Pickup output not enough for pedal (Behringer BDI21)?

[HeavyGroove]

I am not sure about the string and pickup height, but I have A BDI21 and I would echo what father of fires asked, where do you set you blend? Turn the blend, drive, and level up all the way and you should have all of the distortion that you will ever need. I just tested it with a passive PBass to BDI 21 to GK Backline 600 with pick and fingers at low volume and it was buzzing like a hornets nest.

Before I raised the pickups, I was running the blend and drive at 100%. I had the level between 9 o'clock and 12 o'clock. I ran the level in that range based on all of the recommended settings in the sansamp and behringer manuals and another thread where a tech 21 rep chimed in saying that the power amp volume should be run at 100% and the level should be used for volume. I'll try the reverse, though and see what happens.

Also, for previous suggestions/inquiries, the pedal is plugged into the wall, so no power issues there.

 

[Honch]

I have the Behringer BDI and also the Tech 21 VT BDDI. The Behringer works well. Lots of good reviews on talkbass. Have you tried one or just Behringer bashing?
Some people prefer it to the Tech 21 pedal. I use the Behringer as my backup.

Not the sound. The "planned obsolesence". For how long? It's all what matter when using Behringer. I've tried this pedal several times, to see if I am going to change opinion. While the Tech 21 isn't as fatigeuing in the long run, I find that the Behringer is. I know several who bought it, and after a while they sort of grew tired of it for some strange reason they can't put their fingers on. They mothballed it (no use selling second hand, you'll not get anything for it).They moved up.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone newbie beginner, that has not the financial means yet. But I'd rather recommend them to wait, and ask them beginners, if that's really what they need right now, not want. If they feel that they need and wants to buy something well then it's ok, but this is something that has dawned on me slowly with this Behringer. I seriously wonder if the population that doesn't have the financial funds, and just have to skimp on these things, will know really what to make use of such a pedal. After quite a while and continuous listening I was starting to having second thoughts. It's called listening fatigue. But that's me with all pedals.

I mean come on, even Strymon has got their flak these days. These expensive, cream of the crop pedals. Now people are starting to say their reverbs sounds "plastic" and digital. Well, there's nothing but digital reverbs out there anyway. I don't mind them at all. Me myself works as this, if I am trying out a pedal that impresses me intenensly from the start on, chances are that they will wear on me sooner in the long run. So it is with all pedals. Regardless of brand. So it is with the pedals that are some sort of "just leave them on" which Tech 21 and Behringer bdi are. If I don't get immediately impressed, I probably will stick to them in the long run. Some qualities that will stick to you in the long run. That the listening fatigue is less.

 

[soflbass]

Not the sound. The "planned obsolesence". For how long? It's all what matter when using Behringer. I've tried this pedal several times, to see if I am going to change opinion. While the Tech 21 isn't as fatigeuing in the long run, I find that the Behringer is. I know several who bought it, and after a while they sort of grew tired of it for some strange reason they can't put their fingers on. They mothballed it (no use selling second hand, you'll not get anything for it).They moved up.

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to someone newbie beginner, that has not the financial means yet. But I'd rather recommend them to wait, and ask them beginners, if that's really what they need right now, not want. If they feel that they need and wants to buy something well then it's ok, but this is something that has dawned on me slowly with this Behringer. I seriously wonder if the population that doesn't have the financial funds, and just have to skimp on these things, will know really what to make use of such a pedal. After quite a while and continuous listening I was starting to having second thoughts. It's called listening fatigue. But that's me with all pedals.

I mean come on, even Strymon has got their flak these days. These expensive, cream of the crop pedals. Now people are starting to say their reverbs sounds "plastic" and digital. Well, there's nothing but digital reverbs out there anyway. I don't mind them at all. Me myself works as this, if I am trying out a pedal that impresses me intenensly from the start on, chances are that they will wear on me sooner in the long run. So it is with all pedals. Regardless of brand. So it is with the pedals that are some sort of "just leave them on" which Tech 21 and Behringer bdi are. If I don't get immediately impressed, I probably will stick to them in the long run. Some qualities that will stick to you in the long run. That the listening fatigue is less.

I agree with you about that. Personally, I think the Behringer bdi is okay. Not great, but usable. Great price for somebody who wants to try out this type of pedal, but doesn't know if they will really dig it. That's why I bought one. For $30, it's a no brainer. That's the point I was trying to make. Didn't like the missing mid control, and that's why I stopped using it and eventually purchased a Tech21 when they added the mid control. Now that's a great pedal with the mid control. But the Behringer serves it's purpose in my opinion and while it's a copy, so many other products in the music world are also.
I'm not defending behringer as they commonly misadvertise their product ratings, etc. But they also make some great products. The X32 mixing board is brilliant; a revolutionary product. My band has one and it's impressive.

 

[HeavyGroove]

I've been busy, so I'll have to wait until Friday/Sat. to test a new battery in my bass and see if that was the issue all along. Hopefully I can lower my pickups back down a bit. The sound is great, but any string slides are ear piercing.

 

[mediocreatbest]

I think it's just the pedal. I have the same one, the drive doesn't kick in until the last 10% of the knob, but it doesn't affect me much because I don't use it a whole lot. I'm not typically a pick player either, so I'll have to test the effect of it on the drive level when I get a chance.

 

[HeavyGroove]

I think it's just the pedal. I have the same one, the drive doesn't kick in until the last 10% of the knob, but it doesn't affect me much because I don't use it a whole lot. I'm not typically a pick player either, so I'll have to test the effect of it on the drive level when I get a chance.

Do you just use yours for the coloring effect, then? Also, how is your signal chain setup?

 

[Jonahlane]

I had the same issue with that pedal when I owned one. I (kind of) fixed it by running a comp before it while boosting the volume, but it ended up just being an issue with the model of that pedal specifically.

 

[mediocreatbest]

Do you just use yours for the coloring effect, then? Also, how is your signal chain setup?

Yeah, I basically use it just for presence (about 2/3 of the way turned) and blend (for a warmer sound, cranked all the way).
My signal is just: bass-->Behringer EQ-->BDI21-->amp
Got the pedals a few months after I started playing, so I went with the cheap ones in case I didn't keep playing bass, but it's been a year since then and I'm not slowing down.

 

[HeavyGroove]

I had the same issue with that pedal when I owned one. I (kind of) fixed it by running a comp before it while boosting the volume, but it ended up just being an issue with the model of that pedal specifically.

I guess that's "good" to hear, lol. I'd never really be using the full on fuzz, but I just figured that things weren't working correctly due to the audio samples/videos I watched on YouTube. I'm still going to try a new battery. That said, I still enjoyed the sound I was getting with the drive all the way up and my pickups lowered all the way.

 

[HeavyGroove]

So yeah, I tried a new battery and yup, same results. Oh, well, I guess that's par for the course on this one. Maybe if I fully put it through the effects loop so I have my amp's gain driving it as well. Anyway, thanks for the input!