Sansamp BDDI Help

abcdefranklin · #1 08-20-2010, 02:02 AM

I just bought a sansamp programmable and after tinkering around with it for the longest time I don't even think I like the tone. I think I like the tone better without it. I wanted to know what are some sounds everyone dials in I use a gk 800rb and I've been bypassing the preamp on the head. These are some of the tones I'm into if it matters.
Listen with some good headphones!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFuUAeiSN4M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA7KuxPzMuM :30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT8qWM2rUEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaWprZ93ZFQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx3WfkxrDpU 7:22
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AygVCT7Osho 5:37 7:10

I just like a really bright and clanky sound please help me out!

Jake of Bass · #2 08-20-2010, 06:00 AM

What kind of bass do you have? I often get told to turn my highs down from soundies because it's too clanky, playing an EBMM SR5.

chokeslam512 · #3 08-20-2010, 06:03 AM

Have you tried putting it through your effects loop and not bypassing your RB's preamp?

JonnyAngle · #4 08-20-2010, 06:20 AM

Have you tried cutting the EQ? For me, I run the bass and treble at about 9:00 which is a lot to cut. With the BDDI, sometimes you have to cut more than you would on something else.

abcdefranklin · #5 08-20-2010, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake of Bass

What kind of bass do you have? I often get told to turn my highs down from soundies because it's too clanky, playing an EBMM SR5.

Clanky sound is the best sound! I have a squier pbass special and I'm getting a squier classic vibe jazz bass with 09 american jazz pickups in it very soon!

abcdefranklin · #6 08-20-2010, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chokeslam512

Have you tried putting it through your effects loop and not bypassing your RB's preamp?

Briefly I took the sounds I liked on the sansamp, programmed them in and tried it with the RB's preamp

abcdefranklin · #7 08-20-2010, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonnyAngle

Have you tried cutting the EQ? For me, I run the bass and treble at about 9:00 which is a lot to cut. With the BDDI, sometimes you have to cut more than you would on something else.

What do you mean by cutting lowering it?

abcdefranklin · #8 08-20-2010, 06:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jake of Bass

What kind of bass do you have? I often get told to turn my highs down from soundies because it's too clanky, playing an EBMM SR5.

How do you have your bddi set?

cheapbasslovin · #9 08-20-2010, 07:20 AM

I would try dropping the treble and bass down to very low setting and then try upping the presence to a high setting. Maybe bump the lows a bit. It sounds to me like you're wanting upper mids and the classic complaint about the BassDriver is that it sucks mids. I had my BDDI for about 3 or 4 months and I got rid of it because I couldn't dial a tone I liked very well. I could dial in thousands of tones, but not one of them suited me well.

YMMV

abcdefranklin · #10 08-21-2010, 02:39 AM

Should I not be bypassing the preamp on my head?

mav · #11 08-21-2010, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abcdefranklin

Should I not be bypassing the preamp on my head?

Try running it like an effects pedal Not in your FX loop, Don't press the mid contour in on your GK or you'll loose even more mids.
Try the blend on your BDDI at noon.

Lync · #12 08-21-2010, 06:08 AM

Right-set it up as you like and cut the blend.

Same think happened to me, it was a good sound but I could just never pinpoint it so I sold mine. I have done much better with the Hartke pedal however. I do keep the blend at noon on that too though.

Jake of Bass · #13 08-21-2010, 07:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abcdefranklin

How do you have your bddi set?

I have my bass running bridge pickup (though there's only one of course, but the setting is to the far right) into my BDDI (programmable) and I think I have (these are o'clock settings) treble 1, bass 12, presence off, blend fully on, drive at whatever.

Running into my amp it sounds fine, sometimes through FOH it's really clicky. To get a clanky sound you add a little more drive, make sure you have bright strings (I use EB Slinkys) and turn up your presence and maybe a touch (not too much) treble.

I find for me it's partly dependant on my bass, as the Stingray has a lot of bite in its tone to begin with.

Kael · #14 08-21-2010, 08:06 AM

Try turning your blend down. The processing on the SABDDI gets pretty overwhelming past noon. I'd never turn it past noon personally.

Start with the bass/treble/blend at noon, presence fully off and drive somewhere near noon, maybe around 11:30. That's a pretty basic bass tone. If you need more clank, try rolling in the presence. The presence knob is boost only. It is also in what is the clank region of frequencies for me. I usually have mine set at around 9 o'clock. For a clankier tone, I'll roll it up to around 11:00. Anything past noon gets too icepick like to my ear. Seriously though, roll your blend back. If it seems to clean, bump the drive up a tad, but never boost the blend past noon. It gets too over processed and you'll start to lose mids. This will make you disappear in the mix.

Oh, and plus one for trying it stomp box style first. The SABDDI works as an ok preamp but will frequently work better run into the front of a head.

abcdefranklin · #15 08-21-2010, 01:07 PM

Can anyone briefly explain what all the knobs mean Like the level, Blend, Presence, and drive?

abcdefranklin · #16 08-21-2010, 01:10 PM

When I plug in the sansamp through the front Like where I would plug in my bass Do I have to adjust the bass and treble like they are on my head?

Kael · #17 08-21-2010, 02:51 PM

Bass and treble knobs cut/boost Bass and treble frequencies. The presence knob is boost only, so flat is all the way off. It boosts some upper mids in such a way as to help get grit out of the drive feature of the sansamp. Not sure where it feeds that upper mid boost, but it definitely doesn't sound like a straight EQ boost. The drive knob will give you some overdrive like you are pushing an amp hard. The blend knob blends clean with the sansamp processing. The sansamp processing is VERY mid scoopy. Most people don't turn their blend knobs much past noon. Might sound good to dime your blend knob at home, but it is a sure way to get lost in the mix when you dime it with a full band going. The level knob is obviously the volume. I find it more effective to boost the drive up a touch and then back off the blend, Gets more coloration in the signal without scooping all the mids out. Also, boosting bass on the BDDI gets muddy very rapidly. Cutting treble works much better.

If you run your BDDI into the front of your GK, you can use either sets of EQ, head or BDDI. I'd recommend getting your "tone" from your BDDI. That way you can use the DI out live and send that tone to FOH. Seriously try not boosting much on the BDDI for starters. Works better to cut some treble than boost bass. Use the EQ on your amp to compensate for room acoustics. That way if you are on a really boomy stage, you can send your normal tone to the PA and cut some low end on your amp to tighten up your onstage sound. Conversely, you can boost a little bass on your amp if you are playing outside without sending FOH an overly EQ'd signal from your BDDI.

JonnyAngle · #18 08-21-2010, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by abcdefranklin

What do you mean by cutting lowering it?

I mean turn the bass and treble knob to the 9:00 position. I like the presence between 1:00 and 2:30.

abcdefranklin · #19 08-22-2010, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kael

Bass and treble knobs cut/boost Bass and treble frequencies. The presence knob is boost only, so flat is all the way off. It boosts some upper mids in such a way as to help get grit out of the drive feature of the sansamp. Not sure where it feeds that upper mid boost, but it definitely doesn't sound like a straight EQ boost. The drive knob will give you some overdrive like you are pushing an amp hard. The blend knob blends clean with the sansamp processing. The sansamp processing is VERY mid scoopy. Most people don't turn their blend knobs much past noon. Might sound good to dime your blend knob at home, but it is a sure way to get lost in the mix when you dime it with a full band going. The level knob is obviously the volume. I find it more effective to boost the drive up a touch and then back off the blend, Gets more coloration in the signal without scooping all the mids out. Also, boosting bass on the BDDI gets muddy very rapidly. Cutting treble works much better.

If you run your BDDI into the front of your GK, you can use either sets of EQ, head or BDDI. I'd recommend getting your "tone" from your BDDI. That way you can use the DI out live and send that tone to FOH. Seriously try not boosting much on the BDDI for starters. Works better to cut some treble than boost bass. Use the EQ on your amp to compensate for room acoustics. That way if you are on a really boomy stage, you can send your normal tone to the PA and cut some low end on your amp to tighten up your onstage sound. Conversely, you can boost a little bass on your amp if you are playing outside without sending FOH an overly EQ'd signal from your BDDI.

So for the bass and treble the sansamp just adds to what you currently are playing? I ran through all the settings that they give in the manual and all the blend's are like all the way up haha I'm gonna have to tinker with it a ton.

Jake of Bass · #20 08-22-2010, 03:21 AM

It depends on the tone you are after. I always have the blend on full and have a great tone (I think so anyway, and so do a lot of sound engineers/bassists and a couple producers going by the comments they've given me) but it does depend on your other gear. You're not going to get a clanky sound if your strings are 6 months old, on a Jazz bass with the action up quite high, it just won't happen.

The clanky sound is really the strings hitting the frets. They need to be bright and new and your action needs to be quite low. Once you have these then dialing in the sound you are after is a lot easier.