Could an EBS multidrive retire my Sansamp?

[eyvindwa]

The title says it all (nearly):

I am using my sansamp PBDDI at the beginning of my chain, to add a very mild overdrive and sort of warm up my Hartke amp. I like the sound, but
1) I'm not too fond of the overdrive on the sansamp,
2) I'm always looking for something new (damn GAS), and
3) I'd like a pedal that occupied a little less space on my board.

So, is the multidrive good for a very mild tube-ish overdriven sound?

(Unfortunately, I'm unable to try the multidrive before I buy.)

Thanks!

[derelicte]

yes, i love my multidrive. it can be as subtle as you want it. plus, the tubesim mode adds a nice touch. i got it for its mildness to add body and a little spice; does its job well! it's miniscule in comparison to the pbddi and most other pedals and built tough; it's pretty easy to dial in a good sound as well. i'd say give it a shot!

[Puni]

You can also check the Valvedrive, great for overdrive.

[eyvindwa]

Yeah, but not great for size =/

[Sorefinger]

Originally Posted by eyvindwa

So, is the multidrive good for a very mild tube-ish overdriven sound?

That is where the EBS excels IMHO. It does all sorts of subtle, warm, fat overdrive extremely well. It´s too tame for real distortion, but it´s much more versatile than the Sansamp in the "mild" department.

If you can do without the DI/pre options of the BDDI, you´ll be very happy with the Multidrive.

I hope.

[assboglin]

The MultiDrive is great at light overdrive, but be advised it can also cause a lot of treble rolloff.

[niftydog]

I paid a lot for my Sansamp because I liked it so much, it was pretty much the first "serious" pedal I owned. It was a permanent feature of my various boards for about 12 years and it stayed switched on most of the time when I was playing.

Last year I bought a MultiDrive - the Sansamp was sold three months later. The MultiDrive made me realise a lot of things that I actually didn't like about the SansAmp. Strange but true.

[eyvindwa]

Well, I took the plunge, and a friend of mine will be bringing home a brand new MultiDrive from the Perfect Bass (great company BTW!) when she returns from the US! I sure hope it lives up to my expectations.

[DavePlaysBass]

I have the HD-350 head that has a basic SS overdrive in it that is one of the Multidrive settings. It adds a hint of dirt and mid range richness. It also provides a FAT recorded sound. Between that and the EBS compression, I feel I am completely "colored" EBS. I tend to run it at 50% to 75% all the time

I bought the head about 6 years ago when I was rediscovering bass (went from an old Peavey to the EBS). I remember playing around one day a few weeks after the purchase and starting to wonder if I had fallin' for a one trick pony of a bass head. I cranked the Drive knob after a lot of messing around and a big smile came across my face. A whole new world of vintage tones were hiding in there. And I have never turned it back down.

Not the best playing, but here's a direct from the HD-350 balanced out. Compression engaged. Overdrive set at 75%. Bass Flat. Treble Flat. Slight 800Hz boost. Bright at 0. 61J with TI Flats.

EBS HD-350 Drive at 75% 61J TI Flats

[eyvindwa]

Thank you Dave, that clip sounds great!