Behringer BDI21

One incredibly annoying little thing about these is the the knobs have no visible pointers, so it's impossible to tell if your setting is pointing at nine o'clock or three o'clock if you're more than two inches away from the knob. I'm still fooled 50% of the time. I'll paint indicators on eventually.

I got this purely as a simple DI unit for quick recording of decent scratch tracks when I don't have time to mess with programming a digital patch or micing-up an amp. It's easily good enough for that.

1: The output level is indeed anemic with the balanced out, as many other reviewers here and elsewhere have pointed out. It's not a problem, but if you don't have input trim/boost adjustments on your board with weak-gain preamps, it looks like it could be a very near thing for you.

2: The noise floor on my unit is inaudible, at least on battery. Zero hiss that I can detect with headphones or monitors, so any noise is below that of the other equipment and interference, which is very low in my studio.

3: This is absolutely NOT a direct copy of a SansAmp. It also sounds substantially different, but in a blind test of .MP3 samples of the two units, about half the respondents preferred the Behringer in an online forum.

4: I have read complaints that this unit taking the high-mid punch out of many bass's tones. I think there may be something to that, but I have not had time to fully examine that claim.

5: If you are using the BDI21 as an effect rather than a DI box, your sound will be greatly influenced by your amp and existing effects. Even with tone set flat on the amps, the BDI21 sounded VERY different when used with the numerous professional SWR and Ampeg amp/cabs in my studio. Likewise with one bass to the next.

Mine arrived new with the switch actuator button damaged. The internal button mounting flange was loose because the screws that secured it were stripped out in the cheap plastic used for the case. There were two other stripped screws inside the unit. The switch itself is just a PCB-mounted microswitch (as on nearly every other effect today) but the actuator button seriously overstresses the PCB if you step on it because it pushes down too far. While repairing the stripped out screws, I put some fiber washers under the on/off PCB to increase the standoff distance from the button shaft. Works better and more safely now, but would have eventually broken otherwise.

No experience with this. I figured it was easier just to repair my unit myself.

For the price, and despite its numerous small annoyances, this is a fantastic value for a DI unit -- IF you get a good one. It is a complex circuit using micro surface-mount robotic build. While the claims of it being a straight copy of a SansAmp are nonsense, the BDI21 is close enough in sound to the SansAmp to make paying the extra money for one unattractive.

pretty easy to use given the inmense tonal options it gives. basically, a sans amp bass driver clone.

the sound is great, it givs so many possibilities that i can get enough of the thing. I was aiming for the "real" one, but like all my behringers, i bought it to have an idea of the aproximated sound, to see if I like it and not spend a fortune. like all my behringers, it stayed on my pedalboard and never left. Svt and fat tube settings are brilliant, and some twitching of the knobs gives very quickly the all sought after geddyleeesque drive, but it also gives a fairly good impersonation of crimson tones. that's where the thing really shines. I use it as a conventional stomp box, although I tried it once direct to my computer to record some ideas, and it dit it very well. Great preamp unit on it's own. I found myself plugin it directly to the "power amp in" of my good ol fender bxr combo, skiping the pre an eq stage of the combo completely. I think i'm gonna try some power amp and bass cabinet with it. Great sound, great tone, no hum or noise. If you like a great, defined, bassy punch, without getting into mushy mud on mud sound, this is a MUST. Finger picks are a blast.

behringer surprises with, in one hand, units that die in a week and in the other, units that take abuse forever. so no one knows. I, for one, never had a problem ith this thing or all my other behringers. It's plastic, but also cars, houses and food, this days. What do ya want for the price?

never needed to

Great value for money. Great sound and a whole new array of posibilities. tweek it bad, and it'll sound that way. No mystery there. It looks good too, the colour is nice and it is compact as hell, so you can literally carry a dozen tones and "rigs" in the bass bag. At this price, go get one, and you'll see. I don't know about playing with it "sans an amp", but right know, i wouldn't be surprised it sounded good enough. Still i want the tech 21, of course, but with this ting I can wait almost forever for it.

Dialing up a sound on this is simple. The examples in the one sheet manual are helpful. I wish it had a mid control, but that can be approximated by reducing the other frequencies and pushing the volume back to unity gain.

I have an Ampeg tube pre that sits at home because this thing works so well and is easier to haul around.

The distortion is a bit fizzy for my tastes. It is hard for transistors to replicate the warm, buttery distortion of power tubes. I have had good luck by rolling back the treble and presence. I play with a varying assortment of guitarists at my church, so if they play acoustic or have a thin sound, I push the mids and distortion up a bit to compensate.

As far as sound I'm going for, I'm halfway between Pat Seals of Flyleaf and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. This unit gets most of the way there, though having a real Music Man bass would help a lot. I have a pair of fives I use for playing: An older California-made TBC and an Chinese-made OLP.

I go straight into the board from the BDI21, no problems noticed with the levels. The way I use it, the unit isn't very noisy at all. More extreme distortion levels will push the noise floor up a bit, of course.

Reliability? I ran it over with my car! I stupidly left this and a Zoom unit behind my car while unloading at the house. the Zoom died, the Beringer survived...It still works great on a power adapter, but won't work with the battery any more.

I use it without a back-up all the time, although I could grab a direct box from the sound booth if this thing ever crapped out.

Although I should give it a 10 in this category, it *did* stop working on battery power after being run over by a *car*, hence the 9.

No direct knowledge concerning this unit.

I play everything from detuned metal/rock/punk to more pop-influenced modern worship, but always with a metal attitude. I like the fact that the sound cleans up when I play softer, but the same setting gives me an aggressive sound by attacking the strings harder. I can even play with a pick without losing the bottom end.

I use an Aviom digital in ear system for monitoring and a great set of Ultimate Ears 'phones, so I know exactly what I'm sending to the board, (the Aviom feed is pre-EQ). The down side is trusting the sound man after that, but they are pretty good for the most part.

Been a bass player for well over 20 years, going through Fender, Ampeg, GK and other pro gear. The BDI21 works for me, and fits in the pocket of my gig bag. I miss the visual impact of an amp that is taller than me, but since the church has thousands of watts behind the 4- 18" subs under the stage all that gear actually interferes with getting a good sound in the house (standing wave interference, phase cancellation and all that).

This is one of the greatest values anywhere.

If this was lost or stolen, I'd buy another in a heartbeat.

This unit is a good starting point for players trying to have a versatile rig. I can easily go from a sharp biting solid state "RUSH" sound to a warm dubby "early STONES" sound. The manual gives some great settings to get started and it delivers what is stated. The only reason this is not a 10 for ease is because it doesn't have the ability for Multiple presets.....c'mon at 29.99?

I stated above that this is very good for warm Blues/Blues Rock/Heavy Rock apps. But in my experience, there is not much in the way of 'overdrive' from the drive section. That's OK since I didn't expect it, but it would've been a nice surprise. I use a '78 Fender Mustang and a mid 60's Dano Longhorn through an early 70's Acoustic 136 and 140 head through a 12" and 15" EV. I don't use anything else on stage at the moment and the pedal gives me a few good variations that fit right in with the style of music I play.

So far So good. It seems well made and doesn't suck the battery dry fast. I have played several 4-5 hour shows on a single battery, although I do mute/unplug it while not playing. As stated by others, it is heavy for it's size and not fragile at all. I enjoy the rubber surface on the bottom that isn't like the small feet that alot of little pedals have that tend to fall off in your gig bag and leave it wobbly or slide on a slick stage. I have no backup for it yet, but I get one just because they're so inexpensive. (hopefully, my wife won't run over my gig bag again)

Only owned for a short time and no support had been required.

I am in a Classic Rock & Blues cover/original band that plays Stones, Zeppelin, Who, Beatles, Joe Cocker, Faces, Santana, etc. We play 2-3 shows a week at Cincinnati clubs/bars. I have been playing since 1980, when learned upright in the school orchestra. I would buy another of these pedals and am considering it now just to have a backup because these are so cheap. I compared it to a Hartke pedal that costs 2X and liked the tube sound of the Behringer better, the Tech 21 is out of my budget range. The Tech 21 sounds better and is more versatile, but at the price, the quality difference doesn't justify it. The weakness I found is that it doesn't OVERDRIVE like a tube amp at high levels. That may be due to my set up, but I have a couple of older tube amps for recording that get gritty when the gain goes up. Don't expect alot of that here. It does get a nice woody warm tube sound and can extend your low warmth without making unwanted noise. It gives me a few different bass sounds to work with on stage to change things up a little without getting too weird...we don't do much Zappa! Buy one if you need some change, but not too much change.

This is very easy to tweak to get any desired modification, the controls do what they say and they make sense.

I play a Spector Legend which is really good on its own and a Trace-Elliot AH250. At home, it goes straight into the pre-amp input of the amp and I am really satisfied with the level of control offered and the simplicity with which it is accomplished. The 12 bands or whatever EQ bands on the Trace are just not necessary for me. I love the warmth of the tube side of "blend", but not a big fan of the transistor side.

I play worship at a church and this is not a demanding gig for sound. Their is a trace combo there also and I run the amp from the line out with EQ flat and DI to the board. I have never had a problem with levels to the board, but like I say, the demands aren't great.

I will take this sound over just about anything I have tried.

This unit has never caused me a problem. I can depend on it and do use it without a backup. That is, I don't have another one. I do have another solution (amp DI) so it is not a huge risk at all.

Never needed any support on this. I have dealt with Behringer on another product. They were prompt but did not solve my problem. I actually found the answer here.

Evidently I play worship music and I like using this at church. Otherwise, it's just me and it is a great match. on my own, I like to rock out and find this supports a lot of stuff I do, though I am a set it and forget it kind of player. I would definitely get another if anything happened to this. The transistor tone is lifeless. Similar to another reviewer, the drive control is a lot heavy at higher settings and I don't go there.

I can't compare it to anything else

Pretty easy to suss out, manual straightforward.

Play early '80s Tokai P-Basses with SD Hot Vintage PUs, through Trace Elliot - with pick or fingers. Generally use 'SVT' setting with just a tad more bass, giving quite a passable impression, with no EQ (flat) on amp. Good sounds acheivable from; Jah Wobble, JJ Burnel to Paul Simonon..& much more. Awful overdrive sounds, but for those kind of sounds would use Guv'nor & TS808 anyway, which work well together with the Behringer.
DI level pretty weak, similar to Sansamp.
No problems with noise whatsoever.
Not quite got the edge on Sansamp, hence 8 out of 10. However,not far off,& at a fraction of the cost.

Cannot comment, have not had pedal long enough.
However, plonk it on top of the amp on all the time, rather than on the floor - so have no issues with the plastic case. I gig with it, seems dependable enough not to need backup.
Guess I'll have to wait & see.

N/A

Really like this pedal, & would recommend at least trying it. For the price can't really go wrong.Hats off to Behringer, really couldn't give a sh*t about the Sansamp rip-off/clone debate. I also have a Sansamp, & this comes nearly as close, to my ears anyway, to emulating classic SVT,Marshall,warm dubby tones. I would buy another if this was nicked. I also like the fact that this is affordable - enabling those on perhaps a lower income or younger persons to get fairly decent sound with quite average amp/guitar set-up.I fail to understand how Tech 21 can justify such a high price. I'm sure many will disagree with this comment, & may even receive some flak,but that's just my opinion. Go give the BDI21 a go.

Very easy to use right out of the box and has great sound quality!

Very excellent sound quality using it as a practice box directly conneted to a Rockbass practice tape player, but IS NOT GOOD FOR LIVE DI BOX FOR A BAND DIRECT TO THE BOARD!!!! Very weak signal from the XLR output connection

Build very good looks like steel but is plastic, but very sturdy plastic!

Have not used Customer Support!

Overall a very good sound for practice and for studio applications but thats it! Very good sound for the money! Will keep it as part of my pedal board and will have to get a basic DI box for live performaces!!

Made in 2006 in China

I haven't tried other products such as the Sans Amp but this little unit definately warmed up my SWR. I really liked the SVT and Fat Tube settings

The Pedal is solid, knobs feel substantial

Haven't had it long enough to comment

Warranty is for 1 yr.

I was impressed. A great tool for adding just the right amount of warmth or punch.

Getting great tones out of this was simple. There are a few example starting places in the user guide.
The manual is just a couple sheets, but there is not a real need for anything too in-depth as this is a pretty easy device to use.
Everything is laid out very nicely.

I've tested this with an Ibanez Soundgear with active pickups and with an OLP MM2 passive, and it is dead silent. I am not using a DC adaptor yet, but I plan to do so. Experience in the past is that it pays to get a good quiet (made for music) adaptor.
All the suggested settings sound pretty much like what they're suggested for. It's not really an effect box, so don't expect it to be. I go from my bass into this, and from there into a QSC 1450, into a Behringer 1x15 and SWR 4x10 cabinet. It rocks!
I've gotta give it a 10. A lot of folks say that this box is a clone of a Sansamp. Well, I have not A/B'ed them side-by-side, but I have tried the Sansamp, and I don't remember it being any better than this one. And you gotta look at the price difference - I could buy abotu 6 of these - and the build quality is rather decent.

Don't know about the long-term reliability. The build quality seems fine though. Although the outside case is plastic, is is NOT NOT NOT like those small Dano or other Behringer pedals. This is a pretty beefy unit. I am not concerned that the case is plastic. I think it would crack if dropped from 4-5 feet, but probably not less than that.
I will use it without a backup because I don't ahve any worries about this based on others' reviews.
To be honest though, I am not going to rate reliability because I have not had very long. I expect it to be reliable.
The controls are very solid, they don't move around on you, although it can be a bit hard to see which way the arrow is pointing (9:00 od 3:00). The footswith is made of plastic, but the actual switch is the same switch used in pedals from any other manufacturer. I don't see it breaking unless it takes a weird drop, but hey, that could happen. In my case, it's staying on, on top of my rack anyway. But I would not be afraid of it breaking in normal use.

I have dealt with Behringer on a couple occasions. Once was through e-mail and that was fast and accurate. Once was live on the phone, and they tried to tell me that defective behavior was normal. So, I think you're better off logging a case on their website. So, I can average out a 10 and a 3 for this one.

My overall rating for this one is a solid 10. It feels good, it sounds good, and it kinda looks good too. For $30, it's hard to pass up - even if you only use it as a DI box.
I'ts a great buy, and I think if you A/B'ed it with a Sansamp blind, you could not tell the difference.

Just to keep it short, I wanted a Sans Amp Bass DI. A friend with inside info told me that Behringer makes great clones of Tech 21's gear (as well as Boss's pedals) for much less money. So I took a gamble on trying this unit and risking $29, verses $200 on a sans amp DI. I am very happy with the Behringer. I saved alot of moolah and it sounds absolutely the same as the Sans Amp. Sorry Tech 21. you make a nice product, but Behringer is just as good and cheaper. Much cheaper. The unit looks and feels solid. I predict it will last for many years. Very satisfied with it. I use it to plug my bass directly into a Yamaha MD8 multi track recorder. It gets sounds that vary from absolutely flat and dry to a scooped out SVT, and even some growling distortion. The distortion is not my cup of tea. I prefer a certain green tube distortion emulating pedal for that.

I have been playing for 25 years, and I know what I'm talking about when it comes to bass guitars. This is a great unit and a fantastic value.