The RMI Basswitch Enhanced Overdrive is a bass overdrive pedal with a high-quality preamp built in, made by Ruppert Musical Instruments. In the maker's words, it "combines a high-quality preamp with a complex gain stage that produces the overdrive"1. It is aimed squarely at bass players: the input is built to process signals from both passive and active pickup systems, and the output feeds an amp, a preamp or a DAW1.
Premier Guitar reviewed the pedal in August 2021 and put its street price at $2992. The same review reports it is completely manufactured in Germany, in an all-metal housing the reviewer called "solid as a tank"2.
What it does to your sound
The overdrive range is wide. The maker describes it as running "from subtle harmonics inspired by the compressed valves of a bass amplifier, to warm and pleasant saturation, and even up to a brute distorted signal"1. That puts it in the same flexible territory as other bass pedals that cover clean-ish edge through full-on grit, rather than locking you into one drive character.
Premier Guitar's reviewer came at the sound from a player's perspective:
"My first impression of the pedal was that it was bright sounding and a bit brash"2
Premier Guitar, August 20212
That first impression is worth knowing if you like a darker, rounder drive tone, though a first impression is exactly that.
Inputs, outputs and controls
The pedal keeps its panel simple. The input accepts your instrument, passive or active, and the output socket connects to your amp, preamp or DAW1. The VOL control adjusts the output volume between the switched-on and switched-off state, so you can match your bypassed level to your driven level, and it also sets the pedal's overall volume1.
| Connection or control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Input socket | Connects your instrument; handles passive and active pickup systems1 |
| Output socket | Connects your amp, preamp or DAW1 |
| VOL control | Sets output volume between on and off states, and overall volume1 |
| Footswitch | Proprietary ultra-robust design2 |
Premier Guitar also noted the switching hardware: the company incorporates a proprietary footswitch the reviewer described as "an ultra-robust design that feels practically indestructible"2.
Power: 9 to 15V, up to 85mA
The Basswitch Enhanced Overdrive has no battery option, so an external supply is required2. It takes 9 to 15V DC or AC through a standard 5.5 x 2.1mm connector. Whatever you feed it, the voltage is internally rectified, filtered, stabilized and then brought up to 18V internally1, which is how the pedal gets its headroom from a ordinary 9V supply.
Current draw is max. 78 mA at 9V DC and max. 85 mA at 15V DC1.
Because the pedal rectifies and stabilizes its own supply, it accepts AC as well as DC, but it still needs a supply delivering at least 9V and no more than 15V1. There is no battery compartment2.
Other measured specifications from the maker's manual1:
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Input impedance | 2.8 MOhm |
| Output impedance | 100 Ohm |
| Maximum input level | +5 dBu (< 1% THD, 1 kHz, Mix = dry) |
| Maximum output level | +12 dBu (< 1% THD, 1 kHz, Mix = dry) |
| Frequency response | 10 Hz to 30 kHz (-0.5 dB, re -20 dBu input, Mix = dry) |
| Residual noise | < -114 dBu (22 Hz to 22 kHz, Gain and Volume = max, Tone = mid, Mix = wet) |
Circuit and switching: Sonic Spark and Lehle roots
The circuit has a documented lineage. The maker states the pedal is "based on the overtone generator of the Basswitch Sonic Spark"1, an earlier RMI pedal. The challenge, as the manual puts it, was to reproduce the original signal faithfully while adding the drive.
The pedal carries Lehle True Sound Technology1, the design approach behind RMI's parent line of Lehle switching gear. Its buffers are designed to effortlessly handle signals reaching the megahertz range, with the output bandwidth limited to the audible frequency range1.
Bypass is true bypass, switched by gold-plated relays driven by discrete logic circuitry, and the maker designs the switching technology and relays to operate for up to two million switching cycles1. For comparison, the sibling Basswitch Dual Band Compressor lets you choose between true-bypass and a neutral buffered-bypass mode3, while the Basswitch Classic Boost is a high-end preamp and booster with an adjustable EQ aimed at passive P, JJ and PJ basses4. The Enhanced Overdrive's relay true bypass is the fixed arrangement here.
Questions
Does the RMI Basswitch Enhanced Overdrive take a battery?
No. Premier Guitar's review notes the pedal does not have the option of battery power, so it needs an external power supply feeding its 5.5 x 2.1mm connector at 9 to 15V DC or AC.
Does the Basswitch Enhanced Overdrive work with active basses?
Yes. The maker's manual states the pedal is built to process signals from both passive and active pickup systems, so either kind of bass can go straight into the input.
Is the RMI Basswitch Enhanced Overdrive true bypass?
Yes. It uses true bypass switched by gold-plated relays and discrete logic circuitry, and the maker designs the switching to operate for up to two million switching cycles.
Where is the RMI Basswitch Enhanced Overdrive made?
Premier Guitar reports the pedal is completely manufactured in Germany. Ruppert Musical Instruments itself is based at 20a, rue de Bascharage in Schouweiler, Luxembourg.
What did reviewers say about the RMI Basswitch Enhanced Overdrive's sound?
Premier Guitar's reviewer's first impression was that the pedal sounded bright and a bit brash. The maker describes its range as running from subtle harmonics inspired by compressed bass-amp valves to warm saturation and even brute distortion.
Sources (4)
- Lehle-RMI-Basswitch-Enhanced-Overdrive_Manual_EN.pdf, Ruppert Musical Instruments, 2023
- RMI Basswitch Enhanced Overdrive Review, Premier Guitar, 2018-09-12
- Lehle-RMI-Basswitch-Dual-Band-Compressor_Manual_EN.pdf, Ruppert Musical Instruments, 2023
- Lehle-RMI-Basswitch-Classic-Boost_Manual_EN.pdf, Ruppert Musical Instruments, 2023
