid cuts, boosted highs) and while it sounds fairly warm and natural in the right settings most of the time, the quacky sound drives me nuts. I don’t play with a pick (even for strumming), which I understand compounds the issue, but wanted to ask about the extent to which you all have experienced a reduction in this kind of thing with the Red Eye.