Fishman PRO-EQ Platinum Bass Preamp/EQ/DI

• Outputs: Main, XLR main, Tuner/Send
• Depth control
• Compressor, 5-band EQ
• Operates on 9V battery or optional AC adapter

I've owned this unit for about a year and I absolutely love it. First of all, it's built like a tank; MUCH sturdier than I expected, and heavy so it stays in place wherever you put it. This is a very well designed eq. So far I've only used it for a passive electric bass, but it allows me to use only this and a power amp; ANY old power amp (that old stereo, for example, or I use it with my tiny Crate power block), and get a great sound and full function. Most stomp box eq's don't allow for this, because they aren't an actual preamp. But this is, so you can plug it directly into a power amp. This has all the essentials and nothing extra. Excellent compressor, phase switch to cut feedback on an acoustic bass (genius!), pre/post on the xlr out with a ground lift; so it's a direct box too. Great voicing on the eq. This unit is first class in design, function and build quality, and I'm about to buy a spare. Even the battery box is the best design I've ever seen. You don't need an expensive bass amp, just get this and a power amp! Jim Parfitt, Seattle

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This is a great DI box if you are looking for something that complements your bass without coloring the sound. I play a fairly clean sound with NS Design EUB, Warwick Thumb, etc. I use a Demeter HBP-1 when I use an amp, which is warm but clean. I can say that the Fishman Pro-EQ Platinum Bass accurately reproduces my instruments' sound without overly coloring the sound. It is warm, and the compression in the DI box is a great feature. If you are looking for something that will make your bass sound like it is running through an overdriven SVT this is not the box. It is a very well balanced DI with the right controls for getting a bass to sound natural and full through the house. If you want to color your sound or are going for the sound of a particular amp, then go with a Sansamp or one of the other capable boxes built for that purpose. This box seems built with clean bass and upright bass in mind.

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I bought one of these Fishman PRO-EQ Platinum Bas Preamps about three years ago, planning to use the EQ, Compression and "Depth" (high-pass filter) features to improve the sound of my odd acoustic bass. It's an upright guitarrón, very much modified from the Mariachi configuration. It is tuned E1-A1-D2-G2-C3-F3, straight across in fourths, like a double bass. It has three piezo transducers for its six strings. The original guitarrón sound with round-wound strings was kind of a twangy thump. But I now have settled on Rotosound 88 TruBass strings, which are black nylon-wrapped flat wounds that give it a dark, thumpy sound, but with plenty of sustain when I want it. Recognizing that my upright guitarrón will never sound LIKE a double bass, the idea is to get it to sound as much like one as possible. The Fishman preamp is a big help toward that objective.

The Fishman has a warm, even tone that seems to smooth out the rough spots in my instrument, which tended toward having a boomy A1 open string. The setup is easy and sensible. After I had used the Fishman for about a year, I bought a Headway EDB-1, which has even more controls, including a notch filter that I thought would be even more effective on my A1 string. After trying the Headway for another year, I went back to my Fishman. I just could not achieve the evenness of tone with the Headway, despite its more detailed features. And the Headway did not produce the warm tone that I had missed in my Fishman. My instrument through the Fishman sounds better into all my combo-amps, whatever their size and power. And, as others have mentioned, the Fishman has a heavy and sold feel, despite being made of plastic (it feels like heavy, high-impact plastic).

So, I'll be selling the Headway, and I've already bought a second Fishman for backup.

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After several performances I have found the Fishman Platinum Bass pedal to be very effective at controlling feedback. We frequently play fairly loud music with drums banging away; I need gainy, big bass sound from my upright to settle effectively in the mix. With this pedal I can find a good mix of compression and sustain control that really limits the feedback while maintaining a moderately natural sound. The highs still come through, as well. As is usually the case, when I'm too close to my amplifier and I play arco there still tend to be some feedback problems, but this is extremely difficult to curtail. All-in-all a great little box for a reasonable price.

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I was really satisfied with product. Item was better than I thought it would be. Would recommend to anyone interested in a preamp , this item is a good choice.