Grace Design Bix EQ/DI/Pre-amp...

[JayBee1404]

I’m considering changing the Pre-amp/DI which I use with my K&K Pure Mini-equipped guitars. I’m finding myself attracted to the Bix - just wondering if anyone out there uses, or has used one, and what their feelings are about it.

Any constructive comments will be much appreciated.

[JayBee1404]

OK, I’ll take that as a ‘No’ then!

[jacf]

Ha! I just saw this. I have one but use it with soundhole magnetic pickups. It's great. Simple but does the job perfectly. No idea how it works with other pickups but I'd be very surprised if it isn't excellent for those too. A quality bit of kit. Does that help?

[Chipotle]

I have a Grace Alix, although my pickup is a Fishman Aura. I have never heard anyone complain about Grace preamps; they are fantastic pieces of kit. If it doesn't work with the K&K (which I highly doubt!) I wouldn't fault the Grace.

[Kittoon]

I also, have been using the Alix for about a year now.
-Pretty nice!

[JayBee1404]

Thanks guys, I know that Grace Designs recommend a modified TRS cable for K&K pickups, and they sell an adaptor-fly-lead which converts a standard TS cable. This is to match the input-Z of the BiX and the output-Z of the K&K, in order to avoid bloated bass-response. I’m very attracted to purchasing a BiX to use on my pedal-board, but they are as rare as rocking-horse droppings here in the UK, so little or no chance to trial one before laying the money down.

As there are no responses from K&K users here, I guess I’m just going to have to bite the bullet - fortunately it’s not a bank-breaker!

Thanks again to everyone who responded.

[Thin Crust]

I can’t comment on the Bix, but have a lot to say about the Alix. I’ve had mine for a few years, and it’s the best pre-amp I’ve used, period. Grace Designs products are well made, quiet, and road-tuff.

[Kittoon]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Thanks guys, I know that Grace Designs recommend a modified TRS cable for K&K pickups, and they sell an adaptor-fly-lead which converts a standard TS cable. This is to match the input-Z of the BiX and the output-Z of the K&K, in order to avoid bloated bass-response. I’m very attracted to purchasing a BiX to use on my pedal-board, but they are as rare as rocking-horse droppings here in the UK, so little or no chance to trial one before laying the money down.

As there are no responses from K&K users here, I guess I’m just going to have to bite the bullet - fortunately it’s not a bank-breaker!

Thanks again to everyone who responded.

I use the Alix with all 5 of my KK equipped (100% passive-type) Martins.
-I know nothing of the modified (fancy) cables you speak of!

I do know the Alix has a small switch to engage 3 different Z settings.

[Chipotle]

Apparently the Bix doesn't have the nice input impedance switch like the Alix. It defaults to 10MΩ, but will do 1MΩ if you use a special TRS cable with tip & ring shorted.

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

I’m considering changing the Pre-amp/DI which I use with my K&K Pure Mini-equipped guitars. I’m finding myself attracted to the Bix - just wondering if anyone out there uses, or has used one, and what their feelings are about it.

Any constructive comments will be much appreciated.

I am not a fan of K&K pickups and I've had them in 5 guitars, and no, I didn't put them in 5 guitars, 3 of the guitars came with K&Ks already installed. I don't care how good the input impedance is of the Bix with the TRS cable, it won't get the job done without parametric EQ. Playing with K&Ks was always a crap shoot for me, as they always had more problems frequencies than any other pickup I've used, other than the LR Baggs Lyric, which is in a perfect tie with the K&K for the pickup I most love to hate on.

But the company I most like to LOVE ON, is Grace, there stuff is bulletproof. With certain pickups I think the Bix would be alright. But if you insist on using a K&K, get the Alix, where you will have the necessary EQ tools to get the job done. And yes, as stated above, it has a 3 way impedance switch. I've been using both the Alix and Felix for almost as long as they've been available. They are both GREAT preamp/EQ/DIs.

[JayBee1404]

Thanks for the info.

I’m bemused by the suggestion that a K&K can’t sound good without parametric DI. I have K&Ks in all of my guitars, but I’ve never needed parametric EQ to get a good sound (and I’ve had a lot of compliments from other performers on how good my guitars sound when plugged). The only time I’ve struggled with my guitars’ plugged sound was when I made the mistake of using a Baggs Para-DI, which made the bass hugely bloated and needed a lot of EQ fiddling and faffing.

I’m a singer who plays guitar to accompany himself, and I’m a four-piece-band-member, so I’m really not interested in esoteric, state-of-the-art, high-fidelity equipment that I’d need a Masters in Sound-Engineering and Electronics to be able to use, I just need a decent-quality, simple, single channel unit that won’t break the bank.

I currently go through a Source-Audio Programmable 4-Channel EQ box into an Orchid muting DI, but I don’t need four channels, I just want one simple single-channel Pre-amp/EQ/DI and the BiX looks as though it will give me that. At around £400 UK ($500 US), it’s affordable. I don’t feel inclined to spend ~£800 UK (>$1,000 US) for an Alix, OR ~£1,250 UK (~$1,700) for a Felix.

But thanks anyway for the info and opinions - food for thought!

[rockabilly69]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Thanks for the info.

The only time I’ve struggled with my guitars’ plugged sound was when I made the mistake of using a Baggs Para-DI, which made the bass hugely bloated and needed a lot of EQ fiddling and faffing.

I’m a singer who plays guitar to accompany himself, and I’m a four-piece-band-member, so I’m really not interested in esoteric, state-of-the-art, high-fidelity equipment that I’d need a Masters in Sound-Engineering and Electronics to be able to use, I just need a decent-quality, simple, single channel unit that won’t break the bank.

I currently go through a Source-Audio Programmable 4-Channel EQ box into an Orchid muting DI, but I don’t need four channels, I just want one simple single-channel Pre-amp/EQ/DI and the BiX looks as though it will give me that. At around £400 UK ($500 US), it’s affordable. I don’t feel inclined to spend ~£800 UK (>$1,000 US) for an Alix, OR ~£1,250 UK (~$1,700) for a Felix.

But thanks anyway for the info and opinions - food for thought!

Well than here's more food for thought...

I’m bemused by the suggestion that a K&K can’t sound good without parametric DI. I have K&Ks in all of my guitars, but I’ve never needed parametric EQ to get a good sound (and I’ve had a lot of compliments from other performers on how good my guitars sound when plugged).

Be bemused by it all you want, every guitar I've pullled them out of sounds better now, and is less problematic than it was with them. I have heard of others loving their K&Ks though, so maybe you just found a good match of pickup and guitar. Sometimes you just fall on a magic combination. Unfortunately though, K&Ks never worked for me and I had to do a lot of sanding on bridge plates to remove the superglue!!

BTW the guitars I've pulled then out of were Martin HD28, Martin SP00016TR, Martin custom OM15 Gloss, Gibson J100 Xtra, Parkwood LE064. And all the installs were done professionally.

Like you, I am a solo singer/guitarist, and I occasionally play with a duo (other guy plays lapsteel/guitar/mandolin), and front a 4 piece band every now and then. But since the pandemic, I have kept it to solo, and frankly, that's where the demands of the equipment comes to the front. Especially when trying to cover a huge variety of styles depending on the venue. In one of the venues I play, I follow solo performers that play on a full size Steinway piano. Going on after them, with a not so good sounding guitar, would kill me. I went through alot of gear trying to find a sound that would work there. I'm happy to say I haven't changed my pedal board since 2017, so the Grace Alix is getting the job done. I am experimenting with a new board, based on more pedals, not because the Grace doesn't great, but because I want to start adding some presets for tremolo, delay, and reverb,and also get a bit of the NEVE tone, that I used on my studio recordings. That said, a masters degree may be required in this situation

I currently go through a Source-Audio Programmable 4-Channel EQ box into an Orchid muting DI, but I don’t need four channels, I just want one simple single-channel Pre-amp/EQ/DI and the BiX looks as though it will give me that.

You are using a digital programmable EQ which is just as hard to setup as the Alix which is a few knobs instead of digital fiddling and faffing. And yes the BiX should be easier than your current setup too.

BTW the Source Audio Programmable EQ is a 10 Band, 4 preset, stereo unit, not 4 channel, and if you ask me, combining that with a orchid DI is much more work than using any Grace preamp. The Alix which I recommended is a true single channel unit and a few days of practicing with it, and reading the manual, will suffice, no master degree required.

At around £400 UK ($500 US), it’s affordable. I don’t feel inclined to spend ~£800 UK (>$1,000 US) for an Alix, OR ~£1,250 UK (~$1,700) for a Felix.

At the prices you quoted I would be hesistant too.

Well we all set limits to what we want to sepnd on gear. In my case, I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that much on a preamp/di, so I waited for a sale ($531 from Front End Audio) on the Alix because I wasn't sure it work work for my needs. I got the Felix used on ebay for considerably less money than new ($900). I wanted a Felix because I have certain guitars (National resonators) with 2 pickups in them that I wanted to blend outside of the guitar.

You say your guitar sounds good now with just a programmable graphic EQ, so maybe it will work just fine for you, but you will be trading down from 10 bands of EQ to 2. And it sounds like you had your mind made up before you posted and you just wanted confirmation. So if you do buy one let us know how it worked out for you. I'm sure there are others with K&Ks that would appreciate hearing if it's a good match. There are many ways to get a good sound, and we all have our different approaches.

[JayBee1404]

Thanks for the detailed response, Rockabilly. Reading through all that I see that, as I suspected, your needs/requirements and mine are very different - I’m a folkie, I play and sing to folk-music audiences - often purely acoustic, no amplification at all - and even when we play amplified, a quick, straightforward set-up with the most basic of sound-checks is frequently called for. Add that to my natural inclination towards the KISS Principle, and you have the reason for my wanting to simplify.

You’re correct that the Source Audio has four pre-sets rather than channels but, when I was using two guitars and a mandolin, I had separate presets for each instrument and used one input cable which I switched to whichever instrument I was using. So, in effect, I had four ‘channels’ - I guess I should have been more selective in my choice of words.

Grace Design equipment is pretty rarely found here in the UK, and retail in the UK is a very different business to the US - we have far fewer dealers, and sales/discounts are rarely offered, so the Alix and Felix are out of the question cost-wise.

In answer to your question, no my mind wasn’t, and still isn’t, made up - I’d hoped to get some meaningful information about the performance of the BiX, specifically from people who actually use that unit but, unfortunately, nobody seems to have come up with any! I’ve also considered the FireEye RedEye, and a couple of other options but, on paper, the BiX seems to have everything I need.

I guess I’ll keep looking and checking, there are no gigs here at the moment due to the Covid Lockdown, so I’m in no great hurry.

[Br1ck]

Another non fan of the K&K, and I'd question if the Bix has enough EQ to make a K&K sound good. At the minimum, I'd want a hi pass filter and three band parametric. Of course Grace, realizing the popularity of the K&K, may have optimized the tone controls to the K&K, as they certainly know what they are doing.

[Jack Orion]

Originally Posted by JayBee1404

Thanks for the detailed response, Rockabilly. Reading through all that I see that, as I suspected, your needs/requirements and mine are very different - I’m a folkie, I play and sing to folk-music audiences - often purely acoustic, no amplification at all - and even when we play amplified, a quick, straightforward set-up with the most basic of sound-checks is frequently called for. Add that to my natural inclination towards the KISS Principle, and you have the reason for my wanting to simplify.

You’re correct that the Source Audio has four pre-sets rather than channels but, when I was using two guitars and a mandolin, I had separate presets for each instrument and used one input cable which I switched to whichever instrument I was using. So, in effect, I had four ‘channels’ - I guess I should have been more selective in my choice of words.

Grace Design equipment is pretty rarely found here in the UK, and retail in the UK is a very different business to the US - we have far fewer dealers, and sales/discounts are rarely offered, so the Alix and Felix are out of the question cost-wise.

In answer to your question, no my mind wasn’t, and still isn’t, made up - I’d hoped to get some meaningful information about the performance of the BiX specifically but, unfortunately, nobody seems to have come up with any! I’ve also considered the FireEye RedEye, and a couple of other options but, on paper, the BiX seems to have everything I need.

I guess I’ll keep looking and checking, there are no gigs here at the moment due to the Covid Lockdown, so I’m in no great hurry.

I'm a solo-folky who often plays unplugged or into a single condenser mic - also UK based and used to having to play gigs with minimal setup time...

My Grace Felix is the best gear purchase I've ever made!

I run a K&K and an internal DPA (powered by the Felix) and the Felix allows me to EQ both signals and blend them together for a great sound.

I've also used it to EQ two guitars both fitted with K&Ks and send two signals to the PA.

Both the Felix and the Alix do look complicated but I found the Felix really easy to use - what I did was hire a rehearsal room and play at gig volumes for a few hours so I found out a few 'default' settings to use in quick setup situations.

The Felix was expensive but I've used it at every plugged in gig since I bought it and it'll last me the whole of my career unless I drastically change my setup...

Another option to look at might be the Orchid Acoustic Preamp - it has the right input impedance and I know a couple of people who use it with the K&K and really like it - I had one but I did find that the K&K needs a notch filter/parametric EQ for my needs...