VT Bass as preamp

micahbell · #1 08-23-2010, 06:09 PM

Does anybody use the VT bass as a preamp, just going straight into power amp?

If so, how much volume do you get from the VT Bass? I don't have a very powerful power amp. I currently use a Sansamp RBI and have to have the volume up quite a bit on it, but it's broken and I from clips I've heard and seen I think I would rather just buy a VT Bass Deluxe then fix the RBI, but my issue is that I'd have to buy it online without testing first.

Thoughts?

bongomania · #2 08-23-2010, 06:13 PM

I have driven a power amp with the VT, no problem. It won't make a non-powerful power amp "more powerful", but it will drive most amps quite strongly.

JimmyM · #3 08-23-2010, 06:23 PM

me too. it rocks pretty well but it won't make a 300w power amp into a 1000w equivalent.

micahbell · #4 08-23-2010, 06:32 PM

Will it have roughly the same amount of push as an RBI? Or much less?

JimmyM · #5 08-23-2010, 06:38 PM

the same at the very least.

anarkink · #6 08-23-2010, 06:42 PM

Jimmy - ur sig quote - best i've seen on TB methinks.

JimmyM · #7 08-23-2010, 06:50 PM

ya, perkidan had this moment of greatness then practically disappeared

micahbell · #8 08-23-2010, 07:01 PM

Great, I think that pretty much decides it. Unless there is something else I should check out first in the same price range?

My RBI **** out on my at the last show and I have another show coming up on the weekend, so my funds and time are limited and I like everything I've seen of the VT Bass

RockDoc · #9 08-23-2010, 07:15 PM

Out of curiosity, what exactly happened to the RBI? It seems like a pretty robust unit....

micahbell · #10 08-23-2010, 07:21 PM

Both input jacks are messed up. First one just went for some reason, and the back one went a few days ago at a show when the drummer stepped on the cables coming out of the back. The cable bent pretty much to 90 degrees and when I switched cables it was all messed up.
This would be an easy and cheap enough fix, but if I'm already paying somebody to fix that I might as well get them to look at the power issue as well. It had been through a few owners before it got to me (well, it's not even mine), and came with this problem. It just doesn't like some power sources.
Sometimes when I plug it in at a bar I get a massive hum coming through the speakers. Lots of the time if I turn the preamp on and back off it will stop, but it starts up randomly again.
I have no idea if this is a cheap or expensive fix, but it belongs to my drummer who doesn't really care if it gets fixed or not, and I'm not madly in love with the sound so I figured I would just get something else.

Son of Bovril · #11 08-24-2010, 01:38 AM

I run a poweramp directly from the VT Bass, it works perfectly. To get decent volume you will have to turn up the gain a bit as well as the master volume, but besides that, no prob, sounds great to me, smallest preamp to lug around as well :-)