• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

SansAmp RBI vs RPM

#121
Phat Ham said:
Ken,

What are you thoughts on the RBI/RPM compared to (or used with) an SVP-PRO?

I like my SABDDI but it just sucks out too much of the mids for me. I also have a love hate relationship with my SVP-PRO. It does some things well but it just doesn't have "it" for me. Today at practice I went through my Sansamp into my SVP-PRO and got a sound I was pretty happy with. I basically used the SVP-PRO for its gain and to bring back some of the mids that the sansamp sucks out. I'm hoping an RPM will give me something in that same direction.
Click to expand...

I don't want to hijack anyone's response, but I do have some experience with the SVP-PRO. I was using the SVP-PRO for about 2 years or so before the RPM - I also had a love/hate relationship, but mine mostly had to do with the hiss levels no matter what tubes I used - maybe I never tried the magic tube combination? I reduced it down to 95% gone or so, but it never truly went away. I just chalked it up to the nature of the beast so to speak. A lot of TB discussions also confirmed this too. It was killer on a gig, but I would cringe a little when I had to do a studio recording with it. In any case, after A/B'ing the two, I knew immediately the RPM was gonna stay, and the Ampeg had to go irregardless of minor hiss issues or not. I based my decision upon sheer tone. The clear winner on signal routing & flexibility was the RPM as well. I even loved the OD/distortion tones much better with the RPM. But again, all this is my personal opinion. I sold the SVP-PRO off, there was no going back (for me). Perhaps fellow TB'ers Fuzzbass (Ken) & Joe Edo might chime in - I believe they both are/were using an SVP-PRO prior to getting the RPM about a week ago.
 
#124
I believe that some pre's sound better with certain basses. The SVP Pro (which I still own) sounds great with my Fender P. However, when I plug in one of my Spectors the SVP sounds..well it just dosen't do it for me. The Spectors into an RPM or the RBI yields juicy, warm, gritty, middy, driving bass. I finally found the sound that was in my head. Something I think that may have been overlooked in this thread is cabinet selection. My RBI/DCM1500 into an Ampeg 8x10 really sounds great at band practice every week. One would swear that an SVT was in the room..Yes the mids are there! However, if I use my SVT 15E and the RBI, I seem to loose some of that great mid hump that the 8-10 cab gives. No matter how much twiddling I do, the RBI can't put them back. The RPM and the SVT 15E with any bass ..I can dial in tones from Motown to System of a Down! I really dig the versatility of the RPM, it does many things VERY well! I like it so much that I just picked up (won) another on EBay. The SVP will stick around for a while and see very limited use (collector's item? Geezz $711.00 on Ebay!!!). The RPM and RBI's are my go to pre's for tone..recorded or live. Check out the link to my bands MySpace site..listen to Good About Me. That's an RBI direct to Pro Tools with a Spector..let me know if you think the mids are missing.
 
#125
I've had the BDDI, RBI, and recently bought the RPM. The RPM is the cream of the crop in my opinion. The BDDI was nice, but scooped the mids. The RBI was better, but had a fixed mid frequency. The RPM is where they finally got it all together IMHO. I'm waiting on a second one to run with my Rickenbackers (stereo).
 
#126
lowendblues said:
I've had the BDDI, RBI, and recently bought the RPM. The RPM is the cream of the crop in my opinion. The BDDI was nice, but scooped the mids. The RBI was better, but had a fixed mid frequency. The RPM is where they finally got it all together IMHO. I'm waiting on a second one to run with my Rickenbackers (stereo).
Click to expand...



ohhh good idea there :) One day i wanna make a stereo Rig with my Rick.
 
#127
JGR said:
i got to check out the dirt channel of the AG500 not too long ago and since the AGRO is pretty much the same thing, my impressions are this: the RPM is a much better standalone solution. the dirt on the AGRO is cool, but used by itself, at least at mid gain and higher levels, i can see getting totally lost in the mix. i think the RPM's range and gain voicing is much more useable in this regard. where i think the AGRO would be cool is when run in parallel/blended with the RBI or RPM, set up in the same fashion as how we are combining the RPM/RBI. i think it could really add some texture to that.

actually, i was thinking of getting an AGRO and combining it to the clean output/loop in of the the RBI so that all three would be layered! i plug into the RPM first so this would yield a tone roughly consisting of 50% RPM, 25% RBI, and 25% AGRO. could be pretty thick sounding. probably unnecessary, but the other two combine so well in this fashion that i think i'll eventually have to do it just to do it!

i'm not the shiz as a player either, so no worries - i'd love to hang some time and talk gear. the house should be built in a few months and the whole basement will be dedicated to gear and high volume playing, so maybe you can head up this way and make some noise!

JR
Click to expand...

Thanks much for your review of the Aggie. Also, feel free to PM me when your basement is done or if you wanna get together and do the gear talk thing. :)
 
#128
Phat Ham said:
Ken,

What are you thoughts on the RBI/RPM compared to (or used with) an SVP-PRO?

I like my SABDDI but it just sucks out too much of the mids for me. I also have a love hate relationship with my SVP-PRO. It does some things well but it just doesn't have "it" for me. Today at practice I went through my Sansamp into my SVP-PRO and got a sound I was pretty happy with. I basically used the SVP-PRO for its gain and to bring back some of the mids that the sansamp sucks out. I'm hoping an RPM will give me something in that same direction.
Click to expand...

I think SABDDI into SVP is a fine idea... I love the vari-mid control on the SVP. I'm not sure I ever used that config myself, but for the past few months I've been using Read Purity with RBI. I don't mean to say that the Purity and SVP are equivalent. However my goal was the same as yours: I set up the Purity to emphasize mids, which helped to balance the mid contour of the RBI. Also, I set Blend on the RBI to 50%, which as you know minimizes the mid notch. FYI, some bassists reduce Treble and Bass on the SABDDI, which essentially emphasizes midrange.

With regard to the RPM itself, I think it might be a better choice for you. The mid notch is still present in the tube/speaker emulation circuitry, but I notice that I keep Blend higher on the RPM than I do on the RBI. More importantly, the sweep mid on the RPM covers the entire midrange spectrum and allows you to dial in whatever mid voicing you like. The distortion is a lot more over the top, but I keep it subtle (Drive @ 9 o'clock) and of course Drive can be rolled all the way off for cleaner tones.



P.S. I was apparently very lucky with my SVP-Pro. I bought it pre-owned here @TalkBass, and it doesn't have the noise issues that are so often cited. It hisses a little more than other tube preamps I've used (F2B, IOD, Purity), but still not enough to be a problem.
 
#131
JGR said:
that should sound pretty good. that GK has a great power section. the manual's settings aren't too bad actually. the SVT one is a pretty good starting point.

if you plug into the RPM and take the unaffected out in back into the front of the GK, then take the GK's preamp out and return it into the RPM's effects return with the 50/50 engaged, and take the output of the RPM into the effects return of the GK (as you are doing), you can run the RPM in parallel with the GK's preamp.


JR
Click to expand...


okay i need help, what do you mean GK's preamp out?
 
#134
Chronicle said:
I had a feeling that was it.. it's not working i believe so lemme try experimenting.


edit:

Oh it works, but i was testing it with the GK's DI. what would i do if i wanted both of the preamps working with the DI?
Click to expand...

use the DI from the Tech 21. it will have both signals in it. the GK's should as well if you use the DI set to "post" because it is taken after the effects loop and boost, and just before the master volume.


JR
 
#136
Chronicle said:
Ah thanks mate :] I'll wait until tomorrow to test it out.
Click to expand...

no problem! you may have to spend some time balancing the overall mix of the two - i haven't tried out this exact combo yet (RPM is in storage at the moment) but it may be a bit tricky getting the relative levels the way you want them. i think the master on the RPM will serve as a redundant second master to the woofer master on the GK, and the mix of the two signals will be controlled by the input gain control setting of the GK.

you may also want to try plugging into the GK and taking the tuner output of the GK into the input of the RPM, and the RPM Sansamp output into effects return of the GK. then you may be able to control the blend of the two signals by the master on the RPM, though i'm not sure if/how this will work. just some suggestions!

JR
 
#138
JGR said:
no problem! you may have to spend some time balancing the overall mix of the two - i haven't tried out this exact combo yet (RPM is in storage at the moment) but it may be a bit tricky getting the relative levels the way you want them. i think the master on the RPM will serve as a redundant second master to the woofer master on the GK, and the mix of the two signals will be controlled by the input gain control setting of the GK.

you may also want to try plugging into the GK and taking the tuner output of the GK into the input of the RPM, and the RPM Sansamp output into effects return of the GK. then you may be able to control the blend of the two signals by the master on the RPM, though i'm not sure if/how this will work. just some suggestions!

JR
Click to expand...

Alright so i tried this out and it sounded great and my effects sounded better in this option. But the GK's preamp is not active. The boost works and woofer master but i'm just exploring my options here. I was thinking of somehow running this rig stereo with my Rick when it comes back.
 
#139
Chronicle said:
Alright so i tried this out and it sounded great and my effects sounded better in this option. But the GK's preamp is not active. The boost works and woofer master but i'm just exploring my options here. I was thinking of somehow running this rig stereo with my Rick when it comes back.
Click to expand...

hmm, it may not be possible then with the way the GK's effects loop is set up. the RPM is worthy of it's own power amp if you decide to go that route. i've run my Rick stereo BTW and it is a very cool setup.

JR
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back