Recording with Zoom H4N and SansAmp

[pauldo]

Hoping others here are familiar with the Zoom H4N.

So the old band is reworking some archived material with us scattered to the four winds.  Currently I am importing a wave file into the MTR (Multi Track Recording) mode and then plug my bass directly into the Zoom input.  The Distillate sounds great.  Recording is relatively painless and easy (got get my chops back up to what they were 30 years ago!!!)


I also have a fretless passive bass and it sounds like it could use some help.  The Producer for this project suggested I get one of these:
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BassDriverV2--tech-21-sansamp-bass-driver-di-v2


I am NOT a big effects kinda guy and am even challenged on setting compression properly... I sometimes use effects when striving for that Claypool kinda delirium thing... but generally rely on my awesome Alembic and fingers to give me what I want.


My concern is that the SansAmp has too many knobs and I will get lost in a quagmire of tweaking instead of just playing.


Anyone have the SansAmp and can speak towards its ease of use and pitfalls (if any?).


Any other thoughts in regards to the Zoom and the SansAmp are appreciated!

[hankster]

I’ve used the Sansamp Tech 21 version 1 for several years for recording and live applications. Very easy to use, quiet, easy to find sounds that other people seem to want to hear - I’d recommend it. There are mire expensive DIs that are probably better but the Tech 21 is just fine.

[paulman]

I will second this, although I used a guitar SansAmp.

[gearhed289]

I've fallen in love with Tech 21s Bass VT series of DIs and stomp boxes over the past two years. The VT is specifically designed to mimic vintage Ampegs, but it's generally very similar in layout to the Bass Driver. Bottom line is, their stuff sounds amazing, and all analog.

If you want something much simpler, I'm also a fan of the Sadowsky pre amp pedal. Bass, treble, volume. That's it. Boost only (no cut), so fully counterclockwise is actually "zero" rather than 12 o'clock. Frequencies are 40 and 4000.

[hieronymous]

The Tech 21 stuff is going to change the tone - on purpose. Is that what you want? Or do you just want something to boost the signal? If you just need gain then even something like an EQ pedal would probably work as long as it has volume boost, plus you would be able to tweak the EQ as well.

[pauldo]

I do want to give the passive bass a little help in the tone department.
Reviews sound favorable, appreciate the replies.




Thanks!