Bass Sansamp DI's - any use? (3 Viewers)

[sealed human]

I've just sold my bass cab/head as our band never need anything that beefy (bass not even in half the set now) so I was thinking of replacing it with a one of the Tech21 Sansamps and use it DI'd directly to the desk live (no amp needed if theres none there)...

Has anyone on here got their teeth into one of them? They've been recommended, can give a decent defined tone, and is great from a storage/transport perspective.

http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/sansamp/bassdriverdi.html
http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/sansamp/bassdriverp.html

Any thoughts? They're only €160 on eBay at the minute

 

[the departed]

id recommend one for any bass player but id never say to use one 'sans amp'. youre really putting your faith in the monitor engineer.
best set up is that you have an amp on stage giving you the feel and giving you something behind whereas the FOH engineer will be putting your D.I'd bass through the PA.

also, if you use distortion at all, an idea setup is to go:
BASS>CLEAN D.I>SANSAMP>DIRTY D.I(on the sansamp)

so you have 2 D.I's on the bass meaning the FOH engineer has one channel for clean and one for dirty.

mmmmmm.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

I hear so much good shiiiiiit about these that I'm gonna buy one for other people to play through when recording.

 

[Space]

I've the VT bass now which I use as a preamp into the power amp I bought off yourself. I absolutely love it but unfortunately there's no DI out on it. I'd defo recommend a sansamp of some sort.

I've also the MXR 80 which has a di out but but doesn't have a hot/loud enough signal to drive a power amp. Prefer the distortion on this myself though.

There's a wrake of threads on talkbass.com discussing the various different sansamps btw.

 

[sealed human]

Nice one, thanks for the heads up Moose and others... I have a Peavey 80Watt amp I could use for an onstage presence (nothing special but enough volume to get by and basic tone) and the sansamp to ensure good F.O.H. sound...

I just use a Boss Overdrive on the bass to beef it up occasionally, nothing massive though so I'm sure it can deal with that okay...

 

[mark]

look at the MXR M80 bass DI+ too. its got a nice eq section, a color thingy that scoops the mids and a seperate gain channel with a noise-gate and blend knob so you can dial in your clean sound. it can be powered fron the dezk via phonton power too. very usable. the distortion isn't going to be as smooth as the sansamps but i've been using one for 4 years and it kicks ass. if i lost it i'd go straight out and get another one.

i think electro harmionix have just released a similar yoke too.

yep, here it is: http://www.ehx.com/products/bass-metaphors

 

[Space]

At the moment I couldn't live without both my Sansamp VT Bass and my MXR M80.

 

[sealed human]

I'm gonna go with the Tech 21 Sansamp, and use the 80Watt Peavey I have as backup for a live/rehearsal monitor... Before I buy though it says that the voltage of the unit is US 110V and proper power adapter needs to be sourced to prevent damage etc...

Where would I get one of them? On t'internet or anywhere in Dublin? Once you have an adapter I'm sure thats it, perfect working order yeah?

 

[tommytrousers]

I've got this lad-fabulous. even the suggested settings for SVT style etc are grand. I will never lug a cab again ever. That said I'm Playing a newish Ric through it with really hot pick ups for a passive bass- would imagine it can do the job with any bass. You could ditch the overdrive pedal if you got one of these. Sound engineers are usually delighted to see them too, less work for themselves I presume. Takes a while in a decent sized venue to get used to the sound coming at you via the front of house or the monitors rather than from directly behind you but you get used to it. battery life is great on it .

http://www.thomann.de/ie/tech_21_sansamp_paradriver_di.htm

 

[Space]

I'm gonna go with the Tech 21 Sansamp, and use the 80Watt Peavey I have as backup for a live/rehearsal monitor... Before I buy though it says that the voltage of the unit is US 110V and proper power adapter needs to be sourced to prevent damage etc...

Where would I get one of them? On t'internet or anywhere in Dublin? Once you have an adapter I'm sure thats it, perfect working order yeah?

Surely it runs on dc so an Irish ac/dc converter will work. Which one is it, have you a link?

 

[Sweetie]

I havent found a Yank power adapter really as yet, its just that the eBay store thats cheapest has a disclaimer that if you dont use a proper voltage converter in Europe it invalidates the warranty.

Maplin should have something good enough to handle this? I mean its the same deal with any US bought stuff isnt it?

 

[Sweetie]

that's sealed human up there using my log in

 

[Space]

Maplin have stuff alright but it means using an american ac/dc adapter into a a US/UK ac/ac adapter which is kinda complicated imho. They run on 9volt dc so you'd get something in Maplin that'll work with out having to worry bout 110 at all.

 

[ann post]

i've used direct di live with no amp for years now, first 2-3 gigs were a bit weird but i got normal. my spine will thank me.

 

[mark]

i've used direct di live with no amp for years now, first 2-3 gigs were a bit weird but i got normal. my spine will thank me.

yeah, t'would be great not to need a bass amp, i just have a problem trusting sound engineers with the bass sound, especially if you're using pedals. that's one of the reasons i got the bass DI i have. i generally like a mic on the cab too.

i just get mad a gigs when i hear a band warm up before the PA is on, then the sound comes up and the bass sounds both manky and completely different to whats coming out of the amp.

 

[GO]

My man Tommy Trousers uses a Sansamp.It sounds great.I have extreme reservations about di ing a bass into the pa no matter what kinda di your using.But if you're stuck the sansamp direct to pa will do.You cant whack having an amp on stage though.

 

[shower another shower]

Sure, just get phantom power from the desk.

 

[Break Neck Speed]

Conor has one in our band. Used to use it to great effect til i bought a big fuck off ampeg rig. Using it now would just be silly.

sansamp = great bit of kit.


edit: Cons pedal was bought on ebay USA. He uses a 2 euro shop adaptor.
No need for power conversion shit at all.

 

[RED(tape)MENACE]

i just get mad a gigs when i hear a band warm up before the PA is on, then the sound comes up and the bass sounds both manky and completely different to whats coming out of the amp.

95% of live engineers are terrified to put a mic in front of a bass amp.
These tend to be the same 95% that won't try to make the DI sound like the amp.

 

[sealed human]

I think I'll take the plunge so, worry about the power adapter once it arrives...

Cheers for the direction guys!

PS. I'm gonna use it with an amp on stage, but a small/basic one. The sansamp will shape my tone out front, amp just for a presence behind us...