Behringer ADI21 more recent opinions on this pedal?

Rocksolid · #1 12-27-2011, 08:32 PM

I have used the search function on this product and most of the opinions on it are pretty dated.

I have a VT bass and love it. From time to time it would be good to have a VT set to clean tone and also one with dirt/grit. I don't have room on my board for a VTBD.

I want mid control so although the BDI21 looks cool I am hoping the ADI21 will be better generally for what I want to do.

Anyone still using this pedal?

Rocksolid · #2 12-28-2011, 04:56 PM

Bump?

darius8 · #3 12-29-2011, 07:46 PM

Do it bro! If it's anything like the BDI21 (which is a great DI) the additional mid freq selector and mid level control is a great DI for just pocket change.

caeman · #4 12-29-2011, 10:07 PM

I picked one up on the cheap to try with my Dobro's piezo pickup, and I am also going to see how well it works with my Kala U-Bass. While with electric bass, I like drive pedals and such, when it comes to acoustic instruments, I like simplicity and just want an EQ to boost things back to the house system. I had looked the Baggs boxes, but I am willing to do a cheap experiment, first. I already have an EQ pedal that works, but lacks the DI output.

Now, if they could integrate a tuner into the box and let it run on phantom power, it would be closer to perfect.

Rocksolid · #5 12-30-2011, 04:13 PM

Yeah I think I will just have to do it.

Can anyone tell me more about how the Blend function on this pedal works? Is it automatically introducing dirt to the tone or is that not necessarily the case?

caeman · #6 12-30-2011, 09:36 PM

The dirt is a matter of the input signal, I have learned. With the signal pad on (-20), you can blend more before it distorts. Otherwise, I am finding little use for the "tube preamp emulation" because of the distortion. With the blend at minimum, I was getting a good sound tonight when I tested it through a PA system with my U-Bass.

Rocksolid · #7 12-31-2011, 12:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by caeman

The dirt is a matter of the input signal, I have learned. With the signal pad on (-20), you can blend more before it distorts. Otherwise, I am finding little use for the "tube preamp emulation" because of the distortion. With the blend at minimum, I was getting a good sound tonight when I tested it through a PA system with my U-Bass.

Ok - that's interesting about the input pad. So if you have the input pad on, so that the tube emulation blend is more usable can you still get enough level out of it to use it properly as a preamp? I am hoping I might be able to use this pedal to drive a powered monitor.

It almost seems that despite the lack of mid control I might be better off with a BDI21 because of the drive and blend controls.

Caeman, if you had your time over would still go for the ADI21 or would you go for the BDI21?

Cheers!

caeman · #8 12-31-2011, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rocksolid

Caeman, if you had your time over would still go for the ADI21 or would you go for the BDI21?

I rather like the idea of a mid control. At least for my U-Bass, I don't want any distortion or drive. I just want some EQ control and volume control with a DI, to reduce the number of "things" I need to pack.

Thus, I don't know if the BDI21 is entirely the right direction for me.

When the blend at minimum for my U-Bass, I got usable sound and the mid control is useful for bass, so I am going to experiment some more with the ADI21. My backup to this plan is a Behringer BEQ700 bass EQ into a Behringer UltraDI.

Rocksolid · #9 01-03-2012, 03:39 AM

Thanks for the replies guys -all food for thought. I wasn't ignoring you all I have been up on the river waterskiing for the last 2 days...

Which ever one I get I will end up having to decide between the VT Bass and the "B" pedal as to which I will run clean and which one a bit dirtier.

Strange as it may seem - my normal Music shop doesn't even stock Behringer pedals so I can't go try them out there. I will have to sus out another option.

The thing I find funny in all this is that I own a Tech 21 RPM pre which is the rack version of the Para Driver, and the Para Driver is a replacement product for the Tech 21 Acoustic DI - which is what the ADI21 is a copy of. The RPM is so easy to dial in amazing OD or clean tones, with blend and drive and mid sweep you can just about get anything you want out of it. IF the ADI21 had just one more knob it could be the perfect pedal!

caeman · #10 01-03-2012, 05:41 AM

The ADI21 is a relatively cheap experiment, Rock. If you have $25 to spare, at worst, it becomes a backup.

I used mine Saturday and Sunday morning for church services. My main concern is the impedance matching with a piezo, otherwise, I could probably just plug straight into my GK amp.

Rocksolid · #11 01-05-2012, 10:21 PM

Yeah, they are about $50 over here - still pretty cheap though.

caeman · #12 01-06-2012, 05:41 AM

I wonder if there are any mods that make the Tube Sim useful? As it stands now, it begins add zero warmth to my bass, and adds all sorts of farty distortion.

Rocksolid · #13 01-06-2012, 01:38 PM

I've got my doubts - but someone might chime in that knows of something.

optikhog · #14 01-20-2012, 04:32 PM

I've had an ADI21 for a few years. I used it for my acoustic at church because it was an easy way to get a good acoustic sound into a relatively small room.

I've toyed around with it for bass but never really liked it because of the overabundance of "tube sim" mentioned above when using my trusty G&L L-2500. Long story short, I'm now the proud owner of a Peavey Millennium BXP which has significantly less output than the G&L. On a lark, I decided to plug the BXP into the ADI21 and boost the low mids a bit - I was immediately blown away with how breat this bass sounded through this DI! I have treble and bass just past 12:00 with mid sweep at around 10:00 and mid boost at 2:00 along with the blend sitting at 10:00 as well and find it just about perfect for getting the sound in my head when using the lightly scooped bass eq setting I crave.

To sum up, keep the bass on the edge of the tube sim by reducing your bass output and dancing with the 'blend' knob and this thing will treat you well.