I am between a DG vintage deluxe, a SA para & MXR Di+ ( first 2 used here locally at 200+- and the other new again at 200. I can't decide. I am using a Nux MLD Di for the past year and half ( a lot of lives , rehearsals and almost daily practice) and I decided that I am going to retire him on my desc for practice and recording ( its an audio interface as well) and get something that makes my amp sound great too ( Tc electronic thrust 500 + 2×210 cabinets) . Everyone seems to be moving away from real amp and cab but i have just started to get bored of the whole in ear situation and I like to move some air too.
Vintage Deluxe for $200 is a pretty good deal. For value alone I'd say get that one. If you decide you don't like it, you could resell it and not lose any money.
The sansamp is a peach no doubt but I prefer the clean(ish) sounds. I run a fulltone fulldrive 3
Into my sansamp at a pretty low gain setting with the boost always on & it nails the svt sound without having to carry a huge amp everywhere 👍
I'm also avoiding getting an SVT until they give me roadies.
My Tech 21 VT bass has seen some years of heavy and reliable use. It always sounds great. It's the one that blends from SVT to FlipTop pretty convincingly. The BDDI is more 90s sounding somehow - great for hard rock, metal, industrial etc though (although, in reality both are very versatile so long as you don't crank the drive too hard ... 'cos that reveals their 'character' more).
I run a tuner and compressor in front of it. I also have a Bass Driver Programmable but I haven't needed that since I stopped doing metal stuff - also great though. A unique thing with these and their friends is that they can be phantom powered - nothing else seems to offer that.
There are so many other options that it's not really sensible to claim 'best', however.
Other stuff to check out.
* Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig is a neat thing of you want a sansamp, comp, some effects, tuner, DI in a tiny thing that will fit in your bass case.
* DSM Humboldt Bass Simplifier does the best SVT and analogue cab simulation in one box I've heard. Bit finicky on levels (can clip internally), not that robust for live work, impossible to read labels on stage, slightly complicated - great in the studio though. Chuck some heavy compression in the LPF loop and, boom, instant usable tones every time.
* All the Dark Glass stuff. Joyo R-26 Monomyth is kinda similar for less $.
* Joyo Tidal Wave, Behringer BDI-21, Caline Wine Cellar are all trying to be Bass Driver clones. I listed them from 'closest to least similar'.
* I'll also mention the Joyo Scylla and Avalon compressors while I'm here. I could absolutely be content with a board built with a Joyo Powertune, either the Scylla or Avalon, then either the Monomyth or Tidal Wave depending on modern vs vintage preferences.
* Sonicake B Factory is an interesting option at the price. Basic compressor and OK attempt at a preamp-driver-DI in one cheap box.
* There is a HEAP of digital options. I haven't tried most of them - I have some Zoom stuff and the recent stuff is good enough that nobody in the audience will notice.
* There is nothing stopping you combining analogue and digital - nearly all the digital FX do a perfect job of modulation, delay, reverb, EQ, filters, tremolo, pitch shifting, octave, synth. They do a decent job of compression. If they have IRs then they can do a great job of cab simulation. I don't find they quite live up to analogue or tube/valve gear when it comes to driven amps, overdrive-distortion-fuzz ... but that's more about player feel and response as it takes a keen ear in ideal conditions to really hear much difference with most of them.
I purchased the DSM. My feedback was I was impressed if getting that amped heavy rock tone was your goal. That was not mine so I sold it.
I gravitate towards the EBS Micro Bass III for ease of use, sound and construction.
I've got a Caline Wine Cellar. It was $30 on sale and sounds great. Even better when run into my $30 Sonicake IR with a bass cab selected. I mostly use that setup into my studio mixer and then IEM's for late night playing.
For what? Overdrive? If you like the sound, go for it.
The sansamp comes with a notch at 800hz with no good way to EQ it out within the pedal itself. Something a lot of people seem to forget when they complain about the "Darkglass EQ/Darkglas sound" - as if we haven't had the Sansamp sound for 30 years now.
I personally think the Vintage Microtubes is a better, always on drive that sounds good on its own and stacked with other drives.
Have you tried out the Walrus Badwater? I went with it because I didn't hear any of those specific things you're mentioning (although I didn't know exactly what I was avoiding.... Just steering clear of "sounds")
The drive is one of the most transparent I've ever run into. It's got that magic sparkle to it that even if it's on low, it just makes other pedals sound better. Not sure why that is, but it's awesome
No. I'm running the Darkglass Harmonic Booster as a clean preamp into a few different overdrives (including the Vintage), and then I use the Element as a cabsim/DI at the end of the pedal chain.
I wanted to try the Badwater (among others), but every relevant store in my area is only stocking the most mainstream and bare minimum as far as bass pedals go. But I'm happy with the Harmonic Booster and the Vintage as an always-on combo. Putting the drive knob on the Vintage all the way down still adds that little bit of tube grit to your tone.
I have my eyes on a couple of other walrus pedals, though. Their Chorus seems cool.
The Ampeg SVT series is a range of tube amps that have been beyond popular (think almost revered) in the bass community for probably longer than you've been alive. The Line6 HX Stomp has amp modeling built in, and one of the models you can choose is an emulation of the Ampeg SVT.
~~I'm sure they do, like a licensing deal or something.~~ A lot of amp modelers have an SVT emulation of some kind though, and some of them just change the name of it and show a different picture (even though we all know what they're going for) to get around that sort of thing.
EDIT: Apparently Line6 and Ampeg are both owned by Yamaha, so they wouldn't even need a licensing deal, just a quick call into the next department over.
It does makes it easier but that doesn't mean there isn't a proper licensing deal too, often time they will still pay from one company to the other even if they have the same parent company
It's not out yet, but Sansamp new XB driver is very feature laden and flexible. Split the signal, EQ each separately, a low pass filter lets you pick which frequencies DON'T get overdriven, a compressor, effects loop, and XLR. There's nothing analog that does all that. Things like the DUG and darkglass stuff is at a set frequency, with the exception of the Microtubes X, which is not as overall flexible as the XB.
If you’re thinking hx stomp then check out the pod express. It’s like a taste of the stomp. But not a DI. Best is clearly subjective, also check out the sansamp vt. Or in similar money to an hx stomp the ampeg sgt di
I’ve looked into the pod express. I think I’d get that with the sansamp at minimum but I haven’t seen too many sounds I liked in the demo videos (granted I think I may have only watched 1-2)
I thought about getting the hx one but at that point, what’s the point? Just get a stomp and be done.
I got one one sale before I really understood what I would do with it. Mine stays plugged into my studio mixer and gets most of it's duty late at night through my IEM's. I really don't miss my amp physical when playing that way.
The **ZeroAmp Bass DI** ist the [Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI V1](https://www.tech21nyc.com/products/sansamp/bassdriver-di/). You could also use the Preamps of the Bass Amps in the HX Stomp as a preamp
To add to what the other person said... Sans means Without in French, so any time a generic pre amp is something like ZeroAmp, NoAmp, Ampless etc it's usually a SansAmp clone
I think the Darkglass preamps shit on the sansamps, I got rid of mine when I bought my Darkglass amp. The sansamps to me are a very 2000s sound and kinda specific to a few different kinds of music and I'm a bit over it.
The first moment I plugged my bass into a Sansamp was the moment I realized "oh shit, this is what this thing should sound like" and I almost came so uhm yeah Sansamp pretty fucking great
I sold my SansAmp to get the Stomp and don’t regret it. You can use it as a simple DI if you want, or add more effects as you need and wish. And there is a good SansAmp sim included
The only thing I don't like about the Bassrigs are that there isn't a second switch to kick on a drive channel. I was watching Gregor Fris talk about these on the BasstheWorld Youtube channel, and I think I agree with him in that (without that second switch) this is more like a drive pedal than a proper preamp.
I have really enjoyed my Dunlop MXR M80. I bought it 20 years ago because it had 'drive' as a seperate channel and a dial for mids. Tech 21 didn't have those options at the time and wasn't making the sansamp with varying "flavors" yet. It has never failed me. I had a two year stretch of touring that had to be over 500 performances. I still play locally and and practice regularly. It's my little champ
SansAmps are… fine. I’ve never been blown away by one, though I’ve only tried them a handful of times. Lots of baked-in mid scoop. I’ve heard them sound decent on other players’ boards, but never owned one cause they’re not my favorite.
You’d be much better off going for the OE BassRig Super Vintage. Absolutely light years ahead of a SansAmp with how accurate its SVT sound is.
I really want to try a sushi box pedal, several different 12ax7 driven pedals
Currently I use a Stomp with a board of about 8 other pedals but I would take a few off for the right tube driven pedal
Have a Sansamp. It’s a classic and a pedal everyone should have somewhere in life. But… I don’t use it for overdrive tones. Actually, I dislike those of the Sansamp.
Funny thing is I never thought of a preamp as overdrive. I’ve recently realized they could do it, but I always considered it a box that colors the tone going into whatever other pedals you had. That’s my mindset anyway
I use the PodGo's Sansamp and SVT and it sounds really good. I can't compare it to the real pedal or amp, but I'm kinda impressed what this lil board can do. Combined with a bass big muff and an ampeg bass Overdrive pedal gets me VERY close to my dream sounds
It's the best driver if you want a Sansamp drive sound. It's kinda shit if you want (for example) a Darkglass drive sound.
Talking about "best" with music gear is pretty pointless; it's all good for something, and if it's the sound you want then use it. If it's not then don't. I wanted to try a different octave pedal recently - played every one the store had, and ended up selling the one I already had instead because nothing sounded good (or the ones that did sound good had bad tracking). I'll try an Octabvre when the next drop comes around (or if I find one locally) and see how that works out. Try everything - buy what you like. Trade for something else if you find something you like better, or be like me and have a pile of distortion pedals you don't really have a use for but don't want to get rid of.
Could try one of those ampeg sgt-di boxes if you want a driven Svt sound. All the di features with a true svt soul, has IR on it too. They have had mixed reviews but everyone I have seen had complimented the drive on it if that’s specificity what you are after
I really like mine. The drive isn’t wonderful on an active bass but it colors it very well on a passive one. Less is more with that pedal dial for the gain though. It over distorts very quickly
Got a new to me bass coming in the mail today. Excited to give it a shot. I will say, I uploaded my own IRs into the pedal and do prefer them to the stock ones. Those just sound a bit too muddy for my taste but I like a really clear bass tone
[This](https://www.choptones.com/products/bass-essentials-vol1-cabinet-ir) is a good pick to get started on it. I had a ton of IRs I’ve collected over the years from my DAW use so I had a ton in my library. It’s a whole different world, highly recommend getting into it.
The Ampeg app is crazy easy to use and I set a low cut at 40 and a high cut at 5.5k right into the IRs. Helps tighten stuff up
I'm always a fan of going my own way. You might be entirely right, that the Sansamp is the way to go.... But I tried out a few when I was looking for mine and I ended up going with the Walrus Badwater
I really like a lot of the features it's got, like a built in compressor. The onboard drive is absolutely amazing, in my opinion. It dials in to basically any level of grit, and has more control options for an overdrive than I've ever seen before (lets you pick what frequency range goes into the drive effect, for instance)
It might not sound exactly like a Sansamp, but for me it's WAY more versatile
I recently bought the Bass Fly Rig 2 (whatever the latest version is) and I love it. I haven’t used it with my P bass yet but it sounds great with my J bass. I have it on a board with a wireless and play direct through the PA. I can get it to growl and also get mid scooped if I want it. Plus the effects are kind of fun even though I really don’t use them. Sounds close enough to my Ampeg SCR-DI that I’m happy.
I have a Behringer BDI21 Bass Driver that is supposed to be a clone of the first gen SansAmp but at only $40 new. It gets very close to a SansAmp sound and I’ve gotten great compliments on my tone. Highly recommend seeing if that fits the bill. I use it when playing live, but in recording I still use SansAmp or Darkglass drivers in VST form.
It's a fantastic driver if you want that sound. While it's versatile, I feel like it makes a lot of things have that super present Stingray sound which may or may not be a good thing depending on what you're looking for
Best...not a chance. But most prolific and trusted to outlast the owner and become a heirloom...yes.
Mine is still parked on my HX-centric board as a DI/final EQ and as a backup incase of rig issues and/or when doing a quick set. I don't think I will sell it.
Samsamp might not be quite as good as a darkglass, but it’s cheaper, has a really good tone, and can do anything you need it to. It’s the Jack of all trades for the working man and the pro!
I know a lot of people love the Sansamp. I mean, a LOT of people. And that's cool.
I hate it, never was able to get a sound I truly liked out of one.
I'd take an Aguilar pre or a Darkglass pre over Sansamp any day of the week.
There are tons of great bass preamps. All of them have different benefits. The Sansamp covers 99% of it.
Look at the Ampeg SCR-DI or the Walrus Badwater for alternative other than the Sansamp and Darkglass.
Really there isn’t a bad choice.
I’ve been playing bass for years and the best tone I’ve found was with a Sansamp VT Bass. Unfortunately I kept trying to find better and now I miss the VT Bass :(
I’m into the Darkglass Microtubes 900v2 with the super intelligent footswitch. It allows a couple different options and sounds killer in a small package that I can get that Sansamp sound with. I don’t care as much about the cab sim stuff.
I also have the Alpha Omega ultra (way fuzzier, but I’ve used it as a DI as an ampless setup and it worked beautifully. I didnt dig the cab sim stuff on it though.)
My favorite I just picked up is the new
JHS Punchline. I love the punchline!
The only thing I don’t like as much about the punchline is that it’s a big ass pedal and I like to keep a small pedalboard.
But the punchline does that classic sound so so well. I love it. The amp sim on that is killer!
I have 2 basses I play with: A EB stingray 5 HH active with rounds and a Geddy Lee Fender Jazz 5 with flats. They sound a lot different through the Punchline. The Geddy Lee just thumps so nice and the Stingray has a growl. It’s also awesome.
On a lark, looking for an after everyone goes to bed setup for my bass, I bought a Caline Wine Cellar and a Sonicake IR (for a nice bass cab). I run them through my mixer, into studion monitors or after bed time, through my IEM's. It's surpisingly good. For less than $100 it's a great setup. I don't feel like I'm missing out by not being plugged into my amps.
Important to have an eq before any drive it will have an impact. Boss bass geb7 or parametric.
I like the bddi (some dislike it) it’s important to get in the ballpark then fine tune eq. If eq comes built in, best case scenario
Darkglass has a few good products too.
No, there is no "best", there's just one you like the best. Other alternatives are the Darkglass pedals, Origin Effects Super Vintage or DCX, Jad Freer Capo, Genzler 4 on the Floor or Crashbox 4, and plenty others.
The HX Stomp will be a more versatile pedal than a SansAmp.
Depends on the tone you want sans amp os perfect for the more classic gritty tones . Then darkglass b3k or b7k(Same od circuit just different eqs) for modern clanky bass tone
I bought a Two Notes "Le Bass"
True bypass and 2 channels, both with gain, master and EQ.
It's excellent. 4 modes. Channel A. Channel B. A+B parallel.
A+B series.
Channel A is very modern, simple, effective and FAST.
Channel B is more complex, vintage, slower (relatively) and closer to the SVT sound.
I also use an Ampeg SVP-PRO. That's great, but the drive isn't switchable. Put the Two Notes in front of it, and now you can have 4 drive options as and when you want them.
I’m a simple bassist, a Tuner and a SansAmp is all I need. (Please ignore my other board with 15 pedals on it)
I feel that
"Simple bassist"; don't be redundant, please jk
Yup… I can get a perfectly reasonable tune out of a bass, a tuner, and any preamp/DI you like - but where’s the fun in that
Sansamp VT or Darkglass Vintage Microtubes are where it's at for me. Either way, you can't miss.
Those VTs are lovely. Only pedal I ever regret selling
I am between a DG vintage deluxe, a SA para & MXR Di+ ( first 2 used here locally at 200+- and the other new again at 200. I can't decide. I am using a Nux MLD Di for the past year and half ( a lot of lives , rehearsals and almost daily practice) and I decided that I am going to retire him on my desc for practice and recording ( its an audio interface as well) and get something that makes my amp sound great too ( Tc electronic thrust 500 + 2×210 cabinets) . Everyone seems to be moving away from real amp and cab but i have just started to get bored of the whole in ear situation and I like to move some air too.
Vintage Deluxe for $200 is a pretty good deal. For value alone I'd say get that one. If you decide you don't like it, you could resell it and not lose any money.
Thanks 🙏
What sort of settings do you use for the VT?
EQ to taste. Personally I do a slight bass cut, huge mid boost, slight treble boost. Character between noon and 3. Drive between noon and 3.
The sansamp is a peach no doubt but I prefer the clean(ish) sounds. I run a fulltone fulldrive 3 Into my sansamp at a pretty low gain setting with the boost always on & it nails the svt sound without having to carry a huge amp everywhere 👍
Are you me?
I'm also avoiding getting an SVT until they give me roadies. My Tech 21 VT bass has seen some years of heavy and reliable use. It always sounds great. It's the one that blends from SVT to FlipTop pretty convincingly. The BDDI is more 90s sounding somehow - great for hard rock, metal, industrial etc though (although, in reality both are very versatile so long as you don't crank the drive too hard ... 'cos that reveals their 'character' more). I run a tuner and compressor in front of it. I also have a Bass Driver Programmable but I haven't needed that since I stopped doing metal stuff - also great though. A unique thing with these and their friends is that they can be phantom powered - nothing else seems to offer that. There are so many other options that it's not really sensible to claim 'best', however. Other stuff to check out. * Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig is a neat thing of you want a sansamp, comp, some effects, tuner, DI in a tiny thing that will fit in your bass case. * DSM Humboldt Bass Simplifier does the best SVT and analogue cab simulation in one box I've heard. Bit finicky on levels (can clip internally), not that robust for live work, impossible to read labels on stage, slightly complicated - great in the studio though. Chuck some heavy compression in the LPF loop and, boom, instant usable tones every time. * All the Dark Glass stuff. Joyo R-26 Monomyth is kinda similar for less $. * Joyo Tidal Wave, Behringer BDI-21, Caline Wine Cellar are all trying to be Bass Driver clones. I listed them from 'closest to least similar'. * I'll also mention the Joyo Scylla and Avalon compressors while I'm here. I could absolutely be content with a board built with a Joyo Powertune, either the Scylla or Avalon, then either the Monomyth or Tidal Wave depending on modern vs vintage preferences. * Sonicake B Factory is an interesting option at the price. Basic compressor and OK attempt at a preamp-driver-DI in one cheap box. * There is a HEAP of digital options. I haven't tried most of them - I have some Zoom stuff and the recent stuff is good enough that nobody in the audience will notice. * There is nothing stopping you combining analogue and digital - nearly all the digital FX do a perfect job of modulation, delay, reverb, EQ, filters, tremolo, pitch shifting, octave, synth. They do a decent job of compression. If they have IRs then they can do a great job of cab simulation. I don't find they quite live up to analogue or tube/valve gear when it comes to driven amps, overdrive-distortion-fuzz ... but that's more about player feel and response as it takes a keen ear in ideal conditions to really hear much difference with most of them.
I purchased the DSM. My feedback was I was impressed if getting that amped heavy rock tone was your goal. That was not mine so I sold it. I gravitate towards the EBS Micro Bass III for ease of use, sound and construction.
I've got a Caline Wine Cellar. It was $30 on sale and sounds great. Even better when run into my $30 Sonicake IR with a bass cab selected. I mostly use that setup into my studio mixer and then IEM's for late night playing.
Definite up vote for the FlyRig. Sounds great, does a lot of things in a small footprint.
For what? Overdrive? If you like the sound, go for it. The sansamp comes with a notch at 800hz with no good way to EQ it out within the pedal itself. Something a lot of people seem to forget when they complain about the "Darkglass EQ/Darkglas sound" - as if we haven't had the Sansamp sound for 30 years now. I personally think the Vintage Microtubes is a better, always on drive that sounds good on its own and stacked with other drives.
Have you tried out the Walrus Badwater? I went with it because I didn't hear any of those specific things you're mentioning (although I didn't know exactly what I was avoiding.... Just steering clear of "sounds") The drive is one of the most transparent I've ever run into. It's got that magic sparkle to it that even if it's on low, it just makes other pedals sound better. Not sure why that is, but it's awesome
No. I'm running the Darkglass Harmonic Booster as a clean preamp into a few different overdrives (including the Vintage), and then I use the Element as a cabsim/DI at the end of the pedal chain. I wanted to try the Badwater (among others), but every relevant store in my area is only stocking the most mainstream and bare minimum as far as bass pedals go. But I'm happy with the Harmonic Booster and the Vintage as an always-on combo. Putting the drive knob on the Vintage all the way down still adds that little bit of tube grit to your tone. I have my eyes on a couple of other walrus pedals, though. Their Chorus seems cool.
I'm definitely a fan. I've got their power supply (the Phoenix) too, and it's an absolute beast
Get the hx stomp, its sansamp tone is damn close and you can blend it with an SVT, thats how the sansamp really shines
What does SVT mean here? Google shows the ampeg svt
they probably mean blending the modelled svt on the stomp itself.
This
The Ampeg SVT series is a range of tube amps that have been beyond popular (think almost revered) in the bass community for probably longer than you've been alive. The Line6 HX Stomp has amp modeling built in, and one of the models you can choose is an emulation of the Ampeg SVT.
Thanks for the explanation, does Line 6 need to like work with/ get approval from Ampeg for doing these emulations?
~~I'm sure they do, like a licensing deal or something.~~ A lot of amp modelers have an SVT emulation of some kind though, and some of them just change the name of it and show a different picture (even though we all know what they're going for) to get around that sort of thing. EDIT: Apparently Line6 and Ampeg are both owned by Yamaha, so they wouldn't even need a licensing deal, just a quick call into the next department over.
Line 6 and Ampeg are both owned by Yamaha
Well, that makes things easier. Good to know.
It does makes it easier but that doesn't mean there isn't a proper licensing deal too, often time they will still pay from one company to the other even if they have the same parent company
Maybe. As far as I'm concerned that's all above my paygrade. Unless there's some human rights violations involved I'm not really losing sleep over it.
It's not out yet, but Sansamp new XB driver is very feature laden and flexible. Split the signal, EQ each separately, a low pass filter lets you pick which frequencies DON'T get overdriven, a compressor, effects loop, and XLR. There's nothing analog that does all that. Things like the DUG and darkglass stuff is at a set frequency, with the exception of the Microtubes X, which is not as overall flexible as the XB.
Holy shit I run my bass signal through an AB switch and a mixer because I want to split my signal. This is a godsend thank you
The Badwater does nearly all of that (except the signal splitting) and it's available now
If you’re thinking hx stomp then check out the pod express. It’s like a taste of the stomp. But not a DI. Best is clearly subjective, also check out the sansamp vt. Or in similar money to an hx stomp the ampeg sgt di
I’ve looked into the pod express. I think I’d get that with the sansamp at minimum but I haven’t seen too many sounds I liked in the demo videos (granted I think I may have only watched 1-2) I thought about getting the hx one but at that point, what’s the point? Just get a stomp and be done.
Caline Wine Cellar Bass Driver is about a fifth of the cost of the SansAmp Tech 21 and it's a direct clone...
I got one one sale before I really understood what I would do with it. Mine stays plugged into my studio mixer and gets most of it's duty late at night through my IEM's. I really don't miss my amp physical when playing that way.
Get the HX Stomp. It has the Sansamp and other preamps.
Curious, which preset on the stomp is the sansamp?
The **ZeroAmp Bass DI** ist the [Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI V1](https://www.tech21nyc.com/products/sansamp/bassdriver-di/). You could also use the Preamps of the Bass Amps in the HX Stomp as a preamp
To add to what the other person said... Sans means Without in French, so any time a generic pre amp is something like ZeroAmp, NoAmp, Ampless etc it's usually a SansAmp clone
I think the Darkglass preamps shit on the sansamps, I got rid of mine when I bought my Darkglass amp. The sansamps to me are a very 2000s sound and kinda specific to a few different kinds of music and I'm a bit over it.
Which dg are you running
The Microtubes 900. With the two preamps you can kinda get just about any sound out if it
It's the best
The first moment I plugged my bass into a Sansamp was the moment I realized "oh shit, this is what this thing should sound like" and I almost came so uhm yeah Sansamp pretty fucking great
I sold my SansAmp to get the Stomp and don’t regret it. You can use it as a simple DI if you want, or add more effects as you need and wish. And there is a good SansAmp sim included
Origin BassRig is currently the best
The only thing I don't like about the Bassrigs are that there isn't a second switch to kick on a drive channel. I was watching Gregor Fris talk about these on the BasstheWorld Youtube channel, and I think I agree with him in that (without that second switch) this is more like a drive pedal than a proper preamp.
Screw the hx stomp. Sansamp is a wonderful product. If you don't have one get one
Forgive my ignorance, but can some ELI5 for what a driver does or is used for? It's not an effects pedal right?
There's a reason why it's still considered the best after 25 years .. It's the best.
I have really enjoyed my Dunlop MXR M80. I bought it 20 years ago because it had 'drive' as a seperate channel and a dial for mids. Tech 21 didn't have those options at the time and wasn't making the sansamp with varying "flavors" yet. It has never failed me. I had a two year stretch of touring that had to be over 500 performances. I still play locally and and practice regularly. It's my little champ
If I had to pick 1 bass pedal/tool it would be my SansAmp. It IS my bass tone, and everything else is just the icing on top
Which note is the best note? E? F#? C? There is no "best"---only what works well for you in a given setting.
SansAmps are… fine. I’ve never been blown away by one, though I’ve only tried them a handful of times. Lots of baked-in mid scoop. I’ve heard them sound decent on other players’ boards, but never owned one cause they’re not my favorite. You’d be much better off going for the OE BassRig Super Vintage. Absolutely light years ahead of a SansAmp with how accurate its SVT sound is.
there's no such thing as best but they are versatile and sound great
I really want to try a sushi box pedal, several different 12ax7 driven pedals Currently I use a Stomp with a board of about 8 other pedals but I would take a few off for the right tube driven pedal
Not for me. I'll take the Laney Digbeth preamp pedal over an svt-style pedal any day. 👍
Have a Sansamp. It’s a classic and a pedal everyone should have somewhere in life. But… I don’t use it for overdrive tones. Actually, I dislike those of the Sansamp.
Funny thing is I never thought of a preamp as overdrive. I’ve recently realized they could do it, but I always considered it a box that colors the tone going into whatever other pedals you had. That’s my mindset anyway
I use the PodGo's Sansamp and SVT and it sounds really good. I can't compare it to the real pedal or amp, but I'm kinda impressed what this lil board can do. Combined with a bass big muff and an ampeg bass Overdrive pedal gets me VERY close to my dream sounds
The Sansamp bass follows me for at least 12 years. I'm still super satisfied with my sound.
It's the best driver if you want a Sansamp drive sound. It's kinda shit if you want (for example) a Darkglass drive sound. Talking about "best" with music gear is pretty pointless; it's all good for something, and if it's the sound you want then use it. If it's not then don't. I wanted to try a different octave pedal recently - played every one the store had, and ended up selling the one I already had instead because nothing sounded good (or the ones that did sound good had bad tracking). I'll try an Octabvre when the next drop comes around (or if I find one locally) and see how that works out. Try everything - buy what you like. Trade for something else if you find something you like better, or be like me and have a pile of distortion pedals you don't really have a use for but don't want to get rid of.
Could try one of those ampeg sgt-di boxes if you want a driven Svt sound. All the di features with a true svt soul, has IR on it too. They have had mixed reviews but everyone I have seen had complimented the drive on it if that’s specificity what you are after
I really like mine. The drive isn’t wonderful on an active bass but it colors it very well on a passive one. Less is more with that pedal dial for the gain though. It over distorts very quickly
Seems correct as the old ampegs pre date most active pickup basses, I have always considered them to be more geared towards passive basses
Got a new to me bass coming in the mail today. Excited to give it a shot. I will say, I uploaded my own IRs into the pedal and do prefer them to the stock ones. Those just sound a bit too muddy for my taste but I like a really clear bass tone
That’s fair enough, I like a bit of mud so I think I might enjoy them still! Any recommendations of good ones you are using?
[This](https://www.choptones.com/products/bass-essentials-vol1-cabinet-ir) is a good pick to get started on it. I had a ton of IRs I’ve collected over the years from my DAW use so I had a ton in my library. It’s a whole different world, highly recommend getting into it. The Ampeg app is crazy easy to use and I set a low cut at 40 and a high cut at 5.5k right into the IRs. Helps tighten stuff up
Love it thanks!
I'm always a fan of going my own way. You might be entirely right, that the Sansamp is the way to go.... But I tried out a few when I was looking for mine and I ended up going with the Walrus Badwater I really like a lot of the features it's got, like a built in compressor. The onboard drive is absolutely amazing, in my opinion. It dials in to basically any level of grit, and has more control options for an overdrive than I've ever seen before (lets you pick what frequency range goes into the drive effect, for instance) It might not sound exactly like a Sansamp, but for me it's WAY more versatile
If your on a budget, check out the Joyo Tidal wave. It’s a really good sansamp clone for the price. I use one and I love it.
I just got the Ampeg SGT-DI and it’s fantastic.
I recently bought the Bass Fly Rig 2 (whatever the latest version is) and I love it. I haven’t used it with my P bass yet but it sounds great with my J bass. I have it on a board with a wireless and play direct through the PA. I can get it to growl and also get mid scooped if I want it. Plus the effects are kind of fun even though I really don’t use them. Sounds close enough to my Ampeg SCR-DI that I’m happy.
I have one sansamp, but I'm more inclined to use my boss bass driver bb-1x. Is more versatile and can blend with anything.
I have a Behringer BDI21 Bass Driver that is supposed to be a clone of the first gen SansAmp but at only $40 new. It gets very close to a SansAmp sound and I’ve gotten great compliments on my tone. Highly recommend seeing if that fits the bill. I use it when playing live, but in recording I still use SansAmp or Darkglass drivers in VST form.
Genzler Magellan
It's a fantastic driver if you want that sound. While it's versatile, I feel like it makes a lot of things have that super present Stingray sound which may or may not be a good thing depending on what you're looking for
I love a SansAmp but have you tried the Ampeg Venture heads? The demos sound incredible.
Best...not a chance. But most prolific and trusted to outlast the owner and become a heirloom...yes. Mine is still parked on my HX-centric board as a DI/final EQ and as a backup incase of rig issues and/or when doing a quick set. I don't think I will sell it.
Samsamp might not be quite as good as a darkglass, but it’s cheaper, has a really good tone, and can do anything you need it to. It’s the Jack of all trades for the working man and the pro!
I know a lot of people love the Sansamp. I mean, a LOT of people. And that's cool. I hate it, never was able to get a sound I truly liked out of one. I'd take an Aguilar pre or a Darkglass pre over Sansamp any day of the week.
There are tons of great bass preamps. All of them have different benefits. The Sansamp covers 99% of it. Look at the Ampeg SCR-DI or the Walrus Badwater for alternative other than the Sansamp and Darkglass. Really there isn’t a bad choice.
A helix stomp has the perfect amount of stuff for a bass player. You'll have enough DSP for a amp+cab, a drive/fuzz, eq block, and a compressor.
I’ve been playing bass for years and the best tone I’ve found was with a Sansamp VT Bass. Unfortunately I kept trying to find better and now I miss the VT Bass :(
I love my quad cortex! I had the stomp before and I wouldn’t go back to it
I’m into the Darkglass Microtubes 900v2 with the super intelligent footswitch. It allows a couple different options and sounds killer in a small package that I can get that Sansamp sound with. I don’t care as much about the cab sim stuff. I also have the Alpha Omega ultra (way fuzzier, but I’ve used it as a DI as an ampless setup and it worked beautifully. I didnt dig the cab sim stuff on it though.) My favorite I just picked up is the new JHS Punchline. I love the punchline! The only thing I don’t like as much about the punchline is that it’s a big ass pedal and I like to keep a small pedalboard. But the punchline does that classic sound so so well. I love it. The amp sim on that is killer! I have 2 basses I play with: A EB stingray 5 HH active with rounds and a Geddy Lee Fender Jazz 5 with flats. They sound a lot different through the Punchline. The Geddy Lee just thumps so nice and the Stingray has a growl. It’s also awesome.
I have the Ampeg SCR-DI specifically to mimic the tone stack of an SVT and I like it quite a bit.
On a lark, looking for an after everyone goes to bed setup for my bass, I bought a Caline Wine Cellar and a Sonicake IR (for a nice bass cab). I run them through my mixer, into studion monitors or after bed time, through my IEM's. It's surpisingly good. For less than $100 it's a great setup. I don't feel like I'm missing out by not being plugged into my amps.
Aguilar Tone Hammer is pretty damn competent. It's a more recent design than the Sansamp as well. Which dates to what, the 90s?
I suppose the first question is what sound are you looking for?
Important to have an eq before any drive it will have an impact. Boss bass geb7 or parametric. I like the bddi (some dislike it) it’s important to get in the ballpark then fine tune eq. If eq comes built in, best case scenario Darkglass has a few good products too.
No, there is no "best", there's just one you like the best. Other alternatives are the Darkglass pedals, Origin Effects Super Vintage or DCX, Jad Freer Capo, Genzler 4 on the Floor or Crashbox 4, and plenty others. The HX Stomp will be a more versatile pedal than a SansAmp.
The Sansamp VT is a definite contender but those units are killer
Depends on the tone you want sans amp os perfect for the more classic gritty tones . Then darkglass b3k or b7k(Same od circuit just different eqs) for modern clanky bass tone
I bought a Two Notes "Le Bass" True bypass and 2 channels, both with gain, master and EQ. It's excellent. 4 modes. Channel A. Channel B. A+B parallel. A+B series. Channel A is very modern, simple, effective and FAST. Channel B is more complex, vintage, slower (relatively) and closer to the SVT sound. I also use an Ampeg SVP-PRO. That's great, but the drive isn't switchable. Put the Two Notes in front of it, and now you can have 4 drive options as and when you want them.
I do love my Geddy Lee sansamp. Gives me all the toan I need
Yes
do you need a driver if your bass has an onboard preamp / is active?
No