Alembic F1-X

I use a kubicki x-factor into the fx-1 into a stewart 2.1 into 2 bag end 15's. Now the only problem is that i want to work all the time because i love this set up.
I run it with 1/10/5 bass/mids/highs as i do a lot of motown style & blues gigs so my strings are dead. I grew up on fender amps & for some reason this unit responds to that type of eq-ing.

If i dont use the X-factor ---then i use a Fender Stu Hamm Urge II Bass --US model--- passive mode with all 3 pickups on seems to be the favorite setting because the band takes time to tell me about it. I still prefer the x-factor but they are paying for the sound as well as the skill and i like happy & repeat customers. I haven't used effects with it yet, but i am taking my pedals out of moth balls & seeing what survived the closet. I like clean for about 99.5% and just use some chorus and some synth for the occasional semi-biannual soloing these texas guitar players allow us. It just sounds good with out the pedals

I have back up- ---mesa -boogie walkabout [300 watts into 4 ohms]----- but i doubt if i have to use it. I used my walk about for years but this is THE SOUND and it works & plays well with others.
I would NEVER go to a gig with out back up for amp,box or bass.

When i used the FX-1 before, it was broken by a drunk falling into the band and toppling my amp stack, so i parked it for later and used my 300 watt Mesa Boogie Walk-about & really got used to it because of the portability & the sound. I finally got around to sending the FX-1 back to Alembic & they could have not been nicer or quicker. They repaired it for a fair price & kept me informed at each step and let me know how the progression was going as it was really torn up from the crash. It looked new when they returned it. What a great staff.

Getting the stewart world amp made me go ahead & start using the FX-1 again. Before the crash i had been using the FX-1 with a crown amp [also broken it the crash & remains broken due to lousy customer service] and unit was heavy, and the WALKABOUT was oh so not heavy.. But I hooked up the FX-1 & the stewart together as a back up & used it during a concert and OMG. It parked the boogie to back up status. I have used other preamps & they just kinda came & went. The FX-1 is BUDDAH, it blends with country --blues--old rock ---funk & probably Lithuanian Opera. Park it with a good power amp & good speakers & get those call backs. Good equipment costs & the benefits justify the cost of great sound. There is an old saying "THERE IS NO EXCUSE FROM A PRO" Professional musicians use equipment that sounds good --- performs night after night ---and does what it is supposed to when the show starts. The FX-1 is at the top of my amp chain because it is dependable and sounds wonderful and worth every penny i have tied up in it.

super easy.
volume
bass
mid
treble
bright and low boost switches

this review is essentially an A-B comparison with an Aguilar DB-659
I was using a Zon sonus 4/1 into an aguilar 1 12 cab
the Alembic has much stronger bass and clearer highs. boost switches are much more musical. Midrange as stated before is not very useful. cranking the knob will do little to boost the presence. however I find the mid frequency to be pleasant enough. the aguilar's controls are very similar which is why I decided to AB the two. the only difference is the added gain knob. the aguilar doesn't have the same singing high end clarity. the lows can be just as thunderous but only at much higher knob settings. the Alembic @4 without low boost is as low as the Aguilar @7or8 with the low boost. the Aguilar's mid control is much more useful and the added gain knob allows you to get tweak how hard you push the preamp tube. I find you need to crank this to get more of a rock tone. but at lower settings it's super smooth and rich. overall I have to say I prefer the Alembic. I find it to be capable of everything the Aguilar can do and more. I think it's much more capable of multiple styles of music, while the Aggie's a bit of a one trick pony.

bought it used and pushed it hard ever since. no problems

haven't dealt with em

Can't complain about anything. the passive tone controls remind me of the old SUNN amps I really like. I think this unit will work well for anything. If your looking for a high end tube preamp go with this one. you'll probably pay alittle more for the Aguilar and not be as happy

The tone control circuits are passive, and seem to be more subtle and quirky than a typical "active" EQ knob. The "flat" setting is NOT with all knobs at 12 o'clock.

I've used this with a variety of power amps and cabs (Stewart, QSC, Eden, Bag End, Acme, Aguilar) and the results are always pleasing. For loud live playing, the preamp yields this HUGE bottom end. Once you feel it, it's real hard to give it up. The "deep" circuit sounds super-vintage. "Bright" adds a nice sheen, very useful for slapping. The highs in general are very juicy, very musical.

It should be mentioned that this preamp does NOT give much of a midrange boost. I found that with the Acme cab, I did tend to get buried in the mix and there was little I could do - the mid knob was already cranked (with bass & treble way back)! Some people add a quality parametric EQ to address this. Using a less "transparent" speaker cabinet definitely helps. I just got an Aguilar 2x12 and suddenly I can use the tone knobs again!

Never had a problem in over 10 years. I've replaced the tube a few times.

I love the hand-wired construction. If any of the switches, pots or jacks were to go bad, they would be SO easy to replace. But all the components are beefy - I don't expect them to act up anytime in my lifetime. This is the least disposable piece of gear I have.

I called them once or twice after the purchase, asking about tubes or something. They were helpful.

Over a decade of gigs, I have become attached to the huge low-end this unit provides. I've occasionally tried to A/B with an old Ashly solid state preamp. The Ashly works well for recording but I can't get it to sound anywhere near as phat onstage. Just feels like something's missing.

I can't really wish the Alembic had anything different, because then it wouldn't be the dead-simple devastating tone monster that it is. It would be cool to gut the crossover (who ever actually uses this?) and throw in a compressor or some active EQ or a dirty channel or something. But, whatever... if you want to add complexity to your signal chain, that's what the effects loop is there for.

If my Alembic pre got stolen, I would be tempted to go back to an integrated amp head. But I know I'd miss the sound, so I'd probably just go ahead and rebuild the rack. (My friend's Walter Woods head sounds pretty good and it sure is small and light, but there's no question my amp with the Alembic has more rumble...)

Very Easy to use if you know what Hi, Mid, Low do. The bi-amping x-over outs require a bit more knowledge.

Great "Buttery" tube tone ESPECIALLY after swapping the cheap Chinese crappy tube that came from the factory (I've had mine ten or more years and this may have changed)

Thick and Rich.....don't be afraid to really "tweak" the knobs

I've had mine ten years without need for service. I just replaced the tube.

Haven't had to since it's made very well so I'm not sure if the company is good in the customer support category.

I play many styles and it works great for all of them.
I've been playing for almost thirty years.
If it were stolen, I'd buy another somewhere even if used.
What's not to love. Great Tone
There are whistles and bells that one could wish for but this is a solid design.

ditch the tube that came with it and find a place that sells american made tubes (preferrably NOS american tubes from the 60's like Westinghouse etc.....)I used an 12AT7 and it's killer!

This is not a full review of the pre-amp, all the good things I could say about this item have been said by the majority of reviewers below. However I am just putting 2 cents in regarding the crossover and lo/hi/full range outputs for the edification of all.

At risk of giving away my trade secret, I wil say that a goldmine of unique sounds can be had by fully making use of ALL of the outputs. They will ALL function at the same time! I haven't scientifically measured whether the output level of one is affected by sending out another at the same time, but I think they're all buffered correctly to prevent signal drain. Anyway, you can distort the highs, compress the lows, reverb the full range, run them all seperately into a mixer, blend the levels etc. to create some really signature tones. I NOW HAVE A SOUND LIKE NOBODY ELSE. Use your imagination.

You can also use any unused output as "tuner out." Also, if you are having any tone problems, don't send it to the shop until you have REPLACED THE TUBE with a tube you KNOW works (tested in another piece of equipment) and cleaned all the jacks.

This thing gets a sound in seconds. No rocket science here-- just a great fundamental tone across the spectrum. Sounds great flat-- I don't even use the deep or bright switches.

I use a Lakland Deluxe 55-94 with a maple board, a dbx 266 compressor, QSC 2402 amp (2400 watts bridged), and two Trace Elliot cabs- a 2x10 and a 4x10. This setup sounds better than anything I've ever played through, and I tried a lot of different preamps with the same setup.

Have had it a short amount of time.

Never dealt with them before, and hopefully won't have to.

I play many styles, mainly funk, rock, and raggae. This amp pulls off any top 40 gig with ease and grace. I have been playing for 20 years-- professionally for 10, and this again is the best setup I've ever used. Had a Trace Elliot GP12 head before which sounded good but there is no contest with this system.

I use an Alembic 6 string, a custom (fomerly 67 p-bass) fretless, and a Martin 4 string acoustic. This pre-amp does not distort at all. The tones are pure and sweet and versatile. When it's working, I have no complaints.

Ilove the sound of this pre-amp. The features are all I might ever need: tone controls, crossover, high and low boost etc.. I use the effects loop and crossover features and am able to get virtually any sound I want.

I bought this unit brand new ('97 or 98') and almost immediately had problems with severe noise and cut-out. I've taken it to Alembic several times and they always say it's the effects loop inputs and that I should plug and unplug the jacks a bunch of times to clean the contacts. I call B.S. on this one. I can never count on this unit at a gig, so I'm in the market for a new rig, oh well.

These folks are the best. They have never charged me for service. Of course the unit is still unreliable.

I'm a 36 year pro. I use Mesa power and JBL speakers. I would be sad if it were stolen, but I would not get another. I had a Yamaha pre-amp for a bit, sound was terrible but it never broke down. If I were the folks at Alembic I would replace this pre-amp free of charge to try to keep a valued customer. I'm in the market for a 5 sting upright electric (to match my 6 string Alembic bass) and these guys make a sweet one. I would definately be loyal to the brand were they to make it good.

Extremely clean sound. No hiss or 'amp hum' at all. I mainly play a J Bass, Guild Starfire or Fernandes Masterhand through it.
My only real gripe is that the amp is so clean I use a touch of Boss Overdrive to give it some grit. But that is more of a style preference than any flaw with the preamp.

Single Tube Preamp. Bas, Mid and Treble. Also a Deep and Bright Switch. Amazing sound. I now understand what 'transparent' sound actually means. Any tonal colorization is a benefit.I've played highend as well as more lowend basses through the amp. Beautiful tone. Will turn your notes into diamonds! Great for elctric as well as upright bass. I bought mine in '97 from Bass Central in Orlando.

I have had the preamp for seven years. I have done several national tours with it and used it in countless one off gigs. Changed the tube (12AX7 - I think) one time, on the showroom floor of a Mars Music in New Jersey. I popped it open and changed the tube in minutes. Turned it on - bingo ! Perfect sound.

I've contacted Alembic before with some general questions and they have invariably responded within 24 hrs, sometimes within the hour of my e-mail.

Obviously, I love this thing. I now run it through an Ampeg 300w Mono Tube Head (remeber those?). Tube Cosmos! I use an SWR Baby Blue for practicing and quiter gigs. It also a fine amp. But the Alembic has no comparison. I sound like a paid spokesperson!
Over the years I've encountered other Bassists that use the same preamp and they all have had the same experience.
Keep the thunder rollin'......

This unit is very simple to operate. All controls are passive, and the tonal variation runs the whole gamut, from vintage tones, to modern.

I use an old Fender Jazz. The preamp is sent to a compressor, then to a Hafler P4000 poweramp into an Eden 410. The sound quality is about as close to sounding like a mic-pre as it gets, absolutely has to be heard to be believed.
I had the good fortune of A/B-ing it with a Demeter at the store where I bought it, and quickly found out that the Alembic can easily be dialed in to mimic the Demeter's vintage grunt, along with a great variaton of huge, fat, vintage, modern type tones.
On gigs, I regularly get people asking why the bass sounds so good, just regular folks who like the way it sounds. I guess that's a good indicator of the quality of this unit. It's also a great way to meet women ;P

No reliability issues.

N/A

I've been playing all types of rock, funk, blues, and jazz for...oh...17 years or so.
Just buy this preamp. It doesn't matter what style of music you play, great tone is great tone.

Folks, this pre-amp is it. It may be true that nothing is perfect, but this comes darn close. Once the EQ controls of the preamp become familiar, it becomes apparent that the F-1X is a tone shaping machine. The bottom end is fat and rich, while the top end remains clear and punchy. Chords play beautifully. Transients are clear and undampened. There may be another preamp manufactured which sounds as good, but none sound better. Congratulations on a job well done, Alembic.

This is a single channel bass preamp. The features are covered on http://www.alembic.com/prod/f1x.html. As is common for rack mount preamps, the power switch is located on the back of the unit. I fine this arrangement cumbersome, and would like to see the power switch moved to the front panel. Although it takes some effort to drive the preamp into distortion, I would like to see future versions come equipped with a preamp clip light. The unit has an on-board crossover, which I have yet to use. Personally, I would prefer a compressor in its place for studio work. The EQ controls are interactive; for example, increasing the bass level has a slight effect on mid and treble frequencies. Mid control is cut only. While the EQ is non-standard, it becomes intuitive after several minutes of playing around.

No problems to report. I bought the unit used and after I cleaned out the tube socket and replaced the single 12AX7 tube, it was ready to go.

Customer support is first-rate.

A top-notch preamp. Do yourself a favor and give one a try the next time you are in the market for high-end bass gear, if for no other reason than for use as a tone standard. It is pricey, but you get what you pay for. Overall value: 8/10, overall quality: 10/10. Average the two and you get my final rating.