Tech 21 Upgrades Its Bass Fly Rig to V2
May 20, 2021 · 7 sources
Tech 21 announced version 2 of its Bass Fly Rig, updating the original multi-effects floor unit for bass with an expanded SansAmp section, a new effects section and, per the requests of previous Fly Rig fans, an effects loop for integrating the rest of a rig123. The unit was available now at launch for $2992.
The Bass Fly Rig V2 is a multi-effects pedal for bass built around Tech 21's all-analog SansAmp circuitry, with a built-in speaker and cab sim that the maker says covers the entire signal chain, from pre-amp to power amp to speaker3. Tech 21 describes the Fly Rig concept in its own words:
"Each Tech 21 Fly Rig is much more than a pedalboard. In a single pedal."
The SansAmp section
The SansAmp section gained a Character mode switch that selects between two voicings: SansAmp Bass Driver DI, for a variety of classic bass tube amp tones, or VT Bass DI, with a more specific focus. No Treble reported that Tech 21 explains the Bass Driver dishes out classic bass tube amp tones while the VT Bass is more specifically focused on Ampeg-style sounds32.
| Control or switch | What it does |
|---|---|
| Character mode switch | Selects SansAmp Bass Driver DI or VT Bass DI voicings4 |
| 3-band active EQ | Shapes the SansAmp tone3 |
| Two Drive controls | Individual gain and overdrive3 |
| Bite switch | Activates a presence boost for extra clarity in the top end3 |
| Post-EQ | Active cut or boost of 12dB3 |
The new EFX section
New to the V2 is an EFX section with three effects: Octafilter, Fuzz and Chorus3. A Mix control blends combinations of clean, fuzz and octave with the direct signal, and when the Q control is at minimum, the Range control becomes a high-cut tone filter3. Tech 21 says the octave effect ranges from Minimoog-style synth sounds to funky territory, while the chorus adds the choral voicings of two instruments, with a slight delay between them for thickness and space3. The COMP section uses old school, all-analog, FET-based compression technology from the '50s and '60s3.
Other features
- A chromatic tuner5
- An Input Pad for active basses, carried over from the original Bass Fly Rig6
- A 1/4-inch 4.7megOhm input designed to deliver the full sound of piezo pickups3
- An XLR output with ground connect and a 1/4-inch low impedance output3
- A rugged, all-metal housing with metal footswitches and jacks and silent-switching, custom footswitch actuators3
The V2 runs on the included 9V DC power supply (Tech 21 Model #DC9), 250mA, 100-240V universal auto-switching with interchangeable international plugs4. No battery operation is offered.
Where it came from
The original Fly Rig, introduced in 2014, was expanded into a series that later included the Bass, Acoustic and Paul Landers Signature PL1 models37. Guitar World reported that the V2 was designed to free bass players from what Tech 21 called the "oppression of evil backline loaners" and the "tyrannies of overloaded flight cases," promising an array of rich, expressive combinations suitable for any gig2.
Sources (7)
- Tech 21 Sans Amp Bass Fly Rig v2 review, MusicRadar, 2022-02-21
- Tech 21 launches the new-and-improved Bass Fly Rig V2, Guitar World, 2021-05-19
- Bass Fly Rig V2, Tech 21 NYC, 2024-11-21
- Tech 21 Announces Bass Fly Rig v2 Multi-Effects Floor Unit, No Treble, 2021-05-19
- Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Fly Rig V2 review, Guitar World, 2021-12-02
- Bass Fly Rig, Tech 21 NYC, 2022-11-09
- Fly Rig 5 v2 by Tech 21, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026