Do you use the Blend knob (SansAmp VT DI or BDDI)

[dean owens]

I have a SansAmp Leeds I've used a few times for bass. I recently picked up a VT to see if there was much of a difference/which one I liked best. I'm planning on sending the winner off to Putnam to have it modded. Then I started looking at the VTDI and realized it had everything plus a blend knob. Got to wondering how useful that'd be.

So, for those of you that use either the VT DI or the BDDI... do you use the blend knob? Is it a feature worth having?

 

[lz4005]

It's a very important feature to me on the BDDI. Without some direct signal mixed in there is too much mid scoop for my liking. The bass gets a bit lost in the mix when playing fingetstyle. I usually use it as an always-on preamp for my passive basses with the gain around 10:00 or 11:00 and the blend around 2:00.

The other common way of using it is to set the gain almost all the way up and then dial in the amount of dirt you want with the blend.

 

[LSMFT6]

What mods were you going to get?

The BDDI and VTDI are two different animals, especially when it comes to how useful the blend knob is. I use the VTDI and I'm pretty happy with it - the blend knob is definitely a good thing.

 

[vickerekes]

Nope

 

[dean owens]

Thanks y'all for your replies. It does seem like it could be a useful feature.

What mods were you going to get?

DI ... To make life easier when running direct
Ground lift ... $5.00 of cheap insurance
Pre/Post switch ... As I understand it, there is an option that would allow the output jack to either send what is being sent from the DI or bypass the pedal while still sending the affected signal through the DI. This way I could use the VT as my direct but not have it affect my signal to amp for stage volume.

Those mods would basically give me everything the VT DI has minus phantom power, the bite switch and the blend knob. But those mods (plus shipping the pedal to Putnam) will bring me close to the price of the VT DI used. That got me looking at the VT DI and wondering if I should just skip the mods on the VT and go straight to the VT DI. I know it's dumb, but one of the main things keeping me from the VT DI is I hate sideways pedals. If you're going to put it sideways, at least put the jacks on the top rather than the sides.

 

[ole Jason]

I would go with the VT DI over having a bunch of mods installed to do the same thing.

 

[Jazz Ad]

Very useful on the BDDI, not so much on the VT unless you like a super distorted tone with clean lows.

 

[Nephilymbass]

I use the sans amp rbi which is basically a rack version of the bddi with a couple more features and I have to say I would not use it if it didn't have the blend. The processed sans amp sound is a bit harsh and sterile sounding and I don't like it by itself. On the rbi the blend is normally at about 1 o'clock and The dry and wet mixed together. Been using the rbi since it was release with no intentions of replacing it

 

[bobpond]

I don't use the blend knob on the BDDI. I leave it all the way up. As I understand the sansamp circuitry when you push both bass and treble past 12 o'clock you get mid scoop, when both below 12 o'clock you get mid boost. I could be wrong but I generally either have them both at 10 or both at 2 depending upon the bass and the sound I want and I find these setting effective.

 

[Flatbass]

SABDDI: blend below 12:00, or lower. Any higher than 12:00 and it sounds too Sansamp-y to me. Too much "I'm really really trying to imitate a tube amp!", if you know what I mean. The mid scoop is also not that easy to get rid of, even with both tone controls down, in my experience.

VT Bass: doesn't have one, neither do I miss it.

 

[reno88]

i use a bddi and have experimented with the blend knob quite a bit. what sounds great on stage isn't always what's coming thru the mains ('twas ever thus). the best setting for me is the blend knob at 12 o'clock. in fact, all the knobs are at 12 (or close to it) except the gain which rolled almost completely off (i use other pedals for dist and fuzz). i use passive basses. good hunting!

 

[Nephilymbass]

i use a bddi and have experimented with the blend knob quite a bit. what sounds great on stage isn't always what's coming thru the mains ('twas ever thus). the best setting for me is the blend knob at 12 o'clock. in fact, all the knobs are at 12 (or close to it) except the gain which rolled almost completely off (i use other pedals for dist and fuzz). i use passive basses. good hunting!

I run my rbi pretty much the same way everything close to 12 o'clock except the gain which is lower

 

[Bassmike62]

I don't use the blend knob on the BDDI. I leave it all the way up. As I understand the sansamp circuitry when you push both bass and treble past 12 o'clock you get mid scoop, when both below 12 o'clock you get mid boost. I could be wrong but I generally either have them both at 10 or both at 2 depending upon the bass and the sound I want and I find these setting effective.

That's the way I played it as well. I also used a VTDI for a short period of time and used it in the same manner. Recently went back to a VT Bass, which is more my kind of sound. No blend there, so it's a full on thing

 

[John E]

Any more than 50% blend and it looses articulation.

 

[sk8]

I do but have it at 100%. The emulation is the whole reason I use the pedal