For a Piezo : Sansamp BDI with tc Bodyrez or ZOOM AC2

It sounds like the OP has the Version 1 of the BDDI, prior to the addition of a mid adjustment being added. I used this for a little while a few years ago before eventually landing on the ParaDriver. It was ok for piezos, but the newer versions with a mid band are much better.

For the OP - I would recommend trying the full tube emulation setting with the BDDI just to see what you get. I've run that at 100% on both the old BDDI and the ParaDriver which I currently use. It's a matter of taste, but give it a try. To my ears it softens a lot of the harshness of the piezo pickup. However it is not what most would consider a "natural" kind of upright tone.

I run the TC Bodyrez after my Sansamp. It's always on. I'm a big fan - you can read my extensive reviews here. Where the Bodyrez might help you is in the mid band. I believe it filters somewhere in that 700hz range - very helpful with piezos. If you do decide to try one, I would offer this bit of advice - get your tone as close to where you want it with the BDDI first before you introduce another effect. While it's a very cool pedal, it's kind of one-trick pony, and isn't going to overcome any deficiencies you might have in your preamp section.

My settings on the ParaDriver change at every gig, dependent on the room and my ears.

 

Listening to all of you talk about the Sans Amp BDDI, is very interesting to me. While I would probably never go this route, because I'm a one pre amp guy. Having to use extra pedals along with the BDDI
makes it to complicated for my needs. That said, everyone seems to love this pedal, so it's obviously a very good preamp.

 

The setup I use is still single preamp. I agree with you completely in that respect.

I use a Bodyrez and HPF after my preamp, so no additional tone shaping or gain staging really.

 

I find it interesting that you guys have been happy using the BDDI with Piezo pickups. The input impedance on those is only 940K. The Paradriver is 4.7megohm. Much better for pickups that want to see from 4 to 10 megohm inputs. With my FullCircle, the 4.7 in the Paradriver sounds better than my 10megohm, depending on the amp I'm using. Most of the time I bypass the eq section. Again, depending on the amp. Sometimes I use the Fdeck HPF 1 buffer pre. (great piece of gear at a really good price) Sometimes I'll even use that with my 60 P bass in a studio to warm it up just a bit.

 

I could be wrong, but the Sansamp ParaDi would be a good amount less money than the Headway. ($300. versus $200.) Also, using any of these options would probably sound better than just going straight into the amp. The question is.... How much better do you want it to sound. I've had a student who could fit his upright bass into a Volkswagen. I think we can agree it would be a better fit in a larger car or SUV. If all you need is cheap and (very) good, just get an Fdeck HPF. About $55. Just my humble opinion. jmho

 

Not sure on pricing in France, but in the states the ParaDriver runs about $210, the Headway $350, and the Radial $250. Again these are ballpark numbers. So the Paradriver is the least expensive over here.

If you like what a BDDI does but need a more tone shaping and better impedance loading, then the ParaDriver is a no brainer. The mid band is selectable, and can be boosted or cut to taste. It also has a hotter output than the others mentioned and drives a power amp quite nicely. I'm a little biased though.

The Headway I've never used, but I owned a Radial PZ Pre for a while and was not impressed. It's a one-sized-fits-all acoustic preamp, that IMO was not voiced well for upright bass. It was very sterile sounding, and I had to cut massive mids and treble on it to get a passable bass sound put of it. The DI on it is noisy, so much so that I sent mine back for a replacement just to have the same issue (and I tested it with every component imaginable to rule out some other issue).

The fdeck is a nice piece of gear to have, but it won't help you shape your tone.

Question to the OP - are you running the output of the Sansamp into an amplifier, or to a PA?

 

I use a Sansamp paradriver and I love it. Combined with a kna db1 I get an amazing sound for swing/ jump blues/rockabilly.

Rumble filter engaged, bass at maximum, treble at 12 o clock and mid at 10 o clock on just over 750 hz. Drive at 9 o'clock and blend in full.

 

Re: Volkswagen (sorry, for continuing being off topic, but Mr. Cbass' post instantly brought me down memory lane ). When I got my first 3/4 upright in 1992, we used to lug it around in a 1982 Ford Fiesta (same colour) :



Front passenger seat reclined all the way; bass body resting on the front seat; Roland bass cube + tenor sax in the trunk; 2 meter (6,5 feet) tall saxplayer squeezed in the back seat behind my driver's seat . As there was no headrest on the front seat, his knees were literally (!) in my neck, although I had my driver's seat pushed all the way forward (like an old lady). Tight fit, but it worked . For us 2 nineteen year old blokes, this car was a bleedin' limo

Sorry, back to topic

 

I should make it clear. This was a student of mine years ago who had a Volkswagen Beetle. (bug) The neck stuck out the window.

 

This makes sense in theory, but I remember trying out a BDDI head to head with a Paradriver back when I was using an Underwood. The BDDI sounded noticeably better to me and another bassist who was there. I wasn't expecting that result.

I was generally using the BDDI (old model) with the EQ pretty flat and just adjusting a little for the room. I usually had presence way down, blend around 3 o'clock, drive around 9 o'clock. Really helped with the sound of the Underwood and seemed to make the midrange actually sound OK.

When it comes to the recording studio with good mics and acoustics, I'm opposed to having much added tube "warmth" and compression and that kind of thing. But..... I feel like most piezo pickups need a lot of help just to not sound like garbage. The last thing I want is for my amp to accurately replicate the direct sound of an Underwood...

 

Yes. The older BDDI has a mid dip that the newer model hasn't got. Also adding more of the blend takes away upper mids and highs a bit. Also.... EVERY BASS IS DIFFERENT!!! Your mileage may vary.

 

From my perspective, the EDB-2’s features and compact size are it’s strengths. The Notch Filter, 5 Band EQ, Phantom Power, Phase Reverse, Dual Channel and Master Volume Controls. et. al. make it a excellent DB preamp. The new Headway EDB-2 H.E. has 48v Phantom, Two channel full 5 Band EQ, but if you only need a single channel piezo the Sans Amp is perfectly fine, and less expensive.

 

IMO the differentiator of the Sansamp is primarily in the tube emulation circuit. I think it is a different beast altogether when put up against the more traditional line of acoustic preamp. I used to use a bass driver on my electric and it made a huge difference in the overall tone output when the blend was dialed to the right. A very colored sound that would make any bass i plugged into it sound pretty similar, which is great if you like the color which i did. I would assume it would have a similar effect on the upright but i sold mine before i got a chance to try it.