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Tech 21 Bass Driver DI
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Price Paid: US $199 new
Ease of Use: 10
I owned the regular SansAmp BDDI prior to this one. It was simple to use and so is this one. I always wanted to have at least one other sound available for switching things up mid-gig, but didn't have the cash to buy another SansAmp. The three programmable channels on the new SansAmp are everything I ever wanted for sound. I now have three great sounds ready to go at my command with no knob tweaking. Assinging your sounds to each channel is really: choose a channel, set the knobs and double-click the footswitch. That's it. The nitty-gritty details of the unit are best explained in the manual, so I'll spare you reading them here. Being an American-made product, it also has an American-written manual. There's no bad grammar or flagrant spelling errors that are so common in foreign product manuals.
Sound Quality: 10
My current signal chain is as follows: '98 American Fender p-bass >>> SansAmp Programmable BDDI >>> SWR Workingman's 2004 >>> SWR Workingman's 115T. I absolutely love the sound of my SansAmp and don't want to color it with anything else, so I run my signal from the SansAmp straight to the effects return of my bass head, which bypasses the tone section of the amp. The unit is dead quiet; there's no noise, unless you get crazy with the Presence or Treble knobs (which you shouldn't have to do because a little goes on long way on this thing). The handy extras are the buttons for 1/4" out boost, XLR pad, and phantom power/ground lift.
One interesting thing is the way the sound changes when switching channels. Tech 21 made it so that when you stomp on another channel, the sound from the current channel cuts out, and the new channel fades in (from low to full volume). This takes less than half a second. It is intended to avoid sudden loudness (preventing blown speakers and ears) when switching from a channel with lower level settings. I have not found this to be a problem as I do not typically switch channels while holding a note. If you do switch while holding a note, you'll hear that momentary silence.
Another side note: unlike previous versions, there is not an aux. 1/4" out on this unit. I don't miss it as I never used it on my old SansAmp.
Reliability: 10
This thing is solidly built. I didn't have any problems with my old one, and I doubt I will have any with this one.
Customer Support: 10
The people at Tech 21 are great. I've sent them a ton of emails with questions about products and requests for .pdf's of their manuals (they only email their manuals; not available for download on their site). I always received a timely response (within a day or two; once it was only an hour later). As I was once told by one of their reps, they rather enjoy getting emails as it is a good indicator of interest in their products.
Overall Rating: 10
I play all sorts of stuff, but I mostly play P&W at church. There is a small bass amp (100W, 15") on stage for monitoring, but main sound comes from a great PA with two huge subs under the stage. What I really love is that my sound is not dependant on the amp I plug into. I'm not going to bring a huge stack into church with me (that would be sweet, though). The SansAmp is great because I send my signal to the board and I know the sound coming from the PA is the same as what's coming from my amp.
To further that idea, I'm probably going to be getting the Tech 21 Bass Power Engine 60 soon (60W 12" speaker). I played one recently and it sounded awesome. Since I don't use the tone section of my amp, it just makes sense. Read up on it at Tech 21's website.
Submitted by dave(id) at 09/28/2005 12:21
Price Paid: $550 (Australian)
Ease of Use: 10
Impossibly easy to use. Just follow some of the sample settings and work from there.
The manual is nice and easy to use and it speaks Muso instead of techo/nerdo
Sound Quality: 10
I run it into the effects return of my Hartke HA3500. It has turned this amp from a mediocre amp to an SVT!
It can get a bit noisy if you pump the Drive and Level simutaneously but there's no real usable sound when it gets that full on anyway.
I can make my Musicman Stingray 5 string sound like Flea, Jaco, Les Claypool and anyother bassists rig you could imagine
Reliability: 9
I doubt anyone is gonna use it like a football and its made of steel etc. Its pretty rugged.
I cant afford two of these things at $550.00 AUD but if I could Id run em both at the same time using one as a preamp and one as a stomp box.
Customer Support: N/A
Haven't nneded to call anyone about it
Overall Rating: 10
I can see why you can never buy these things second hand - if you get one - you'll never part with it
Submitted by Bassnerd at 09/20/2005 00:56
Price Paid: US $180
Ease of Use: 8
Can be a little intimidating/confusing at first glance, but owners manual is excellent for explainging everything. Make sure to get your hands on a manual if you buy one used. Once you get a hang of it though, its really straightfoward.
Can function as either a stomp-box or a preamp. As a regular pedal, by plugging into the input of your rig. Or as a preamp by plugging into the effects loop 'return' of your amp. This bypasses the amp's preamp section, and the Bass Driver acts as your new preaamp.
Sound Quality: 9
I use the bass driver with a Yamaha BB405 which is a passive 5 string with j/j congfig. My amp is a 90's Crate BX-160 combo with a Peavey 2x10 extension cab. At first I ran it: bass-->bass driver-->passive input of my amp. However even with the gain set low, my preamp was freaking out a little and distorting. When I plugged into active input instead, this was resolved.
Then I tried using the bass driver as a preamp, by plugging into the efect loop 'return' and bypassing the preamp section of my amp. This worked beautifully, and I the bass driver in this setup 90% of the time.
The tones available range from fat tube, crunchy SVT-like, to bright slap, boomy reggae, and fuzzy, balls to the wall distortion. The manual has about a dozen sample settings for you to get started. I like using the 'bassman' setting, with a couple little tweaks of my own added to it. The bass driver gives your tone the extra balls to cut through in any situation.
Reliability: 8
no reliability issues, seems solidly built. I gig it without a backup, but always keep fresh batteries with me just in case. There is an option of using a DC power supply, or it can also run on 'phantom' power when plugged into a P.A. or mixer.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 8
Submitted by Ian at 08/13/2005 07:46
Price Paid: US $189
Ease of Use: 9
Knobs are deceptively simple. At first, I didn't really understand the effect. I needed to spend a few hours with it to really understand what it does. The manual is pretty good.
Sound Quality: 10
My basses are a Music Man Stingray, Fender Precision with DiMarzio Pickup, Yamaha BBeast Nathan East model, and a plywood upright bass. The BDDI does FANTASTIC things for all of these basses, but each one requires a very different setting.
Makes my p-bass sound like Marcus Miller, Stingray sounds like vintage Van Halen bass. The Yamaha already has a great built-in preamp, but the BDDI adds a satisfying, punchy growl that I love. The upright bass sounds fantastic, too. Basically maximizes punch and tone while getting rid of barky, woofy sounds and string noise. Smooths out tone like a really good compressor, too.
I have found it useful in common NYC situations. Playing upright bass through sound systems, playing electric bass through the house rigs at rock clubs which are often pretty bad, and using someone else's rig when you're sharing equipment at shows. For PA's , use it as a direct box. For amps, plug the output into the "power amp in" or "effects return" jack of the amp. This bypasses the preamp of the amp that you're using, and the BDDI is the only thing that colors the tone going into the power amp. Therefore you can get something really close to your own tone every time. E.g. I had a Peavey Databass amp for a while and used the BDDI into the "Power Amp In" jack. Unfortunately I rocked to hard one night and blew the amp.
Reliability: 10
It's been very reliable so far.
Customer Support: N/A
Haven't dealt with customer support.
Overall Rating: N/A
I play hard rock, classic rock, jazz. I have been playing for 15 years. I own an Ampeg SVT 3 and Ampeg 610HLF cabinet. I also have a Polytone Mini-brute amp.
My BDDI actually did get stolen, and I rushed to Rudy's the next day to buy another one. Then my first one turned up, but I decided to keep them both. That's how important this piece of equipment is to me.
I love how it makes any bass/amp combo sound like a really high-quality, expensive rig (given enough power). It also seems to really enhance anyones playing style.
Once I played a gig at the Lions Den in NYC where there were three good bands with great bass players. All three were using the Sansamp BDDI. (one guy directly into the system, me and another guy used it into the house bass rig)
Submitted by dlargent at 08/07/2005 21:40
Price Paid: US $189
Ease of Use: 9
If you use the sample settings from the manual then it is definately a 10. The only thing that complicates this thing is that each knob, especially the treble and bass, are very sensitive so only minor tweeking is required.
The only challenge is if you plan to switch in and out of it, you have to match the Level (gain) on it so it is the same as your amp when you turn on and off - takes about 2 minutes.
Some of the switches are a little confusing - the good thing is you can run this with phantom power and bypass the onboard battery.
The manual is extremely important so if you get a used unit download what ever you can get from their website.
Sound Quality: 10
And I am being very critical. I've owned other effects pedals in the past and this thing is more like a rack mounted pre-amp than an effects.
The knobs are Level, Blend, Treble, Bass, Drive and Presence. The mid can be controled with the bass and treble. The drive is very sensitive and my initial thoughts were "distortion on a bass is not very usefull" But after using the sample settings it really did warm up the sound and produced a Tube amp feel.
Running it clean warms up my fretless Jazz bass to smooth buttery goodness I can't describe and about 50% drive tunrs my MusicMan to four stringed monster that can growl through any mix.
This is truley a versital unit that can be applied to any type of music.
Reliability: N/A
I've only had it 2 weeks but I have total confidence.
Customer Support: N/A
Who know's, we'll see if I ever need them.
Overall Rating: 10
I play mostly Texas Country which is alot like classic rock. I also play Punk, Rock, Blues, and even a little Rap. One setting works with all of these styles.
I've been playing for about 2 years. I use an Eden 1015 400 watt combo, Fender Jazz bass and a MusicMan Sterling Bass.
I would definately replace it if it were lost or stolen.
I have recently been using this as a pre amp direct to the board with no bass amp or cab just the monitors. It weighs alot less than my 80lb Eden combo and it takes less time to set up. I can show up to a gig and be set up in less than 5 minutes.
I know simplicity is key with these things but I do wish it had a individual mid know - maybe even parametric? I tried Digitech, ToneBone and a few others, what I wanted was a DI box I can use to color my sound and incase if my amp blows on a set I have a back up.
Submitted by Lenny Sanchez at 06/30/2005 09:33
Price Paid: US $169
Ease of Use: 9
I don't know how hard turning knobs can get but after reading some reviews I start to wonder. Read the manual and use some of the settings and then fiddle with the settings to get something you like. It's that easy. Features are on www.tech21nyc.com or as listed previously.
Sound Quality: 10
This review is for the bass players that want to show up with a bass and this pedal. It works great this way! You don't have to worry about tubes burning out, heavy equipment to hull around and set up, messing with buttons and knobs for a half hour dialing in your sound, etc.
This pedal allows you to get a lot of different sounds and MOST of them are great! That's subjective but it's my opinion right? Not everything sounds the best to my deaf ears but I only need one good setting. I pretty much set the controls as laid out in the manual for the SVT setting but with more drive and less presence. It's warm, fat, and has a lot of growl that works great with my J-bass.
Reliability: 10
Solid
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
I play a lot of blues, rock, metal, and country, and the one setting pretty much works for everything (it helps that all of those forms of music are pretty closely related to each other). I started off on bass as a kid and then switched to guitar and now play lead in one band and bass in another...so most of my cash is going towards the guitar gear which is why I have only the Jazz bass and this pedal. But it sounds great and works great for my needs so it's a 10!
Submitted by Adam at 06/27/2005 18:31
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 10
For bass, the sounds are really easy to dial in. I had a GK200RB amp through a 15" Fender Bassman slant cab. Without the BDDI, my setup sounded...em...floppy. I think the speaker on my slant cab had lost its tightness. With the BDDI the whole rig tightened up and could hold the low-end really well. My cab started to sound like a new-ish 4 by 10. The drive was always really warm and fuzzy when I wanted it. Just push it a bit and it will go. That was years ago. Now I play lead guitar and, you know, I still use the BDDI. Why? Couldn't give up its sweet drive sound. It took me ages to get the right sound out of it for electric guitar, but now that I have it, I have it! The harmonics are amazing and become particularly apparent with a compressor used AFTER the BDDI. I know, not a typical approach but neither is using the guitar through the BDDI.
Sound Quality: 10
When I was still playing bass, I had a lovely Tokai Hard Puncher, a precision copy, that had a great punchy sound. I plugged directly into the Bass Driver and this was plugged into a GK200RB head and a 15" Fender Bassman Slant Cab. Now, I play an American Squier Strat through the Bass Driver through a Tokai TCO-1 compressor into a 100 watt Kustom 2x10 tuck and roll combo.
Reliability: 10
I have had this repaired once as it spent a year on loan and in that time it was subjected to a power adapter rated well above the Bass Driver's capacity. It cost me $60 for the repair and it still works like the day I bought it.
Customer Support: N/A
When I had the repair done I figured that, rather than customs broker fees and international postage I would take it to Steve's Music in Toronto.
Overall Rating: 10
It's good for what ails ya! 12 yrs of playing, it's been with me for 10. I would definitely purchase it again if it were lost or stolen, although I would be tempted to try a guitar specific box from Tech21...tempted, but I wouldn't do it. I'd probably go for the Bass Driver with the three programmable switches.
Submitted by Andrew at 06/15/2005 12:19
Price Paid: 350 ($CAN)
Ease of Use: 8
This is a programmable bass DI and overdrive unit with three programmable channels. The programming and saving of your settings works in very much the same way as the Line 6 Modeler series, with one minor difference: you must double tap to save, not hold the button down for 2 seconds.
Overall it's pretty simple. All knobs are clear and easy to understand (drive-bass-treble-presence-blend-level) and they give you a vast amount of control on what goes to the amp.
Sound Quality: 9
The key word here is versatility. You can use the unit to define and shape your clean sound, or to add overdrive. There is virtually no noise coming from it, except when the drive knob is WAY up.
The Sansamp sound is probably not for everyone's ears, but I had been a fan of their emulated overdrive sound ever since I had tried the software version of the Sansamp for guitar. So I was a bit sold in advance. I wish you could get even more dirt out of the drive knob, but what you get sounds amazing compared to other digital overdrive untis I've tried.
Getting a good overdrive sound for bass has been incredibly hard, especially because of money restraints. I would have loved to plunk down six months savings on a quality tube preamp, but I had to think about rent and bills, so I went for this instead. And I'm satisfied.
My current set-up is Gibson G3 -> Sansamp PBD DI -> Yorkville XS400 combo+ 1x15 extension cab. The combo by itself was barely OK, good value for its low price. Combined with the Sansamp, I feel I can finally clearly be heard in the mix and add some quality dirt on my bass sound without losing any presence. I wish it would preserve a bit more dynamics and harmonics, but it's not tubes, so that's that. It's still better than any other bass distortion I've tried, and it does a lot more.
Reliability: N/A
I've only had it for a little while so I won't give a rating.
It looks pretty sturdy, though. I would gig this without an hesitation. This was conceived for gigs, as it's a direct box you can plug straight into the PA. It lets you carry three excellent bass sounds in your back pack.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 9
I play guitar and bass in a pretty noisy rock trio. That means owning two rigs and lusting after a lot more equipment than I can afford. The bass rig had been suffering because of it.
I was eyeing the regular Bass Driver DI for a while, but when the programmable version came out I knew it was what I needed.
It didn't cost an arm and a leg and it gives me three well-defined, easy-to-program sounds.
It's versatile, it sounds good and it's affordable.
I like it a lot.
Submitted by Dude Parks at 05/19/2005 09:36
Price Paid: US $145.00
Ease of Use: 10
This thing is so simple to use it amazing. The sample setting are very good but some experimentation on your part will net some really great tones.
I use the base SVT setting as a guide and tweek a little from there. I run directly to a sound board so this thing was purchased spesificly for boosting and shaping my tone. It works great.
I get an excellent model of an Ampeg SVT out of it. Just what I wanted.
Sound Quality: 9
I am using this with a passive Fender Jazz and an Ibanez SRX 300 that I run directly to a sound baord and into the PA. I'm using in-ear monitors and not using an amp on stage so this Sansamp is taking it's place.
It adds a little noise but very little to my signal, not enough to whine about. The SVT tone that it's producing is so good I can care less about the tiny bit of noise it's putting into my signal.
Reliability: 9
Very reliable. I am using it with phantom power from the board but I had to use the 9 volt battery for one show and it blows through them very quickly. I don't recomend running it batteries.
This thing is so simple I dont really see the need for a back up.
It's built pretty sturdy so unless you back over it with the truck or drop it off the third story of a building it should hol up just fine.
Customer Support: N/A
Havent used them
Overall Rating: 9
This is an excellent tool. Every bass player should have one.
It's a little expensive in my opinion and I wish it came with the A/C adapter but oh well. It's a very good product none the less.
Submitted by srxplayer at 05/05/2005 16:32
Price Paid: US $189
Ease of Use: 9
Pretty easy to use took me about 15 minutes to figure out the drive and blend features and use them with my sonic maximizer and my SWR bass studio preamp.
Sound Quality: 10
This is my tone, before just using the SWR bass 220 preamp it sounded flat with either to much high end or not enough high end and my cabinet was clipping. This gives me a chance to be heard, the drive and blend feature gives me way more quality tone and it crushes. The drive is my favoirte cause it adds a low end growl to my tone which is what I love.
Reliability: N/A
Never any problems
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
I play technical death metal, Ive only been playin bass for a year but ive been a guitarist for 7 years and derek from suffocation and risha from decrepit birth showed me what this thing can do and it allows people to hear me when im going into super technical super fast riffs and lines that need to be heard to get that full brutal effect. My set up is a QSC RMX 850 power amp, a SWR studio 220 preamp, sonic maximizer (BBE), and my sans amp...this little pedal makes the biggest difference inmy tone, this is the real deal, if you play metal of funk youll be into it!
Submitted by Joel at 03/24/2005 17:53
Price Paid: US $189
Ease of Use: 9
Fairly easy to use. I had to refer to the manual on how to set it up properly for direct recordings, but there's a section called "How To Record Direct" that covered it clearly enough.
The level controls the output volume, blend controls how much of the tone comes from the DI or your amp (which I'm not using), treble controls high frequencies, bass controls low frequencies, presence controls mid frequencies and drive gives the input a little distortion.
There's a 1/4" input for your bass and two outputs (XLR and 1/4" parallel). You also have 3 switches to go between phantom/ground connect, line/inst. output, and line/inst. XLR. There's a standard, metal stompbox switch on the top to turn the thing on and off and a red LED to show you which.
One qualm: I ordered the 9v adapter from musiciansfriend, but right now I'm using a battery. On a 9 volt connector, you have 2 circular prongs that connect to the battery with a wire coming out of it; normally this wire comes out of the back or side, but Tech 21 put it right in the center of the 2 prongs. Not a HUGE issue, but I thought I'd mention it as it kinda annoyed me when I was putting the battery in.
Other than that, this seems to be a pretty good unit. I might worry about crushing the LED light since it's right above the stompbox switch, but I'm not using it as a footswitch, personally, so it's not a problem.
You do have to tweak this thing to get a good direct sound, but once you figure that out, you're good to go. The manual comes with suggested settings.
Sound Quality: 8
I'm using a Spector Performer 4 to go straight into the DI, which then uses the XLR output to go to my preamp. The sound is not bad considering that it's just a direct recording. You don't really want to turn the drive past 12:00, but other than that you can tweak the hell out of the knobs. Wether you want a slap sound with some grind or a deep, smooth bass tone, this unit does it pretty well.
Reliability: 10
Looks and feels like a brick. I'm not too worried.
Customer Support: N/A
Haven't had to call them.
Overall Rating: 9
For direct recording, this thing is awesome. I bet it'd work pretty well in front of an actual bass amp, too. If it were stolen/lost I'd probably buy a new one (if not, I'd still buy something from Tech21--they make good stuff).
Submitted by Mike at 03/04/2005 17:53
Price Paid: ($200) used
Ease of Use: 10
very easy to find a good overall sound
Sound Quality: 9
ampeg svp pro bass preamp thru a crate 300 watt stereo power amp into 1 ampeg 4x10 cab
i can definitely get some really punchy tones outta this rig, my main and current bass is a Warwick Streamer LX 4 string.
i use the sansamp to add more definition and boost to my sound, it works perfectly for what i need it for without having to spend thousands on rack gear
Reliability: 8
so far ive had no problems however the battery life isn't good. i would recommend the adapter expecially if your using it at gigs
Customer Support: N/A
n/a
Overall Rating: 9
i play bass in a hardcore/metal band. i would say it is a useful product for anyone who has limited funds and is looking for a affordable way to enhance their tone. ive been playing for atleast 7 years now. i also own a Ibanez SR300DX 4 string bass which i never play because Warwick's are truely amazing and i won't play anything but. I love the overall tone i can get with the sansamp bass driver, and it works even better when its running thru a PA. I wish i had more money for more gear (doesn't everyone) a Warwick Streamer Stage II would make my day. My rig is great live or in the studio, also very easy to transport considering im not using 8x10's...i find all u really need is a 4x10 cab and a tube head. I would not use anything but tube amps for bass.
Submitted by refused at 02/21/2005 18:03
Price Paid: US $189.00
Ease of Use: 10
Extremely easy to use.
Sound Quality: 6
It sounds OK, but not as good as the MXR M-80
Reliability: 10
Rock solid.
Customer Support: 10
These guys are awesome!
Overall Rating: 6
I found this unit to be very muddy sounding at low drive levels and harsh at high ones. I have since bought an MXR M-80 and am much happier. I use these little pedals to practice with when I don't feel like setting up my SVT. The MXR is cleaner, has more tonal options, has a footswitch for the distortion, and costs less. I love Tech 21 and have an Acoutic DI. (My bass sounds better through that than the Bass Driver.)
Submitted by Anonymous at 02/07/2005 15:37
Price Paid: US $189
Ease of Use: 10
Ok...this thing is a piece of cake. No fancy processors to program, no excessive knobs...it's just downright simple. The manual covers everything there is to know...which isn't much. Set it for one of the provided examples and tweak to find 'your' sound!
Sound Quality: 10
I have a variety of basses (Hondo, Washburn, Fender, Ovation and Carvin). I use it mostly with my Carvin LB70 and Fender Active Jazz V. I run it prior to my BOSS GT-6B then to my Peavey FireBass 700 into Avatar B210 and B115 cabinets. I plugged it in and set it to some of the example settings, and almost IMMEDIATELY found a sound I loved...very Geddy Lee (considering that he uses the rackmount version of this pedal...I think it's safe to assume it's pretty dang close). I love this thing. There is no noise whatsoever and it just sounds fabulous!
Reliability: 10
It seems well constructed of metal and high quality parts. I would guess it's a pretty tough little box.
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with them.
Overall Rating: 10
I play lots of different stuff, but mostly classic rock covers. I think that this thing would work for any kind of music because it has a variety of control that would allow for lots of tones to tailor it to whatever you need. I will NEVER be without one of these now. They are invaluable. The tone is just so sweet and I can't believe what a difference it made. I waited almost three years to get one of these...looking back I have NO idea what I was thinking. This should have been one of the first things I bought when I started playing seriously. I think EVERY bass player should have one of these. This thing is easily worth twice what I paid.
Submitted by James Campbell at 02/01/2005 14:35
Price Paid: 300 (Australian) used
Ease of Use: 9
I gave it a 9 because some impatient techno-ignorant types who expect instant gratification may be disappointed by having to spend 20 seconds dialling in a sound.
The controls are all highly interactive and all the controls have a large range of cut and boost so that it's easily possible to inadvertantly get an awful sound. I'd recommend starting off with a couple of the settings in the manual and then seeing how adjustments to the controls affect the tone.
Sound Quality: 10
Absolutely fantastic!!
I've used it with my early '80's US Fender Precision, my OLP 5 string, my acoustic bass guitar and my Yamaha acoutic guitar. EVERY situation I've used it in has yielded an excellent, fat, warm, smooth, quality sound.
Sat in with a friend's country band and used their Bassist's rig - Jap Precision with VERY dead strings into a Marshall bass amp and quad box (fairly recent model) which actually sounds o.k. I put my Bass Driver between the Bass and the amp and the guys couldn't believe how good the rig suddenly sounded. The bass was also a LOT more audible without actually being louder and stomping all over the other instruments (by the way; these guys play pretty loud for a country band).
Plugged into a power amp into a quad box at gigs it's all the pre-amp I'll ever need - excellent basic sound with a great range of tone control and fat, fat, fat without smothering everything else.
With an acoustic bass guitar straight into a vocal PA it was the BEST tone, by far, I've ever had from this setup.
OLP 5-string straight into a PA for a rehearsal again sounded fantastic. In all these situations there was more than enough range in the tone controls to dial in a great sound.
And to top it all off, I used it with an acoustic guitar direct into the PA at an acoutic gig and found it makes an excellent pre-amp/DI for acoustic guitar as well - all the shimmering highs and tight defined bottom-end I want.
And it's the BEST distortion for Bass I've found; bear in mind I want a fairly subtle overdriven SVT or Marshall just-starting-to-break-up sort of sound (think Jack Bruce/Tim Bogert), not maximum fuzzed-out mayhem.
Oh, and DUHH!! when you turn the drive and presence flat out you DO get some noise, morons. Show me a real gutsy amp which makes no noise at full drive!
Reliability: N/A
Can't really comment at this stage.
I would gig without a backup but only 'cos I've still got my old pre-amp in the rack. I wouldn't be happy if I couldn't use my Bass Driver, though!
Customer Support: 10
The only time I ever dealt with them was an email query regarding what spec power supply it uses. Judging on past experiences, I'm sure many companies would have replied with "buy our power supply" but I got an informative, helpful reply the next day from tech 21 AND a .pdf of the manual. Thanks Lloyd!!
Overall Rating: 10
I play (mainly Bass) for a living and I've been gigging for over 25 years now and I play all styles - Blues, Rock'n'Roll, Jazz, Folk, Reggae, etc., etc.
My main gear is '82 Fender Precision, early '90's Precision Lyte, early '70's Fender Telecaster Bass, '82 US Hamer Cruisebass, OLP 5-string bass, cheapie Vester acoustic bass guitar, and a Yamaha acoustic guitar (with pickup). Also an Ibanez 6 string bass I use mainly for recording sessions.
I was using a Hartke 3500 head into a quad box with Eminence 10's but the Hartke died recently after nearly a decade of use.
Since then I have been using the Hartke as a pre-amp (the pre-amp section's still o.k.) into either a Peavey or Phonic power amp and recently scored a Behringer Bass V-Amp Pro to use as a pre-amp in my rack (don't laugh; I get on well with the V-Amps having had one for a while as a headphone practice unit). Now the Bass Driver is my pre-amp of choice.
I have to say here that mine is the one with the switchable output levels - both the outputs can be switched between Instrument and Line level. I don't know how the earlier ones will work driving a power amp.
If mine were stolen I'd replace it as soon as friggin' possible. Although I've only had it for less than a week, the Bass Driver is one of the very few pieces of equipment which I would now rate as absolutely indispensible (to me). I like equipment which has a good basic sound and enough range in the controls for me to take it from there. I do wish they made one with storable pre-sets - something like the Tri-AC's setup would be great.
I notice some guys don't like the lack of adjustable mids but this hasn't been an issue for me so far.
If I sound like I'm gushing a bit over this thing, I am. It's the best value bit of gear I've bought in many years and adds great, boner-inducing tone in EVERY situation I've used it in so far.
Although I realise there are some folks who won't like it as much as me, I'd recommend everyone at least try one out. Just be aware that you have to fiddle with it a little to get the best results.
If you get the impression I'm more than a little stoked, I am - it's the happiest musical retail experience I've had in a LONG time. I'm totally satisfied (and then some) with this unit.
Submitted by Mal at 01/13/2005 00:48
Price Paid: US $170
Ease of Use: 8
pretty easy. Set flat, plug in, make SLIGHT adjustments while playing until desired sound is heard.
Sound Quality: 7
It can instantly beef up any rig out there. The suggested settings in the manual are helpful, but I find it's best to just set all the controls flat and go from there. As many people have discovered, the lack of midrange is an ENORMOUS DOWNFALL of this pedal. Even if you set the EQ flat, it still somehow sounds like it cuts out alot of the midrange frequencies. The manual says that cutting the bass and treble and boosting the level effectivly boosts the unit's "fixed mids," but I find this to be a crock of shit as well unfortunately.
The upside is that this thing can give out some really nice fat bottom end! The overdrive on this thing is somewhat of disappointment at first, but if you use it with the presence knob correctly, it can really give some bite to your bass tone!
Reliability: N/A
looks like it can survive a beating without much of a problem...
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 7
This thing was pretty damn expensive. I like how this has a total of 3 different outputs, and I like how it really beefs up my bass tone (while adding a nice hint of aggressiveness), but I feel that it cuts out too much midrange punch. It's a pretty good pedal overall, but I'm only giving this a 7 because I feel it was too expensive for what I got.
It's ok for now, but I think I might try looking into the MXR M-80 instead. That after all, has a midrange control, and from what I heard, a more aggressive distortion.
Submitted by Tlaloc at 12/30/2004 22:42
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 10
Nothing to it.
Sound Quality: 10
I'm using it with a GK 400RB, Hartke 410XL and various basses. Let me start out by saying, I have always hated effects boxes of any kind. I've always hated the "artificial" sound of them. noisy, power draining, they always reminded me of when they first came out with solid state bass amps, no warmth. This is the first one I've ever tried that actually enhanced the sound instead of changing it completely. I'm mostly using a slight variation on their "SVT" setting and for me it's like the last piece in the jigsaw puzzle.
Reliability: 9
So Far so good. I don't use anything with batteries ordinarily, I was thinking it was going to be a pain. Actually, the battery lasts a fairly long time but when it starts to go you'll know it. I'm going to get the transformer for it sooner or later though.
Customer Support: N/A
N/A
Overall Rating: 10
I'm no gearhead. I know what I want but a lot of the time I don't have a clue about how to get it. If you're like me then this thing could be just what you're looking for.
Submitted by Anonymous at 10/24/2004 22:36
Price Paid: US $180
Ease of Use: 10
It is very easy to use. The knobs are Level, Blend, Treble, Bass, Drive, Presence, and a footswitch to switch the effected and uneffected signal. The manual gives setting samples from various sounds.
Sound Quality: 10
I use passive 4 string Washburn XB 102. With this little box, I can easily get lots of different sounds, from deep lows to crispy highs. It also gives punchy, warm and deep sound that i was looking for. This box can be very noisy when the treble and the presence dialed above 12 o'clock.
Reliability: 10
I will never gig without this box!! Very reliable. Its been part of my life. Cant live without it.
Customer Support: N/A
Never deal with customer support.
Overall Rating: 10
I love this box. Ive been playing for 2 years, in school band. I was thinking about upgrading my passive pickup with active EMGs or Barts. But I saw this product on net and I fell in love. It makes my bass sound lively. Good job TECH 21!!
Submitted by Denisky at 09/13/2004 03:25
Price Paid: US $155
Ease of Use: 10
Real easy to get good sounds out of it - but use the manual to get some starting points and see roughly what it takes to accomplish certain things. Not very hard to fiddle with on your own and get great sounds out of.
Sound Quality: 8
Sounds superb in a live setting, but for recording, beware. I do not use an overdriven/fuzzy sound (my drive knob is never too far up there) and I play basses with active electronics - which I set flat per the manual. There is noise which comes from the box itself. It won't kill you, but I guess I expected it to be dead quiet. Even though I could eliminate my Yamaha PB-1, I go stright to the SansAmp, into the yamaha, and then into a QSC power amp. The rig sounded great before, now it is even better. Oh yeah, the speaker cabs are loaded with 1 EV DLX 18" and 2 EV "Force" 10" speakers.
Reliability: 10
Built like a tank. Everything on it seems to be made to the highest standards (all knobs feel equal, etc). Would feel comfortable without a backup.
Customer Support: 10
Have not needed them, but everyone seems to think they are excellent, so I'm sure they are.
Overall Rating: 10
I play almost every style, and this thing can work with you all-around. Been playing for 24 years and have not come across a piece of gear that changed everything so drastically. I'm going to go against the grain and not beg for a midrange knob. It is pre-set in the box and can be cut or boosted by the bass and treble controls (it's all right there in the manual how to do it). Other than it being a bit difficult to record with (which I can live with), there is nothing I can think of to complain about. Excellent product...would recommend to anyone with no hesitation.
Submitted by Mark at 07/19/2004 07:24
Price Paid: US $140.00
Ease of Use: 9
Very straightforward, just set tones at 12 o'clock and get good sound out of it, tweak from there. It can get a decent range of sounds though they're all 'related' to each other IMO. It doesn't sound like a different box when you twist the knobs, it sounds like the same box with the knobs twisted. JMO. But to me, even a Pod still sounds like a Pod on a different setting when you switch the models...
Sound Quality: 9
I'm using it for direct-in recording. It's been simple to get a nice track that lays well in a mix: bass>SansAmp>PC. Add the Kjaerhus VST Classic Compressor and their Master Limiter (or similar) after tracking, and maybe a dab of EQ, and you got a pretty convincing bass track.
I don't know if I'd call it the end-all of bass boxes, but I do know that I have no urge at this point to look for something else (but there's always tomorrow!).
I do think the distortion feature is a bit 'iffy' but it does have use as a pseudo-limiter when you dial the drive to where it only clips on the undesired peaks. And it works for grunge-o-bass. It's the ground in-between that isn't that great IMO.
Overall, excellent bang for the buck plus excellent resale value on eBay makes it an easy choice. It's definitely worth checking out even if you have more budget to work with.
Reliability: 9
SansAmp stomp boxes are fairly rugged in general, this one's no exception. If it ever croaks, Tech 21 will repair it for a reasonable price at their facility.
Customer Support: 10
They seem responsive when you contact them.
Overall Rating: 10
I'm a long time guitar player recording my own bass tracks, so I suppose I'm not a *real* bass player :-) But I do paid gigs on bass from time to time, so I know what a bass is supposed to sound like and I know how it's supposed to fit in a mix. This box does a good job at what it does. I haven't used it live, but based on playing it thru good studio monitors, it may work well in a venue with a good PA, it has no hiss.
Submitted by Anonymous at 07/12/2004 17:20
Price Paid: US $110 used
Ease of Use: 8
The box itself is pretty straitforward, if you buy it used get the manual cause the preset suggestions are necessary. I struggled for a long time, but now I am VERY happy. Some days I would have a good sound, others would be bad. I finally figured out what I was doing wrong with the help of the manuals suggestions.
Sound Quality: 9
I play a five string w/ soap bar pickups and passive electronics. I have played in a church for 6 years, where they never want musicians to have guitar/bass amps. I struggled and was frustrated until I got this device and figured it out. I have also used a tube pre-amp, but this is much fuller even than the tube. Sansamp has fixed my tone problem. I am buying the TRI-AC for guitar next and I will never carry an amp to gig again!
Reliability: 9
Can't imagine is ever breaking. It is built like a rock. Mine is about four years old and just developed a hum when it is plugged in, but I may have dirty power. Battery lasts a long time..stick with the battery
Customer Support: 10
I got a response the same day when I requested the manual. Never had to get repairs.
Overall Rating: 9
I played through a Hartke 3000 with 4x10 and 1x15. Great amp, but couldn't compare with this sound through a good PA. I use the amp w/ the Sansamp outside of the church and it gives me what I want. whether you are going direct or as an effect, this box is good. READ THE PRESETS IN THE MANUAL. In general, start everything @ 12 o'clock and make SMALL adjustments (LEVEL should be all the way up).
Submitted by Jeremiah at 05/28/2004 13:12
Price Paid: US $167
Ease of Use: 10
pretty damn easy, if you can read "input," output," "level," etc, you can use this thing...
Sound Quality: 10
i first got it to use with my upright bass' piezo pick up, it worked great for that. then i started using it with my fender pbasses ('96 mexican w/rosewood and '77 fretless w/rosewood) and i loved the tone it gave me with that. i now run it through the effect return on my harke 3500 because the harke's preamp sounds like ass! the drive will give it some thump and a bit of distortion but is by no means overdrive...
Reliability: 10
its now 5 years old, been trying my hardest to break it while gigging to no avail.
Customer Support: N/A
havent needed it (i guess thats a good thing
)
Overall Rating: 10
i'd say that if you use a ton of amps but want to sound the same and you like a nice, present, warm, tone. helps with weak pickups (though cant make up for total pos').
Submitted by Anonymous at 05/26/2004 16:11
Price Paid: US $165
Ease of Use: 9
straight forward, but it does take some fiddling with to get used to it, and to get some good sounds.
Sound Quality: 9
i use it with a 72 p bass (not mine, unfortunately), modified washburn xb 900, and stock washburn xb 500. sounds great, compliments my svt 3 great,
Reliability: 10
never failed me, i use it as my back up to my amp basicly.
Customer Support: N/A
never dealt with em
Overall Rating: 9
i primarily use this to record, i lay down 2 bass tracks one with this and one with my svt 3 (no effects on either) and the two mix together pretty damn good. Svt warmer deeper sound, this has punchier sound, I also use it at certain gigs (there is a sound guy at a bar we sometimes play and he insists on running bass straight, before it goes into the amp, yeah he really sucks, so i run it basicly as a pedal there). I use a washburn xb 900 with a G&L pickup and passive electronics live, with a 72 p bass and washburn xb 500 in studio. i play punky thrashy hard rock, i love that deep smooth driven sound, i like to add kind of a raggae/dub feel . With this box i find it hard to get really low tone without making it sound too processed or boomy, but it will give you one helluva punchy sound. if it were stolen, i might see if there were any new comers to the field, but would probably just get another. bottom line is this is a great box, i dont think its quite the godsend many others do, but definately worth trying out.
Submitted by Anonymous at 04/26/2004 19:46
Price Paid: US $165 used
Ease of Use: 9
Crank the blend knob round to full, up the presence and bass a bit, with a little drive, and you've got instant FAT sound! Manual is simple, intuitive and detailed.
Sound Quality: 9
I bought my Bass Driver DI off ebay without even having heard one before. Prior to this I used the amp sim and edge distortion patches on a cheap Zoom 506II. Once the Sansamp arrived I plugged it into my Peavey Microbass and did a quick clean/effected test. As soon as I played a note with the Sansamp on I was blown away- it was finally the rich, thick sound I'd been searching for. I'd never bought anything from ebay, never bought an fx pedal without trying it out first, and I took a punt on this unit and it is by far the best gear purchase I have ever made.
The fuzz on full Drive is quite nice, not really what I'd use often (have a Gallien Krueger Diesel Dawg for full-blown sonic destruction) but I'd imagine if I had an old P-bass and a thing for 70s fuzz it'd be ideal. At first I put the Sansamp before the Diesel Dawg but the tone was a bit naff, so I swapped em and BOOM! sorted ;)
Recording-wise I re-recorded a bass track on one of my band's songs that i'd previously recorded using the Zoom. The bass instantly cut through the mix considerably more. Along with a nice fat tube compressor this would be ideal for any recording DI
There might be some people that like authentic clean bass tone, but I'll never turn the Sansamp off ever again- the tone is amazing.
Reliability: 9
The case is sturdy and looks like it'll be durable for years. The on/off footswitch is quite light to touch, whereas the rest of the unit is quite chunky. My amp will cark it before this baby does.
Customer Support: N/A
Havent dealt with Tech21
Overall Rating: 10
Like I said- this was the final piece of my rig that I was waiting for. I use a Ernie Ball Music Man 5-string through a Gallien Krueger 1001RB and while the tone was already pretty tasty with this setup, I was trying to find something that would give me a grittier rock tone. The Bass Driver DI is perfect for this.
I run the following rig:
Musicman Stingray -> Boss PSM-5 Master Switch -> Gallien Krueger Diesel Dawg -> Sansamp Bass Driver DI -> Boss CE-2B Chorus -> Boss BF-2B Flanger -> DOD FX-? Envelope Filter -> EH Small Stone -> Gallien Krueger 1001RB
and I would trade any of these pedals for a Bass Driver DI. If I lost it, I'd definately get another one pronto.
Submitted by Anonymous at 04/25/2004 20:22
Price Paid: US $119 used
Ease of Use: 10
Simple, straightforward use.
Sound Quality: 2
Despite all the hype about this product, I fiddled with it for eleven months. I found the tube sound was too synthetic. I could never get a decent sound out of it. I really wanted to believe in this product after all the favorable comments. I could never get a sound I liked out of it.
Reliability: 10
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 2
I traded it for another pedal. I do use a Sadowsky Preamp/DI and I am very pleased with it. I came to the conclusion that if I truly wanted a tube sound, I would either have a tube preamp or a tube amp.
I have been playing 33 years. I play covers/blues semi professionally. I have have owned and played through many amps/preamps. This just didn't deliver any sounds that I liked. I previously had the belt clip Sadowsky. I now have the floor model Sadowsky and I find it gives me what I want in tone.
Submitted by bmc at 04/19/2004 02:58
Price Paid: 222 (Euro)
Ease of Use: 9
I had instant great results with this unit. The manual is straight forward and easy to understand. It took me a while to figure out that I had to turn my bass quite a bit down to not overload the input, but once that was sorted, things were easy.
Sound Quality: 10
I use a GLOCKENKLANG Soul top with a GLOCKENKLANG 2x10 DUO cabinet and I play a new Warwick Thumb (5-string), an old (80s) Warwick Streamer Stage I 4-String and a cheap passive Steinberger Spirit 4-String (the wooden mexico version, not the graphite, it's my travel bass 'cos it fits in an overhead compartment :)) I couldn't believe what the Bass Driver DI did to the sound of that Steinberger. I hadn't touched that bass in ages, but after hearing it sound *that* good, I guess I'll use it more often in the future.
This unit doesn't produce a lot of noise unless its Drive knob is turned quite a bit up.
I've been using a Bass Pod (1st version) for occasions where I had to plug directly into a PA system, but this'll have to go.. the SansAmp is smaller and simply sounds better.
Reliability: N/A
Haven't had it long enough to be able to comment on that.
Customer Support: N/A
haven't had to deal with them
Overall Rating: 9
I've been playing bass for only 5 years (been playing the piano for 20 years and drums for 4 years), however, I've been in search of *that* sound since I started. With my GLOCKENKLANG rig I'm almost there, but the SansAmp really adds that last bit of "zing" to it, and I've now stopped using the GLOCKENKLANG preamp and run the SansAmp's output into my amp right after its preamp stage.
If it were stolen, I'd get a new one.
I wish it had adjustable mids, but actually this is easy to handle by simply adjusting highs/lows and level accordingly (for mid boost, just turn down high/low and raise the level a bit for example)
Submitted by Anonymous at 04/18/2004 17:38
Price Paid: 180 (pounds)
Ease of Use: 10
EASY EASY EASY
Sound Quality: 10
HUGE SOUND!!! Even if you've got a precision/stingray and an ampeg svt, this will boost your balls. Great overdrive too. Very clean DI, and even with all knobs at one o'clock sounds great, but you can get your own shape.
Reliability: 10
Never died on me yet, done hundreds of gigs and sessions with it.
Customer Support: N/A
???????????????????????
Overall Rating: 9
Could do with a mid range control, but the bass and treble slightly moved together gets you there. The parallel output is too cool, for recording you can go to 2 tracks and effect just the regular tone, leaving the bass driver tone to clean it up. I use it for fat sounds, dub/funk. Sound awesome with passive basses. With active basses you have to turn your tone pots down, otherwise too much db. Can sometimes make active basses too zingy and processed, but thats great if thats your thing!! I just can't leave home without it. Rating is a 9 because of no mid range or active/passive instrument selctor.
Submitted by dan at 04/15/2004 00:35
Price Paid: US $189
Ease of Use: 9
Very intuative settings. The manual is short and to the point. There's nothing complex about it, just a lot of easy to use options. The suggested setting are great starting points, and just minor tweaking drastically changes the tone.
Sound Quality: 9
I have a Hohner BBase VI and a Yamaha RBX-775. I was using a SWR wrkmans 15 with a Boss GT-6B pedal. I was unable to get the fat tone from the boss due to the pre-amp of the SWR coloring the sound. In reading the manual for the Sans Amp, they suggest plugging this into the "Effects Return" to bypass the pre-amp. It works great! I now have a fat tube sound that I was unable to get using the solid state pre-amp. I've turned off the amp/speaker emulation on the GT-6B and use it just for basic effects (chorus, octaver, wah, etc...). Although I don't use it a lot, the distortion sounds from the Sans Amp are awesome. Similar to Rage Against the Machine. Every other bass distortion I've heard is tinny or sounds like a buzzsaw. This is fat and deep.
Reliability: 8
Very sturdy metal casing with solid knobs and a metal stomp button. However, I use velcro strips to attach this to my amp, and I never turn it off. I bought the A/C adapter, as the battery is difficult to change. You have to unscrew the entire back plate, which would be a disaster if it went out during a show.
Customer Support: N/A
N/A
Overall Rating: 9
I was happy with the SWR Wkgmans 15 sound when I was playing with a funk-metal band. However, I've recently been gigging with a zydeco/latin/funk band and I needed a more "vintage" tone. The tube emulator adds this dimension to my tone, and I can still get a modern scooped tone for other band situations if necessary. I would definatly buy this again if stolen. It is a easy and relatively inexpensive way to make your old amp sound like new. Try it and see, uh, I mean hear : )
Submitted by vaughan at 04/09/2004 11:06
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 10
Pretty much any type of EQ you dial up was somehow engineered to sound good! The presets in the manual do help though, and the manual itself is very straightforward.
Sound Quality: 10
I use this with a Warwick Corvette Standard or Stienberger Spirit...you can definately hear the differences between both (which suprises the hell out of me), but obviously the Warwick sounds much beter in this thing (its single coils provide more top-end, thus more 'cut-through')
It's not noisy at all, unless I'm recording right in front of my computer (which even then it's tolerable!) And it only gets noisy if the prescence knob is dailed up all the way, which I don't normally do unless I'm trying to sound like Geddy or Lemmy lol
At home I use this to beef up the sound on my Yorkville 100-watt amp, but obviously if I go anywhere that has a mixing board or other sounds system I would bring this thing only!
The only sound I managed to get from this thing that sounded like an artist I know of is Geddy Lee's bass sound (particlularly from Rush in Rio and Vapor Trails). And thats because he uses the SansAmp RBI (which is the exact same circuitry as this but a rack instead of a DI). And Geddy happens to be my all-time favourite bassist, so I'm glad every now and then I can get some of his sounds...
The Bass Driver has exactly the amount of 'grit' that I was looking for. I've tried many pedals, including Digitech's bass driver, a few guitar distortion pedals, a Boss GEB-7 EQ pedal (I boosted every fader to get some distortion but it still wasnt quite right), and I owned a Boss ODB-3 pedal a few years back, but that's basically a guitar distortion for bass (I traded it in for a used Metal Zone that nowadays doesn't work properly anymore).
Reliability: N/A
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
How can it get any better? I was less impressed with full-blown SWR and Ampeg stacks than I was when I heard this thing direct to my computer's Audio interface! It's that damn good!
I now own 3 pedals that I use regularly and love dearly lol; an MXR Doubleshot Distortion (for my guitar, and sometimes on bass when I wanna Cliff Burton/Lemmy sound), a Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter, and this.
I would have liked to compare this to the Ibanez Phat-Hed bass overdrive, but I couldn't find that bastard pedal anywhere...and besides that's just a pre-amp stomp box--this can do that and go direct; which ultimately was what I was looking for.
It definately helps me make music, its the tone I've been wanting to get for so long! And what's scary is I can't believe how many of the reviewers on this website have said the same thing lol
Tech 21 SansAmps are F**ING AMAZING!!! THANK YOU TECH21!
Submitted by snowdog2112 at 03/23/2004 14:19
Price Paid: US $170.00
Ease of Use: 9
Fairly simple and straight forward. The manual comes with sample settings for various bass styles. I recommend spending 10 minutes or so trying out these settings so you can understand the full potential of this device. I've also found that the settings make a great starting point for which you can can further tweak/customize/adapt for your own personal tastes.
Sound Quality: 9
I first used this in the studio. I liked it so much that I went out the next day and purchased one for myself. I loved how my recordings came out that now I use it live via sidechain off the effects loop on my preamp. I play a 66 fender P-bass>demeter comp-1 compression pedal>demeter 201s preamp>GK 800RB bi-amp mode into Eden 2x10's and ampeg 15. I've found that this unit is capable of creating a bit of noise but that's more due to my own personal doing and not typical of other users. I play in a punk band so I like to crank the presence to the full position which helps me achieve that tight but refined hi-end punch. The noise isn't enough to drive me nuts since it's only noticeable between songs and can be turned off by hitting the footswitch.
Reliability: 10
Dependable? Oh yeah!! Would I use it a gig without a backup? I have no choice, I'm poor so buying two of everything isn't a luxury for me. Nevertheless, the thing is pretty sturdy and since I run it off my effects loop on short cables it rest nicely on top of my rig without the worry of people spilling beer or trampling over it.
Customer Support: N/A
I've never had an issue with this product that warranted a phone call or e-mail. So that's good.
Overall Rating: 9
I compared this unit to other DI boxes that I've used in the past and I have to say it is one of the very best out there under the $200.00 dollar range. One thing that sucks about this pedal is the battery compartment. You have to unscrew the entire back plate in order to access it and always, as with my luck, I've never had a screwdriver handy when I needed to swap batteries before a show. However, you can avoid this problem by purchasing the AC adaptor from the manufacturer or an equivalent from radio shack.
Submitted by Anonymous at 03/23/2004 13:31
Price Paid: US $189
Ease of Use: 10
Very straightforward. Clearly marked inputs and outputs. Controls are logical and very responsive. The manual is brief and clear. It gives some sample settings which gove a good idea of what sounds come from what knob positions. Multiple outputs let you go direct while also plugging in to an amp for miking or monitor.
Sound Quality: 10
THIS IS THE SOUND I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR!! I have changed basses, changed pickups, changed amps and cabs, strings, necks, etc, etc. This magic box gives me the tone that has been in my head all along. I play a couple of homemade parts basses, a P bass with older reissue pickups and an active fretless J bass. I have used the Bass Driver as a stomp box in front of my SWR head and cab, and as a direct box for gigging and recording. I play Rock, Jazz, Blues and Alt. Country. There is a sound for each to be had, plus tons of subtle variations depending on the situation. The controls are very responsive. A tiny tweek can make a world of difference. I mostly use it to fatten and sweeten the dry sound of my solid-state rig. The range of the eq is amazing. The tube emulation is dead-on. Punch and presence with so much depth. Like an Ampeg stack (without the noise) that you can carry in your gig bag! Just last night I used it at a commercial studio session, and the engineer flipped over it. One cool thing that I learned from the manual is how to use the effects loop input on my amp to bypass the pre-amp stage and use the Bass Driver as the pre-amp and the amp head just for the power. This setup shows just how good this thing sounds all by itself. The thing I like the best is that for all the color and depth this box adds to my sound, it still sounds like my bass. It is transparent enough that changes in right hand position and dynamics can still be clearly heard. Can't say enough good things about it. I am trying to think of a criticism to balance all this praise, but I can't come up with one.
The best value of any piece of gear I have ever purchased.
Reliability: 10
The case is thick metal with a very tough finish, and the foot switch button feels very solid and tight. The controls move smoothly and nothing is loose or rattling inside. I think you would have to try hard to damage this thing. The box it came in is all the protection it needs in the bag with the cables and cords.
Customer Support: N/A
Have not had the need.
Overall Rating: 10
I will always own one of these for the rest of my life. If I had to replace it for whatever reason, I would be thrilled all over again to be getting this much tone for this little money. I also have a Big Muff and a Bass Balls that I don't really use much. I am not into the "effect" sounds. I just need some kick-ass tone. I have been playing upright and electric bass for about 8 years, guitar for 20 or so. Bass is undoubtedly the most important instrument in any style of music. Check out a book called "How the Fender Bass Changed the World". You'll see the light, my brother.
Submitted by Matt H. Seattle, Wa. at 03/05/2004 20:43
Price Paid: US $189.00
Ease of Use: 10
Super easy to get great sounds.
Both XLR and 1/4" outputs.
Sound Quality: 10
I use on old tele-bass and a yamaha bb 1600. ampeg BA 115 and Danlectro small bass amp. The Tech 21 Bass Driver DI makes it easy to dial up the bass sounds i've tried to get for years. It can go from super clean to super dirty. Even when set to overdriven dirty sounds, it still sounds full like a bass should. It doesn't get thin sounding like the Boss Bass overdrive pedal or any other overdrive I've tried - bass or guitar pedal.
The Tech 21 Bass Driver DI can dial in the overdrive very gradually (no sudden jumps) from just a tiny bit to way more than ever needed. It has great bass and treble adjustments, but it doen't have a mid-range adjustment. The rackmount version has a mid-range adjustment. however, evem without the midrange knob, I'm able to get al the sounds I want. So luckily I don't miss not having the mid-range. I've never used or tried the more expensive Bass "boxes" like the bass pod. So I don't know how it compares, bu ti don't care because I love the sound I get from the Tech 21 Bass Driver DI.
Reliability: 10
Seems super strong. I'd use without a back up.
Customer Support: N/A
I've never had to contact the company.
Overall Rating: 10
I've played for 20 years. I play Joy Division type bass lines.
Submitted by Anonymous at 11/29/2003 13:35
Price Paid: US $179
Ease of Use: 9
Pretty simple to use - Tech21's electronics & EQ styles do take a little getting used to but all sounds in this box are good if not great. Manual is very good (as are all Tech21 manuals). Other than the unique mid-less (but very good) EQ, this couldn't really be easier...
Sound Quality: 10
Sound quality is very, very nice! I'm a guitar player but have wound up playing Bass quite often with my group at church. I have an inexpensive but good Yamaha BB404, and I usually play direct to PA with an amp modeler of some type. Didn't want to get an amp & I really like all the Tech21 Guitar products I've owned so far - this seemed like a no-brainer to me.
Unit is pretty quiet. I don't really like using much drive/presence on my bass so I would guess it could be a little more noisy at times... A couple weeks ago I ran my bass thru my Tech21 Tri-AC & one of the guitar players mentioned how nice it sounded. I was wondering if ordering the Bass Driver would be unnecessary since the Tri-AC worked well but IT WAS WORTH IT!
I'm no bass expert but the sounds I get are full, warm and even. Who would've thought an inexpensive bass and and $180 gizmo could be this nice? What a great tool for hobby-players like me & others who just want a simple rig that still sounds great.
What can I say? Tech21 is the bomb!
Reliability: 9
Tech21 stuff always seems built well. Of course I will depend on it -I'm no pro player so I can't justify owning tons of backup stuff...
My used Trademark 60 (also from Tech21) has had a few problems but Tech21 support diagnosed the issues right away and gave me solutions. The switch doesn't seem quite as solid as the ones on my TRI-AC...
Customer Support: 10
Tech21 always emails back right away. Very helpful and kind. They really are the best customer service I've experienced in 16 years of playing.
Overall Rating: 10
I play rock/jazz/blues/gospel... I can't imagine what I would want this pedal to do that it wouldn't be able to. I've been playing guitar for 16 yrs - playing bass for 3 months!
I would definitely try to get another if I had to. It's small, pretty simple, and best of all it goes straight to the PA with low impedance XLR. Didn't really compare to other products. I'm pretty much stuck on Tech21 by this point. Great tool, makes me a better player and (I hope) more fun to listen to for our church crowd.
Submitted by Matt at 11/10/2003 13:38
Price Paid: US $190
Ease of Use: 9
Put the battery in, set everything flat, turn the "blend" up and go.
Sound Quality: 9
I can't believe I ever lived without this thing. I have used my old Rickenbacker 4001 for years, but was getting bit weary of its sound. Rather than buy another amp (I use a Carvin RL600 biamped with an extra 15" cab), I thought I'd give this stomp box a whirl. It adds that level of "punch" I never was able to dial in with the amp. I get compliments on my sound all the time now.
Reliability: 10
It's built like a tank. I'm still on the original battery after 12-15 gigs. I wouldn't bother using it in typical stomp-box fashion -- just stick some velcro on ti and your amp and stick it on top or the side or wherever and leave it turned "on."
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 9
I play in a "many styles" cover band (Van Halen to Van Morrison, with some funk and disco thrown in too), so I need all kinds of sounds. This box allows for all of 'em. ALso very handy when it comes to DI recording.
Submitted by Bill at 10/22/2003 12:16
Price Paid: US $160.00
Ease of Use: 10
It is very easy to get good sound out of this little thing. You can totally custom tailor your sound anyway you want with the 6 dials. The manual is very simple and effective. This pedal is completely stock, and has never been upgraded-i just bought it a few weeks ago.
Sound Quality: 10
My setup consists of a Carvin LB75 5-string bass, going to (after the Bass Driver pedal)to an SWR Bass 750 head, linked to an SWR Goliath Senior 6x10 cabinet, along with a Peavey TL2x10 cabinet, running about 850 watts @ 2.6 ohms. The Sans Amp pedal isn't noisy at all, at least not to me. The effects sound pristine on this little baby. I now totally agree with the pros, and everyone else who has praised this thing, that I can't play without it-IT'S THAT BADASS. Plus, using a premium sound rig, like an SWR, I thought IT'S tone was the end-all-be-all, and this Bass Driver pedal makes it sound *gulp* below average-imagine that. I was very happy with that initial sound, but the air being pushed out of my cabinets, combined with the eq, just wasn't defining the low end, or the high end enough. I thought it was great, but not great enough-I'm VERY picky about my sound, and I need to be heard, clearly and loudly. I'm currently in a "melodic-thrash" outfit, we have two guitarists, and a drummmer, with triggers on some of his drums, including his two bass drums-LOOOOUUUUD. Now, I'm the loudest one-HAHA!!! I swear, as if my cabinets didn't do enough, this pedal makes it sound like I added an 18" sub to my rig, outfitted with brilliant, crystalline highs. My rig or bass never had a problem with mids. I'm not that critical about the DRIVE function, or it's "crunch" factor, since I'm not big on distortion, or effects, in general. I prefer a true bass sound, with a modern edge-polished to a very modern, and squeaky-clean bright tone. My ablsolute two favorite sounds, come from Doug Pinnick, of King's X, but preferably with not that much noticeable overdrive, and Andy West, during his Dixie Dregs days (I'm not sure what he sounds like now). My bass sounds completely kickass now, and can be heard strongly, in every register.
Reliability: 10
This thing, from me checking it out, feels like it is built like a tank. I read one of the reviews about the footswitch, but I have no need to take this thing apart. I use the optional AC adapter, so there's no reason to fiddle with batteries.
Customer Support: N/A
I haven't had to contact them.
Overall Rating: 10
I've been playing for almost 8 years, and this is the cap on my search for my sound. The only other product I was going to compare this thing to, was an Aphex Bass Exciter. But, the guys who sold it to me, said they did a trial run of it, weren't impressed, and said that the Sans Amp blew it away. Pianos 'N' Stuff, is THE place to buy music gear, in Pittsburgh-every aspect about that place is a "10". But, anyway, every bassist NEEDS one of these pedals. It really does improve any rig out there, no matter how good it is. Buy this, of you're trying to decide between the Bass Driver, or more cabinets. You'll have A LOT more cash to spare, and you'll be DAMN happy with the new sound you'll get-I am. I haven't been paid to say this, either.
Submitted by Ben Bond at 08/31/2003 17:15
Price Paid: US $179.00
Ease of Use: 10
I plug my bass in and run a mic cable to the snake for the board.
Sound Quality: 10
1970 and 1975 Pbasses - stock
noisy ? No.
Sounds' great.
No amplifier is used with unit.
I get the exact sound out of this unit that I need.
Reliability: 10
Very dependable.
I use this unit for every gig without a backup, I play between 4 and 12 dates per month.
Customer Support: 9
Very helpful Cusomer Service. They're from New York so they don't BS you with promises or false testimonies . They basically just give you a great product and you tailor it to your own taste.
Overall Rating: 10
From crooner (Frank Sinatra) to Nelly, all dance music styles in between. The sound is set and can be modified simply by rolling the treble knob on the Pbass. I've been playing for 20 years. I don't use anything other than the Sansamp and the Fender Pbasses. I would definately replace if stolen or lost, wouldn't you replace a limb if you could ?
Submitted by Andrew Tomecko at 07/23/2003 16:00
Price Paid: US $199
Ease of Use: 9
6 knobs behave in a simple manner that belies the exrtaordinary variation they can make in your sound. The manual is complete and has some great presets. Even comes with it's own batter, though to change it you need to remove four screws. Rubber feet keep the unit in place and the option of using phantom power is great to. The indicator light is clear, the button is sturdy (why you would ever want to turn it off baffles me) and the layout is clear, even in bad light.
Sound Quality: 10
Amazing. One word. this thing brings my gallien-kruger 800rb with an Ampeg 4x10 to life. I have a fender hot-rodded american p-bass and by varying the tone controls on the bass and bass driver i can pretty much leave the amp controls alone. The option of 3 ouputs makes it easy to run through your amp and the board or pa which is great for playing live or recording. This unit, simply put, makes your bass come alive with punch and clarity. I wouldn't play with out it anymore.
Although some people have said that the distortion sounds bad at high levels I would disagree. If you crakn the drive and blend and cut the presence you can get a great fuzz tone; all the sounds are usable, especially if you mix in some uneffected bass.
The other day, for the hell of it, i ran my guitar through the pedal, and after tweaking my amp a bit i managed to get a lot of really great sounds of the pedal from jazzy drive to metal distortion to fuzz.
Reliability: 10
Sturdy as hell, battery lasts a pretty good time. I have absolute faith in it.
Customer Support: N/A
no need so far
Overall Rating: 10
If you play bass you owe it to yourself to use this. I've got some great gear but I value this more than anything else i have (except my bass), it is killer, and ultra portable unlike my amp. I don't know how I lived without this. Also, it makes recording a snap, just plug n' play.
Submitted by Anonymous at 07/12/2003 21:18
Price Paid: £199 (UK Pounds)
Ease of Use: 10
very easy to use ...just play around with the 6 dials and you'll hear straight away what they do.
Sound Quality: 10
No noise and great sounds. It's hard to go back to a straight bass sound once you've been through this baby!! ...it's perfect for live as a DI and pre-amp..sounds amazing through my Ampeg B-15n (i use a jazz bass)...and is superb as pre/di in a session situation..It really is the dogs bollx !!
Reliability: N/A
hasn't failed yet!
Customer Support: N/A
N/A havn't needed them yet!
Overall Rating: 10
a lot of friends in the bass community recommended this unit to me..and frankly i was a little dubious as to how good they said it was..boy was i wrong..it is brilliant and every bass player should have one.
Submitted by Paul at 04/17/2003 17:16
Price Paid: US $149
Ease of Use: 10
This pedal is very easy to use - basically ignore the manual and rely on your ears to dial in a sound you like.
Sound Quality: 10
Very quiet pedal, with a nice clean bypass available. I love the slightly compressed effect, which helps keep those slap transients even.
Reliability: 10
Very solid construction, haven't had any problems yet.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: N/A
I play in a cover band, with lots of funk/disco, rock, r&b, etc. I bought this primarily for use as a DI, but now I can't imagine playing without it! Use the blend knob sparingly - I actually don't care for the tubey SVT sound and would suggest turning the blend knob down if you like a more hi-fi tone.
Submitted by Anonymous at 03/10/2003 09:55
Price Paid: US $175 used
Ease of Use: 8
This is pretty self exlainitory even without the manual.. Pretty straight forward. The manual does give some pretty good settings though, SVT especially.
Sound Quality: 9
I'm using an active 4 sting fender and a passive 5 string fender jazz bass through this. I'll have to say this helps out the passive instruments more with the tone controls than the active ones. I'm running through a 160 @ 8 ohm amp through a 4x10 and it sounds pretty solid and chunky with the SVT setting. Based on the SVT setting, I like it with a bit more drive to it and a bit less bass setting involved, tweaked with a bit more presence, depending on the bass i'm using. This gives the sound that i use most of the time, although i'll scoop out the mids with it and decrease the drive to get a pretty good sound too. If used first in line before the amp, it works well with most pedals that don't completely color your sound. This is a very good "sound" pedal, you can dial up a kick ass sound with minimal amount of time. The only thing is the overdrive isn't as beefy as i'd like...to get a good overdive sound it's better to lower the level and up the drive, as you would any amp type overdrive..but that leads to tweaking turing a performance which i don't like to do. But if you just turn up the drive a bit you can get a fairly good early chili peppers sound.
Reliability: 8
I've used this pedal in gigs and recordings and it's worked fine, HOWEVER, don't fuck around with the footswitch.. I've read some reviews on here that said it's held in pretty crappy if you take it apart and i've even talked with a few random people who had the same problem ON STAGE. As long as you take it apart, it's definatly very solid.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: N/A
This is a very good DI pedal! I've used it in live and recording situations, both to very good results. You can plug directly into a PA or a mixing board which is very cool and cuts down and stuff you need to bring to a studio AND makes your live sound very cool. I would recomend this pedal to any giging person out there as it beefs up your amp tone and it allows you to go direct if your amp doesn't already let you do that. A cool staple pedal.
Submitted by Chops at 02/27/2003 19:09
Price Paid: US $180
Ease of Use: 10
Very easy to get useful tones. Manual was very helpful.
Sound Quality: 10
The best DI out there hands down. Also probably the best amp sim as well. I use this on the front end of my carvin rig. I play my 5 string passive and my 4 string fretless through this box with very good results. The tone controls are very sensitive, meaning you don't have to go to the extremes to get a tone change. You can even go a bit too far if you don't watch it. I used this box for recording once and had the bass all the way up. It made the low bass so strong that you really couldn't hear the bass notes in the mix, you could only feel it. If you boost bass and treble all the way you will loose tons of midrange. So it is a good idea to play around and make small adjustments. I also have one of the older models with the controls inside, and the really do sound about the same. The older one has a bit more brightness to the presence and not quite as much bass, but not in a bad way, it is dialed in for that perfect mix of bass treble and mid growl. So if you want to have total control of your tone and want to tweak it alot, go with the new one. But if you want to just dial in your tone and leave it alone, then go for the cheaper older model, it sounds awsome as well. As for being an amp simulator it works very well. I regularly put a sonic distortion in front of this box and turn the drive up on both boxes to get an unbelievable AudioSlave tone. I usually put my other stomp boxes after the DI so that the low end is more intact.
Reliability: 7
Pretty reliable. My only problem is that the treble pot has a slight scratchy sound to it sometimes. It has seen lots of stage work though. Not really a problem cause I don't adjust it that much. Other than that it is very solidly built.
Customer Support: N/A
NA
Overall Rating: 10
I play everything except country, and this box does it all. I like to think of it as a monster rig in a box. It gives me a very expensive sound for very little money.
Submitted by Hap at 02/19/2003 09:40
Price Paid: US $169
Ease of Use: 10
It's really easy to get a good sound out of this pedal. The manual explains all of the controls with enough detail to get you crafting tones easily if you didn't already know what the controls do.
Sound Quality: 9
I use this with a Washburn rb-2500 bass going into an Allen & Heath 12:2DX Mixwizard mixer. Sometimes it is used when my band practices and the rest of the time it is used for recording. In both situations it accels. Going into a mixer you have to be careful when changing your settings because the gain structure changes when you add or remove drive, resulting in having to either adjust trim on the mixer or guess at what position the volume on the pedal should be set at...I wasn't going for any particular artist tone; I just wanted to achieve a better sound than a plain old direct box without having to actually buy a bass amp. One aspect I really love about this pedal is that it can be powered directly by tapping into the mixer's phantom power, so no need to replace batteries or plug in another adapter. Not having a mid-frequency control on the pedal is not the end of the world for me, because the Mixwizard has two sweepable mid-range eq controls, but even for more traditional setups you can craft mid-range response by boosting both the highs and lows..you get the idea.
Reliability: N/A
I've only had the unit for about a month, but it seems very well built, the switch has a nice feel to it, knobs have good resistance.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
I think you can achieve many different tones suitable for different styles of music with this box. It has a really warm sound with crisp highs, minimal muddiness...I'm sure it's my technique, but the overdrive is very touchy and inconsistant, some notes fart out while other ones are clean..not very usable as a distortion box...compared to a regular direct box -- wait a minute -- there is no comparison this thing kicks ass...warm ass
Submitted by Mucho Robotika at 02/09/2003 17:23
Price Paid: US $170 used
Ease of Use: 10
Knobs and a button. Piece of cake.
Sound Quality: 9
All I can say is wow. Really adds some depth and warmth to my sound. I use this as my preamp, and run it to a power amp. The presence knob hollows out the sound a bit, and gives me a Tool/Schism type sound. The "Drive" knob adds some bite, but don't expect a distortion pedal out of this thing, it's DRIVE not OVERDRIVE.
I played a gig a week ago, and the sound guy was impressed by this little box. My guitarists had their amps micked, but I ran straight to the PA with the XLR out, which gave a much cleaner sound than if it were micked.
I give it a 9 because it need a mid control knob (the rackmount has it).
Reliability: 10
Bought it used and haven't had a damn problem yet!!!
Customer Support: 10
I needed a owner's manual for this thing (bought it on ebay), I contacted them, and they emailed me a PDF copy the same day. Pretty sweet.
Overall Rating: 10
Don't leave home without it! Colors up your tone with tubey goodness.
Submitted by Anonymous at 01/14/2003 21:29
Price Paid: US $180
Ease of Use: 10
This thing is so simple there is no need for a manual
Sound Quality: 10
I am currently running a Fender Jazz, Fender P-bass, and an Ibanez BTB 5 string through an SVT with an 8x10 cab. The sound is amazing with the SansAmp.
Reliability: 10
No Problems, ever.
Customer Support: 10
No need.
Overall Rating: 10
This is God's gift to bass, the sound is perfect no matter what the price. I have been only playing for about 10 years, and this is the only effect/DI that I will ever use. I play in a metal/rock three piece band. I highly recommend this product.
Submitted by Mark Misinco at 12/11/2002 16:32
Price Paid: about 180 (euro)
Ease of Use: N/A
Very easy to use,no problems finding a good sound...
Sound Quality: 10
I use Yamaha BBN5 with EMG pickups...My amp is Hartke 2000,i dont have my own box yet...This thing is just GENIUS!!!I set every amp im playing flat,turn off compression ,eq and everything else,then turn on the bass driver and it sounds awesome...I just cant imagine playing without it now...i play mostly metal,and i just love to sound brutal...but i dont like to much distortion on bass because its losing low end and it starts to sound noisy-sometimes you cant hear the notes...the distortion on bass driver is just the way i like it -its more like crunch,but it makes the bass sound agressive...i was using the distortion pedal (mostly pro co rat ,and pro co brat) and a compression pedal before i bought the sansamp,but sound on bass driver is so much better ,and i dont need to use compression on my settings...and its a d.i. also,so you get your sound on the p.a. very easy...this little thing saved me so many times,i take it on every show that im playing- when i go to the show i mostly dont know what equipment is going to be there,i take my amp with me ,but sometimes there is a combo for bass,and i cant use my amp...but it makes no difference,as i said before i just set it flat and turn everything off and i sound like me,because of sansamp...i dont have to worry ,how im going to sound ,because i know im going to sound good...and if theres is a p.a. i just connect the second output of sansamp with the p.a. and i have my sound on the p.a.,its just so cool!!!dont need to use the microphone ,dont have to sound different every time...GREAT GREAT GREAT!!!
and you can use the bass driver in the studio...you can record without amplifier and it sounds very good also...i just love the bass sound on sick of it all albums,and i was always wondering,how he gets this super sound ? and some time ago my friend told me its the bass driver!!! im not sure how he was recording ,but when i record some stuff on my computer,using only sansamp,it sounds similar,so i think he gets the sound this way...i was not recording in real studio with bass driver yet,but my friend (from my second band,in which i play the guitar)was recording with it ,and it sounds very good!!!he is using different settings then me,but he sounds very good!!! his setup was fender precision(a 70s one) into bass driver,distorted output to mixing board and clean output(just plain d.i. without anything ,its the 3rd output from sansamp) was going to his gallien krueger head,and the d.i. output from this one to the mixing board...sounds very good for me...i will record soon with the bass driver ,but i have a plan to do it like this: my bass to the bass driver,one distorted output to the mixing board,clean output to the gallien krueger head and this to the mixing board,and the second distorted output to my hartke head with warwick 4x10 cabinet,and microphone to one of the speakers...i know its a lot (three channels of bass),but i will record just once,and then i will be able to choose between the distorted channels(as i always wanted to try to record using cabinet and microphone) ...maybe it will sound good when we will mix all of the channels,but i have to try it first to say something about it...on the last recording i was using the Bass POD straight to mixing board (without amp),and im not really satisfied with the sound -it sounds ok ,but i just know that sansamp is so much better!!!
i have a plan to buy someday a sansamp rbi-its a rack version of the bass driver ,but better-dedicated middle control ,and dedicated level control for the p.a. output...i wanted to buy rbi before i bought bass driver but its very hard to get it here in poland,so maybe someday...i was going to use it with a normal p.a. poweramp,because sansamp sound is just perfect for me ,and i dont even need to have a good bass amp...just rbi and poweramp in rack,maybe someday i will be able to get it...
Reliability: 10
It never made me cry,i hope it never will :)
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
i play for ten years on guitar and for some on bass,but im a bass player in a band for 1.5 year..i played the bass before,but it wasnt real playing...as i said i play metal-mostly death/thrash style and it sounds perfect for me...i play for ten years on guitar and for some on bass,but im a bass player in a band for 1.5 year..i played the bass before,but it wasnt real playing...i heard that you can use it with every style of music,sure it will make your euipment sound better,no matter if its cheap or expensive...i just wish it could have two channels -one clean and one distorted,im not really using different sounds,just one ,but it could be super to have a possibility to switch off the distortion sometimes...there is one thing more that i want to tell ,maybe its nothing new,but if you want to sound good on bass guitar,you must have a new strings all the time !!!i know they are expensive ,but you can cook the strings if they are loosing sound and they sound just almost like new(i do it all the time,because i just cant afoord new strings once a month)...believe me ,if you have old and dirty strings,even the bass driver will not help you!!!i know that maybe sounds like preaching,but a lot of bassists ,especially young ,have no idea its so important,and thay are losing time ,patience and money on trying to sound good,but they cant sound good because of the old strings!!!just try it and you will see !!!
Submitted by XjurekX at 12/03/2002 15:15
Price Paid: US $149.
Ease of Use: 9
Takes some fooling around with to get the way you like.
But it's a no bainer, just turn the adjustment knobs till you get what you like. Don't get to extreme right away, minor adjustments will get you where you want to go.
Sound Quality: 10
I use a GK1001RB Head with Carvin 210 speakers cab. I use other amps too, they all sound good with this DI. I use it as a stomp box with my six piece rock band, for added presents. I use it as a DI with my acoustic trio, play through Mackie mixer,QSC amp, JBL spaekers.
Reliability: 9
Great just needs to have the batery replace occationaly. Don't think you can change it quickly, you can't. It requires a philups head screw driver and takes at least five minute to change.
Not on the fly, after the set.
Customer Support: N/A
Tech 21 seems good, not sure.
Overall Rating: 10
This is one of those crazy pieces of gear. Before you get it your not sure why you need it. After you play a few gigs with it you don't know how you ever lived without it. It will not jump in your face unless you make it but given time it will grow on you.
Submitted by Scoop at 11/10/2002 18:57
Price Paid: 265.00 (Canadian)
Ease of Use: 10
Very easy for a " No Effects " kind of Guy like me to use. As soon as the switch is engaged, there is a noticeable change for the better in all sound departments. The Manual is basic but okay. Very little basic " Tweaking " is necessary to get up and running.
Sound Quality: 9
Running direct into a PA with a 1971 Hagstrom H II B N Bass, a rather " Muddy " sounding Bass on it's own. With the Bass Driver DI, it sure sounds a lot better. I will also soon have an early 70's Hagstrom H 1 B Bass, and I expect the same results. I haven't really put the DI to the test with my Yorkville BassMaster 200T Combo yet ( in a performance situation ), but at low test volumes it made the average sounding BassMaster sound much better (and louder !). This is a relatively quiet unit, but with the Presence cranked up, there is a little hiss.
Reliability: 10
Virtually indestructable little box. I would definitely use it on a Gig.
Customer Support: N/A
N/A
Overall Rating: 9
I like Classic Old Rock, R & B, Blues, Christian. Bass Playing 34 Years. Own a Fender BXR25 Bass Practice Amp ( Great Amp!), Yorkville BassMaster 200T 2x10" 200Watt Bass Combo Amp, Hagstrom H II B N 1971 Vintage Bass Guitar, ( soon to be acquired) Hagstrom early 70's H 1 B Vintage Bass Guitar, ( soon to be sold ) Peavey Milestone IV 2001 Bass Guitar, HOB 1977 6-String Sunburst Acoustic Guitar ( I'll own it till I die ! ), Rolls Mini-Mix 51 System & Phono Pre-Amp.
The Bass Driver DI brings the most out of my sound through improvements in Volume, Tone, Clarity, Compression, and Tube-Tone Emulation. I looked at the Boss LMB-3 Limiter/Enhancer, and Pre-Amps. My problem was I couldn't afford to get a $1000.00 Bass Amp. As I play on a Recreational basis now, I couldn't justify an Amp like that anyway. This " Gizmo" really solved my " Tone Dilemma " for a lot less money !
Submitted by Mike Knowler at 10/01/2002 21:52
Price Paid: US $138 new
Ease of Use: 8
I don't feel I need to add another comment on this - read below reviews!
Sound Quality: 9
I've own it for years, but I rarely used it. I didn't really think it brought audible changes to my sound - back then I was using Fender P-bass w/ EMG PJ pickup, which was active, so maybe that was a problem. This thing works better with passive basses. (I recorded w/ it though - because I don't have a decent bass amp. It sounded OK)
After years of paying no attention to it, I decided to try it with my new axes.
Gears used - Gibson Blackbird Nikki Sixx bass , Gretsch Broadkaster hollowbody bass , cheap practice bass amp
Though Gibson has passive electronics, those 2 humuckers are too hot, and Bass Driver doesn't seem to do much. But, 15 minutes later, I was able to make various tones out of it, and my Gibson - which I thought to be metal/punk only bass - suddenly turned into a versatile beauty!
With a Gretsch hollowbody, it worked even better. I got more varoius tones and they were all good. I was really amazed.
Reliability: 10
Like others say, it'll take a atomic bomb to harm it.
Nothing to say about battery, because of my lack of experiment
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with them - no need to.
Overall Rating: 9
I play rock / pop, and it suits me fine.
This thing emphasizes your intrument's strong points and makes up what it lacks. And I found it's a good DI too.
I strongly recommend it to anyone, but I admit I haven't used anything else like this.
Submitted by lee at 09/27/2002 01:24
Price Paid: US $189
Ease of Use: 10
This Bass DI box is extremely easy to use. The documentation provided with the DI box has several example of how to dial in some good settings. Ive had the Bass DI over a year now and never play with out it!
Sound Quality: 9
I currently play a mid 70's Jazz Bass. I have a small GK amp with a 12" speaker. The main reason I purchased the Bass DI was so I could plug it into a small mixer and practice without waking up the kids! This is so subjective depending on what youre looking for. For me the Bass DI added a lot of warmth and punch to my sound. It seemed to help define my sound more with the bass and highs. Sounds like I'm playing through a bigger rig. The only thing missing on this box is a mid knob. I know the rack mount version has this feature but it would be nice to have it in a small box like this one.
Reliability: 9
Haven't had a problem yet.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
I play rock, jazz, and blues. I've been playing for over 23 years. I would replace this box if it were stolen. It's amazing how much this DI box has improved my overall bass sound. I would highly recommend it to any one who has a passive bass and needs to add some punch to their sound. I am really please with this product! I'm just sorry I didn't purchase it sooner.
Submitted by Mike S. at 09/24/2002 15:20
Price Paid: US $170.00
Ease of Use: 10
Easy. Experiment a lot with it, read the manual; there are a lot of tones in here.
Sound Quality: 10
I brought home this and an MXR M80 Bass DI to compare the two. They are both high-quality. The MXR is a little more versatile in that the distortion can be kicked on and off with a footswitch, while still keeping the tone controls activated. On the SansAmp, you have to turn knobs to do that, or bypass everything with the footswitch (and then you just have a straight DI, which I can't stand in general).
The sounds are very different between the two boxes. The distortion on the MXR is more of what I call a "fuzz." It happens in the higher frequencies, like "bee in a can" type with no bottom, even set to the lowest setting. When blended with the normal sound, it sounds like two sounds, rather than one combined sound. The eq'd sound is nice and full and clean, with the fuzz on top. I'd say this one is for people who want a really over the top distortion sound. The two sounds on the MXR don't seem to make a blend - they sound like two separate things playing.
The SansAmp distortion is more what I call overdrive, where it is in the lower frequencies. It's more of a thick, meaty tone. Turning the drive all the way down results in a clean sound, middle knob range is nice and meaty, and all the way up is fairly screaming if you use an active bass and goose the lows a little. This can be blended with the clean tone, and and it really sounds like a blend - that is, one coherent sound rather than two stuck together like the MXR.
I wanted an SVT-like tone to send to the board when playing in clubs (I hate DI's and sound guys in clubs often don't have the time or an available mic to mic my bass rig). I'd rather mic my SVT but this isn't always possible. The SansAmp I think is much better for this - I can get a really good "mic'd tube rig" tone to the board. I hate plain DI sound. I kept the SansAmp and returned the MXR.
I think the MXR might be better for screaming shred music, but I dunno, I'd still try both -- the SansAmp can get some good over the top tones, but not quite a ridiculous as the MXR can.
Both units are quiet. They are certainly noisier than passive DI boxes, but they are on a par with pretty much any active box and it really doesn't cause a problem at realistic live playing levels.
I'm using this with a Sadowsky J into an SVT. The effected signal goes to the house, and the parallel out goes to my rig. If I use someone else's rig, I set the rig flat and run the effected phone out to the amp input. I can kinda take my tone anywhere, which is nice.
Reliability: 10
So far so good. Very solidly built. I very much like the quiet-type footswitch -- it doesn't make an audible click (either from the switch itself or through the PA). It just slides smoothly and the light goes on and off.
Customer Support: 10
I sent an email to Tech21 requesting an info packet and I received it 3 days later in the mail, NYC to LA. Pretty good.
Overall Rating: 10
I play rock, blues, and country, for about 20 years professionally. This DI really solved a problem -- being stuck with a dry, sterile DI sound out of the PA. I don't know that I'd classify the sound as "just like a multiple-mic'd cabinet," but in a club PA it sounds damn close.
I've tried high-end DI's like Demeter and Aguilar, the standard Countryman, Avalon, etc., and while they are all certainly superb for recording, they still sound like a super-clean DI'd bass. No character, not like an amp. The SansAmp does clean DI bypassed, but it's great at putting a real live bass tone through the PA. I'd replace it if I lost it, most definitely, it's my favorite of the whole lot for live use.
Submitted by Jp at 09/10/2002 01:36
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 10
I've been using this for three years now and it's indispensible. This is an update of a review I did a couple years ago--since then I've gotten even more impressed
Ease of use
Easy--the controls are a little counterintuitive--not sure why it doesn't have a"mid" control. But just use our ears
Manual was good and gave some decent settings to start with. It's analog, and no nonsense.
It never leaves my gig bag--I use it ALL the time--as a preamp, as a DI, as a stomp box, with electric and upright
Sound Quality: 9
Use it mostly with an swr redhead and an swr worikingman's ten, Playing a p-bass and an upright. It fattens up the swr tone and gets rid of the nasty styrofoam midrange swr's have
It's not as good as a really good tube amp, but it doesn't weight a ton, it's incredibly versatile, and it's never failed me on any gig. it takes a lousy amp/PA and makes it sound good. It takes a good amp and adds a second channel
It's not as good as a really good tube amp, so i'm giving it a nine
Reliability: 10
It's never failed once, on all sorts of gigs in all sorts of weather
Customer Support: N/A
never needed any
Overall Rating: 10
I play jazz and rockabilly on upright, blues, soul and R+B on electric. I love this thing--well designed, versatile, practical. I use it every gig, if not as a preamp then as a stomp box or as a DI. It's great--a great piece of gear
Submitted by Anonymous at 07/22/2002 18:46
Price Paid: 300 (1 = 1 us $)
Ease of Use: 6
WHatever the settings, this thing sounds good. An excellent manual provides examples to start from.
No patches. This is a simple box with very sensitive settings and a wide range of applications. DIbox, preamp, bass & treble booster, tube amp & cab simulator, overdrive stomp box.
It takes time to get used to the vast versatility of this product. A slight turn of a knob can dramatically change the tone.
Sound Quality: 10
Whatever you plug into it, it'll come out as a real bass sound with thick warm lows and crispy shiny highs.
Reliability: 9
Built like a tank. Thick metal body with excellent padded protections.
Serious knob mounting.
It's a pain in the arse to use a screwdriver each time it needs a battery change.
Customer Support: 8
Never returned a product, but each time I've asked a question the answered cam in less than 2 days.
Overall Rating: N/A
What to say ?
This pedal is a classic, you can find it in most studios in the world and it's not a hype.
definitely worth the money.
It can drive a power amp and replace any tube preamp without a problem
Submitted by Jazz Ad at 07/21/2002 17:21
Price Paid: US $190
Ease of Use: 8
If you have some experience with tweaking bass tones or just have good objective ears, you shouldn't have much trouble using this unit with about 15-20 minutes worth of concentrated effort. Although this unit can sound good just by using it intuitively, the owners manual made a big difference in my understanding of some of the subtleties of the unit. If you buy this unit used, demand the owners manual or see if you can get one from Tech21. It really made a big difference for me in liking the unit. (I didnt like it as much prior to reading the owners manual.)
Sound Quality: 10
First of all, I have done my testing of this unit using a Fender Precision Lyte Deluxe. This guitar is extremely versatile in its tones and awesome to play. It has active pick-ups including active bass, mid, and treble tone controls. I play in a classic rock band and a church praise band, which plays styles from "rock ballad" to the heaviest of Billy Joel or Elton John in my assessment. My church purchased the MXR M-80 Bass DI and the SansAmp Bass Driver DI for me to try out as pre-amp direct boxes to run straight to the mixing board. Which ever was best we would keep and the other would be sent back. THE SANSAMP WON FOR THIS APPLICATION HANDS DOWN. The MXR is a fine piece of machinery. It has some very good distorted sounds. Its distortion can get much more aggressive than the SansAmp can. It has a separate distortion channel from the clean including a footswitch for the distortion channel. I REALLY wish the SansAmp had this feature. It has a wonderful noise gate on the distortion channel. It has a separate midrange tone knob. These are its strong points. Okay, here's the long version. I have tried several SansAmp Bass Driver DI's owned by different friends of mine over the years. Each time, I was disappointed. It was always noisy and lacked the distortion I like. (I love Geddy Lee's 1970's sound, and if anyone SPECIFICALLY knows how he got that sound back then, I would love to hear from you.) This time, for the first time, I actually had the SansAmp owner's manual to look at. It made a big difference. It explained that the SansAmp is very quiet, but if you have effects before it or an active EQ on your bass (as I do) it will amplify that noise substantially and the EQ knobs on an active bass should be set flat. (The manual said to max out the tone knob and volume knob on passive basses, but this created a small bit of noise with my passive bass. The small bit of noise was alleviated by slightly rolling back the tone knob a little.) My active EQ (pickups) turned out to be the reason why I thought it was noisy before. I set my bass guitar EQ knobs to flat and that alleviated most of the noise I hated before, even when boosting the Presence knob on the SansAmp. Secondly, the SansAmp manual explained that to increase distortion (besides maxing out the Drive knob) you should increase the Presence and decrease the Treble. To increase high end without increasing distortion, increase the Treble and decrease the Presence. This was quite effective. Although the distortion was similar to Geddy Lee's distortion, it was not nearly able to create the "balls-to-the-wall" distortion attainable with the MXR. If that's what you want, either put a distortion pedal in front of the SansAmp, or get the MXR. For use at my church, I was looking for the best sounding unit in terms of a CLEAN sound. After using both units over several weeks at home and while playing through the big PA system at church, the SansAmp showed to be much lower, fuller, and rounder in the low end frequency. The MXR bass knob seemed to boost more of a low-mid frequency range while the SansAmp bass knob boosted lower subsonic frequencies. The Presence knob on the SansAmp gave a sweet shimmer to the bass sound that the MXR Treble knob did not come close to attaining. Bottom line: except for when you want a high gain distortion or must have a switchable distortion, the SansAmp without question is the better choice regardless of its higher price(SansAmp:$190 MXR:$130). And this is coming from a previous SansAmp skeptic who really wanted to like the MXR. If there was no such thing as the SansAmp, I would give the MXR a 8 or 9, but in light of the SansAmp, I would give the MXR a 5-6. I am giving the SansAmp a 9 because I think the distortion should have a little more headroom. That would help it beat out the MXRs advantage of allowing more distortion. If youre a light handed player, as I am, it is harder to get much distortion from this unit especially if you
Reliability: 10
I am gentle with my equipment and I haven't had these units very long. The MXR has a plastic battery door on its bottom side which could easily be broken while the SansAmp has a solid metal panel that must be unscrewed (which is relatively easy) to change the battery. I prefer the SansAmp in this regard. The switch is smoother on the SansAmp than the switches on the MXR, but the MXR switches seem heavier duty and more rugged than the SansAmp switch. I would therefore say the MXR switches beat the SansAmp switch. The 1/4 inch inputs and outputs on the MXR felt cheap and difficult to plug into and pull out of. They felt as if they were soon going to break or rip out when I pulled a 1/4 plug out of them. On the other hand, the 1/4 inch jacks on the SansAmp felt very smooth and sturdy. They felt as if they could be plugged into and out of a million times without any problem. Overall, they are both tanks with the SansAmp having a bit of an edge over the MXR.
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with Tech21 personally, but I have heard good things from other people.
Overall Rating: 9
I have been playing bass guitar for 16 years. I have been playing in bands for 11 years. I have always been a tone freak and a gear freak. I have been using a Gallien-Krueger stack with one Fender bass or another for most of this time. I have been pursuing that Geddy Lee sound for most of that time and still haven't found it. If I personally owned the MXR, I would buy the SansAmp if the MXR were stolen. One comment I would like to make. Geddy Lee currently (both live and in the studio) uses three DI channels. One clean through a Demeter Tube-Direct, one clean through a Palmer Speaker Simulator, and one distorted channel using an unspecified SansAmp (I think it's the Classic pedal or GT-2 pedal each of which are designed for electric guitar). If I was to try to design a set-up similar to this, the MXR might be a very good choice for the distorted channel. One last comment: the makers of the MXR unit, Jim Dunlop, would do their product and their customers a much better service by providing more than four example settings in their owner's manual. The maker's of the SansAmp Bass Driver DI, Tech21, have included many useful example settings.
Submitted by Anonymous at 07/08/2002 09:37
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 10
Couldn't be any simpler... There's only 6 knobs on it, it's very tough to accidentally get a bad sound out of this. Manual has very useful sample settings.
Sound Quality: 9
Using this with Bag end cabs (2-10DX, 1-15) Fender 50th P-Bass, and an all tube Mesa Bass 400+. The Bass Driver makes my tube amp sound like a tube amp! Drive and Presence knobs give infinite control over attack and grit.
I play regularly, from 80-100 shows a year, and sound staff are always psyched when they see that I'm using it as a DI. Stage and studio sound are excellent with it, and I usually use the textbook SVT settings in the manual, with a little tweak on presence for added brightness.
Reliability: 9
This thing bounces around in my equipment bag in the back of the van and the knobs haven't shown any sign of wear. Solid 4 screw back-panel construction, no room inside for battery to bang around. I've been using it for a year, and the paint isn't even chipped yet.
SOLID.
Customer Support: N/A
One email exchange - very prompt and polite.
Overall Rating: 10
Nothing bad to say.
I've forgotten it to two shows since I've had it and they were atrocious. I depend on this more than anything else in my rig, and its so small it's easy to lose! Only possible critique is that the rackmount version includes a midrange control, which I have to use my amp for. I guess they need some reason for people to upgrade to rackmount, though!
Submitted by Ryan Dowd at 07/05/2002 13:12
Price Paid: US $159.00
Ease of Use: 10
Very simple to use - turn the knobs! Very nice. I switch between electric (passive - Jazz style) and acoustic/electric (piezo) basses and the tone settings seem to work well for both. Works straight from the box with minimal fussing. The manual had tons of sample settings that were fun to play with. I tend to use a "tweaked" version of the SVT style. Easy enough to get a good sound going. Good stuff.
Sound Quality: 8
The purpose of buying this unit was to get a tube sound from a completely solid state set-up. I use different various amp configurations - 15" combo; 12" combo; 1x15" (sub)+ 4x10" with 1200w pwr amp plus rack and floor effects. It works well on all. I also switch between ABG and electric bass with little or no tweaking [a little adjustment on the instrument is all that's needed]. Not much noise at all. Just a lovely "Oooomph" when you turn the sucker on!
I don't really emulate anyone else's sound, but I have got a cool 'Tool' like sound on occasion by cranking the presence control. I keep the drive know quite low, it's a little dirty for my taste.
Reliability: 9
Very reliable. Never needed a back-up.
Customer Support: 8
Apparently they are very good. Maybe one day I'll need to call them.
Overall Rating: 9
I use this unit in a variety of settings - from folk to rock. It fits in fine. I really just use it as a tube emulator so I don't jump up and down on it much. I'd probably replace it if I lost it. It's a vital part of my sound. Very happy with it.
I also just purchased the Tri-A.C. for my guitars. I'm very impressed with Tech 21.
Submitted by Ian at 06/25/2002 13:41
Price Paid: US $165
Ease of Use: 9
This bitch rocks, I love it. It is pretty easy to get a good sound out of it, like everyone else said, you gotta try different stuff, play with the knobs, etc. The manual is very good, short and sweet, with necessary info. The sample settings are awesome.
Sound Quality: 10
I use this with an SWR SM-900, SWR Goliath III 4x10 and an SWR Big Ben 1x18 and a Warwick Streamer LX 4. It's a pretty good/versatile setup but without the Bass Driver DI it wouldn't be nearly as good as it is now. It is somewhat noist when I crank it up, but otherwise its no big deal. I can get the phat and lovely bottom cushion of John Paul Jones with this DI. It sounds awesome with my band who does music similar to Zeppelin.
Reliability: 8
I can definitely depend on this unit, it is made out of strong material. If I were on tour, I would bring a backup.
Customer Support: N/A
I have not dealt with Tech 21 but I have only heard good things.
Overall Rating: 9
The style of music I play varies from Funk to Rock and this is an excellent match. You can get plenty of tones from this but unfortunately it is not easy to switch the tones during gigs. Therefore I mainly use it for records and just for certain songs during gigs. I have been playing for 4 years now. If it were stolen I would buy another one. I loves how it makes great rigs sound 100 times better.
Submitted by Anonymous at 06/09/2002 12:28
Price Paid: US $179.99
Ease of Use: 9
This unit is the ultimate in "plug and go" technology!!! Manufacturer's manual has almost everything you would ever need to know about this unit and the presents are killer!!!
Sound Quality: 10
This unit makes any bass sound great!! Fortunately, it even made me sound good!!!Thick sound that cuts through any mix! Can use it for any style of music!!!
Reliability: N/A
(haven't had it that long)
Customer Support: 10
GREAT customer support! asked a question and got an answer within 12 hours!!!
Overall Rating: 10
i play everything from metal to funk and i can use this unit for all of it! i've been playing bass for five years and guitar for 10 years.
Submitted by Anonymous at 05/16/2002 07:50
Price Paid: US $100 used
Ease of Use: 8
Very easy, just turn those knobs and find out.
Sound Quality: 9
Very good straight to PA system. Really pump up the bass.
Reliability: 5
This is a second review for this unit and my original post still goes for sound quality and ease of use. In the reliability department, My box when I turn blend buttons to max it would works fine for few seconds and then start burping. I never know what happen because I was listening to my personal monitor and have no idea this is happening on main PA out until somebody tell me. Now I do not think this box is build as a tank like someone mentioned. I still love it but this kinda make me think twice about replacing this with something like new MXR 80.
Customer Support: N/A
Don't know never use them.
Overall Rating: 6
Because of reliability, I'm not sure about buying this again. Since reliability is my main concerns, I think I might use it as an excuse to check out other similar products.
Submitted by Anonymous at 04/15/2002 15:04
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: N/A
This is an amendment to my earlier review.
Sound Quality: N/A
Reliability: N/A
I need to chime in with a reliability rating now - as I had no opinion on the initial review. What prompted me to do so was a problem I had with it at a gig last night. I took it out of my gig bag to set it up and the foot stomp switch literally fell out of it - completely! It still operated but I had to "baby" it throughout the night. When I got it home and opened it up, I found the problem immediately. Tech21 uses a simple one-way clip to lock on to the back of the switch assembly from within the box housing. Why they chose to do this rather than use a simple (but durable) lock nut is beyond me. I suppose the theory is that all pressure exerted on the sw is downward - into the housing, but I'm living proof the switch CAN come out the other way. All other components on the inside of the box seemed to be put together a little better, but this was disappointing, and I will always be concerned that it may happen again.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: N/A
Submitted by Mark Douglas at 04/09/2002 10:52
Price Paid: US $189
Ease of Use: 9
Couldn't be any easier - all adjustments are self-explanatory and are laid out in a logical manner. Adjustments are for output level, dry/effected signal blend, treble, bass, drive gain, and presence. The manual is pretty sparse, but is appropriate for this unit as there really isn't anything complicated about it. The few items the manual addresses are well thought out. Good explanation of how each adjuster affects the signal (the explanation of the difference between presence and treble was particularly helpful) and the various input/output combinations are presented logically. Took off a point for the SA Bass Driver DI not having a graduated scale on each of the adjusters - would've been be very helpful in establishing repeatable, precise pre-amp settings.
Sound Quality: 10
I use a Fender American Jazz V with D'Addario flatwound "Chromes". I use the SA Bass Driver DI as a direct box - XLR output going into the PA system and I run the second, affected 1/4" output into my onstage amp - a Fender BXR 60 amp combo. This is really where the Bass Driver really shines. My BXR 60 is an entirely serviceable amp combo, but it's not one that produces a tone I could fall in love with - at least not on it's own. With the Bass Driver, it produces some great, wonderfully warm and rich tones - full of depth and texture "a la" a tube amp - and I'm "in love" with the sounds I'm getting. I now depend on the flexibility of being able to go direct into the PA board and still be able to use my amp independently for stage volume. Though the BXR has a direct out - it is tied to the preamp controls on the frontend of it......turn the amp volume up, and the signal going to the PA goes up as well. With the Bass Driver - I can crank the amp up/down to my heart's content without having any effect on the PA signal. Great flexibility from a monitoring standpoint. And the Bass Driver is DEAD quiet - it was the MAIN reason I chose it over the Line6 Bass POD. The POD seemed to generate a healthy dose of "airiness" in its output but the SansAmp is super-duper stealthy. My Jazz V has passive single-coil p/ups - so the LAST thing I need is any additional noise introduced into my signal chain. One thing to be aware of tho - the Bass Driver does have a built-in compressor which has no adjustment. So, if you're a sloppy player, there's no place to hide! It'll force you into better technique - which in reality is a good thing (at least for me it is). Reducing the presence setting can help de-emphasize some "clunkiness", but it won't eliminate it - so you'll need to be careful about your technique. Personally, I LIKE this as my playing comes through as being smoother and more evenly balanced.
Reliability: N/A
Seems to be well made - metal casing and the controls and input/ouput jacks seem to be of high quality. I can easily gig without a backup - but that's mainly because I could still "get by" without it. Have not had it long enough to realistically assess its long-term quality.
Customer Support: N/A
Have not dealt with the Company other than checked it out on their website. Good info on the unit - wish they would've had the manual online tho. I would have like to have read through it before I tried it out in the store - would've given me some ideas on things to try.
Overall Rating: 10
I play in a classic/acoustic rock 4-piece group. We play a lot of 60s and 70s music and this is the perfect complement to my rig. I feel like I'm playing through vintage eq with it - it's THAT good in terms of sound quality. I've been gigging for the better part of 25 years - strictly a part-timer though. If it were to be lost or stolen, it would be replaced as soon as I could get to the music store. I love its sound quality and its ability to ENHANCE my bass's tonal quality - without changing it. And the fact it is so quiet makes it a nice little "secret" to have. I have been asked, "how do you get that sound out of THAT?".....as they point to the rather bland-looking BXR60. The only product I compared it to was the Line6 Bass POD - but again....I had major issues with the POD's noisiness. All other DIs I saw in stores looked cheap, and frankly I've never heard anything good about any other boxes besides the SansAmp and the POD. In my opinion, the SansAmp wins going away..........
Submitted by Mark Douglas at 03/20/2002 08:12
Price Paid: US $100 used
Ease of Use: 6
Easy to use. But there are no adjustment knobs on the outside of the box. You have to unscrew the back cover (4 phillips head screws) to access these 4 tiny tiny knobs which you can adjust with a small flathead screwdriver or the edge of a pick. You can adjust drive, presence, level, and mix of original signal and affected signal. You cannot adjust bass or treble.
I believe the Bass DI (the predecessor of the Bass Driver DI) was meant to find your one sound and maintain those settings through the gig, rehearsal, whatever. Adjusting the parameters cannot easily be done on stage. I imagine this is why Tech 21 replaced the Bass DI with the Bass Driver which has the controls on the outside of the unit.
Additionally, if you want to hear what the Bass DI effected signal sounds like, you are going to need an XLR (microphone) cable. I have an unbalanced XLR cable which terminates in an unbalanced 1/4" jack which I use to connect the Bass DI to the front of my amplifier. Besides the XLR output, the only other output on the Bass DI is a 1/4" direct out (in other words, unaffected signal). Thus, if you just plug a 1/4" cord from the Bass DI into your amp, the Bass DI will not be modifying the signal in anyway.
Remembering that this was the precursor of the Bass Driver DI, which was designed as an improvement over the Bass DI, the Bass DI seems inadequate and rather difficult to use in comparison.
Also, phantom power only works when using a balanced XLR cable hooked up to a (mixing board, amp, etc.) which provides phantom power to the unit. Just hooking the Bass DI up to the front of your amplifier (like me) will not provide you phantom power. No worries, the manual says the thing is good for 100 hours on one 9V battery.
Sound Quality: 9
Very good (once you figure out how to use it). It definitely gives the bass a punchier, more aggressive sound. And the good thing is that you can tailor the aggressiveness for your own taste by adjusting the tiny knobs inside the unit.
I use the Bass DI with an Ibanez SR640 and a Hartke B120 amp. The Bass DI really livens up the sound coming from my amp. The Hartke is a pretty much no frills amp and the Bass DI makes it sound like a more expensive bass rig. With the Bass DI you can definitely change the attitude of your sound and make yourself a more prominent part of your band, migrating from the background to the foreground.
The Bass DI can be somewhat noisy until I engage the ground switch, but that is akin to pressing a dolby noise reduction switch - it sort of kills the high end. Instead sometimes I back off the treble on the amp.
Reliability: 10
This thing is an absolute tank. A solid metal chassis designed with the adjustable controls on the inside so that they cannot be broken off. Even the input/output jacks are heavy duty and designed for significant abuse. This pedal was clearly designed for stage use and abuse. I truly believe you could drive a Toyota over it and it would not break.
It reminds me of the old American cars and the term "bulletproof" comes to mind. When you compare it to a Zoom pedal and the ridiculous plastic knobs/jacks those things have it will make you proud to be an American again. In short it was quality-built.
Customer Support: 10
Unbelievably good. I purchased the Bass DI on ebay and it didn't have a manual. Since I didn't have an XLR cable I could not get any sound out of it and I thought it was broken. I e-mailed Tech 21 for help and a gentleman responded within 48 hours or so. He also scrounged up an old manual and mailed it to me. And I've e-mailed many questions since and the same gentleman responds with considerate and detailed responses to my questions. And Tech 21 didn't make any money off the sale to me since I bought it used!!
These guys are a class operation. Based on my experience with the Bass DI and their customer support I have no hesitation recommending their products.
Overall Rating: 9
I thought I was purchasing a Bass Driver DI and ended up with the Bass DI. Thus I paid far more that I would have had I known the difference. Just another example of why you should know what you are looking for before you purchase something. I had to chew on some humble pie (sucker!) when I saw another Bass DI sell on ebay several weeks later for around $60.
I think the reasonable market price for these is probably $60-$70 (they are old). They are good for what they are, but Tech 21 has superseded the Bass DI with the Bass Driver DI, which sells new for around $180 I think.
But my ignorance was not the fault of the Bass DI. They are good for what they are. I just would not pay $100 for one again. If it broke or I lost it I would probably replace it with the Bass Driver DI.
Submitted by PohnpeiScott at 03/17/2002 15:56
Price Paid: US $180
Ease of Use: 6
Takes a bit of tweaking depending on what kind of amp you have. I wanted to the use the Sansamp with my Carvin Cyclops all the time. I had to mess around with all the knobs for a while. I finally have found the perfect tone that really grinds.
Sound Quality: 9
I am using a Fender Jazz (Mexican) going into the Sansamp and then into the Carvin Cyclops 600W 1x15, 2x8 Bass Combo Amp . There is not much noise at all coming from the Driver. I was looking for a mix of the Geddy Lee type tone and Rob Deleo from STP. I have come pretty close, I really like turning up the Presence, gives it an extra push.
Reliability: 9
The Driver is durable as hell. It is well built, no doubt.
Customer Support: 10
I called Tech 21 and they were amazingly helpful!!. I had questions about using the Bass Driver with my Carvin Cyclops, they actually went on the Carvin site while I was on the phone and looked at the amp configurations and gave me advice on the best way to set it up.
Overall Rating: 8
I play arena rock and this is exactly what I was looking for, something to help me cut thru the big guitars.
I have been playing for 13 years. If it were lost or stolen I would by another in a heartbeat. I can't stand the sound of my amp now without it. I love they way it sounds live and I have also recorded with it using it as a DI and it sounds very good. The only thing I would say to those who buy it is be patient and don't expect a great sound overnight. It takes some time to find the sound that is best for you. Check out my band www.7th-sign.com
Submitted by Sanjay at 02/28/2002 13:20
Price Paid: US $190
Ease of Use: 9
turned it on, used a setting i liked in back of the albeit sparse manual, and got going. but it took a while to go from getting a good sound to getting the specific sound i'm looking for.
Sound Quality: 8
great sound quality, but i wish the volume was louder by using just the volume knob without having to turn up the drive knob.
i play r&b, reggae, and hip-hop and the sansamp gives me a deep thump without losing the high harmonics.
Reliability: 10
it never leaves the studio, except to take to other studios, so i'm not exactly pounding on it. having said that, it always works.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 9
i also own the sansamp classic, which is also great. if the bass DI was stolen, i'd surely by another.
Submitted by izreal wright at 02/10/2002 18:48
Price Paid: US $100
Ease of Use: 9
It is so easy to get a good sound from the SansAmp Bass Driver. Start off with Level, Treble, Bass, Drive, and Presence at 12 o'clock. Turn Blend full on. Plug in and go. The sample settings in the manual are good too.
Sound Quality: 9
This thing is dead quiet. If there is any noise it's coming from somewhere else. Mostly I use this for recording my Stuart Spector NS4CRFM 4 string bass. Sometimes I've used it at rehearsal direct to the console instead of bringing a combo amp.
Small changes in the tone controls can yield dramatic changes in the sound. Some people complain that there isn't a Mid control but I don't miss it. The manual says cutting the treble and bass will boost the mids. Likewise boosting treble and bass will cut the mids. I like the sound with the controls flat.
Reliability: 9
All of the SansAmp pedals are built to withstand almost any abuse. A metal case with solid knobs and input jacks. The Bass Driver IS my backup. I always have it in my gig bag in case my rig should die.
Customer Support: 10
The Bass Driver can be powered by 9 volt battery, phantom power, or power supply. I called Tech 21 to find out the specs for the power supply. The guy told me everything I needed to know. I found out later that Tech 21 sells their own power supply. This guy never once tried to push their own brand. Their web site is first rate too.
Overall Rating: 9
My wife gave me this for Christmas several years ago. The guy at Guitar Center didn't know how much to charge her and said $100 to get rid of her. Even at twice that price this is a great DI. I play mostly rock/blues/jazz and use the Bass Driver to record. The sound is warm and full.
Submitted by Chris Hardin at 12/21/2001 14:21
Price Paid: US $198.54
Ease of Use: 10
Very! I got the sound that I've been searching for, for 7 years within 15 minutes. Manual is pretty good.
Sound Quality: 10
I am using an Ibanez EDC700 with a Crate 100 Watt amp.
The effects always sound great..."Its the difference between night and day. If you decide to buy it...you'll see what I mean.
Reliability: N/A
I've only had it for one day but seems to be very dependable.
(Thats the only reason I'm leaving a no opinion.)
Customer Support: N/A
Dealt with Mars music.
Overall Rating: 10
Slow melodic with a hard sizzle hear and there...Go SQUID SQUAD!
I've been playing for about 7 years.
I would definetly buy another if it were stolen.
I love the Full Round sound with a Gerrrr it gives me.
It gives me a big push to want to play more.
Submitted by Jarrett Dodson at 12/20/2001 14:25
Price Paid: 300 (CAD)
Ease of Use: 10
only 6 knobs, and it's very easy to figure out what to do, can get great sounds out of it immediately.
Sound Quality: 9
I'm using an Ibanez rick 4001 copy. I use it to record stuff at home through a sound card (pretty crappy quality) and through a real mixer to an ADAT. When plugged into an amp or mixer, the tone is great, I usually use it to get a ballsy crunch sound with my fake rick. I've never played a real Ampeg or anything like that, but listening to the tone I get, and recordings of people using Ampegs, it sounds pretty damn close. Real nice and fat sound. Mmm mmm.
Reliability: 10
it hasn't broken down yet, which is a good thing, and it looks pretty solid. I usually just chuck it in my backpack with the rest of my gear and nothing's happened. I'm going to gig with it soon, and I'm sure it won't let me down
Customer Support: N/A
never dealt with tech 21, but they seem okay.
Overall Rating: 9
I've been playing for two years or so, and bass-wise, I'm into shit like Rush and Yes, so I like those nice crunchy fat bass tones, which this helps me get. My band seems satisfied, but hell, they don't care about bass tone, as long as it's there. I wish it had a mid control, because sometimes I just wanna crank up those mids, and lowering the treble and bass, and cranking the volume just doesn't do it for me. That's about it. It's great otherwise. Yep.
Submitted by Anonymous at 12/14/2001 22:18
Price Paid: US $225
Ease of Use: 9
Very easy to use, even having six knobs. Their names are pretty self-explanatory. The manual is quite clear. You can get a good sound just out of the box by using the suggested settings at once.
Sound Quality: 10
I use a Fender American Standard Jazz Bass V and a Marshall Bass State B65 combo. With this little wizard I get a Fender Precision's sound from a Jazz Bass's pickups. Ok, it didn't go that far, but just using the bassman setting it gives a clear tone that is be useful on any rock style. It does make some noise if you push the drive knob all the way up, but it is very manageable (I don't know about a drive box that doesn't makes noise). One of the most great features is the presence. It makes possible almost anything. If my bass is the heart of my sound, the Bass Drive DI is the brain. If you have any "octaver", put it before the Bass Driver DI. The DI may trigger incorrect tones, but it enhances the ones that come in the incoming signal. It is just great.
Reliability: 10
It's a metal case. I think it can be used as self-defense weapon. I use a regulated 9 V DC source, so I don't know how it behaves with batteries. I don't care about batteries anyway.
Customer Support: 10
I buy it by mail directly from Tech 21 in NY. They sent it to my home. What else can I ask for?. By the way, thanks, Tyme, for everything.
Overall Rating: 10
I play almost everything, but I rather play rock. Imagine what can the wizard do when she makes a Jazz Bass fit in jazz, rock, salsa, reggae, blues, and funk (used with a Bass Compactor that I also own). After this, I will have to make my own stomp boxes, if I want have a wider range of sounds.
Submitted by Goth Latauzgûki at 11/15/2001 22:12
Price Paid: 300 (Canadian)
Ease of Use: 9
Super easy to use - plug'n'play, baby.
Sound Quality: 8
Setup: Godin SD-4 passive/active bass into a Yorkville B200 1x15 solid state amp. It is precisely this setup that urged me to go and check out the SansAmp. I had tried a number of other effects units (EQ, Compression) without getting the sound I was looking for. The SansAmp took me to that magical place!!! Although I've got the grand total of one rehearsal under my belt with the DI, I know I have found what I'm looking for. I have quickly noticed though, that the Level and Drive settings do more for the sound (with my setup) than the EQ and Presence settings. My guess is that the hardwired circuitry does more for the sound than the adjustable features will allow for. I'm playing roots blues and blues/rock, so I'm looking for a nice round, fat sound without distortion or tinniness.
Reliability: N/A
So far so good. I spilled beer on it the first night and it's still ticking!
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 9
I've been hacking around on guitar for many of my 35 years, on bass for half of that and have just gotten serious about playing again about a year ago - styles: roots blues and blues/rock. I do like to get out the funk every now and then, like riffing along with Jamiroquai, but not on stage. My bass rig is as above. I also own a newer Standard Strat, a vintage Echolette 130W tube amp head, an Earth Sounds Research 1x15 cabinet, Boss Blues Driver, Boss TU-2 Tuner pedal (great peice of kit), a DOD Acoustic preamp/effects board, one Ibanez and one Yamaha acoustic six string.
Like I mentioned, this box allows me to get the bass tone I have been looking for - based on the other mainly positive reviews on this site and the fact that I have a solid state bass amp that is *OK*, prompted me to try this DI. I was impressed and will continue to be impressed.
Prior to plugging this baby in, I had to crank my amp to 9.5, use the "contour filtering" feature on the Yorkville and still my amp didn't do a perfect job of cutting through a Fender Supertwin, a Fender Vibroverb and a loud drummer in rehearsal and the speaker would start cutting up, leaving me with spotty tone and a ton of unwanted distortion. Now, my groove gets though with that bottom end I was missing.
With the SansAmp, I can keep the amp at 4 or 5 and use the DI for my tone with MUCH better results than amp alone. The variable settings allow for me to get the sound I'm looking for in the styles that I play. The DI seems to have a bit of natural compression which is neither too much or too little - very adequate for most styles of playing, even funk. I've taken my compression unit out of the signal chain - no need for it now. The DI seems perfectly suited to recording and gigging with the rig that I've got. The DI, with the setup that I'm using, produces MUCH less noise/hiss than my guitar and amp alone (w/compression unit)- that is a very good feature.
The way I figure it, for the $$ I paid ($300 CDN), it was a bit pricey - the alternative would have been to go and get myself a really great tube amp for rehearsing, gigging and recording. So, for the price of this DI and the price of my amp, I've got a rig that's versatile enough to do what I want (rehearse, gig, record)at a reasonable cash outlay with pretty good results. I like the idea that I'm in control of my DI signal and on-stage monitoring (via the amp) that this setup allows for.
Submitted by DirtDog at 10/11/2001 07:08
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 10
Incredibly easy to use. I usually have to tweak about 3 of the dials to get the same consistent tone.
Sound Quality: 10
Using an Active 5 string Deluxe J through an SVT30-PRO. This setup sounds great to begin with but the Sansamp breaths life into the tone. Absolutely amazing. I actually brought my bass and a small Carvin combo amp (PB200) to a rehearsal last night and I was told that it sounded better that the ampeg (minus pedal) running straight through a 4x10. Left alone, that combo amp usually sounds like garbage but this pedal makes it sound THAT good.
Reliability: 8
I spilled 7-UP on it the 3rd day I had it and it still keeps ticking. I've also dropped it many times. Thank God for the cast metal housing.
Customer Support: 7
No experience with them but the website is very helpful.
www.tech21nyc.com
Overall Rating: 10
I've been playing for 4 years (14 on guitar) and this pedal never leaves my side. I'm in a motown/funk band now but have played most other styles in other band. I've gone into a many studios where I didn't know what type of rig I was going to be playing through and this pedal has bailed me out many times. It also is a God send in open jam nights. I can always get the same beefy sound as long as I'm not going through one of those little gorrilla micro amps. I would definitely buy a new one if it were stolen and it never leaves my gig bag. Be sure to get the ac adapter for it.
Submitted by Mike at 08/21/2001 06:19
Price Paid: US $135 used
Ease of Use: 10
Very simple. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure this thing out. 6 knobs...level, blend, treble, bass, presence, and drive. Also a switch to use phantom power with an XLR connection. You step on the little silver button to turn it on and off. If this is too tough for you to figure out...put the bass down and take some knitting classes.
Sound Quality: 10
I have gotten nothing but great sound out of this thing. Noise is practically non-existent, at least thru my rig. I plug a Fender Deluxe Jazz Bass V into this baby and run it thru an SWR Bass 350 head into a Workingman's 4x10 cab. Before the SansAmp it sounded great...but now the sound coming out of this rig just blows you away!!! It can give you phat clean tones, or if you like, something that has a lot more bite. And if you wanna get a little dirty then crank up the DRIVE knob and tear it up with some nice "tube" overdrive distortion. It is easier to get good tone out of this box than it is to get crappy tone. This thing makes it virtually impossible to sound bad...even if you suck.
Reliability: 8
The damn thing is built like a tank. I've cooked it in boiling oil, played baseball with it, used it for skeet shooting, dropped it from the 7th floor of my building, and made some fancy little bomb with it...and after all that it's still working like new. OK...so all that was a bunch of bullshit. But it is built pretty solid and I would definitely feel safe at a gig without a backup. I wouldn't trust a battery in it for very long though...so I highly recommend an AC power supply.
Customer Support: 8
Pretty good so far. I bought this thing used without a manual. I called them up and had one mailed to me within a matter of days. Also asked a few questions while I had the clowns on the phone and they helped me with all of them. Tough to find service like that anymore. If they didn't know what they were talking about, they did a pretty good job of pretending.
Overall Rating: 10
For the price, a wise investment. I recommend it for any bass player looking to get more "power" out of your rig. Also serves as a great distortion pedal if you wanna waste it just on that. And on top of that...and maybe even it's most valuable feature...IT'S A DI BOX!!!!! That means you can plug right into a mixer without an amp!!!! It also has phantom power capability...which means it feeds off the power of the mixer (but trust me...you'll still want to keep a battery in there). Pretty convenient since you'll never need your amp for recording...and if you're really goddam lazy, you won't need it for a show either. The little thing is a preamp...so you can go right into a PA system with it!!! Isn't that cool?!?!?!?!?!?!
Submitted by Rick at 08/13/2001 21:06
Price Paid: US $176.00
Ease of Use: 10
This little box of magic is so easy to use my little five year old nephew could figure it out. Just plug in, tweak a few knobs, and if you don't like the sound do some more tweaking, but I promise that you will find the right sound for your style. Even the manual was easy to read as well as informative.
Sound Quality: 10
When I first got the magic box I was using a Yamaha RBX765A, a Boss BF-2 Flanger, and a Fender BXR 100 amp; and the sound was fantastic. Because my bass had active electronics, I never had to turn up the bass and treble knobs. Now I am playing with an Alvarez AEB6PB passive bass, and the sound is still amazing. I always have the blend, bass, and treble set at maximum. If you add too much presence you will get some hiss, but that is easily fixed if you just take out some of the treble. The punch and clarity that I get from this box makes my little 100 watt Fender amp sound like an SWR full stack.
Reliability: 10
I depend on the magic box so much that it goes where I play. There have been a few gigs where I did not even take an amp, I just went straight into the mixer and the sound was huge. As of yet I have not felt the need to purchase a backup.
Customer Support: N/A
I have never had to deal with customer support.
Overall Rating: 10
I have been a musician for nine years playing all types of music from classical to speed metal, and everything in between. I have concluded that the SansAmp Bass Driver DI is a perfect match for any style of music. If it were stolen I would have no choice but to buy another one my magic box is a crucial factor in my sound. I love the fact that when my strings go dull all I have to do is tweak a few knobs and my sound is back to where it was. The sounds I get from this little magic box inspire me to write and play music.
Submitted by Danny at 08/11/2001 20:02
Price Paid: US $179.99
Ease of Use: 10
It's very easy to use. 5 nobs, input and 2 outputs. It even comes with 3 pages of settings that you can try.
Sound Quality: 10
It sounds great, it really gives you a fat distortion which is really great for crappy amps.
Reliability: 10
It is very dependable, never given me any problems. I would only need 1 on a gig.
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with.
Overall Rating: 10
It is really good, if I lost it or what ever I would definitly replace it. It is really good for the music I play, I pop and slap alot and gives a good tone. It is well worth the money I paid.
Submitted by Jared Fletcher at 07/05/2001 15:54
Price Paid: Idr 1,800,000 (1 US$=Idr. 11,500)
Ease of Use: 9
Plug the cable and hit it, your sound will be booommmm, thats a great stompbox i've ever had ...
just turn the all the knob at 12 o'clock position, you'll be hear the fat tube from your amp !!!
Sound Quality: 9
I used a Fender Jazz Bass 1966 and Cort (5 string) with Bartolini MK-1 pick up, and my amp Trace Elliot AH 715. No problem with my gig when i use the stompbox, sometimes if you turn the "drive" knob over, it will be noise from the amp.
Overall, whatever how you to set the knob, the low sound will be hear soft than if you bypass the stompbox
But til now, i'm looking the referense from other user to give me the best other setting from metallica, limp bizkit, mark king or sting. Please help me ....
When you link with another effect (i use Boss ME-8B), the stompbox still work well ....
Reliability: 8
Yes, now I depend on with this!!!
Customer Support: 7
Never dealt before ...
Overall Rating: 9
I play music from metallica, Beatles, Sting, Police, Motley Crue, Limp Bizkit etc and I think this stompbox it's great for any kind of music ....
I've been playing with this a few month, and I use this with Boss ME-8B, Crybaby Dunlop (for Bass) and Trace Elliot AH 715 amp.
If it were lost, I'll be buy again ... and I think I'll love with this, cause it makes my sound fat, wide and deeper!!! Great Sound ...!!!
Submitted by Bagus Ajiwahyu at 06/28/2001 23:28
Price Paid: US $75 used
Ease of Use: 10
Hit the switch and go, it couldn't be easier. This thing just drips with good tones.
Sound Quality: 9
I play an Ibanez EDB605 through a SWR Workingman's 15. The unit does have a bit of hiss, you can usually get rid of it by backing off the treble or presence. I am honestly ashamed at how hollow and thin my bass tone was before this pedal, the difference is amazing! Lush overdrive with a hint of harmonics, this pedal is the next best thing to a rack of expensive signal processing gear.
Reliability: 9
Seems solid enough to me.
Customer Support: 10
Got it used without a box or manual. The salesman was a bass player as well, he was genuinely saddened that he hadn't found it first. I emailed Tech21 support and they sent me a zipped file of the manual the next day. Great product and great service.
Overall Rating: 10
I bought this pedal based upon the opinions I read here. I haven't been disappointed, this is a great sounding pedal.
Submitted by Anonymous at 06/19/2001 15:00
Price Paid: US $140.00 used
Ease of Use: 9
It's very easy to get started due to the great manual thats included. It gives you various sample settings to start you off with...just wish there was a website somewhere with more settings.
Sound Quality: 10
I use an ESP 400 Series P-Bass through this and into a Peavey Combo115. I don't get any more noise with this thing than I do if I don't use it. You really can't get a bad sound with this, though I'm not really fond of the overdrive sound...probably just me. I was disapointed at the lack of a Mid control....They say cut the Treble and Bass, but it's just not the same, trust me on that one. I have to compensate by plugging into my amps input (instead of the power amp in) and using the 9-band EQ. I cut the low end and boost the mids and upper mids, I cut the high end. By doing this and setting the Sansamp's Trebble to 2 O'Clock and Bass to 10 O'Clock I can achieve an exact (and I mean EXACT) Matt Freeman sound. This is what I've been looking for, this little box is my God.
Reliability: 9
I use an adapter so I don't have to continually buy batteries....I HATE the sound of my amp without it so I always have it on. No problems yet, and I don't forsee any. I plan on using Tech 21 Sansamp exclusively for my guitar/bass effects (except maybe a Roland Space Echo, but thats for totally different purboses).
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
I play Rancid/Clash style punk rock. This little box is the best thing I could ask for. I don't have the money for an Ampeg SVT like Mr. Freeman does so I had to settle for this to achieve my Matt Freeman tone. Now I can safely say I won't be needing an Ampeg. If I lost this thing I'd just buy another one immediately. I cannot use my amp without it or my ears will hate me. I am in love with my bass sound. I hate the fact that it doesn't have mid control though...they really need to add that for people without such an advanced EQ as I have. Buy one now, especially if you are looking for Mr. Freeman's sound.
Submitted by Logan Buck at 05/26/2001 20:11
Price Paid: $500 (Australian)
Ease of Use: 8
Pretty easy to get a good starting sound - set everything to 12 o'clock and it sounds better and fatter than it did, then tweak to taste. The knobs are pretty interactive and the sound is highly responsive to your other gear (bass, amp, FX), so in a sense i'm still discovering what it can do. You got level, bass, treble, presence, drive, on/off stomp button and ground lift switch (lets you draw power from the PA if used as a DI, so you dont need a battery). Mids are fixed and controlled by the bass / treble knob - ie, if you cut the treble + bass, you're effectively boosting the mids.
Sound Quality: 9
Sounds great. I've used it with a lot of different amp & bass combinations, and the bottom line is that I can always find a way to make the tone better with this thing. I use it as a tone shaper and sometimes as a "signal dirtier" (dial in a bit more drive) stomp box. It's the best distortion effect I've found for bass (dirty growl), but that's just one application for this thing. I also use it when recording and as my sound when running into the PA. It will make you sound better all the time. If you're going to buy just one pedal for bass, this is it.
Reliability: N/A
I can't see it failing.
Customer Support: N/A
Never needed it.
Overall Rating: N/A
I wouldn't mind another one, so i could use one as a tone shaper and another as a distortion-type effect.
I play mainly rock-oriented music, but there are also a number of quiet passages in our set. I think anyone would stand to benefit from this pedal.
It's a bit expensive, but once you have a decent bass & amp (and maybe before an amp) get one.
Submitted by david lee at 04/22/2001 23:38
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 10
I just put everthing at 50% and BOOM!
Sound Quality: 9
I actually borrowed this from a buddy for some studio session work I was doing. I used a Spector bass with EMG pickups through a Hartke Kick Back 12". DUDE...i shouldve gotten one of these like 10 years ago! This thing sounds incredible...it just takes your sound and makes it fatter and wider.And not at the expense of your speaker either. Its not a nasty growl. The presence gets a little hissy if too high...which is common i guess.
Reliability: N/A
My buddys had his for years .
Customer Support: N/A
N/A
Overall Rating: 9
I play rock/metal and I slap too. It sounded great on all.
Im definitley getting one soon..I did think it's pretty expensive...it costs more than i anticipated...
But bite the bullet on this one...this thing rules
Submitted by Amir at 02/26/2001 02:17
Price Paid: US $170.00
Ease of Use: 8
It's pretty easy to get a good sound out of it. Takes a little time to play with, but nothing extreme.
Sound Quality: 10
I run this into an SWR Bass 350 head into a SWR Goliath III (4X10 cabinet). I play an American made Washburn four string.
There is some hiss, but it's not enough to matter.
The effects are strong, you wouldn't believe how this thing improves your sound. Even though my sound was pretty good before I picked up this pedal, it's so much better with it! The drive gives it the right level of distortion, you can get that extreme distortion sound if you want it, but you have to crank it all the way up. This is a good thing in my eyes since I like to have a sound similar to Machine Head or Skin Lab and this pedal helps to attain that sound.
Reliability: 9
It seems pretty strong/tough.
I would use it without a backup...if anything I'd use it AS a backup for my head if needed...it sounds THAT good!
Customer Support: N/A
Haven't had to call them.
Overall Rating: 10
I play hardcore/metal and was looking for a good bass distortion. My guitarist recommended this pedal to me and sure enough...he was right.It's much better than distortion-only pedal because it boosts the entire sound! Everything sounds better! I never use the pedal on bypass, think of it as a distortion pedal with an amazing eq attached to it. The thing with this pedal is that even if you want NO distortion, it still improves the sound overall. I'd recommend this pedal to any bass player regardless of the style.
Submitted by Chad at 02/15/2001 12:44
Price Paid: US $150 used
Ease of Use: 10
This thing couldn't be easier! Even a guitar player could figure this out. It's nearly impossible to get a bad sound out of this unit. Extremely versatile. Good manual with some sample settings to use as a starting point to tonal heaven.
Sound Quality: 10
This thing kills! I'm just sorry I didn't start using it a long time ago. I've been playing bass for nearly 20 years and I've owned and used a lot of the big name amp rigs out there (Ampeg, SWR, Eden, GK, Hartke, etc.) and this is the best I've ever sounded. I've had it for about 2 years now. I now just use the Bass Driver DI into an ART Levelar tube compressor into the P.A. board and it sounds awesome! I can get everything from a clean, hi-fi modern sound to a full-on overdrive growl and everything in between. Now, I just throw the two pedals into a gig bag and go--no lugging a heavy amp rig around. I love this thing--if you can't tell by now.
Reliability: 10
It's built like a tank. Very heavy duty.
Customer Support: N/A
I've never had to use them as the pedal's worked like a charm, but I've heard good things about the company.
Overall Rating: 10
I've found this unit to be extremely versatile. I've used it for everything from country to jazz to funk to full-on rock and it works great. I would replace it in a heartbeat if it was lost or stolen. It's one of the best gear investments I've ever made.
Submitted by Rob Condrey at 01/08/2001 10:29
Price Paid: US $189.00
Sound Quality: 10
The natural, warm harmonic qualities you would expect to find in very expensive tube-type amplifiers, etc., are all there. It is a solid state pedal, but you would never know it. It has a lot of punch, fattens up the low in a lot, and it boosts your signal quite a bit. It has really made my ordinary equipment sound extraordinary.
Reliability: N/A
Been using it for about six months--no problems so far. Very quiet. The pedal housing itself is very rugged.
Customer Support: N/A
N/A
Overall Rating: 10
Submitted by c. l. b. at 01/06/2001 02:14
Price Paid: US $180
Ease of Use: 10
Very easy and strait forward. Ability to program patches would be nice but there is alot to say about simplicity. It certainly doesn't take alot of time or brain power to figure out. I read the manual once, tried the suggested presets but ultimately I use my own settings.
Sound Quality: 9
I have an active 5 string fretted and a custom passive 4 string fretless. I own a cheap used Peavy 80 watt combo that I only use when I absolutely need it. I usually play through whatever is available at the gig. No matter what I play through (PA, combo, rack, etc.) it always enhances the tone! I have tried many different effects and pedals, but this thing does more for tone than anything else I've tried. I usually have my active bass and treble controls at neutral on my guitar and uses the controls on the unit. I especially like using just a touch of overdrive. The electronics are pretty quiet, I usually have to put it on ground lift to get rid of noise. Turning up the presence control also makes the unit a little noisy.
Reliability: 8
It seems to be very solid, I wish it had a battery compartment instead of having to remove the entire rear panel. This makes it very easy to lose screws and accidentaly do bad things to the electronics while trying to juggle the screw driver, lid, battery and screws at a gig. I have no back up for it and I'm not worried about it failing.
Customer Support: N/A
Never had to deal with them.
Overall Rating: 9
I mostly play rock, but I have also played everything else at one time or another, I have never found a situation/style where it got in the way. I have been playing bass for 6 years and keyboard since I was a lad. I run my guitar into a Zoom 506II then into the Bass Driver DI. I would definately replace it! It would get replaced long before the Zoom! I love the fat and aggressive tones with a warm bottom. I also love the overdrive. The only thing I wish it had is a battery compartment. I like to think of this unit as the Swiss army knife of bass players. You can probably do without it, but it would take alot of individual units to replace it!
Submitted by Mike at 01/04/2001 10:58
Price Paid: US $150ish
Ease of Use: 9
it took a few times playing live to get what i wanted but wasnt that difficult. year later and there still set the same. i dont plan to change them...ever. pre settings werent for me. i tried my own
Sound Quality: 10
i used johnson bass(i know not the greatest) and a peavy(model ?). they both had passive pickups. but wait, this only made the bass driver recieve more credit because it took the basses and made them shine!!! this was my set up in every live situation. bass guit to bass driver XLR out to p.a. few times used parallel ouput to stage amp only when gig didnt have good stage monitors to hear myself. also used regular output for practice into smaller p.a. setup. i dont remember having any problems once i found my tone. only time is when stage monitors werent good or nonexistant, then an amp would have been appreciated. but this is not the pedals fault. countless times received good reports about how awesome the bass sounded. my controls are as follows: level- usually at 12, blend- 100% treble- at 11, bass- 100% presence- at 11, and drive at 0%.
Reliability: 10
used it for over a year and never failed me once. i would gig with it without a back up and in fact did everytime. its sturdy and well made.
Customer Support: 8
emailed a few times and they responded in reasonable time.
Overall Rating: 10
used it to play christian rap-roll(not rapcore) and it sounded awesome!! nice low end with rumble when p.a. can handle it. i bought so i wouldnt have to carry around tons of equipment and it paid. its all the gear i owned for basss and therefore all i used. i would buy it again if needed. it deffinatlty is a blessing for me. *** please note that i used it in place of an amp and direct out to a p.a. 95% of the time. this may not be the setup for u, but i recommend it.
check out http://www.souljoyrecords.com/soul_joy.htm and look for t.a.d.o.w. in the list of their bands. hopefully the music downloads still work and u can hear the bass tone. when recording a little effect was used.
Submitted by mark at 11/25/2000 11:01
Price Paid: US $120 used
Ease of Use: 10
Very simple to use. I bought my used and was able to figure it out no problem.
Sound Quality: 9
I have the GT-2 and I'm not so thrill. But the bass DI is cool. I was playing live thru a Fender BXR300 on stage and the pre-amp output on it to main PA. This create problem for the PA guys since when ever I lower my volume on stage it also effect the main mix. The engineer want me to crank my amp up but then it would kill me since I stand next to my amp. I was reluctant to choose the DI because of previous experience with GT-2. I demo's Bass Pod but the bean shape and the $349 price seems to discourage me although demo the Bass Pod on the headphone seems nice. Anyway, I have the parallel out (uneffected output) to my amps where I can adjust my amp at any level I want without effecting the whole mix. Then XLR to main mixer and use phantom power to eliminate the need for battery. I have not compare it to other unit but it make a tremendous different in my live gig sounds. There are a lot of bottom end and the engineer is happy since I always crank the level to the max and let him deal with how much he wanted to be in a mix and have my own level and settings in my amps the way I like. I would have given it a 10 but because I have not yet record with it yet, plus I have not really compare other option out there like the POD, J-station, and DG-STOMP to give it rating. Also, why there may be another way of doing it. But as it stands, I just have it on one setting and leave it alone for the whole gig. I would like to be able to save the settings and switch settings on the fly during the performance.
Reliability: 9
Yes, I did about 3 gigs with it already and everything is great. I never have backup before since I never use effects box or Di before. I guess if it break down, I can improvise since the show must go on.
Customer Support: N/A
No. I bought a lot of gear and I don't remember anytime did I ever need to contact the manufacturers.
Overall Rating: 9
I play pop music and if it is lost I would definitely buy it again. I been playing for over 20 years and I can imagine I've been playing all this time without it.
Submitted by Anonymous at 11/20/2000 15:04
Price Paid: US $185
Ease of Use: 8
Its set up rather well and the presets work nice too, but it took me a little while to get the sounds I really wanted but once i found them WOW!!!
Sound Quality: 10
I mostly record with the sans amp and before I got it I could never get a really nice bass tone. And i hated to hassle with mics. Now all I do it plug into it, then run right into the mixer. That easy! There are so many different sounds too. The distorntion goes really well with tapping and the presets also come in hand.
Reliability: 10
Its build like a tank.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
Over all this is a very good buy. It works well with all my styles of playing (slapping, tapping, fingerstyle). Offers so many tones. And along with a compressor makes my bass sound extremely good on a recording. So I would recommend this to anyone who is planning to record there bass or just wants a ton of tones and there fingertips.
Submitted by Bill Murtha at 11/15/2000 07:04
Price Paid: US $175
Ease of Use: 10
This pedal is easy to use - I dont know how you could mess it up. Dial up the sound you want, press the footswitch, and voila - instant bass heaven!
Sound Quality: 10
Turns my solid state 15" BXR 100 into a MONSTER amp setup!! (at leasts it sure sounds like it! Low, punchy, warm bass tone with tons of presence - and great overdrive options too!
Reliability: 10
Never had a problem - looks like it's built to last. Gigged without a backup many a time - no worries!
Customer Support: N/A
Never had to deal with them. But I visited the website, and it has sample settings, manuals, troubleshooting, etc..
Overall Rating: 10
I play lots of styles, and I have yet to play a style where good bass tone was not a match. This pedal is fantastic. If I had to sell all my equipment, this pedal would be the last to go. And yes I would buy another one/two. Only beef : an effects loop would be handy for the direct XLR function. If you love great bass tone, but can't afford an $800 + setup, get this pedal and enter bass heaven. BEST PEDAL I'VE EVER OWNED!
Submitted by Anonymous at 10/30/2000 21:12
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 9
The Sans Amp is easy to use, if you can turn a knob, you can play with it and find whatever sound your going for.
Sound Quality: 9
The tones you get out of this thing are amazing. It offers a wide range of sound if you actually take some time to experiment. It sort of makes me wish they would build one with a couple of user presets so I could hit one switch to radically change my sound. It's not the quietest thing I've ever heard, nut you can definetly record with it.
Reliability: 8
I broke the footswitch on mine, but it was easy to replace. I also lost one of those nuts on the quarter inch jacks, just check them once ina while. The footswitch spring breaking takes away a couple of points, but it's pretty reliable overall.
Customer Support: 10
I had lost a nut from the quarter inch jack on the outside, so I sent Tech21NYC an email. They immediately sent me a a response and a couple of extra nuts. I am very impressed. They also offered some very helpful advice.
Overall Rating: 10
I play a variety of styles, and I always use the Sans Amp. I use it with a Trace Elliot head a SWR four by ten and usually with a Fender P bass elite (active electronics) converted into a five string. If this thing gets stolen, I will get another one, if I can't recover mine from the body of the theif. --Possible a model that allows for user presets, though simplicity can be a good thing. I saw a lot of reviews that claim it's a must have, i agree.
Submitted by Josh Ryan at 09/27/2000 13:43
Price Paid: US $149
Ease of Use: 9
Plug it in and.....WOW. Very versatile with nice easy to read yellow on black labeling.
Sound Quality: 10
I'm playing an Ibanez Ergodyne 5 string, and I thought it had nice even tone, kinda modern and warm. Very little noise through the box, that's for sure. I play in church and I used to go through and Imp direct box into the board. Not any more.
Reliability: 9
Seems tight as a drum....only time will tell. It doesn't feel cheap, right up there with Boss.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
I love this thing. I highly recommend it especially over the Pod. For the price you just can't beat the sound and versatility. Portable with a clean, fat, professional sound. A+
Submitted by Kenny Stole at 09/26/2000 20:07
Price Paid: US $100.00 used
Ease of Use: 10
The unit is easy to use. It has a great sound that made a big difference with the acoustic based band I play in and is easy to set up when going direct to P.A. I bought mine used on E-Bay and did not come with a manual although i would like to have one. The Tech 21 site says they are working on a settings section.
Sound Quality: 10
I have a custom made P Bass with a warmoth maple neck and EMG passive pickup. The bass sounded great to begin with. My amp is a Trace Elliot 200watt 1 15"speaker. I also run it through an old peavey P.A and speakers mainly along with an acoustic guitarist. This is where it made the biggest difference.It warmed the sound nicely.Great for playing along with acostics or on ballards.It can get a little noisy if you turn the presence uptoo much but at normal settings is very quiet.
Reliability: 10
Mine was used and works fine and seems very rugged.My bass sounds good without it so dont need a backup.
Customer Support: N/A
no.
Overall Rating: 10
I play in a contemporary Cristian band called Purehearts (www.purehearts.net)The band is acoustic based although we play many different styles of music.I also play in the church band and in sunday school. I've been playing for about ten years. I also play acoustic and the pedal sounds great with that too. It has been a very useful tool and have had alot of positive comments about my sound.
Submitted by Timothy Jepson at 09/21/2000 09:15
Price Paid: US $155
Ease of Use: 8
INCREDIBLY EASY TO COAX A GOOD TONE...Even with everything set "neutral". I've tried all kinds of basses ($$$$$ to cheapos ) and it takes no time to make it sound THICK. It betters at more "vintage" sounding tones, not so convincing at a solid-state tone (you know,SWR/EDEN tones), and that's a bit unfortunate in some sessions(due to limited studio area)...the bottom gets a little too "snappy". But if you like a HiFi tone, you usually bring your rig anyway.
Sound Quality: 9
I use one of these live, and also use a second in the studio (the one that's babied) and though it gets a little noisy going straight in the board, it is not unlike a good SVT turned up to get the headroom out of the amp...also pulled out some real convincing b-15 tones the other day...all with one or two basses....love the sound....sweet fuzz too...I slave it into a 76' SVT live, and it makes better and more defined (tightend) lowend...you know the SVT's are usually a little blurry down low...
Reliability: 10
Like I said, I gig every gig with one...dropped it many times (regrettfully, not intentional) but it keeps on working. In fact, I played a outdoor show the other day, and the SVT I run it into blew its power transformer, so just upped me in the Monitor mix, sounded no different! Balls balls balls...just wish the battery lasted longer.
Customer Support: 9
Haven't had to call them once in the 3 years I've owned them, but my friend in music retail loves them..."real prompt" he says
Overall Rating: 8
I personally like to play anything from roots to funk to power rock...my band plays pop alternative music...and it manages to cope well in most situations...it isn't going to make a $120 cort (and there's nothing wrong with cort) sound like a Pedulla through an Aguilar, but I think it at least will beef up any modest rig. Honestly, any clubbing guy is not gonna want to carry a massive 1000 watt rig around (but hey, maybe you do, my back kills) but the "combo guys" and even high end guys looking to get alternate tones in a hurry should get this box.
Submitted by Ron Mominee at 08/21/2000 10:21
Price Paid: US $157
Ease of Use: 9
Pretty easy. just turning knobs.
Sound Quality: 9
I'm not into giving terribly high ratings, but this gets 10 because i just got an eden/nemesis NC210P and with that amp and the bass driver you can get some earth shaking tones and sounds. Any sound you want you can pretty much get out of this sucka.
Reliability: 8
Well. this thing is built solid, but When i first got it the blend control knob had a short in it, it was most upsetting especially since Had just Takin the thing upto New york and Conn and did some gigs up there with no prob then came home (to south Carolina) and right before i started to play for the 2nd time for a fairly large crowd, (about 3000) the blend started buzzing horribly, but i just turned off the blend and adjusted it and it was ok. Its better now.
Customer Support: 10
Well this is a 10, they responded very fast when i sent them a question.
Overall Rating: 9
This gets a 9 overall B/C I haven't seen or heard anything like this or around the price that gives you such range of sounds. I just can't give it a 10 because of that dumb blend thing. Even though it hurts not to. But i think anyone should get one. Don't leave home without it is what i say. I'm going to college and its traveling with me.
Submitted by Jim Hendrix at 08/07/2000 15:26
Price Paid: US $160
Ease of Use: 10
I taught a chimp to use it, and in minutes my tone was dialed.
Sound Quality: 8
Meaty! Growly, and as warm as I've heard without 10 power tubes. Haven't had any noise probs. It does offer a range of usable tones, but there is also an underlying common thread to all; not a bad thing.
Reliability: 9
Built Ford tough (I can say that, can't I? Unless you don't like Ford, so don't get the wrong idea).
I never gig without a backup instrument, as you can always do amplification workarounds; I don't carry any backups in the effects/amps arena. I will probably buy another one in a few years when I can afford to have double everything.
Important point:
The layout is simple and usable, but as this thing doubles as a live stompbox it needs a bit of a layout redesign. The controls need to be out of the way of your foot, and the bypass switch needs to be raised a bit. The Boss and new Ibanez (with the spring loaded knobs) pedal designs are good steps to follow, as I've never broken pots off of either.
Customer Support: 9
I've always had my emails answered in a timely and very informative fashion. I beleive that these folks care about their products and want people to feel good using them.
Overall Rating: 9
This unit is a near 'must-have', and a great value. Studio to stage, you can dial a tone without a refridgerator of gear.
I bought it primarily to get more dirt and growl to the board (live and recorded; direct is so sterile), but I find myself using it to dial cool tones straight to the amp.
Submitted by terry pterantula goss at 07/28/2000 08:32
Price Paid: US $170-ish
Ease of Use: 9
Very simple to use, but takes some experimenting to realize what the unit can do. Make sure you spend the time to experiment with the settings. There are a lot of tones there!!
Sound Quality: 10
An absolute 10, relative to price. Like very many others that have reviewed this unit, I was blown away by the sound quality, but was a little disappointed by the apparent lack of midrange. I also thought the presence control contributed very little, except fret noise. Well now that I've had a chance to experiment, I would say neither of these are true.
To achieve a midrange, finger style sound, I do the following: Blend 1:00, Treble all the way down, Bass 10:00, Drive 2:00, Presense 2:00. With my J-bass, I can get the articulation, yet preserve the tubey tone. I guess my point is that you need to try radical settings to see what this can do (e.g., turning certain controls all the way down, all the way up, etc.).
Reliability: N/A
Appears to be rock solid (no problems), but I haven't really had it out much to tell.
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with them.
Overall Rating: N/A
I have been playing bass for 20 years. I have owned (or gigged with) just about every brand of amplifier. I play mostly rock, funk and Jazz.
This unit has clearly exceeded my expectations. Often I disengage my rack components and run straight from the Sansamp to the power amp. The sound, while not as "pristine" as my Alembic pre, gives me a great tone that makes me want to PLAY. The subtle compression and gentle overdrive I kick in feels great. The scooped tone it can produce for slapping is extraordinary. Now if I just could just PLAY like Marcus, I'd be all set!
If I were still giging, I would easily consider using the Sansamp as my preamp. It truely lives up to the hype.
Submitted by Anonymous at 07/13/2000 07:12
Price Paid: US $190
Ease of Use: 10
Knobs and a manual. Easy as it gets.
Sound Quality: 10
Outstanding. I do get a little buzz playing live sometimes, but I am using a 30' foot leader into the box, then a 6" into the amp, so therein lies the blame, I am sure. I oughta just DI, right?
Reliability: 9
Seems reliable. Not "built like a tank" (can we retire that hackneyed phrase yet?)but tough enough. I leave it on all the time, and it is off the floor in my rack, so no harm may befall it.
Customer Support: N/A
Don't know yet.
Overall Rating: 10
I play hard classic rock (Zep, AC/DC type stuff)and my band gigs about once a month. I play a Gibson Thunderbird Bass into a GK 3500 head through a Hartke 4x10 XL cab. I thought my sound was fine, just lacked a little punch. I blamed this on the bass.
I initially got this box because I wanted to use it for some overdrive tones for 2 songs in our set.
But I was noodling with it and dailed in the SVT settings, and cut loose. Wow.
This is EXACTLY the tone I was looking for. Makes me want to buy an SVT! But those b*tches are heavy, and I am a lazy man. So now I leave it on all the time, in the SVT mode. The band can really tell the difference, too. This is the tone that makes you want to stay on the stage. We do some Thin Lizzy tunes, notably "Cowboy Song", and this box nails Phil Lynott's sound, even without the P-bass.
I can't praise it enough. I am embarassed by the bass tone I used to get, now that I think about it.
And I haven't even screwed around with the other tones much yet (although the OD isn't the fuzziest...but that's OK)
Seriously, if you play bass and want options, this thing is essential. Or you can carry around a bunch of different amps, I guess.
Submitted by J.T. at 06/03/2000 09:27
Price Paid: 190 (IEP)
Ease of Use: 10
The sound is phenomenal - a much improved bass sound to a set up that I felt was excellent before I got my hands on this baby. The settings that come with the manual are excellent, and are a good indication of how little tweaks to the individual knobs can change the sound. In fact I set it to the SVT setting for the duration of a gig and leave it at that.
Sound Quality: 10
I have a '93 Fender Jazz Deluxe, with Kubicki electronics and Fender Lace Sensors, using the mid-cut selection pick-up, into a Hartke 1410.
The unit leaks a little noise when the presence button is turned up - this is not a problem as I can run a Noise Suppression unti to eliminate the "hiss". The sound, in my opinion, is fantastic on ANY setting - the unit really is that good. The sub-bass boost to the Hartke is phenomenal, and I get several requests from my guitarist and drummer to turn the volume down - I used to run the 1410 at about 7 or 8 - now it's at 4. This is the first time that I have been louder and clearer than a Roland Virtual Drumkit and a Strat going through a Mesa Boogie. And that's a GREAT feeling.
Reliability: 10
It is solidly built, and could probably handle a large amount of abuse.
Customer Support: N/A
Hasn't been needed yet.
Overall Rating: 10
15 years playing, and never had a sound like this before. My main set up is as described above, but I also have a Electra bass, a Silver Series Squire Precision, a Boss GX-700 and a Trace AH-500. I play in a covers band and this unit gives me bright highs and sweet lows. I chose this product on the recommendation of a friend as well as the previous reviews posted here. If it were stolen or lost I would replace it ASAP. My favourite feature is the fact that I can shoot phantom up it - no adaptors or batteries necessary! It is definitely an asset to my setup, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. I was thinking about looking for a new Trace or maybe an SVT - but that plan has been put on ice for the moment. I just love the sound.
BTW - I am in NO WAY affiliated with Tech 21 - And the review that I have just given the unit might make it look I am.
Submitted by Pierce at 05/30/2000 03:02
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 9
Not very difficult to use, just a bunch of knobs. God knows what the adaptor spec is but this doesn't bother me much as I shoot phantom up it. Good sounds are pretty forthcoming from this box, you just switch it on and your sound generally improves. A little experimentation with it will go a long way to finding some nice sounds.
Sound Quality: 9
I think it sounds great. There I said it.
I'm not into having a large amount of sounds, I just want to get the sound I'm into. Shame there is no middle control, that would of been nice. The presence control is noisey, you really have to watch out for shitty cables cos they with hiss like a bitch if you've got any. Saying that I'm not into having much treble or pres so it doesn't effect me.
Reading through the entries below almost everybody is really happy with this box except for 3 guys who dispise it with a passion. I think those three must be mad or something.
Reliability: 10
Built like a big metal tank.
Customer Support: N/A
Not a clue
Overall Rating: 10
I use this to record my bass in my little studio. I go via a Boss LMB-3 for compression into the DI and onto a Mackie, and it sounds really good compared with a straight DI. Incidently my flatmate took it into a biggish studio recently and the engineer went nuts about it. It probably the most respected bit of kit I have.
Good box.
Submitted by Hugh at 05/05/2000 07:23
Price Paid: US $200
Ease of Use: 10
The unit is very easy to get good sound out of. It has bass, treble, presence, and drive knobs. It does not require a mid knob because of the fashion in which the bass and treble knobs are set up. (they go from -15db to +15db, which means that when they are in the positive level, the mid is quiet in comparison and when they are in the negative level, the mid is louder in comparison.... ie. the mid is always set at "no boost" and the bass and treble can be balanced around it, or boosted or cut to achieve the desired mix.) then the overall level can be readjusted to the appropriate volume) The manual gives excellent suggestions for simulating popular amps. It has a balanced XLR out a 1/4" mono out and an unaffected out.
Sound Quality: 9
I run the bass driver from my warwick bass directly to my medium sized pa. (4 15's and 2 18's). It has a great tone for either picking or fingerstyle bass. I haven't experienced any noise with it that originated from the unit. (Other than the blatant disregard for treble and presence levels causing a sharp clanking sound.) the clanking, however, originates from the bass and not the DI. This can be easily cured by monitoring your treble and presence levels. I use it on the SVT setting to play godsmack, creed, and rage against the machine with only slight adjustments in drive and presence. With the drive hammered and the presence backed off it sounds great for an "around the world" by the chili peppers type of sound.
Reliability: 10
Solid, hard casing, heavy metal.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
This box is perfect for people who want a variety of sounds at their dispensing and would prefer to spend their money on expensive subs and cabs rather than being stuck with the particular sound of their single amplifier. I wish I had two of them so I could use one clean for tone and cabinet emulation and the other for distortion. this thing sounds wonderful, when it's turned on it gives off an aura of being a little greater than the sum of it's parts. You just plug it in and dial in the appropriate settings from the manual, and then you rock and sound like you have a huge rig... no joke, I couldn't believe it.
Submitted by brad at 05/03/2000 11:42
Price Paid: UK £169
Ease of Use: 10
A doddle. Manual? What Manual? Who needs it? This is probably the easiest piece of gear I've ever used, just plug it in, crank it up and go.
Sound Quality: 9
I use the bass driver with a a heap of equipment, most of which is semi home made. This includes a thru-neck bass loaded with Kent Armstrong P/J pickups. A 200W MOSFET power amp and a 3-way 2*12" Cab
As I've never had a really good amp before, finding this little beauty was a gift from on high. It easily beat some of the super pricey Trace Elliot rigs I'd tried in my local shop. (although it doesnt really compare to world-class gear like and Ampeg SVT or an Ashdown Bass Magnifier, Christ, what I wouldnt do for one of those....) The sound gets a little 'clanky' with the presence turned up too much but this is hardly a problem. Great distortion, gets those Will Haven bass rumbles down perfectly. No mid control but then I never really touch it anyway.
Reliability: 10
Like a rock. No problems at all
Customer Support: N/A
Never needed it
Overall Rating: 10
I play thrash/grindcore metal and so far this has been invaluble. Would probably cry for days if I lost it as I cant afford another one.
Submitted by Phil Roberts at 04/08/2000 04:58
Price Paid: US $189.00 (I think)
Ease of Use: N/A
Once you understand this product and spend a little time with it (as you should ANY piece of equipment you get)you can get a wide range of usable sounds out of it. There is a manual for it included in the box but the manual is pretty basic. You need to "play" with this unit and you will be rewarded when you do.
Sound Quality: N/A
I use an American Standard Jazz Bass w/ Fralin pickups and a Fender BXR300C Bass Amp. I noticed, along with others in reviewing this piece that you can get a bit more hiss than you might like when pushing the treble and/or presence controls but that is the only criticism I can offer. This is a great unit and you can dial in any kind of sound you like. I am more intersted in dialing in my sound (whatever that is) than trying to get the sound of somebody else but if I wanted to get somebody else's sound I could with this unit
Reliability: N/A
Very reliable and rugged! I've dropped it several times and have had no problems with it, and I have no backup for this unit and I doubt if I would need backup.
Customer Support: N/A
Haven't had to deal with Tech 21 and haven't had to repair the unit.
Overall Rating: 9
I am a professional musician/teacher and have been playing for over 25 years. I own various keyboards, guitars, modules, and amplifiers. If this were lost or stolen I would replace it. It has become a vital part of my sound chain. The BXR has enough power for just about any venue but it lacks a bit in the tone department. Together these two pieces make a very satisifying rig to use. I cant' really compare it to anything else because I've never used anything else. The only real criticism (above) is the hiss you get when pushing the presence and treble pots up to near the max. It helps me make music and gives me a best of both worlds situation. When I record or play through a House system or board I just bring the Sans Amp and my guitar and get a GREAT sound consistantly even if the equipment that is on hand isn't the greatest. Defintely worth the money
Submitted by RICK at 04/02/2000 19:56
Price Paid: US $169
Ease of Use: 10
I think the previous positive reviews of this box are very accurate. A couple of knobs provide an amazing amount of control, simplicity and variety all at once. The manual has several suggested settings and it seems you can get the whole spectrum of great bass sounds.
Sound Quality: 10
Just plain awesome. I play through a lo fi home stereo and it sounds incredible through it. WOW!
Reliability: 10
Seems stout. I would bring extra batteries and that's it.
Customer Support: 10
Great. Both Tech 21 and the retailer.
Overall Rating: 10
The dream sound box. I thought I'd need a compressor too, and I'll probably buy one for the heck of it (and maybe a WAH), but I think this box is good enough to go bass-->Bass Driver-->PA or power amp... Truly amazing!
Submitted by Randy Wardak at 03/01/2000 10:57
Price Paid: US $150
Ease of Use: 9
Very easy to be initially amazed. Getting your exact sound is tougher, since the mids must be adjusted via boost/cut of the highs and lows. I thought that queer at first, but once used to it I like it fine. The effort spent tweaking was worth it.
After 15 years of guitar, and 3 years of bass, I've had many effects that required massive tweaking just to find one decent sound. This thing has almost nothing but decent sounds, and the time tweaking is merely selecting between them all. A very extensive palette of colors is available here.
Sound Quality: 10
A 10 seems excessive, but it is coming from an effect-hater who has had almost no success at all with effects vs. quality instruments/amps and ability.
I am stunned with how great this thing can make a mediocre and weak bass/amp/musician sound. I have since encountered 2 pros who switched in live situations to just playing the Driver DI through the PA. When I let my bass instructor (who has played pro and on major label albums for about 15 years) try it, he was instantly floored and ordered one within a week. "I've been waiting my whole life for this," he said.
I've used it through high-end equipment, vintage equipment, straight into recording units, and on cheap equipment. It performed impressively on all counts. With my blues band, made up of a few old pros except for myself, I was using some old crap bass gear they had at their studio. I brought the Driver DI over and everyone, with their seasoned vintage ears instantly went giddy over the improvement. Same thing at a club where I used the decrepit house gear and got the walls and booties shaking. It made weak and undefined equipment really fill-up the room.
It's amazing for sounding loud if you're not, or are playing quietly (practice, neighbors, etc.), filling a room that you can't otherwise, fattening a bass that's weak and thin, etc. If you're talented and using high-end gear, it probably isn't as useful, but if you don't care to spend thousands, or can't carry huge cabs and amps around, then go with this.
Reliability: 10
Built super-solid. I've no worries that it'll break. Been through some abuse already, and it doesn't show. 10 says "Very Dependable", so I guess it's a 10.
Customer Support: 10
I had to write them to say how amazed this doubter was. They returned my emails, answered my questions, and even sent me a free t-shirt. Again I give top marks, as I felt Tech21 were very interested in making quality products and in user feedback.
Overall Rating: 10
I originally bought it because Bass Player gave it good marks as a DI, and for the price I thought that if the rest of it did anything remotely useful I'd be laughing. I was VERY skeptical, especially since I'd never heard of Tech21. I sure am a believer now!
I play mostly a Jazz/Rock hybrid, also traditional Blues and Classic Rock. It does what I want it to whenever I've used it. I recorded some fretless Jazz bass straight to tape and again received many favorable comments from experienced ears on the tone. Proof enough for me.
I did not compare it to other products, as I'm not aware of any similar products. How many tube amp emulating tone shaping active tone DI stomp boxes are there? But I can tell you that I've hated and sold every other pedal I've ever owned, except the very basics for guitar, such as Boss DS-1, the original BOSS Phaser, and the original Cry Baby Wah.
I would quickly replace it if lost.
Submitted by Bruno at 01/07/2000 15:37
Price Paid: US $150
Ease of Use: 8
This is a remarkable piece of equipment, but it's a little odd. You have to spend some time twiddling it to get it to sound like what you want. The presets in the manual help a lot in this sense. Once you've got it down though it's really simple to use. It's a preamp, a DI, and a tube emulator. The first time I tried one i thought it was terrible. I tried it a couple times later and was more impressed. I bought it, and it hasn't been out of my big amp's signal chain since
Sound Quality: 9
It sounds remarkably like a good tube amp. I sat down with my 1966 Ampeg B-15 and in ten minutes of tweaking managed to make an SWR redhead sound VERY close to the B-15. Not the same--there was a clear difference. But remarkably close. For me the B-15 has the tone I want. The Sans Amp sounds more compressed, and the highs are a little clankier, but then that may be because I'm using it through a 2X10. If you want to get more "old school" sounds like that this thing is great, though it will also do an excellent Marcus Miller impersonation if you crank the bass and the treble
I use it with the redhead and three basses: a 66 p-bass, a hamer 5 string, and a rick turner renaissance. It doesn't smother the character of any of them--they all sound like themselves--but it gives you a very fat, tubey quality. It also takes away the cut-midrange, hi-fi bass sound, so if that's your tone, steer clear. I've used it into a PA and as a preamp with a peavey power amp, and each time I was amazed at how close I got to the B-15. The presence and treble will get a little hissy cranked all the way up, and I think the presence is a little dry sounding, but I only use them to tweak to the room. Most of the time it's bass and drive up around half, treble nearly off and fiddle with the presence. I don't like the way the distortion sounds all the way up, but then I don't like a lot of distortion.
Reliability: 9
Solidly constructed. Has never failed th0ough been played in the rain and dropped in the mud.
Customer Support: N/A
Overall Rating: 10
I play blues, R+B, soul, and some jazz--20+ years. I'm really impressed with this thing and would replace it quickly if it was stolen. I wish the controls were a little more straightforward, but I guess that's the price you pay for the mojo this things works. A poweramp, the sans, and a good cabinet and you could be set
Submitted by Anonymous at 01/03/2000 14:59
Price Paid: US $179.00
Ease of Use: 9
Very simple to use, but you can spend quite some time to dialing in your sound. The manual has some presets in it but I have never own a SVT or know what King Whatever is. Play with it with and without the blend know cranked while adjusting the tone and drive knobs
Sound Quality: 9
Can become hissy if you crank-up the presence. I'm in the process od recording a hot Jazz CD in a 48 track ADAT studio and the Engineer hasn't had to work hard if any to dial in the sound. Usually we are tracking in under 30 secs!!!
Reliability: 10
I've had the unit for 4 -5 years and use it alot in the Studio and live. It has never skipped a beat. I would take my bass and the DI to a Gig and would worry more about my Bass preamp that the DI
Customer Support: 3
Haven't dealt with them. However I wish they would let the consumer know what the AC adapter input is.
Overall Rating: 8
I play JaZZ and Comtemporay Christian music. It is a good match for both styles. I have been playing for 27 years. I own a 6 sting Washburn Bantam Bass and a 5 string El Captian A/E bass.
Submitted by Chuck at 11/12/1999 20:07
Price Paid: US $159
Ease of Use: 7
It takes a little while to figure everything out,but once you do,it's a snap.The owner's manual is pretty helpful,and you'll probably refer to it alot,even when you've had the unit a while.
Sound Quality: 9
Sounds excellent.Has active bass,treble,drive(distortion)and presence controls.And with the blend and level controls,you can adjust your onstage volume relative to your amp perfectly.You can use it as a distortion unit,a direct box,a preamp or even as a cut/boost.Makes your bass sound awesome in the p.a.The blendable distortion sounds great.Set it the way you like,then just hit the foot switch when you want grind.When used with a Jazz Bass,you can acheive a pretty nasty,Geddy Lee type growl.Even if your main amp breaks down at a gig,just use it as preamp powered by the p.a. and you're good to go.Be careful using it with an active bass,though.It could clip when you don't want it to.The only "negative" I can say about this unit is that there is no midrange control.There is almost a sort of "scooped mid" thing happening when the blend is cranked all the way up.But again,this can be adjusted.There's also a built in limiter,but it's subtle.It can a passive bass into a screaming active monster.
Reliability: 10
This thing is built extremely well.Really solid.Could easily withstand a drop from 6 feet or more.Battery life is relatively long compared to alot of other pedals.Definetely no need for a back up.
Customer Support: 9
I had to call Tech 21 to get the power supply,and they were very cool and helpful.They sold me the power supply direct($15)and shipped it right out.Probably never need to get it repaired.
Overall Rating: N/A
I play mostly pop/rock,funk/blues and raggae.I've been playing for 14 years now,and this is by far the best way to get you bass into the p.a.,mixing console,or whatever else(besides using a mic of course).I use it with an Ampeg SVT,8x10 cab,an Ernie Ball/Music Man Stingray and Fender American Standard Jazz Bass.One of the best things about this unit is the fact that you don't have to worry about how you bass sounds in the p.a.It really makes it sound alive and clear.The fact that you can distort it and know that it's coming out the p.a. that way is really cool.I would definetely replace it if I lost it.The fact that it's footswitchable is another plus.Probably the best active direct box you can buy.I do kind of wish there was a midrange control,but I definetely can't complain.The Bass Driver D.I. is a worth-while investment,with the best pay back of all:killer tone.
Submitted by John at 10/03/1999 10:03
Price Paid: US $180
Ease of Use: 9
The Sansamp is very to the point. It has a level, drive, presence, blend, and hi/lo eq. It's flexability never ceases to amaze me. It has three (count em) seperate outputs, an effected 1/4, an effected XLR, and an uneffected 1/4. The switch works great. Everything about is professional and to the point; no gimmicks here. If your looking for really cool looks, flashing lights, and creative names for the tone knobs, look elsewhere. One problem with it, though: It does not have a mid knob. It uses a set amount of mid to allow you to boost or cut mid by where you set the hi and low eq. Other than that, its a great unit and a joy to use.
Sound Quality: 10
I'm using a Fender Jazz Bass and occasionally an Epi EB-0 (SG bass) through a Fender BXR-300. When I first plugged in the Sansamp I was in a state of tonal nirvana. I couldnt believe how thin, nasally, and weak my setup sounded with the sansamp off. So, (this is the truth) I NEVER EVER EVER play with it in bypass. It has become a preamp. Its tone is so sweet, rich, and warm. You can get such full, resonating bass while keeping the natural sound. It gives a lovely amount of dynamics to your sound. It has a noise gate supposedly, but you still get a LITTLE hum, and I havent noticed it clipping off the ends of sustained notes. The distortion is FABULOUS by comparison to that Boss Bass Overdrive crap, but its just not really my thing (unless you get virtually no treble, I like that fat fuzz bass sound). It also works beautifully as a DI for PA systems, and I use it regularly for that. Ive even recorded with it, and I'll probably have to redo old tracks with it to get the lusciously fat tone so readily available from this little black box. Here's a sales idea for Tech 21: "I Can't Believe It's Not Tube!"
Reliability: 10
It works fine, I cant affford a backup anyway (saving for a Rickenbacker 4003).
Customer Support: N/A
?????
Havent contacted them.
Overall Rating: 10
I like to play mainly 60s style hard rock like Cream, Hendrix, Zeppelin, the Who, etc. My band's music is more along the lines of alternative/progressive due to our age (I'm 18). We like Yes a lot (Squier--my second favorite bass player). The Sansamp does whatever I want it to. I've played for seven years, but have gained 90 percent of all my skills in the last 1.5 years. I also play guitar, I have a Gibson Les Paul Studio and a Marshall VS102R. I would definetely buy this little lovely thing again, it works so wonderfully. It has such a fat sound without sounding processed or synthesized. One thing I like to do with my Jazz Bass is to turn the bass up and treble down, and then turn up the presence so the highs are still there while maintaining the deep fatness of tone. The thing is, there are very few other products like this one (portable tube amp emulator preamp/DI for bass; yeah right, theres no other products out there). Like I said it would be nice if it had a mid knob, but thats not neccessary. Overall, this is a beautiful piece of equipment for the tone-conscious bass player would doesnt need a 500 dollar digital processing toy. Try it out; you'll hear the difference.
Submitted by Nic Neufeld at 09/29/1999 07:24
Price Paid: US $150 guitar center
Ease of Use: 9
fairly easy to get a good sound out of it. i looked at the factory settings and edited to taste. i use just a plain peavy bass w/ passive pickups and it works well.
Sound Quality: 9
this is my set-up/how i use the pedal. from guitar i go into the bass di and then straight to a pa mixer or amp head(for practice). i get a great sound out of the box. without it on the bass guitar sounds weak and trashy, but turn it on and it comes alive! it is a preamp and i bought it so that i wouldnt have to carry around tons of equipment. i use it at practice weekly-and though it is ran through a guitar amp through one of the two channels, it works for practice. but where it sounds good is through a complete system. ive now used it for one or two shows now and it was exactly what i was looking for. we have plenty more shows coming up to continue to test and tweak as i havent found exactly right place to leave treble. remember the eq is active so "0" is at 12 o clock. i usually set and leave my eq where i like it and have the mixer eq set at 0 for my channel. havent tried any other way. my setup is as follows: level all way for show/half at practice.(i dont know if raising level affects tone yet but would like to know if it does or doesnt;please e-mail, tube emulation all way up at 100%, treble at 11-12:00(ie cut a little), presence at probably 10:00 (set a little less than treble), bass all the way up!!(except for practice i usually have to turn it down a little), drive set at zero-i let the guitarist do the dist. thats all the knobs right? i cant remember right now.
Reliability: N/A
made out of metal w/ metal switch. looks like it will hold up just fine.
Customer Support: 8
e-mailed them a few times about their guitar pedals and they responded. but not about the bass. need to ask about level affecting tone issue.
Overall Rating: 9
im in a rap/rock band with emphasis more on rap side and it makes bass guitar sound great. and i dont have to carry around tons of equipment. ***note i use it straight into pa mixer. i dont use any amps/preamps or anything else so when looking at this reveiw keep that in mind. you may not like it for your application but as replacement for a ton a gear it works great for me. ive read other reviews about it sounding trashy but i wonder how they are using it. some use it as a dist box. so go try it yourself.
Submitted by mark henson at 09/28/1999 10:30
Price Paid: US $175
Ease of Use: 8
knobs are self explanatory. very easy to use, but you might not be pleased with the results.
Sound Quality: 3
Very quiet pedal. I've had this pedal for 2 years & the only use I've had for it is for direct input. As a d.i. it works ok, though it does take the growl/bite/upper-midrange --read: character-- out of the bass sound & leaves you with a fattened, heavily-compressed, almost muffled bass sound. It does leave some treble, but it's a ringy, compressed-sounding treble that I'm not crazy about. As an overdrive for bass it is useful only if you want to fatten the bass sound and/or boost its volume. As soon as you try dial in distortion/grit, however, this pedal proves nearly worthless as a stomp box. It will give you a solid-state sounding, blatantly artificial simulation of some tubey, svt sounding grit, but at the expense of bass & punch. If you've set the knobs for even a small amount of distortion, activating the pedal produces a swell & then a sudden drop-off in bass response. The original bass presence & tone is quashed in a torrent of hollow-sounding compression. Put simply, the bottom just drops out almost immediately after the first note is struck.
Reliability: 10
close to indestructible
Customer Support: N/A
They should stop marketing this pedal as a distortion/overdrive for bass. If you are at all averse to losing your tone & having it replaced with monotonous, hummy-sounding bass, you will hate this pedal. It's really not so impressive as a direct input, either as it colors the sound and leaves you with a very generic, indistinct finished product, a useable but characterless bass sound that could be duplicated with a keyboard.
Overall Rating: 2
This has got to be the most overrated pedal for bass I have ever seen. It sucks as a stomp box & is horifically overpriced as a mediocre --at best-- d.i. The less expensive Countryman type 85 completely smokes the bass driver in that department. I was so disappointed with this pedal after giving it every chance that I finally sold it. It was stolen enroute to the buyer and I expect the thief will reap his karma in bad tone.
Submitted by Anonymous at 08/16/1999 10:05
Price Paid: francs français 1490 FF
Ease of Use: 10
Very easy in fact. You try some sample settings first. Than you can do your owns.
Sound Quality: 4
Great in recordings for fretless (Jazz Bass Plus). Warm sound indeed! But for fretted Jazz Bass Std, it's too fat. If you add presence for slap, it's noisy. I found the xlr plug of my SWR Silverado (the tube in the preamp!) much moore suitable for recordings... Especially for slap/popping stuffs. Don't ask it to do things tubes can do better!
Wathever you turn on this box, you are disapointed.
The real "BURK!" machine in most case...
Reliability: 5
It's a direct box. If you have a backache, avoid your big 3 stages stack. I use it in big scenes as preamp for the sonorisation in front. As a active-like electronic, I tried it with the SWR. No future!
Overall Rating: 4
For Reggae, it has a warm and fat sound with a fretted instruments. For jazz double bass-like fretless sound too. For R'R with a mediator, also. But for funk, forget it! The treebles are painfull. Noisy. No definition, no slap. I cerainly won't buy it again. I was abused by an article in Guitar & Bass (french magazine). Don't trust them!
Submitted by Etienne Rouard at 08/12/1999 16:26
Price Paid: US $159
Ease of Use: 9
Very easy to use, simple stomp box with on/off button and knobs for the low/mid/high/level.
Sound Quality: 1
HORRIBLE! auugghh, make it go away. I can't believe what they are charging for this thing, I paid $159 from MusiciansFriend and within one weekend of testing it I called them right up to return it pronto! They obliged nicely. I went ahead and got the ART Phatboy taking a chance on it since it was expensive at $230, but found the Phatboy is EXCELLENT in sound quality (see my other review here at h-c). I tried the sansamp both out my PA and onto tape; same bad sound. I was really disappointed after hearing such rave reviews on the sansamp original guitar preamp, and also reviews from people on the bass driver di. My beat up 1st edition Peavey TNT sounded way better then the sansamp, and the Phatboy stomps them both.
Reliability: 9
Fortunately only owned it 1 weekend but I'm sure it's solid as any Boss pedal and will outlive you and me especially if you smoke.
Customer Support: N/A
N/A
Overall Rating: 1
Do not buy unless you got it used for under $50. IMO this thing brand new is worth a max of $50, but since I like good sound over low price I wouldn't buy it for that either; especially since you can now find used Phatboys, --I found 2 for $100 each on ebay. I love my Phatboy and can't say it enough, as primarily a guitarist I think the PB will do all I'll ever need while I'm still above ground (more recording than live).
Submitted by Corman at 05/18/1999 01:23
Price Paid: US $about 200
Ease of Use: 8
It's a stomp box pre-amp. There's no mystery in what the knobs do. Bass, Treble, Level...etc. S The only reason I give an 8 is because sometimes it's hard to decide where to put it when using other effects. Certain effects(such as wahs)sound better without the tube emulation. You can use it as a regular DI, by the Way).
Sound Quality: 10
Excellent! I never record without it. I use the tube emulation all the time except when I record wah but even then I use it as a direct box. I got it because my younger brother used to rave about the original sanamp. In fact, I changed ny Ibanez bass from active and passive. I like passive instruments but I did miss the active controls(if that makes any sense to you) so I am thinking of getting one for gigs to use as a pre-amp/DI! I never give 10's on reviews because most effects are not useable for all situations. The sansamp, however, is on all of my recordings since I bought it. If you have a passive bass, this is one way to go active. The only way this could be better is if they added more features but as far as the sound goes the thing really kicks ass!
Reliability: 8
This looks real sturdy. The output jacks are connected so well that it seems like it was molded with the casing. (I'm sure it's not.)I give it a 8 because I didn't bang it around on any gigs but I think it would even outlast any of my Boss pedals.
Overall Rating: 9
I can't record without it. The reason I give it a 9 is because it doesn't have a parametric mid adjustment like the Acoustic DI has. The mid range is supposed to be pre-set. The manual says if you lower the treble and bass you can get more mid-range. That's kind of silly. What if you want to boost all three ranges? There's alot of definition and energy in the mid-range. I like to be able to set it to my liking. Otherwise, excellent value (not cheap but worth every penny) for a stomp box.
Submitted by David Tanner at 01/04/1999 19:51
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 8
Bass Driver DI is quite easy to use. Bass and Treble tone knobs work nicely independent of each other and produce plainly audible differences as you sweep through. Drive and volume are also no-brainers. Because of the potency and indepence of the controls though, instead of homing in on the sound you're looking for, you sometimes end up circling around it a bunch. Connections are straightforward. Manual is quite informative for a simple box.
Sound Quality: 6
I play an Ernie Ball Music Man with a custom Seymour Duncan Alnico pickup and Rotosound TruBass (tapewound) strings into a David Eden WT-300 bass head and two David Eden 210XLT cabs connected with Monster Cable Studio 1000 cables. (Don't laugh about the cables. They're easily one of the most noticeable improving investments I've made in my guitar/bass sound.) My dream bass sound is somewhere between Bakithi Kumalo (of Paul Simon fame) and a trombone tuned a octave lower.
Anyway, I bought the Bass Driver DI several months before buying the Eden head. At that time, every lesser bass amp I played through (i.e. SWR, Ampeg, etc.) sounded better with the SansAmp in the signal chain. Fatter, ballsier, with more weight. More honk. (Good thing.)Once I got the Eden though (which is an absolutely fabulous bass amp), I found the SansAmp weakened the signal chain significantly instead of improving it. It added noise and click to my bass sound and stripped the chain of fidelity. For a while, I was using it as a distortion pedal. While it sounded pretty good, my bass rig suddenly became an antenna for gospel radio stations. The lack of true bypass pretty much rules it out of being strictly a distortion pedal of choice. I've since purchased a Fulltone BassDrive2 for those bass distortion duties.
Nevertheless, I still carry the Bass Driver DI in my bass case religiously as backup in case my amp blows up. Also, while I still mostly prefer the DI out of the back of my Eden for recording, I've used the Bass Driver DI in recording of both bass and guitar. While a little noisy and harsh to my ears, it sometimes fits the bill. I've often cascaded a guitar preamp (such as the Mesa Boogie V-Twin Rackmount) into the Bass Driver DI with the Drive level cranked for a convincing amp-blowing-up tone. (Also a good thing.)
Reliability: 10
The SansAmp *is* my backup. Very good build quality. I wish all manufacturers used footswitches like the ones Tech21 uses in its pedals.
Customer Support: N/A
Never contacted them.
Overall Rating: 7
I think the Bass Driver DI can make a mediocre amp sound much, much better. Many middle-of-the-road bass amps lack the ability to be both fat and smooth, often forsaking one for the other. The SansAmp could be a major tone improvement for just a little extra money.
However, should you have invested money in a super high quality bass amp (i.e. Eden, Warwick, Aguilar), I think it will only slop up your sound. Though I've never purchased one, I think the Demeter Tube DI seems to have a much better tone (though less versatile and without distortion.) The Fulltone BassDrive2 with true bypass is a better bass overdrive/distortion pedal. Your mileage may vary.
That said, I find the Bass Driver DI indispensable for amp backup. If I lost it, I might entertain buying the Demeter Tube DI instead of the SansAmp Bass Driver DI, but it would be a toss-up. In any case, I would definitely buy one of the two.
Submitted by Marc Jacobs at 11/06/1998 15:41
Price Paid: US $165
Ease of Use: 10
Ease of use? Effortless. Unless your fingers are too big to turn the knobs, you're golden. The manual is helpful, but a little bit snotty: they suggest that the "blend" knob will never leave the far-right position (effect at max).
Sound Quality: 9
At the moment, I'm running an Alembic Spoiler through it, into either my SWR head and Peavey 15" or my roommate's Gorilla practice amp. The effect is very quiet at all times, even with the distortion maxed out. Sweet. Works great as an extra preamp and as a distortion pedal (havn't tried to DI yet). I think there's some sort of noise gate living in there, though: holding a sustained, vibratoed note the distortion gets cut off noticibly. Also, it can strangle your dynamics and many nuances of your playing. Your tone is great, but a lot of your personality doesn't make it out of the output jack.
Reliability: N/A
Seems pretty tough...other reviewers have tortured theirs extensively, and theirs still work. I have no fear of it breaking down during a gig. If I need more distortion, I can just hit my bass harder (smirk).
Customer Support: N/A
Again, no firsthand experience. They sent a warranty card with the unit, which suggests they care. I've haerd stories that Tech 21 will fix any one of their products for a flat $40 fee, no matter what the damage. Folklore?
Overall Rating: 9
The thin tone of my Alembic has been bothering me since I got it, but I can beef it up considerably w/o losing clarity, which is the whole reason I shelled out so much money for such an expensive bass. As I said, I get pretty pissed when I can't hear absoloutely everything I play, but it doesn't suck by a long shot. Maybe I should try it thru 10"s. Sounds a lot like my Sovtek Big Muff-delightful. Much better than any of the other distortion units I've used on bass.
Submitted by Anonymous at 02/09/1998 14:46
Price Paid: US $169
Ease of Use: 9
Using this thing is super duper easy. Bass, treble and presence shape your tone, drive heats up and clips the signal, and blend mixes the heated and instrument line signal for output. The manual is basic but useful and includes a number of suggested settings to emulate various amps.
Sound Quality: 10
My first thought when playing with it was "oh no, now I'm gonna want it on all the time". This box lies between a custom made five string with 2 EMG jazz pickups and an SVT IV pro running through a 2x15 cab. The SVT produces a thick, warm sound, but to get the overdrive I want I would have to play at really unreasonably high volume.
Most overdrive units I looked at were really thin-sounding (boss stomp boxes, etc.) really expensive (matchless hot box, SWR Interstellar Overdrive), or really noisy (ADA MB-1 and MP-1). The Sansamp gave me the Henry Bogdan-ish sound I wanted - very thick and tight, not much top end, and a little distortion - with about 45 seconds of adjustment. Even with the drive setting way down, the sansamp adds a "live" quality to the tone. I was initially skeptical, but ended up very, very impressed. And very happy not to have to blow $1400 on a Harry Kolbe preamp.
Reliability: 9
The box is solidly constructed, simply laid out, and held together with heavy gauge machine screws. If it were me, I would have tried to design it with recessed knobs. This may not have been possible. In any event, I would not smack this thing around on purpose, but I wouldn't worry if it happened. Would I use it without a backup? It kind of is the backup for the SVT.
Customer Support: N/A
I have had zippo experience with them
Overall Rating: 9
For piledriver, helmet-y, melvins-y rock, this thing came as an unexpected and pleasant surprise. Plus, it seems very capable and widely applicable for other styles, should I ever grow up.
Submitted by Anonymous at 02/05/1998 15:56
Price Paid: US $169
Ease of Use: 10
This little black box has three applications: as a stompbox, as a DI, and as a preamp. I tried all three, and it sounds very, very good. If you can tweak the tone controls on an amplifier, you can tweak the tone controls on this box.
The manual is short and to the point. Suggested settings are given for Fender Bassman, Ampeg SVT, and some "celebrity sounds" like King's X and King Crimson. There are also settings for the Chapman Stick (both the bass and melody side.)
Sound Quality: 9
My setup is variable and weighs a ton, but in summary: I use this for bass with a Rickenbacker 4001, and it sounds gorgeous. It also sounds great with acoustic guitar (though Tech21 have an acoustic guitar DI now with sweepable mids--if you play both you might look at this one first). It also sounds great warming up the old guitar synth patches.
The overall sound quality is exceptionally good, and if you've seen the other reviews I've put on this site you'll know I'm pretty skeptical. I demoed the PSA-1 at some length and though it sounded neither convincing in it's emulations or good and musical on its own terms, but the bass DI is superlative. The best thing I could say about this is: it's a pro unit, period. And I can't think of ANY other stompbox I'd say that about.
The tube-amp emulation thing has always seemed a little fishy to my ears, but this unit is all analog and it does indeed sound warm, present, and sweet. It doesn't sound like a signal processing imitation of an SVT or Bassman--it sounds like an amp built along similar lines.
Reliability: N/A
I took it apart--it looks solid. I wouldn't use ANY gear on a paid gig without some kind of backup, but I would have little compunction about bringing this to a gig in place of a bass amp, if I knew the PA was gonna be decent.
Customer Support: N/A
Never dealt with them.
Overall Rating: 10
I picked up a Rickenbacker 4001 out of the blue, having not played much bass for a few years. When I was a kid I always wanted that Geddy Lee "A Farewell To Kings" or "Hemispheres" -era bass tone, but a Ricky and an SVT were WAY beyond my means. Now that I've got the SansAmp, however, I don't think I'll be shopping for an SVT--it sounds great into a solid-state stereo power amp and into my Hartke 410B XL cab.
Tried it with my friend's Fender 5-string and it sounded good there too. It also convinced him, on the spot, that he needed to buy one.
Submitted by scott at 01/15/1998 14:00
Price Paid: Canadian 285.00
Ease of Use: 8
Easy to get a great sound out of it, but a little tricky in getting very specific sounds. Though everything I have ever heard out of it sounds great. The manual is good, with a lot of cool settings. The controls are certainly simple enough. Level (volume) Bass (duh) Treble (duh) Presence (bite) Drive (overdrive) and coolness of cool, a blend control that blends the direct signal with the effected signal.
Sound Quality: 9
This unit is basically an Ampeg S.V.T. simulator. It is very quiet even with noisier pedals run with it. Mostly I use it to send to the P.A.. When I got it I was using, to quote another, a sick guitar amp for a bass amp. I recently got a Ampeg Classic reissue S.V.T. which is about the best sounding amp on the market. But I still use the sans amp in my sound in recording and playing live. I run it in tandem with the Ampegs direct out to the P.A. and if I have a really nice sound guy, a mic in front of my cabinet. The sans amp gets used now mostly for grit and bottom. While the Ampeg takes care of all the rest of my tone. I can get a great rage against the machine sound out of it The only problem I have is that there is no midrange control. As well the pedal sucks out a lot of midrange from my sound. I find if I blend the sans amp in with the uneffected tone I can get any sound there is. Though, this is usually a quick fix for a bass player to get a good sound out of an inexpensive amp, it is still a good buy for anyone with any type of rig.
Reliability: 10
2 years on the road. I have stepped/jumped on it. Kicked it. Had beer bottles smashed on it. Beer spilt on it. Puked on it. Used it to kill the bastard who spilt beer and puked on my gear. Used it to kill small animals on the road when I got hungry. Used to kill larger animals when the band got hungry. Used it to clean the dishes after dinner. I think you get the picture. If I could live in it, I would.
Customer Support: N/A
Can't fix what you can't break!
Overall Rating: 10
I play everything from Jazz to Metal. I have used this for everything. You can get the aformentioned rage sound (bulls on parade), I also use it with my fretless and get a great upright sound. I know upright players that use it to get more wood out of thier bass. If it was stolen I would find whoever stole it and kill them with it. Note to sans amp: put a midrange level and frequency knob on the next one. Funny side note: Ampegs are great, sans amps are light. my back loves you guys.
Submitted by starkell at 01/08/1998 18:31
Price Paid: US $around 150?
Ease of Use: 10
There are a few knobs-prescence,bass+treble(these are both "cut" and "boost",drive,blend, and level(or maybe its called volume-it serves the same purpose, however). These are pretty self-explanatory, but there is a manual to help you out. The manual also contains information on connecting the pedal to mixers, amps,etc. and also some suggested settings (I woouldn't use these in an actual live or recording situation, but they are helpful for "getting the ball rolling" and finding your own tones).
Sound Quality: 10
First of all I would like to make the reader aware that the bass driver DI isn't an actual "effects" pedal, but a tone-shaping device. Don't expect to get neat-o chorus or envelope-filtering out of this. However, the sansamp is extremely useful for getting a signature or wide array of tones, for direct-recording, and making your amp sound like a tube-driven rig. the pedal has very little noise, but the noise generated only adds to the tube emulation! The rig I am using with the sansamp is a Steinberger 4-string with EMG pickups and a Peavey TNT combo amp that has a 15" speaker. Before plugging in the pedal, my tone was pretty dull and sterile. The highs were brittle and the lows were non-existent. The Sansamp really kicked my speaker into gear. Right out of the box it gave my tone rich, full lows and smooth highs. After fiddling with knobs for awhile, I have found that the possible "colors" to be found in this box include everything from phat and funky to bright and shiny. IT really does a great job with emulating a tube rig. It even surprised my tone-deaf drummer! My favorite musicians on bass are Jaco Pastorius, Victor Wooten, and Aston "Family Man" Barret (From Bob Marley and the Wailers). Overall, the Sansamp helped me to achieve the tones of these musicians. The Overdrive effect is surprisingly very bass-friendly. Instead of turning my bass into a crappy fart machine, the way most overdrive effects do, it added some tasteful bite and sizzle to my tone. I would recommend this pedal to any bass player who wants to drastically improve his tone. There are enough possible tones in this box for any style of music. the fact that it is a preamp is a real plus.
Reliability: 8
This pedal is pretty tough and gig-worthy. I wouldn't kick it around like I would a Boss or DOD pedal, though. I keep it on top of my amp, out of harm's way. I use it without a back-up- there aren't any tubes to die out and it has an AC adapter, so the battery won't go dead either.
Customer Support: N/A
I haven't had any reason to get CS, but I have friends who say good things about Tech 21.
Overall Rating: 10
This pedal is great for the psychadelic funk-rock I play in my band. It gives me great tone for grooving back in the mix or soloing in the front. I would definitely purchase the Sansamp again. It is a good way to get great tube sound without spending big bucks on lots of vintage tube gear.
Submitted by Jake McMains at 01/06/1998 16:38
Price Paid: trade for Trace Elliot Dual Compressor pedal used
Ease of Use: 10
There are some knobs that you twist. If settings like "bass" and "treble" are not self-explanatory enough, the manual is very complete and gives you quite a few suggested settings.
Sound Quality: 9
Well, it sounds pretty good. I'm using it as a direct box for the PA and tube emulator on my SWR Redhead. Sounds great. It has "natural" compression and it brings out my lows without clipping.The only noise I've found is when you use it with the phantom power from the mixer. I don't know where that noise comes from...maybe it needs a ground lift or something?
Reliability: 10
I use it on every gig without a backup. I don't know how good of an idea that is, but it seems to be really well made.
Overall Rating: 10
I like it a lot. Even though my amp has a tube preamp, I find that the 2X10 combined with my Jazz pickups make it too bright at times. The Sansamp Bass Driver DI adds a lot of warmth and low end. Also, it has one of the few useable overdrives I've tried for bass. There are lots of cool sounds available. It is very responsive and could remind some people of tubes.
Submitted by J. Ace Gaw at 09/10/1997 12:17
Price Paid: N/A
Ease of Use: 8
Not bad...can get "phat" sound in the beginning..but as you go deeper..you'll discover a lot more different kinda sound.,, quite user-friendly, only the standard Level, High, Low and Gain. the other 2 knobs..Blend and Pressence is also very easy to understand... Blend lets you choose how much "Sans" you wanna use like 12 o'clock means 50% and so on...the pressence controls the "bite" of the sound...more pressence gives you more bite, harmonics and attack...a clearer sound...like for lead.. There's a phantom power thingy for those who wants to "DI" your amp so you don't need a seperate DI box (why do you think it's called Bass DI Driver?) but it takes the fun out of miking your amp... You can even pre your amp if you want too.... Only thing is there isn't a Mid knob..you have to play with the High and Low to get a "Mid-Boost" or a "Mid-Cut". Took me a while to get use to it...but it was worth it...
Sound Quality: 8
You know sometimes when you let out a real big and loud "rip-roarer"?...or a small "silent but deadly" fart? That's the kinda sound you can get on the DI...whatever you want..you can get...from a fat bass sound to a real "thin-ster" From clear soloing...to "big bite harm' attack" slap...You can even get an acoustic sound from your electric bass with this baby....if you know how to use it... Only problem is that the Gain and Level is hard to work with..so if you haven't had enough practice with it, you can't get the "ears-ringing-herat-pounding" loudness you want.... For those who can't afford a good bass amp or those, like me, using a sick guitar amp to practice...this DI is the one you need... But for those rich kids who can afford a real "mother-of-an-amp" don't waste your money...you'll still get the same sound and tone...
Reliability: 8
Very reliable...can't play without it anymore..even if I got a good bass amp...mainly because all those knobs on the bass amp blurs me out...but so far...I've never played bass without it... No need for any back-up...
Customer Support: N/A
Haven't got any C-S at the moment...the DI hasn't failed me....
Overall Rating: 8
I don't mind buying it again...if it really dies on me...but I doubt that...I think the price is around $150-$200 SInagpore currency...but I can't remember... My love and hate of it and any other stuff I guess I said it all above..... I recommend it for bassist that are just starting out, or those who play pure bass... For those bass effect freaks like distortion..flanger...chorus.....sorry...tone and sound matters first before bass effects.
Submitted by Terence at 01/29/1997 23:11
Price Paid: US $180.00
Ease of Use: 10
This effect does give a tube sound to my solid state Peavy TNT amp. It gives a "phat" sound. The metal construction is SOLID. You do have to remember to pull your instrument chord out of the unit after each use though as the input switches the unit on. It took me two new batteries to get used to this. A worthwhile purchase for any non-tube amp users.
Sound Quality: 8
Reliability: 9
Customer Support: 9
Overall Rating: 10
Submitted by CJ Hogan at 09/06/1996 06:58
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