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Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig v2

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.

I'm not clear on that but that's okay. Focus on the SansAmp section...leave everything else off. I would kick the SansAmp section on 'n off. If it clips when activated, something is mal-adjusted.

Riis
 
I'm not clear on that but that's okay. Focus on the SansAmp section...leave everything else off. I would kick the SansAmp section on 'n off. If it clips when activated, something is mal-adjusted.

Riis

The sansamp section does clip. I bought this for a LOUD band and if I can't use it without worrying it's going to fart out, it's not worth the trouble.
 


Just thought I'd add this video to the thread as this is the first unboxing video I've seen so far. He does a bit of a demonstration of each section as well.

Seems that the Octave button on the filter section almost needs to be used in conjunction with the Fuzz button as you'll get a 'crackle', even with the fuzz off. I don't own this unit so I'm expecting other people to correct me in some way, but based on what I've seen so far out there on YouTube, it appears that the filter section should be used as either a filter without any of the buttons engaged and the Q knob cranked, a Fuzz-filter with the range and Q knobs carefully placed, Octave-Fuzz together with the Q knob all the way off, or an Octave-Fuzz-Filter with all the knobs on the section cranked fairly high.
 


Just thought I'd add this video to the thread as this is the first unboxing video I've seen so far. He does a bit of a demonstration of each section as well.

Seems that the Octave button on the filter section almost needs to be used in conjunction with the Fuzz button as you'll get a 'crackle', even with the fuzz off. I don't own this unit so I'm expecting other people to correct me in some way, but based on what I've seen so far out there on YouTube, it appears that the filter section should be used as either a filter without any of the buttons engaged and the Q knob cranked, a Fuzz-filter with the range and Q knobs carefully placed, Octave-Fuzz together with the Q knob all the way off, or an Octave-Fuzz-Filter with all the knobs on the section cranked fairly high.



That's been my experience. The octave divider sounds awful on its own, but paired with the fuzz it creates a unique sound that kind of mimics a synth. Not something I expect to use in my rock band, but it's fun to play with,. especially with the Q knob dimed.

I do sometimes use that section as a fuzz stomp switch. Getting the settings dialed in can be finicky but there's some decent if not great fuzz in there. I recommend playing around with it before writing the Octafilter section of the BFR2 off entirely.
 
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.

Hey, so I did pick up one of those Vooster units. Someone in another thread said that it needs a polarity converter or it will fry your pedals, but... it clearly labeled as center negative and aren't most pedals center neg? Am I missing something here?
 
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Hey, so I did pick up one of those Vooster units. Someone in another thread said that it needs a polarity converter or it will fry your pedals, but... it clearly labeled as center negative and aren't most pedals center neg? Am I missing something here?

Nope no problems at all-standard stuff. Just keep it on 9 volts (but I think the pedal will handle 12v).
 
I’m late to this party- and didn’t realize there were 2 threads on this….. but for fun, these were my thoughts…

I just took delivery on my Fly Rig 2…..I was looking for something for my in ear rig and have been wanting to try this. One band I play with does some fly dates here and there and up til now have been using the BDDI V2. Thought it would be nice to have a bit more flexibility. After a couple hours messing with it, I found some things I liked more than I figured I would…. Some things I didn’t.

The build is sturdy and feels plenty durable for lugging around in a gig bag. The chorus actually sounds really good.. I don’t typically use chorus, but will be fun to try. The Octave doesn’t seem as bad as I’d read- for my liking, I keep octave pedals on lowers settings anyway. It doesn’t track as good as some of the betters octave pedals I’ve had… But totally on par with some others I’ve owned. I use various overdrive pedals, but don’t use much heavy distortion. Well none really. I don’t like the fuzz at all on higher settings, but I can get some decent grind on lower settings. I’ll give it a try in a live setting. The compressor- again, something I use lightly when I use it at all. I actually liked the Fly Rig compressor. I can set it to not squish and feels pretty smooth and doesn’t kill my tone.

The Sans Amp setting- here is where I was a bit surprised. I’ve used the BDDI V2 for a while. I didn’t bond as well with the earlier versions. I like the mid control on the V2 and I use the blend to dial out some of that Sans Amp baked in tone. I just dial in to where I think it sounds good. The Fly Rig doesn’t have a blend and has a good bit of that baked in tone when on the Bass Driver channel. Personally, I was bummed about this. But, the VT channel sounds great. Dont have a VTDI here to compare side by side, but form using one several times, I think it’s in the ballpark. Using and liking the BDDI V2, I was surprised to not dig the Bass Driver side and prefer the VT. I do like that there are 2 channels for either so it’s easy to set one side up for clean, one dirty.

It’s hard to make everyone happy- For the most part I think this will work well for what I got it for. I’ll fine out next weekend.
 
Hey…. Question for you Fly Rig owners…. As I’m messing with this, I’m noticing the speaker simulation button has little to no effect. Haven’t tried it using just the XLR I to my recording rig, but I understood that it should be useful with the quarter in jacks as well….
 
Hey…. Question for you Fly Rig owners…. As I’m messing with this, I’m noticing the speaker simulation button has little to no effect. Haven’t tried it using just the XLR I to my recording rig, but I understood that it should be useful with the quarter in jacks as well….

I've tried the button on a couple of different amplifiers. I have a little Ampeg Rocketbass 110 and a larger Ampeg Portaflex 500 on a 115 cabinet.

The effect is present, but subtle on the Rocketbass. I'm not sure I could tell you which was on and which was off in a side by side blind test. It's more pronounced on the Portaflex. I don't know if that's because of a different preamp, more powerful amplifier, bigger speaker... I like the way it sounds with the cab simulation on a little better (button not pressed in) as I think it has a more "full" sound.

I'd be hard pressed to describe accurately what it does to my sound, though, beyond that very vague description.
 
I've tried the button on a couple of different amplifiers. I have a little Ampeg Rocketbass 110 and a larger Ampeg Portaflex 500 on a 115 cabinet.

The effect is present, but subtle on the Rocketbass. I'm not sure I could tell you which was on and which was off in a side by side blind test. It's more pronounced on the Portaflex. I don't know if that's because of a different preamp, more powerful amplifier, bigger speaker... I like the way it sounds with the cab simulation on a little better (button not pressed in) as I think it has a more "full" sound.

I'd be hard pressed to describe accurately what it does to my sound, though, beyond that very vague description.

Cool, thanks…. The manual says it smooths things out a bit. I’ve had other Tech 21 pedals and the speaker sim was very noticeable. May have someone wrong with my Fly Rig…. I hear no difference on or off
 
My normal pedal board is the 36" Pedalboard Jumbo (or whatever it's called) and is made up of the same always on components that the sansamp rig provides (chorus, EQ, OD, comp, tuner, DI, etc). Love it and it is my entire rig (amp-less) but it's just impractical for certain shows esp that I'm doing more and more flying (I already luggage my basses, having to luggage a pedal board as well starts getting expensive :) ).

I just ordered a FlyRig 2 after trying out one of those cheapo Valeton Dapper things. The Dapper is fantastic and the price is right, but it doesn't have (for me) a useful overdrive that the Sansamp does and adding one meant adding another pedal/powersupply/board/etc. Eh, just get the FR2.
 
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I noodled around with my BFR2 some more last night. It sounds better on my active Ibanez BTB than it does on my passive Warwick Corvette $$. The Warwick is already kind of scooped. I am not digging the SansAmp drive knob. I don't like it past 9, which is weird because I like it just fine on other SansAmp products. What I do like is the fuzz for that distorted sound. It's a lot, but I do like it blended about 50%. I also find myself engaging the brite switch and then turning the treble down to about 9. My BTB needs a little bass boost, so I bump that a little. The mids I leave at noon. The compressor is ok. I run it at about 11 and I basically don't hear it, which is what I want. I'm after transparent note-to-note volume control and it seems to do that set like that.
 
Hey…. Question for you Fly Rig owners…. As I’m messing with this, I’m noticing the speaker simulation button has little to no effect. Haven’t tried it using just the XLR I to my recording rig, but I understood that it should be useful with the quarter in jacks as well….

The speaker sim button only defeats the sim on the 1/4" output. We've had no reports of any malfunctions of this feature. My suggestion is to plug in both the 1/4" and XLR outputs to your interface and compare the 1/4" output to the XLR output with the sim off. Let us know how you make out.
 
I noodled around with my BFR2 some more last night. It sounds better on my active Ibanez BTB than it does on my passive Warwick Corvette $$. The Warwick is already kind of scooped. I am not digging the SansAmp drive knob. I don't like it past 9, which is weird because I like it just fine on other SansAmp products. What I do like is the fuzz for that distorted sound. It's a lot, but I do like it blended about 50%. I also find myself engaging the brite switch and then turning the treble down to about 9. My BTB needs a little bass boost, so I bump that a little. The mids I leave at noon. The compressor is ok. I run it at about 11 and I basically don't hear it, which is what I want. I'm after transparent note-to-note volume control and it seems to do that set like that.

I like the sound of the overdrive on my Fender PJ bass, I think it actually sounds really nice with the bridge jazz pickup mixed in. Something about single coil really makes that overdrive sound good.

I do the same with the fuzz, dialed in about 50% is the sweet spot. I've got a couple songs I play where fuzz works well and the BFR2 does the job well.

Interesting note on the OD, I was noodling around last night and couldn't get the drive to give me much grit at all. I was worried that I had broken it until I realized I had somehow pressed in the -15dB pad button. It's never a problem playing with shoes but when I'm foot switching barefoot sometimes my toe reaches over the switch and hits one of the buttons. Just something to keep an eye out for I guess! I don't ever gig or rehearse barefoot, so this would really only be a problem for me at home.
 
The speaker sim button only defeats the sim on the 1/4" output. We've had no reports of any malfunctions of this feature. My suggestion is to plug in both the 1/4" and XLR outputs to your interface and compare the 1/4" output to the XLR output with the sim off. Let us know how you make out.

I'm having a terrible time trying to find button covers for my unit. The buttons on this pedal seem to be a larger diameter than average. Can Tech21 provide the button specs so I can find some covers that fit?
 
The speaker sim button only defeats the sim on the 1/4" output. We've had no reports of any malfunctions of this feature. My suggestion is to plug in both the 1/4" and XLR outputs to your interface and compare the 1/4" output to the XLR output with the sim off. Let us know how you make out.

Awesome…. Will do that today. I’ve only tried it with the 1/4 out. Thanks you responding.

Am curious as to why no blend feature for the Bass Driver side…. I’m a huge fan of the BDDI and thats the magic sauce in that pedal. I’m sure it’s impossible to please everyone! Lol

But very cool unit. I find every feature useful.
 
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