Q-Strip EQ and Preamp Pedal Review

Stellar!

I've been recording at home for a while, first by micing my amp, then using software amp sims. This is, in effect, a hardware amp sim, and it's great! I'm getting better clean sounds from this than I ever got from software, and it sounds as good as the actual amp, but with a lot less setup work. This is a winner.

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Handy Gadget!

I have a stereo bass rig centered around a couple of stereo amp combinations: a '90s SWR SM400S head or an Alembic F1-X preamp/SWR Stereo 800 power amp. One side is clean/wet and the other side is dirty/dry. The dirty side utilizes the Tech 21 VT Bass DI along with the Q/Strip. I originally bought the Q/Strip to serve as a standalone preamp when I use a bass that doesn't sound… read more great overdriven (some of my active instruments are too sizzly overdriven) and not have that totally lifeless sound of a bypassed pedal through the effects return/power amp input. What sold me on it was the sound in the short clip on the Tech 21 website featuring a line from "Good Vibrations" and I can set it similarly to how I set the mids on my SWR head -- particularly sucking out all of the 800Hz. In actual use I found that running the Q/Strip in tandem with the VT Bass DI actually focuses and tames the overdrive in the VTBDI so as to not overpower the clean signal when blended together. The overall sound is enormous, and the dynamic response to playing touch still comes through. A handy gadget!

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Fantastic

Plugged my 5 string fretless into the Q Strip and into my Focusrite and within one minute turning knobs achieved the best recording tone ever. And as always Nick Dutiel was fantastic

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Get One

If you are tried of buying EQ pedals and tone control stumps, this is the real deal. The parametric EQ on this is studio quality, the pre-amps are cleaner than bleach, stuffing a XLR out into the box is awesome. This pedal will tame any axe you throw at.

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Get your sound dialed in quick!

This thing is a life-saver. I play an ukulele with a low G and a LR Baggs 5.0 pickup, which can respond poorly to certain sound systems. I often had a tough time getting rid of the low-mid muddiness without making the instrument sound too thin or harsh. Cue The Q Strip. This little guy makes it so I can dial in my sound on the way in, which gives me more control and confidence in… read more my playing. Before this I was using the para acoustic from LR Baggs, which worked ok, but for whatever reason it didn't play well with my instrument. Once I got the Q Strip and figured out how to dial it in (subtle EQ moves go a LONG WAY), I never wanted to play without it, and it's been a staple of my setup ever since! To me this is the best DI out there. If you like having more control of how your instrument sounds plugged in, without having to always rely on a sound guy, this is the DI for you.

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