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MXR M-80 vs Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI.


TN.Frank

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Other then price what's the difference in what they'll do for my sound?

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Tech-21-SansAmp-Bass-Driver-DI?sku=480206

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/MXR-M80-Bass-Direct-Box-with-Distortion?sku=151110

Also, can the M-80 use an AC adapter or is it battery only?

And what about the Ashdown Drive Plus Bass FX Pedal

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Ashdown-Drive-Plus-Bass-FX-Pedal?sku=155161

Will it do about the same thing?

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The m80 has an AC adapter. As far as I know they do roughly similar things for your sound. Kind of a tube emulation circuit and then a distortion circuit, with bass/treble/mids.

 

The M80 is kind of biased toward a scooped type of sound as far as I can tell, so you almost inevitably will want to boost the mids a bit on the pedal, and cut the highs and lows, just to get a normal sound.

 

I'm not sure if the Sansamp has a noise gate, but that's something you might want to check out. The m80 does and it's pretty nice.

 

I really like mine, but I didn't try out a sansamp first, just snagged the M80 cheap used.

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The Ashdown appears to be more or less just an overdrive/distortion pedal, albeit a nice looking one. Doesn't appear to have a D.I.

 

I run my M-80 off my 9v powered pedal board. When I tried the M-80 and the SansAmp at G.C. the M-80 seemed quieter and I personally liked the distortion a little better. They are both nice units but I don't think the SansAmp is $70 nicer.

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So the Ashdown isn't really even the same thing as the M-80 or SansAmp. Can you use the M-80 like you'd use a SansAmp to just plug into the PA and play?

 

 

 

Yes, you can go straight to the p.a. with no amp. I've done that at practice when I don't feel like dragging an amp along, although I prefer having a backline for gigs and often don't even go into the p.a. at gigs.

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So the Ashdown WILL work like the others then. And it's only $99 bucks and I can stay "brand loyal" to Ashdown if I get it. Sweet.
:D

 

 

 

Wait....er....ahhhhh.......I meant the M-80. The Ashdown doesn't appear to have a d.i. although most boards have inputs for unbalanced 1/4" inputs so it's really a moot point.......:)

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After reading a few of your thread, it doesn't really sound like you know what the M-80 or Sansamp is for and I'm not really sure why you'd want it then.

 

If you are looking for a pedal that will add grit to your tone, grab something different. If you are looking to send your bass signal straight to the board, using your amp as a monitor, no amp at all or backup incase your amp dies, then the DI function is up your alley. If you are looking for a pedal, according to Musicians Friend "makes gear sound fantastic" I think you'd be grabbing this for wrong reasons.

 

In short, I can't help you out, but I'm confused to why you want one.

 

Yo.

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I've got one of the 3 channel sansamp's and i like it. I think it's handy to have a couple of sounds available. I've got one setup to have an very overdriven tone, another as a big clean boost (boosts treble a bit and cuts bass, blends the signal with my eden rig. The 3rd one is for my basses other than my $$ 5er, pumps the low end more with a hint of overdrive.

 

I bought it originally to muck around on and be able to have a versatile sound/backup if the amp dies / too lazy to lug your shit to a gig with PA :)

I think it does this fairly well but if i was buying again.. i'd go for an EBS microbass 2

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I've never used a Sansamp, but I own the M-80 and use it all the time. Yes it can definitely be used in front of an amp to boost the gain from a passive bass and it works great for that purpose. I also use it to send a direct out to the board while using my amp as a monitor. I've yet to use it for recording, but I plan on it eventually. The distortion works great without sucking the bass out of the tone (although I've yet to use it in the gospel music that I'm currently involved in), I don't think the Sansamp has a dedicated distortion circuit.

 

Also, I only paid 100 for it at a guitar center clearance event, so I think I got my money's worth.

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