Behringer GDI21

Very easy to use. Models a bunch of different amps, and I love all of them. I use this mostly as a more vintage kind of distortion pedal. The switches make it easy to use.

I love the vintage and palm muting tones you can get out of this thing. My only problem with it is the level knob is way off. If you set it to the middle it will come on really loud, you have to set the level to 25% to get a smooth transition. I used it at a gig and the knob was set a little too high, to like 35% and it came on WAY too loud, it sounded really bad.

I dont know if I'll ever trust this thing at a gig again. The knobs are really sensitive and turn really easily. If you use it at a gig you need to check if everything is set right. It looks like it is built pretty solid though, and I would use this at a gig without a backup provided I had time to do a good sound check.

Great peice of gear for its price. The only thing I would improve is make a stronger stomp button, make the knobs less sensitive, and make it so the knobs work more gradually.

This pedal is extremely easy to use. Any one who has used a pedal, or an amp proir to operating this unit will have no problem figuring it out. It's so intuitive, no manual required.

The only gripe that I have is that the knobs and switches do not have clear indicator markings as to where they are set. My practice room is kinda dark, and I had a hard time when I visually checked my settings.

It's all in there. I tried to get SRV and EC tones using my strat and Classic 30. No problem there. Then I found Ted Nugent with my Les Paul. Creed and Nickelback with my PRS. Tweak away, this pedal offers so much diversity that it is absolutly unbeleivable for a $30 pedal. I have a TS9, a gen. I Marshall Bluesbreaker pedal, a BD2, and a Digitech Screamin' Blues lined up on my pedal board, and I emulated each of them with the GDI21.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
There is one thing that I would definately recommend using with this little gem - an EQ pedal. I have the Boss GE-7. What a difference this can and will make.

I believe that the EQ pedal/unit is one of the most under-rated pieces of equipment available to us as guitarists. I think that every guitarist's tone can benefit from this simple gadget in one way or another. I have heard of people swapping sreakers and tubes, only to end up back where they started with the addition of a simple EQ pedal. Which, by the way, is much more economical than buying tubes or speakers.

I own a Behringer Ultra-G DI, and a UB 1836 FX pro mixer and have had zero problems with either of them. Having said that, I anticipate no problems with this unit. It looks to be rugged and well built. But guess what, for thirty bucks, if it lasts a year, I'll just go out and get number 2 if it breaks!

I've emailed them and had a replies in less that 24 hours.

I like all kinds of music from blues to rock to metal. This pedal allows me to pull all of these tones from one handy little box.

I have not used it with a solid state amp yet, I have not recorded to my Tascam 788 with it yet, and I have not ran it through my PA yet, so I may very well come back to add more comments at another date. Some reviewers have tried it through the Ultra-G, I am looking forward to trying that too.

So far I love it.

it has a 'drive' 'treble' 'bass' 'level' knob; amp type; drive type and mic position switches and a ground lift switch for d.i. applications; having used the sansamp gt-2; its nothing new and pretty easy to operate; getting a good sound of it is probably easy if you know what you're after.

I used to have a gt-2 and i used it on the tweed setting for giving the sound a sweet compression and a little gain and it would sit at the end of the pedal chain; then into the desk or an amp;
I sold to gt-2 to buy some other toy; and after I while I found that I really had good use for it; so when this cheap copy came out; I was really thrilled and got my hands on as soon as I could;
and of course the first thing I tried was to get the same sound by using the clean setting with moderate drive ; so the setting would be all knobs pointing at 11 o'clock; amp at tweed; drive at clean, and mic position at centre; now if I use the behringer with the exact same setting the sound is way over distorted; its like I'm using a ibanez tube screamer at the end of the pedal chain and I'm forced to turn the drive knob right down to '0' so it points like 7 o'clock;
and most of the time it makes the overall sound tinny for some reason when i do that but there is no middle ground; when I turn the drive up it will distort real fast and the distortion is not the sweet overdrive/clean tone you get from a gt-2 in the same setup
so I primarily use it as a d.i box with the effect turned off;
however, i've found another use for the box; when I go to rehearsals I can use it as a drive pedal, I play in a couple of bands and one of them is a top 40 cover band; and I need the drive for mainly solos; so at the rehearsals; i take a boss ge-7 EQ box (which is crap, very noisy in a pedal chain, and will probably be replaced with an mxr box soon) and the behringer ; what i've found is that overall the drives are really really more than the original sansamp; the drive amount you get when you use the drive knob on the behringer at say 10 o'clock is equal to what you get on the sansamp at 2 o'lock (marshall setting; on hi-gain and the mic is on classic)

I only had it for a short while; but seems ok; I dont keep it in the box; and it travels in an aluminum case with all the other pedals and cables. adapters etc; and any good build should be able to handle that (at least my boss pedals are doing fine up to now - so was the gt-2)
If it breaks down; having it repaired will probably be too much hassle; I'll just get another one for 30 dollars

I've dealt with behringer support in the past for my fcb 1010 midi controller and contrary to what I used to hear about them; they were really great; My midi controller needed the eprom upgrade; so I emailed them (Germany) and they sent me the eprom in a few days with ups; free of charge. Great service for me

I usually play rock music; and the drive I need should be good for solos and will leave room for the other instruments and singers while playing rhythm. This pedal did not perform exactly as a gt-2 clone; and the clean tone setting did disappoint me; however; the drive is pretty usable and people who need more gain and play heavier music will have much use for it; plus the d.i box feature is almost always useful in stage situations. I'll give it an overall 8 because the clean tones are really not giving the edge I hoped it would, but then again; its not a couple of hundred dollars; its 30.

It's pretty straight forward - read what everyone else has already said.

It sounds great. It really, really does. On stage, it was fantastic (Fender Strat - OD pedal - GDI 21 - delay pedal - AMP (Laney LC15R). Recorded straight into the computer sound card it is nothing short of incredible for the price.

Sitting in close proximity to your amp (i.e. at home) it can be very noisy. I didn't notice any problems on stage though. It was very quiet when recording direct into a computer sound card.

The casing is plactic, and I would like it a little thicker but I'm not worried. That said, everything looks well put together inside. Yes, the footswitch does not feel particularly sturdy under foot. Having looked at the actual mechanism, I'm not at all worried. Mechanically, I expect it will last well. I have not used it long enough to be able judge lifetime, so the score for this category is a tentative 8.

I am a pro musician, 16 years playing a play a little of everything from rock and folk to blues and jazz. I bought for two reasons a) PRICE! and b) because my amp was out of action for a while and I needed a backup plan, figured if the worst came to the worst I'd go straight into the board. It was very good buy.

Yes, a white line on the knobs would be nice addition, but nothing you can't fix yourself. A mid range tone control would be another useful addition. Maybe for version 2, Behringer?

Easy and incredible sensetive knobs. Treble and bass knobs are really good equilizer function. Gnd Lift knob is amazing.

I sold my GT2 after I buy GDI21. Really good copy, its full same GT2 and it has more quality sound and functions then GT2.

Below comments says GDI21 needs DI Box. This is really funny words. Because GDI21 also has a internal DI Box function. If you will use XLR out of GDI21, you will see that no need DI Box. Sound is amazing. Use XLR out.

And there is more than I can say, GDI21 has big surprise for you. Big big surprise. GT2 users know : You cant connect any distortion to GT2. Because sound is also very fuzzy and digital in clean. You can only connect overdrive pedal to GT2. So if you have a GT2, you have no chance to add more drive pedal to GT2.

And than wait big surprise. With XLR output, I connected distortion pedal to GDI21 in clean mode. Vowwwww. Sound amazing no fuzzy or digital sound. I mean if you set GDI21 up to clean, you can use every distortion pedal with GDI21. I hate GT2 because I cant never use distortion with my Sansamp GT2. And now Im happy with my GDI21.

GDI21 is fully same GT2 and GDI21 has more options and advantage.

I have given 8 to GT2, because of above problem. But in order to solve this problem, I have gaved 10 to GDI21. Thanks Behringer.

Dont hesitate. Its perfect...

I send some mail to behringer about connecitons of GDI21. And they answered in one day. Thanks.

I will suggest GDI21 to all of you. Amazing analog tube tones like GT2 and it has more quality sound and functions. It is plastic but dont afraid, you cant damage it with your foot. :))

Everything is only a few knobs.. Very easy..

Sounds are same GT2. Very good copy. But sound is very bright and hi-fi at direct connection. (to PA or PC Sound Card.)

You have to buy a Ultra-G DI Box. But this is extra money. So Maybe GDI21 is too cheap but you have to buy DI Box and so you will pay twice. (both GDI21 and Ultra G)

I mean this pedal not so cheap because of necessary of DI Box.

So I gave it 4.


Additional, I can say it is more versalite than GT2. (in some settings)

N/A

I dont know.

Finally I cant advice this pedal because it hides some costs(DI Box cost).Then we belive GDI21 is very very cheap. :(( I advice original sansamp GT2.

SUPER EASY TO USE AND TO GET A GOOD SOUND OUT OF. MANUAL IS PRETTY BASIC BUT THE PEDAL IS PRETTY SELF EXPLANITORY..LOTS OF GOOD SOUNDS IN THERE AND WORKS VERY WELL FOR BASS ALSO..

AWESOME!!! THERE IS NO WAY YOU COULD POSSIBLY SPEND 30.00 ANYWERE ELSE AND GET SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS THIS GOOD...MY LES PAUL THROUGH IT IS DEAD QUITE MY STRAT IS A LITTLE NOISY BUT HEY THATS SINGLE COIL PICK UPS FOR YOU...I BOUGHT THIS TO TRY OUT WITH MY BASS AMP, IM ACTUALLY A BASS PLAYER BUT LIKE TO PLAY GUITAR ALSO IVE TRIED A FEW PEDALS THROUGH MY SWR AND 4X10 CAB AND NOTHING HAS SOUNDED THIS GOOD SOUNDS GREAT WITH MY BASS ALSO..HAS VERY NICE CLEAN SOUNDS

THIS IS MY FIRST BEHRINGER PRODUCT AND I HAVENT HAD IT LONG..EVERY BODY KNOCKS THE PLASTIC HOUSING BUT CHECK UNDER THE HOOD OF 90% OF THE CARS ON THE ROAD AND THEIR INTAKES ARE ALL MADE OF PLASTIC..SO I BET ITS MUCH MORE DURABLE THAN PEOPLE THINK...ID GIG WITHOUT A BACKUP BUT AT 30.00 YOU CAN AFFORD 1 FOR EACH BAND MEMBER..

I HAVE NEVER DEALT WITH THEM BUT HAVE NEVER HEARD ANY HORROR STORIES

I LOVE IT , FOR THE MONEY YOU CANT GO WRONG IVE BEEN PLAYING ABOUT 15YRS..AND HAVE JUST NOW STARTED GETTING INTO PEDALS..THIS ONE IS A KEEPER...

This pedal, which is a clone of the Tech-21 SansAmp GT2 sounds wonderful. It has only a few controls, but the Bass, Treble and Drive knobs are very powerful, and the user gets a lot of control over the tone. The knobs are sensitive, but the sample settings in the manual help give a simple idea. For more samples, there is a SansAmp GT2 website (http://milaa.tripod.com/SansAmpGT2/indexGT2.html) and all of the settings there can be used with this device.

I've used this with my 1989 American Standard Strat (with Lace Sensors), my Carvin DC-127, and with my Agile AL-3000 (with P-90 pickups). I've used it straight into GarageBand as a DI, as a preamp for my Digitech RP-50 (which I use as a headphone amp) and as a preamp in front of my Carvin SX-50 combo amp. The box does get a little noisy (especially with single coil pickups) as the treble is increased, but it isn't noticable when playing.

I really like this little $30 wonder. Straight into the computer I can great, girthy distortion sounds, and also crunchy, edge-of-breakup sounds effortlessly. Some of the "Marshall" inspired sounds are VERY Led Zep approved. Plugged into the RP-50, with the Digitech providing some digital reverb and a cabinet emulation, the pedal sounds very nice. The RP-50 is a nice unit for practicing, but it is not very touch sensitive. In other words, if you lower the volume on the guitar, the sound gets softer, but the drive doesn't decrease. This is markedly improved with the Behringer in front of the RP-50.

Played into my Carvin amp, the box sounds AWESOME! The Carvin amp has always sounded good with my Carvin guitar, but the Strat has never sounded nice through the SX-50. When I plug the Strat into this blue box, and then into the amp, suddenly each pickup position sounds great, with clucky in-between settings and piercing treble on the bridge pickup (a Red Lace Sensor). Also, for the first time, I can control the level of overdrive with the volume pot. This has always been true of the Carvin, but the Strat and Agile never let me use this kind of touch control before. Now I can set an ideal sound, use the guitar on volume settings of 1-4 for rhythm, and 5-10 for boosted solo sounds.

This seems to be a sturdy unit. I'm pretty careful with my things, so I think it will hold up. Of course, for $30, I could easily replace it. In fact, I am very tempted to try some more of these Behringer stomp boxes--the price is certainly right! I'd love to check out their 7 band EQ pedal.

I play blues and classic rock, and this pedal really gets me an authentic tone. The Carvin is a nice amp, and sounds great, but it sounds like a Carvin. Now, I can get much closer to Fender and Marshall tones on cover tunes. I'm happy. I haven't tried this straight into a PA yet, but I will soon. My hope is that this box could do the job sometimes, when I don't want to carry an amp to the gig. I wish that this had multiple settings--if they ever knock off a Tri-AC pedal, I'll be there with bells on. But until then, if I really wanted multiple settings, I could just get another of these, and plug them into each other.

So simple. You can just play with the controls until you understand what they do to the sound and then you can quickly sculpt very realistic tube-amp distortion from this thing.

I think this thing sounds amazing. It is possible the get bad sounds from it, but I think that is natural with any equipment as versitile as this. Let me just say this however. The distortion tones it produces are very realistic sounding tube amp distortions. If you like the sound of a TS9 you won't find those tones on here, or on a tube amp. Many people think that a TS9 sounds like a tube amp overdriven. Well, it actually has a very particular sound of its own which is pleasing but not entirely realistic. I'll just say I've never played a tube amp that sounds like a TS9 without a TS9 in front of it.

So far so good. I use this thing almost every day. It is made of plastic, but solid plastic and I have not had any trouble with it or any of my other Behringer gear.

Haven't needed them.

I play everything and I've been doing it for over 15 years semi-professionally. I teach as well. I had been using this to record direct with the Behringer GI100 Ultra-G speaker emulator DI Box (a MUST have to replicate realistic amp tones) but I recently found a new use for this thing, as a second channel for non-channel switching amps. It actually is quite amazing. Somehow you are able to dial in just the sound you need with the available controls, dispite the settings on your amp. The speaker emulation is subtle enough so it does not color the sound through the speakers on your amp (the reason you actually have to use the Ultra-G speaker emulator when recording direct, otherwise the sound is too bright and hi-fi sounding). I've also used it as a preamp into the 200 watt poweramp of my solidstate amp. The output is kind of low for this application though so I have to have the amp cranked all the way. I've ordered a SansAmp Tri-A.C. to see if it has a higher output that will interface better with the poweramp of my solidstate amp. I was very skeptical about using this thing as a stomp-box into an amp because I did not think that something that sounded good for direct recording could also sound good running into the front end of an amp, but I was wrong.

This thing so far sounds good direct through an additional speaker emulator (a MUST in my opinion), as a preamp for a solid state power amp (although the output seems to be a bit low, may be perfect with the addition of a micro-amp after it to boost the output) and as a 'second' channel for a single channel amp run before the amp with your other effects. This thing is so useful for the price I think everyone should have one. Its like being able to put a tube amp into your gigbag. I personally think that without an additional speaker emulator many will find this thing too hi-fi for direct recording or direct into a PA. But when coupled with your amps speaker this thing makes a killer second distortion channel for a good clean single channel amp.

Very easy to use
Gain, Treble, Bass and Volume controls
9 volt or wall wart powered
1/4 in/out plus an XLR mic out for direct recording
And YES, it is in fact made of cast metal

Really impressive.
It's low to no noise depending how you set it and has a nice clean sound so your notes have definition. The EQ and volume controls offer a lot of gain but it's overdrive doesn't get too heavy. If you plan to use this for lead or metal, you'll need to team it up with another pedal....I don't think there are many pickups that are hot enough output to push it over the edge. Likely none...

Nice chunky metal or wsmooth blues/jazz tones. It's certain to please anyone.

It's rather impressive and authentic and you sure can't beat the price.

Very solid. It's metal and my only worries would be the plastic knobs. I'll see if I can swap them for metal ones.

They seem to be pretty decent at customer service

It's probably the best pedal there is for teaming up with an amp or processors gain. I'm not saying I've tried everything but I've used a loooot of pedals over the years and this encompasses pretty much everything a serious player looks for.

The main point to stress is the clarity individual notes retain. Sweeps/arpeggios are nice and defined. I teamed it up with my Zoom G2 and they are a match made in heaven. I'm very pleased with this product and would most definitely buy it again if something happened to it.

This is an absolute winner