sans amp bass driver with a GK 1001rb???

[gregmon79]

Should I use my sans amp bass driver with this GK 1001 RB amp head I just acquired or should I go without it? Suggestions, comments please. I'm wondering if it will take away from the head or add more to it. Because this head is sounding pretty sweet all on its own.

[JimmyM]

You know, that's a question only you can answer. If you like how the amp sounds and don't have a need for any sounds you can get out of the Sansamp, then bag it. But I find pedals like that good for getting a clean and dirty sound without having to screw with the controls of the amp, so I'd probably use the Sansamp as a dirt pedal.

[dincz]

Originally Posted by gregmon79

I'm wondering if it will take away from the head or add more to it

You'll know that when you try it.

[georgestrings]

I wouldn't - but I'm not a fan of that particular pedal to begin with... That amp can get pretty "growly" all on it's own, and has a way better preamp than the Sansamp does - IME, a VT pedal can give a G-K amp a little "ampeg flavor", but a BDDI pedal doesn't do anything other than add noise... One thing the BDDI is handy for is carrying it along at a gig in case you have amp troubles...

If you also like the sound of the pedal, one good way to use it at a gig is to run your bass into it before the amp, set the pedal up for the sound you want to send to the PA, pass thru the pedal into your amp, and use your amp for how you want to sound on stage... That way, any amp adjustments don't affect what you're sending to the PA - and you have the added benefit that in the event of an amp failure, your send tot he board remains uninterrupted...


- georgestrings

[levis76]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

I wouldn't - but I'm not a fan of that particular pedal to begin with... That amp can get pretty "growly" all on it's own, and has a way better preamp than the Sansamp does - IME, a VT pedal can give a G-K amp a little "ampeg flavor", but a BDDI pedal doesn't do anything other than add noise... One thing the BDDI is handy for is carrying it along at a gig in case you have amp troubles...

If you also like the sound of the pedal, one good way to use it at a gig is to run your bass into it before the amp, set the pedal up for the sound you want to send to the PA, pass thru the pedal into your amp, and use your amp for how you want to sound on stage... That way, any amp adjustments don't affect what you're sending to the PA - and you have the added benefit that in the event of an amp failure, your send tot he board remains uninterrupted...


- georgestrings

Notice how many time georgestrings mentions amp failure. Definitely keep the sansamp with you at any live gig. I have personally witnessed several GKs (most of them 1001rbs too) meltdown at gigs, and by meltdown I mean smoke out the back and burned electrical smell. Toasted.

On a more positive note, I have the MXR M-80, it's a preamp/DI/distrotion pedal that I have used with several amps but I find it unnecessary with my BB750. In some situations it may be useful and I always take it along on a gig, it's much easier than lugging a back up amp or asking another bassist to borrow his. I don't know if the sansamp has a phantom power option, but the MXR does so I don't need to worry about a battery or finding an available outlet.

Good luck.

[gregmon79]

Yeah I've been reading reviews about the amp all night and I did see comments about this amp burning out for some people. I've really dug this pedal for many years now and would dislike ditching it but if I can't find a nice sound with the amp I'm not scared to not use it now that I've heard this amp and I really like the tonal range on itself. Thank for the input everyone.

On another note, the pedal does have a phantom power switch on it. Can someone educate me on the capabilities of the pedal further please? What do you guys mean by using it as a back up if the GK burns out??

[tkonbass]

Originally Posted by gregmon79

Yeah I've been reading reviews about the amp all night and I did see comments about this amp burning out for some people. I've really dug this pedal for many years now and would dislike ditching it but if I can't find a nice sound with the amp I'm not scared to not use it now that I've heard this amp and I really like the tonal range on itself. Thank for the input everyone.

On another note, the pedal does have a phantom power switch on it. Can someone educate me on the capabilities of the pedal further please? What do you guys mean by using it as a back up if the GK burns out??

I for one love the GK (700RB) and bass driver sound. My main rig consists of a racked Sansamp RBI into my 700RB and I have the BDDI on my pedal board.

Now I pretty much use the GK as a power amp and use the RBI for my tone shaping. I have the FOH take the DI either off of the BDDI or a Radial Pro-DI which is last in my chain. The BDDI makes a fine DI but I added the Radial to quiet the grumblings of some techs that didn't want to take their signal from the BDDI. They see the Radial and seem I dunno, happy(er)?

There have been many gigs were all I brought was my pedal board. The sound guy and I were more than satisfied with the bass sound (in the monitors and at FOH). So that is what is meant by having the BDDI as a backup. You can always just go through the BDDI in case your amp melts down. Of course this is dependent on having adequate PA support.

[gmarcus]

I had a 1001RBII for ~6 years and it was solid as a rock and not pampered at all. I found that it sounded Great on its own and the BDDI cut a lot of mids if the mix was too high on the BDDI.

Mess around with the mix control and roll off some bass on the BDDI to get rid of the mid scoop that is built in. I had the mix at about 70% dry and the bass turned down a little and found that it does add a little bit of tubeyness that adds to the sound in a good way.

A lot depends on you cabinets too. I had a pair of Aguilar GS112 which were really scooped on their own so they did not like the BDDI

[Bassmec]

Any amp of any brand can fail, its just a fact of life.
Therefore your sans amp can provide a backup of a sort in that you don't disappear from the mix totally.
You could try both or just the sans amp in the return, any old how its your taste is what matters.
I wouldn't ask anyone round here, you never know what it would sound like.

[tkonbass]

Can someone educate me on the capabilities of the pedal further please?

Here is a link to the BDDI manual. You may want to scan through it and post back with any aspects you aren't clear on. The phantom operation is explained fairly well.

http://www.tech21nyc.com/support/man...Driver-OM1.pdf

[cableguy]

I used a 700RB-II with my BDDI in front. It sounded great. The BDDI does have a on-off switch so you don't always have to have it on, right? People act like it's going to destroy your tone. Sometimes I would use mine to get a fatter tubeyness to my sound. Like if my band was playing a slower blues type of song. If we played a song where I wanted a faster attack and cleaner sound I would step on the BDDI and de-activate it. So I would use it like a second channel I guess. Just remember, the blend knob is your friend. I never ran mine more than 60%. I also had mine modified by Putnam guitars to have a mid control.

[gregmon79]

Wow, thanks guys. Its funny when I get some advice on here I think to myself why the hell I didn't think of that myself. Awesomness

[will33]

Try it both ways, see how ya like it.

The combination of a sansamp and a gk amp can make for a very wide pallete of tones. The sansamps warmer, ampeggy dirt is quite different from the gk growl and lots of cool combinations between the 2.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by levis76

Notice how many time georgestrings mentions amp failure. Definitely keep the sansamp with you at any live gig. I have personally witnessed several GKs (most of them 1001rbs too) meltdown at gigs, and by meltdown I mean smoke out the back and burned electrical smell. Toasted.

It wasn't intentionally aimed at that particular amp - although the older 1001rb amps tended to break down more than the later rb-II version...

Originally Posted by gmarcus

I had a 1001RBII for ~6 years and it was solid as a rock and not pampered at all. I found that it sounded Great on its own and the BDDI cut a lot of mids if the mix was too high on the BDDI.

Yeah, I had a 700rb-II for about the same length of time, and never had a bit of trouble with it...


- georgestrings

[will33]

That's the reason they came out with the " II " models. It fixed the reliability problems as well as upping the power.

I too have seen/heard plenty of guys having meltdown with their original series models. And then know of a few who never had the problems and are still playing them today, at least one of which is a heavy metal/black metal player who runs his old 700 full tilt. Don't know what's up with that.

[B-string]

The series I 700 or 1001 need to have the fan circuit upgrade. If that has been done they are rock solid.

[will33]

Originally Posted by B-string

The series I 700 or 1001 need to have the fan circuit upgrade. If that has been done they are rock solid.

I thought I had read somewhere there was some issue with the preamp boards flexing/breaking, or somehow failing shorting stuff out?

Relying on my memory there, which isn't always the most reliable either.

Good to know about the fan circuit, hadn't heard of that one.

[will33]

I see pretty good deals on the series 1's from time to time but always shy away due to those issues.

[JTE]

I use a BDDI with my Eden WT-400, but mostly as a direct box. I DO use the footswitch to switch between a slightly overdriven sound and the bypassed sound. Also, I don't use much of the BDDI's EQ knobs. I don't use the EQ much because it really does scoop a lot of mids out if you use much of the bass and treble controls. I absolutely despise that ugly scooped mid sound because that's where the definition that makes a bass sound good comes from.

Anyway, try it. But before you do much with it, spend a few days with your new amp really playing with its controls and finding out how to make it sound best for you by itself. Then add the BDDI as an effect.

John

[murphy]

"but a BDDI pedal doesn't do anything other than add noise..."

Wt???? I find the BDDI to be a fantastic preamp tone tool and distortion pedal.
great tones lurk within.....mine does not add noise!!!