Tech 21 SansAmp RBI Reviews

4.5/5.0 based on 8 customer reviews

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Customer Reviews

The guy
from Kingston, PA
October 26, 2007Music Background:
25 years stage

Listen!

I wrote many reviews in different places. Try this in any store. This will focus and clear any bass sound. It sounds as if what you have turned your amp toward you instead of facing backwards, or you have suddenly removed a heavy blanket from your speaker. This is the first and last effect you should own for bass. It lets you also go direct to P.A. without using an amp and retain the bass tone. (Hence SansAmp)

David McLain
from Cuba, MO
January 7, 2013Music Background:
Recording Engineer and musician

Excellent Gear

I've been using one of these in my bass rig for almost 8 years. It's worked flawlessly the entire time and it gets a great tone. What I find is that unlike a lot of other preamp devices the Sansamp tends to sound like a whole amp not just the front end. I tend to use it for mostly classic rock sounds with an EBS Multi Comp compressor in the effects loop. I power the rig with a Crown Macrotech 1200 into one or two Euphonic Audio NL210 cabinets.

Richard
from Fort Myers
November 23, 2012Music Background:
Former pro musician.. presently more of hobbyist/semi pro

Great Sounding Bass Pre

Great sounding pre with a very tube like sound and feel. Only thing its missing and why I deducted a 1/2 a star is there is no tuner out and mute but other then that its a great sounding pre.

Tom Bramhall
from Huntsville, AL
August 13, 2008Music Background:
Bass player for more than 30 years

Very pleasant surprise

I initially was looking for the "idiot pre", meaning something different people could plug into an find challenging to mess up their tone. It most emphatically is not an idiot resistant unit and is somewhat tweaky. That being said though, the same could be stated regarding say a Boogie Mark 2C or 4 where you can dial in that absolute holy grail tone and with very minor control change switch to tone to induce projectile vomiting. If you work with this thing you can get all manner of sounds. The suggested starting points for different tones are very useful. Seems to work for live and recording very well, Geddy Lee being someone who can attest to it.

Lenny "the meat" Mecca
from Dunmore, PA
March 29, 2008Music Background:
Bassist; 32yrs exp. live and studio

I Really Like It!

After becoming bored of my dull lifeless bass sound, I decided to try the Sans Amp RBI. I'm glad I did. I put it in my rack, plugged into the power amp in of my head and there was that pizzaz I was looking for. And the more I tweaked the better it got. Many compliments on the FOH sound from other players.In the studio, I still prefer the Avalon U5, but live I stand by my Sans Amp and highly recommend it. Well built and sounds great!

Sydz
from Chicago, Il
April 30, 2012Music Background:
Pro Musician

Does the job!

Does exactly what it says it will do. Control is excellent. The only thing is if you could add the mid controls like on the RMI it would be perfect. You can do it, takes alittle more tweeking, thou for recording you probably going to do alot or some anyway and having the extra mids is mostly no that important.

JONC.
from AKRON, OHIO
May 7, 2006

USEFUL PIECE OF GEAR

I AGREE WITH THE LAST REVIEWER THAT THE SANSAMP IS GREAT FOR RECORDING. SOMETIMES IT HARD TO GET THE BASS SOUND YOU REALLY LIKE WITH A D.I., BUT THE RBI DELIVERS IN THE STUDIO. I ACTUALLY PREFER A TUBE PREAMP WHEN PLAYING OUT, BUT WHEN RECORDING, THE RBI GIVES A SOLID, CLEAN AND ADJUSTABLE TONE AND IS VERY QUIET. GOOD INVESTMENT.

Joe Evans
from Tuscaloosa, Alabama
June 1, 2005

Good bass sound made easy

I have tried many ways of recording bass guitar direct over the last few years without getting the sound I was looking for. Due to where I live, I can't use an actual amplifier so I had been stuck with various software plugs and DI boxes that never quite delievered. The SansAmp RBI immediately made a big difference in the recorded sound. It's doesn't try to emulate different amps like some of the plugs I have tried, but offers a better sound quality than software. You can get close to some of the more famous amps you hear. All in all it sounds more realistic with better dynamics and tone. I love it!