tech21 SansAmp RBI User manual

Owner's Manual
WARNINGS
•Attempting to repair this unit is not recommended and may void its warranty.
•Missing or altered serial numbers automatically void the warranty. For your own
protection, be sure the serial number labels on the unit and exterior box are intact.
ONE-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY
Manufacturer warrants unit to be free from defects in materials and workmanship for
a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase to the original purchaser and is
not transferable. This warranty does not include damage resulting from accident,
misuse, abuse, alteration, or incorrect current or voltage. If unit becomes defective
within warranty period, Tech 21 will elect to repair or replace it free of charge.
After warranty period expires, manufacturer will repair defective unit for a fee.
PROOF OF PURCHASE IS REQUIRED FOR ANY REPAIR
For residents of the U.S. and Canada, please call Tech 21 for shipping instructions
and a Return Authorization Number. Tech 21 will not accept packages without prior
authorization, pre-paid freight (UPS preferred), and proper insurance.
FOR PERSONAL ASSISTANCE & INQUIRIES
Contact Tech 21 weekdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time.
DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED IN THE U.S.A.
Fill in the following information for future reference:
Serial Number______________________________________
Dealer’s Name _____________________________________
Dealer’s Address ___________________________________
Date of Purchase ___________________________________
TM
T: 973-777-6996
E: info@tech 21nyc.com
W: www.tech21nyc.com
© 2001 Tech 21 USA, Inc.
(Rev 6.11)

Tech 21, the Company
T ch 21 was form d by a guitarist poss ssing th unusual combination of a train d ar
and l ctronics xp rtis . In 1989, B. Andr w Barta incorporat d T ch 21 and mad his
uniqu inv ntion comm rcially availabl to play rs and studios around th world. His
highly-acclaim d SansAmp™ pion r d Tub Amplifi r Emulation in prof ssional
applications for r cording dir ct and p rforming liv , and cr at d an ntir ly n w cat -
gory of signal proc ssing. Whil th r hav sinc b n many ntri s into this nich ,
SansAmp continu s to maintain its r putation as th industry standard.
With a full lin of SansAmp mod ls, T ch 21 also off rs ff ct p dals and MIDI prod-
ucts, as w ll as “traditional” styl amplifi rs for guitar and bass. Each product is
thoughtfully and r sp ctfully d sign d by Andr w hims lf with th play r in mind.
Our goal is to provid you with fl xibl , v rsatil tools to cultivat , control, r fin and
r d fin your own individual sound. T ch 21 tak s gr at prid in d liv ring consist nt
prof ssional quality sound, studio to studio, club to club, ar na to ar na.
SansAmp RBI, an Overview
Simply put, SansAmp RBI is a rackmount v rsion of our xc ptionally popular p dal,
SansAmp Bass Driv r DI. This format, too, off rs you an ntir sound sp ctrum of th
most cov t d traditional and mod rn bass amp syst ms, including m ga ov rdriv n
ton s that usually r quir a compl x mass of g ar --most of which w r n’t d sign d for
bass in th first plac .
T ch 21’s propri tary, 100% analog circuitry d liv rs styl s ranging from F nd r®
to SVT®, and from King Crimson to King’s X. Th int ractiv controls giv you acc ss
to sp cific ton shaping charact ristics to cr at your own custom sounds as w ll. For
studio and liv applications, our SansAmp Tub Amplifi r Emulation t chnology giv s
you th sound and r sponsiv n ss of a mik d-up stag rig --dir ct into th mix r of a
r cord r or P.A. syst m. You can also simultan ously plug straight into a pow r amp,
pow r d monitor, or conv ntional bass amp.
B yond th obvious diff r nc in housing, SansAmp RBI’s additional f atur s includ a
MID control; an individual L v l control for th XLR out to optimiz your amp’s output
r lativ to th P.A. syst m; an Eff cts Loop with a Mix 50/50 switch to configur th
loop in s ri s or parall l; 1/4” r ar input and XLR output with s l ctabl l v ls; buff r d
un ff ct d XLR output to run a dry signal to a s parat chann l; Footswitch input to
ngag th unit; and Footswitch output to chain and toggl b tw n anoth r SansAmp
RBI or our SansAmp RPM --a multi-instrum nt pr -amp ton shap r with sw pabl ,
s mi-param tric EQ and variabl gain.
2
1

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.
READ AND SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS.
HEED ALL WARNINGS.
This unit is powered by potentially hazardous voltage. Therefore, observe
the following safety precautions:
1. R ad and follow all instructions b for using
product.
2. Do not us product n ar wat r (such as n ar
a bathtub, washbowl, kitch n sink, swimming
pool, in a w t bas m nt, tc.).
3. Unit should b locat d so that its location or
position do s not imp d th flow of air through
th v ntilation op nings.
4. Product should b locat d away from h at
sourc s such as radiators, h at r gist rs, or
oth r products, including amplifi rs, that produc
h at.
5. Product should b conn ct d to a pow r sup-
ply only of th typ d scrib d in th op rating
instructions or as mark d on th product.
6. Prot ct th pow r cord from b ing walk d on or pinch d particularly at plugs, conv -
ni nc r c ptacl s, and th point wh r th y xit from th unit.
7. Do not allow obj cts or liquids to p n trat th nclosur through op nings.
. During h avy us , chassis may g t hot to th touch. Handl with car .
9. Prot ct unit from strong impact.
10. Unplug product b for cl aning. N v r spray liquid cl an rs into th amp: wip
with a cl an, lint-fr cloth to r mov dirt and film.
11. Only us attachm nts/acc ssori s sp cifi d by th manufactur r.
12. This product should b us d only with a cart or stand that is r com-
m nd d by th manufactur r. Wh n a cart is us d, us caution wh n mov-
ing th cart/product combination to avoid injury from tipping ov r.
13. Amplifi rs may b capabl of producing high volum l v ls that could
caus p rman nt h aring loss or damag , if th xposur to such l v ls is prolong d.
Such damag is progr ssiv and irr v rsibl ! If you xp ri nc any h aring loss or ring-
ing in th ars, consult an audiologist.
3
14. Unplug unit during lightning storms or wh n unus d for long p riods of
tim .
15. This unit must b arth ground d. To r duc th risk of l ctric shock, NEVER r mov
or oth rwis att mpt to d f at th ground pin of th pow r cord. If th provid d plug
do s not fit into your outl t, consult an l ctrician for r plac m nt of th obsol t outl t.
WARNING: To avoid th risk of fir , l ctric shock or injury, do not xpos this unit to
rain or moistur . Do not r mov th chassis from its cabin t, or r mov m tal cov ring
from chassis parts. R moving th chassis from its cabin t xpos s xtr m ly dang r-
ous high voltag s. Th r ar no us r-s rvic abl parts insid . Hazardous voltag s ar
pr s nt insid th chassis. R f r all s rvicing to qualifi d p rsonn l.
CAUTION: N v r modify th pow r cord. If original pow r cord b com s damag d,
fray d, or has xpos d wir s, r plac imm diat ly with sam rating and gaug , or high-
r. R plac m nts ar comm rcially availabl or you can contact T ch 21 dir ctly.
WARNING: Att mpting to r pair this unit is not r comm nd d and may void its
warranty. NOTE: In th U.S. and Canada, s rvicing is p rform d at factory only. In
oth r countri s, pl as r f r r pairs to th local T ch 21 authoriz d distributor.
FUSE
Fus hold r is locat d insid A/C cord r c ptacl . You must remove
power cord to change fuse. R plac with similar typ & sam valu .
Units with 100-120V: us 1A. Units with 220-240V: us 0.5A.
QUICK START INSTRUCTIONS
G t your SansAmp RBI up and running b for r ading th ntir manual. But by not
r ading th manual, you’ll miss out on g tting th most out of your n w inv stm nt!
1. Plug your instrum nt into th front pan l Input jack (on th l ft sid ).
2. Conn ct ith r th 1/4” or XLR SansAmp Output with th input of your mix r, pow r
amp, pow r d monitor or amp.
3. Attach th AC cord to th unit and plug into a wall sock t. S t th L v l and XLR
controls to minimum, th n turn th SansAmp RBI on and ngag th Activ Switch.
4. Turn on th mix r or amp and bring up th L v l or XLR controls of th SansAmp
RBI. If th signal is too “hot,” r sulting in unwant d distortion, or too w ak, ch ck th
mix r’s or amp’s input control as w ll as th L v l control of th SansAmp RBI.
5. Play your guitar and you should h ar sound coming through your syst m. If not, ch ck
that your guitar’s volum control is turn d up, r ch ck your conn ctions, and b sur your
cabl isn’t faulty. If th r is still no sound, r f r to factory or qualifi d t chnician.
4
This symbol, wh r v r it app ars, al rts th us r to th pr s nc of uninsulat d dang rous
voltag within th product’s nclosur that may b of suffici nt magnitud to constitut a
risk of l ctric shock to p rsons.
This symbol, wh r v r it app ars, al rts th us r to important op rating and maint nanc
instructions in th accompanying lit ratur . R ad th manual.
RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO
NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
REFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
RISQUE D'ELECTROCUTION
NE PAS OUVRIR
ATTENTION
ATTENTION: POUR REDUIRE LES RISQUES D'ELECTROCUTION
NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE. AUCUNE PIECE INTERNE
N'EST REPARABLE PAR L'UTILISATEUR. POUR TOUTE
REPARATION, S'ADRESSER A UN TECHNICIEN QUALIFIE.
ELEKTRISCHE SCHLAGGEFAHR
NICHT OFFNEN
VORSICHT
VORSICHT: ZUR MINIMIERUNG ELEKTRISCHER SCHLAGGE-
FAHR NICHT DEN DECKEL ABNEHMEN. INTERNE TEILE KONNEN
NICHT VOM BENUTZER GEWARTET WERDEN. DIE WARTUNG
IST QUALIFIZIERTEM WARTUNGSPERSONAL ZU UBERLASSEN.
ZUR MINIMIERUNG ELEKTRISCHER SCHLAGGE-
F

FRONT PANEL
SansAmp RBI is d sign d with active controls, which cut and boost, rath r than
traditional passiv controls which only cut. This ff ctiv ly doubl s many of th
control’s capabiliti s, giving you a much larg r rang of adjustability and, ultimat ly,
mor vari ty. It should b not d that you n d not n c ssarily s t v rything at max to
achi v maximum r sults. As you xp rim nt and b com familiar with th int rr lation-
ship of th controls, you’ll asily b abl to customiz your own sounds.
Input Jack
Faithful to th original d signs of traditional tub amplifi rs, this 1/4" Input is high imp d-
anc 1MOhm. It is factory s t at -20dB instrum nt l v l. Not : A s cond input jack (Input
2) is locat d on th r ar pan l. Plugging into th front pan l Input jack ov rrid s and dis-
conn cts th r ar pan l jack. This allows you to s t up your SansAmp RBI as a p rman nt
part of a rack or patch-bay syst m, with its usual input sourc plugg d into th r ar pan l
jack. Th n, if you want to plug straight into th SansAmp RBI, bypassing oth r g ar in th
syst m, you can us th SansAmp RBI’s front Input.
Drive
Adjusts th ov rall amount of gain and ov rdriv , similar to wh n th output s ction of a
tub amp is b ing push d.
Presence
Brings out th upp r harmonic cont nt and attack. For a smooth r high nd and for
cl an s ttings, d cr as to tast .
Blend
Allows you to bl nd th dir ct instrum nt signal with SansAmp Tub Amplifi r
Emulation circuitry. In most cas s, you will probably hav this s t at maximum (100%
SansAmp). For c rtain applications, how v r, such as an ultra-transpar nt sound or for
us with pi zo pickup- quipp d instrum nts, you may want to bl nd-in th dir ct signal
to achi v your d sir d sound. Whil th SansAmp Tub Amplifi r Emulation circuitry is
bypass d wh n
Bl nd is at minimum, th Bass, Mid, Tr bl , L v l and XLR controls
r main activ .
Bass, Mid and Treble
Th s activ ton controls cut or boost ±12dB from unity gain at 12 o’clock. Bass is 80
Hz. Mid is 1kHz. Tr bl is 3.2kHz.
5
XLR
Adjusts th volum l v l of th SansAmp XLR Output to optimiz your amp’s output r l-
ativ to th P.A. syst m.
Level
Adjusts th SansAmp 1/4” Output l v l.
REAR PANEL
Input 2 Jack
Plugging into Input 2 l ts you match th SansAmp RBI’s input circuitry to th signal
l v l b ing f d into it, th r by assuring th b st signal-to-nois ratio and l ast distor-
tion. This input is id al for rack and patch-bay applications, sp cially if you us oth r
signal proc ssors or multi-track r cord rs b for th SansAmp RBI. Not : Wh n v r
you plug into th front pan l’s Input, th r ar pan l Input 2 is disconn ct d. Also, you
can s t th Input l v l s l ctor switch to its 0dB position wh n you plug in xtra-hot
signals, such as th output from activ bass guitars.
Level Selector Switch
This switch l ts you conn ct th SansAmp RBI to a wid vari ty of quipm nt with a
vari ty of signal l v ls. It has two positions:
0dB position. Optimiz s th r ar pan l Input 2 to r c iv an instrum nt l v l sig-
nal. In this position, Input 2’s s nsitivity is xactly th sam as th front pan l’s Input.
-20dB position. S t th switch in this position wh n s nding a lin -l v l signal
into th SansAmp RBI. Wh n th switch is in this position, th signal coming into th
unit is padd d down by 20dB.
EFFECTS LOOP
Send and Return
Th Eff cts Loop allows you to conn ct xt rnal ff cts with th SansAmp RBI.
Conn ct th input of your proc ssor to S nd; output of your proc ssor to R turn. Not :
Wh n nothing is plugg d into th Eff cts Loop, th signal pass s through from th
SansAmp RBI to th Output jacks, with both th SansAmp 1/4” and XLR Outputs
r c iving th sam signal.
6
To
FOOTSWITCH
IN of 2nd RBI
or an RPM
DRY SIGNAL
to MIXER or
RECORDER
To OUTPUT
of PROCESSOR
To FOOTSWITCH
DRY FEED to 2nd
AMP, PREAMP or PROC./
TUNER OUTPUT
LINE or INST
LEVEL IN
To MIXER of
PA or
RECORDER
To AMP,
POWER AMP, MIXER,
RECORDER or
SOUNDCARD
To INPUT of
PROCESSOR
L

Mix 50/50 Switch
Th 1/4" S nd rout s 100% of th SansAmp RBI’s signal through your ff cts proc ssor
wh n th 50/50 switch is dis ngag d. If you ngag th 50/50 switch, th n 50% of th
SansAmp RBI signal go s through your ff cts proc ssor, and th oth r 50% pass s
dir ctly to th SansAmp 1/4" and XLR Outputs.
To pr s rv th signal int grity of th SansAmp RBI, us th Eff cts Loop with th Mix
50/50 switch ngag d. Wh n th SansAmp RBI is in this mod , th ff cts proc ssor’s
mix control should b s t at 100% w t. Your r lativ w t/dry mixtur can th n b con-
troll d by incr asing or d cr asing th ff cts proc ssor’s output l v l.
UNIVERSAL OUTPUT SECTION
Th output s ctions of th SansAmp RBI ar d sign d to b compatibl with any appli-
cation. Th outputs can b us d for full rang (multi-track r cord rs, studio monitors,
P.A. syst ms) or limit d rang syst ms, as w ll as
simultan ously . Not : You can com-
p nsat for diff r nt fr qu ncy r spons s of sp ak r nclosur s by using th Tr bl
control.
1/4” SansAmp Output
Carri s th signal from th SansAmp RBI, including any ff cts that ar plac d in th
Eff cts Loop.
1/4” Uneffected Output
Buff r d output without proc ssing. S nds a dir ct bass signal to anoth r chann l on
your amp, pr -amp, or ff cts chain, or it can b utiliz d as a tun r output.
SansAmp XLR Direct Output
Carri s th signal from th SansAmp RBI, including any ff cts plac d in th Eff cts
Loop. For r cording, th SansAmp XLR Output is lik having a built-in dir ct box.
D sign d without a transform r, it provid s a balanc d, low-imp danc output of
xtr m ly high quality for r cording or int rfacing with prof ssional-quality signal
proc ssors. Go dir ct to th board and g t th sam sound you h ar coming out of th
sp ak rs right onto tap or disc. Th SansAmp circuitry not only captur s th warm,
rich, natural harmonics and sw t ov rdriv charact ristics inh r nt to tub amplifi rs,
its sp ak r mulation ncompass s all asp cts of multiply-mik d tub amp rigs.
For liv gigs, you can us this output dir ct into th P.A. syst m and you won’t n d a
microphon in front of your amp. And you won’t hav to subj ct th audi nc to a
st ril , muddy, or boomy bass ton .
NOTE: If you xp ri nc hum
from th output wh n th r ’s no
instrum nt plugg d in, you most
lik ly hav a ground loop.
Th r for , Pin 1 (signal ground
of th SansAmp XLR) n ds to
b lift d or disconn ct d. You
can asily mak a small ground
disconn ct adapt r by disas-
s mbling on nd of th cabl
and cutting Pin 1 (th shi ld
conn ction) as shown to th
right.
XLR Output Level Switch
S ts th rang of th signal l v l of th SansAmp XLR Output jack. In th 0dB position
( ngag d), th Output is in th lin l v l rang . Wh n in th -20dB position (dis ngag d),
th Output is in th instrum nt l v l rang . Not : Th standard output l v l rang of th
SansAmp RBI is 0dB du to th popularity of digital r cord rs, which ar unforgiving to
xc ssiv input l v ls. This pr v nts ov rloading th input of a digital r cord r.
Uneffected XLR Output
Provid s a buff r d balanc d output of th dir ct bass signal without proc ssing.
Footswitch
Any alt rnating (on/off) footswitch will activat th unit. Conn ct th footswitch output
to Footswitch In. To toggl b tw n this unit and anoth r SansAmp RBI (or SansAmp
RPM), do th sam as abov and conn ct th SansAmp RBI Footswitch Out to th
Footswitch In of th s cond SansAmp RBI (or SansAmp RPM). Now you can switch
b tw n 2 sounds. For th audio signal path, conn ct your bass into th Input of th
first SansAmp RBI. Conn ct th 1/4” SansAmp Out to th Input of th s cond unit. Th
1/4” Output of th s cond SansAmp RBI is th n your main audio out. (R f r to th
Hook-up Diagrams on Pag 13.)
7
SHIELD
-NEG
3
1
2
+POS
+POS
-NEG
23
SHIELD 1
1
2
3
GROUND (SHIELD)
+ SIGNAL (BAL)
- SIGNAL (BAL)

SansAmp RBI Sample Settings
®Registered trademarks of their respective companies. Names of sample settings are
intended for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as an endorsement
or affiliation with the companies, products, or artists named. Sample settings are an approximate guide to get you started.
Levels should be adjusted to individual taste and environment.
FAT TUBE
BASSMAN®
SVT®
KING'S X
SOLO
SLAP
REGGAE
CRIMSON
LOW BIAMP
Sample "Biamp" Settings
HIGH BIAMP

SansAmp RBI Custom Settings
(keep a record of your personal favorites)
Name/Description ______________________________________
Name/Description ______________________________________
Name/Description ______________________________________
Name/Description ______________________________________
Name/Description ______________________________________
Name/Description ______________________________________
Name/Description ______________________________________
Name/Description ______________________________________
Name/Description ______________________________________
Name/Description ______________________________________

CHAINING 2 SansAmp RBIs or to an RPM
WITH A BASS AMP
"BIAMP" with SansAmp RBI and SansAmp RPM LINE or INST
LEVEL IN
LINE or INST
LEVEL IN*
To AMP #2
To AMP #1 To SansAmp RPM
SansAmp RBI (set to distorted Highs)
SansAmp RPM (set to clean Lows)
To MIXER
CHANNEL A
To MIXER
CHANNEL B
HOOK-UP DIAGRAMS
*NOTE: Engage 0dB pad when biamping.
*NOTE: Set both units at same level,
according to the instrument's output.
"Biamp" with channel switching can be accomplished with four units.
For hook-up details, contact Tech 21.
To FOOTSWITCH IN
of SansAmp RBI #2
or SansAmp RPM
To FOOTSWITCH
LINE or INST
LEVEL IN*
LINE or INST
LEVEL IN*
Main Audio Out
To SansAmp RBI #2/SansAmp RPM
SansAmp RBI #1
SansAmp RBI #2/SansAmp RPM
BASS/
INSTRUMENT*
INPUT A INPUT B
INPUT
BASS AMP
A/B BOX
OUT
SPEAKER OUT
to CABINETS
FX LOOP RETURN/
POWER AMP IN
FX SEND/
PREAMP OUT
*or use Front Panel Input
13 14
SansAmp RBI Specifications
Note: With on-going product d v lopm nt and improv m nts, sp cifications and/or
th cosm tic app aranc of this unit may chang without prior notic . Replacement
parts ar availabl , i. ., knobs, rack handl s, fac plat , tc. For mor information,
pl as contact your authoriz d d al r or T ch 21.
Mod l Numb r: RBI
Input Imp danc -Input 1: 1MΩ
Input Imp danc -Input 2: 1MΩ
Output Imp danc -1/4”: 1K Ohm min
Output Imp danc -XLR: 600 Ohm min
Input L v l-Input 1: 1V RMS max
Input L v l-Input 2: 1V RMS or 10V max, with -20dB pad ngag d
Output L v l-XLR: Switchabl to -20dB or 0dB rang
Maximum Output L v l: +10dB or b tt r
Eff cts Loop S nd: 1K Ohm min, -20dB
Eff cts Loop R turn: 100K Ohm min, -20dB
Low Fr qu ncy R spons : 10Hz or b tt r*
High Fr qu ncy R spons : Harmonic cont nt, 20kHz or b tt r*
Maximum Pow r Consumption: 5 Watts
AC Input Pow r (factory s t): 100V, 117V, 230V, 240V
Cycl s: 50/60 Hz
NOTE: Each unit is construct d for sp cific
voltag s. AC pow r cannot b switch d.
Enclosur : Aluminum and st l, fully shi ld d
Dim nsions: 19.0”w x 1.75”h x 5.25”d / Ov rall d pth: 6.25”
W ight: 5 lbs.
NOTES: ___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
*Du to th vari ty of amplifi r mulations availabl , fr qu ncy r spons
charact ristics will vary.