BEHRINGER V-TONE BASS DRIVER DI BDI21
Bass Amp Modeler/Direct Recording Preamp/DI Box
- Analog modeling bass preamp/stompbox with DI recording output
- This BEHRINGER product has been designed to compete head to head with leading products on the market
- Authentic V-TONE modeling technology capable of dialing up big vintage tube tones, funky slap sounds, crunchy distortions and all in between
- Provides a truckload of great amps in a single stomp box-from traditional bass amps to modern overdriven amp tones that would typically require a multitude of effects units
- Authentic tube emulation circuitry can be mixed with the direct bass signal via blend control
- Presence control for definition and upper harmonics plus ultra-musical 2-band EQ specifically tuned for bass guitars
- Dual DI mode for either direct recording output with tube emulation or standard active direct injection box in bypass mode
- Output available on 1/4” TS or balanced, gold-plated XLR connectors
- Ground lift switch eliminates typical ground loop problems
- Runs on 9 V battery or the BEHRINGER PSU-SB DC power supply (not included)
- High-quality components and exceptionally rugged construction ensure long life
- Conceived and designed by BEHRINGER Germany
There are DI boxes…and then there’s the V-TONE BASS BDI21 – the feature-packed analog DI box built especially for bass.
Not Your Average DI Box
The BDI21 combines the features of an active DI (direct injection) box with our proprietary tube emulation circuitry. It’s like having a truckload of vintage tube amps right at your toes! The Blend control allows you to mix the amount of tube emulation you want with your direct bass signal. And if you don’t want to use the tube emulation feature, just step on the switch and the ADI21 functions as a superb active DI box.
So Easy to Use
With its dedicated DRIVE, TREBLE, BASS, LEVEL, and PRESENCE dials, the BDI21 DI box goes above and beyond, giving you vintage tube tones for some funked-up slap, gonzo overdrive and everything in-between. You can use the BDI21 as a recording output DI, with tube emulation, or as a standard active DI box, when running in bypass mode. The output is laid out on 1/4″ TS or balanced, gold-plated XLR connectors. There’s also a ground lift switch that eliminates typical ground loop hum problems. You can power this bad boy with a 9V battery or our PSU-SB DC power supply (not included).
Value
When it comes to DI boxes, you can go with simple injection, or plug into the BDI21 to add some badass tube-like fuel injection to your bass. Try the V-TONE BASS BDI21 at your local BEHRINGER dealer and find out just how great your bass can sound.
$ 49.99
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19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
 The best 29 bucks I have ever invested!!!, By
* “keep art affordable!!!” (Chicago) – See all my reviews
This review is from: Behringer BDI21 V-Tone Bass Amp Modeler (Electronics)
OK here are the facts:
1- I own a cheap bass. I admit it freely, and I don’t regret it. Considering the economic times is just wise to choose the cheapest tool that will get the job done. I also admit that cheap instruments sound cheap, and my Memphis is no exception. 2- For expert ears, tonal coloring is no substitute of a good instrument. However for most listeners is just difficult (if not plain impossible) to distinguish between good and great. 3- Amplifiers are as important as the Bass for the final tone. So is technique (I don’t like picks, fingers only), in fact a good player can make a crappy instrument sound good, and no matter how expensive your instrument, if you can’t play it will show. After the above disclaimers, I can totally assure you that THIS BOX IS AWESOME. First it makes your cheap instrument sound like is 5 times (in my case 10) more expensive. I use as a DI to an Edirol M-16DX mixer, then either via USB 2.0 to Apple Logic or to a pair of Behringer B215A 400 W Active speakers (yes they are behringer too, so wut?) I didn’t buy the power cord, instead I have a steady supply of 9V (which I remove when the unit is not in use). Using the balanced output (XLR) there’s no humm, dial the level up to get good volume, and dial the equalizer knobs to your liking (use your ears, finding the tones you like is not difficult). Is not great, but is very good, and considering its versatility and that unbeatable price, the Behringer BDI21 is a clear winner, not just for us in a budget, but also for beginners and mid level players. Just don’t step on it. 0
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
 IT WORKS OK…BUT HAS DUBIOUS DURABILITY, By
This review is from: Behringer BDI21 V-Tone Bass Amp Modeler (Electronics)
This device works. Here’s what it does. You plug an electric bass into the pedal’s instrument input and then you can plug a second standard instrument cable into the pedal’s high impedance output jack and then plug that one into a bass amp. You also can connect it to a low impedance microphone preamp via the 200 Ohm low impedance XLR jack out. You can use just the high-impedance output or just the XLR output or you can use them both simultaneously. When the “footswitch” is off it functions transparently with no tonal modification at all just like a direct box. When the “footswitch” is on an LED light activates and the tonal boost and tube emulation functions are on. I put “footswitch” in quotes because I use fingers to push it, but leave it on all the time for my personal purpose. When you insert a plug into the instrument input jack the unit powers on, so if running on battery be sure to unplug the input when not actually using it. Some other functional comments about it. It runs on 9 volt batteries or a 9-volt power supply. I used batteries for a while but switched to an ac adapter. Battery life isn’t super but satisfactory. Still if using it a lot, I suggest using an AC adapter. When the battery starts going it sounds awful, but you could put it into bypass mode to finish the set. Also when the “footswitch” is off and the LED is not lit, this thing functions as a straight XLR ouput direct box for anything you plug into it. You could patch the output of an acoustic electric guitar or the output of an electric guitar pedal board to it and use that to feed a mixer for recording direct which is a very handy feature for the home recording hobbyist! The amp emulation and tone controls are wrong for anything other than electric bass, so just use it as a direct box with the tone/emulation circuit off for anything except bass. The controls are all rotary knobs except the Ground-Lift switch which is a slide switch. The controls left to right, top row to second row are: DRIVE, TREBLE, BASS, LEVEL, PRESENCE, GROUND LIFT SLIDE SWITCH and BLEND. Taking each control one at a time to understand what they do is important because they are not all logically placed. The DRIVE knob adjusts the amount of gain similar to cranking the input stage control of the tube preamp and here is where you can get something like the tonal thickness (or edge) of overdriven tube tone. Basically this part of the circuit injects variable harmonics and some of the more pleasing distortion out there for this purpose. There is no ACTIVE/PASSIVE pad switch or extra active input jack on this pedal so if you have an active bass then you will not have to turn the drive knob up as much to get the tone you want. The TREBLE knob is a + or – 12db boost and cut of upper frequency tones. The BASS knob is a + or – 12db boost and cut of the lower frequencies. 12 o’clock is flat (or zero db boost or cut) on both the treble and bass knobs. The LEVEL knob is the master volume control and all it does is control the output volume with no tonal coloration. The PRESENCE knob boosts the upper frequency range harmonic content for more attack in your tone. The Presence knob isn’t a midrange control, but does boost the upper mids. The GROUND LIFT switch only effects the XLR output jack and it should be left “OFF” unless you hook it up and there is hum. Then you can turn the Ground Lift “ON” and it might help eliminate the hum issue. However it is better from a safety standpoint to remedy this by eliminating the electrical ground loop conflict that is causing the hum. The BLEND knob controls the amount of tube emulation injected into the pedal’s output with all the way to the left being none, 12 o’clock being 50% and all the way clockwise being 100%. CONS: Very little bass gear, or anything else, is “PERFECT” these days. Behringer gear has more build issues in general across most of their product line because using Chinese parts and labor is how they keep costs down. Designed in Germany but built in China means you get Chinese components and Chinese build quality while the specs look pretty enticing. For example at the first battery change the battery clip self-destructed as part of the clip’s terminal stayed stuck to the battery having pulled completely out of the clip. This was a Duracell battery, the standard for pedal batteries. Went to Radio Shack and got replacement battery clips and fixed it with a new clip by soldering wires from the new clip to the stripped wires cut away from the old clip and taping up the solder joint. I’ve never used this as a stompbox because the switch looks like it will break if you lean on it hard. Construction is all plastic. The casing is very durable but based on previous experience with plastic switches on stomp boxes I know not to use my size 13-D foot on it. The Treble and Presence knobs on mine will generate hiss and noise when set very high which…
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
A great cheap and easy way to add tone to your setup, By
Lee (Dallas, TX United States) – See all my reviews
Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
This review is from: Behringer BDI21 V-Tone Bass Amp Modeler (Electronics)
This little thing really should be a standard piece of equipment for your average bass player. I am surprised you don’t see more of them in use. I am still amazed how much i get out of this little pedal for the price. Adds some good ampeg/tube like tone to your signal chain. Small, cheap, and easy.
Who wants to spend thousands of dollars and lug around hundreds of pounds of gear, and replace unreliable tubes every year? I was just at an Eric johnson show where the bass player lost his tube amp in the middle of a song, it took the roadies most of the song to throw a new solid state amp up for him. I use this as a preamp to plug directly into the pa when gigging without amps (great on the back and eardrums) and also in front of my GK mb500 lightweight amp. As a preamp into the pa it gives me the fatness that is lacking going direct. The xlr out is also great for going direct. That alone justifies grabbing one of these. When used in front of my GK it warms up the tone and removes some of the edginess of the GK tone if i am wanting something more vintage sounding. The only thing i dont like are the eq bands, which are not as helpful (no mid)? And the fact that it rolls off a little too much high and high mid when using the blend knob. I havent used the sansamp brand, which i assume is very similar and probably better quality. But this thing is fine and so much cheaper. Just don’t abuse it like a stomp box. Put it on your amp and use it like a preamp. It is quiet too. I also have a bass pod, but it is really overkill if you just want some basic tone juice. Too complicated, no bypass, and noisy. With this you just plug it in and tweak a few knobs and you are ready. Make no mistake this is not an exact substitute for an all tube amp. The purists will want more. But for your average player who is playing through solid state amps anyway, this is a great addition. Tube tone in your gig bag for 40 bucks? Its a no-brainer. 0 |
