Is the Trickfish IPA the Cleanest Onboard Bass Preamp? Real Test

This video reviews the Trickfish IPA internal bass preamp, breaking down a real-world signal chain, clean onboard tone, and musical EQ performance using an Atelier Z bass recorded direct.

🎛 Gear & Signal Chain Used in This Video
Bass – Atelier Z (Ash / Maple)
Strings – Dunlop Super Brights → https://amzn.to/3MG7IAi

Cable – Mogami Instrument Cable → https://amzn.to/44lQZbF

Preamp – Trickfish IPA Internal Preamp → https://www.trickfishamps.com/shop/in...

Interface – Yamaha AG03 → https://amzn.to/4q0QJHf

Trickfish IPA Preamp Review – Clean Bass Tone, Signal Chain & Real-World Test

🎯 Find out exactly where your bass skills stand—take the Bass Progress Checklist.
👉 https://rebrand.ly/BassSkills

📺 Watch Next: Why Clean Bass Tone Starts at the Preamp → [add related link]

🔥 Go Deeper
🎓 Groove School Courses & Resources
👉 https://www.grooveschool.co/store

🎁 Free Bass Tools
Bass Note Master → https://bassnotemaster.com

Groove Journal (Track Your Practice) → http://groove-journal.com/

🎛 Gear & Tech I Use
Song Master Pro → https://aurallysound.com/tedtalksbass

Cable Free Guitar (10% Off) → https://www.cablefreeguitar.com/?bg_r...

Modern Vintage Basses ($200 Off Code: tedtalks)
👉 https://www.elrick.com/product-catego...

My Amazon Gear Picks → https://www.amazon.com/shop/tedtalksbass

🎵 Featured Music
Brother Theodore – St. Ann
👉 https://brothertheodore.bandcamp.com/...

❓ Question of the Day
Do you prefer an onboard preamp like the Trickfish IPA, or an external DI/preamp—and why?

📝 About This Video
In this bass gear review, Ted from Ted Talks Bass puts the Trickfish IPA Preamp through a real-world signal chain to test clean tone, dynamics, and touch response.
If you’re chasing studio-ready bass tone and a transparent onboard preamp, this video shows how the IPA performs in a direct recording setup.

⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters

00:00 Why I’m testing this now (brand new strings)
00:35 Dunlop Super Brights – first impressions
01:05 Full signal chain overview
01:40 Bass specs: Atelier Z (ash body, maple neck)
02:05 Installing the Trickfish IPA (why I swapped preamps)
02:45 Control layout: volume, blend, bass, mids, treble
03:25 Direct recording setup (Mogami → Yamaha AG03)
04:10 Everything flat – baseline tone
05:00 Single-coil hum & neck pickup test
06:10 Both pickups, brand-new string zing
07:00 Rolling treble down for Super Brights
08:10 Favoring the neck pickup
09:20 Bass boost + slight EQ shaping
10:10 Passive mode comparison
11:30 Typical pickup preferences explained
12:40 Why the Trickfish IPA feels more musical
13:30 Why the previous Bartolini preamp didn’t work for me
15:10 Live vs studio flexibility
16:20 Thoughts on trim control and gain staging
17:25 Why the Trickfish IPA stays clean
18:30 Future plans & other preamps mentioned
19:40 Final verdict on the Trickfish IPA
20:40 Wrap-up + Pocket Science sign-off

🔎 Disclaimer
This video is not sponsored. Some links are affiliate links, meaning if you buy something I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.