Designing CLN to Mid Gain Preamp (Bass)

[YourGuitarist]

I've been chipping away at a bass AIB solution but I am finding that the desired post drive EQ curve changes with drive settings.

I'm experimenting with boosting tube-screamer style in front which helps but then there is a hi-mid nasal quality.

Do you find that overdrive structure affects what eq you use.

I'm using a single stage FB diode approach with asymmetry. I also have a cap parallel to clipping diodes that lower LPF as gain is increased.

Would splitting the stage into more parts help? Ik jfets are popular but I am curious how far I can get with opamp+diode style.

 

[anevilspar7an]

My first question, does this have a clean blend or a controllable crossover? My second is have you looked at Aion's schematic for the Empyrean bass drive from Aion? It is a clone of the Darkglass Alpha|Omicron/Omega drive. While it is a distortion it uses opamps to produce the drive. You can look at the alpha part of the distortion block as that is closer to overdrive than the omicron/omega block.

 

[YourGuitarist]

I should revisit that schematic. This does not have a clean blend or two band drive but it has a pre drive mid boost that measures flatter as gain is turned up. I haven't found the mid boost to be overly thinning though I do like tight bass tones so ..... It wouldn't be hard to design a two band drive with a dual gang gain pot. That'd be cool to tune the each band separate.