Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver Deluxe

all good

all good

all good

i have been playing bass since 1980 in many rock bands and also am an sound engineer.
i have a problem in that the unit feedsbacks/ when gain/ treble/presence pushed hard, unlike the D.I unit which i compared it with. i emailed tech 21 and this is what they said:-
Thank you for your Bass Driver purchase. Since the Deluxe version uses digital control to remember the knob settings, you can't just transfer the physical settings from the original Bass Driver to the new unit. In your example 3:00 on the Bass Driver does not equal 3:00 on the Deluxe. Due to the way the circuitry works, 3:00 - 4:00 is basically maximum, so a 3:00 setting on the Bass Driver will most likely be about 1:00-2:00 on the Deluxe.

I know from experience that setting the Drive, Presence, and Treble on the original Bass Driver to max (or near max) will result in self oscillation, so that sounds about right if it is happening on the Deluxe with maxed settings.

There are other factors that may contribute to this type of oscillation. Pickups that are not potted properly tend to oscillate with high treble and gain settings. If the oscillation goes away by turning the volume control off on the bass, the problem may lie elsewhere (pickup potting, inadequate grounding or ground loops in the system).

Proximity of the bass to the speaker cabinet or monitors may also magnify this problem.

Where the Bass Driver is connected in the chain may cause oscillation to occur. For example, it should not be connected to the send and return of an effects loop of an amplifier.

Improper setting of the level switches on the Deluxe can also cause oscillations.

Feel free to email me any more information on your setup in order to diagnose this problem. If you do have the opportunity to check out the units head to head, try modifying the settings on the Deluxe by ear and you should be able to match them up as they do have the same exact analog circuitry in the signal path.
Best regards,
John Bednar, Technical Supervisor

???? what do you think?, i just cant trust it anymore sent it back and have gone for the D.I unit instead.
p.s my bass is a U.S standard fender p bass, 18 months old

Six knobs: Driver, Bass, Treble, Presence, Blend, Volume
Four foot switches: Three for the channels and one for instrument A/B

This pedal is extremely easy to use. Just click a switch, adjust some knobs, and double click the switch to save it. The knobs are pretty easy to understand although EVERYONE should read the manual to understand how they interact with each other (i.e. - more presence = probably going to have to turn down drive or treble). With that said, the manual is very easy to read and follow and includes some presets to try out. Good place to start but don't stop there, fiddle with the knobs and get YOUR sound.

I have an Ibanez EDB400 and EDB405 into the A/B of the SansAmp. In the FX loop my chain goes Aphex Punch Factory --> BOSS ODB-3 --> DOD FX55-B --> BOSS CEB-3 --> DOD FX75-B. Then the SansAmp into my Hartke HA4000 and Yorkville 410B.

This pedal is pretty versatile in the sound department. I can get anything from old school thump (Zeppelin) to new rock grit (Nickleback) to balls out distorted bass (Wolfmother/Tool). I'm not sure how I played in a cover band without it. Cranking the Drive, Treble, or Presence can give you some unwanted noise but you should never have to crank any of the settings.

Just got it so I'm not too sure on this but it feels like its built like tank and Tech 21 has a pretty good rep.

Haven't had to deal with them yet as I've only had the pedal a little under a month.

I've been playing for 11+ years in cover bands and original bands and this little pedal covers any sound I've wanted. Plus it plays well with my other pedals. Sometimes pedals don't interact well but this one does.