• 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.

Something cool for Sansamp RBI/RPM users...

#21
Geddyfleaharris said:
Sometimes old threads are cool. :D I have the RBI and have heard about running the two together. I think I may have to purchase an RPM and give this a whirl. What power amp are you using JGR? Do you still have your 2001 and do you run this set up with it?
Click to expand...

I've run the RPM/RBI's into the power section of the GK just do do it, but never as part of a setup on a regular basis. I just run the GK by itself. I run all of my preamps into two SWR Power 750's and two Aguilar DB728's. They all work very well.

The main trick with the RBI, and to a much lesser extent the RPM, is the blend control - it not only scoops the mids but boosts the lows which can get out of hand on the RBI.

I had the best results with the RBI setting blend at 50% with bass and treble flat, gain and presence to taste. The RPM is a lot less scooped and more forgiving of blend and EQ settings IME.

JR
 
#23
BryanSwift said:
I hear the RBI is the light side and RPM is the dark side, between the two which would you say gives it a real mean heavy growly bass tone? Especially if its in lower tuning...
sorry if its a goofy question...:hmm:
Click to expand...

Nope, not at all - I'd say the RPM by far - growl lives in the midrange - being less scooped and having the parametric mids really brings it out. It is in fact the growliest piece of gear that I have found which is why I own two of them. I have been running mine with the gain at 9-10, bass, mids, treble, and blend at 1 with the mids set to 1.5kHz. Growl city with my passive jazzes and p-j's into the Bergs and Bags.
 
  • Like
Reactions: troubledog
#25
I just picked up one of each from the classified section here. Individually, they both sound fantastic. No complaints, and everything works like I would expect. Running the RBI in the effects loop as stated in the first post, I'm not having the best of luck. Sounds like it was the same problem Spikemacgee was having. I've treid about 4 hours worth of knob tweaking and the 20db pads in and out as well as the 50/50 switches in and out and every combo therein. I've swapped them around and put the RPM in the effects loop of the RBI. All with no luck.

I did notice that at first I had the level out of the RBI too low. So once I turned that up, I could notice that the tweaks to it were noticeable. But not really in a good way. Seemed if i took the mids or highs past 12 O'clock I would get terrible feedback. The over all sound was similar to a dieing battery in an active bass. I checked, wasn't that. Bypassed both units, and bass sounds fine. And as mentione before, each unit sounds great on its own.

I know it's all user preference, but could somebody that has this working with no complaints post their settings accross the board for both units, so I can try out a "known good" starting point? I suspect I have a blend/level problem and my tweaking is too heavy handed to zero in on where I'm causing the problem.

Any and all help is appreciated.
 
#26
tavesd said:
I just picked up one of each from the classified section here. Individually, they both sound fantastic. No complaints, and everything works like I would expect. Running the RBI in the effects loop as stated in the first post, I'm not having the best of luck. Sounds like it was the same problem Spikemacgee was having. I've treid about 4 hours worth of knob tweaking and the 20db pads in and out as well as the 50/50 switches in and out and every combo therein. I've swapped them around and put the RPM in the effects loop of the RBI. All with no luck.

I did notice that at first I had the level out of the RBI too low. So once I turned that up, I could notice that the tweaks to it were noticeable. But not really in a good way. Seemed if i took the mids or highs past 12 O'clock I would get terrible feedback. The over all sound was similar to a dieing battery in an active bass. I checked, wasn't that. Bypassed both units, and bass sounds fine. And as mentione before, each unit sounds great on its own.

I know it's all user preference, but could somebody that has this working with no complaints post their settings accross the board for both units, so I can try out a "known good" starting point? I suspect I have a blend/level problem and my tweaking is too heavy handed to zero in on where I'm causing the problem.

Any and all help is appreciated.
Click to expand...


Sounds like something isn't right. Make sure both units are active. Try this for starters - settings in "o'clock":

Plug bass into front input of RPM - set gain at 10, bass, mid, and treble at 1, mid frequency at 1.5kHz, mix at 1. Put master at 11.

Take uneffected output on the back of the RPM into the rear input of the RBI. Take Sansamp out of RBI into effects return of RPM with 50/50 button engaged on the RPM.

Set RBI with gain at 12, bass, mid, and treble at 12, presence at 10, mix at 1, master at 10:30.

Take Sansamp output of RPM into your poweramp.

The master on the RBI will give you a relative mix of signals - somewhere between 9 and 12 should be good - I wouldn't go higher than noon on the RBI. The Master of the RPM will control overall output. With these settings, you should be able to fully drive your poweramp with master around noon give or take, assuming it has an unbalanced input.

JR
 
#27
Thanks for the reply. I won't be able to get out to my rehearsal space for a few days, but I think this might help. I did have the active bottons pressed on both. However, I was of the mind that the blend control (you called it mix..we're talking the same, right?) would be closer to max. I figured that 0 blend would be the straight input with no sansamp, and maxed would be 100% sansamp.

I did notice while tweaking, that with the blend at noon I got the best signal to noise ratio. Seems that's what I should be aiming for. The level settings I don't think i had quite like that either. I'm fairly confident this will get me on the right track.

On a side note, what are the results like just chaining the output of one into the other and running them in series? What are the pros and cons of one way over the other?

Thanks for your help JR. It's much appreciated. I'll let you know how it goes as soon as I get back from the practice room...might not be till Wednesday though. It's gonna be a long wait for me. :bawl:
 
#28
tavesd said:
On a side note, what are the results like just chaining the output of one into the other and running them in series? What are the pros and cons of one way over the other?
Click to expand...

I ran my RBI and RPM in series when I first got them. When JGR posted his suggestion, I switched to parallel and never looked back. :) Here are the pros and cons I experienced:

Pros of parallel: once you get used to the levels, it's easier to balance the tones of the preamps without one overwhelming the other. I use the RPM for a fairly significant low-mid boost, which doesn't sound as overbearing with parallel wiring. The same is true for the presence boost I use with the RBI. Finally, you can run one preamp dirty and the other clean: advantage being that your entire signal isn't covered with distortion... you get subtler shadings even when one preamp is very dirty.

Pros of series: easier to connect, fewer cables used. :p
 
#33
tavesd said:
Just got back, and I think we've got a winner here. :bassist:
It was definately a drive/blend/level issue. I think I scared my guitarist when he heard the tone. I'm digging it, and couldn't be happier.
Thanks JGR and Fuzzbass for your help, it's much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Excellent! JGR is the man. :cool: He helped me get the levels right, too.
 
#35
ShavedHippie said:
This may be a stupid question, but can you do something similar with the BDDI and the PDDI?
Click to expand...

You can, however, use one of those (or any other modelling device) with one of either the RPM or RBI.

The only thing I don't like about parallel is you are unable to toggle from one to the other. In series you have that option, but not the blend option.

After a little experimenting tonight I still prefer the RPM blended with the GK preamp using an LS-2. The Sansamp stuff in parallel just gets muddy to me - in all fairness my experiment tonight was with (trusted) modelling preamps other than Sansamp products (too lazy to dig them out). I'm most likely not being patient enough, or just too stuborn to change my RPM settings as it sound just perfect as is with a Sterling.
 
#37
I bought the RPM recently and love it. The thing that is great about it is the parametric Mid-EQ, which you don't get in the RBI. I dumped my Demeter 201 preamp once I started playing through the RPM - better EQ capabilities, and just puts more oomph in your sound. As others have said on this thread, I agree the RPM is inherently a little more bassy than the RBI. I also sometimes run a Sansamp Bass Driver (the 3-preset stompbox, which I believe is essentially an RBI) in front of the RPM and will kick it in if I need to get more treble going.
 
#38
Geddyfleaharris said:
Sometimes old threads are cool. :D I have the RBI and have heard about running the two together. I think I may have to purchase an RPM and give this a whirl. What power amp are you using JGR? Do you still have your 2001 and do you run this set up with it?
Click to expand...

Indeed! Old thread, but can't thank you guys enough for starting this thread.

I just added RPM to accompany RBI with instructions by JGR... And yes, we have The Sound. I have DBX 160A between RPM and Crown XLS2500 which I'm running in Y-Input mode to Markbass 2x12 and 4x10.

It's a monster! :bassist:
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back