Yep, this is going to be the big question for bassists in the market...VT-DI or SCR-DI. First off, nothing I say should take away from the fact that both are excellent and relatively inexpensive, and both will get you into the Ampeg sound for not much money. I've not plugged into the VT-DI yet but I've been a happy VTD user for years and previously owned the regular VT, and I thought it was revolutionary when it came out. Never heard a solid state device quite deliver solid Ampeg tube-amp-like tone before the VT, and while it's not as good as the real thing, it's pretty darn good for a couple hundy.
But doggone it, that VT has tripped me up good at timesIt has more overall range than the SCR-DI, like you can get a decent fuzz out of the VT whereas the Scrambler reaches medium distortion but nothing harder. But the price for that kind of range is very sensitive knobs, and it seems that when you turn one tone knob on the VT, it can have unforeseen consequences in other frequency ranges. And just moving a knob a little can alter your tone to a very large degree. You get used to it in time and adjustments will get easier, but it's scary to adjust it in the middle of a show, and I'll still do a number on myself occasionally with it.
For what you're looking for, both units will deliver. I think the quality of sound is at the very least equal in both. Both have very good built-in speaker sims, both will do quality Ampeggy tones both clean and dirty. But there is no question that the SCR-DI is much more simple to operate. The knobs make changes when you turn them but they're not so drastic that you can't adjust on the fly without giving your sound tech a heart attack. And I can't recall an easier time I've had getting a happening mild overdrive out of a pedal. Distortion can be quite tricky to set up on bass, but for a mild overdrive, even a beginner can have the Scrambler ready to go in seconds.
Another advantage the SCR-DI has is footswitchable overdrive. With the VT-DI, you only have on and bypass, and going between a dirt sound and an effected clean sound will require moving knobs, which will end up being a real Charlie Foxtrot if you need to do it quickly on a gig. With the SCR-DI, just kick a footswitch and you can have both on command. And it's not a feature that everyone will use, but the headphone input and music player inputs are a lot of fun for silent practice.
I promise that this isn't the Ampeg endorser in me talkingbut while I got a lot of respect for what Tech 21 does and I'll always give major props to the VT-DI, the SCR-DI allows overdrive to be switched in and out, and it's so butt-simple and idiot-proof to use that I would have no choice but to go with it if I were choosing between one or the other. I would tell you if I thought Ampeg was over-hyping the ease-of-use angle with this thing, but they're truly not overhyping it even a little.
THe headphone and AUX ins are worth the price of admission alone to me. This pedal is in my future for sure. Just not sure how far or near...... Thanks for all the reviews Jimmy! Ive been waiting to hear what this puppy could do. You have painted a pretty colorful picture for us.
