Double Bass New Vektor

Mine was delivered today. Hopefully I'll find the time to record some this weekend.

But I cannot compare it with the Dyn B.

Hey Wiro,

curious what you think of the Vector!

Hey Monte!

You can return the Vektor if you don't like it so you have nothing to lose (except shipping). I tried it thinking I would love it but I actually didn't like the way it amplified gut strings so I sent it back. I went back to using an ATM 35 mic (and playing acoustically when I can) and am happy. I keep a Bassmax PU in my case for loud emergency situations ;-)

Having used both the DYN B and Vektor I would say you can probably get a bit more volume from the Vektor.

now that is a good policy. They should do that with all pickups. It will save us a lot of money reselling the old pickup for a lot less money.

Monte,
I still offer a return policy, I just don't send out pickups for free.

Here's my first recording with the new Vector mic on the left channel and the Clevinger Natural Presence pu on the right (recorded through the AI Focus head):

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The Clevinger delivers the punch and the Vector the rich wooden tone.
As is mentioned in another thread you can vary the sound from the Vector dramatically by both it's position and by it's clamping force. The lower end is neutralized a bit by fase between the two signals. Which I like a lot, because it was sounding a bit too dark to my taste. Now it's much more balanced over the fretboard.

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Wiro, thanks for the samples.

Like the sound of the Vector. Sounds more like a mic (obviously) and more acoustically then the Clevinger.

Curious how it will handle the feedback at high volumes.

barend said:

Curious how it will handle the feedback at high volumes.

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Well, it's a condenser mic which means it cannot handle too much. I guess (haven't gigged with it yet) that it'll do perfectly in de semi-acoustic settings I play.
Compared to the AMT SP25B (which to my taste is only usable in the studio) the Vector rocks your socks off. But the tone is a bit less natural also.

hey wiro

thanks for the posts on the vektor. looks and sounds very cool. i like the idea, whatever it is.

vektor calls it a "pickup" (when you say that i think "piezo"), but then you and others are saying it is a mic. what is it? why does vektor germany say it is a pickup?

here's what their website says (all the references seem to be to a "pickup" (tonabnehmer):

Beim Vektor® Kontrabass Pickup werden die Schwingungen nicht, wie bei vielen Piezo- Tonabnehmern, am Steg abgenommen, sondern direkt von der Decke....

Der Tonabnehmer benötigt 9V Phantomspeisung, die entweder durch einen entsprechenden Verstärker oder einen Vorverstärker bereitgestellt werden kann.

also, did you use an external pre-amp at all in your clips? or can one go straight into say an AI Coda?

also, if not too inconvenient, could you post some fotos of how the vektor cable is attached? does it have some kind of quiver that you strap on to the tailpiece? i can't seem to find any fotos of that...

thanks a bunch

william

It's a pity their site isn't translated into english yet.
Here you can find the german version (pictures included):
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It's a condenser microphone and the pre-amp is in the jack feeded by a 9 V. battery.

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thanks wiro

after reviewing the Invalid Link Removed site, which btw calls it a "pickup", it seems the Vektor's a mic, i never heard of a piezo pickup that needed phantom power... but what do i know.

it really looks like the Vektor is maybe "the best of dyn-b" without all the head-scratching and wondering what to do with the "resonance" knob or what the instruction manual is trying to communicate... if there is a manual. from the TB posts on the dyn-b, it seems there is a lot of turnaround, quick sells on ebay, etc., either you love it like Monte or you can't figure out how to use it. i would have tried the dyn-b, it was very tempting, but also an expensive experiment with more than the usual risk attached.

anyway, i'll try my luck with the Vektor and just ordered one from tobytimber. i'll post some impressions later...

as for the confusion i had, you sent me to this link, which i think is where you must've gotten your Vektor:

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but there is also another "Vektor" site that sells the same "pickup" (and that's what i was quoting from) which has a dual text in German and English translation:

http://www.vektor-bass.de/

i guess tobias and sven-henrik are co-inventors, both entitled to sell their invention, but it's a bit confusing at first. and they both call it a pickup (tonabnehmer) by the way, which only adds to my confusion.

thanks for the help today...

william

the Vektor arrived yesterday. attaching a photo... here are some first impressions.

it has a condensor mic that takes the signal from the top between the two bridge feet. it is held in place by pushing up against the under side of the bridge, so it gets finger articulations and vibrations from the upper part of the bridge as well.

my two basses have different sized bridges, and are set up one with 6.5 cm and the other with 8 cm distance between top and underside of bridge. to deal with that, Tobias sent me two cylinders of differing lengths so the Vektor fits both basses. he also sent on my request a K&K phantom converter instead of his usual phantom converter, so i don't need to have the weight of the battery plus phantom supply hanging on my tailpiece, plus i can use the phantom power off the Clarus. the Vektor is flexible, can be used in various positions and can be removed in about 5 seconds. the mic cannot damage the finish of the bass and does not dampen the sound. i had the Clarus turned up fairly loud in the practice room yesterday and got zero feedback.

just a first impression but this after working with it and playing a bit seems superior to a piezo pickup inserted under the bridge foot imho. for one thing, nothing separates the bridge from the top. for another, it is a mic that gets input directly from the top AND bridge. i guess a piezo pu like Realist has its definite advantages (price being one). the sound from the Vektor is more natural and yet woody, more finger articulations, sounds more like "my bass" acoustically than with the Realist.

i am going to try it out at a practice tonight. will post more later.

Interesting. What effect does this mass forced between the bridge and the (otherwise) vibrating top have on the acoustic sound of the bass? Have you compared the sound of your bass with and without the presence of the Vektor?

drurb said:

Interesting. What effect does this mass forced between the bridge and the (otherwise) vibrating top have on the acoustic sound of the bass? Have you compared the sound of your bass with and without the presence of the Vektor?

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I am using the new Vektor and while I think there is a small difference in tone, it is very minor. Not necessarily worse either, just slightly different. There is certainly no great change in volume or tone on my bass. I would say the difference is no greater than some people might experience using bridge wing pickups.

drurb said:

Interesting. What effect does this mass forced between the bridge and the (otherwise) vibrating top have on the acoustic sound of the bass? Have you compared the sound of your bass with and without the presence of the Vektor?

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yes i have compared. while logically there must be a difference, i did not hear one. i guess it would be so minimal that it is hardly noticable.

is it a "mass forced between the bridge and the (otherwise) vibrating top"? imo the Vektor is neither "forced" nor does it dampen the top's vibrations to any significant extent.

i suppose if you really tightened up the Vektor so that it was crammed into the underside of the bridge and pressed hard against the top, it would have a dampening effect.but the Vektor does not need to be pressing hard on the top. the contact it makes is adjustable. i found i got the best sound out of the amp when i had it held in place but touching the top lightly.

i guess the best approach is a mic on the H-Clamp, where the top is not touched at all, but the clamp it can get in the way when you are not using it.

at the practice using Spiros and the Focus with a AI Contra Ex, the Vektor was all i needed. i would consider using an additional mic along with the Vektor at some point to experiment. i would also want to try the Vektor out with gut strings and on a different bass.

William Hoffman said:

he also sent on my request a K&K phantom converter instead of his usual phantom converter, so i don't need to have the weight of the battery plus phantom supply hanging on my tailpiece, plus i can use the phantom power off the Clarus.

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What do you mean by K&K phantom converter? I cannot find anything about such a thing on the internet.

hi wiro

it's not on his web page, maybe he will add this as an official option later, i don't know.

while i was placing my order with Tobias, i discussed with him my preference for having minimum weight on my tailpiece. the background for that is i just don't like stuff like cables, sockets, converters, batteries, quiver or whatever hanging on my TP, imo it dampens the vibrations -- affecting sound and volume. i want as light a TP as i can.

Tobias mentioned then that he would sell me a Vektor without the usual pocket you have on yours. instead, he sold me a Vektor along with a separate phantom supply converter. so the Vektor i ultimately got is just the Vektor in the picture above connected to a 1/4 inch jack socket (which dang me i must hang on the back of the TP out-of-sight using a velcro or reissverschluss strip -- always a compromise here and there, but ok) plus a little K&K phantom supply converter which connects to the Vektor with a standard straight jack and has an XLR out to the amp. it reduces the phantom power supplied from the AI Focus (48V) down to the 9V the Vektor needs.

for me this is a good way to go and am happy with this setup. i use the phantom power off the Focus and don't need a battery at all.