Behringer BDI21

Pretty easy to use.... the general settings in the manual was helpful.

I have never heard the sansamp BDDI but he BDI21 should good to me. I am using it to improve my bass guitar recording, and the BDI21 does it job wonderfully.

The bass I am using is a Yamaha RBX270, and with the BDI21, I can get a variety of usuable solid tone for my recordings....

I also bought the ADI21 for acoustic recording but I have issues with that... for the BDI21, I am very happy with the purchase.

It is made of tough plastic... durable enough for studio use... I am NOT gonna step on the flimsy foot switch (that is the weak link IMO)

for live use, as long as you don't intend to step on the footswitch often, they are ok.

They seems better build compared to their cheaper plastic pedal brothers.

I think the BDI21 is a great unit given its price.... which is very important to 3rd world country people like me... without the BDI21, I might need to wait for another 2 years before I can get a hold of the sansamps equivalent....

kudos Behringer!

Well how hard can it be to turn some knobs that are labeled. the manual is quite simple to use plain english, firmware revision?

I'm using it with an Ibanez srx300 and a Behringer1200 bass combo (which I love)
actually very quite
everything sounds pretty good it a cheap DI box with amp models sounds great still
well the tube semulater is great not a fan of tube but i just might

seems tough it's heavy for how small it is
yea i'd use it without a back up don't know yet just got it

don't know

I play only Christian Worship and this works for that.
2 years since as of 9/13/05.
I'd get another it was sheap
love the price
yea the ones at church are plain this has amp models on it
wish it had a 1/4 stereo out. using head phones to practice and only get the left is very annoying
helps a lot
i like it

Easy to use. Simple and plain, just the way it should be.Manual is an easy read, not much to it.

I find that this is exactly- yes exactly, the same as the Sansamp Bass Driver. I had one, and this sounds just as good, and does the same stuff for 1/3 the price.However, both the Sansamp and this BDI21 are the same as far as their signal output, which is piss weak at best. They both say they are a preamp, but I had bought them both to use in my practice studio, with a small 150 watt power amp. Neither of them have enough signal to give more than about 1/3 output from the amp. They both sound good, but I will have to buy a signal booster to use them in this manner. I sold the Sansamp on e-bay, but will keep the BDI21, cause it's just the same, only much cheaper.It's sound is every bit as good as the Sansamp Bass Driver!!!

If it's as good as my BXT3000 head, it will give no problems at all. However I found both this and the Sansamp driver useless with the Behringer bass head, it sounded great without these boxes, I just bought this for my basement studio jammimg.

Never had to deal with them. All I've personally owned has been trouble free. I think as long as you treat your equipment with care, it will serve you well.

I like hard rock, blues and jazz. I think it will work well for all.

Very easy to use, has a small manual with 5 sample settings which in my opinion works just fine for every style of music (I personally use the SVT sample setting and adjust Drive knob to the preferred level). Start with a sample setting, make some adjustments to your taste and press the footswitch...that simple!

I use the unit for home recording and practicing and in studio rehearsals. I have my bass (EB StringRay 5) connected to the unit and then the unit connected to the active input of my combo (Behringer BX1200 - hey I'm not a Behringer freak, I just spent most of my budget on the guitar and after all they offer good value for money).I always thought that the sound of my amp was ok, not something to die for. The first time I used it, I used the SVT setting, set my amp's eq to flat and started playing with the unit switched off so I could later notice the difference.I then pressed the footswitch and...WOW, my amp became a monster! I really couldn't believe how much this small unit improved my sound. The amp became alive and I now never dare to use it without this small box! I experimented with all sample settings and some of my own and I found that you can only get good tones out of it, unless you boost all knobs, this is when it becomes noisy, as expected. I tend to use the SVT setting all the time and just adjust the Drive level. Treble, mid and bass frequencies are adjusted directly from my bass guitar and in this way I really can instantly dial ANY, I really mean ANY tone. Completely satisfied! The only thing that really concerns me is the low volume level of the XLR output. I really do not know if this is a problem in general, some units have this problem or I do not use it the right way! In any case, I think it is rather impossible to use this unit as a standalone DI box with this low output volume level.

This unit is made of thick plastic, which is ok for home or studio use but not ok for live, where it could easily be damaged, unless you place it somewhere protected.

Never dealt with them

I bought the unit just to give it a try since it is a copy of SansAmp Bass DI, which I always desired. At this value, this unit is UNBEATABLE! My sound has been dramatically improved. I also got very good comments from friends and bandmates, some of them are already planning to buy one since it suitable not only for bass guitars, but also for guitars, mics, keybs etc. and given this price tag, you cannot go wrong! I do not know if it would improve the tone of a good rig (that would cost and weight 1000's) or if SansAmp is better, but the fact is that I have spent about 350 euro (combo + unit) and I have a sound that is a real pleasure to hear and play.

Very easy to use.

It is a little noisier than with just my amp but not obnoxiously so. It seems to sound OK but it also takes away any personality that my amp has and to my ears sounds either mushy or brittle. As far as tube amp sound goes, someone else will have to judge as I haven't played thru any bass tube amps. I don't have a favorite artist (just to answer that question on this format.

I would not use it at all and here's why. I bought it (admitedly for very little money) to use as an effect to my amp as well as a DI to a PA. When going to my PA I have to turn the volume all the way up to equal my other inputs at 1/3 volume. The other inexcuseable thing is that I cannot use it as just a DI box. Without a cord plugged in to the other output (to amp) the noise is terrible and I do mean terrible. Please no one tell me I don't know how to use it. There are not many ways to screw this up guys. Someone else mentioned the DI being a low output and another person immediately said he didn't know how to use it. Well I do and it don't. Mine may be faulty though I will not return it but will trash it and consider it a lesson learned.

No experience here

No I would not buy it again. Ever. Period

Very easy to use

This unit can get very clean and punchy or full and punchy. I used to record using an ADA MB-1 , but this Behringer DI sounded just as good by itself and sat in the mix a little better than the ADA.

I am using a Hamer Crusie 5 string bass and Yamaha BB1200 4 string BOTH with active pickups.

I have recorded 19 video game sound tracks , 2 commercials, and a lot of demos---I look forward to recording with this piece of gear---I feel I am going to get a better low end /better mix. Add in a $30 price tag and you can't go wrong no matter what you already have.

Direct copy of a Sans Amp at a greatly reduced price.
The manual was fairly short and simple and included some suggested settings

I have used a couple different J style basses from two customs shops in Korea. I bought it to add a bit of faux tube warmth and stabilize sound when using different bar rigs. It does this very well and for the $$ it is great.

It also features a DI that seems weak. I have had trouble hearing it through a PA..I suspect it might be an internal error

Only used it for 2 mths.

My back up is a Pandora which I have not needed

Very friendly and helpful for any questions I have ever had.

I use it in a band that plays covers and originals. We do some Pixies and Fugazi and originals. It has been great for the $$...It has made me want to buy the Sans Amp though so a bit of a GAS enducer.

Loved the $ worried about the DI it has been a good recording tool as well.

Really easy to use. If you cant figure it out someone should hit you in the head with a tack hammer.
dont need the manual. pretty heavy for a plastic box.

It makes a little noise when it is close to my ashdown amp buy not too bad Im probably gonna take it apart and put sheilding in it and maybe a hi output blue led. I tried it on vocals and acoustic guitar very impressive. My friend is getting one he loved it so much. I have a sansamp but I am a little worried about carrying a 200$ pedal to gigs really easy to steal. The BDI21 from behringer sounds almost as the sansamp. the sansamp sounds better with the cranked drive knob than the BDI does but who has it up that high anyway. gets my stamp of approval.

feels sturdy nice and heavy only time will tell

none but if its anything like their other stuff about average.

very reasonable for the price if you cant get the sansap get this one. Thats an order.

First of all, this is a copy of the Sansamp Bass Driver (but about an 8th of the price!).

6 knobs (Drive, Treble, Bass, Level, Presence and Blend) and a footswitch to turn it on and off. Very easy to get to grips with, everything is laid out nicely. Not much of a manual but shows you about 4 sample settings to get you started.

I am using this on my effects board (DOD FX82, BDI21, TU-2, APHEX EXCITER), then into an Ashdown MAG 300R head into a Hartke 2200 cab. I turn off the Ashdown EQ and get my sound from the BDI21 and the Aphex. The BDI21 is a bit noisy on certain levels but as an overall "live" sound, it's hardly noticeable. I can get a very good sound out of this unit in conjunction with the Aphex. I leave it on the SVT setting and it sounds brilliant. I haven't touched the distortion side as it's not my bag. I'll give this section an 8 because it's good but not perfect.

I haven't gigged with it yet so I can't really comment. I'm not too sure about the build quality. It's made out of plastic (apart from a lump of metal in the base), the knobs are a bit too loose and can get knocked out of position quite easily.

Never dealt with them.

I play Rock/Pop music in a covers band. I am very happy with the warm, punchy sound I am getting from my equipment. I can't put this fully down to the BDI21, but, it has helped.

If it was lost or stolen, I would probably get another one, but only if I didn't have the extra money for a Sansamp Bass Driver.

I like the SVT sound but I don't like much else it has to offer. The floppyness of the knobs is annoying but, what do you expect for ?25!

I chose this over the Sansamp because of price, it definately helps me make a good sound, but, I'd like the Sansamp if I had the money.

This unit is very easy to use. No presets or digital crap..just some knobs that functionally replace the controls of a bass amplifier. The manual, which is justifiably very small has some suggested settings to get you started.

I am getting really good sound out of it by going directly to a sound board and/or to a keyboard amp. I am using it with a BRICE HXB-406 with flatwound strings. If I crank up the drive I will incur some noise, especially with with my active circuit in the bass turned on. But very acceptable and not unlike many amps. I've also tried with the following keyboard amps: Roland KC-350, Roland KC-550 and a Peavey KB/A 300. It works well on all those situations.

I tend to play darker smoother tones and this unit delivers there as well as making for some brighter tones too.

You can get a distortion out of it which is kinda fun, but I really don't do that much distortion on bass.

It is heavy and seems road worthy, but there is alot of plastic to it. I tend to think they did the same thing the first 'cheap' telephones did: put a heavy metal plate in it to make it seem more substantial.

It eats batteries like anything, but I like keeping it on batteries as that is just one less thing to make a hum or have to lug around.

Since it eats 9v batteries so bad and as such may embarras me someday ( I gigging with it in a week or two) I'll rate at 9.

I've had really good support from Behringer with a Eurorack mixer I own and expect that in the unlikely even that I need for the BDI 21

I play all sorts of styles, but pretty much want a deep/dark bass sound on all of them. This unit fills my needs perfectly and does so at an astounding price. Between my Brice bass and this little box I've got a really cool complete 6 string bass rig going for under $450....

It would be nice if battery life were a little longer, but a trip to Radio Crap will fix that if it bugs too much.

The only thing that could make this better is if it had a headphone out for practicing, but I bet that would make the battery last even less.