NAMM 2023: Ampeg has lifted the curtain on the SGT-DI – a compact “all-in-one bass box” that promises to give bass guitar players an entire rig in a single stompbox.
We’re in the midst of an age where pedal companies are striving to put amps, effects and everything in between into convenient and portable packages for greater ease, and it’s a movement being fueled by greater technological advances.
The Ampeg SGT-DI looks to be another entry into that burgeoning product category, offering a built-in overdrive circuit and variable compressor, as well as the brand’s first IR Loader and cab simulator, which opens up an impressive range of classic amp and cab tones from the convenience of the pedal’s humble chassis.
Other notable features include an analog design, a three-band EQ, Ultra-Hi and Ultra-Lo switches for fine-tune tonal tweaking and the ability to easily access classic Ampeg amp voices.
In operation, the SGT-DI features cab-selecting and amp-selecting toggle switches. While the latter changes between SVT and B15 amp emulations, the former can be used to access up to six built-in speaker cab sims – three in Cab Mode, three in User Mode – including the SVT-112AV, SVT-210AV and SVT-212AV.
As an added bonus, third party IRs – engaged using a side panel switch – can also be loaded and used, with a master cab level knob also making the cut.
Elsewhere, there are knobs for Vol/Comp, Bass, Mid/Freq and Treble, as well as one for Grit/Level that sculpts the Super Grit Technology circuit overdrive effect, which can be triggered via the right-hand footswitch.
Final controls include a Preamp bypass footswitch and three-way Ultra Lo and Ultra Hi toggles, each of which shape the low and high frequencies of the preamp signal in different ways.
In terms of connectivity, the well-spec'd stompbox features 1/4" input and outputs, a Preamp Out and a Line Out for headphones, as well as a XLR Direct Out and a USB-C for IR Loader tweaks.
Of Ampeg’s latest offering, product marketing manager Dino Monoxelos said, “We’re taking our next steps into the future by combining traditional analog and modern digital technologies in a single hybrid device.
“Our hope is that digital features such as IR loading will be embraced by even old-school Ampeg loyalists, while younger players may discover the awesome grit of a wide-open SVT and the warmth and roundness of a B15 via the analog SGT circuit – sounds that countless bassists have depended on for more than 70 years.”
The SGT-DI is available now for $559. Visit Ampeg to find out more.
It’s not the first time this year a bass effects specialist has promised to put everything a bassist could ever need into a single unit. Last month, Bergantino Audio Systems shared the Super Pre – a similarly streamlined stompbox that promised to be “the ultimate toolbox for bass players”.
