New Use for my P.A.P.A. Preamp

[Dave Longenecker]

I bought the Smith PAPA Preamp a few months ago. I was mainly interested in using the preamp to get the modern Smith sound for my 1990 "3 knobber" so that I would have the Vintage tones from the bass itself, then I could also get the newer tones with the preamp - which has the same 'guts' that the newer models have. I was especially interested in having a 'Mids' control.

I have used it live in this context, and it is also great to have this little baby around to practice with a headphone, but I have really found it most useful for recording my string bass: I use it more like a 'More-Me' headphone application.
I sometimes get the opportunity to record my string bass on sessions, but it's impossible for me to ask the sound engineer to give me more of my bass in the phones when there are thirty or forty players and only one overall headphone mix. I usually do the "Right can on my right ear- the other ear on the instrument" thing - but I never can really hear my instrument well, and the headphones nearly fall off in this awkward setting. Instead, I connect the preamp to the pickup of my bass, use an earbud from the preamp and the earbud goes in my left ear which is INSIDE my left 'can'. That way I hear the whole orchestra and click on the right side, and my bass on the left. There is some flexibility in the sound I get to the earbud by using the EQ on the preamp. Also, I then connect the preamp to a tuner on my music stand. With this setup I can both hear myself play and see if it is in tune using the tuner. I find it a very useful setup.

There is a bit of 'hiss' in the sound I get to the earbud, but using the preamp this way is so useful that I can easily ignore a bit of hiss.

Just thought I would share that.

Cheeers!

Dave

[Ken Smith]

I have mentioned it to a few people about using the headphones as a monitor when you can't turn up the volume. The PAPA works great with the Double Bass as well. Is this the old ray Brown 'Ella' Bass? Should we just nick name her 'Ella'? Sounds better than 'Oscar' if you ask me. After all, it was Ella that bought the Bass for Ray from what I heard.

[Dave Longenecker]

Hiya Ken!

Yep, I sure enjoyed talkin with you the other day. You've got a KEEN interest in the bass, that's for sure!

And, I'm sure enjoying the PAPA - lots of uses there.

Actually, since you mentioned the bass, I usually refer to it as the "Ray Brown Bass" - or the "Holey Pegged Bass" as Ray used to call it.

Cheeers, Ken!

Dave

[Anselm Hauke]

hi dave, nice picture.
do you have some more from the remain of the bass?

[Dave Longenecker]

Hi Anselm,

I'll try to upload a picture of it here. Sorry the picture is so small. I'm still very inept when it comes to computers, and this is the biggest I could make it.

By the way, here's a video of Ray playing the bass in 1961:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wacjJ...E9A17C&index=3

The attached picture looks like there is some kind of fold in the bass - right above the right F hole, it's actually the fold in the picture of the bass when I tried to scan the picture.

Wish I could get that same groove as the great Mr. Brown!

Cheeers,

Dave

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Dave Longenecker

Hi Anselm,

I'll try to upload a picture of it here. Sorry the picture is so small. I'm still very inept when it comes to computers, and this is the biggest I could make it.

By the way, here's a video of Ray playing the bass in 1961:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wacjJ...E9A17C&index=3

The attached picture looks like there is some kind of fold in the bass - right above the right F hole, it's actually the fold in the picture of the bass when I tried to scan the picture.

Wish I could get that same groove as the great Mr. Brown!

Cheeers,

Dave

Groove? Dave, come over with the Bass. I will show you where Ray left it..

Also, is the Extension around the Scroll or was the Scroll cut for it?

I just wanna know how much work I will need to have done to put the Chromatic Extension on it when I get the Bass!

[Anselm Hauke]

Originally Posted by Dave Longenecker

Hi Anselm,

I'll try to upload a picture of it here. Sorry the picture is so small. I'm still very inept when it comes to computers, and this is the biggest I could make it.

thank you dave!