Tone Hammer vs BDDI

[xTHEREMINx]

Ahoy,
I saw this post up in 2008, but its relibaility was admitted to be somewhat shoddy because it was posted at pretty much the same time that the Tone Hammer actually came out. So as Bongomania referred to it, the reviews would generally be in a 'honeymoon phase'.

In a 2007 (or 08, i'm at work, don't have it with me) article of Bass Player, Liam Wilson of Dillinger Escape Plan said that for Ire Works in 2007 he did 3 tracks per song, DI, BDDI and miced Ampeg SVT-CL.
In March 2010's Bass Player's interview, he said that he recently 'discovered' the Aguilar Tone Hammer and it made recording easier for him.
However, when I saw them last week, he was still using the BDDI on his pedalboard.
So I am confused as to which he - as an example - would prefer.

Note: Money is not an issue and I run an Orange Terror Bass, which has pretty unresponsive EQ, so I would be using this as a distortion pedal, DI and preamp.

Which do you prefer?
Which is 'better'?
Should I just get the VT Bass and get it modded like the other guy on this forum did?

[jnevi9nr]

thoughts?

[JerBo]

Since money is NOT an issue just buy them all.

[xTHEREMINx]

money isn't an issue, but logic is

[Sideshow Aj]

Buy me one of each and I'll let you know.

[newbold]

SO! think about this: The ToneHammer is meant to be an instrument pre - though it can run a power amp, it's the same preamp as their onboard pre with some nice EQ, boost, and drive.

The Sansamp is meant to sound like an amp/rig.

What do you want? the best instrument tone with some drive and boost features (that could be awesome with your Orange amp) or a tweak-friendly rig tone for your amp to reproduce?

I know your OP says you want a distortion pedal, DI, and Preamp - but there may be a way for you to use your amp's EQ better as something tells me that you're trying to use the EQ to get your tone instead of using it to support your tone.

Are you boosting frequencies or running your amp hot and attenuating competing harmonics?

Do you really need a preamp with an orange head?

If it were me I'd trade the POD for a Sansamp (always nails a great tone) or wait for the VTBass Deluxe to route your effects and have presets for your pedalboard, but the ToneHammer is probably the best way to support and sweeten the sound of your instrument...which is pretty cool (dan armstrong?)

A Tonehammer with an insert point would be perfect...if you're thinking of modding a pedal, that would probably be the wisest pedal mod of all.

[Eublet]

I've used a BDDI quite a bit. I picked up a Tone Hammer a few weeks ago, and was initially unimpressed with it, but over the last week I've spent a lot of time with it and the BDDI, side by side, trying to make one sound like the other.

In my opinion, the Tone Hammer can do almost everything the BDDI can do, but there are a whole lot of things the BDDI can not do that the Tone Hammer is great at.

When the TH's AGS is off, it acts like a 3 band pre with sweepable mids. As soon as you engage it, at the lowest setting, it attenuates top-end, just like a speaker-sim filter on the BDDI or VT bass. It adds very little boost at this setting. As you turn it up, it adds more and more mids, which is the opposite of what the BDDI does when you turn up the drive. The BDDI starts scooping mids. But with the TH, you can scoop the mids yourself, as much as you want, at any frequency you want. Setting the frequency center at 3 or 4 o'clock closely approximates the 750 hz cut that the BDDI gives.

Also, with the AGS engaged, the treble response is very much like the Presence knob on the BDDI. It adds upper-mid grind, not treble sheen.

With the BDDI, it's VERY difficult if not impossible to get a strong mid-grind going. With the TH, that comes very easy, and you have to scoop the mids intentionally to make it do something else.

If you know the BDDI and love it, then it makes sense to have one. However if you want a more versatile pedal that let's you get a lot of different tones, the Tone Hammer surpases the BDDI in every conceivable way.

One more note, the Blend knob on the BDDI does come in handy, but that's only because of the mid-scoop that's inherent in the tube-sim voicing. With the Tone Hammer, having a blend knob isn't an issue at all. You can just dial in the amount of AGS you want, then tweak the mids to get the voice you are after. Usually, this will mean adjusting the AGS again since that's where AGS does it's thing...the mids. It doesn't destroy or suck the lows out of your tone.

[depalm]

Originally Posted by xTHEREMINx

money isn't an issue, but logic is

You still can buy both and return the one you don't like.

I do that all the time.

[xTHEREMINx]

So I can see what you're both pretty much alluding to is that the Tone Hammer seems somewhat favourable.
The problem with Melbourne, I cannot find any place that has the Tone Hammer!
So it may end up being an eBay purchase...sigh

Pretty much, my Orange does have a very amazing tone, but when you turn the gain up...It (incredibly surprisingly, comparing to the AD200) sounds terrible!
The EQ is fairly unresponsive as I'd said when I plug my BTB in, but the plain tone of the amp still sounds amazing, which is good.
Essentially what I'm looking for is a pedal that gives good distortion (what an incredibly vague term), and can be used as a formidable DI.

However, if I were ever in the position to have to use it as a DI, I would simply just go
Comp --> DI
As it would probably be a gig that I would not need effects.

Pretty much my main intention is to use it for a distortion pedal, and DI as a secondary purpose.
Hence where the idea of the modded VT Bass comes in, it appears to be somewhat like a holy grail of bass distortion/overdrive pedals, and if it were to be used as a DI (as the fellow who got his modded did) it would sound great.
The TH - I feel - is pretty much a progression on the model of the BDDI, and it seems that both newbold and Eublet would agree that it is more versatile than the BDDI.

If I were - however - to go for the more intense fuzzier sounds, I would probably use my Dream Mangler, because that pedal pretty much transforms whatever goes into it into cacophonic bliss.
I do love my amp, as I have said, so I think I might try to hunt down a TH, or check out some more YouTube vids and see if I like it more after reading all this.

Unless if there are any other thoughts that may prove to be a hindrance in such financial transactions?

[jader]

Hi mate,

You can get the Tonehammer at Billy Hydes and Bass Centre as far as I know. And I've seen one at Rock Garage as well. They retail for about $380.
Cheers