Tech 21 SansAmp PARA DRIVER DI: Bass

[XaviOrtega1]

I have a big important question what is the difference between the "Para Driver" and the "Bass Driver"?

Please someone answer me, I'm about to buy one of those but i don't understand the difference!

[colskee]

It's the nearest I've got to an amp :)

[jakeolegend]

paul gray used this

[Bodhidrop]

Say, they still make/sell these? Always wanted to check them out.

[OPPAIEXPLORER]

cute girl

[creativeboxer]

Name of a track in the begining please

[csmorgan]

whats the difference between the Para Di and the regular bass driver Di

[diegonia]

since its a DI, you put it at the end of a pedal board to get a balanced line out correct? is that what you do? ive seen many saet ups where its not at the end..........also, does it do the function of preamp?

[jehrising]

i hear a "yes" riff...

[xTyler51x]

You pretty much sold me on one of these, nice review man.

[COBbassmaster]

for you the para driver is better than the bass driver? ( for the bass guitar )

[cheeseperson03]

can you plug this into a cab without a head

[TractorTheBassist]

Dick's country HAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAAHAH

[nathanlovesjesus]

what chords are you playing at 3;03? it's really beautiful

[TheSteamhackr]

Crap bass player? Youre kidding right? Youre AMAZING!

[runishit]

wow that thing sounds great! someone i know just uses this as a bass distorsion, but the DI part sounds fucking great, it sounds better then most standard bass DI's.

[ApothakarY]

my face when i saw the girl explaining everything : ಠ_ಠ

[extravenganza]

Excuse me, can i use this using an amp for practicing and playing live whit my band, is just cause I'm looking for a more scratchy sound like the one Rise Against uses in the album Appeal To Reason. Do you think i can get this sound using this? Thanks ! : D

[Bassplaya919]

Goddamn, I used one of these to record some bass tracks the other day and I want this preamp so much!

[DrIgnatius]

Great Demo man! I'm really thinking of getting one of these!

[BullHorn7]

The problem with this review is that your clean tone without the effects sounds AMAZING, as if it's compressed and EQ'd to hell and back. I don't know what to think of this.

[44Bigs]

LOL.. I did not see that introduction coming :)

[Burgerman666]

@elmatadorwangmachino No.

[roidrogers]

@Burgerman666

Are you using flat-wounds or round wounds on that bass?

[roidrogers]

@Burgerman666

Are you using flat-wounds or round wounds on that bass?

[Bassplaya919]

@roidrogers rounds

[drnightair]

@elmatadorwangmachino

you are a genuine fucker, Sir!

[Timpala44]

I play through an Ampeg SVT Classic with either 2 15's or an 8x10 live, so I'm not really looking for live sound. I am however looking to record my bass directly into the board next time we record. Do you think the Sans Amp would be better than just a direct signal sound after EQ-ing?

[Nukleon69]

@Timpala44 I think microphone would be the best for all-tube amp..nothing can take that sound better than mic

[henry12350]

does this have true by-pass?

[cheeseperson03]

good review. Do you know if you can get a clean growly tone from the bass driver or para driver

[nezcauzinho]

Thanks a lot for this demo, it showcases what I think most people look for in a review: the SOUNDs the unit can produce. Not loads of shit-chat and virtuosity, just simple, plain possibilities of sounds you can get with the equipment. Way to go!!!

[tomb995]

Heyy Can i ask how much this was?

[bogorbombastis]

hi nice review mate... have you aver tried Sansamp bass driver?

Which one is better for you?

[Thompsongs]

1:44 - 1:47 ...that would be a cool ringtone.

[bonzzo15]

so this works as a "amp" so to speak when you record, but also a normal distortionpedal like live and such?

[bassxchill]

this thing is awesome, i must get my hands on one. great demo!

[Krysowski]

Hello guys. I'm interested in this preamp and i want to ask something. Do you think i can get effect like the one in this video (intro bass): /watch?v=KB4bj06Db44. I want a powerfull "metalic" effect without. Ofc the drive will be nice to have but I'm not going to use it mainly.

[TheJattrawker]

Do you need to have Active pick ups or does this work on anything?

[DeltaGaryGordon]

did I hear some Chris Squire toward the beginning?

[puppyald]

Quick question about this pedal.

If your setup is:

Bass - Sansamp - Normal Amp (and cabs).

And you have the footswitch light OFF - will you get the natural sound of your amp EQ?

And if you have the light ON - will you get the combined EQ/settings fo the Sansamp and your Amp, or will one take precidence over the other? :)

[perceneil]

bano!

[noobaxeman]

would this be an ideal thing to buy and use live if u have to money to buy head,cabs etc?

[oblique65]

In the beginning he is using it as a PreAmp? How do I use it as a PreAmp. I got a line 6 head with no "effects pedal" 1/4" slot. What do?

[fmmgl]

Great demo keep up the goodwork

[RockAddict311]

Awesome review!

[HIGHIN45]

I love your videos but how do you avoid the cricket humming sound when recording bass?? Everytime I put on head phones I hear this....With every accent i hear that high cricket frequency on every note with the cans on... please help!

[HIGHIN45]

I love your videos but how do you avoid the cricket humming sound when recording bass?? Everytime I put on head phones I hear this....With every accent i hear that high cricket frequency on every note with the cans on... please help!

[flubno]

what is the difference between the para drive and the bass driver ?

[trannel789]

what is the difference between the para driver di and the bass driver di?

[flubno]

Im still trying to figure out what this is? Does DI mean direct ? You can plug in to this and then go direct into a studio mixing board , with out seting up an amp. But it will sound like you pluged into a nice tube amp ? Is that what it does ?

[Burgerman666]

@flubno Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes.

[02rsearl]

@Burgerman666 I want to buy the SansAmp Character Series-British, and connect it to my computer. What else do I need to buy? Love your demos, and great sound. Thanks!!

[Pollinator95]

@flubno Useful if the front of house guy can't get a good mic'ed sound. If you use stage monitors, you don't even need an amp!

[helloitsanthony]

@flubno direct in/ direct input

[wailapwong]

Thank you~! Merry Christmas =)

[wailapwong]

thank you so much for the demo video! it's really useful!

Can I have a question?

If just for bass sounds tuning and controlling in live performance, is it good to use "para driver" or "bass driver"? what differents between them?

[Burgerman666]

@wailapwong The PDDI has a variety of applications. I use it *always* as an acoustic DI, but I know of many who use it as a SansAmp to simulate guitar amps as well. It does the lot and does it well. I can't comment on the Bass Driver unfortunately as I haven't tried it. Cheers and Merry Christmas. :)

[rud3m3chanical]

@Burgerman666 - The Bass Driver DI has a huge mid-scoop at 750Hz, which has made it fall out of favour with more experienced bassists. You can blend back in the original tone, or cut the Bass & Treble to relatively increase the mids, but it's a little counter-intuitive. The VT Bass has dedicated mids & a Character control, and it does the original BDDI tone as well as plenty more.

[rud3m3chanical]

@rud3m3chanical - oh, I see you covered the VT Bass too. It's worth mentioning the Deluxe versions have the DI output too.

[davidbahar]

thats real sweet man, you need to get her to acting school, im sure when im old and gray she might even be reading the CNN news,

good luck

[35307585]

che, muy bueno

[DarkMedievalTimes1]

This pedal seems to blow the MXR Bass DI out of the water. It has so much more depth to it.

[DarkMedievalTimes1]

Great demo mate. Congrats.

[Dick3ClarkAss]

Can you just this thing straight to your computer like this (Bass to DI BOX to Computer)?????

[CowbellProfessional]

Mr. Burgermann, I must sincerely compliment you on your vid. I wish you would do all product reviews. I often turn to Youtube for product reviews and have to needlessly parse through inane reviews that suck. Yours rocks. Thanks.

[Burgerman666]

@CowbellProfessional I am totally floored by that flattering comment. Thank you so much. It's very encouraging. Cheers. :)

[iceonaboy]

@CowbellProfessional I couldnt agree more mate, That was a fantastic , well made video and so neatly done, plus yer daughter is a wee cutie and a consummate professional!

[LaboratorioDexter182]

¡Muchas gracias por el review!.

El video está muy bien logrado, y es realmente muy útil para saber como suena el pedal.

¡Muchas gracias de nuevo!

[bassdiegofloyd]

hola muy buena desmostracion .! amigo ese pre amp se puede usar como direct box?'..gracias!

[BeArtist1]

Very nice footage here my man! I already have a SansAmp, but I just wanted to ask if you know if the SansAmp can go through the effects loop of my SWR 350x amp, without blowing it up :P. (an amp running through an amp... bassists... :P) because my amp itself already has a very distinctive tone and punch, which goes away as soon as I run the SansAmp in the chain before the SWR. Is it possible to blend the sound of my SWR and the sound of the SansAmp in the effectsloop? I hope you can help me!

[Burgerman666]

@BeArtist1 I couldn't answer that with any authority, I'm afraid. Best you shoot Lloyd at Tech 21 a quick email. He'll set you straight. Thanks for the kind words!

[zalvationist]

some nice chris squire/yes (fragile) influenced moments there i believe....thanks for demonstrating the pedal btw...always wondered whether they were worth the money..and it's a definite yes.

[Burgerman666]

@fedmans Mis mejores saludos a todos mis amigos en el sur!

[TheSkateNJ]

2:12 Heart of the Sunrise!!

[rickortiz7]

aww if she isn't the cutest thing!

[chpthncook37]

does timmmy c use this from audioslave and rage against the machine?

[ZombieSlayer93]

@chpthncook37

Nah he uses custom made pedals, but this can give a close sound.

[jcarterize]

Is this good for a geddy lee sound?

[CorvetteCoonass]

@jcarterize Yes, it is the best thing for a Geddy Lee sound. Couple it with a BOSS Bass Overdrive and BOSS Bass Chorus and you will have a very flexible setup.

[jcarterize]

Is this good for a geddy lee sound

[bassistmau]

What strings are u using on that bass?

[Burgerman666]

@bassistmau The same strings that came with it in 2004. And I have no idea what they are. Could be anything - inexpensive. I still haven't changed them..

[bassmangarrett151]

@Burgerman666 haha you should probably change the strings. it will improve the bass tone 100%. I had strings that were a year and a half old, i put some bass boomers on, and it made a world of difference.

[ThePurgatoryfire]

I love the Heart of the Sunrise playing. Chris squire is an amazing bassist.

[Luka38]

Great video! But I was just wondering, what bass are you playing? I know it's a precision bass but what manufacturer, because all of the Fender precision basses have only 20 frets, and your's has 21.

[TOM2741]

Does any1 knows if it can handle the lowest note of a 5 string, maybe even tuned to low A. My country doesn't sell this pedal

[holdsg]

like the Jaco bit, and the camera got a little fuzzy during that part. Was that just serendipity, or were you showing Jaco under the influence?

[PZMB666]

I dont get all of this... lol... can any one tell me.. am I able to plug my Musicman Stingray 5 which has active pickups into this?.. I currently have a Zoom B2 IU and I was plugging my bass into that and using the three pronged outlet to go straight into the mixing desk.. but.. I'm not sure why but it was always peaking and I was unsure of a solution.. would somthing like this make a difference??

[Hyssar]

Good video, but too bad we can't see your right hand. Technique shapes the sound a lot, so it's difficult to tell exactly how the pedal behaves.

[Burgerman666]

@Hyssar Thanks. Not much technique from me though. VERY amateur in the bass department. :)

[aintnoluckitsskillz]

ahhhhh man...i know you work for tech 21, but i would just like to know if the oxford sansamp would be a better choice for bass seeing as how i love the orange ad200 :) by the way, i think you have quite some chops on the bass!!

[93SweE]

Does it need phonton power and 9v battery or just one of them?

[Burgerman666]

@93SweE Either phantom or 9v will do the trick.

[pece33]

Is there a chance that you can do some with another Sansamp like the RBI or RPM rackmounts ? Ive yet to find one review of the RPM, though theres one of the RBI but its about 1min long.These Preamps are so popular & theres nothing out there to listen to ?????

[vinniescream]

What a positive and life-affirming comment of our friend Th4455. :)

[The4455]

Nice attempt on Heart of the Sunrise, but like you say you are NOT a bass player

[Burgerman666]

@The4455 Thanks! The feeling's mutual. :)

[MARSHOMEWORLD]

@Burgerman666 HAHAHHAHAH! Brilliant response mate. Know it all douchebags need not apply.

[Boodakon]

Cool vid, thanks for putting it out!

[Warsel]

heh, cute :)

[pece33]

Thats unreal man.Try doind one with the RBI or RPM.They rip too.Keep`em coming.

[inpankli]

do u think the vt is better?

[nemakur]

This is every pro bass player's secret studio weapon. Some bass players even take it with them on stage and nothing else just a bass an amp and this box

[Whitemoon379]

Hey man, i bought this preamp, and love it, thanx to you! but i'm getting a constant buzz when plugged in to my 20 watt peavy amp, i'm using livewire instrument cables, help a brother troubleshoot, i'm getting a real amp (200 watt 15 inch) GK, this weekend.

[GoodOldDeathMetal]

how is this one different from the one with programmable channels? is it just the channels, or does it sound different as well?

[Giddeven]

I was wondering wether every SansAmp in this series gives the same awesome sound? I was looking for the programmable one, is it as cool as this one ?

[jqd5]

Does anybody know a vid like this where they don't pick?

[basshead71]

Is this good for live gigs? are there presets on it for saved sounds?

[faithnoman]

Heart of the Sunrise!

[miguelbass]

I use the Bass driver DI for almost all my clips and I reckon it's one of the best units to emulate that valve SVT sound. The Paradriver you shown is very similar, I'd like to have one myself, it has features for other instruments that are really cool if you play many instruments at home. Thanks!

[97teledlx]

Brett thanks for reviewing this box. I am sold on buying one.

[GiantPandas]

Cool editing. Good showcase of the bass driver!

[MANGOROCKN]

How would i get a Hardcore/metal sound thats like twangy.

[SweBass]

push up the drive, play hardly with a pick and here you go

[Thegiacobass]

@MANGOROCKN use the svt setup is on the manual

[TheMbard]

hey guys does some1 know if its posiible to use both outputs at once to go to 2 amps?

1 parralel clean

and the other dirty

and i dont mean the DI !!!

thanx

[Burgerman666]

Yep. That's why they call it the 'Para Driver' - because you can use the parallel output to send a clean signal to another input of your choice. Cool, eh?

[TheMbard]

@Burgerman666

hahaha

wat to say....

everytime i get sth i get confused in sth else!

i thought that para indicates multiple use (guitar,bass)

and that sansamp bass driver di is only for bass!

anyway i think its the same thing with the bddi in this case

wat a cool pedal!

thank u for the fast response!

[faithnoman]

@Burgerman666 They call it Para Driver b/c of the semi-parametric adjustable mids.

If you ever played a regular Bass Driver, you'll find the mid control a joy.

[Burgerman666]

@faithnoman Gotcha. I'm not worthy enough to play a Bass Driver; they're for bass players! :)

[FlipperBabies470]

How would you compare this to the regular SansAmp Bass Driver? I know it has more mid control, but i see it's not blendable? I'm stuck between the two of them.

[Burgerman666]

I'm sorry, I haven't tried the regular Bass Driver so I can't comment.

Anyone else?

[FlipperBabies470]

Oh that's alright man. How do you like this one though? Do you you think the mid-control makes a big difference even though you haven't tried the regular bass driver?

[Burgerman666]

Ooh yeah. The MID control may be the most powerful control on it. It acts as a mid 'drive' too, depending on where you have your 'blend' knob set. Very powerful indeed.

[tomtebass]

Can you connect this to a normal combo amp?

[TheMbard]

@tomtebass sure u can

[TheMbard]

hello

i need help please

i'm so confused about the xlr and how to connect it to the computer ^-^

i mean what kind of cable to use and where to stick it?

is it very important to have the m-audio thing inb/w the xlr and the pc? or can i without it?

also is it possible then to play through the computer using some sofware without delay in signal and no hiss ? (and i dont mean recording) but hearing while playin

thanx everybody

[manning6680]

Cool!

[ridge87701]

good stuff burgerman! you're not crap by any standard. thanks for the video. its kindda expensive in india, but your video has helped me finalize this as my first bass pedal. lets hope i get some part of the sound you can get... cheers mate! thanks again!

[JelenkoBass]

would you reccomend this as a di for bass?

it also seems they (the mids) are less scooped than with BDDI. am i rigt or not?

is there any low end loss?

[Burgerman666]

No low end loss that I can hear. In fact you can put a whole lot right back in and then some. Yes, a great DI for bass. Thanks for watching!

[awobblychair]

Hi, I have a quick question that hopefully you can answer. Can you plug your bass straight into the SansAmp and then straight into a cabinet and use it just play like that? Basically use it as an amp?

[Burgerman666]

Nope, it's only a preamp. It doesn't put out enough to drive a cab on its own. You'd need a power amp of some description. Thanks for watching!

[djbuzzword]

I use this box for recording Bass and in my opininion it's absolutely fantastic.

[Cacophonyforce]

i hope tech 21 is paying you

[Burgerman666]

Heheh. Let's put it this way: I have all of the pedals in the videos. Some I pay for, some I don't. This one I would gladly pay for again and again because it is my number one call for acoustic and bass/guitar gigs where a SansAmp is involved. It's amazing what this pedal is capable of. Andrew should be congratulated. Thanks for watching!!

[Dooonthegallowgate]

I've now watched you use this thing with elec, acoustic and bass and you've sold it to me. I was originally looking for a DI box for my bass for recording, but i think i'd rather have this and use it for elec and acoustic too. Thanks for the videos, you just helped me find what i've been looking for!

[allcoolnamesaretaken]

Thanks for the vid, very helpful.

[tonyvegas13]

Dear Burgerman, whats the difference between this PARA DRIVER DI and the SANSAMP BASS DRIVER DI?or the SANSAMP VT BASS CHARACTER SERIES? thank youu!

[Burgerman666]

They're all based on the SansAmp technology but the PDDI gives you the flexibility of phantom power and balanced (as well as parallel outputs) whereas the other two are a little more specifically voiced. The PDDI is the one to get if you want a good all-rounder.

[9r9t3]

This is what a pedal demo should be. Thanks for making it sound great.

[SquirmingCoil1]

Heart of the Sunrise... nice!

[PipeFellow3434]

Hi Burg, your reviews are great...I just got my pedal today and I tried it thru my amp and my pc(for recording) and I couldnt really get it to the tones you were getting...for example the Jaco Bass didnt sound close to what yours was like...any ideas what Im doing wrong?

[Burgerman666]

Wow. You know, I'm a guitarist really, not a bass player. So I don't really regard anything I do on the bass as much good - but I try! All I did was insert the PDDI into Logic, dial up the sounds illustrated in the user manual and hope for the best. Aside from that, I used a pretty cheap bass (see the info page of the VT Bass clip for more info on it) and that's it really. I'm sorry I can't be more help. :(

[lavaxtris1]

now how bout a geedy lee sound?

[PipeFellow3434]

Thats why I bought this thing, getting it tomorrow...cant wait for a nice Ged tone

[lavaxtris1]

actually i have one. ive gotten very close, but no dice. the sansamp just seems too fuzzy. maybe im EQ-ing wrong? it sounds great DI with new strings though!

[PipeFellow3434]

The cord that is on the left side of the pedal...what kind is it..Im looking for a cord that one end goes into my pc and the other into the pedal or amp/bass

[Burgerman666]

It's just a standard XLR to XLR cable. It's going to input 1 of the M-Audio ProFire 610 which is phantom powering the PDDI. Easy! :) Thanks for watching.

[philbiker3]

No need to apologize for your playing! That was a very effective demonstration of the capabilities of this little box.

[2ndluck]

Sweet bass skills man. Pure awesomeness. I play an Ibanez SRX2EX1 bass, but I was wondering: Other than your settings on the Sansamp, how is your bass and/or amp set as far as bass, (low/high) mids, and treble are concerned? Do that bass/amp settings matter with the Sansamp?

Planning on getting the Sansamp quite soon. Thanks for the demo!

[Burgerman666]

Ha! I'm flattered, very. I consider my bass skills to be lower than a snake's belly. :) All controls on the bass were dimed, and there is no amp - just the SansAmp direct to the computer. Not bad, eh? Thanks for watching and for the VERY kind words. I'm encouraged to pick it up again now. :)

[ozgun1404]

Hi. I have bjrusso1987's doubts too. did you write any answer?

[vincemars666]

wat plays during 4:06 is that a effect or just the bass sound???

[Burgerman666]

That's the pedal, nothing more. I just cranked the Drive control. Crazy, eh? :)

[Daniel3000i]

Thanks for selling me on the SansAmp. I was wondering if you could use this thing with electric guitar, acoustic, and bass guitar; this and your other videos answered those questions. Thanks!

[brassaflax]

can you plug this thing into an amp or just to a computer?

[Burgerman666]

You can plug it into anything willing. And an amp as well.

[bjrusso1987]

Hi! my name is Bernardo. I am from argentina. I am would like to buy a sansamp, but i have a lot of doubt with it.

Wich is the difference bwtween this and programmable? (excluding the chance to programmate 3 effects). How could you record direct to the computer? Which program do you use? And for synchronize the video with the sound? I have an active Musicman Man stingray. This pedal will be useful for my? Thank you for all!! Regards,

[ChrisSchoonover1]

I see you have the elevenrack? How do you like it? Will we be seeing a demo for it?

Thanks

[Burgerman666]

Unlikely. I gave it back. Thanks for watching. :)