Hey RG,
. It's been a while since I got into all its ins and outs but I think you can have any blend of SS and tube just by adjusting the inputs and outputs for each stage as the tube and SS sections have separate controls which then combine just before the compressor/eq/chorus/loop. It also has 256 patches, why so many
. Also Peter posted a neat idea where you can make the loop parallel by using both of them but just use a short patch lead between the send/rtn of one of them, then the other behaves like a parallel loop because you don't break the signal path on the short patched one.The factory patches are not only set to emulate a large range of various bass preamps but also for either active or passive PUs. So the patches for active PUs have their gain set accordingly to accommodate the higher output of the active PUs. The table at the back of the manual has a list of them all but watch out for if any given patch is set for passive/active. I made a .doc and pdf version of the patch chart so I could print it A3 (pdf attached).I suspect it needs a Belgian holiday to get the tube stage sorted, an MDRT, latest EPROM (v2.05) and whatever else needs a refurbish (battery mod? etc). Then you'll have a great unit, super quiet, super versatile, really reliable. And when you really want to do your head in, get into what you can do with its CC. As I said, I just use it for overall unit master vol.