Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI

Very easy to set up. The sample settings provided put you in the action right away

I use it with Yamaha BB414 and Ibanez GSR200. I use the yammy for VST type sounds and the Ibanez for deeper/detune sounds. It does suche a great job. I can not make it sound bad. Even if it simulate other amps it has it's own stamp. I was listening to nickelback the other day and on one song it sounded a lot like the driver DI i checked the liner note in the CD, and of course the bass player uses the sans amp along with amplifier. So if it is good for professional CD it can not be that bad. On top of this the price/quality ration is quite high!
I love it!

I own 2 other tech21 product and none of them failed so far!

Nice costumer support they always answer emails. I tested it for curiosity!

Note that if something broke tech21 are the only ones that fixes theirs stuff you have to mail it to them!

Great Stuff one of the best thing i bought so far!

The controls and features are self explanatory, or at least won't take hours to figure out. Like other reviewers said, the EQ is active, little tweaks go a long way and will affect overall output. Fortunately, there are few 'bad' settings with this box; with Blend set at 3:00 or 9:00, max the drive or not, the sounds are all good.

The manual is OK and the info you need is in there but I think it could be laid out better. I don't care for the battery hook up with the lead wire for the battery terminals although I haven't read about any failures.

Having Phantom power is cool.

I use a Carvin active bass to a GK 700 RB II, Sonic Maximizer in the effects loop, Furman power conditioner, and an Avatar 4X10 cab.

As far as the manual saying 'this can be used as a stomp box in front of an amp' I have to call Tech 21 out on that. I tried it that way in two settings, with Sans Amp on and with it completely off, going to the front of a Berhinger 300 watt head and a GK 700 RBII and it was too noisy at any EQ and input attenuation setting to be used that way. My current setup is dead silent and I can't accept adding any noise. Plus, I don't think it enhanced the sound, it made it worse. I bought the pedal to use it that way but I'm not surprised that it didn't work out. Running any kind of amp emulator (including the Tech21 Tri AC for guitar and Berhinger V Amp) to the front of an amp just doesn't sound good. I accept that fact but they sould restate their manual and marketing literature to say something like 'it may be possible to use it in front of your amp, try it and see'. One point off for that. If this makes your amp sound better when run to the front of it that's cool, it just isn't working that way for me.

Run into the effects loop return or to the PA I really like the sound and feel. So much so that I may convert over to using Tech21 pedals through a power amp and forget about a bass head. The tone seems very clear, definitive and responsive to technique. I'm not going to complain about the lack of a mid control; they explain how their design compensates for that in the manual. Don't look for metal type grind from the drive control; this is your fathers style of overdrive.

Right now this is going to be used only as a backup to my amp. I would have given them a '9' here, but for not working as a stomp box as advertised, minus one point.

Seems solid plus you never see them used. I don't care for the lead wire for the battery. I never gig without a backup.

I couldn't find their manuals online at their website, only a link to contact them for info. Hmmm, that seems odd. I haven't used support yet and can't rate it.

I played guitar and bass in Pop, Rock/Metal, or Country cover bands for 29 years, then bass guitar exclusively the last 6 years. The basses I gig with are an active Carvin 4 string and an active Hohner Steinberger copy, GK and Behringer heads, a few effects, and Avatar cabs. I've owned some other amps and I'm still searching for that ultimate tone. Right now I'm hoping the Tech21 Bass Driver DI can become my ultimate tone by possibly using it direct into a power amp.

I did my comparison's to other products online and this seemed like a no brainer. Even if I only use it as a backup it sounds great through a PA and it's better than lugging an extra head with me.

I love the tone and portability and hate the fact it doesn't work well as a stomp box for me. I wish it didn't drain power just by being plugged in; it'd be better if it drained only when active.

Even though the tin box mine came in is cool, I'd rather they knock a couple bucks off the price and pack it in a cardboard box. I'll give this a 9 for it's use as a DI for PA and recording rather than rate it as a stomp box.

This is easy to use. I bought mine without a manual on ebay and had good sound with only a few turns of knobs. I downloaded the manual from the Internet and found sample settings that I liked.

I have not yet used this on stage as a DI box because my amp has its own direct out, so I use it as an effect after my stage tuner and before my two other pedals (fuzz and chorus). My setup is pretty prosaic: Fender American Jazz with Badass II Bridge and Dimarzio Ultra Jazz pups into solid state Fender amps. I keep the SansAmp on most of the time because it adds the oomph I need. It adds lttle, if any, noise, but i use it with a dedicated 9V regulated power supply.

This is very well made and it's taken a fair amount of abuse.

N/A

I only paid a hundred bucks for this (used) but would readily pay full price or more if I had to replace it.

The manual is extremely helpful when you're starting out with this box. I like how the drive, presence, and treble controls allow you to tweak the sound. For me, the 'touchiness' of the knobs is a good thing - it allows subtle changes. Two 'through' outputs and a parallel 'clean' output are extremely powerful in a recording setup. You can EQ or add effects to the 'clean' sound and still have the balls of the dirty sound.

Bass distortion pedals absolutely suck. Fuzz on bass is definitely NOT what I like, and I almost resigned myself to having to buy (and haul around) a $1500 vintage Ampeg head.

So last week my band was recording in a studio, and we were having a hard time finding 'that' sound. You know, the deep growly bass sound - think 'GRRRR' instead of 'BZZZZ'. Suddenly, the engineer pushes a button and THERE IT IS! I say "What the hell did you just do? THAT'S what I want!' It turns out he was using the Sansamp plug-in.

I knew right then that THIS was the pedal for me, and I bought it the next day. Finally, I have the sound I've been looking for! It's embarrasing to listen to my old tone now - 'How could I have thought that THAT sounded good?'

You don't even need a bass amp with this pedal - all you need is a power amp and some speakers. It sounds best plugged right into the effects return on a bass amp or the PA system in a club. THIS is the sound you're looking for, anything between this pedal and the power amp (besides effects) is useless.

Mine seems solidly built but I haven't had it for long enough to know, so no opinion is only fair.

I love their website and you can find the manuals online, but I haven't actually had to deal with them, so no opinion again.

If you play hard rock/punk/metal, THIS is the bass sound you're looking for - a growly low end drive, not really a distortion sound at all. I use an old Yamaha BB2000 bass through whatever amp I can get my hands on. This box gives me the sound I want through any amplifier or PA.

The MXR bass DI is total crap - its drive sounds like bumblebees in a box. Bass fuzz pedals are even worse.

3 outputs make the Sansamp Bass Driver incredibly versatile onstage and in a studio. I can't believe someone actually wanted to get rid of this thing. The difference between my new and old sound is like night and day. It's more expensive than other DIs but it gives you the sound you want, so who cares?

Incredibly easy, hard not to rush through the discovery process because, as soon as you plug it in, you realize it is incredible and want to try everything at one time.

The manual is easy to use.

I'm using a Fender Precision, running through a Gallien-Kruger Backline 210 with a 2X10 Gallien-Kruger extension cabinet.

Kinda noisy with the Drive full out, not a problem you don't need that much.

The effects are great.

John Entwistle is my favorite artist, my Precision sounds like his Frankenstein that he played on Who's Next and Quadrophenia.

Next is Geddy Lee, I'm getting the growl that I never could.

I've only had it a short time but, from all the reviews, I am confident it will last a long time with no problems.

I would use it without a back-up based on the great reviews.

Haven't spoken to anyone.

I play classic rock, as I have been for a lot of years, it gives me all I could ask for and everything I could ever hope for, no bull either. I'm only looking for a certain range of sounds, the Tech 21 gives it all and more.

If it were lost or stolen I'd be calling for another in a heartbeat.

I'm happy with the unit as is, small, easy and built like a tank.

I can't see not using it, when I power up, it will be there.

Let me start by saying, I was planning to buy this pedal for abou $160 new, when one of my relatives called in the music business wanting to know if I wanted a preamp pedal that he didn't use. I of course accepted, and turned out to be the exact one I was wanting! I plugged it in to my SWR 550x, and SWR Goliath Senior, messed with the knobs and in a matter of minutes, I got the sound I was looking for. HOWEVER, I would reccomend plugging your bass into the input, and output to the amp rather than running it through the effects loop. As the E.P does not produce the sound as clear as when you run directly to it.

I play with a Ibanez Ergodyne EDB-600 bass, sometimes with a fretless Schecter Stiletto Studio-4. Amp includes a SWR 550x, and SWR Goliath Senior 6x10 cabinet. I have found that a good solid tone for this pedal is blend about 2:00, Treble - 9:00, Bass - 1:00, Drive about 1:00, and Presence about 5:00. I was truly amazed that I got the exact sound I wanted so easily. I reccomend this pedal from Beginners to Pros. Very easy to use, very versatile.

Haven't gigged with it yet. But so far, it seems dependable.

haven't dealt.

I play experimental rock and this pedal is perfect for it. If it were stolent I would MOST definately buy another. Suprisingly, I have NOTHING bad to say about this pedal. Grade A.

Took it out of the box, plugged it in to an amp, then to a Roland BR900 recorder, and got great sounds in both applications. I compared the SABDDI against the programmed bass models in teh Roland and the T21 was considerably better; more natural and alive sounding. Manual is fine - not terribly impressive, but does the job. Could be clearer on setting the switches for different applications.

Sound quality is very good; can get a variety of sounds. I didn't buy the T21 for the drive feature and will keep that knob turned down, but there are some great sounds to be had with added drive - just not what I am looking for.

Seems pretty rugged and the (thin) metal case will help protect it as it travels.

N/A

I play AAA / rock / Americana...I am a guitar player with 30 years of experience. I play bass for home recording purposes and the T21 saves me from investing in an expensive (heavy) bass amp and / or rack unit. The T21 allows me to dial in the sound I was looking for.

This thing is a total breeze. I'd almost call it a magic black box for any bass guitar situation, be it recording, adding a little something to your rig, or an easy way to give the sound guy at a gig an easy line out connection.

The score of '8' i'm giving this thing is really the only reason I'm bothering to add to what everyone else has said. For the price and simplicity, I think you get a '10's worth of sound but...

Direct Recording - I've captured much bigger, sexier bass sound by using a tube mic pre and a lil parametric eq, but the SansAmp does very nicely, just not the 10. It does add some nice growl that would be hard to get otherwise The sansamp compresses quite a bit, so that's really handy here, but compression can be a double edged sword. 9 times out of 10, I'd much rather have just one box to get a good bass track recorded. No major complaints in this department.

Stompbox/Preamp going to your amp - The thing really can do alot for you here. The growly gain can be fun, and the extra layer of EQ for your rig expands some possibillities. Great for adding more booty to your sound. The problem I have here is the compression. A lot of bass players like a compressed sound to stay snug in the mix. This thing just compresses to much for my tastes. It never sounds squashy or bad, but I just can't add much in the way of volume through technique with this thing infront of my amps. (Fender bassman / Mesa 400+)

No problems yet. I've had other SansAmps. They're tanks.

Despite the 8 on sound quallity, this thing is a 10 all the way. Way too much bang for your buck. Even if the compression is too much for you and the distortion just doesn't have the right character, this thing is almost as useful as a bottle opener on your keychain.

This pedal is very easy to use and the manual it comes with gives you some great factory presets to use right of the bat and i was able to find the tone i was after.editing is very easy to use.i also bought the power supply for since the cost of 9volts are exspensive(Duracell) and it only cost me $12.95 .

I can get all kinds of good sounds im after and artist tone like Tool,Primus and just about every thing else.easy to get good distorion alls you have to do is tweek the Drive control.I am currently Useing a SWR workingmans 2x10 Bass combo with a SWR workingmans 1x15 cab for the full 400 watts,im also useing a ESP viper bass with active EMGs 35dc\35cs pickups with EMG b64 3-band EQ. I also use two outher basses with this, a custom Carvin bass with active EMG p\j configeration and another shitty ESP 5 string,it needs new actives in it instead the passive.

I could depend on it,its build very solid.no loose tone nobs or any thing.would use it without a back up.

I havent had to deal with them directy.for the upgrade i just bought the power supply to save mony on batterys

Ive been playing for 7 years now,and if it were stolen or lost and if i had the mony i would buy another one.i love this thing.Great product i would highly recoment it to any body wanting to buy this or even thinnking about it

If you know how to twist a few knobs you can handle this DI. The manual provides a few good examples of tones to build from or use straight up. After a few minutes of messing around I found the tone I was after.

I think this has improved my tone even with the gear I already use. It added that extra low end to my sound without getting too boomy like my amp tends to. My amp is a Ampeg V4B and matching cabinet. I use Jazz Basses and find it difficult to dial in that perfect tone due to the nature of the 2 beasts. I run it between my bass and amp to achieve that tone I like. This adds an incredible amount of punch to any rig. But never adds any unwanted noise.

It is built like a tank. A solid metal housing great inputs and outputs, what more could you ask for. As for the knobs, I have an idea, Watch where you a stepping. It doesn't take that much force to hit that button.

I haven't had any issues.

This is not everyone's cup of tea. It will not make your horrid gear sound great, but it will make average gear sound awesome. It is not for the boutique amps and basses. If you spent all that money why would you need this anyway? Wouldn't you already have great tone?
If this were lost or stolen I would buy another one in a heartbeat.
Just do yourself a favor go out to your nearest music store and try it out. You may just find your newest secret weapon.