Firstly: this pedal will give you all the colour you need WITHOUT cutting or compressing your bass frequencies! Every dial on the unit affects massive changes with tiny movements, and there isn't a core bass tone out there this pedal cannot approximate. I've used this pedal on many gigs now and through some massive systems, and it actually widens the frequency response straight out of my cabinet. The bass sounds bigger and wider ( as with a stereo chorus pedal ) but of course there's no chorus. It's just BIGGER and as clean or coloured as I want it to be. I use it downstream from my Zoom digital MS-60b multi and I have a massive, authentic analog tone. Yep, it's the magic bullet for bass. I would prefer that it came with a preset option but I can set up the multi to do that. It's one drawback it that it's very easy to swipe your settings with poorly aimed swing of your foot, so I leave it on top of my amp where that can't happen. Yeah, that might be serious consideration for some people. I gave it four stars, but they are four MASSIVE stars in a universe of bass-effect mediocrities out there. I will never need to upgrade this pedal.
The sound from this pedal is incredible, and words do it no justice. There is a **** of a lot of tweaking to be done so dialling in that perfect tone can be difficult, but once you do, you'll never be satisfied with your sound without this blessing in a box. It cleans your sound very well. Rig: Spector Euro 5LX, Eden Terra Nova 501 head, 1x15 and 2x10 cabinets.
As cliche as it sounds, this pedal really does bring new life into may basses - especially my P's! If you're after a classic Ampeg rock sound this is the pedal you need for sure, and I've been able to tweak it to suit a lot of other genres too. I've also used it to record double bass and it's done the job so well!
What you need? Here it is. This is a solidly constructed unit. All the buttons and controls operate noiselessly. I find the tones to be quite usable, whether using the Ampeg emulator or not. Do I need a DI? Probably not. My amp has one. That is, until it blows up, or I might have to use someone else's gear. No thanks. I'll use my VT, if you do or don't mind. Insurance? Forget the paperwork. This is my kind of insurance. It also comes with a nice distortion. I don't use mega distortion (refer Darkglass). This has a milder, and to me, a more useable distortion.
This DI is nothing short of amazing, it does exactly what Tech21 say it does, it's an Ampeg bass rig that fits in your gig bag! Use it direct in to the PA at a live gig, direct to the mixing board in the studio or as a fuzz box in your live rig, it can do it all.