How One Pedal Could’ve Saved My Back on Tour – SansAmp Fly Rig Review
Hey guys, James here from eBassGuitar. Let me tell you a quick story...
Earlier this year, I was out on the road in Canada playing with the Celine Experience tribute show. It was three weeks of travel, tight schedules, and — let’s just say — way too much gear. I had two massive suitcases, my bass in a hard SKB case, a heavy rucksack full of tech, and a pedalboard in a separate case. It was one case too many for the number of hands I had, and dragging it all around nearly killed me.
Enter the Tech 21 SansAmp Fly Rig.
This tiny box could’ve changed everything.
A Powerful, All-in-One Pedal
When I got back to the UK, I discovered the SansAmp Fly Rig — and it instantly clicked. I’ve been gigging with it ever since. In short: it’s a fully analogue, no-screens, no-menu-diving, plug-and-play preamp pedal that’s made with the gigging bass player in mind.
It combines everything you need:
- Compression
- EQ
- Amp modelling
- Overdrive
- Chorus
- Filter effects
- A clean and dirty channel
And the whole thing fits inside my Mono Tick accessory case — goodbye, separate pedalboard!
Why It’s a Game-Changer for In-Ear Monitor Gigs
These days, most of my shows are done on in-ears. That means every detail of your tone is right there in your ears — great when it’s dialed in, but unforgiving if it’s not.
What I love about using a preamp like the Fly Rig is the on-the-fly control it gives you. With basic volume and EQ tweaks right at my feet, I can make adjustments without relying on a sound engineer or dealing with clunky stage gear.
A Quick Walkthrough
Here's what you get across the unit, from right to left:
- Input jack
- Send/return for integrating other effects
- Output jack and an XLR DI out
- Compressor section with simple level and compression controls
- Two independent channels (great for clean/dirty setups)
- SansAmp section with 3-band EQ, character, and bite control
- OctaFilter section for synthy tones (includes filter, fuzz, and octave)
Every section lights up when engaged — super intuitive and stage-friendly.
Sound Demos: Clean, Dirty & Synth Madness
I’ve tested the Fly Rig both on stage and in the studio. My clean tone runs through Channel 1 with a touch of compression and EQ, giving me a solid, punchy base.
Channel 2 is where I bring in the dirt — a gritty, SVT-style drive with character and bite. Perfect for moments where you need that aggressive edge.
Then there's the OctaFilter section, which lets you emulate Moog-style synth tones. It takes a bit of tweaking and learning (the manual helps), but the results are killer. That said, the octave tracking isn’t as tight as something like the Boss OC-2 — a small trade-off for the flexibility you get.
How I Use It Live
Here’s my full live rig now:
Fly Rig + wireless system + Bluetooth page turner. That’s it.
Whether it’s a soft ballad like Because You Loved Me or something more energetic like I Drove All Night, the Fly Rig handles everything I throw at it — including synth patches and fretless emulation with the chorus effect.
Final Thoughts
Would this have saved me on that Canadian tour? 100%.
Even now, back home in the UK doing one-nighters, it’s become a core part of my setup. It’s compact, powerful, and reliable — especially with in-ear monitor gigs.
If Tech 21 ever makes a Version 3, I’d love to see the ability to assign the Character and Bite knobs to just one channel for more tonal flexibility (especially for slap tones). But as it stands, I’m genuinely impressed.
Try It Yourself
If you’re looking for an all-in-one preamp that travels well and sounds great, I highly recommend checking out the SansAmp Fly Rig.
💬 Tried it already? Drop a comment in the video and let me know how you’re using it!
Cheers,
James
eBassGuitar.com