Bass SansAmp question

[notCardio]

Can you get a variety of sounds from it, or is it sort of a one-trick pony?

What I mean is, is it sort of like a fuzz/distortion where you just get more or less of the same effect? Maybe you go from warm tube-ish to full on fuzz, but it's still the same sound, like overdriving an amp. You get the relatively clean amp up to the totally distorted amp, but it still just the one amp?

Or can you dial in completely different responses, like Motown warm, direct full and clean, and full on SVT rock god?

[scrubs]

Check here: http://www.geocities.com/sansampbass/index.html

[notCardio]

I will check this out thoroughly!

You're OK, for a Lite Brite character.

[notCardio]

I only liked two of the sounds, the tube-ey and the Bassman. Everything else seemed too exaggerated for my taste.

But then I guess that's just one guy's sample. The others might have been OK in a mix, too, instead of just solo. I was just trying to figure out if I wanted one and if so, are there enough variations that I like that would I want the programmable version.

I think I'll just stick with my Brick for awhile longer. I guess I'm in no hurry anyway.

[metalhead28]

I have the Sansamp RBI, and I'd say it's pretty versatile. The EQ section makes for VERY drastic changes in the tone with even slight adjustments.
The overdrive allows for anything from smooth and clear to fairly extreme grind (although it gets a little noisy / harsh at higher levels.)
The presence control really does add alot of high end definition, and the controls seem to interact with each other quite a bit, sort of like you would expect a nice amp to do. In short, the controls really do what they're supposed to, which makes for a pretty wide range of sounds.

[jonnyc]

So, you think that RBI is worth the money? Been seriously considering it as my bass di.

[metalhead28]

Originally Posted by jonnyc

So, you think that RBI is worth the money? Been seriously considering it as my bass di.

I will be honest, I rarely use it for my stuff as I prefer to DI bass with my BAE 312a because it's got a fatter and punchier sound, plus it's alot simpler and I prefer a clean, smooth bass sound. So I don't think it's the be-all, end-all of bass DI's. That being said, the versatility of the Sansamp when seeking out all sorts of rock sounds or just more realistic amp sounds is really nice. It obviously sounds alot more like a real bass amp than most standard DI's, which is great when that's what you're after. Besides, the 312a was alot more money. I've also got a couple of preamps more in the price range of the Sansamp and the Sansamp sounds alot better in my opinion. So I'd say it's definitely worth the money.

The RBI has an unaffected DI out as well, which is super handy when you want to use a clean track for the low end but also have a distorted midrange. That technique, with the "Sansamp" track also going through a convolution reverb with a bass amp impulse has been a go-to method for me when tracking and mixing bass. Since I got the 312, that usually trumps it - but not for everything.

[scrubs]

If you don't mind cheap knockoffs, check out the Behringer V-Tone BDI21. It's a blatant copy of the original Sansamp bass driver, with the exact same knobs and settings in the manual. I haven't compared them head-to-head, but I'd say it sounds at least as good as the samples on that website I posted. Plus, it's only $30 for a variety of tonal options.

[cnix]

As someone who is always looking to enhance my sound, I borrowed a Sans Amp Bass DI from one of my bass playing buddies. Lucky for me I had the opportunity to try one before I bought one, which does not happen often for me. Many people on this board absolutely love the Sans Amp Bass DI, but it did nothing for me. While it can create many different sounds, I was not happy with the "tonal quality" it produced with MY setup.

With your setup, it may be great. Good luck.

Charlie

[whyseye]

Through the courtesy of a loan from one of the BBS members, I just tried one out....it's not bad, but a little noisy as compared with my preamps, and the effect that I liked best was fairly normal anyway....
...there was was one real warm, fat sweet spot, but it came with a lot of extra noise....but it was my first attempt, so I'm withholding judgement pending further testing....