SansAmp Bass Driver

[MikeB]

I'm thinking of investing in a SansAmp Bass Driver DI, but not sure it's going to be worth the money. I do little or no studio work, all live, and play through an Ampeg SVT-3 Pro. Can anyone out there offer some advise on the benefits / pitfalls of the SansAmp and how you use it.

Thanks.

[bassmandan]

After getting a great recorded sound with on once, I went on holiday to the States, bought one, used it once live; it left me completely flummoxed and has since been on loan to a mate who uses it in the studio pretty much daily I think.

I'd guess that, especially using an Ampeg, any improvement in tone would be so subtle as to almost not be worth bothering

.... unless you'd end up using it as a gain boost type effect?

[Mr. Foxen]

I think they are coming up cheap second hands as people are trying all the shiny new DIs available. Pretty sure the secret is all in the blend knob. The actual sound engineers can correct me, but I think as a bass DI its going to be a familiar item for a house engineer, which is a benefit, although it might be a bit of an obvious sound.

[johnnylager]

I think Pablo [PauBass] uses a ParaDriver & an SVT together...

Or try [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?act=Search&CODE=show&searchid=5f4b91f211fd1407b92b8107884376f4&search_in=titles&result_type=topics&highlite=%2Bdi"]here[/url]?

[Stewart]

I take it along to every gig in case of rig-failure, and every practice (sharing half-a-PA wih vocals).

[nick]

Would get the (much) cheaper Behringer clone, if you're only going to use it sparingly or for backup.
I've had both pedals - either are good, for approximations of the SVT sound, if that's all what your after.

Edited December 8, 2008 by nick

[Sibob]

I've just gotten hold of one and will use it heavily live and in the studio!
My choice was based on getting a very enjoyable sound from the 3 channel programmable version on my bands album, but not needing the 3 channels, plumped for the standard DI.

Live it also means I can send the exact sound I used on the album pretty much, to the FOH, and my onstage EQ is just from my rig.

Oh and it means I'm still sending a signal to FOH if my head breaks down

Si

Edited December 20, 2008 by Sibob

[Born 2B Mild]

Got mine in the states in 2005 when the dollar price was the same as the number of pounds the SansAmp was going for here.

I used it once in the studio on the last track ('Chapters') I did on the Angie Shaw album and realised then that I should have used it throughout. Since then, it's been used for the singer's electro-acoustic guitar pre-PA, plus I've taken it on very quiet gigs where I used it instead of a backline combo.

I have to say, that when I think of moving on things I don't use/can't afford, the SansAmp just doesn't figure. I just know I've got it for life and when I use it again, I'll REALLY need it. A bit like a decent pair of binoculars!

[rmorris]

In general you probably won't feel much benefit with it in the chain into the Ampeg if you're already happy with the Ampeg sound.
But if you're sending a signal for FOH PA then that's where you'd feel the benefit of sending a 'amp emulated' signal to the FOH desk from the Sansamp.
Do you send a DI out from the Ampeg to FOH desk atm ?

Pros / Cons : You'll always be able to get a useable 'amp sound' . The Presence control allows a great deal of control of how much top end cut / clang you get which you can't get with simple mid eq on the desk. But you do have to be a little careful with amplified noise on high treble / presence settings.
The BDDI has only Bass and Treble eq - no Middle - but it seems to work well although some don't like it's default voicing.
The Behringer clone may be worth a try given the cost difference ?



[quote name='MikeB' post='348493' date='Dec 8 2008, 12:20 PM']I'm thinking of investing in a SansAmp Bass Driver DI, but not sure it's going to be worth the money. I do little or no studio work, all live, and play through an Ampeg SVT-3 Pro. Can anyone out there offer some advise on the benefits / pitfalls of the SansAmp and how you use it.

Thanks.[/quote]

[fretmeister]

By reputation - the behringers die quite a lot.

I have a proper one - it is only as an amp back up really though.

[redzombie]

There was a time when I was in love with my Sansamp Bass Driver, then I bought a VT Bass and the Bass Drive hardly got a look-in anymore. As a stompbox overdrive, I effing love it. It wont do anything fuzzy or approaching fuzz, like a Big Muff or a Sansamp GT2, but it does subtle to medium-high gain overdrive exceptionally well IMO. This is all without losing any fullness in your sound. The Bass Driver is renowned for fizzling out, and becoming thin at drive settings past 2 o'clock., but I've experienced none of this with the VT Bass

As for the character of the tone, if you want something that sounds like an SVT, the VT Bass is streets ahead in that department. I've not tried it with an SVT, but I've heard it works well as an overdrive stompbox when plugged into the front end of one.

And don't worry about it's lack of a DI out, the manual states the following -

[quote][b]AS A DIRECT RECORDING DEVICE into a mixer or computer.[/b] All of the tone shaping and cabinet emulation needed is already incorporated into the pedal, giving you the perfect sound "right out of the box." The Character Series pedals automatically convert your guitar signal to Low Z allowing you to plug into a variety of inputs that would normally load down your guitar's signal. These pedals can be plugged into mixers (live and studio), workstation/recorders, and even directly into the sound card on a computer.[/quote]

Oh and it's got a mid control too.

[farmer61]

[quote name='Stewart' post='348614' date='Dec 8 2008, 01:58 PM']I take it along to every gig in case of rig-failure, and every practice (sharing half-a-PA wih vocals).[/quote]


+1 Me too

[Boneless]

I used to own the Behringer copy. The Sansamp:

- has loads more volume
- has a brighter, more open sound (still kinda boxy to my ears though)
- is much more reliable

This said, I have had my Behringer copy working for more than a year without any problems, then my bass fell on it and the Drive knob hasn't worked ever since (it's kind of stuck on the minimum gain setting), not too bad though since, while very nice on the distortions, very warm and full, I thought it wasn't rich enough, it always sounded as taking something off your tone, and not really "adding".

The Hartke VXL (it must be the 10th time I've said it on this forum alone ) is a better buy, IMHO. It costs much less, sounds richer and brighter than the Sansamp, and with a more usable drive, I'd say (less warm altogether, though), it is just as reliable (I'd say it is built like a tank) and if you like having a contour control, it has it, a -20dB notch filter on a selectable frequency, I think the notch filter is too much for me, 20dBs are a lot, but I found an use for deep, full, synthy sounds setting it at something around 350Hz (plus, I roll the tone off my bass so to cut off treble), very nice. Slappers (not THAT kind as in "people who slap a lot" ) will appreciate it as well. The only issue I have with it is that the EQ is always on, even when the Drive is deactivated, which is a bit of a nuisance (but if you leave it always on, it's not that big an issue, of course). It has a DI, and a parallel output (if you want a dry sound to go to your amp).

But... I wouldn't suggest it to you. You have an Ampeg SVT-3 Pro, which has that kind of tone already. Any Sansamp-like preamp is going to be superfluous for you (unless you want a small box-DI to do the job when you don't want to carry your rig around).

[agoulding]

can the hartke and the sansamp be used as general drive pedals?

[Boneless]

...that's not what they're good at.

What they're good at is [i]adding colour[/i].

The Hartke will give you distortion as well, more than the Sansamp, but I wouldn't use it as a regular stompbox. For Sansamp-ish tone AND distortion, get a VTBass.

[Toasted]

All this talk and Tayste_2000's recent sansamp usage are giving me GAS for one!

[WHUFC BASS]

If you like the sound of an Ampeg, and want a Sansamp - this could be the thing for you...

[url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr8kdWpB3U4"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr8kdWpB3U4[/url]

[gafbass02]

Said it before and I'll say it again lol I bought a sansamp and hated it with a passion you can only begin to imagine! Bought the hartke and use it all the time, love the drive, love the filter doo dah love it, apart from the frickin size of the thing.

[rmorris]

The audio there though seems to have some 'digital' distortion on some of the peaks. I can hear it and checked the levels and verified it via my soundcard setup.
Sort of makes it difficult to evaluate ?



[quote name='WHUFC BASS' post='381923' date='Jan 15 2009, 11:50 PM']If you like the sound of an Ampeg, and want a Sansamp - this could be the thing for you...

[url="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr8kdWpB3U4"]http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Xr8kdWpB3U4[/url][/quote]

[WarPig]

Rather than start a new thread, ive got a question about the BDDI:

If i used a female XLR - jack cable, could i use the BDDI as a splitter to send 2 effected signals to 2 different amps?

Ive tried it with the parralelle output, but that bypasses the effect.

Edited January 17, 2009 by WarPig

[redzombie]

[quote name='WarPig' post='382938' date='Jan 17 2009, 12:17 AM']Rather than start a new thread, ive got a question about the BDDI:

If i used a female XLR - jack cable, could i use the BDDI as a splitter to send 2 effected signals to 2 different amps?

Ive tried it with the parralelle output, but that bypasses the effect.[/quote]

Not tried it myself, but I'm certain this can be done, so long as you have some way to connect the XLR cable to an amp input or effects loop return. You may need to use the 1/4" Out Boost switch on the Sansamp though (older models don't have this), to keep the 2 lines level with each other. Even that may not be enough though, I'm not sure. You could always throw a clean boost or EQ pedal (using just the level slider) after the Sansamp, to boost the 1/4" output line a bit more.

EDIT: I should also add, be careful with the master volume on yr amp if you do try it. This will be LOUD, a fair bit louder than a regular instrument level line.

Edited January 17, 2009 by redzombie

[WarPig]

[quote name='redzombie' post='383027' date='Jan 17 2009, 09:21 AM']Not tried it myself, but I'm certain this can be done, so long as you have some way to connect the XLR cable to an amp input or effects loop return. You may need to use the 1/4" Out Boost switch on the Sansamp though (older models don't have this), to keep the 2 lines level with each other. Even that may not be enough though, I'm not sure. You could always throw a clean boost or EQ pedal (using just the level slider) after the Sansamp, to boost the 1/4" output line a bit more.

EDIT: I should also add, be careful with the master volume on yr amp if you do try it. This will be LOUD, a fair bit louder than a regular instrument level line.[/quote]

Ok cheers. I dont have a EQ/boost pedal, but will start it with both amps turned down and go from there. Its just to experience what it sounds like having a stereo rig. Theres no danger in using the XLR straight to the input of the head? Some kind of impedance or something im not thinking of?

Sorry for the hijack

Edited January 17, 2009 by WarPig

[redzombie]

[quote name='WarPig' post='383055' date='Jan 17 2009, 10:26 AM']. Theres no danger in using the XLR straight to the input of the head? Some kind of impedance or something im not thinking of?

Sorry for the hijack [/quote]

This I cannot be certain of, I have a strong feeling that the only difference between the 1/4" output and the XLR output is the level, but I think just to be on the safe side you should probably wait for someone who can tell you for sure. I'd be surprised if there were any kind of issues that could blow your amp up, but then I'm no expert.

If I some way to plug an XLR into my old Peavey I have here, I'd happily try it now.