I posted this in another thread. Hope it helps. There is a crazy lack of good reviews of this amp. My opinion certainly doesnt carry much weight, but if anyone has questions I can do my best to answer them.
I just got my micro-vr head and cab the other day. I ordered it from Musician's Friend.
I've been playing it for a few days now.
Bottom line: price is right and it gets even closer to that SVT sound than a SansAmp DI. I didnt think it would be that much better, but it is. Seriously, plug in, a few knob tweaks and you have that SVT sound.
Before I say more, you should know some things about me that will limit the effectiveness of this review. I am not a bass stud. I am a guitarist who just recently switched to bass. That said, I know what sound I want. I want that classic rock bass sound. I want the thump-thump-thump from the intro to Van Halen's Running With The Devil. I dont have great gear. I have a mid 80s Ibanez Roadstar II P/J with EMGs and a low end Ibby 5 string with soapbars. I was playing bass through my SansAmp DI (recommended on these boards, with settings as recommended here too), into the return of a tube power amp and an ported 12 " open back cab. The micro-VR sounds way better (though damn if that SansAmp doesnt sound really really good still, it just doesnt have that SVT sound as much as the micro does). I dont have the chops to tell you how it handles super fast playing or slapping. I dont have and havent played all the epic gear and cant compare that. I've had pleny of good guitar amps, cabs, stacks, and combos, so I know good construction. I've played in a band so I know what sounds I want to hear and the relative volume levels needed.
All that said, this thing really gets that sound I hear and that I want.
Here are some pros and cons:
The sound: This is why we buy bass amps, right? Well, this thing has "that sound." I dialed gain at about 2:00, bass at 2:00, mid at 2:00, treble and master at noon and this thing gives me that sound. I play along with various tunes and damn if I am not nailing that sound. Dial it down and use my P and I'm Walking on the moon. Dial the grit up a bit and I'm Running with the Devil. Dial it way back and I'm in Sade land. Yeah, I'm a beginner at bass, but I;ve played rock for 25 years. I know that sound.
The size/Its a toy: Its actually bigger than it looks. As I was awaiting its arrival, I was having second thoughts. I should have gotten the Shuttle I said to myself. This thing will just be a toy. But when I got it, its not a toy. Is it high end construction? No. But its not a toy. This thing will be legit on stage. It does have some quality issues though. I thought the pots were cheap. There was some crackliing when you turned the gain knob for instance. This was intermittent and seems to have gone away now that I have used it for a few days.
The volume level: It's definately not enough for gigs that are not in a quiet setting. It could do church or a coffee house gig. I dont think it would cut a bar gig for a cover band or more. And, to me, its the power of the head that is lacking, not the cab. I only have one cab, not two. It was actually a reminder to me that watts does not equal volume. In fact, running my SansAmp Bass Driver DI into my 50 watt tube power section and 12" speaker was as loud as the VR.
Clipping/Limiting: Seemed relatively useless to me. I have active pickups in both basses and neither required me to use the pad. The limiter also seemed to be marginally useful, though I keep it engaged.
The fan: Yes, it hums and you can hear it. BUT once you are more than about 8 feet away you cant hear the fan over the sound of your playing. Its most annoyinig if you are standing right beside the bass and playing. That is when you hear it. Otherwise you dont. Of course, that doesnt help the amp when people are demoing it as they are likely standing right by the bass. If there was any other ambient noise you wouldnt hear the fan. To me, this isnt an issue.
Versatility: It provides a spectrum of sounds. But I wouldnt call them "modern" sounds. Its classic all the way. But that is what I am looking for. Literally, I'm not even using my SansAmp Bass Driver right now and that thing was a staple for me.
VT Pedal: I dont have one so I cant compare, but the micro is way closer to the real thing than the SansAmp Bass Driver DI, which is loved around here (and at my house).
Functionality/Connectors: No speakon. Lame, but not a deal breaker. No dedicated tuner out. No mute. MP3 input and headphones on front. That sort of says "practice amp" to me. I'd rather that stuff be on the back. Not sure this is as well thought out of a head and designed for a gigging bassist as, say, a GB Shuttle for instance.
I got this set (cab and head) for 599, with the -100 rebate (I have till the end of the month to send it in). Its hard for me to argue with that price. It achieves my goal. I'm not actively playing now. It makes a great bedroom amp. My guess is it would do small, quiet gigs fine as is. Not sure if the second cab would be the solution. I would likely keep it as a head/cab and simply DI out the sound if possible. The head is a bit underpowered.
Here is my plan: I have ordered a Genz Benz Shuttle 3.0 head. I should have it in a day or two. I am going to run the Shuttle through the Ampeg cab (I have to admit, I love that little 2x10) to compare. I'll post my thoughts after I have done that.
Hope that helps. There is a surprising lack of info out there on this thing. I would think we would have a bunch of reviews on it by now. So I figured I would do one, for what my opinion is worth.
