The Tech 21 SansAmp RBI is a rackmount bass preamp and direct box, a 100% analog unit that Tech 21 describes as a pumped-up, expanded version of its popular SansAmp Bass Driver DI pedal12. Bass Musician Magazine puts it the same way: a rackmount version of the Bass Driver DI with expanded features2. It has been in production since January 2001, and the publication notes that bass players of all levels have relied on the 100% analog SansAmp RBI in that time2.
What it does and where it fits
Tech 21 lists the RBI's applications as: as a pre-amp with an amp, as a pre-amp to drive a power amp, direct to the mixer of a PA, and recording direct to your computer1. In practice that means one box can serve as the front end of a rig, a tone-shaping stage before a power amp, or the entire signal path when the venue or the recording setup has no bass amp at all. The XLR output with selectable levels is what carries the signal to a mixer or interface, and a second, buffered uneffected XLR output can run a dry signal to a separate channel, which leaves an engineer a clean track to work with alongside the processed one1.
Bass Musician Magazine describes the sound this way: "the SansAmp RBI delivers a truckload of the most desirable, big tube amp sounds, and does so even at low volume"2.
The controls and jacks
The RBI keeps the SansAmp control layout familiar from the Bass Driver DI line, with the rack format adding the rear-panel connections21.
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Drive | Adjusts the overall amount of gain and overdrive1 |
| Presence | For upper harmonic content and attack2 |
| Blend | For the ratio of direct instrument signal and SansAmp circuitry2 |
The Blend control is the heart of the SansAmp approach: it sets how much of the processed SansAmp signal is mixed with the untouched instrument signal, so the amount of preamp coloration is continuously variable rather than an on-or-off effect2.
On the rear panel you get the 1/4" input, the XLR output with selectable levels, the buffered uneffected XLR output, and a footswitch input to engage the unit1. The footswitch jack means the RBI can sit in a rack while you switch it from the floor.
Versions and history
The RBI was introduced in January 2001, and Bass Musician Magazine notes that the unit had not changed since that introduction2. In 2022, Tech 21 gave it a cosmetic update: a new faceplate revisiting the original 1989 SansAmp Classic logo along with more modern power-up hardware. All of the features and functionality remain the same, and the publication describes the update as keeping its inner workings and functionality intact12.
The 2022 update is cosmetic only. A newer-faceplate unit and an earlier one carry the same circuitry and features, so the two versions are interchangeable in a rig12.
The RBI and the Geddy Lee connection
Geddy Lee of Rush was among the A-list artists using the SansAmp RBI, until the development of his own Signature SansAmp rack, the GED-21122. Tech 21 says Geddy initially partnered with the company to design that Signature SansAmp, and the collaboration has since grown into a Geddy Lee Signature SansAmp line. Tech 21 describes the line this way: "Each Geddy Lee Signature SansAmp offers Geddy's core sound and the versatility for many different styles."3 The rack-era collaboration continues in pedal form with the Tech 21 Geddy Lee DI-2112 Signature SansAmp, which measures 6.375"l x 4.0"w x 1.75"h in a rugged, all-metal housing and jacks3.
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Questions
Is the SansAmp RBI analog?
Yes. Bass Musician Magazine describes the SansAmp RBI as 100% analog, and notes that bass players of all levels have relied on it on that basis. The 2022 cosmetic update changed only the faceplate and power-up hardware, keeping the inner workings and functionality intact.
What is the difference between the RBI and the Bass Driver DI pedal?
Tech 21 describes the RBI as a pumped-up, expanded version of the SansAmp Bass Driver DI pedal. Bass Musician Magazine calls it a rackmount version of the Bass Driver DI with expanded features. The pedal format is compact and pedalboard friendly, while the RBI sits in a 19-inch rack and adds outputs and features the pedal does not have.
Can the SansAmp RBI go straight to a mixer or computer?
Yes. Tech 21 lists its applications as use as a pre-amp with an amp, as a pre-amp to drive a power amp, direct to the mixer of a PA, and recording direct to your computer. Its XLR output with selectable levels is what makes the direct-to-mixer and direct-to-computer uses possible.
Does the RBI have a footswitch input?
Yes. The rear panel carries a footswitch input to engage the unit, so you can bring the SansAmp circuitry in and out of the signal from a switch on the floor rather than reaching behind the rack.
How big is the SansAmp RBI rack unit?
Tech 21 gives the dimensions as 19 inches wide, 1.5 inches high and 5.25 inches deep, or 6.25 inches deep overall, and the weight as 5 lbs. That is a single rackspace unit in a standard 19-inch rack.
Did Geddy Lee use the SansAmp RBI?
Yes. Bass Musician Magazine reports that Geddy Lee was among the A-list artists using the SansAmp RBI, until the development of his own Signature SansAmp rack, the GED-2112. Tech 21 has since built a Geddy Lee Signature SansAmp line around that collaboration.
Sources (3)
- RBI - Tech 21 NYC, Tech 21 NYC, 2024-03-13
- Gear News: Tech 21 Announces SansAmp RBI Makeover, Bass Musician Magazine, 2022-10-04
- Geddy Lee DI-2112, Tech 21 NYC, 2023-07-12
Geddy Lee
