Ok, My SansAmp BDDI cuts off mid..

ChorusPedal88 · #1 12-31-2008, 07:28 PM

I'm guessing around 700-800Hz, I'm disappointed in this pedal, but it is rather handy for recording though I must admit, does anyone have any alternative reccomendations? - my computers slow today, the search function wont load.

Ampeg SVT · #2 12-31-2008, 07:33 PM

Get a PBDDI (which has a mid control but no presence) or an RBI which is a BDDI with a mid knob.

bassforce · #3 12-31-2008, 07:41 PM

I recommend to move mid control knob in your amp...

Ampeg SVT · #4 12-31-2008, 07:50 PM

decreasing the amount of Blend can help, also bringing down the bass and treble could help.

AndyLES · #5 12-31-2008, 10:56 PM

The mid is already preset/boosted at 750 hZ. Lowering Bass and Treble will bring this midboost out.

I don't mean to sound rude, but dude....it's clearly in the manual. I'm reading it right now.

Rathead123 · #6 01-01-2009, 03:08 AM

I got one yesterday, and my impression is, a mid control would really be of use. Im still messing with it, so the jury is still out if I like it yet.

gillento · #7 01-01-2009, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ampeg SVT

decreasing the amount of Blend can help, also bringing down the bass and treble could help.

Yep!

tom once dead · #8 01-01-2009, 05:24 AM

yeah, I cut a bit of bass and boost a bit of treble, so I think that makes the mids flat, or at least its not cutting them.

atheos · #9 01-01-2009, 05:26 AM

Yeah, bringing both bass and treble down are close enough to boosting mids IMO.

tom once dead · #10 01-01-2009, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atheos

Yeah, bringing both bass and treble down are close enough to boosting mids IMO.

they are designed to boost mids at 750hZ when the bass and treble are cut...

Crabby · #11 01-01-2009, 11:41 AM

Mids are cut no matter how you set the pedal. To deny this is futile. The Bassdrive is a great pedal but it has a particular tone that replicates an SVT. This is accomplished by cutting mids, adding some grind and having a boost to the bass and treble. There are people here on TB that have actually measured the frequency spectrum of this pedal and it simply cannot be argued that there is a big slice taken out of the mids when the pedal is engaged.

I wanted to love the Sans Amp Bass Driver and have bought and sold three of them as I keep wanting to try it again. But for someone who loves the growly mids that cut through the mix, this is just not the pedal for that tone.

I don't see the point in using this pedal with extreme settings to try and accomplish a tone that the pedal was never intended to create. Its a great sounding effect for a certain tone.

bassforce · #12 01-01-2009, 12:08 PM

Why not put Sansamp like that:

bass -> sansamp and other effects -> amplifer

And use your amps EQ? I simply can't understand people, who complain about no mid control in Sansamp. Don't you all have mid control in your amps?
And if you're recording only with sansamp, don't you use any software with bult-in EQ?

AndyLES · #13 01-01-2009, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crabby

Mids are cut no matter how you set the pedal. To deny this is futile. The Bassdrive is a great pedal but it has a particular tone that replicates an SVT. This is accomplished by cutting mids, adding some grind and having a boost to the bass and treble. There are people here on TB that have actually measured the frequency spectrum of this pedal and it simply cannot be argued that there is a big slice taken out of the mids when the pedal is engaged.

Where? In the lower mids, or upper (2k)? I personally never have a problem...that part of the midrange is for the guitars and vocals, anyway.

Quote:

...But for someone who loves the growly mids that cut through the mix,

See, that's what, IMO, I don't get. A 750 hZ boost WON'T get you to cut through the mix?

cheapbasslovin · #14 01-02-2009, 08:10 AM

Here is a quote from the old pink noise thread. Later in the thread he jacked the presence; and while the frequencies immediately around the cut went up, it did nothing to alleviate the wedge in the middle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scotch

I've had a love/hate relationship with my old BDDI for a long time. Sometimes I love how it sounds & sometimes I think it's just horrible! I'll never part with it though! (Obviously the problem is me, not the SansAmp!)

A big argument seems to exist as to whether the BDDI inherently "eats" mids or not. It's definitely easy to lose mids as you turn up the bass & treble controls. I just wanted to see what's going on inside the little black box when it's set "flat".

Please give me some input if I'm overlooking any important considerations. I already know that my "source" sound for this test isn't "real-world". But I think I'm still getting an accurate reading as to the eq coloration of the SansAmp. This all may have been a big waste of an hour!

Now, my methodology:
I imported a "pink noise" audio calibration test file directly into Pro Tools. The clip was about 10 seconds.
I then ran the unaltered pink noise out of an auxiliary send of my interface into the SansAmp, and then back into the interface as a separate recorded track. (note: I first ran a test using only a patch cable with no SansAmp to make sure that the new "recorded" track matched the original "imported" track - it was identical after matching the gain structure)
After mixing down the individual tracks from Pro Tools, I loaded both into Audacity where I normalized both tracks to match their overall volumes.
I then used Audacity to view their frequency curves.
The SansAmp BDDI was set with blend at 100%, level at 100%, and all other knobs as close to 50% as I could realistically accomplish.
Here's the results:

Pink Noise alone

Pink Noise through active SansAmp BDDI

I found it pretty interesting. I'll let everyone draw their own conclusions as it relates to the mid-freq controversy.

And yes, I obviously have way too much free time on my hands (it's January)!

afroman · #15 01-02-2009, 10:50 PM

A couple of options which are where already mentioned:

1- Decrease the Blend knob
2- Cut the Bass & Treble and boost the volume
3- Sell it and get a Para-Driver DI which has Parametric Mids.

SnakeAnthony · #16 01-03-2009, 12:26 AM

Click This- Cough Cough

I'm allowed to do that now.

smo · #17 01-03-2009, 12:44 AM

Despite the curve shown in Pink - it's too small for me to see what the dB values are. Could you tell us what the peak lows are in dB's, and what the lowest trough in the mids is?
If the difference is less than 5dB's - a simple and slight twiddle of the knobs will fix that EQ in seconds.

If you're so convinced that the mids are being sucked, despite cutting down the bass, treble and presence controls;
boost it on your bass or on your amp.
And if that doesn't work - borrow a Stingray.

And if that's still not good enough;

Welcome to GAS. Get something else.
Apparently it's pretty widespread here........