Sansamp bass driver DI help

[Runnerman]

If you want a cheap DI that will give you a tone in the Ampeg area, its great.

If you want a pedal that will give you that same tone through any random amp, it's also great (I use it through a MarkBass head and sound great).

If you want a drive pedal, look elsewhere.

I agree, it's not technically a drive pedal...it's a flavor pedal. It gives some wooliness but I still need a separate drive pedal from time to time.

 

[Specific Ocean]

This pedal is the unsung hero on my pedalboard. It's the last pedal in my signal chain and I use it to really "color" my tone. Sometimes when I don't want to lug around my rig (Ampeg 810/svt4) I just bring my bass and pedalboard and use the sansamp to connect to the PA and I'm good to go.

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Cool, also, what do the switches on the left do and what positions should they be in for different situations?

RTFM

 

[MultiScaleMale]

I'm not going to go over what's easily found in the manuals, but it's a great pedal to have around even if you don't need it frequently. The main variations are:

BDDI v1 and v2 ( actually, I think there are three versions )
VTDI - similar to the BDDI, maybe a bit more Ampeg-ish
Para Driver - more of a general purpose pedal, still useful on bass, get it if you use acoustic also.
Q/Strip - emulates a channel strip on a recording console. Less dirt, more simple EQ. You can use this with just about anything.
YYZ - haven't tried it, more of a Geddy Lee in a box sound. Get this if you're in a Rush tribute band.

Which version you get depends on you needs. I'd check YouTube videos. I've had all except the Q/Strip.

 

[Max Lawrence]

Thank you all for the help. I read the manual and that was kinda helpful. I still fully understand what the switches do though. I'm pretty new to all this and I'm not familiar with all of the technical terms yet

 

[Kmonk]

In a nutshell: it's as you described and intended to emulate a mic'd-up SVT rig...the Ampeg purists & enthusiasts may disagree. There's a couple dozen different models which are popular here on TB. You can probably snag a BDDI (used) for ~$100. I like 'em and use a rackmount version.

Riis

The Tech 21 VT Bass Deluxe is comes closest to the SVT sound. It also has 2 inputs so you can switch between basses and you can program 6 presets. I've been using one for several years and have been happy with it.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SACSVTDlx--tech-21-sansamp-character-series-vt-bass-deluxe

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Some use it as s backup if their amp dies. Some use it as their amp or to get a more familiar sound from a supplied backline. Another use is as a second channel to give a dub sound or overdriven or a slap setting to your normal amp. "Prior to Darkglass arriving on the scene, a Bass Driver into an SVT was the modern metal sound.

It's a very versatile pedal and not terribly expensive. There is a Japanese limited edition for 5 string that I kinda want, not because it's any better than the current, but it's hard to find.

 

[el murdoque]

What does it do? It works!
When you're looking for an easy way to send a really useful signal to the mixer, the Sansamp is hard to beat.
The coloring of tone is just right for that.

What do the knobs/switches do?
First of all, there are multiple versions of the BDDI available. I know of three. One has just one switch that is used when using phantom power to power the pedal via XLR.
The other version has two more switches that toggle the output signal strength. Line level for usage with a poweramp or other units that require a line level signal and amp level for the use in front of an amp or other pedals.
The BDDI v2 has knobs instead of switches and a pot for the midrange. There are two additional knobs to toggle the frequency for the bass knob and the mid knob.

 

[crankypants]

The BDDI v2 has knobs instead of switches and a pot for the midrange

There's no pots that replace the switch funcs from the V1 afaik. There is a mid pot.

There are two additional knobs to toggle the frequency for the bass knob and the mid knob.

The push-buttons are the toggles.

 

[Dave Leighton]

I have the YYZ And Q Strip on my pedal board right now. I have the YYZ set with upper mids and drive up front for a bit of biting grind.

I use the Q Strip to help fine in my tone and for the HPF.

Love them both. Have the 3 channel programmable as well. Not using it right now.

As others have said read the manual and play around with what ever you may choose.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Well, I think I know what it does but I just want to make sure that I'm right

Based on this thread, I am not sure if the OP knows what it does. Buy one from a store with a good return policy and test it. That’s the only way to get to know it.

 

[Ric5]

Hey, so I've seen these sans amp things around and am thinking about getting one but I'm not entirely sure what they do. If someone could give me a quick summary of the uses of it and what it is that would be great.

The way I understand it is that it's a DI box, a preamp and a drive pedal all in one but I don't think that's 100% correct.

So I guess what I'm asking is what are its uses and how do I use it.

Also, what do theoes switches do on it.

Thanks

I have owned 2 of those … I never got a tone out of it that I liked ...

 

[LanEvo]

I was a big fan of the Bass Driver DI (BDDI) in the mid-‘90s. In those days, I was going for a scooped-mids, compressed, and overdriven tone. That’s pretty much the “baked-in” tone of the BDDI, so it was more useful to me than the Whirlwind DI boxes everyone was using back then.

Cool, thanks. I think I also read somwheres that I can just use it as an overdrive pedal along with my amp just like any other effects pedal. Is this true?

It’s been a while since I’ve played with a BDDI, but I definitely remember being disappointed with how it sounded going into the front end of my amps. I ran clean Peavey and SWR rigs at the time. I remember expecting to “add grit” with the BDDI, but being let down.

If you think about it, the BDDI simulates an amp and mic’ed cab. Doesn’t make sense to put a simulated amp/cab/mic through another amp/cab/mic. A simple overdrive/distortion pedal probably makes more sense.

 

[Against Will]

Thank you all for the help. I read the manual and that was kinda helpful. I still fully understand what the switches do though. I'm pretty new to all this and I'm not familiar with all of the technical terms yet

Phantom Power: you can power this pedal off a mixer IF said mixer channel can provide phantom power. This means you wouldn’t need a battery or power cable to power the pedal. Useful if you’re going to use it in a studio with equipment you own/know. Don’t have to worry about batteries dying during a take also makes for a cleaner setup.

Output: this is basically a 10db pad for the 1/4” output jack. If you’re playing through that output and your signals sounding kind of quiet, switch it to LINE. If you’re using it in front of an amp use INST.

XLR: same as Output except for the XLR output and it’s a 20db pad.


None of the above switches will affect the tone. They’re just there to help the pedal function better in different situations.