The Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig is a bass multi-effects and SansAmp preamp pedal built to replace a pedalboard: amp emulation, compression, octave, fuzz, chorus and a tuner in one long, slim box. Tech 21 positions each Fly Rig as "much more than a pedalboard. In a single pedal."1 The current version, the Bass Fly Rig v2, launched in 2021 at $29912 and carries all-analog SansAmp tube amp emulation with a built-in speaker and cab simulator, so a player can go straight into a PA or recording desk with no amp at all1.
The unit is made by Tech 21, built in the USA3, and housed in a rugged all-metal enclosure with metal footswitches and jacks and silent-switching custom footswitch actuators1.
The SansAmp section
SansAmp is the center point of the pedal: Tech 21's tube amplifier emulation technology, which the company says encompasses the entire signal chain, from pre-amp to power amp to speaker simulation1. On the v2, the expanded SansAmp section features 3-band active EQ, two individual Drive controls for gain and overdrive, and two individual Level controls1. An on-board active post-EQ section offers 12dB of cut or boost1.
The v2 also adds a SansAmp Character mode switch with two choices1:
| Character mode | What it does |
|---|---|
| SansAmp Bass Driver DI | A variety of classic bass tube amp tones1 |
| VT Bass DI | A more specific focus on Ampeg-style sounds1 |
Guitar World's news editor described the split similarly: the SansAmp Bass Driver DI mode is said to serve up a variety of classic tube amp tones, while the VT Bass DI mode offers more Ampeg-style sounds with more pronounced mids4. Players who know the standalone pedals can find the same flavors in Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI V2 and Tech 21 VT Bass DI.
On the original Bass Fly Rig, the SansAmp section carried a 3-band active EQ, a Level control, a Character control sweeping through what Tech 21 calls the most storied vintage and modern tones, a Drive control, and a Bite button that, as Bass Musician Magazine's Ty Campbell put it, "gives you just that extra edge when you need it"56.
The effects: Octafilter, chorus, compressor and boost
MusicRadar's review of the v2 notes that Tech 21 organized the signal into four sections using simple signal chain logic: compressor, tube amp emulation, then the effects, then chorus and tuner3. The v2's EFX section holds Octafilter, Fuzz and Chorus, with a Mix control that blends any combination of clean, fuzz and octave with the direct signal1.
The Octafilter is the distinctive one. Tech 21 says the octave effect brings "a re-invented pallette of expression with a crazy amount of possibilities, from Minimoog®-style synth to funky town"1. Two controls shape the dynamic filter6:
- Range: controls the frequency of the dynamic filter, and responds to the volume and attack of the bass6
- Q: adjusts the bandwidth and sharpness of the dynamic filter6
On the v2, when Q is at minimum, Range becomes a high-cut tone filter for different versions of clean, fuzz, octave, and octave and fuzz together1. Ty Campbell's take on the original: "The Octafilter gives you that bass synth sound and more."6
The chorus is derived from Tech 21's Bass Boost Chorus pedal and, in the maker's words, "Adds the choral voicings of two instruments. With a slight delay between, it adds thickness and space."15 Premier Guitar's reviewer found the chorus section "delivers some impressively clean, watery tone"7.
The compressor uses what Tech 21 calls old school, all-analog, FET-based technology from the '50s and '60s, which the company describes as inherently warmer, more transparent and musical1. On the original, the compressor's Tone control gave a pre-compression boost in tone6.
The original's Boost section is foot switchable and boosts up to 10dB, with a switchable Pre/Post design: Pre-Boost mode interacts with the SansAmp section to beef up drive and distortion, while Post-Boost mode increases overall volume to punch up fills and solos56.
"The Boost section is foot switchable and boosts up to 10dB."
The v2 also includes a chromatic tuner8, and Bass Musician Magazine's Ty Campbell found the unit "works great for both electric and upright bass"8.
Power and connections
The v2 runs on 9V DC from the included Tech 21 Model #DC9 power supply, 250mA, a 100-240V universal auto-switching supply with interchangeable international plugs1. The original shipped with a 9V DC 200mA supply5.
For outputs, both versions carry an XLR output with ground connect and a 1/4-inch low impedance output15. The input is a 1/4-inch 4.7megOhm jack designed to deliver the full sound of piezo pickups, which matters for upright bass players using piezo bridges1. The SansAmp's built-in speaker simulation is what lets the unit connect straight into a PA or mixer1.
The Bass Fly Rig v2 is powered by its included Model #DC9 supply rather than a battery, and its 250mA draw is worth checking against a small isolated power supply before leaving the wall wart at home1.
History and versions: from the original to v2
The Fly Rig line began in 2014, when Tech 21 introduced the original Fly Rig, which the company calls "a true game-changer for players in all categories, from touring pros to beginners"1. Delicious Audio reported that Tech 21 soon released a version equipped to handle the lower frequencies of bass guitar, called the Bass Fly Rig, featuring compressor, SansAmp, Octaver and Chorus9. Bass Musician Magazine reviewed it as a recently released product in December 20166.
The v2 arrived in 2021, available at $2994. Guitar World reported that Tech 21 designed it to free bass players from the "oppression of evil backline loaners" and the "tyrannies of overloaded flight cases"4. The v2 follows the form factor Tech 21 established across the later Fly Rigs, and its headline changes over the original are the expanded SansAmp section, the two Character modes, the second Drive and Level controls, the post-EQ, the chromatic tuner and the higher-current supply18.
| Bass Fly Rig (original) | Bass Fly Rig v2 | |
|---|---|---|
| SansAmp EQ | 3-band active EQ1 | 3-band active EQ, plus active post-EQ, cut or boost 12dB1 |
| Character modes | Character control sweep5 | Switchable: SansAmp Bass Driver DI or VT Bass DI1 |
| Drive and Level | Single Drive, single Level110 | Two Drive controls, two Level controls1 |
| Tuner | Not included | Chromatic tuner8 |
| Power supply | 9V DC, 200mA, included5 | 9V DC, Model #DC9, 250mA, included1 |
| Width | 2.5"5 | 2.75"1 |
| Weight | 20.7 oz.5 | 20.7 oz.1 |
Guitar World's Joel McIver summed up the v2's appeal in one word: "Portable."10 In Guitar World's 2025 buying guide of bass effects pedals, the Bass Fly Rig v2 was listed as smaller and lighter than many multi-effects, with classic SansAmp tones among its pluses10.
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Questions
What is the difference between the Bass Fly Rig and the Bass Fly Rig v2?
The v2 expands the SansAmp section with 3-band active EQ, two individual Drive controls, two Level controls, an active post-EQ section with 12dB cut or boost, and a choice of two SansAmp Character modes: SansAmp Bass Driver DI or VT Bass DI. It also adds a chromatic tuner. The original runs on a 200mA supply; the v2 comes with a 250mA Model #DC9 supply.
Does the Bass Fly Rig have a tuner?
The Bass Fly Rig v2 includes a chromatic tuner, listed among its features by Bass Musician Magazine's reviewer. The original Bass Fly Rig did not include one.
Is the Bass Fly Rig analog?
Yes. The SansAmp tube amp emulation circuitry is all-analog, and the compressor uses old school, all-analog, FET-based technology from the '50s and '60s, which Tech 21 describes as inherently warmer, more transparent and musical.
Can the Bass Fly Rig go direct to a PA?
Yes. The SansAmp circuitry includes a built-in speaker and cab simulation covering the whole signal chain from pre-amp to power amp to speaker, and the unit has an XLR output with ground connect plus a 1/4-inch low impedance output for going straight into a PA or mixer.
What is the VT Bass DI mode on the Bass Fly Rig v2?
It is one of the two SansAmp Character modes on the v2. Where the SansAmp Bass Driver DI mode serves a variety of classic bass tube amp tones, the VT Bass DI mode has a more specific focus on Ampeg-style sounds with more pronounced mids.
Sources (10)
- Bass Fly Rig V2, Tech 21 NYC, 2024-11-21
- Fly Rig 5 v2 by Tech 21, RockBoard PedalPedia, 2026
- 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, Tech 21 NYC, 2022-11-09
- Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig Review, Bass Musician Magazine, 2016-12-01
- Quick Hit: Tech 21 Bass Fly Rig Review, Premier Guitar, 2016-12-05
- TECH 21 NYC Bass Fly Rig V2 Review, Bass Musician Magazine, 2022-09-19
- Tech 21 Unveils Fly Rig Brit And Fly Rig Cali At LA Stompbox Exhibit, Delicious Audio, 2016-11-30
- Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Fly Rig V2 review, Guitar World, 2021-12-02
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