Just got a BDDI for Christmas. I haven't tried it live yet. Up until now I've been playing trough the bars DI and stage monitors. I'm happy with the monitor setup up but I'm hoping to get a little better tone using the BDDI. We are a Celtic/Irish band. I guess my question is what else should I add to my setup? Right now I just have a korg pitch black tuner and the BDDI. Is there anything else I should put on my wish list? Pretty vague question I know but I'm open to any suggestions.
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Just got a new sansamp bass driver
- Thread starter dnosewor
- Start date
It's a personal preference but I'd add a compressor. Doesn't have to be anything expensive, though.
Riis
Riis
Alot of ppl on here put **** on the BDDI personally I love mine and I hope yours serves you well..
To answer your question Ill have to agree with the Zoob and say a compressor (altho I just use my amps) if it is a "treat" and a pedal to have fun with, get some right fat goin and drop in an octave pedal.
All the best bud, im sure ull enjoy it
To answer your question Ill have to agree with the Zoob and say a compressor (altho I just use my amps) if it is a "treat" and a pedal to have fun with, get some right fat goin and drop in an octave pedal.
All the best bud, im sure ull enjoy it
Boy, that's the truth! I own 3 SansAmp products and use them frequently. Application suggestions? Keep in mind that a little EQ manipulation goes a long way. I also recommend that you run the blend no higher than 12:00 - 2:00 to retain low-mid presence and articulation. Full 100% blend, IMO, tends to sap character.
Riis
Ive had the bass driver for nearly 10 years, I never needed a compressor. Between the blend and drive it has plenty of compression.
Thats what I think :-/
Thats what I think :-/
+1 on the blend settings. (12-3 for me) I've had my BDDI since the 90's. I also have a VT Deluxe and Oxford. The BDDI always seems to make it back to my board if I ever stray for a while from it. Just remember not to be to extreme with the bass and treble either. I usually run my tone pretty flat as well. (12-1:30) Then you can experimant with the drive & presence to get your sound.
We hope you are happy with your new SansAmp Bass Driver.
My suggestion would be to not add anything at this point. You are going from the sound of a bass DI which is basically the sound of your instrument's pickups and electronics. You didn't mention if your bass was active or not. Adding the SansAmp means you are now going to play through an amp "emulator." That's a pretty big change. First you need to decide what type of tone you want. A very clean tone, a warm vintage tube amp sound, a grindy aggressive tone, etc. You would be best off trying out using the Bass Driver with various settings by yourself without the band. What often happens is that a player gets a new piece of gear and is all excited to use it and makes the mistake of trying it for the first time with the whole band playing. Unless you are really lucky, this is normally a recipe for failure.
Start off with the pedal disengaged and try to set the pedal up for unity gain. This means that your bypassed signal will be at approximately the same level when the pedal is engaged. Start with lower drive settings first and remember that as you make adjustments with the drive and EQ, you will also need to adjust the level control to keep the overall volume the same. Keep the bass and treble controls at their null point (noon or straight up) and the presence off or counterclockwise. Experiment with the blend control. Turning it completely counterclockwise disengages the SansAmp circuitry. Turning up the blend mix's the amp emulation with your direct tone. Turning the blend full on and you are going 100% through the SansAmp circuit. This is the same as playing through a vintage amp.
My PBDDI is my main "amp" my other one is the Oxford. Both are on the pedal board, but I use only one of them at a time, thus one is bypassed.
The PBDDI is the last in Cain as I run it through XLR into a poweramp.
I use the EBS multicomp as the first thing in the chain. The settings on the PBDDI are on SVT, B15 and Fat tube, thus just about how Tech21 recommend in the manual. I do not run the drive past 13:00 as it tends to sound too harsh. So I use the Bad Monkey to add some drive. If I use e drive past 13:00 I'll reduce the blend to 12:00 but usually it on 100%.
My band mates are happy about my tone, and never complain that I do no have a "real" amp.
The PBDDI is the last in Cain as I run it through XLR into a poweramp.
I use the EBS multicomp as the first thing in the chain. The settings on the PBDDI are on SVT, B15 and Fat tube, thus just about how Tech21 recommend in the manual. I do not run the drive past 13:00 as it tends to sound too harsh. So I use the Bad Monkey to add some drive. If I use e drive past 13:00 I'll reduce the blend to 12:00 but usually it on 100%.
My band mates are happy about my tone, and never complain that I do no have a "real" amp.
As stated above, Id play with the BDDI for awhile and see if you can find your sound before you add anything else to your chain.
Ive always found that adding only 1 item at a time and playing with it until I can understand (tonally) the limitations and changes I can make with the item allows me to better fine tune my sound.
Why add anything else before you are completely comfortable with your BDDI. You might realize you dont need anything else.
And +1 billion with playing it by yourself before trying it with a band.
Ive always found that adding only 1 item at a time and playing with it until I can understand (tonally) the limitations and changes I can make with the item allows me to better fine tune my sound.
Why add anything else before you are completely comfortable with your BDDI. You might realize you dont need anything else.
And +1 billion with playing it by yourself before trying it with a band.
philter25 said:
With the band I've found that boosting the presence gives nice impact. The tone with presence about 14:00-15:00 can sound a bit too clancky or sharp alone but with the band it will give some nice definition of your tone.
scottfeldstein
Roots and fifths and a little extra.
Your SansAmp is gonna make you sound great. That's my prediction. Set that thing up right and you'll sound like you're standing in front of an old school tube amp and an 8x10 cab.
It's true that some people are down on the SansAmp, though. I'm kind of one of them. It has a lovely scooped mid EQ built in--but there's almost no way to undo it. It sounds great, but when you want a different sound, you're kind of out of luck. If I had it to do over again, I might go with something a little more neutral in the built-in-EQ department like the Aguilar Tone Hammer. But I have the SansAmp dialed in pretty well right now (with the blend knob at like 9 o'clock) so I'm in no hurry.
What else? I love my MXR compressor to bits. It's so transparent that you wonder if it's doing anything for you, but when it's gone--whoa. I had to play without it one day and I felt like I'd put on all my clothes backward or something. Everything was just wrong.
I also have a funk box--MXR envelope filter. And I have my eye on their octaver, too. Maybe in a few weeks I'll scrape up a bill and get it.
It's true that some people are down on the SansAmp, though. I'm kind of one of them. It has a lovely scooped mid EQ built in--but there's almost no way to undo it. It sounds great, but when you want a different sound, you're kind of out of luck. If I had it to do over again, I might go with something a little more neutral in the built-in-EQ department like the Aguilar Tone Hammer. But I have the SansAmp dialed in pretty well right now (with the blend knob at like 9 o'clock) so I'm in no hurry.
What else? I love my MXR compressor to bits. It's so transparent that you wonder if it's doing anything for you, but when it's gone--whoa. I had to play without it one day and I felt like I'd put on all my clothes backward or something. Everything was just wrong.
I also have a funk box--MXR envelope filter. And I have my eye on their octaver, too. Maybe in a few weeks I'll scrape up a bill and get it.
scottfeldstein
Roots and fifths and a little extra.
Just for grins, here's how I'm running the SansAmp right now.
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I find I can avoid much of the scoopiness and still get an undercurrent of sizzley breakup.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I find I can avoid much of the scoopiness and still get an undercurrent of sizzley breakup.
It's a peculiar question...
A rational approach is to ask oneself: 'What (if anything) do I need (in order to bridge the gap between the sound I have, and my ideal sound)? Then take it from there...
Unless one's intent is to have effects for their own sake. In which case, the answer to the question is: 'Whatever you want to get'.
MM
scottfeldstein said:
You use the GK MB500 with it? How these two are working together? Have you tried to run the Sansamp into the effect return?
I find the Bad Monkey as a nice thing to go with the Sansamp, it have a mid hump so the kind of complement each other. And as I said earlier, it adds nice gain to the sansamp.
scottfeldstein
Roots and fifths and a little extra.
It's a pretty good combo, really. I can get all the benefits of a wee baby solid state head plus all the grit and tubey goodness of a (simulated) big rig.
Yeah, I've tried putting it into the effect return. It worked fine. But in the end there just didn't seem to be a good reason to do that, so I just use the instrument input. I run the amp the way the manual says: Master on 3 o'clock, Gain up as needed. I forgo the use of the Boost channel entirely.
Also, I set up all my pedals such that they are really close to unity gain. I find that even though my bass has an active EQ in it and I'm using all kinds of pedals including the SansAmp, I haven't had to click over to the active input switch.
Best thing about using the MB500 has a box-of-watts and an EQ for my cabs is that I can get 100% of "my sound" without the amp or my cabs. I can put the pedal board right into a rehearsal PA or a recording mixer or whatever and deliver 100% of my sound.
Can't resist this subject. First a disclaimer, I have used the SABDD since the first version came out with the trim knobs built inside. I have used it non stop since then. I currently own what I will call a send generation version and tri - third generation version. Now when you use these there is a real mid scoop in them. Though I love the sound on I can't play with it off so for me I would never use it as an on-off effect. For me it is my sound and I use the blend all on. I use the tri way version on my pedal board but I never use more than my one setting. LOL, why do I have it? I don't know. I also feel that the new or third genetaion versions are much hotter then the second generation. I have to turn down my third generation when I use it. In a perfect world I'd like to see the unit have a true bypass but that doesn't seem to be important as they haven't done it to any model.
I would like to try the para version some time as many users here feel it is better. So in passing if you use it I think have to always have it on. Enjoy "and remember we're all in this together, I'm pullin for you"...Red Green
I would like to try the para version some time as many users here feel it is better. So in passing if you use it I think have to always have it on. Enjoy "and remember we're all in this together, I'm pullin for you"...Red Green
Thanks for all the input guys.
We are an acoustic band so i'm looking for a nice clean tone. I like tech21's approach. My first gig with it will be on the 13th. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to have access to the bar and it's PA a few hours before our soundcheck. That should allow me to dial in a tone that I like before the rest of the band shows up. A couple of tweaks during our soundcheck and I should be on my way
We are an acoustic band so i'm looking for a nice clean tone. I like tech21's approach. My first gig with it will be on the 13th. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to have access to the bar and it's PA a few hours before our soundcheck. That should allow me to dial in a tone that I like before the rest of the band shows up. A couple of tweaks during our soundcheck and I should be on my way
tech21nyc said:
That is why I like the BDDI to be connected directly into the power section of an amp, the unit does not seem to be as mid scooped as many claim.
