VT Bass Deluxe reviews

JimmyM · #1 07-28-2010, 09:10 PM

Post your reviews here. Here's mine:

The VT Bass Deluxe is the same thing as the VT Bass pedal, only programmable. But programmability makes it the new pedal of the future.

Got it late last night, slapped velcro on it, and flew to stamford, ct for its first gig, an outdoor street fest with bowzer. the amp was a gk 800rb into an slm cab from i think 2006. sounded better than most later slm cabs. couldn't tell if it was real wood or not, though. not sure where they get the idea "svt" means "gk" when they read the rider, though. uncle kracker's playing here tomorrow and i'll bet he gets an svt head.

i could get similar clean tones with the gk, but the eq points and the extra tiny little bit of dirt on the clean tone made things more ampeggy for me. had 3 different tones, clean, sort of dirty, and noticeable overdrive. it was very easy to program and save, and since i'm used to the vt, i had it dialed in no time.

our guitarist didn't show up due to illness, so there were a couple parts of the show i had to play guitar parts on the bass with the micro pog an octave up. sounded pretty good, too, if just a tad electronic. but what do you want? it's a micro pog.

i especially liked the extra versatility. the di is great, even when bypassed, and the two inputs will make switching between electric and upright much easier for me. most of all, i like the second output not going through the vt's eq so you can do things like blend an unaffected signal with the vt in a 2 channel amp or set it up with a mutable tuner out by programming a preset with the volume down all the way. you lose one of your presets but i'll only use 4 in my regular usage.

so while the vt is all that, the vt deluxe adds the bag of chips. i don't think i'll ever play a gig without it again, unless it breaks or something else better comes along.

chuck3 · #2 07-28-2010, 10:21 PM

thanks for the review. I own a Radial Bassbone, although I don't use it all the time, and it sounds like certain features of the VT Bass Deluxe are similar, esp. the two channels and what they do and don't do. However, the Bassbone obviously has nothing comparable to the VT's specific tonal options. Not sure the VT Deluxe is for me, as I rarely use an overdriven sound, but it sounds very cool.

fatsobasso · #3 07-28-2010, 10:48 PM

Only had about 20 minutes with it so far, at first i was wondering why it makes a staic type sound when i adjusted the knobs while playing a note, but i think it might have to do with me moving the knobs to far to quick at first? i guess adjust in small increments. After about 5 minutes i was dialing in a sound i love (mesa boogie bass 400 tone) the pedal has very powerful output, wich is nice, small movements change the tone, so it offers a lot of different sounds, and a lot of room for experimentation. More to come

Bassmunnky · #4 07-29-2010, 08:26 AM

Jimmy,

Do you think I can connect the line level signal of the VT to the power amplifier (i.e. external preamp jack). This jack‚ when used‚ disconnects the internal preamp, which is what I want to try.

Ba55Man1ac · #5 07-29-2010, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fatsobasso

Only had about 20 minutes with it so far, at first i was wondering why it makes a staic type sound when i adjusted the knobs while playing a note

I'd say this is because the pot's are now going through a microprocessor which translates the pot position into a digital value so it can store it. I think I read somewhere that each pot is divided up into 256 steps.

faivy · #6 07-29-2010, 09:39 AM

I love the VT pedal because I don't have to worry if I don't have my own amp available. I can always dial in a sound I like. I recently sold my bassbone in anticipation of buying one of these so that I can get all I need in terms of pre-amp and controlling 2 different basses in 1 pedal

kesslari · #7 07-29-2010, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassmunnky

Jimmy,

Do you think I can connect the line level signal of the VT to the power amplifier (i.e. external preamp jack). This jack‚ when used‚ disconnects the internal preamp, which is what I want to try.

Yep. You can definitely do this - in fact, it's recommended.

bluesrx · #8 07-29-2010, 09:46 AM

Will this pedal push a power amp (QSC PLX 1602) ?

JimmyM · #9 07-29-2010, 11:22 AM

yes it will push a power amp. me, i like it as a front end just as well, though if i get another non-svt this weekend i'll definitely try to defeat the pre just to see how well it works. usually i just plug stuff in and be done with it, though.

Jehos · #10 07-29-2010, 11:35 AM

One of the most surprising things to me was that you can get a really warm mid-rangy tone out of these. If you start with the "warm compression" settings from the instructions and tweak from there, you get a very un-SVT sound that I really dig.

Distortion on it is a little weird. You can get very thick distortions, but you can't really get anything like a Big Muff with all that high-end sizzle, as far as I can tell. I'm not much of a distortion guy, so my descriptions are probably a little weird. You just have to try it for yourself.

The most surprising thing for me (having never owned the original VT Bass) is how sensitive the knobs are. Seriously, little adjustments make a lot of difference. The level and drive knobs interact in interesting ways too.

JimmyM · #11 07-29-2010, 12:28 PM

well it's not really made to get a big muff fuzzy sizzle. it imitates ampeg amps through an 810, and it will get very bright like an svt with the ultra-hi switch on, but anything more than a medium overdrive and it's just not made to do it.

bassplyr5150 · #12 07-29-2010, 03:31 PM

subbed ( I WANT ONE OF THESE!!!)

Jehos · #13 07-29-2010, 04:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

well it's not really made to get a big muff fuzzy sizzle. it imitates ampeg amps through an 810, and it will get very bright like an svt with the ultra-hi switch on, but anything more than a medium overdrive and it's just not made to do it.

Oh I know. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, I've just seen people asking how it does for distortion, and it ain't a Muff is all I'm saying. It's got the wooly fuzz thing down though.

bass4u · #14 07-31-2010, 01:43 PM

I got my VT Deluxe today.What an awesome piece of equipment!
It 's what I've needed for a while to be able to change bass tones without a bunch of separate pedals and tweaking my amps knobs. One problem though. I'm using a Markbass CMP121p and as per the instruction manual, I plugged into the effects return on the amp but all the tone controls still function on the amp. I was hoping to bypass the Markbass preamp section of the head unit and let the VTD control any tone shaping. Looks like that won't happen

phatbass30 · #15 07-31-2010, 03:00 PM

i had my VT bass for almost 2 years now. its the meat and potato of my tone.

one day i just gave up using my board cos its been difficult for me to carry it while moving from places to places. sold them all except my VT and my ST-200 tuner and my PT Mini. i never go on a gig without the VT, and i get all the compliments with the tone i get from it.

when the thread came out about the VT Deluxe, i was quiet but i was one of those of you who's been waiting. few months ago i bought back my MXR BOD from the shop i sold it to, hehehe. then i have the MXR bass filter, plus the VTD, that's all i need. all these years of spending and experimenting, i realized that these are the pedals i use the most.

the VTD came yesterday and i used it right away since i already know how to tweak the sounds that i like. its worth the wait for me, it sounds great and it has 6 tones in one box. you name it, finger style, slap, boost, overdrive, distortion. this box has them all! i'm lovin' it! oh yeah!

pics of my new PT mini board will be up soon.

JimmyM · #16 07-31-2010, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bass4u

I got my VT Deluxe today.What an awesome piece of equipment!
It 's what I've needed for a while to be able to change bass tones without a bunch of separate pedals and tweaking my amps knobs. One problem though. I'm using a Markbass CMP121p and as per the instruction manual, I plugged into the effects return on the amp but all the tone controls still function on the amp. I was hoping to bypass the Markbass preamp section of the head unit and let the VTD control any tone shaping. Looks like that won't happen

nope, the markbass isn't made to bypass the eq. however, it scopes out almost dead flat with all the controls at noon and the vle and vpf off. that's the same as bypassing it for all intents and purposes.

JimmyM · #17 07-31-2010, 10:48 PM

so did my second gig with the vt, this one using a 78 svt and a 410he (since i don't play loud, not a problem for that head, but i don't recommend doing it with your own...this was rented for me). i was able to match the tone of the svt exactly. they had a kick mic on my cab at first but i hate kick mics and they had nothing else so i pulled it and ran out of the vtd. in the pa, it sounded just like my rig. and i think i have my sounds locked in now. it was kickin' in the pa. odd building, though...one of those in the round places where they have 6 line arrays aimed outward in a circle and flown subs above us. so it got pretty intense onstage with the low end and there were times my amp was pretty much off when bowzer was on. with the other acts i was able to turn up a little, though.

i may just stop micing my cabs from now on. i really don't miss it in the pa with this thing. and with all the volume changing in the amp i seem to need to do on these gigs lately, it would probably be best and easiest. going to try a few different things when i get back. might see how it responds to running into a speaker di. or how different it is micing vs di.

juriscon · #18 07-31-2010, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

. . . set it up with a mutable tuner out by programming a preset with the volume down all the way.

VT Bass Deluxe, now with mute switch. Very Clever Jimmy.

juriscon · #19 07-31-2010, 11:38 PM

All of the following happened In the last six months:

1) My Markbass LMII (in MB bag) fell from the floor of my truck to parking lot and stopped working properly;
2) My new RH450 wouldn't power up on an outdoor stage (worked fine at home);
3) VT bass and now VT deluxe worked perfectly every time and sounded Ampegilicious going direct to PA.
4) LMII and RH450 are long gone.

Now I use the VT Deluxe on every gig, always direct to FOH, and also either through my monitor or whatever amp is provided or my QSC GX5/Ampeg 1X12 & Ampeg 1X15. Sounds great every time - no surprises. I would be gas free if I could just get a tiny 500 watt class D power amp that weighs a few pounds, costs a few hundred bucks and sounds like a tube power amp.

JimmyM · #20 07-31-2010, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by juriscon

VT Bass Deluxe, now with mute switch. Very Clever Jimmy.

btw, i discovered you have to have all the knobs down all the way or it will leak out a little sound. can't say it was all that clever because i know other folks have done it with the bd deluxe, but thanks for at least thinking i was