If Sansamp BDDI is scooped and good why is SWR scooped not good too?

dagrev · #1 12-13-2007, 07:20 AM

I'm looking to buy a Sansamp BDDI, but since it has mids that are scooped how can this be good since so many (including me) complain about SWR's being scooped and this not being a good thing?

(I tried a Para Driver and was not impressed.)

Thanks for any advice.

bongomania · #2 12-13-2007, 08:33 AM

Not everyone agrees on either side of that comparison.

SteveC · #3 12-13-2007, 09:26 AM

It's rediculous. I never had a problem getting mids out of either. Play what sounds good to you and your situation and screw everyone else.

Jared Lash · #4 12-13-2007, 10:15 AM

What a lot of people don't realize is that they can avoid getting their mids scooped with a BDDI by rolling back the bass and treble and then boosting the level to compensate.

slaerts · #5 12-13-2007, 02:16 PM

+1 for Steve and Big O
I love both 'specially my SWR Baby Baby Blue

syciprider · #6 12-13-2007, 03:04 PM

For the same reason that digital sucks but Justin Chancellor's effects are great.

Bass Thunder · #7 12-13-2007, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBigO

What a lot of people don't realize is that they can avoid getting their mids scooped with a BDDI by rolling back the bass and treble and then boosting the level to compensate.

You're getting WAY too logical for most of the kids to grasp

.

Timi · #8 12-13-2007, 05:01 PM

Even with the bass and treb rolled right back the mids still don't sound right to me. I find the best sound is when its in bypass

dagrev · #9 12-13-2007, 07:58 PM

I've tried backing off the lows and treble but the problem/result that I don't like is you lose lows and highs not really gain mids. Losing them may give the perception of gaining mids but there is a cost to this perception IMHO.

Any more feedback on the Sansamp itself or if the scooped mids are not really pronounced (like an SWR)?

Thanks for the responses thus far.

bongomania · #10 12-13-2007, 11:10 PM

If you raised the output gain to compensate for lowering the lows and highs, then it's not a question of the "perception" of gaining mids, but an actual description of what's happening. It may or may not sound good to you -a lot of people say they followed that method to boost the mids and they still didn't like the sound- but that's different from saying the mids were not boosted. "Mids" covers a lot of turf, and if the particular frequency range emphasized that way is higher or lower than you like, there may be the "perception"

that the mids were not boosted.

I still don't know where you're getting the idea that SWR amps are mid-scooped. Even if the one you have sounds scooped with the EQ in what you think is a "flat" position, I 100% guarantee the EQ is not in fact in a flat position. You'll want to re-read the manual, or ask in the amps forum from other owners of the same amp, to find out what the actual "flat" EQ position is. Set the EQ correctly and SWR is not scooped.

Cristo · #11 12-18-2007, 01:42 PM

If you don't like the para driver you will probably not want the SABDDI either.

Rolling back the bass and treble controls does not fully counteract the midscoop characteristics. The center EQ points for those controls don't match up with where the scoop is occurring.

Apparently part of emulating a miked up tube amp with cabinet is mid scooping.

There is an old post somewhere on here where a guy used a spectrum analyzer and adjusted the controls trying to see if he could get the SABDDI to be flat - he couldn't.

Unfortunately if you search SABDDI you get about 1000000 hits so it is hard to find that post again...

PaleMelanesian · #12 12-18-2007, 01:48 PM

SWR Grand Prix - frequency analysis of preamp and EQ

Cristo · #13 12-18-2007, 01:53 PM

That's a thread in a similar vein to what I was describing. But, there is an even older one where that same sort of analysis was done on the SABDDI, while manipulating the bass and treble controls in an attempt to define and then remove the mid scoop.

PaleMelanesian · #14 12-18-2007, 01:56 PM

I tried, but couldn't find that one. This seemed relevant, though.

keb · #15 12-18-2007, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cristo

If you don't like the para driver you will probably not want the SABDDI either.

Rolling back the bass and treble controls does not fully counteract the midscoop characteristics. The center EQ points for those controls don't match up with where the scoop is occurring.

Apparently part of emulating a miked up tube amp with cabinet is mid scooping.

There is an old post somewhere on here where a guy used a spectrum analyzer and adjusted the controls trying to see if he could get the SABDDI to be flat - he couldn't.

Unfortunately if you search SABDDI you get about 1000000 hits so it is hard to find that post again...

I remember that thread. It was shown that the BDDI has a big ol' scoop at about 900Hz.

dagrev · #16 12-20-2007, 06:46 AM

Thanks for the great info!

I'm still not a fan of rolling back lows and highs to gain mid. Sure they are louder than they used to be but you lost other freqs in the process. It just doesn't sound right even though some manuals suggest doing this as a "fix."

dancehallclasher · #17 12-20-2007, 06:59 AM

There are different tones, different kinds of mid-scoop. The Sansamp is supposed to sound like an SVT. Do you think an Ampeg SVT sounds like an SWR? Well, there you go.

mozarwasagenius · #18 12-20-2007, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cristo

If you don't like the para driver you will probably not want the SABDDI either.

Rolling back the bass and treble controls does not fully counteract the midscoop characteristics. The center EQ points for those controls don't match up with where the scoop is occurring.

Apparently part of emulating a miked up tube amp with cabinet is mid scooping.

There is an old post somewhere on here where a guy used a spectrum analyzer and adjusted the controls trying to see if he could get the SABDDI to be flat - he couldn't.

Unfortunately if you search SABDDI you get about 1000000 hits so it is hard to find that post again...

The paradriver and bass driver are pretty similar inmho. When it comes to detailed listening then there are definitely differences, especially in the "drive" control.

The paradriver has the mid control so if you don't like it and the bass driver doesn't have this control - I seriously doubt you'll be happy with the bass driver. I have tried both and they have their place but I was never quite happy with them due to my bass having hot pickups and making them "fart" at even slight settings of "blend" and the scooping of the mids causing me to lose myself in the mix (yes I tried the drop bass and treble trick but it just didn't sound right to me.) I suspect the RBI solves much of this since it has higher voltage rails (allowing for more dynamic range) as well as the mid control.

You might check out my post here if you haven't already:
I A/B'ed Sansamp BDDI and PDDI ... my thoughts
(titled "I A/B'ed Sansamp BDDI and PDDI... my thoughts"