[Update: problem resolved] Why does my Sansamp BDDI sound muddy?

Drewcifer704

Drewcifer704

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Feb 23, 2016
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Chattanooga, TN
#1
Ok, so at the behest of everyone over on reddit I bought a Sansamp BDDI. I've tried to dial this thing in every way I can but I always end up with a muddy tone around the middle of the fretboard and almost zero drive on the D and G strings even with the drive all the way up and 100% wet signal. Is this just user error or is this typical?

does anyone have any recommendations for an overdrive/distortion to replace the sansamp. I do not need a DI and I'm considering swapping it out for a B3K.
 
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#3
blizward said:
I owned a programmable Sansamp for a while and that sounds like a faulty pedal. Drive almost all the way up and no saturation on the upper strings? Weird...
Click to expand...

Yeah, I'l sit there and play the same line over and over while clicking the pedal on and off and there's almost no difference. Also, I only notice the drive on the E string when the knobs up to about 75%
 
#5
When I started playing in church two and a half years ago, I learned to use the SansAmp BDDI only because that's what my church supplies for bass players. A decent little device for what it's intended to do, but I was having a hard time keeping myself from being lost in the mix with two over-driven guitars.

Then four months ago, I invested in my own VT Bass DI and have never looked back. Now I have no problem holding my own place in the mix.
 
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#6
lz4005 said:
Are you sending 100% of your instrument volume into it?
It can only work with what you give it.

If you don't need a DI (you always need a DI) why did you buy a BDDI?
Click to expand...

Yeah it get's 100% of my instrument. Both pickups all the way up. I bought the Sansamp because while shopping for an overdrive pedal it was the most recommended. I just play at home so a DI isn't needed. Plus my amp has a DI
 
#7
Drewcifer704 said:
any recommendations for an overdrive/distortion to replace the sansamp
Click to expand...

How much distortion are you after? I like the Fuzz Face and Big Muff myself but both are way over the top.

You should know that this thread will grow to many pages and every pedal in the universe will be recommended.
 
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#8
brianrost said:
How much distortion are you after? I like the Fuzz Face and Big Muff myself but both are way over the top.

You should know that this thread will grow to many pages and every pedal in the universe will be recommended.
Click to expand...

I'm looking for a crunchy, metallic kind of sound. I have a deluxe bass muff and love the sound I get at about 1/4 of it's distortion. I'm looking for something with a little more bite than the Sansamp and little less than the Muff
 
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#9
Overall the BDDI is known for scooped mids, which can result in muddiness especially in the mix. The suggestion in the instructions and in online comments is that you can compensate by turning down the bass and treble knobs (while boosting overall volume), which comparatively boosts the mids. I used a BDDI (and later a programmable BDDI) for a long time, and that worked decently for me. Then, like the previous poster michael, I tried a VTBass and never went back. The VTBass has a natural and effortless growl/grunt that I could never emulate on my BDDI no matter how hard I tried. (On the other hand, the VTBass cannot get as thick on the bass end as the BDDI, so it depends on what you're going for.)

As far as the issue of not getting drive even with the drive all the way up, that sounds strange. With the drive all the way up, you definitely should be able to notice.
 
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#10
Drewcifer704 said:
I'm looking for a crunchy, metallic kind of sound... ...something with a little more bite than the Sansamp and little less than the Muff
Click to expand...

zekebass808 said:
Overall the BDDI is known for scooped mids, which can result in muddiness especially in the mix... ...The VTBass has a natural and effortless growl/grunt that I could never emulate on my BDDI no matter how hard I tried.
Click to expand...

I've never been into any degree of distortion on my bass, but from time to time I like some mild-to-moderate overdrive for just enough grind to avoid getting lost in the mix. The VT Bass wins hands down over the BDDI in that regard.
 
#12
Ok, I turned the blend knob all the way to the right and played an open E while turning the drive knob up. Where you see the drive knob is where I first get any kind of drive at all. It just sounds like my clean tone until that point. Broken pedal?

lffjb9a.jpg
 
#13
Drewcifer704 said:
I bought the Sansamp because while shopping for an overdrive pedal it was the most recommended.
Click to expand...

Your BDDI is not faulty, just make sure you run it into the effects return of your amp, or set your amp eq flat if you want to run it in front. The name Bass Driver can be a misnomer, because it was designed to emulate the compression of a power amp, not a beehive sound of preamp distortion. Lower the blend knob to 2-3 o'clock, lower the gain to 11-12 o'clock, and turn the presence past noon to regain some of the treble that is attenuated from the LPF and you will have a great sound to build from there. Run your other dirt pedals into the BDDI they will sound better than ever.
 
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#17
Drewcifer704 said:
I'm looking for a crunchy, metallic kind of sound. I have a deluxe bass muff and love the sound I get at about 1/4 of it's distortion. I'm looking for something with a little more bite than the Sansamp and little less than the Muff
Click to expand...

Rusty Box.

I've never been able to wrangle a good sound out of any Sansamp pedals. There are SO many options out there to accomplish what you want, but the Rusty Box would be a really nice fit for what you are describing. Once you've got this taken care of, come back and we'll talk about that Deluxe Muff you are suffering with and get you into something nicer there too. :)
 
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#18
Drewcifer704 said:
An ibanez sr200
Click to expand...
I was checking in the case it was a weird bass with a very weak output but it doesn't seem to be the case.
Maybe try and call Tech21 to see if they can fix it? At least so that you can sell it afterwards.
Anyway, as said many times, the ol' sansamp ain't much of an overdrive and you'll be wiser to follow advices given here and even wiserer to try anythig beforehand with your bass and amp to see if it suits your needs.
Good luck!
 
#19
I suspect a broken pedal.

It's definitely not a distortion or a fuzz tone but with your settings the overdrive should be clearly audible.

SABDDI scoops the mids heavily around 1 kHz. Backing down with the blend knob brings some of the mids back. That might help cutting through the mix.
 
#20
Drewcifer704 said:
Ok, I turned the blend knob all the way to the right and played an open E while turning the drive knob up. Where you see the drive knob is where I first get any kind of drive at all. It just sounds like my clean tone until that point. Broken pedal?

lffjb9a.jpg
Click to expand...

Need to know more about the BDDI, where it sits in the signal chain, and how / where you're plugging into the amp (bass head?). First thing I would do is move the "output" switch to inst (instrument) if plugging in to the front end of a conventional bass amp. Suggested settings for mild OD: blend - 2:00, treble - 11:00, bass - 12:00, drive - 10:00, presence - 9:00...vary EQ to taste. IME, you won't get any over-the-top distortion from this do-dad, it does a better job of emulating a soft tube break-up.

http://www.tech21nyc.com/support/manuals/sansamp/BassDriver-OM2.pdf

Riis
 
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