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BDI21- Your Settings and Findings

Rip Topaz

Rip Topaz

Aug 12, 2005
8,664
918
Willow Street, PA
#1
Yes, I've searched. Read through all the other threads on this pedal, but most are pretty old.

I just ordered the Behringer BDI21, the Sansamp clone, and was hoping to get a thread going with others that use this pedal.

What I'm hoping for is your settings, and any little hints for getting the best sound out of this pedal. I know it's a cheapie, but there's ALOT of us here that use the cheap stuff out of necessity, so let's keep the Behringer bashing to a minimum. We all know that Behringer is junk, breaks easily, etc.

That's not what this thread is for. So let's see what you've found after using this pedal for awhile. Any little quirks or warnings as well, please. And NOT to stay away from Behringer, we've all heard that. Thanks.
 
#5
Start with the drive turned low, the blend turned all the way up, and the tone settings at noon, then adjust from there.

I'll share my usual settings:
bass and treble between 11 o'clock and noon....if that's too scooped, turn the bass and treble down, or turn down the blend control.
presence at noon
drive turned low (about 9 o'clock)
blend all the way up or nearly so
adjust the volume as needed.

I'm just going for a clean, bassy tone here - I don't play slap/pop, and I don't play with distortion.

Turning the blend control all the way down turns the BDI21 into a straight direct box.
 
#6
punkjazzben said:
I'm going to bump this, because I'm thinking of getting one. I've heard good things :)
Click to expand...

I have one that just arrived.

My biggest complaint is that the knobs are black with a small notch to see the direction it's pointing. I had to put a drop of white paint on the tips.

The tube sound is really good. Overall I'm very pleased. I get that full 'belchy' sound out of it.

Thank you,
Jay
 
#7
Rip Topaz said:
Yes, I've searched. Read through all the other threads on this pedal, but most are pretty old.

I just ordered the Behringer BDI21, the Sansamp clone, and was hoping to get a thread going with others that use this pedal.

What I'm hoping for is your settings, and any little hints for getting the best sound out of this pedal. I know it's a cheapie, but there's ALOT of us here that use the cheap stuff out of necessity, so let's keep the Behringer bashing to a minimum. We all know that Behringer is junk, breaks easily, etc.

That's not what this thread is for. So let's see what you've found after using this pedal for awhile. Any little quirks or warnings as well, please. And NOT to stay away from Behringer, we've all heard that. Thanks.
Click to expand...

The manual has some sample settings.
 
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#9
I bought one a few weeks back & it has really likened up the tone on my old Peavey Max 115.
I just tape it to the top of my combo & run it for the whole gig via the adapter I bought separately. It may be cheap but for me it's a tone beast. Worth every penny. Get one. You won't be disappointed.
 
#10
I've moved on from the BDI21, but not because it's a bad pedal. If my B6 died on me - knock on wood-, I could still gig with it. Sure, no synths, chorus or other fancy stuff, but I'd still have a tone that'll get me through the night. My only issue was, like @JayBassMan already mentioned, that I needed a drop of paint to show where the dials are pointed at. But for €18 (now 36)? Who cares? It's a steal if you're just looking for an inexpensive, solid tone shaper without any bells and whistles.

As for the settings I mostly used:
Drive: 9-10 o'clock
Treble 11 o'clock
Bass 12-1 o'clock
Blend: max
Presence: 3-4 o'clock
Level: as needed
It cuts nicely through the mix without getting dirty.
 

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