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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. I’ve 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 you’re 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 owner’s manual made a big difference in my understanding of some of the subtleties of the unit. If you buy this unit used, demand the owner’s manual or see if you can get one from Tech21. It really made a big difference for me in liking the unit. (I didn’t like it as much prior to reading the owner’s 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 MXR’s advantage of allowing more distortion. If you’re 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 | 
