Sansamp tech 21 Bass Driver hook up question

[apoczen211]

I have a Sansamp bass driver di and was messing with it for a bit on how to hook it up.. I hooked it up through my fx send and return inputs and plugged my bass into the standard input, than I shut all the amps standard eq settings to 0. Is this the right way to hook this unit up..I have read the instructions and they say to do this but its a little quieter when I run It this way opposed to just pluging it in from the bass to the input, output to the head. I also found that using the amps eq with the sansamp makes the sound better, but is this ok to do? using the amps eq and the sansamp...Of course you guessed im new to this whole thing. Im a guitar player of 10 years and never used a bass setup like this before so I feel kinda ******** to it.

 

[Trevorus]

If it works, and doesn't damage anything, you're probably ok. If it sounds good, it is good. I generally hook it up in line with my bass. It just works better for me there.

 

[apoczen211]

do you use any of the settings on the bass head as well as the preamp? Or just the preamp alone with all settings on the head set to 0?

 

[Terrorstorm]

I also found out that for me it works better with the bass plugged into Input of my programmable Sansamp and from the output just to the amp's input. I generally leave everything flat on the amp, but I found it very usefull to work with the mids on the amp's eq since the Sansamp doesn't have mid control. I boost the mids a little on my amp.

 

[apoczen211]

Ok, I really wanted to make sure I wasnt doing anything that may possibly hurt any of my equipment. thanx for all your replies..if anyone else wants to chime in Ill keep checking back on this thread.

 

[ZenG]

Bump..

So when you hook up a Sansamp Bass Driver DI:-

Can you:

Plug the cable from your bass (1/4 inch instrument cable) into the Bass Driver...and then...run an instrument cable from the Driver straight into the instrument-plug-in on the Amp?

No fuss , no muss...

Or do you need an amp with 'FX return' on it?

Just ordered one off e-bay...but it will going into a BA-115 Ampeg.....I hope.

 

[FronTowardEnemy]

Bump..

So when you hook up a Sansamp Bass Driver DI:-

Can you:

Plug the cable from your bass (1/4 inch instrument cable) into the Bass Driver...and then...run an instrument cable from the Driver straight into the instrument-plug-in on the Amp?

No fuss , no muss...

Or do you need an amp with 'FX return' on it?

Just ordered one off e-bay...but it will going into a BA-115 Ampeg.....I hope.

Yes. You can plug straight into the BDDI and run out straight to your amp.

Sounds best to me this way. YMMV.

 

[gypsyfelon]

Yes. You can plug straight into the BDDI and run out straight to your amp.

Sounds best to me this way. YMMV.

Thing I noticed is the sans amp is somewhat "hissy" when you bring up the treble and/or presence.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Thing I noticed is the sans amp is somewhat "hissy" when you bring up the treble and/or presence.

If it isn't faulty It's only amping hiss arriving at the input. With nothing plugged in they are generally silent.

 

[BazzTard]

turning tone controls to zero actually cuts the signal. Usually tone controls are flat at 12 O'Clock, but not all are this way. Trial and error I guess.

I just go straight into my amps input, with the amps tone controls flat.

 

[dave_bass5]

I also have a question, although it might be a silly one.
I've been using a BDDI on and off for a few years, always plugged in to the input jack on my Markbass heads. Works fine, no issues.
I have read a few times that it can also be plugged in to the fx return Jack so it bypasses the pre amp.
My question is how can you tell if you have the correct level going in? With it going to the preamp you have the clipping light to guide you but not using the fx return.

 

[JackANSI]

If you're using the fx-return path to bypass the pre, use your ears if your amp doesn't have a clip light on the power section. It is basically no different if you had an effect in the loop; you could clip your power section with that anyway. Just take it slow and start off down low on the power amp's volume so you don't risk anything bad.

 

[walterw]

I hooked it up through my fx send and return inputs and plugged my bass into the standard input, than I shut all the amps standard eq settings to 0. Is this the right way to hook this unit up..

ehh, that'll work but it's not the best way.

try bass right into sansamp, then sansamp right into the fx return on the amp; you'll bypass all the preamp stuff in the bass amp (cleaning up the sound), and the sansamp becomes your preamp.

if it's not loud enough switch the output on the sansamp from instrument to line.

 

[walterw]

Can you:

Plug the cable from your bass (1/4 inch instrument cable) into the Bass Driver...and then...run an instrument cable from the Driver straight into the instrument-plug-in on the Amp?

Yes. You can plug straight into the BDDI and run out straight to your amp.

Sounds best to me this way. YMMV.

you can, and it's fine, but for my money the sansamp shines when it serves as the entire preamp by itself; that means going into an fx return or "power amp in" on the bass amp to bypass all the extra front end stuff.

run into the front you get kind of a duplication of controls and sometimes excess gain hiss from a pre going right into another pre. that said, at this point the sansamp becomes more of an effects pedal than a preamp, so it might make more sense to run it accordingly, maybe with a more obvious overdrive sound that you'd just kick on now and then.

hell, my bass rig is one of these straight into a regular PA power amp and it crushes; set to 100% blend and the drive down to like 9:00, the drive becomes my pre-gain for a fat, tube-y bass sound that responds nicely to how i play, the XLR out goes to the PA, and my power amp's knob becomes my independent stage volume control. who needs a "bass amp"?

 

[Downunderwonder]

I also have a question, although it might be a silly one.
I've been using a BDDI on and off for a few years, always plugged in to the input jack on my Markbass heads. Works fine, no issues.
I have read a few times that it can also be plugged in to the fx return Jack so it bypasses the pre amp.
My question is how can you tell if you have the correct level going in? With it going to the preamp you have the clipping light to guide you but not using the fx return.

Some MB might be nonstarter with parallel fx loop.

 

[tech21nyc]

In general we don't recommend using the Bass Driver DI or any of our SansAmp products as an insert effect. The unit was really designed as a Direct Box but people do use them like stomp box distortion units. You CAN go into the front of your amp but it will work best if your amp is set for a more flat response. You'll have better luck sometimes bypassing your amp's preamp and going directly to the efx return as others have stated.

You can also use a splitter (a Boss TU-3 or any stereo pedal will work) in conjunction with an A/B box to use both the Bass Driver DI etc. and your amp's preamp independently. You send your guitar to the splitter and take one output to the the input of your amp and the other to the Bass Driver DI. Then send your amp's efx return to the A channel of the A/B box and the output of the BDDI to the B Channel of the A/B box. Finally send the I/O port of the A/B box to your amp's efx return. Now when you switch from channel A to B you have either your amp's sound or the Bass Driver DI. Kind of a poor man's channel switcher. It sounds complicated but is actually quite simple once you understand it.

 

[Panther]

I've used my BDDI as a dirt/preamp pedal for 10 yrs..same one. My tone gets all the rave for just the right amount of grit and spit .

 

[ZenG]

By "flat response" I assume you mean all EQ knobs at 12 o'clock? (if you're going straight into the amp plug-in from the instrument?

You turn all your amp Eq knobs to zero , you get nothing and you're using a lot of power for nought.

I have mine set all over the place depending on what I'm doing....

I think the important thing is not to have your SA "level" dial running too high or too hot compared to the volume dial on the amp......

In other words don't run your SA BDDI "level" dial maxed with your amp volume dial at,say, 9 a.m........balance the signal out....

 

[Rubido]

Guys, has any of you guys ever plugged their sansamp in the fx loop (send and return) and used it as a DI box?

The thing is, I use a Orange Thunderverb 200 as a bass head and love the gain out of this head. The only downside to this amp is that, because it's more of a guitar head, it doesn't have a DI out. Since mic'ing a bass rig is not working for me (or most soundguys I've worked with so far) I was thinking of a work-around option.

Any thoughts on this? I don't see why it wouldn't work, but I haven't tried it yet. Any input is appreciated.