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Your thoughts on sansamp?

#21
I've owned a SansAmp RBI for 12 years and previous to that had a BDDI borrowed from a friend for some time. I'm very used to it and find it a great tool for both live and recording. Yet I'm far from considering it indispensable/irreplaceable in terms the sound you get out of it. Any overdrive that's not fuzzy and has a wet/dry blend control, plus some EQ and some compression can do what a SansAmp does.
 
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#23
MicRidley said:
Hey forum-lurkers,

I want to begin by saying I'm completely Inexperienced and undereducated when it comes to gear.

So I appreciate your expertise. Feel free to give me straight facts or be as blunt or thorough as you deem necessary.

This question stems from a conversation I was having with a friend. We got onto the topic of affordable gig setups.

I'm a full time working full time college student with a kid and bills to pay. As a result, I am always thinking "budget".

His answer was this, a tech 21 sansamp.

Tech 21 SansAmp Programmable Bass Driver DI

I've never heard of them before. Supposedly it replaces the need for a rig. Potentially saving hundreds of dollars for someone who wants a cheap setup until they can afford something worth mentioning.

Is there a large variety of things like this?
Are they commonly used?
Are they something that exists and is generally just not seen being used?

Feel free to give me the rundown if you have time! I'm really curious about this.

-Mic
Click to expand...

NO MID CONTROL KNOB ... BAD IDEA
 
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#24
My old SABDDI pedal is always on. I like the full bottom it brings. You can have more mids by backing down with the blend control. I haven't even tried the newer VT pedal but I've been happy with this one.
 
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#26
The Sansamp / Tech21 VT Bass DI has become a permanent piece of my rig. In fact, in many smaller gigs, it IS my rig. I own my band's PA system, and have ensured that it's capable of delivering both monitor and FOH bass to support what we do without my having to carry an amp. On larger stages, I revert to a stage amp and cabinet, but I still use the VTDI as the front end for everything. Heartily recommended if you enjoy a classic Ampeg sound in a tiny, versatile box.
 
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#27
I've owned the regular bass driver, programmable and now the vt deluxe. The vt is better for me because of the 6 presets, or 3 for 2 seperate basses and the mid control. The regular BDDI sounded great by my tarot but was harder to hear in a band due to the inherent mid scoop. But I liked and used it for a long time. Good luck.
 
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#28
s0c9 said:
And for a lesser price you can get a real Ampeg DI -
scr-di_3qtrleft.jpg
Click to expand...
The one nice thing about this unit is that it has a headphone out so it can be used by itself for silent practice.
 
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#29
I was recently gigging with a coverband for a few months as a fill-in and all I used live was the Bass Driver. Since they have a nice PA setup and good monitors, there was no need for my amp. The bass sounded great and it saved me the hassle of lugging equipment around. I also play in an original band (guitar) and the bassist has started using just his Bass Driver for live gigs.

If the venue has a PA and monitors, your amp is essentially just a personal monitor anyways. I would say definitely try it out, you might be very happily surprised.
 
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#31
I have the Bass Driver DI and really like it. I've had it for years. It's the last item in my signal chain before the amp.

I have to admit, I don't totally understand your (the OP's) goal, though. If you want to have more sonic flexibility, something like these DIs w/ some EQ, etc. are a nice choice into your amp and you can run to a PA from them. They complement or supplement your rig, but don't replace a rig. Some of them can be used with a powered speaker or act like a preamp into a power amp then into a speaker. If what you need and are moving towards is a head and speaker cab, might it be better to bank the $200 or so you have on hand now and save up for what you really need?

(I know, what's this crazy talk about "need" in a world of "want"! ;))
 
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#35
When I used to play through an SWR, discovering the BDDI was like an epiphany for me and I wound up bypassing the amps pre 99% of the time...it brought so much life to that rig. Also every time I used it as a DI for live use, I was complemented by the sound-man. Eventually I moved on to a VT Bass which was also nice. When I discovered the Fairfield Circuitry Barbershop, I sold all of my Sansamps as it gave me everything I needed in the tone dept and allowed me to let my GK's natural character and EQ to shine through without too much coloration. The DI was never too important for me, as it was a rare occasion that I didn't have an amp with an OUT at a gig anyway, so the Barbershop won out in the tone department and made my Sansamps redundant. That said, I'd still happily rock a VT, BDDI or Paradriver knowing I can rely on them for a consistently good sound.
 
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#36
What's with all these type pedals providing distortion but not compression? IMO - distortion is a niche effect on bass. Sure, use it for that one song. But I'd expect this type of "Sans Amp" pedal, to live up to the name, to provide EQ, compression, and DI.
 
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#37
bassrich said:
Hey I love your town stopped there on the way to AK. I use the Behringer BDI-21 it is a clone of the sansamp but way cheaper
Click to expand...

I like a lot of the sansamp stuff and still have a BDDI which works great IMHO.
For your $ situation, I would consider the Behringer for now, then put the extra 160$ in a gear fund to either get a bigger rig OR upgrade your DI once you see how it works for you and what you want...
 
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#38
I love the BDDI! I use it 1st in my pedal chain (as a preamp and tone shaping tool). It has a great sound, with thumpy lows and crispy highs. I love the presence control, which basically give more (or less) attack, especially with a pick.

I understand why some people hate on the pedal because of the mid scoop, so you may want to pass on it if your sound is ALWAYS mid-range and/or Jaco-esk. I get that sound naturally with the pedal off, and/or I use the bridge pickup. I use this pedal to change my sound from the natural mid-range nasal sound. The mid scoop gives me a whole new palette. They have deviated from the magical BDDI formula with the Para and VT to satisfy the people who don't love it.

IMHO the mid scoop is in the perfect frequency, the tone controls are usable and musical, and the presence control is unique and irreplaceable. Tech 21 nailed it. There is a reason certain pedals become a standard and have staying power.
 
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#39
swarfrat said:
What's with all these type pedals providing distortion but not compression? IMO - distortion is a niche effect on bass. Sure, use it for that one song. But I'd expect this type of "Sans Amp" pedal, to live up to the name, to provide EQ, compression, and DI.
Click to expand...
The BDDI does have built in compression, just not adjustable iirc
 
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#40
I have the Sansamp Bass VT Deluxe and it's an absolutely amazing piece of gear. I run mine into a Hartke LH500 that I have set almost completely flat, and it makes the amp come to life. It's awesome being able to completely change your tone by stepping on one of your programmed settings. I've never tried running it through our PA, but I have used it as a recording DI, and it's awesome for that too. I honestly don't think I can say enough good things about it!
 
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