Recording bass. Looking for a cheaper amp. Any suggestions?

[elenore19]

I've been recording with just direct input in all my songs and I think it's time to really concentrate on a better bass sound, right now it just doesn't have much oomf, if that makes sense.

Is there some smaller bass amp out there that records fantastically?
(yeah, very general question, figured I'd ask)

Thanks guys.


-Elliot

[Gear_Junky]

well, not exactly an amp, but Tech 21 SansAmp Bass DI records great "direct". Only $189 new. I had one.

Now I use the Behringer clone, called V-Tone BDI21 - only $30 new, close enough for most people.

great tube-like tone direct (sans amp = without an amp) live or recorded.

the bdi21 is cheap enough to get it and compare or use with the amp you'll get. (if you go that route).

[zed32]

yeah just get a Sans if its just for recording.

[jdier]

Originally Posted by elenore19

I've been recording with just direct input in all my songs and I think it's time to really concentrate on a better bass sound, right now it just doesn't have much oomf, if that makes sense.

Is there some smaller bass amp out there that records fantastically?
(yeah, very general question, figured I'd ask)

Thanks guys.


-Elliot

I had good luck DI for my bass then adding some 'oomf' using Camel Crusher. Worth a shot and cost nothing.

[pohaku]

I usually use either a Ditto tube DI box (@$150 on e-bay) or a Sansamp RBI (@$250 on e-bay) for direct. I think, realistically, if you have cost constraints, you will be better off going DI then buying a cheap small bass amp. Typically, good, small bass amps aren't cheap unfortunately.

[witzendoz]

Hi,

I usually record with a DI and sometimes with mic and DI.

A while ago I bought a little amp for practice sessions and small cafe style gigs, it is a Crate BT25, it is 25 watts with a single 10" speaker. Now this is not a grand shaker but it is the loudest 25 watts I have ever used and the tone is very nice. I have used this with my Fender Precision (1975) my Fender Acoustic Precision fretless and my Ibanez BTB 5 String, and all works well. In future I am planing to DI and mike this amp, so for studio use check it out.

Cheers

Alan.

[elenore19]

Originally Posted by Gear_Junky

well, not exactly an amp, but Tech 21 SansAmp Bass DI records great "direct". Only $189 new. I had one.

Now I use the Behringer clone, called V-Tone BDI21 - only $30 new, close enough for most people.

great tube-like tone direct (sans amp = without an amp) live or recorded.

the bdi21 is cheap enough to get it and compare or use with the amp you'll get. (if you go that route).

Wow, that BDI21 looks pretty badass. I might have to try that out. I found an old amp of my brothers, like a 15" peavey TKO. Sounds pretty good, but I'll probably end up buying that BDI21. Sure looks badass.

[Gear_Junky]

yes, for the price of a passive DI box there's absolutely no excuse NOT to get one of each (bdi21, adi21 and gdi21). I don't record now, but have all 3 and they are very handy.

I also have the Ultra-G guitar cab sim DI, which we used in conjunction with the gdi21 (SansAmp GT2 ripoff) and we were getting VERY good tones).

i know the general rep is bad for Behringer, but I have their Xenyx 1202fx mixer and these 4 boxes - all very well made and priced right for hobbyists.

the DI's are VERY well made. keep in mind, you're really NOT going to need the footswitch, they're more like preamps rather than stomp-boxes.

[b5stringz]

One of the other things you also might want to do is to look into compression
It would cost more than say buying a new di and it would also take more time to set things the way you wanted, but I think in the long run you also get what you don't pay for either.
compression is a great tool once you figure out what sound you are looking for.
you could go to dynacomp (which is made by mxr) and that might give you a feel for whats in store for you. My only other advice is just be patient you will find what you are looking for. 5

[zazz]

im with the sansamp brigade.....its just magic what it does to a di bass sound ....it can really get that ampeg sound if so needed and anything in between.

[elenore19]

Originally Posted by b5stringz

One of the other things you also might want to do is to look into compression
It would cost more than say buying a new di and it would also take more time to set things the way you wanted, but I think in the long run you also get what you don't pay for either.
compression is a great tool once you figure out what sound you are looking for.
you could go to dynacomp (which is made by mxr) and that might give you a feel for whats in store for you. My only other advice is just be patient you will find what you are looking for. 5

Yeah, I use compression a little bit in my sequencer once the bass is already tracked. It works a little, haven't messed around with it too much. I just realize that the original sound I'm getting from my current DI box just isn't cutting it.

[bongolation]

Originally Posted by Gear_Junky

yes, for the price of a passive DI box there's absolutely no excuse NOT to get one of each (bdi21, adi21 and gdi21).
[...]
the DI's are VERY well made.

On your recommendation, I just ordered one from Amazon.Com for $30.99, delivered...but afterwards, I repeatedly found user reviews of the new units being DOA or otherwise defective out of the package and requiring replacements.

How on earth do you screw up a simple stompbox?

keep in mind, you're really NOT going to need the footswitch, they're more like preamps rather than stomp-boxes.

I'd bet anything that the footswitch is nothing more than a button pushing a PCB microswitch like on every other stomp in the world. The apparent Carling switch on many boxes is nothing more than a dummy that pushes a bit of foam or a spring against one of these tiny buttons.

[tc4b]

+1 Sansamp

A year or two back, I played about every $300-ish amp. Every brand has one, including brands I'm attracted to like GK and Ampeg. Didn't like any of them, wound up getting a sanamp RBI for $230 off ebay, and I'm very very happy.

A friend recently picked up one of these though, and it sounds amazing. I'll be buying one after a little saving, just incredible for the size, and nothing I;ve heard is better for the price.

[rayc]

The Behri bass DI really is very good. In fact at the price it still very good. I use it for DI & mic blending as well as just plain DI.
If you're on a budget it's easy.
I was after a Sansamp for bass but took a punt on the Behri when one came up on eBay very cheaply - I figured I could still get the sans after playing with the Behri.
I didn't need to move beyond it though.

[raven46]

I was going to ask a similar question so I'll just ask here

I was going to buy the V-Tone BDI21 a while back but after buying two guitar foot pedal which were total shite, I thought better of it. I might give it a whirl

Anyone use the V-Amp pro? I'm thinking about it but is it any good for recording or is it a safer bet to save up the extra dosh for the line 6?

[ranjam]

I use the Sans Amp, and it is exactly what the hype says it is; awesome. But here's a heads up; MXR now has a version out that's $50 cheaper than the Tech 21, and it has compression. Now you know.

[bongolation]

Originally Posted by raven46

I was going to buy the V-Tone BDI21 a while back but after buying two guitar foot pedal which were total shite, I thought better of it.
[...]
Anyone use the V-Amp pro? I'm thinking about it but is it any good for recording or is it a safer bet to save up the extra dosh for the line 6?

There was some sort of problem with the Behringer Pro eating backup batteries fast and losing the presets, but I don't know if that got fixed or what. I've never used the unit, though I have several other modelers and multi-effects I use with variable success.

As for comparing modelers, I recently had a discussion with some guys at Korg about modeling and they said the biggest single issue (and limiting factor) is processing power. Needless to say, there are no specs on this listed for consumers for any brand. As modelers go from one generation to the next, processing power increases with at least notional improvements in the sophistication and accuracy of the modeling.

I bagged the BDI21 simply because it was an analog unit and I wanted to see how well it worked without all the hassle of programming a digital patch, and I am leaning toward more toward massaging the bass tracks after recording the basic track anyway; just give me a nice, solid track and I'll take it from there afterwards.

I was reading some interesting comparisons and blind testing v. the SansAmp on TalkBass and the results for the Behringer unit pretty well impressed everyone.

[bongolation]

I got the BDI21 today.

My initial impression is pretty favorable, though they hurt my feelings by not including a battery!

I popped it apart to take a good look at it and it's definitely a pretty sophisticated circuit, microminiature surface-mount robotic build, as expected -- a lot of effect for $30, especially if you're used to paying more for some stomp with about sixteen components and a circuit the schematic for which you could draw in crayon on the palm of your hand.

The controls worked and were noise-free. As mentioned, the output is not strong (nor is it on the SansAmp), but the noise floor is OK and with a bit of doinking around, you can get some nice sounds from the unit. For me to say that is very high praise indeed, as at least 95% of the effects I've messed with (and I've messed with hundreds) I find of very low utility, with sounds that do not justify dealing with their nuisance value. This unit I will use. It does not sound cheap -- most effects do.

I had my new American Series Jazz Bass with 8250 strings and my '54 Precision RI with a fresh set of 9050L flatwounds handy for testing. I plugged them into an Ampeg B-100R with controls flat and I was impressed by the variety of sounds I could get from both basses.

I'll take it into the studio next week and fool around with it some more with different basses, recording with the DI balanced out and see what's happening with that. So far, it's looks like it's going to be a far more useful piece than I expected!

[thebigcheese]

How does it compare to something like, say, the Johnson J-Station? I picked up a J-Station a little while ago and it's very customizable, but also kind of a pain to deal with sometimes as a result.

[bongolation]

Originally Posted by thebigcheese

How does it compare to something like, say, the Johnson J-Station?

A great deal less trouble, mainly. I have a J-Station, but I haven't used it in a while because I can't get J-Edit to work in XP. It can't find the J-Station for some reason, and there's effectively no support for the J-Station anymore.

I pretty much got this to replace numerous digital bass modelers and multi-effects here in the studio. I'm trying to simplify things so I can get some tracks recorded without having a nervous breakdown screwing with deep-editing the modelers for all the effects, cabs, etc., etc., etc., etc.

My take at this point is that a want a basic, clean track and I can monkey with it later in the mix with VSTi programs. I want the flexibility then and not paint myself into a corner with pre-programmed effects in the hardware on the front-end which I can't change later when they don't sound so great in the song.

This will do that well, I think. Simple, effective.

[mrface2112]

$30 for this behri gizmo and you say it doesn't suck? i might have to waste $30 on one. i've used a SansAmp RBI (as well as the floor stomp model) and been very impressed at the variety of good sounds one can get out of it--got one on my list but haven't gotten around to it.

I've found that the biggest "secret" to getting a great bass sound is in this order:
1. Great bass player
2. Excellent bass that's well intonated and has good pickups
3. Good DI
4. Optional: Fat sounding compressor

I've got an '83 Fender PBass with EMG actives and a Countryman Type 85 DI (and a handful of Whirlwind DIs)......so i have numbers 2 and 3 taken care of........still working on #1.

I've also found that the Ampeg SVX plugin can do some magic for less than stellar sounding bass tracks.


cheers,
wade

[bongolation]

Originally Posted by mrface2112

$30 for this behri gizmo and you say it doesn't suck?

It has the reputation as being the only one of Behringer's 1366 other effects that doesn't.

However...The activator button was binding up on this and a peek inside the battery cover showed that the mounting flange was loose. I opened the case and found that the flange mounting screws were stripped out in this atrocious plastic they use for the case, along with another screw.

This was a trivial repair, but annoying. I suspect that this problem is behind all the complaints I've read about the "switch" going bad in their stomps. It's not the switch, which is just the usual PCB microswitch that every other stomp in the world uses, but this activator shaft coming loose.

Dumb, but not a deal-killer.

I've found that the biggest "secret" to getting a great bass sound is

I didn't know anyone agreed on what a great bass sound even is...but

STRINGS!