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Tech 21 appreciation thread

What do you think of Tech 21 products?

  • I'm in the wrong thread and hate them!

    Votes: 20 7.8%

  • They're okay, but where are the tubes damnit?

    Votes: 65 25.5%

  • My first child will be named SansAmp!

    Votes: 170 66.7%
  • Total voters
    255
idoru

idoru

Dec 18, 2005
1,442
26
Brisbane, Australia
#1
g'day guys, a quick search didn't show up a thread along these lines so I figured I'd start one :)

My experience with Tech 21 started with the SansAmp BDDI - something that I don't consider to be an effect. I used mine as my main tone-shaping tool back in the days when I owned a crappy Jade Systems Australia solid state amp. Sound engineers were well happy to plug into it at gigs too, and I got heaps of compliments on my tone.

When I put my rack together, I chose the SansAmp RBI to be my pre-amp, and love it's tone and versatility. The addition of the mid dial just improved on an already good thing. Again, soundguys give you much respect when they know they can get a good sound so easily. Our latest recording had me using the RBI straight to the desk, and it really does sound like a honking great bass rig on the recording.

Just recently I picked up a used Landmark 300 head, to use in my Kate Bradley gigs, but it turns out it packs enough grunt to keep up in my band too. So now I have a good 'emergency' rig, which is small enough to fit in the rear seat well of my car should things go all pear shaped. The dual channels are great, I find myself using the blend mode for some amazing tone shaping. Still getting to grips with it I guess, but it's pushing my tone towards something radically different from my RBI.

My only regret? Selling my old BDDI to fund my upgrades - it's always nice to have a little extra security, because as we all know: the show must go on :) The BDDI bailed me out of two near-disasters, and I was sad to see it go.
 
#3
I use a BDDI with a power amp for my rig. I had an RBI and wrongfully blamed it for a buzz problem that I had. turns out it was my power amp. Anyway I'll get another RBI someday but for now the BDDI handles the job perfectly.
3AGrig1.jpg
 
#4
Yup, I have two Aguilar DB728's, arguably some of the best power amps in existance, and I choose to use them with an RBI and an RPM. I haven't found anything better for a grindy rock tone. And I have found them to be very versitle for other sounds too. They sound great with my SWR Power 750's as well, but they take on a whole new, massive character with the DB728's - big, crushing low end. I'd put these up against any SVT or other all tube head in existance! :bassist:

JR
 
#5
I honestly don't like my SABDDI, but, at the end of the night when I am able to just use that little black box for rehearsal or the occasional monitor flush gig, my back sure does love it...

If Dave would ever get around to releasing that thunderfunk DI/preamp stomp box, there will be one more used SABDDI on the market.

PS: I can't vote! I am not that enamored of it, but I don't want the "Where's the tubes?" option either....
 
#7
I had a bddi for awhile, and used the snot out of it it ran it in front of my carvin r600 for a bit of warmth, but once i got my 400+ that was the end of my need for the bddi. I may get another someday though, a good little box....
 
#14
... and it went without a hitch. I'm still finding my tone on this thing, so I just dialed in the two SVT 'presets' from the manual and picked the one which sounded better for the room. Plenty loud enough to hear over the band, and both my wife and the soundguy said it sounded sweet - both of them have heard me play plenty of times, and neither of them are biased! ;)
 
#15
I have been endorsing Ampeg for over 7 years. I love the sound of a cranked SVT.

Someone said on another thread "RBI=the best solid state SVT faker on the market." Well I have a BDDI & the same goes for it IMO.

The BDDI isnt necessarily an effect, but if you turn down the "blend" it certainly can be used as - say - a distortion box.

I always use house gear on tour. The BDDI allows me to consistantly have the same tone. Let me tell you how I use mine on tour. prefereably into the fx return (or preamp input) of an amp or if that is not possible, then directly into the amp's input... or if thats not possible, direct to the PA.

I just toured 3 weeks in Mainland China in July. I brought my BDDI with me & bought a $70 Fender P-bass in Beijing the day I landed. There was not one show where I didnt get compliments on my tone. All the clubs had a house backline & everyone used the same bass amp, but my tone always blew away everyone else's. All the other players wanted to know what I was doing differently... they looked at my bass first and eventually discovered the BDDI- which apparently isnt available in China.

The bass I used in China was a turd & I didnt change the strings for the entire tour. but every night i'd turn up the presence and treble just a touch more on the BDDI & the strings always sounded fresh. Keep in mind that it was 100+ degrees and 99.9% humidity nearly the entire tour so the strings got worked prety hard.

I owned my BDDI for almost 2 years before I figured out how to use it. I used to get this ugly high endy eeeccchh that I couldnt dial out until I realized the presence & treble need to be kept about the same level and basically that all of the adjusments interact. I also discovered that the BDDI doesnt always sound best with the "Blend" all the way up. I have found and marked sweet spots for all the knobs and I make slight adjustments for each different stage.

I honestly cant tell you how versitle it is though. I have one sound that I like & that is a cranked SVT. But I think I actually prefer the BDDI because I can get that sound and make it just a bit more agressive & more focused than with tubes - without having to turn up the amp so loud that the first 10 rows of fans get sterilized. :eek:

To surmise- for someone like me that will use a different amp every night on tour, the BDDI is not only a time saver, it also produces the sound that I want every time. I like mine so much that I even use it now for local shows when I am using my own gear.
 
#16
I love my SABDDI a lot. It's a great tone tool that I've
used to warm up boxy sounding combo amps as well as go
straight into a P.A. I like it as a preamp and as a D.I. box.
You can't go wrong with one of these packed in your gig
bag. A very handy tool indeed imo.:)
 
#19
How about some love for Tech21 cabinets? I have two B410s and they sound fantastic. I'm powering them with a Kustom Groove 1200 and using the SABDDI model on my BOSS ME-50B, and I'm getting some great tone for my band. After we played a show with another local band, their lead singer came up to me and said "You need to teach Grant how to set his amp. Your tone is amazing!" Grant's rig? An Ampeg SVT-4PRO and SVT810. He probably spent almost twice what I did on mine (granted, I was working at a guitar shop when I bought most of that gear so I had a discount) but I never had a problem showing him up for tone and volume.
 

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