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Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig v2

I recently picked up BFR2 and I'm very impressed. I'm using a EMG equipped Fender American Elite Jazz Bass or a Passive Squier CV bass. I mounted it on a Pedal Train Nano and am powering it with a larger Anker battery going into a VHT Vooster 9v converter. I like being able to not be tied down to a power adaptor and I can get days and days worth of juice from the Anker. It packs nicely into my Mono Tick bag.

Just a touch of the comp is all I need to smooth things out. It's easy to dial.

I like the Sansamp options, very flexible with the character switch and nice to have a grindy option with a touch more volume. The controls are very wide ranging, and it took a while to get used to the adjustability. I can get a nice SVT tone and beyond. This is the best part of the pedal. Very useful, versatile and solid option.

I see a lot of folks complaining about the Octafilter. It's not that bad, especially with the compressor engaged. I'm discovering plenty of usable tones. Tracking is as stable as an analog unit can be with an accurate touch and clean playing style. The fuzz is nasty and sustains forever.

The tuner is working fine for my 4 string, not too much bouncing around and easy to see in low light. I have not tried tuning a 5 string.

I'm not a big chorus guy, but if I ever need it it's there and useable.

I can take or leave the speaker sim when I'm just running it through my amp. Direct to my DAW it sounds balanced and natural. Super low noise floor. I haven't had a chance to use it in a gig situation yet, but venues are starting to open and I look forward to booking some shows and putting it through its paces live.

As a reference point, my old board was loaded with a BOSS TU-3W Waza Craft tuner, Strymon OB-1 compressor (bass mod version), Darkglass Vintage Microtubes, EHX Bass Microsynth, Death By Audio Fuzz War, and a Noble Preamp DI. It sounded great, but was big to haul around and too much for gig applications.

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Genius. This is exactly what I was wondering how to do.
 
Great thread, folks. Super glad to have had someone link me to it. Mine arrives tomorrow. Probably get a chance to use it with a backline amp on Saturday. Here's the big board that it's trying to emulate in "fly" format.

newboard.JPG
 
Congrats! I was seriously considering grabbing the BFR you bought but unfortunately (for me ;) ) I took too long to make the decision.

Would be curious to hear your impressions of it after you use it a few times. I doubt I’d give up my board after spending as much time and money as I did on it, but the BFR has the same basic components as my board. It might make a great lightweight and simple unit for band rehearsals or the weekly basement jam I play in.
 
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Hey all,
I used my new Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig v2 for the first time in a gig last Friday. All I can say is I love it!

A little background. I have a couple of bands that I am in and then many others that I sub in. The styles of music are all over the place from 70 light rock to 80's pop to 90 rock to outlaw country. I wanted to get a preamp that i could use for gigs that might be amp less and/or if I did not want to drag mine around. Main requirements were that I wanted to have a DI, compressor and a tuner. I tired the GK Plex, Fender downtown express, and VALETON Dapper Bass DI Preamp. This Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig v2 pedal had the best sound and functions of them all!

Last Friday was a sub gig @ a casino that covered mostly rock and some country. I ran the fly rig strait to the house sound and used the house bass amp as my monitor. I got many compliments on the tone and sound quality. Even had another bass player that plays that venue often come up and ask me how I was getting the sounds I was getting.

The Sanamp part of the pedal is my favorite. I like the sounds I get with Character Switch engaged. I run the EQ pretty much flat just adjusting as needed for the room. I have never really used a dirty sound in the past but I do like having the use of the second channel to add some of that as needed. I really like that i can balance out the levels to be the same between the channels with ease. I use the compressor more as a boost then anything and it does this very well. I have only played with the chorus and effects in practice but was able to get what i think are some usable sounds for my 80's pop band. I will get to try those out live this weekend so I will let you know how that goes. Over all I think this pedal is well worth it.
 
The Sanamp part of the pedal is my favorite. I like the sounds I get with Character Switch engaged. I run the EQ pretty much flat just adjusting as needed for the room. I have never really used a dirty sound in the past but I do like having the use of the second channel to add some of that as needed. I really like that i can balance out the levels to be the same between the channels with ease. I use the compressor more as a boost then anything and it does this very well. I have only played with the chorus and effects in practice but was able to get what i think are some usable sounds for my 80's pop band. I will get to try those out live this weekend so I will let you know how that goes. Over all I think this pedal is well worth it.

The Character switch in the IN position is the SABDDI flavor of preamp. Did you just have the drive down low or how were you setting it that got compliments? Also, what bass(es) were you playing? Inquiring minds are eager to find out!
 
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The Character switch in the IN position is the SABDDI flavor of preamp. Did you just have the drive down low or how were you setting it that got compliments? Also, what bass(es) were you playing? Inquiring minds are eager to find out!


On the first channel I had the drive at about 9:00 on the second channel I had it about 12ish... I would kick in the second channel on some of the 90's rock stuff to get some punch and was really happy that I could get that at the same sound level as my clean sound.

For that gig I was using my Sire V7 vintage running passive with tone level set about 1/2. No other pedals. Will be using the same bass this weekend. In a couple of weeks I will be using my Upright and Washburn AB 20 amp less. Looking forward to using those out live as I like the sounds that I am getting out of them as well.
 
Mine's headed back to the dealer tomorrow. What a disappointment - the Octafilter tracks worse than any octaver I've ever tried, the chorus turns on for a full second before the tuner engages so you'd better make sure you've muted the strings before you hit the tuner (they should have made chorus activate on short-press switch release), and the thing clips WAY too easily with all my basses (all passive). The gain knobs go into an extreme setting at about 10:30 on the knob, so there's no sweet tubey overdrive.

I was so hoping this would replace my VT Bass DI + separate pedals, but every aspect of this device is considerably worse.

I've also owned the DUG which didn't have these problems.

So, this is my experience too. Playing a passive Reverend bass through a Terror Bass tonight and the pedal clipped and cut in and out repeatedly, very easily. Even with the pad engaged, and playing softly (probably 80dB tops).

Is this endemic, or is there a fix?
 
So, this is my experience too. Playing a passive Reverend bass through a Terror Bass tonight and the pedal clipped and cut in and out repeatedly, very easily. Even with the pad engaged, and playing softly (probably 80dB tops).

Is this endemic, or is there a fix?

Was this configured bass > BFRv2 > Terror amp or were you using the Terror's FX loop?

Riis
 
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Highly suspect as is the compressor. As you increase the Drive(s), are you compensating by decreasing the Levels?

Riis

Typically, yes. I am increasing volume to unity with my amp, which again isn't very high at home. I don't usually run compression when running higher gain, though I do run it with the filter/fuzz because it just sounds better.