Gearank

Gearank Recommendation

It first appeared on our recommended list for Acoustic Preamp Pedals from May 2016 to December 2018. It reappeared on the list in March 2020 where it remained until April 2022 when there were more highly rated options for us to recommend.

Overview

This multi-purpose preamp/DI Box from Tech 21's popular SansAmp line is dedicated to acoustic instruments.

Like the their popular bass preamp box, the SansAmp Para Driver comes with a preamp complete with tone shaping elements, the main difference being this one is voiced to complement the sound of acoustic instruments.

This preamp is used primarily for adding tube like warmth to the usually thin sound of piezo-pickups, and it does so without the hassle of miking your guitar, and without the having to actually use a conventional acoustic amp. It achieves this by adding a tube amp like character to the sound, without overly coloring your tone.

Since it warms up the sound considerably, the SansAmp Para Driver may not be your choice if your tone is already good enough to your ears, and you are simply looking for a transparent preamp or DI Box solution.

With its tube-like tone and built-in "drive", there are reports of it working well even when used with electric and bass guitars, although we recommend the Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver DI V3 instead for bass.

The Tech 21 SansAmp Para Driver is a good acoustic preamp for those who want to improve their tone, particularly with piezo-pickups.

Features

• Active tone controls with 12dB of cut or boost
• Sweepable semi-parametric EQ
• 1/4-inch 4.7 megOhm instrument level input
• 1/4-inch and XLR outputs with selectable levels
• Input Impedance 4.7 M Ohm
• Parallel, uneffected output to run a dry signal to a separate channel
• Weight: 0.875 lbs