Help with Sansamp's Bassdriver DI

**BullHorn** · #1 06-09-2011, 01:47 PM

I just got this thing today, it sounds good with my USB soundcard and 5 dollar headphones (Albeit somewhat hot and each modification to the knobs raises or lowers the output dramatically).

Anyway, at rehearsal today it sounded horrible and I have no idea what I was doing wrong. It absolutely ate up all the mids and left me with a huge pile of muddy bass and harsh highs even though Bass and Treble knobs were at around 3 and Presence was at around 4. Blend was set to 10 I think and Drive was between 5 and 7 depending on how much overdrive I wanted.

Is this just the Sansamp sound or was I doing something wrong?

Evinpar · #2 06-09-2011, 01:51 PM

Try adjusting the EQ on your amp....sounds like you got too much top end happening

fenderhutz · #3 06-09-2011, 01:51 PM

Have you tried the sample settings here?

http://www.tech21nyc.com/support/man...Driver-OM2.pdf

They aren't bad when I tried them and with a little tweaking they were better.

EDIT: What out were you using?

MonkeyBass · #4 06-09-2011, 01:52 PM

Try bringing the blend back to 12 oclock or so. Also that presence knob can help the bass cut through the mix. Also, try eqing the amp too. It all works together.

I find that the BDDI works best as a more subtle, tone machine than an overdrive pedal.

Like with any pedal, it'll sound different in your bedroom than in the rehearsal space. Just keep playing with it to see how all the knobs work together.

NKBassman · #5 06-09-2011, 01:57 PM

The Presence knob is boost only (not boost/cut), so 4 on the knob is actually +4.

Try backing the blend off to 50% for starters, especially if you're already generally happy with the sound of your amp.

Also, if your cab has a tweeter with a variable pad control, try turning it down. Some of that harshness should go away.

**BullHorn** · #6 06-09-2011, 02:06 PM

I haven't tried backing the blend off, maybe that's the source of the problem. And yeah, I tried the settings from the manual - as you see they're all with 100% Blend as well.

My bass is a passive with extremely hot pickups (Seymor Duncan SPB-3). I will have to test more but so far it was horrible.

BassMonstrum · #7 06-09-2011, 03:01 PM

Hell, I have the blend at 9 o'clock and the presence on full... that's how I roll.

whitedk57 · #8 06-09-2011, 03:03 PM

I usually have my blend at 100% all the time. It still sounds great at that level.

Are you using your BDDI as an effects loop or as a stomp pedal for your amp? I use mine as a stomp pedal, and let the BDDI and my amp both work as pre-amps. I usually set the gain, drive and presence to be around 12 oclock.

**BullHorn** · #9 06-09-2011, 07:55 PM

I use it as a stompbox. I had settings similar to those but each time I turned the effect off, you could hear me much better. By default, there were much less lows and a lot more growly mids.

I will try to play with the Blend settings next time.

sonic assassin · #10 06-10-2011, 12:05 AM

if you boost bass and highs, you lose mid. my buddy keeps his bass and high knobs cut down and turns the volume up. gnarly overdrive, tons of mid, plenty of the sansamp flavor with a good deal of clean blend so he doesnt lose definition. presence knob to taste.

cataract · #11 06-10-2011, 12:08 AM

Is your battery dying?

Duke21 · #12 06-10-2011, 12:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BullHorn

I just got this thing today, it sounds good with my USB soundcard and 5 dollar headphones (Albeit somewhat hot and each modification to the knobs raises or lowers the output dramatically).

Anyway, at rehearsal today it sounded horrible and I have no idea what I was doing wrong. It absolutely ate up all the mids and left me with a huge pile of muddy bass and harsh highs even though Bass and Treble knobs were at around 3 and Presence was at around 4. Blend was set to 10 I think and Drive was between 5 and 7 depending on how much overdrive I wanted.

Is this just the Sansamp sound or was I doing something wrong?

Doesn't sound like a sansamp BDDI, as this unit sound great. Try to start with drive, bass, highs and presence at 12, blend 100% and adjust from there on

Mark Olson · #13 06-10-2011, 12:45 AM

No man, presence and treble at minimum, it's still an icepick. You can put the bass to minimum too, but you'll still get lost right out of the mix. That's why soundguys love them, one less instrument to have to worry about making sound good, because no one will hear you. He can lose your clank in the cymbals. You can blend out the affected signal, but that kind of defeats the purpose of having that over any other better DI. Don't feel bad, you're ahead of the game if you can tell it sounds awful.

sonic assassin · #14 06-10-2011, 12:57 AM

oh mark... how mistaken you are.

i play in a single guitar band and the bass rips RIGHT through with a healthy dose of overdrive. tons of midrange. enough to cover the gap where the other guitar would normally be.

Mark Olson · #15 06-10-2011, 01:02 AM

CLIPS! Bonus points if you're not awful.

**BullHorn** · #16 06-10-2011, 01:06 AM

As I mentioned twice in previous posts, I didn't boost the lows and highs, I actually did the opposite (Both set to 3 which is around 10 o'clock).

I use an Ibanez 9V 200mA DC Adapter so it's not that...

sidez81 · #17 06-10-2011, 01:09 AM

The BDDI takes ALOT of personal tweeking but once your in the butter zone your in.
Ive sorted 5 out of the 6 channels on my DLX I usually leave 1 just for exploration(new tones when its needed or session work when they want somethin I may not keep). Its just that one thing I cant believe I went so long without..... if you need more mids go a 50/50 blend and bump the mids on the amp EQ.

**BullHorn** · #18 06-10-2011, 01:19 AM

I'm interested in Mark's point - What's the point in using a Sansamp if in order to get a decent tone you have to Blend it away?

Duke21 · #19 06-10-2011, 01:30 AM

I'm not sure what kind of sound you are after. But, I use to set my amp "flat" and use the BDDI for coloration.
If you put your drive, low, treble and presence to about 12:00 and blend to 100% you will obtain a nice generic tube amp sound. If it doesn't sound "nice" at this settings something is wrong.
From this point, you boost the bass a bit to 01:00 and cut treble to 11:00, drive set on 01:00 and you get kind of a SVT tone. If you want lots of mids you need to cut all bass and treble.
I use this unit with both my Geddy Jazz and my CV p bass, sound great with both basses. But I do not use the BDDI for extreme overdrive, at it will turn up quite harsh on high settings. usually drive above 01:00 will start to sound too harsh.
If the output from your pus is that high, try to turn the pup volume to 75-80%
Do you play fingers or pick? What kind of tone are you after?

Btw, where do you live in Israel? I'm originally from Arad! ;-)
I'll visit my parents in about 2 weeks, so if you still troubled with this issue I could give you a call.

Mark Olson · #20 06-10-2011, 01:30 AM

Moreover, what's the point of using a simple analog pedal that sucks so bad it "requires extensive dialing in to sound good"? It's not like the controls are that complicated, or the amps it emulates are so hard to dial in. But it's not that it requires extensive dialing in, you just have to muck around with it til your ears are fatigued and you can't tell how much it sucks anymore.