I see different rack models by SansAmp...what would I want to get this pedal off the floor and into a rack?
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Does SansAmp Make a Rackmount Version of the Tech 21 NYC Bass Driver DI?
- Thread starter LowStringNinja
- Start date
...and just for info, the RPM and PDDI are a matching pair and the VT Bass DI and VT Bass Rackmount (sometimes referred to as VTRM) are a matching pair.
I've been using the RBI for over a decade. They basically took the bass driver and beefed it up. They added a lot more ins and outs, added a mid control, dramatically improved headroom and unlike pedal versions (they actually just released an update of the old school bass driver)the RBI has more than enough clean output to drive any power amp on the market.
does that -20db button next to the output mean i can still run an instrument level signal to another preamp (in my bass head) like I'm doing with the foot pedal now?
^ all the info you need is in the manual
fhttp://www.tech21nyc.com/support/manuals/sansamp/RBI-OM.pdf
fhttp://www.tech21nyc.com/support/manuals/sansamp/RBI-OM.pdf
You'd have to ask tech 21 about running RBI in front of your bass head. I've run mine into the power amp in of an svt4 and effects return of the swr 750x and into a couple different power amps including an old peavey cs800, a qsc1450 I think it was, and my current crown xls 1500. I don't think the RBI was designed to be used like rack mounted effect that can be remotely bypassed via footswitch. The footswitch out and dry out features seem to be to chain either two RBIs or an RBI and an rpm for a two channel setup where you can alternate between the two. I could be wrong. But the signal levels between on and bypass (which you can do from the switch on the front) are dramatically different levels.
RBI. The RBI to me sounds a little more hifi but you can dial it down and get the same tones as you can on the BDDI. it's a killer freakin sounding preamp. I sold mine a year ago because I needed cash for GAS but come to think of it, I actually have one coming in today that I got in a trade!
I ran an RBI and it sounded great but did not play well with my active basses. Known for hissing on an active bass. In passive mode it was much less noisy.
I always did wonder though if the RBI works the same way as the BDDI when it comes to cutting bass/treble to counter the mid curve. I always thought because of the added Mid Knob the EQ worked differently.
In most all cases I've run across yes, but it depends on the requirement of the amp. There are a few amps that want a lot of input signal, but I wouldn't think many would need more than BDDI can provide, especially the newer models.
it can, i've run straight to a power amp with it. it has a 1/4 out and xlr, each of which can be set to instrument or line level independently
I'm not challenging your statement, but I never noticed a hiss problem with my actives, even when I boosted treble or presence. I ran a minimal setup: bass to RBI (and RPM in parallel), then power amp.
I do not own the RBI and/or RPM, but the few times I've used one they seemed to be "rack mount quality gear" quiet and appeared to have a little more headroom than their pedal counterparts. Obviously experiences vary, but mine mirrors what Fuzzbass experienced.
FWIW I've also had situations where I experienced problems that others didn't with certain equipment. In some of those cases cables, connections and/or ground loops (especially on AC powered rack mounted gear) was an element of the problem. IME many things that run on a battery (like the BDDI) tend to be quieter than those that have a power supply path back to the AC wall outlet. YMMV!
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Both of my cirrus's, my jazz deluxe, my Tobias and my G&l all hissed. Ran through a variety of set ups and would get way worse depending on which front of house I was running on. I tried a bunch of stuff to make it go away but the only way around it was to turn the drive and presence way down, which kinda defeated the purpose of even having it. Passive mode on my jazz never presented an issue though. I thought in time I could find the culprit, didn't go away till I got rid of the sansamp though. One of those "results may vary" things I guess.
+1...sometimes there just aren't obvious answers and the fact that others may not have had the same problem doesn't help you one bit...been there more than once.
That -20dB switch only affects the XLR output. You can, however, pad the output of the 1/4" Sansamp by putting a 22K to 47K resistor (in series) inside a 1/4" plug (preferrably on the amp side). This simulates an active signal level to your amp so you won't overload the preamp.
There isn't really a need to pad the output of the 1/4" output with extra components. If the level is too much just reduce the level control on the front of the unit. You should be able to dial in anything from instrument to line level. The reason for the pad on the XLR out is that microphone level is typically -30dB so it's easy to overload a mic channel if the pad is not engaged on the mixer.