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Sansamp over rated
- Thread starter BaltBass5
- Start date
Not my intention. I can tell you that most places I play I get compliments on my tone from bass players, producers and sound engineers. The interesting thing is that I play passive USA Fender and Lakland Jazz basses with Tone and Volume Maxed and a UK made Ashdown ABM 500 EVO II which is run flat into Ashdown UK speakers. Preamp tube gai engaged at 9 O'clock. Always-On Keeley Bassist Limiter, Occasionaluse of a Way Huge Pork Loin for Dirt and a Red Witch Factotum for Sub and Grit.
Only point behind that...pretty basic set up but if you have pro grade gear it SHOULD sound great flat.
trpullen
Commercial User
- Jul 12, 2003
- 119
- 151
- 60
- Disclosures
- Owner: Mojo's Music in Edwardville, IL
That is one thing I have noticed about my Aguilar DB751, just a tiny bass boost and everything else flat as a pancake. First amp I have owned that I didn't need to twist knobs on.
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program.
What definition of flat are we using? Knobs at noon?
Good point...different amps are configured differently in the EQ section. On the Ashdown noon is unaffected.
I bought the BDDI with high hopes but never found a tone that I liked. I tried every trick that I heard recommended but there was no getting around the inherent scooped tone of it. The DI out on my GK head gives me better tone and more control over EQ. I can't find any use for the Sansamp.
Another good point....
My point was simply that the less tonal manipulation you have to perform with your bass, preamp and amp then the more "pure" sound you are getting. In my experience high quality gear doesn't take much manipulation however, if you are trying to accomplish a wide variety of sounds and styles then obviously that concept won't work for you. I found on my Jazz basses I can simply use the pickup tone pots and volume pots to get most of what I want.
I'm not a fan of active preamps anywhere in my chain but certainly there are world class players that use them and sound phenomenal. To each his own as long as it yields the desired response of the player!
Thank you...that's been my point all along. I hate "pure" and I love "wild." Don't always get to use it in my oldies band but I try
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A lot of people dig that scooped tone, I don't. Does that make Sansamp over rated? No, they're just supplying that tone to people who can't afford a Ampeg SVT with a 810.
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I really like my VT pedal but I only use it with my SWR Workingman's 12. That amp is way to clean, like PA clean. With the VT in front I can get mild break-up or super over-driven. Putting the VT in front of my B-100R seems to double the coloration to the point that I am constantly fiddling with the knobs trying to get it just right and eventually just unplug it.
Basically I use my SWR for everything distorted by pedals and my B-100R is good as is.
Basically I use my SWR for everything distorted by pedals and my B-100R is good as is.
For me, Sansamp VT bass is MY TONE! I got first version when it just came out, now I'm a happy owner of VT Bass DI. I'm not a fan over BDDI though. It works well for havier music, but I just couldn't find a tone a like with it. VT is a totally different animal! Dirt pedals sound amazing with it!
I don't know if it is only with my BDDI but even with the blend knob to zero and let's say all the eq at 12, the sound of my bass has nothing to do with my direct sound. It is totally not transparent.
It would be good to be able to mix the direct sound of the bass (with no eq) to the tube emulation of the BDDI. I think you would not lose as much definition and not get such a scooped sound. It would make it a much better pedal.
I also owned the VT Bass (unfortunately the one on which you could not disable the speaker sim) and sold it immediately. I had great hopes for it but was very disappointed. It was way to harsh sounding. Those FET transistors can not quite emulate what I like about tubes because it does not add this punchy natural compression I dig. I later settled for an Ampeg SVP preamp which unfortunately died on me and could not be fixed.
It would be good to be able to mix the direct sound of the bass (with no eq) to the tube emulation of the BDDI. I think you would not lose as much definition and not get such a scooped sound. It would make it a much better pedal.
I also owned the VT Bass (unfortunately the one on which you could not disable the speaker sim) and sold it immediately. I had great hopes for it but was very disappointed. It was way to harsh sounding. Those FET transistors can not quite emulate what I like about tubes because it does not add this punchy natural compression I dig. I later settled for an Ampeg SVP preamp which unfortunately died on me and could not be fixed.
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Hmmm...what happened to the SVP? And which one? Seems odd that you wouldn't be able to fix it. You still have it? I'll bet someone on here could fix it unless a part on it is just impossible to get.
This is why I eventually ended up with the EBS MBII. It does everything the SansAmp does and more, but with mids.
Mine is always on and the first quality pedal i ever bought (before the flood). I hope you find something you do like. I guess.
VT bass v2 always on for me. Works very well with a not too coloured rig.
Without it I have the feeling my tone losts its soul.
Without it I have the feeling my tone losts its soul.
Used the BDDI pedal for many years and loved it. Replaced the BDDI with a VT Bass DI pedal and love that one even more.
What I love about the VT Bass DI is that you can get sounds similar to the BDDI and also get a whole bunch of other sounds.
What I love about the VT Bass DI is that you can get sounds similar to the BDDI and also get a whole bunch of other sounds.
Always play with the VT BassDeluxe. 
Wish it had a blend knob as with the DI pedal. Was just so disappointed when the studio man didn't want to use it, he said it was noisy.
Wish it had a blend knob as with the DI pedal. Was just so disappointed when the studio man didn't want to use it, he said it was noisy.
