Sansamp live rig

[remigiozampa]

Hi Justin

I have 6 short questions about your Sansamp based rig used during your NIN days.
I need to design my rig to make a tour and i think this kind of approach would be very useful to me.
If you are so kind to tell me something about this subjects i will be plenty of grateful ;-)

1. Palmer speaker simulator. You choose the PGA05 over the other models (PGA 04 or PDI 03). I guess it was because the stereo feature and the absence of a load Box but, there was any other reason to pick this model? i don't need the stereo feature and i'm wondering if PGA04 can make the work.

2 Sansamp: After a research on this forum i found that most of your tones were combinations of pedals and Sansamp. There was any setting only with the bass straight to Sansamp? or you feel that something is missing without using pedals with the PSA1 to get your drive tones?


3 Sansamp headroom. I experimented some headroom issues with the Sansamp and strong output Fuzzes (like Wolly Mammoth) even at the lower settings on Sansamp. Do you found something similar
with your fuzz devices and PSA 1?


4. I would like to add to the rig a Sansamp VT for overdrive tone and a Depth Charge for fuzz sounds but lately seems an impossible mission to get one from Prescription electronics. Do you know another model with similar character?


5 DI. Your sends to P.A. went out from the Palmer? Any other DI involved or other sends?


6. On the last part of the tour with NIN you added Aguilar cabinets. Do you used any kind of power amp for the Sansamp?


Thank you so much Justin


Best


J.

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Hi Justin

I have 6 short questions about your Sansamp based rig used during your NIN days.
I need to design my rig to make a tour and i think this kind of approach would be very useful to me.
If you are so kind to tell me something about this subjects i will be plenty of grateful ;-)

1. Palmer speaker simulator. You choose the PGA05 over the other models (PGA 04 or PDI 03). I guess it was because the stereo feature and the absence of a load Box but, there was any other reason to pick this model? i don't need the stereo feature and i'm wondering if PGA04 can make the work.

Sure. No particular reason.

2 Sansamp: After a research on this forum i found that most of your tones were combinations of pedals and Sansamp. There was any setting only with the bass straight to Sansamp? or you feel that something is missing without using pedals with the PSA1 to get your drive tones?

Yes there were settings without pedals.

3 Sansamp headroom. I experimented some headroom issues with the Sansamp and strong output Fuzzes (like Wolly Mammoth) even at the lower settings on Sansamp. Do you found something similar
with your fuzz devices and PSA 1?

Hmmm...I didn't experience that, personally. Mine was a PSA 1.1, though I doubt that makes a difference. Not sure why.

4. I would like to add to the rig a Sansamp VT for overdrive tone and a Depth Charge for fuzz sounds but lately seems an impossible mission to get one from Prescription electronics. Do you know another model with similar character?

Something similar to a Depth Charge. I'm not sure. That's tricky, nothing else quite sounds like that. Maybe ask Juan Alderete?

5 DI. Your sends to P.A. went out from the Palmer? Any other DI involved or other sends?

Yes, a straight clean DI.

6. On the last part of the tour with NIN you added Aguilar cabinets. Do you used any kind of power amp for the Sansamp?

One cab was fed by an output of a SansAmp going into the power amp input of an Aguilar DB751, while the other cab was simply fed by the full sound of another DB751 coming off the bass.


Thank you so much Justin

Welcome!

Best


J.

 

[remigiozampa]

Thanks! ;-)

 

[gillento]

Hey JMJ,
Did you get to compare the 751 to a 750?
If so, what are your thoughts?

 

[jmjbassplayer]

Yeah, they're both great, but the 751 just seemed a little bit punchier to me, and the EQ felt more potent. Subtle, though.

 

[tech21nyc]

3 Sansamp headroom. I experimented some headroom issues with the Sansamp and strong output Fuzzes (like Wolly Mammoth) even at the lower settings on Sansamp. Do you found something similar
with your fuzz devices and PSA 1?
Hmmm...I didn't experience that, personally. Mine was a PSA 1.1, though I doubt that makes a difference. Not sure why.


J.

The PSA being a rack mount unit runs on higher internal voltages and has more headroom than our 9 volt pedals. In general because the SansAmp technology is able to achieve it's tube emulated overdrive characteristics independent of its volume level, there is no need or benefit to slamming the input with a high output device.

 

[vegas532]

I've been taking an electronic music class that utilizes Pro Tools. I've been using the PSA 1.1 Emulator that is built into Pro Tools...BIG mistake! I may have to add one of these to my arsenal!

 

[remigiozampa]

Hardware sounds much better IMHO, although the software emulation captures the character of the real thing very good.

 

[Nephilymbass]

The PSA being a rack mount unit runs on higher internal voltages and has more headroom than our 9 volt pedals. In general because the SansAmp technology is able to achieve it's tube emulated overdrive characteristics independent of its volume level, there is no need or benefit to slamming the input with a high output device.

I actually like some sounds I get by slamming the front of the RBI. Granted they are not particularly dirty tones. Mainly using my compressor also as a sort of clean boost before the RBI to the point where there's a very notible volume drop when I disengage the compressor.

Here's an example of me doing just that. This is bass to compressor to a sonic stomp into the RBI i had DI and mic lines (ampeg 410) and blended them all together.

 

[kev451]

Nice tones ! I use a tech 21 landmark 300 bass head and the Sans Amp pedal on one of the channels and t sounds great !

 

[jmjbassplayer]

I come back to that PSA 1.1 plug sometimes and it is EXACTLY what's needed. Still nothing like it. As well as my hardware Sans Amps, for that matter.