• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Get a VT Bass DI or keep my BDDI

Sell BDDI and buy a VT Bass DI, or keep the BDDI

  • Keep the BDDI.

    Votes: 17 20.2%

  • Sell it and get a VT Bass DI.

    Votes: 32 38.1%

  • Carrots!

    Votes: 35 41.7%
  • Total voters
    84
Outsider

Outsider

Jul 6, 2009
233
19
42
Cape Town, South Africa
#1
Hi

I've got a Tech21NYC Sansamp BDDI (the 3 channel programmable one).
I really enjoy the presence knob the most and a few of the SVT settings. However I seem to just use 1 channel, it's either on or off. I'm not switching between different modes.

With this in mind, I have the opportunity to sell it and buy a VT Bass DI. Should I keep what I have or sell it and buy the VT Bass DI?
What attracts to me with the VT bass is the 3 band EQ and the SVT settings.

I know it's ultimately my decision and you guys don't fully know my situation, but I'm looking for more facts/opinions on what I should do.

Thanks!
 
#2
Go get a VT Bass DI and try them both out for a week. If you prefer the BDDI, return the VT Bass DI, sell your BDDI, and get the standard single channel version. If you prefer the VT, sell your BDDI.

They are both different and they are both versatile. Since you mention that you "like some of the SVT settings" I am going to assume that you have not really explored the possibilities on your sensitive, touchy, and massively ranged BDDI.

One thing that the VT Bass DI has over the BDDI is a speaker sim defeat, however the speaker sim in the BDDI is simply part of its sound and can be ignored as a "feature" if you are driving a head/amp and cab with it.

You're really asking for opinions on something that depends on your own taste and style. I personally prefer the BDDI and it seems that people often don't take the time to really explore it before ditching it for the next big pedal. Where it really shines is on opposite ends of the spectrum, either very subtle or very very dirty, imo. It does require more involvement from the user than most; it's NOT really a plug-n-play device. I'd say that the VT Bass DI is maybe easier to get comfortable with but if you're already half way familiar with your BDDI I would definitely A/B it before getting rid of it.
 
#6
Sansamp rpm!
I found the BDDI OK but a bit to muddy, the programmablle BDDI was slightly better to use live.
VT bass I tried was not as good as BDDI
Sansamp rpm is the best tech21 product I've tried.
 
#8
A matter of taste of course, you need to listen yourself. I replaced my single-channel BDDI with a VT Bass DI, I like both the overall sound character and the drive character better, but since you have the three-channel unit it's not as clear-cut a choice as it has features that the single-channel units don't have.
 
#11
Need Gigs said:
I would probably get the VT to be honest, never underestimate the usefulness of a good mid control. I tried both a while ago and the centre frequencies of the EQ in the BDDI just felt wrong to me. YMMV of course.
Click to expand...

One of my thoughts exactly! None of my basses have a mid control. Neither does my BDDI.
Can you get the VT Bass DI to only be an EQ and not add anything else to the tone?
 
#12
I have the BDDI, and I also own the VT Bass V2.

I have recently 'tried' to buy 3 different units of the VT Bass DI. Unfortunately, and I am not sure if Tech 21 are aware, they all arrived with issues. One of them was clearly a post issue - the tin was absolutely destroyed and the pedal looked used. I also noticed the base of the pedal was not flush with the body.

The second arrived from another company. This time, it appeared that the decal/graphics on the pedal had not been left to dry. There was a smudge, and not only that, the graphics were on an angle, so part of the labelling was lopsided/almost hidden under the knobs.

The third was from the same company and they had just replaced it with the same one as before, same serial, albeit this time the pedal had been beaten up in the post from there shippers again.

As the pedals are £230 over here, I gave up.

I'd still like one, but there are not cheap pedals and I wanted it to turn up as good as my BDDI and VT Bass V2. I'd much prefer if the UK distributors sent these pedals out to the stockists in individual strong cardboard boxed.
 
#14
Outsider said:
One of my thoughts exactly! None of my basses have a mid control. Neither does my BDDI.
Can you get the VT Bass DI to only be an EQ and not add anything else to the tone?
Click to expand...

You should be able to but that's hardly what it's designed for.
With the blend control all the way counter-clockwise you should be getting none of the distortion part of the circuit in your sound. However, in the one that I tried this resulted in a steep drop in volume. If you do this you will need to increase the volume on the pedal by a lot to counteract this, which will result in any existing noise in your signal path getting louder as well.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back