EBS Micro Bass 2 Preamp

With 9 pots, 9 switches, 6 jack sockets and ancillary bits and pieces all on a small box, this isn't exactly a total-no-brainer device to use. However, it is sensibly laid out and there are no tricks to it's operation. Once you're read the manual and understand the "Enhance" control you're pretty much set to go. The EQ controls expertly walk a fine line between offering wide variation and being OTT. Getting a good sound quickly is a snap.

This unit is very transparent; It doesn't really have a characteristic sound like some other DI/pre-amp boxes. The EQ controls are cleverly designed with nice centre frequencies and sensible Q. The "Enhance" circuitry is a great idea, and sometimes great ideas suffer from poor implementation - not so in this case. The Enhance control is nothing short of fantastic. I can go from scooped mid slap tone to growly mid-range finger style tone in the twiddle of one knob!

Channel A has a very high (10M) input impedance, designed for passives or piezo pickups. Some might think this to be a secondary feature that they won't appreciate, but I can tell you that once you hear that old passive how it's supposed to sound, you'll wonder how you ever did without this feature. I take the MicroBass everywhere my old Warwick Corvette passive goes. The sound that bass gives via the MicroBass is quite spectacular even before using any of the EQ controls. A little bass boost and the Warwick can now match it with my Stingray! Why oh why other manufacturers aren't going with this I'll never know.

The manual is quite short, but it contains most of what you need to know. It describes four basic modes for the product and steps you through how to connect for each scenario. Importantly it includes a block diagram of the circuit, so you can see for yourself how things are arranged within the box. This can help you make decisions not only about how best to use the MicroBass, but also how best to implement it with your other equipment. EQ filter graphs are also there, and the specifications are reasonably detailed.

As it's not exactly a one-knob-wonder, I've pegged it down one in this category.

I use this box mainly for balancing levels and switching between my two main basses; A passive Warwick Corvette and a EBMM Stingray. I feed the main output (and the FX loop) via a bunch of different FX, then onto my Trace Elliot GP12SMX, SWR 410T and EV TL15.

Anything that offers -?12 - -?15dB EQ controls can get noisy when you crank it! But, in normal use it's as quiet as a mouse in a cat factory. Even the high gain "MultiDrive" circuitry (contained within channel B) is well behaved.

As I mentioned at the start, this unit has less of a distinctive voice than other DI/pre-amp units. This, I feel, is a good thing. It quite literally lets you be in control, while other units that I've owned simply impose their sound on top of yours and only let you adjust the ratio! Pre-amps aren't effects, they are tools, and I consider the MicroBass to be closer to a "real" pre-amp than most stompboxes; Hence, this is less like a Swiss Army Knife and more like Leatherman Super Tool - a real tool for real musos.

This can help you achieve many sounds, from the deep, throbbing whump of Tony Levin with Peter Gabriel, to the biting, crunchy lead-bass bliss of Tony Levin with King Crimson! Given that it's essentially just another tool for shaping your tone, this could be a part of an emulation of any bassist. Once again, the enhance control makes it easy to dial up a mid scoop with a treble boost or vice versa. This makes it ideal for those players who need a quick tweak from fingerstyle to slap and back again.

The "value added" bonus for me was the pleasant discovery session I had with the "MultiDrive circuitry" housed within channel B. This sublime tube overdrive emulation is lush and full without being boomy or muddy. It cuts through without being harsh, and at the subtle end of the scale it is like... well, it's just bliss. Crank the amp and settle in to a comfy chair because once you get jamming on this sound you'll be playing for a while!

Zero complaints - seems this thing can only ever sound good!

It's a tank. All EBS stuff is just bombproof, and this is no exception. It's heavy and feels solid, all the jacks and knobs feel like they should do, no wobbly bits or shonky switches. I would gig with it without backup any day of the week.

Four ways of powering the thing so you should never be caught out. There's regular phantom, EBS phantom (via the output jack), DC wall wart (not supplied) and batteries. The battery cover is not dissimilar to that found on the newer EBMM basses and seems rugged enough to me - time will tell but this is certainly better than a lot of other pedals.

I have worked on EBS equipment before and the internal construction and soldering work is second to none. They make their own die-cast boxes and the circuit boards and components are of the highest quality.

I have dealt with EBS and they're been very helpful. I wrote to them with a concern about a different product and within a day they sent back a description of a modification (with a full schematic) that would address my issue.

(Note; this was NOT a reliability problem.)

Their website is fairly good, usually has great sounding samples, and the manuals are online.

Given that you guys in the USA are the main readers here, I have to say something about the lack of EBS distributors in the US. You guys seem to cop really high prices for EBS equipment, even compared to us convicts down here in Australia! So, with that in mind I've taken a few points off this category.

I've been playing music since maybe 1983, and playing bass since 1991. I play mostly funky stuff with a modern twist, but sometimes progressive bass oriented stuff like Primus. Again, given this units flexibility and full range of sounds, I can't imagine any style of music that this would not suit at some time in some way.

I would replace this unit if I had to. I've looked at all the alternatives (BassBone, BDDI, MXR M80 etc) but your choices are pretty limited if you want two channel switching and level matching and nothing came close to the amount of features the MicroBass has. Plus, it's design is sensible and carefully considered from the perspective of pro musos. I love a compact gadget full of tricks, and this is the ultimate bass players multi-tool. Maybe the favourite thing is that enhance filter, what a cool idea!

The only criticism I have is that when you drive channel B into overdrive territory, it can be hard then to match the volumes of channel A & B. So, using it as a pre-amp / overdrive by switching between channel A & B can be difficult. But, for what I require it excels.

I can't complain, given the amount of stuff that's crammed into this box, but in an ideal world it would have an FX loop bypass switch. Sometimes it would be really handy to just completely circumvent your whole FX rig at the stomp of a switch. Well, you can't have everything!

Basically, this is a fantastic product that can help you in multiple ways. My main use was the balancing and switching of two radically different instruments. Not only does it do that simple task admirably, but it's other features allow you to further refine the sounds. Also, take it out in a different configuration and it's like having a whole new stompbox. Have it on hand when using unknown amps or instruments and you'll always feel like you got a little piece of familiar territory at your feet to rescue you from total disaster.

NOt sure year but I'm guessing about 2004 ? I'm the second owner, still the current model. This is the size of a larger stomp box two switches same size as a sansamp. one foot switch for mute (I guess so you can plug your bass in and out and tune without distrurbing anyone). One that switches between channel one and two. ok general run down on this you have two channels there is a switch to combine the two. Seperately channel a has volume bass and treble, it also has a bright control and an enhance button which basically means that when you turn the treble up the mids dip and the treble down and the mids go up. I find this great for the fretless as I dip teh treble a bit and get a lovely warm nasle tone. I don't really use brightness but never have on any of the amps I have owned. channel be as a parametic mid and a drive (distortion) with an edge control. this might not sound like much but I find i can get all the sounds I want out of my 5 string godin with just this although it does have 3 band onboard eq but its pretty much set flat. I can use this channel for my fretless (maton jb4 with passive pickups but I'd never use the distrorion on this so it seems a waste. the edge control gives you alot of different distorion sounds. There is also a tube emulator that effects both channels, give just enough warmth to sound tubey without sounding false. (I personally found alot of the sansamp settings sounded false or just a bit gimicky). Ok this stop box also has an fx send which doubles for a practice amp as you can plug your drum machine in to it and use the fx return as a mix between the two source. There is a main volume and thats it for the top of the unit. one side has the xlr connector for the balanced out with a ground lift and speaker simulation (never used this don't hear too much difference really). and the fx send and return (mono) on the opposite side of the unit is the imput for channel a and b and a socket for a remote pedal and the output to your power amp. This also runs on a mains wall wart, a nine volt battery or phantom power.

I run two basses a maton jb4 profretless and a godin gb5 with emgs. I mostly play jazz but I can get any sound I want out of this .. even distortion which really isn't my thing. its as clean as completely noiseless. it may seem a little lacking in tone controls but as I said before I haven't had any problems at all. last amp was a gk800 and I find this more flexible than that

if you threw it at something make sure its tough as this is stronger than a brick .. battery compartment is great .. pos opena nd you just drop the 9v in and then close it back up .. completely 0 fuss thankgod .

never required manual is VERY BASIC

These are 700 aus new .. which is a bit steap no matter how good it is .. but for 300 its fab .. use it in the home studio .. plugged straight into a PA .. or into my power amp and speakers .. and its the size of an fx pedal ?