hooking up sansamp bddi question

[Brick Top]

I want to get this clear before I go ahead and hook it up.

I just got a sansamp BDDI, and I currently connect my bass to the sansamp input and the 1/4 output to the front of my GK 800RB. This is working pretty good. But I see where lots of folks say to hook the sansamp into the effects loop of your amp to bypass the amp preamp. The word loop has me confused.

If I connect the sansamp to the return input of the loop....does something need to be plugged into the send portion of the loop?

I don't want to screw up my amp...as I thought I did once already using the loop in another scenario.

Cheers,
BT

[SwamiRob]

I think alot of people do hook theirs up this way, but I think (I'm not too sure) that if your wanting to go straight into the poweramp your better with an "aux in" or "preamp in" then using the effects loop.

[bassyeah]

I run mine: bass>bddi>input on amp. I havent tried it thru the effects loop??? if you do here's what to do: bass>input of amp... and seperate from this plug the out of your bddi to you in/receive of you effects loop AND the out/send of you effects loop to your input of your bddi... you now have a "loop"

[FrigginChris]

to bypass your amp's preamp you would go Bass > sansamp bddi> effects return of amp.

[Brick Top]

Originally Posted by FrigginChris

to bypass your amp's preamp you would go Bass > sansamp bddi> effects return of amp.

This is what I thought. But will the amp still work if there is nothing plugged into the send output of the amp? I thought I did this once( plugged a low level output from another combo amp into the return jack) when I first got the amp...and it won't make hardly any power after that. I figured the send & return jacks were wired together...and both would need to be utilized in order for it to work.

Cheers,
BT

[SwamiRob]

Ideally your better using an alternative input to the effects loop, I imagine something on the level of your GK will have an input on the back so you can use them as slave heads.

*EDIT* Just had a look and it seems your gonna have to use the effects loop.

[DosiYanarchy]

Yeah, just use the fx return jack, you dont need anything plugged onto the send-jack. Your amp should work as normal, but the pre amp on the amp is bypassed. Some amps volume is related to the preamp, some isnt. On my Ashdown, the Master Volume still works when the Preamp is bypassed. I know on other amps this isnt the case, thats why the sansamp products have the option of massive gain boost.

Kinda makes my ashdown's preamp completely redundant though.

[RickenBoogie]

If you do bypass your heads preamp, the ONLY tone control you'll have is through the BDDI. As it is, going through the front of your amp, you have eq control on BOTH units.

[SwamiRob]

Yeah it is a bit of a problem that. I've only used one a couple of times (they aren't really my kinda thing) but when I've got a decent sound outta my rig doin that I've been told that it sounds god awful front of house. If you really need you can get another and an A/B/Y splitter box, so you'd use 1 for your amp and 1 for a DI, kind of an expensive option though obviously.

[Brick Top]

Originally Posted by SwamiRob

Yeah it is a bit of a problem that. I've only used one a couple of times (they aren't really my kinda thing) but when I've got a decent sound outta my rig doin that I've been told that it sounds god awful front of house. If you really need you can get another and an A/B/Y splitter box, so you'd use 1 for your amp and 1 for a DI, kind of an expensive option though obviously.

I haven't tested it yet through the PA...but it already has the hookups for the DI and for your amp without splitters.

I have been happy with the sound so far...but not at high volumes yet...only practice.

I do plan on getting a couple of other pedals...and maybe I should start another thread...but I'll ask here since you guys have been so helpful to this point.

A) When I hook up multiple pedals.....is the sansamp at the beginning of the chain....or the end....or connected through the preamp of the amp, and the pedals put through the effects loop?

B) is the VT Bass the same as the sansamp without the DI?

Cheers,
BT

[DosiYanarchy]

The VTBass IMO is MUUUCHHHH better than the BDDI - but you're right that the VTbass doesnt have the DI - but if the DI on your amp is post FX loop, then this'll do.

I could elaborate further about the VTbass, but all the info regarding the advantages, disadvantages between the two is all over this forum. But really they're completely different, but with a similar idea in mind -> sounding like valve amps.

My reccomendation about hooking it up is this:

Bass->fx->sansamp->effects return of amp

It depends how you want to use the BDDI though, I guess the most common use of it is like a preamp/Valve amp emulator and it being kept on all the time - so its best to think of it like an amp, and obviously the idea is to get the same tone comming out your amp comming out the front-of-house PA.

My VTbass provides my sound, and the Ashdown provides the Volume.

Of course this doesnt stop me wanting lush amps, but then again im happy with my sound and all i want now is something lightweight and powerful, because honestly my VTbass will provide as much tone as i need.

[SwamiRob]

Regardless of the DI element, the two are pretty different. They are both tube amp simulators, but the VT is actually simulating an amp, whereas the BDDI has it's own scooped kinda sound too it which I don't really reckon is very ampeg like like alot of people say what with the classic ampeg setup being pretty midrange focused.

Originally Posted by Brick Top

I haven't tested it yet through the PA...but it already has the hookups for the DI and for your amp without splitters.

The DI is post EQ, so what you EQ for your cab might suck for getting the same kinda tone front of house. I'm not big on pre-EQ DI signals (I'm not big on DI full stop) cos I think at the least certain tone shaping functions such as enhance controls and mid preshapes etc should at least go through cos they're fundamentally to do with shaping your tone, but if your cab requires alot of EQing to get the sound you want you might well be sending a really nasty signal out front.

[jaywa]

Originally Posted by Brick Top

I just got a sansamp BDDI, and I currently connect my bass to the sansamp input and the 1/4 output to the front of my GK 800RB.

This is how I've always done my BDDI. It's simple, sounds great and has never caused a problem with my amp.