Anyone use the Sansamp Bass DI into an amp for live performance?

[drew_drummer]

I'm really curious about this. Our bassist uses his Sansamp Bass Driver DI (it's the programmable one) into a bass amp (whatever he can borrow at the time!!) for live usage... and I've personally never been that convinced.

It records quite nice, but for the live side of things... I think he can do much better. Just wondering if I'm just being a bit of a tone nazi with this, or do I have a point? Seems like plugging what is essentially an AMP tone, into an amp...

I've offered to set him up with my 60's Carlsbro PA valve head, which would be a tasty bass amp I think. In that case, since the amp is a clean input, the Sansamp might work well. We're kinda trying to sort out his tone and he's asking my advice... and the first thing I want to say is ditch the sansamp from his live rig!! But I know he wont like it

 

[Internity]

Ive acctually done it the other day...
the bassist of this punk band had a sansamp... it worked realy great... the amp had combo-speakers that make all the output for the bass - no needed to set it in the PA .. I loved it.. tho the high end wasn't that noticeable.. but it worked

 

[DEFIED]

Yea my buddy uses it in his bass rig and it sounds fat as hell!

 

[JeffTD]

Andrew from Winds of Plague is running an RBI into an SS Fender poweramp and 2x Fender 8x10's on this years Warped Tour and it's sounded really, really damn good on every date we've done so far. Not quite the same as BDDI -> amp, although I know Egan runs that setup and will hopefully chime in with some suggestions.

 

[greyskull]

so common. even timmy c from RATM does/did this amongst many other people.

 

[acappa]

For what I know, Fear factory, Mnemic, Sybreed, Vortice and many other bands are using Bass Driver on his live gigs. I´ve worked with the last three, and someone from Mnemic told me FF was using it from ages.
I took the programmable one for my studio too, I wonder if it sounds the same like the standar version...

 

[MindMunch]

I took the programmable one for my studio too, I wonder if it sounds the same like the standar version...

I´ve used both and the regular version is better than the programmable, but it´s one of those things you only notice when A/B'ing. They both get the job done just as good, specially live.

 

[idontpullout]

Yeah I have one in my rig, love it.

 

[egan.]

I think it sounds good into an amp with the caveat is that it isn't going to make a bad amp sound good or any amps to sound the same. What you will get is a consistant tone to FOH but that isn't always enough.
@JeffTD, I actually take the clean out of the BDDI into the Aguilar if I use it at all live anymore.

 

[drew_drummer]

*shrugs*

Maybe he just needs to get a decent amp then and stop using shit ones!

 

[ratsapprentice]

I've been "working" at the Underworld for a few months now, and pretty much every rock/metal band that has played used one.
Tbh unless you're playing at an excessively loud volume on stage, then all the FOH dude is probably gonna use is the parralel out.... so I guess if he's happy with the tone then it should be fine, as it's pretty much just going to be for him to hear himself.

 

[drew_drummer]

I've been "working" at the Underworld for a few months now, and pretty much every rock/metal band that has played used one.
Tbh unless you're playing at an excessively loud volume on stage, then all the FOH dude is probably gonna use is the parralel out.... so I guess if he's happy with the tone then it should be fine, as it's pretty much just going to be for him to hear himself.

Oh yeah?? We played there tail end of last year. Great venue. Sound was awesome too.

I guess I'm just having one of those "don't like my bandmates tone" moments!

We do play quite loud, and usually the FOH guy DOES take a feed from the Sansamp or a DI box of his own choosing.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Just to clarify, I meant that as long as your bass player is happy with the tone on stage, then it should be all good.
Obviously if you're playing pretty loud on stage it's more important that you're all happy with his tone though...... but most people seem to be happy with a sansamp.