Bass preamp pedals have significantly grown in popularity in recent years, and the TC Electronic SpectraDrive is a strong contender amongst its pricier counterparts. Boasting an ultra-flexible 4-band EQ section, built-in SpectraComp and TubeDrive circuits and a raft of other modern features, this all-encompassing pedal can serve as the tonal centrepiece of your rig.
Powerful EQ
If you're a fastidious tone-chaser, the SpectraDrive's versatile 4-band EQ will have you fully covered. Allowing you to adjust the key areas of your bass' frequency range, this powerful tone-shaping section lets you sculpt the perfect bass sound for a variety of different musical genres.
SpectraComp & TubeDrive
TC Electronic's SpectraComp is a popular pedal in itself, renowned for offering studio-quality compression tailored for bass specifically. It was therefore a no-brainer for the company to integrate this excellent circuit within the SpectraDrive, giving you even more versatility. Keep it low for a natural and subtle amount of squeeze, or crank it high for funky slap and punchy fingerstyle playing.
The TubeDrive is also another fantastic addition, deriving from the circuitry of TC's bass amplifier range. Essentially emulating the tonal characteristics of a tube preamp, this control stretches from warm overdrive to a gnarly and bold distortion.
TonePrint Technology
Like most TC Electronic pedals, the SpectraDrive features their cutting-edge TonePrint technology. Allowing you to import settings created by some of the most respected players around, you can use their custom presets for both the SpectraComp and TubeDrive circuits, letting you experiment with a bunch of usable and tested sounds.
Modern Perks
True bypass may be something that players prefer if they want an uncoloured signal path, however many musicians are realising that a buffered pedal is far more advantageous. Utilising the circuitry from TC's Bonafide Buffer pedal, this ensures that your signal remains strong and present, by negating the tonal loss that can occur with long cable runs.
Featuring a balanced line-out, you can send the SpectraDrive's signal straight into a recording interface of mixing desk, making it ideal for both recording and live situations. With a D.I. XLR output too, the routing possibilities are almost endless with the SpectraDrive.
It doesn't end there however, as with an aux in and headphone input, you can practice along to your favourite tracks silently! Giving you convincing cab modelling, you can get a genuine mic'd up sound without the hassle or deafening volume.
Features
- High quality bass preamp with design features from TC Electronics' bass amps
- TubeDrive with TonePrint technology for emulated preamp/power-amp tube stages
- SpectraComp control with TonePrint models multi-band compressors
- Intelligent EQ dedicated to bass instruments
- Balanced DI out with pre/post switch
- Superior analogue buffering from the Bonafide Buffer pedal
- Aux input and headphones output
- Parallel outputs for amp and mixing desk
- Studio-quality headphone amplifier with speaker emulation
Specifications
- Type: Bass guitar preamp and line driver
- Controls: Gain, TubeDrive, SpectraComp, Level, Bass, Lo-Mid, Hi-Mid, Treble, Bypass Footswitch, Drive Footswitch
- Rear Switches: Ground lift, Pre/Post DI, Instrument/Line input
- Connectivity: Input (1/4''), Thru (1/4''), Output (1/4''), USB (mini), DC (2.1mm), Aux in (1/8''), Phones (1/8''), Line-Driver DI Out (XLR)
- Power: 9V DC 2.1mm barrel centre negative (not included) 250mA
