Bass recording - DI, Sansamp Bass DI

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pure.fusion

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HI all,

I'm looking at tracking a better bass sound.

Currently, I've been going from Bass -> POD XT -> soundcard which sounded ordinary until I used the POD XT to EQ and slightly compress to get what I think is a "natural" sound.

But I'm sure the POD XT is really sucking some of the life out of the tone.

I was thinking of (TECH 21 - SansAmp Bass Driver DI) to go Bass -> Sansamp -> soundcard.

Do you guys record bass with DI only and get good results? Anyone used the sansamp direct?

Cheers,
FM
 
There are so many ways to record bass that there is no right and wrong but more what works best for you and the music. The Tech 21 SABDDI is a very popular solution and works well but is not my preference. The POD has some pretty good sounds I like the Bassman or Studio Tube models and the compression is pretty good but there is a loss of brilliance on bass.
I typically use a DI but sometimes may use a preamp and on rare occasions may set up an amp.
 
Right. Sounds like you've recorded with many methods. So, where will the DI let me down? Will it be lacking compared to using a preamp?
 
I adore the Sansamp Bass D/I. Honestly, I know several studios that use that thing. I've recorded somewhere where they use it, and it sounds really good in my opinion.
Bonus points because it's all analog, so you aren't adding any quantization distortion while going through it.
 
I personally run the same bass track in through a couple routes simultaneously and then blend them later. (So I'll use a cheap DI, which emphasizes the low end and has little definition and a small Crate monitor which emphasizes the high end and is pretty much all definition)
 
If you are in an environment that will not allow you to mic your bass cab I would use a Sansamp. I have a programmable Sansamp that I have used in many occassions. Then if you need to you can also add in a cabinet modeler to further add to the tone.
 
The sansamp is a great piece of kit. I find the drive knob to sound like shit for bass dirt though. But for good clean tones with some bite it's great.
 
"Bass -> POD XT -> soundcard"

By soundcard, do you mean the standard one that is attached to your computer's motherboard? Or do you have a dedicated audio interface?
 
I really hate to be one to endorse a Behringer product, but you should give the BDI 21 a try. They're dirt cheap used, so you're not risking much, and you might be pleasantly surprised. It is, obviously, Behri's ripoff of the Tech 21 unit. Not having had the real thing, I can't say that it's identical, but I've heard that they are very, very close. That being said, the Tech 21 has been a professional studio staple for decades. Don't know anything about the programmable one, but the RBI is also supposed to be really good, though a tad expensive for my budget. Lt. Bob has said he mics a little Marshall guitar combo, MX-15 or something like that. I like my Behri, but I don't have much to compare it to, so maybe I'm just easily pleased (not usually, though).

I guess it also depends on the sound you're going for.
 
I'm with Cardio, the Behri BDI21 is GREAT end of sentence. At the price they ask it's SUPERB.
Listen to the bass on the 1st 1/2 doz track on my links for examples of the BDI21 in use.
Best option split signal 1 to the BDI & the other to a mic'd amp thenh blend in the box.
Get the Sansamp if you're confident and can afford it. the fact that Sansamp are now breaking down their original bass & guitar DIs into boutiqued limited range versions suggests that the 1st couple are the ants pants and they've captured the market so well they need to diversify (or split up the good thing into little good things) to make a buck.
 
Although the sansamp bddi is indeed a great piece of kit, might I suggest trying out the paradriver di? The BDDI has a mid scoop built in, whereas the PADI has a semi-parametric eq for the midrange. This makes it more versatile by leaps and bounds, over the BDDI.
 
Yeah my preamp has a semi parametric mid section and it is indeed very nice.
 
pure.fusion said:
Right. Sounds like you've recorded with many methods. So, where will the DI let me down? Will it be lacking compared to using a preamp?
Click to expand...
Any preamp will add some character depending on the type where a DI will be more neutral. So much depends on the sound you want to have and how much work or processing you want to do for the mix.
Much of my recording is done with a DI so later the signal can be processed as needed, or not since I and many of my clients prefer the sound of my bass and DI. I prefer the simplest solutions but that may sometimes include a preamp or EQ and sometimes other processing. My usual signal chain is [sfx] microThumpinator and Countryman Type 85 DI or a passive DI with a Jensen X-former. On occasion I also use a Submarine Bass preamp or a [sfx] AY2. It's always fun to play thru some nice mic preamp or other devices but usually for bass it's not necessary.
OTOH if a particular bass sound is necessary for the track then I'll record it that way. Much like guitar or keyboard sometimes a particular sound becomes an essential part of the recording.
 
rayc said:
I'm with Cardio, the Behri BDI21 is GREAT end of sentence. At the price they ask it's SUPERB.
Listen to the bass on the 1st 1/2 doz track on my links for examples of the BDI21 in use.
Best option split signal 1 to the BDI & the other to a mic'd amp thenh blend in the box.
Get the Sansamp if you're confident and can afford it. the fact that Sansamp are now breaking down their original bass & guitar DIs into boutiqued limited range versions suggests that the 1st couple are the ants pants and they've captured the market so well they need to diversify (or split up the good thing into little good things) to make a buck.
Click to expand...

Wow - 35.99 for the BDI!? Your point about sans amp is good. I bought the original sans amp PSA-1 about 16 years ago and I still use it quite a bit. Tech 21 never crossed my mind again until I was looking for a dedicated DI for bass. I picked one up yesterday and played with it for about 3 hours last night. I'm not immediately wowed but I have not been playing bass regularly so my playing really sucks - don't know if I can rightly blame the DI :-)

I think I will cash in my coin jar and pick up the BDI and that $85 acoustic guitar phil posted a clip of :-)
 
chuckduffy said:
I guess people get confused cause the case says DI.....
Click to expand...

The BDDI and the PADI are both a preamp and a DI. That's part of the reason why so many ppl want them... they're super versatile. The older version of the PADI could also be used as an effects loop, as there was no stomp switch. That thing was GLORIOUSLY versatile!
 
pure.fusion said:
Do you guys record bass with DI only and get good results? Anyone used the sansamp direct?
Click to expand...

Yup, I use the Tech 21 Bass DI. But I run my (Fender '62 R.I. Jazz) thru a small compressor first. I'm not a bass player, but I play one on tv, and I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

I like the bass DI because I can save 3 different settings and recall them with a footswitch. Compressor because I am not good enough to record bass without it. Much more usable than just recording raw bass straight in.
 
I ended up buying aTech21 Sansamp Bass Driver DI. I don't regret doing this. Apart from being very flexible in tone shaping, the "gain" takes a bit of the DI sterility away and it seems to even out the EQ (ie no particular note seems to jump out louder than the other)

For those reading, yes the product is a winner in my vote and you can get good bass sounds going the DI route.

If/when I have time and patience, Id try mic'ing the cabinet to add some punch. Bottom end and tone don't seem to be a problem with the DI, but a slap/pop or a hard pull on a string near the bridge just doesn't give you that umph up front.
Same for you guys?

Cheers,
FM
 
pure.fusion said:
I ended up buying aTech21 Sansamp Bass Driver DI. I don't regret doing this. Apart from being very flexible in tone shaping, the "gain" takes a bit of the DI sterility away and it seems to even out the EQ (ie no particular note seems to jump out louder than the other)

For those reading, yes the product is a winner in my vote and you can get good bass sounds going the DI route.

If/when I have time and patience, Id try mic'ing the cabinet to add some punch. Bottom end and tone don't seem to be a problem with the DI, but a slap/pop or a hard pull on a string near the bridge just doesn't give you that umph up front.
Same for you guys?

Cheers,
FM
Click to expand...

I'm using a different Sansamp unit, a RPM multi-instrument preamp, but I've gotten great results with it. The distortion it has is pretty shitty on its own, but when blended in with a clean DI and some post EQ it can sound great.

What I've been doing is recording both outputs at once, the "Sansamp" output and the "DI" output. The first runs through the preamp (and any gain/EQ adjustments I add), while the second is just a clean DI. I then process each track differently. Lately I've been high-passing the Sansamp/gritty track at around 600hz or so, and then low-passing the DI track around 250 or so, and squashing the living fuck out of it with a compressor. Then, I feed them both into the same bus, run it through an EQ rolling off the high end around 2khz, add some light compression, and then do any EQ tweaks I need to make it sit better.

The Sansamp track handles all the attack and presence, and adds some grit that helps it sit in better with distorted guitars (I write and record instrumental hard rock), while the low end DI track adds a lot of low end punch, and leaving that hole around 400hz seems to work pretty well.
 
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