Wiggybass

Not sure 'happy' is the right word, but perhaps 'satisfied until I find something better'... The key for me was finding the Sansamp RBI, of which I now have two. It has a number of key advantages that keeps it as my 'what-I-plug-into' device regardless of the rest of the kit: 1. It has a flexible and responsive EQ, plus enough input gain range to dial in pretty much any sound you want. 2. Its many outputs include a proper electronically balanced DI, with front-panel level control, which I can connect to the house PA, tell the engineer to flat the channel EQ and I know that what's coming out of the PA is exactly what I want. I can also send him a dry feed from the (also electronically balanced) un-effected output if I wish. 3. Its output topology also means that I can keep my stage sound fairly distinct from that in the PA, because I use the unbalanced effected feed for my backline and then use the EQ on that device to deal with any peculiarities on stage and control my onstage volume 4. Its FX loop is quiet and has a choice of input levels so I can easily trim levels on the odd occasion I use effects. I mostly use it with a Korg rack tuner in the FX loop which gives me silent tuning (by muting the Korg) 5. It has a built-in PSU so no need for silly wall-warts, just shove an IEC lead up it 6. I use it as a preamp in front of a MarkBass head and keep the master output around half with the preamp input on the MB also around half, which gives me plenty of level whilst keeping the noise floor low. However it just about has enough output to drive a stereo power amp if I wished, depending on the amp's input sensitivity (though TBH I don't care for this as the sound is too hi-fi and not gritty enough). I've been using Bergantino cabs for a couple of years and am extremely happy with them, comfortably the best bass cabs I've found yet. 7. Perhaps best of all, by using it I can get consistent results wherever I go, even if I'm using someone else's backline, an unfamiliar PA, pretty much anything I might encounter. It's been with me through various combinations of Trace-Elliot, EBS, SWR and MarkBass amps and cabs, and it's the one thing I always miss when I don't use it. BTW, in case you're wondering, I don't work for Tech 21 / Sansamp, I'm just a happy camper with my RBI - check it out here: [url="http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/sansamp/rbi.html"]http://www.tech21nyc.com/products/sansamp/rbi.html[/url] If anybody is sad enough to want to see my little racks then I'll post a pic for you. Enjoy your playing and your gear but remember - almost all the sound is in your hands, not in the equipment! Wiggybass