Thanks
It is still a bit of a surprise as my RB is pure silence while the SGT-DI buzzes some. I guess I should not be so hard on the SGT and be happily surprised with the RB’s headphone out?
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Ampeg SGT-DI
- Thread starter Heady
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- ampeg sgt-di
Thanks
It is still a bit of a surprise as my RB is pure silence while the SGT-DI buzzes some. I guess I should not be so hard on the SGT and be happily surprised with the RB’s headphone out?
Your RB is a fully grounded amp, it's expected that it will do better with noise. I've also got less noise using a grounded power supply (anything with a 3 prong plug).
For the Bassrig SV vs SGT discussion.
I know it might seem a bit self-serving since this is the SGT thread and I already own the SGT, but I did still prefer the SGT. Even without owning the Bassrig, it was easy to spot which was which from the first sample.
As he mentioned, I also like the SGT's B15 voicing better than the SVT. (Minor spoiler: he also included a small clip here from his main SGT video, comparing the B15 voice to his '69 B15-N)
All personal taste, of course.
5sg.
Not quite a spoiler...
#2 sounded more like a VTDI
And the B15 voicing was spot on great in his recorded comparison.
Don’t feel too bad about the GAS. I already have the Para Driver, the VT DI, the programmable BDDI, the MP40, the BassRig SV, Laney Digbeth, Caline Wine Cellar and Radial Stage Bug 2 in my growing collection of pre amps and DIs. It’s slightly embarrassing.
Not embarrassing enough, though, to prevent me from an ordering an SGT -DI about five minutes ago! I’m really looking forward to getting my greasy mitts on this little beauty. Can’t wait!
How do you guys think I should power this pedal? Do I have to use the power supply it comes with, or can I power it from my Cioks DC7 if I want to add it “permanently” to my pedalboard?
The current draw for this pedal is given in the specs as 500 mA. That seems quite high to me, equivalent to 4.5W power consumption at 9V.
The current draw for this pedal is given in the specs as 500 mA. That seems quite high to me, equivalent to 4.5W power consumption at 9V.
The more and longer I use the SGT-DI, the more I appreciate the box. I can find many great tones. I would find even more if I could have more IRs on-board. Again, I am not a fan of the hard-wired amp models. But, the loaded RAM-based IRs are truly wonderful.
One note, headphone "driveability" is something to look/listen for. The SGT-DI seems a bit weak when driving a BeyerDynamic DT770 80 ohm set. The volume is there but not the FR/dynamics response possible when the DT770 is driven from a stronger source. So, don't expect great results with the DT880 200 ohm or Sennheiser HD-600s for the SGT-DI. The SGT-DI does fantastic with Sony's MDR-7506.
One note, headphone "driveability" is something to look/listen for. The SGT-DI seems a bit weak when driving a BeyerDynamic DT770 80 ohm set. The volume is there but not the FR/dynamics response possible when the DT770 is driven from a stronger source. So, don't expect great results with the DT880 200 ohm or Sennheiser HD-600s for the SGT-DI. The SGT-DI does fantastic with Sony's MDR-7506.
Not surprising, considering the MDR-7506 are rated at 63 ohms. Head/earphones are only as good as the ability to drive them. The lower the ohms the better. If you have higher resistance ones, consider a headphone amp...worked for me!
My SGT arrived today and I'm very impressed so far. I played 3 basses through it and found so many different and great tones. Granted it was only headphone use at home so far but I'm really excited to use it at rehearsal to see how it sounds. I'm going to use it through the power amp in of my Darkglass MT900 so I'll be using the SGT as an amp essentially.
SVT DI > SGT DI > SVT 300
This is a very VERY convincing SVT rig.
This is a very VERY convincing SVT rig.
My takeaways --
This is a great all-in-one preamp/IR/In Ears/DI box. I've owned a plethora of portable preamps with DI's that in the end were just flexible OD and distortion pedals. The main focal point of this product should be centered on recording and FOH support.
Recording - Used the SGT to record two tracks in Studio One and I have to say, this preamp was just as flexible as any other rack mounted bass preamp I've played through. I noticed slight changes in the gain and character when I switched between the headphone/Line out and the preamp out. Any sound engineer worth their salt will love that this DI feeds a mic level signal. This means that the bass player won't have to turn down and sacrifice sound stage volume to compensate for the mixing board. Depending on flavor and use, this pedal has three separate gain stages (Volume, Grit Level, and Cab Level). The para mid frequency is a nice touch for in-between setting and isn't a fixed value like a frequency preset found on most modern Ampegs. This means that you can approximate the mid character of some of the hybrid pro series amps as well as the tube offerings. The three stage Ultra low is a little like the UL on my 8-pro. Ampeg labels it as a -/+ but it works more like a gain and EQ preset. Same can be said for the preloaded and fixed cab sims. They aren't bad but they can open up a ton of character options if you know what your doing. I'd recommend thinking outside of the box when selecting a cab preset. The output signal quality in my unit was top notch.
Preamp - What can I say? With a little creativity, the user can make this box sound like a few different Ampeg models. The SGT is really designed to give you the hair and attitude of a pushed SVT at normal band levels. I've used the SGT DI solo with headphones, through the power section of a 500 watt GK, and an all tube SVT power amp. You can feed a signal hot enough to push the power section of a tube amp and was thoroughly convinced I was playing through an SVT when I paired it with the SVT 300. Setting a level floor through the SVT 300 and pushing a hot signal I got a great mix of distorted harmony between the SGT circuit and the pushed 6550's. However, I was pleasantly surprised how warm and rounded the B15 circuit is on this unit. I have an '67 SB-12 and a '79 B-15S and this thing was right in the ballpark. You could feed a signal through a vintage 15 bass speaker, mic it, and you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. The video of the Origin Super Bass vs the SGT was a bit confusing because any competent user can coax the same sounds as the Origin by using the low setting on + and rolling the ultra hi off. Trying to match two different clones by setting parity of settings will yield two different results.
Real World Use - Most gigging players rely on the DI out of whatever amp they have on stage. Many pro's will tell you that every gigging player should have a DI but what makes this or any other DI better than a Countryman? I've own and used Acme DI's, SVT DI's, Acoustic, REDD, Two Notes, you name it, and there is a level of diminishing returns. You still need a good engineer to set the mix and no doubt you need to be confident on stage. Simply put, this and most other amp boxes are simply DI's on steroids'. If you're a musician that spends a lot of time in the studio recording through DAW's, then this is a great choice to have on your pedal board. However, if you're a player that enjoys the flavor of their amp and has that special stomp box -- this or any other high-end DI isn't going to add much to your tool box. On the other hand, if I'm going to a recording studio to record a track, I can bypass the preamp of the house amp or use this to go straight into the mixing board. No need to haul a heavy bass rig if your into the Ampeg sound -- and without compromises. Could you use this in a pinch if your amp is DOA on a gig? Sure, but at $399.99 I'd rather save a couple hundred more for a used EBS Reidmar 750 as a suitable backup, and trust me, I've played venues that didn't have a sound guy or FOH support.
Final Thoughts - I'm very happy with the SGT DI. I own a ton of bass gear and I could see this being a really cool option for recording at a friends house or a quick plug-in for recording bass tracks at home. No need to hook up a rack mounted unit, setup a bass rig, or throw my back out for a few minutes to record. My only gripe is I wish it would've shipped with a nice canvas bag or case. I do hope that Ampeg makes a rack mounted version down the road with a few more options like a line level, mute, on/off, pad, extended Ultra Low, and pre/post EQ. For situations where an EQ of this level will be used for multiple shows, I'd prefer something racked and off the floor for easier access. All in all, it's a great buy for those that can utilize the features.
This is a great all-in-one preamp/IR/In Ears/DI box. I've owned a plethora of portable preamps with DI's that in the end were just flexible OD and distortion pedals. The main focal point of this product should be centered on recording and FOH support.
Recording - Used the SGT to record two tracks in Studio One and I have to say, this preamp was just as flexible as any other rack mounted bass preamp I've played through. I noticed slight changes in the gain and character when I switched between the headphone/Line out and the preamp out. Any sound engineer worth their salt will love that this DI feeds a mic level signal. This means that the bass player won't have to turn down and sacrifice sound stage volume to compensate for the mixing board. Depending on flavor and use, this pedal has three separate gain stages (Volume, Grit Level, and Cab Level). The para mid frequency is a nice touch for in-between setting and isn't a fixed value like a frequency preset found on most modern Ampegs. This means that you can approximate the mid character of some of the hybrid pro series amps as well as the tube offerings. The three stage Ultra low is a little like the UL on my 8-pro. Ampeg labels it as a -/+ but it works more like a gain and EQ preset. Same can be said for the preloaded and fixed cab sims. They aren't bad but they can open up a ton of character options if you know what your doing. I'd recommend thinking outside of the box when selecting a cab preset. The output signal quality in my unit was top notch.
Preamp - What can I say? With a little creativity, the user can make this box sound like a few different Ampeg models. The SGT is really designed to give you the hair and attitude of a pushed SVT at normal band levels. I've used the SGT DI solo with headphones, through the power section of a 500 watt GK, and an all tube SVT power amp. You can feed a signal hot enough to push the power section of a tube amp and was thoroughly convinced I was playing through an SVT when I paired it with the SVT 300. Setting a level floor through the SVT 300 and pushing a hot signal I got a great mix of distorted harmony between the SGT circuit and the pushed 6550's. However, I was pleasantly surprised how warm and rounded the B15 circuit is on this unit. I have an '67 SB-12 and a '79 B-15S and this thing was right in the ballpark. You could feed a signal through a vintage 15 bass speaker, mic it, and you'd be hard pressed to tell the difference. The video of the Origin Super Bass vs the SGT was a bit confusing because any competent user can coax the same sounds as the Origin by using the low setting on + and rolling the ultra hi off. Trying to match two different clones by setting parity of settings will yield two different results.
Real World Use - Most gigging players rely on the DI out of whatever amp they have on stage. Many pro's will tell you that every gigging player should have a DI but what makes this or any other DI better than a Countryman? I've own and used Acme DI's, SVT DI's, Acoustic, REDD, Two Notes, you name it, and there is a level of diminishing returns. You still need a good engineer to set the mix and no doubt you need to be confident on stage. Simply put, this and most other amp boxes are simply DI's on steroids'. If you're a musician that spends a lot of time in the studio recording through DAW's, then this is a great choice to have on your pedal board. However, if you're a player that enjoys the flavor of their amp and has that special stomp box -- this or any other high-end DI isn't going to add much to your tool box. On the other hand, if I'm going to a recording studio to record a track, I can bypass the preamp of the house amp or use this to go straight into the mixing board. No need to haul a heavy bass rig if your into the Ampeg sound -- and without compromises. Could you use this in a pinch if your amp is DOA on a gig? Sure, but at $399.99 I'd rather save a couple hundred more for a used EBS Reidmar 750 as a suitable backup, and trust me, I've played venues that didn't have a sound guy or FOH support.
Final Thoughts - I'm very happy with the SGT DI. I own a ton of bass gear and I could see this being a really cool option for recording at a friends house or a quick plug-in for recording bass tracks at home. No need to hook up a rack mounted unit, setup a bass rig, or throw my back out for a few minutes to record. My only gripe is I wish it would've shipped with a nice canvas bag or case. I do hope that Ampeg makes a rack mounted version down the road with a few more options like a line level, mute, on/off, pad, extended Ultra Low, and pre/post EQ. For situations where an EQ of this level will be used for multiple shows, I'd prefer something racked and off the floor for easier access. All in all, it's a great buy for those that can utilize the features.
Is the SGT true bypass? The SCR not being true bypass is why I passed on it years ago, got coloration when I didn't want it.
According to Ampeg's literature, no the SCR-DI is not true bypass.
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I'd bet the SGT-DI is also not true bypass, but I'm not finding anything to support that one way or another yet.
Thanks, but no problem for me. I only connect mine when I feel the need, which is hardly ever. I bought it for silent practice in our RV but have since moved on from that and don't really need it in the home studio. Reminds me that I should post it in the Classifieds
!
Has anyone compared the SGT-DI with a Broughton Fliptop for the B15 tone? I have a Fliptop and love it.
I'm using the Fliptop with a Khan DI, and an Empress Compressor.
I'm using the Fliptop with a Khan DI, and an Empress Compressor.
When I tried one out it colored my sound when it was disengaged, a deal-breaker for me - if I turn something off, I want it completely off. I would have had to use a looper to route around it, like with some old pedals.
I can think of no good reason for this.
But the SCR is a relatively older pedal, I would think this would be rectified with a newer one like the SGT.
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