Bassics BPA-1

The Bassics BPA-1 is a floor bass preamp from Bassics, the company's first product, designed by Malcolm Toft, the veteran studio console designer¹. It is built in the UK and takes the form of a chunky, two-kilo floor unit with footswitches, aimed directly at bass players who want studio-style tone shaping at their feet¹. Bass Musician Magazine described it as "something that I have never seen before and offers so much control over tone and frequency"².

At its core the BPA-1 combines a preamp, a compressor and an EQ in one box. The compressor is a high-grade VCA type made specifically for bass, and it can be run post or pre EQ². MusicRadar calls it "a studio-quality VCA compressor"¹. The EQ is a bypassable three-band design with up to 15dB boost or cut, centrally detented for off¹. For players coming from simpler preamp pedals, the BPA-1 is closer to a channel strip than a tone-shaping boost.

The controls

The front panel is organized into input, EQ and compressor sections, each with its own footswitch and illuminated controls. When you step on a footswitch to engage the compressor or EQ, the corresponding knob lights up; when mute is engaged, all the knobs go dark³. The input and output controls glow red, low bass green, mid bass orange, upper bass yellow, and the compressor blue².

Each of the two inputs has its own level control, so two basses can be plugged in simultaneously and balanced against each other¹. One point Bass Musician Magazine raised in its 2018 review: switching between the two channels is done by a button on the top of the unit next to the input volume rather than a footswitch, and the reviewer would have preferred a footswitch there³.

The EQ itself is a three-band design, and Bass Musician Magazine's 2016 review breaks it into low bass, mid bass and upper bass sections, each with its own level control offering -15dB to +15dB². MusicRadar found the controls quick and assertive in use, writing of "the quick, assertive response of the controls and the easy mastery which they give you over your sound"¹.

The compressor can be placed before or after the EQ, and its LED meter shows how much gain reduction is being applied, from -3dB to -12dB². MusicRadar's verdict on it was direct: "The compressor was especially effective, as it should be given the designer's studio history"¹.

Inputs, outputs and power

The rear panel carries the connections, and the BPA-1 is generous with them²³:

• Two standard jack inputs, both on the rear panel, with individual level controls¹²
• Input 1 impedance switch (high or normal) for piezo pickups, such as the one on an upright bass¹²
• 1/4-inch connections for output, FX send or tuner, and FX return, giving an effects loop¹²
• Two fully balanced DI outputs on both jack and XLR, described as balanced low-impedance direct outputs selectable for pre or post EQ¹²
• An overall output level and overall mute¹

The balanced outputs mean the BPA-1 can feed a mixing desk or audio interface directly, with the pre or post EQ choice deciding whether the desk receives the shaped or unshaped signal². Bass Musician Magazine's 2016 review framed the unit's studio appeal broadly, noting it "gives you the option to change the EQ in the studio to your preference while also being able to add Compression"².

Power comes from a standard power cord, like an amplifier, rather than a pedalboard adapter³. The internal supply adapts to AC voltages from 85 to 265 volts¹.

What reviewers found

Both Bass Musician Magazine reviews and MusicRadar's review were positive about how the unit treats the instrument. The 2018 Bass Musician review found that "even when the controls were dimed, the unit still retained the individual sound and nuance of each of the basses"³. MusicRadar likewise highlighted the responsive controls and the effective compressor, while noting the price reflects the UK build and Toft's studio heritage¹. The 2018 review's one criticism was the lack of a footswitch for channel switching³.

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