SansAmp Bass Driver vs Para Driver?

*fenderbass* · #1 05-30-2006, 07:02 AM

Looking for anybody who has tried both with a DB to give me a side by side comparison. I bought the SansAmp Bass Driver for slab and love it for that.

For DB I'm running the K&K Bass Max with K&K Pure Preamp, courtesy of Bob Gollihur (outstanding). I play through a Hartke Kickback 12 amp or directly through the PA.

Anyway, I'm liking my sound with this setup but looking for more flexibility. I want to be able to fatten up my sound sometimes, also sometimes filter out some string noise without losing the highs. I don't want much, I just want everything!

I've messed with the Bass Driver and it works ok but seems to steal some punch and some of the acoustic overtones. I've heard the SansAmp Para Driver described as "the best features of the Bass Driver plus a parametric EQ" but the Tech 21 website lists it specifically for acoustic intruments.

Is it worth my $$ to get the SansAmp Para Driver? Will I get something more than what I currently have with the SansAmp Bass Driver?

If you have the Bass Driver, what settings are you using?

Anybody who had tried either and especially both please weigh in.

B String · #2 05-30-2006, 11:53 AM

Perhaps you might try to find a used Sansamp Acoustic DI.
(they don't make them anymore) It works great and is a
a bit smaller than the para. It has the mid sweep feature.

steve in tampa · #3 05-30-2006, 01:26 PM

I have a Sansamp Acoustic DI for mandolin, and it is about the best of all the Di boxes I have tried.

Just got a Fishman Platinum Pro , and am going through the paces with it. Seems to be a big improvement.

*fenderbass* · #4 05-30-2006, 07:13 PM

According to the Tech 21 site (http://www.tech21nyc.com/) the has been replaced by the Para Driver and is no longer available. They can still be found on Ebay and I'm guessing the Para must be similar.

So you guys like the Acoustic? What sort of setup are you running? Can you get a wide range of tones?

I really like my K&K Pure Preamp. I can get it to sound very close to the natural sound of my bass but I want the ability to change it up a bit depending on the song. I want something to use on a footswitch along with the K&K

mchildree · #5 05-31-2006, 05:18 AM

I've used the Acoustic DI for a few years now, on most every bass and pickup I've had, and it really does a good job for me. It seems to add a very slight compression that tames the piezo "thonk", and the mid sweep control allows me to dial in the amount of presence I need for the gig/venue I'm playing.

basss · #6 06-01-2006, 04:53 AM

I used an Acoustic DI for a while with a Focus SA. It was a nice rig. To me it always sounded best with the 'blend' knob at least part of the way up which colored the sound a lot. In the end I realized I like the sound of a less colored preamp (currently Focus 1 SIII).

*fenderbass* · #7 06-01-2006, 01:18 PM

I emailed Tech 21 about it and here is their response....

Thanks for your inquiry. There's only a small difference between the Bass Driver and Para Driver for bass... the Bass Driver always has a mid-scoop, and the Presence puts an "edge" on the tube emulation and overdrive. This can be subtle, as in "note-articulation and definition", or pronounced, as in that trebly "click". The Para Driver obviously has more midrange control, but a slightly "mellower" overdrive (without the Presence control). So, if you need the "angry white-boy band", aggresive "grind" of a vintage Ampeg SVT, the Bass Driver's the one. But if you simply need the warm tube amp tone of say, an Ampeg B15 (heard on millions of pop and Motown hits), the Para Driver's a great choice.

For upright, I'd say the Para Driver will be the better of the two. Its Mid and Mid Shift will offer you some crucial tone control.

I'll provide links to both manuals, in case it helps you make the comparison.

http://www.tech21nyc.com/pdf/PMDI-OM.pdf

http://www.tech21nyc.com/pdf/BSDR2-OM.pdf

Regards,
Lloyd Schwartz, Product Manager

I'd still be interested in hearing from anybody who has tried both with thier DB. Thanks for all of your replies.

winston · #8 06-03-2006, 06:46 PM

I've had a BDDI and Acoustic DI, both of which I ditched to get a ParaDriver. The BDDI was OK as a DB preamp but I didn't use the Presence control much and longed for a mid control. The Acoustic DI was useful but I wished it had a drive control for BG.

The ParaDriver basically adds a drive control (plus 1/4" and XLR output level line/instrument level controls) to the Acoustic DI. Plus to my ears it has more overdrive/sustain than the BDDI--handy for BG fuzzbox use (note--I do not play in an "angry-white-boy-band"). Only thing missing is a phase (polarity) reverse-switch to help fight feedback.

stevejp · #9 06-28-2006, 01:59 PM

I use a bridge mounted rode NT-5 (1 mic wrapped in foam) through an ART tube MP preamp (xlr input, 1/4 out), into an LR Baggs Para DI into an older SWR Workingman's 10. It souded ok when I first set it up, but there was an impedance mismatch going into the combo (600 ohms into 50k). I bought a 600 ohm xlr to 49k 1/4 inch plug adapter/transformer. Now my bass sounds, well, just like my bass. I get a lot of nice compliments about my sound. Quite natural. Cost for the adapter was $15 and it made a world of difference.

I use the Tube MP as an xlr interface, and for the phantom power. The Baggs DI provides gain, notching and nice eq. I run the eq on the combo on the negative side to flat. If I was using a piezo p/up I would use the same set-up minus the Tube MP, eliminating one gain stage.

All of this to say: check your impedance!