The Trace Elliot Transit B is a bass preamp and effects pedal. Trace Elliot describes it as "a professional grade preamp for the discerning bassist," and it packs the tone shaping tools a bass player needs to go straight to a mixing desk or PA: Pre-shape, a 5 band EQ, a dual band compressor, drive with a blend control, and built-in bass enhancement1. It belongs to the wider family of preamp pedals built to replace or sit in front of a bass amp.
Where it came from
Trace Elliot unveiled the Transit B at NAMM 2017 alongside the Transit A, an acoustic version. MusicRadar reported at the time that both units have pre- and post-XLR outputs and are switch and dial operated, with the only screen display being a built-in tuner display rather than menu screens3. The Transit B is the bass-focused half of that pair.
The controls and tone shaping tools
The Transit B's tone tools are all built in and laid out for direct adjustment1:
- Pre-shape: a one-touch tone shaping tool1
- 5 band EQ: for detailed tone shaping1
- Dual band compressor: built-in compression1
- Drive with blend control: for adding grit while keeping the clean signal in the mix1
- Built-in bass enhancement: an additional tonal option1
Trace Elliot says these tools are "easy to use and easy to tweak on" the pedal1. The compressor sits alongside the EQ rather than being a separate stompbox, which is one way a preamp pedal like this differs from running a dedicated compressor pedal on the board.
Outputs and the tuner
The output section is a central part of the design. Trace Elliot lists "Built-in Pre and Post XLR balanced output, dry output and headphone output," saying these "give the user the ins and outs they need"1. In practice, the Pre and Post XLRs let a player choose whether the signal reaching the desk carries the pedal's tone shaping or not, the dry output provides an unaffected signal, and the headphone output allows silent practice or monitoring.
The back-lit control panel also serves as a chromatic tuner. Trace Elliot states that "the back-lit control panel becomes the chromatic tuner for accurate tuning"2, so no separate tuner pedal is required for tuning.
Videos
BassTheWorld.com
sonicstate
Guitar Interactive Magazine
Questions
Does the Trace Elliot Transit B have a built-in tuner?
Yes. Trace Elliot says the back-lit control panel becomes a chromatic tuner for accurate tuning. MusicRadar noted at the 2017 launch that the only screen display on the Transit pedals is this built-in tuner display, with no menu screens, and that the units are operated by switches and dials.
Does the Transit B have an XLR output?
Yes. The pedal has built-in Pre and Post XLR balanced outputs, so you can send a signal to a mixing desk or PA either before or after the preamp's tone shaping. It also has a dry output and a headphone output alongside the XLRs.
Does the Transit B have a compressor?
Yes. Trace Elliot lists a dual band compressor among the pedal's built-in tone shaping tools, alongside Pre-shape and a 5 band EQ, all of which the maker describes as easy to use and easy to tweak.
Does the Transit B have a headphone output?
Yes. Along with the Pre and Post XLR balanced outputs and a dry output, the Transit B includes a headphone output, which Trace Elliot says gives the user the ins and outs they need.
