💥Tech 21 RBI vs Bass Driver V2 Comparison - Shootout!

[@geekguitars]

I have 2 Geddy Lee racks, the RBI and the DP3X. Never realized I couldn't be without any of them till I owned them!! My tech 21s have been such amazing tools....and toys

[@RodneyMcG]

They never dissapoint!

[@dorssberube]

Got the RBI years ago, still use it Love it!

[@Mrmemphisbones]

Yesterday my late 90s v1 of the bass driver DI... Died after almost 25 years of kicking asses. I am such a tech 21 die hard that 1 hour later i was at their authorized dealer for a brand new version 2, like the one you reviewed! Not only he arranged a repair for the damaged unit, and told me that he will contact tech21 in case we need parts, but he also gave me a free sansamp t shirt as a gift with the new pedal. Version 2 is such an amazing toolbox. Thank you for your review, When it comes to bass tone and customer support tech21 is on another level.

[@RodneyMcG]

They are good people making good gear, for sure

[@Mrmemphisbones]

@@RodneyMcG 2 months later i found out that it was not the sansamp's fault, but i had a 'haunted' daisy chain cable, that was not powering it properly...so now i have 2 Sansamps, hahahaha . v1 that refused to die from bad power ,and v2. I like v1 at home, but when i am with the band, v2 helps me find my tone faster, and more efficiently. Any news regarding the tech21 factory tour ? Thank you Rodney : )

[@Tech21nyc]

Amazing job Rodney. Very clear, excellent points. Oh, and killer playing! Thanks!

[@Andyanddiana467]

Any chance for an RBI update? One with the Mid and Bass frequency shift buttons AND a ground lift on the XLR outs, with a FRONT MOUNTED GROUND BUTTON so we don't have to dig around the back of the rack in the dark? Pretty please?

[@RodneyMcG]

Thanks for making gear that puts my Bass in Beast Mode!

[@Tech21nyc]

@@Andyanddiana467 Highly unlikely any time in the near future, but will certainly pass along your suggestion. Thanks!

[@PushSueAside]

Damn Rodney!!!! You are a demon of a player!!! I mean that in the best way. You surprise me every time. Amazing chops. Stuff I’ve never seen. Just wanted to thank you. You’re very inspirational. Cheers

[@RodneyMcG]

Thank YOU, Tommy! That's really kind of you.

[@simonslee73]

Agreed, your playing can be so complex but never sounds over done, it’s so tasteful. I don’t notice bass playing as good as yours in much modern medal!

[@RodneyMcG]

@@simonslee73 Thanks, Simon!

[@tvtime1505]

Excellent video. The manufacturer could not do better. Your playing skill is insane. I like the RBI.

[@RodneyMcG]

Truly appreciate the kind words. Glad you enjoyed it.

[@StephenBecker]

I'd been looking at other options off and on to complement my sound, but I think I'm come down to a BDDI v2 being the right option. For such a compact package, it really does so much! Probably will be a birthday present to myself this year.

[@RodneyMcG]

It's a classic and really versatile

[@illegal_space_alien]

*2112 has entered the chat* Seriously though, thank you for the comparison! It’s great to have comparisons like this of subtle differences in gear.

[@RodneyMcG]

😂😂 Glad you enjoyed it - And the 2112 will be in the mix soon ;)

[@illegal_space_alien]

@@RodneyMcG I look forward to it!

[@geekguitars]

@@illegal_space_alien yea man, the RBI and the GED2112 together = amazing tone, trust me I know.

[@nikolayew]

You are such an amazing player, enjoyed it a lot! Also thank you for the demo, I think I will go with bass driver, because of the size :)

[@RodneyMcG]

Glad you enjoyed it, good luck with the new unit.

[@PAULOCNEGRAO]

Fantastic video!

[@trunks828]

Love me some sans amps thanks for sharing this. I use the rbi like all the time. At home I have it rigged under my computer always ready to go. I have a second one racked as my amp with a power amp into a 2x12 cab I also have the programmable one for ampless gigs and a back up. That one unfortunately is dying on me and I’ve been thinking about get the v2 since I only use one setting live. The sans amp has been a huge part of my life since 2010 it’s easy to dial in and has made me a lot of money from clients. Even dabbled into the world of modeling for a hot second I never got the results that I do with a rbi.

[@RodneyMcG]

They are tough to beat!

[@mixc8]

Rodney your always on time with your video's !

[@grossi6330]

Good stuff. Thank you.

[@tonycarel1785]

It's Nice to see a full depth review such as this. Thanks, I might get one of those or the Tech 21 fly rig what would you recommend for a live setting?

[@RodneyMcG]

Depends heavily on your needs. I did a demo on the fly rig too. Both sound great.

[@emericofranchi6777]

Hi Rodney, I've been thinking to buy the RBI lately and I've found your video, great comparison and tones! One question, I'd connect the RBI to my Focusrite Saffire 6 interface, what would the best way be? XRL or jack output? If it would be jack, is it better through a TRS cable or a TS? Thank you so much! 🤘

[@RodneyMcG]

Really, unless you have a high quality mic pre, it won't make much difference. If xlr works for you, go for it. Otherwise, just a standard 1/4 inch unbalanced cable will do fine. Good luck!

[@markstreich2709]

Hi Rodney thank you for the wonderful comparison. I have played the RBI for 8 years in many genres and it does everything I want. I’m looking to get a smaller rack and would like to put the BDDI v2 in a drawer with my wireless and other items to save space. The power difference seems very noticeable to me and changes how the units respond. To attain the same sound/feel do you find yourself cranking the bddi v2 knobs past noon to emulate RBI set mostly flat? Thank you

[@RodneyMcG]

I actually find you can set them close to the same, but the RBI mids need to be dialed back to about 10 o'clock to match the curve. Hope that helps

[@BigMuff75]

It seems I need to check out the RBI for sure.

[@RodneyMcG]

It's a beast for sure

[@brentheathersimons7042]

RAWK ON!!!

[@jml19221]

The sound at 1:15 is bad ass

[@RodneyMcG]

It does do fretless nicely!

[@burningkarma]

Both units provide tone for days. Everything from clean to grind to full on balls out distortion.

[@RodneyMcG]

Absolutely

[@bazZzment]

Hi there, thanks for this very helpful video! After years of not having a Sansamp I want to get back to it for recording and live purposes. I own, use and love a DP-3X but I still need something more "normal". I think the good old BDDI holds it's own and is a standard for a reason. But I can't decide if I prefer the old circuit (to be found in the programmable) or if the V2 is the way to go. Also, the Steve Harris one is surprisingly flexible! Do you think one could get close to the BDDI with the SH-1?

[@RodneyMcG]

There really isn't so much of a difference in between the older and v2. With a little knob twisting I can get them to sound pretty much the same. I would go on which has more of the options you might need. The Harris is great, but it's a different animal. If you want the BDDI, I would get it specifically rather than hoping another unit will sound close to it.

[@bazZzment]

@@RodneyMcG Thanks for your answer! You are exactly right of course. I don't know, I have borrowed an older V1 and somehow feel it's a little less occupied in the lower mids region. You can hear it in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jqTVeWCCf7hqiZY . Maybe I have to cut the mid knob more vigorously but it feels like the V1 has more clank and is a bit tighter / less crowded in the low end. I will further investigate this, haha. Thanks for your videos and your help!

[@RodneyMcG]

Glad to help. Try seeing the mid to 500 and cutting -the to get that effect. If you wasnt more aggression, set it to 1k and boost. Good luck

[@bazZzment]

@@RodneyMcG Thank you very much, I will give it a shot and really appreciate the advice.

[@GugaRamone]

@@bazZzment I had the same feeling as you. I bought the V2 but after a few weeks of knob twisting went back to my old V1 and never looked back. The V2 is awesome but there is something about the old V1 that just pleases me more.

[@partoftheproblem2767]

This is the video I've been looking for. I'm building a rack now. My problem that I'm facing is the RBI vs. GED 2112. Is there any way you can do this comparison? Love the channel. I was also looking at the Les Claypool EMG pickups and found a review here as well. I've decided to go with the Relentless DiMarzios in gold. Putting gold hardware on my bass build. I'm going with a local luthier and doing a Slab style P-bass. Again, love the channel and would love to hear your opinion!

[@RodneyMcG]

I'll have a review of the 2112 coming in next months issue of guitar interactive, and here on the channel. The RBI and 2112 are 2 really different monsters. The drive / saturation is much different sounding. The 2112 is also a split signal meaning there is a sub channel and a main channel. The 2 units share some characteristics, but fairly different. If you like the style of drive that was Geddy's sound on moving pictures, but with more options and bigger, you want the 2112. If you like more what's in this video and other classic bass driver tones, go for the RBI. Hope that helps and congrats on the new bass.

[@partoftheproblem2767]

Thanks, friend! I'm mainly looking to use plenty of headroom and set and forget. I'm waiting to watch your video on compression as well in finding that grit sound. If I can run the RBI with something like the dbx 266 and be able to have a solid tone. I will have a power conditioner, tuner, power amp, RBI, wireless, and possibly a compressor limiter. Whats your thoughts on any other additions to the rack, Rodney?

[@RodneyMcG]

I wouldn't add anything unless you really need it. Don't add things that go wrong!

[@partoftheproblem2767]

Rodney, do you think that would be my best option for a compressor considering what I'm shooting for with that setup?

[@RodneyMcG]

It depends on if you want to be all rack mounted, or will also use pedals. Going strictly rack will limit you a bit. If you are open to pedals, I would look at the MXR m80. The DBX 266 is a solid model for rack.

[@xisotopex]

are you sponsored by schecter or do you just like their basses? I have a dirt cheap schecter 5 string and I think it plays and sounds great, even with dead strings, just curious about your arrangement

[@RodneyMcG]

Nope. Not Sponsored

[@geekguitars]

The Cirrus basses are amazing. I sure as shit wish the custom shop was still open. 😕😕🤬🤬

[@RodneyMcG]

It's coming back. They will be built by the team that builds the Spector Euro series in the Czech Republic

[@gabrielbrown805]

Does the RBI need a power amp? And would it sound good for hardcore/metalcore?

[@RodneyMcG]

Yes, it does and sure - why not

[@xdoctorblindx]

Differences are almost entirely do to tolerances in parts (especially potentiometers). For examples, two RBIs are going to sound slightly different at the same settings as well.

[@rorke47]

woah mustaine fired ellefson dude what do you think about it all? It's kinda crazy considering you did the interview with him weeks before the scandal broke out.

[@RodneyMcG]

Yeah, I don't really weigh in on that kind of thing. I'll leave it for the drama sites. Having said that though, I think it's kinda bullshit for a guy who cries to this day about the day he was fired from a band he helped found with no notice because of his behaviour, and how undeserved it was, and how his friends stabbed him in the back to the point he is as well known for it as he is his music. Then, to throw a founding memeber of his band under the bus for behaviour.