Are you looking for the best preamp for K&K Pure Mini pickup? Then, you are in the right place.
K&K Sound’s Pure Mini is one of the most versatile pickups pairing perfectly with acoustic basses that feature steel strings.
At the same time, the Pure Mini delivers its characteristic warm tone judiciously balanced with sparkling articulation when driven by a high-powered amp.
So going for a premium preamp is your best bet if you want to make the most of Pure Mini. That’s why we prepared our list of the six best preamps available on the market at the moment.
Best Preamps for K&K Pure (Comparison Table)
1. L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. (Editor’s Choice)
The Para Acoustic D.I. from L.R. Baggs is a heavy-duty direct-injection preamplifier that is supremely compatible with the acoustic bass rig. The Para Acoustic is essentially a D.I. box that also doubles up as a preamp, thus freeing you from the need to purchase various paraphernalia.
This L.R. Baggs preamp comes with an adjustable gain functionality rendering the unit ideal for both active and passive pickups.
So if you’re an acoustic bass guitarist with the ‘Pure Mini’ sitting in your instrument, you can’t go wrong with the Para D.I. The Para Acoustic D.I. is a must-have for musicians, sound engineers, and composers thanks to its multiple controls, including a 5-band EQ.
This preamp comes with ¼” – and XLR connector outputs and can be operated via DC power, thereby making it indispensable for a guitar and microphone.
The L.R. Baggs D.I. box has a topnotch DI output for transmitting a clean signal and a 5-band EQ integrated with an adjustable midrange and notch. The EQ with a tunable midrange is exploited to the hilt by acoustic guitar players for sonic optimization during gigging.
Pros
- 5-band EQ with midrange bands and notch tuner
- +/- gain for passive and active pickups
- 200+ hours battery life
Cons
- Not quite suitable for nylon-string basses (as the comp-EQ effects might be overly understated for many players)
2. Fishman Platinum Pro EQ/DI Analog Preamp (Close Runner-Up)
The fully analog Fishman Platinum Pro EQ/DI preamp pedal has been thoroughly remodeled from scratch, thus guaranteeing clear sound output from any acoustic equipment. This all-analog preamp pedal from Fishman helps your acoustic instrument to deliver high-fidelity sound with low distortion thanks to the perfect conjunction of hi-speed circuitry and distinct headroom.
The Pro EQ/DI analog preamp syncs well with bass-oriented musical instruments making it ideal for amplifying and recording owing to its integrated tone controls.
The built-in Classic Fishman tone knobs and a transposable bass EQ/guitar mode make this preamp pedal unmistakably musical. In addition, the upgraded Platinum Pro EQ/DI preamp, which comes encased in a striking roadworthy stompbox, incorporates crucial functions, including a balanced XLR D.I. connector and adjustable volume boost.
This analog preamp has been designed with painstaking care to facilitate stomping on through hardwearing foot controls to trigger the chromatic tuner or volume boost.
Pros
- Intuitive 5-band tonal control with built-in low-end filter and sweep-mid
- Fully chromatic digital tuner
- Standalone 17V Class-A preamp
- EQ switch for bass and guitar
Cons
- Noticeable ‘hiss’ from XLR DI output and ¼” input during recording
- LCD screen hardly visible in sunlight
3. K&K Pure Preamp
Universally celebrated and acclaimed, the Pure Preamp is K&K’s time-tested signature preamplifier featuring +/-20 dB high, midrange, and bass controls. Also offering an internal gain controller, the belt-clip style Pure Preamp has been created exclusively for allowing acoustic basses to reproduce their entire frequency range. At the same time, this K&K preamp is good enough for pairing and setting up with a wide variety of acoustic instruments.
The bass, mid-EQ, and treble-EQ controls, along with the internal gain trimmer, enable the gain adjustment from 0.5 factor right up to factor 10. So, you can dial in a really low input signal going up to 10 x loud input signal. The Pure Preamp also comes with an ultra-wideband midrange filter letting it excel especially when paired with Pure Mini pickup.
The plain and noiseless circuit architecture goes a long way in furnishing unprecedented clarity and power, while the internal gain controller aids in configuring the exact amplification factor required for your rig.
Pros
- Performance-driven amp supremely compatible with Pure Mini, Pure Archtop, Pure Classic, Pure Bass
- Works with most acoustic instruments
- Built-in gain trimmer
Cons
- Inferior design
- The knobs don’t have +/ (low/high) markings
4. Fishman Platinum Stage EQ/DI Analog Preamp
Fishman has refashioned and rebuilt the EQ/DI Platinum Stage analog preamp completely like the Platinum Pro EQ/DI preamp pedal. Priced much less than its sibling, the Platinum Stage comes across as a feasible alternative if you can do without the Pro’s compressor or tuner. The Platinum Stage EQ/DI is just what you need to push your upright or acoustic bass to the limits.
At the core of the Platinum Stage is an incredibly lucid Class-A preamp circuitry designed to deliver the entire audio signal. In other words, this Class-A preamp aids the pickup in your acoustic guitar to reproduce its signature sound.
In addition, this Fishman preamp pedal is extremely compact, allowing you to clip it onto your belt’s buckle.
At the unit’s base, you’ll find a belt clip as well as a rubberized surround for placing stably on a floor or any flat surface. The onboard controls comprise a substitutable gain boost, a pre/post-EQ balanced DI, a feedback-reducing phase switch, and a 4-band tone control with a midrange scanner circuit. Around the periphery, you also have input trim, power adaptor (that can be used via phantom power or battery), input clip/low battery indicator, XLR DI out, and in/out receptacles.
On the preamp’s left edge, you’ll spot an outsized push switch to activate boost along with a flush roller control for tweaking its level varying from 3dB-12dB. All in all, the Platinum Stage fires on all cylinders delivering an intensely pure signal to a PA or any acoustic instrument
Pros
- Acoustic preamp powered via 9V battery and phantom power
- 3-band EQ with midrange sweep and low-cut switch
- Class-A preamp with plenty of headroom
Cons
- Bassists and musicians may not find the tiny controls quite handy for tweaking sound during live shows
5. K&K Pure XLR Preamp
The K&K Pure XLR Preamp comes reinforced with the Pure Preamp’s impressive sound and ultra-low noise. On top of that, the Pure XLR preamp features a phase switch and a DI adjustable XLR out. K& K Sound has designed the Pure XLR Preamp especially to work in concert with their Pure Pickup line, including the passive Pure Mini.
Nevertheless, this amp will comfortably work with various other acoustic equipment thanks to its fine-tunable frequency range and input gain. In addition, guitarists will be swept off their feet by its dynamic power and matchless clarity owing to the modifiable gain control, soundless circuitry, and the bass, mid, and treble controls.
The onboard phase switch plays a very crucial role, helping in hugely amplifying acoustic instruments’ sound during a recording or live performance.
Additionally, the phase switch works as effective feedback alleviating tool and also aids in aligning the acoustic and amplified sounds to be “in phase.” You can run this preamp employing phantom power (DC electric supply) or through a 9V battery. An LED indicator lets you know if the XLR Preamp is being driven by phantom power.
Pros
- Upgraded with a phase switch and balanced XLR output
- Matches K&K pickups’ impedance for suppressing feedback
- Set up this preamp in your acoustic equipment rig without modifying the instrument
Cons
- You cannot turn some control knobs smoothly
- The gain control knob is too small (making it difficult to see the ‘setting’ level)
6. Behringer V-Tone ADI21 Preamp
The ADI21 Preamp from Behringer has been meticulously designed to bring the best off from your piezoelectric acoustic guitar. You bet with the V-Tone ADI21 Preamp set up in your rig; you’ll be able to unleash a sound that’ll be electrifying, sonorous, and booming. It won’t be an exaggeration to state that the ADI21 will impart your acoustic bass a charismatic persona.
The ADI21 preamp integrates an active DI box’s features with Behringer’s signature mic/tube modeling circuitry. Immerse yourself in the smooth and melodious sounds belted out through the full-scale 3-band EQ with scanning mids. On the other hand, make the most of a Blend control that lets you blend the perfect proportion of mic and amp emulation you prefer with the direct signal.
Pros
- True tube-amp circuitry for natural sound with microphone-like clarity
- Ultra-high impedance for maximum signal retention
- Onboard EQ for feedback elimination and tone shaping
Cons
- It doesn’t cure the plasticky, punchy sound of passive, piezoelectric pickups. However, it’s not a problem for the Pure Mini
Why Does A K&K Pure Mini Pickup Need a Preamp?
The K&K Pure Western is an incredibly performance-oriented versatile passive pickup that can make your steel-string/nylon-string acoustic bass sound fantastic. So that begs the obvious question – “Do You Need a Preamp to Make the Most of the K&K Pure Mini?” If you have a clear idea of how a preamp helps boost or instead amplify a pickup’s signal, you’ll be able to automatically figure out whether you’d require an amp for Pure Mini.
A preamp purifies the raw signal delivered by pickups and making it sound cleaner when emanating from the amp. Additionally, preamps help amplify low or faint signals, modulate signals (via EQ or volume control), and merge multiple signals into one. Now it’s the output of your mic or pickup that will, by and large, decide for you if you require a preamp.
Now zeroing in on the subject matter, the K&K Pure Mini is a transducer (modeled on the vintage magnetic pickup with a passive architecture). Alternatively, an ‘active’ pickup has a built-in preamp, thus needing fewer coils than passive pickups for amplifying EQ, filters, and signal level. Specific pickups are promoted as ‘passives’ (like the Pure Mini) capable of doing without a preamp yet sounding good enough.
Passive pickups are notable for their broad dynamic range, delivering full-bodied, warm, and rich tone, and also need minimal maintenance. On the other hand, active pickups sound brighter and heavier thanks to their incorporated preamp that enables excellent molding of sound. Besides helping adjust your pickup’s output, preamps also play a crucial role in cleaning up and fine-tuning its sound.
A standard preamp works as a cure-all for fixing feedback issues, noisy and unstable signals, feeble sound, and low output. Additionally, most good preamps, including the popular ones from K&K, Fishman, and L.R Baggs (to name a few), come with gain control, EQ, and volume controls. Several K&K preamps also come equipped with a ‘phase switch’ and wide-band midrange filter for ensuring your pickup’s and your instrument’s sounds don’t obstruct each other and reduce noise, respectively.
These preamps have an internal gain trimmer for minimizing feedback and a state-of-the-art low-noise circuitry for keeping the signal-to-noise ratio at its peak during signal amplification. Finally, the best reason for getting a preamp for Pure Mini is allowing your feet to access the EQ and dialing in additional gain, mainly if your instrument’s cable measures less than 12”.
Conclusion: The Best Preamp for Pure Mini Pickup Is…
The K&K Pure Mini, left to its own devices (i.e., without a preamp), does remarkably well. But if you’re looking to effectively clean up the signal from this pickup, improve a low signal, shape the tone, and combine multiple signals into one, then a preamp becomes indispensable. The six preamp models reviewed above match up seamlessly with the Pure Mini pickup.
Our winner is the L.R. Baggs preamp. It’s the best preamp for K&K Pure Mini available on the market at the moment.