Bass preamp opinions wanted

My main bass rig is to use a Line 6 Bass POD direct to the PA. I use two settings almost exclusively: One based on a Silverface Bassman and one based on a B-15 flip top (a tweeked version of their "Motown" preset). Both are heavy in the low mids, and suit the R&B type sound I'm looking for very well. The Silverface setting is a bit brighter and I choose between the two depending mostly on the room and band characteristics.

Anyway. I've been hearing a lot of good things about the Bass PODxt and I've been thinking about upgrading. I found the guitar PODxt to be significantly better than the POD 2.0. (Though I've also found the Bass POD to be more satisfactory than the POD 2.0).

While I have been waiting for a local store to get an XT in stock, I've been wondering about other options. Unlike the guitar PODs, where I use a lot of models and features, I don't use many of the features of the bass POD - just a couple of amp models and little compression. I'm thinking I should look at a preamp/compressor combo designed to give me just the few sounds that I want.

So, I'd like to hear what everyone is using for going direct to the board and/or recording.

Bob, live I'm using my Raven Labs onboard preamp direct to the board (actually splitting the signal to my amp for onstage monitoring), and for recording I run it into an Art Tube MP. The Raven Labs tone control works great (center detent, one direction boost bass and slightly cuts treble, other direction boost treble and slightly cuts bass). The ART preamp just makes it more three-dimensional in the mix.

Here's a link to a very similar single-channel ART preamp on sale: http://www.americanmusical.com/item--i-ART-TMPOPL.html

My recording program (nTrack Studio) has a nice optional compressor plug-in that I'm using as well, that really does a nice job. So much so that I'm considering getting some kinda compressor for live performance...

Cheers, Tim

The ART Tube channel. I believe is now discontinued but readily available in the used market. Has a 4 band EQ with adjustable freq for the lo and hi and semi-parmetric overlapping mids. It's a very musical sounding yet transparent pre. I highly recommend it. From a bassist's point of view, there is only one flaw, the i/o is on the rear panel. In the studio it's no big deal but as a part of a live rig, I'd probably run it with a front & rear i/o tuner. If you can find one of these to audition, it's really worth a try.

I also have a J Station and an ART Phat Boy. I seem to be the elephants graveyard for discontinued electronics... I tried the POD, Bass POD and settled on the J Station as a better modeler for bass. I don't use it as much as I thought I would; only for 'scrath pad' recording or late night stuff when I want a little color. The Phat Boy is hugely colored but it is still quiet and has a couple of neat features. I wouldn't be satisfied with either of those as a full time pre though.

More often than not, when recording these days I take a line off the ART and also mic a small tube amp driving a JBL 15.

I'm saving my sikorsies for an Alembic FX1. I had a chance to play with one of those a while back and it is pretty much the same tone control setup as a Showman Amp from what I can tell. Truly an awsome sounding pre. It is a one trick pony, but it's a really good trick...