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Master Effects Super 300 vs Origin Effects Super Vintage

bassnyc1

bassnyc1

Jun 3, 2006
1,622
1,394
A native New Yorker living in Japan!
#1
My apologies: long post ahead

Hi all,

I'm chasing the SVT in a box sound. To be honest, I've been at it for years. I bought the Ampeg SCR-DI when it first came out and I still have it. It's good and I use it at home but it's a bit too heavy for carrying around. That's why I then got its little brother, the Ampeg Classic pedal. I was underwhelmed, basically because it's output is low. I've also been using the Tech 21 VT Bass for many years. I've had 3 versions: the original, then I traded it for the deluxe, sold that and got the VTDI which I still have and it's my always on pedal but not perfect. Many people claim it's an SVT clone but I've never felt that way. It has good clank and drive and is nice when paired with an actual SVT (which I often do). Last year I got into the modeling thing. I bought an HX Stomp. After trying for a year, I've decided it's not for me. (I made a post recently about that)

So now I want to go back to all analog. I'm going to purchase the Master Effects Super 40 because I run a Rickenbacker in stereo and I'm kind of chasing the Geddy sound. That will be for the bridge pickup. I could get another Super 40 for the neck pickup (like Geddy did) but I want a bit of SVT character. I was pretty close to deciding on the Origin Effects Bassrig Super Vintage based on the reviews and videos I've seen. It just sounds amazing. However, the price tag scares me. I've just stumbled on review videos for the Master Effects Super 300. It also sounds amazing, pretty close to the SV and half the price. So..........

If you have either of them, please share you opinions. If you have or have tried both, again, I'd love to know what you think.

Thank you for reading my crazy long post.
 
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#2
I have the Broughton SV-Pre, Broughton Fliptop, Barber Linden, ME Super 300, and Sushi Box SBVT.
These are all well made pedals. You will find, however, a lot of debate about whether or not they sound like the actual amps, and whether or not they sound closer to an Ampeg B15 or Ampeg SVT. There is a lot of convincing argument on TB about what contributes most to the actual Ampeg sound- is it the head, the speaker cabinet, or both? There is also the consideration that there are different versions of these Ampeg amps in the wild, and that the different versions sound different from each other.
The best advice that I can give you is to try to hear and play with an actual SVT in person, and listen to as many video reviews of the pedals with good quality headphones. There are also a few cabinet sims that can be used with the pedals.
I don’t have any actual experience with the Origin Effects pedal. It gets good reviews, and is, as you state, relatively expensive.
 

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#3
Thanks for the reply. Just about every live house and rehearsal studio here have backline and they all have SVT's. Usually an SVT 350 with an 8x10 cab. So, I'm pretty familiar with the sound for years now. Yesterday I had a chance to use a V4-B with a 6x10. Different but equally glorious. That's the reason why when I see demos of the O. E. Super Vintage, I feel like they really capture the SVT in a box. Now that I've seen demos of the Super 300, I'm equally impressed. Thus, this thread.....
Just looking for opinions from people who have used one or both.
 
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#5
Had the ME, the ampeg SGT and the origin. The origin is the winner for me.

Can’t say which is most authentic because the differences require careful A/B testing with the real thing and they all are a little different in eq so you’d have to work settings to match.
 
#6
bassnyc1 said:
Could you please tell me what you like and maybe don't like about the ME Super 300?
Click to expand...
For a lot of people, myself included, the sound of the mid range is super important. I think the voicing selection of the ME 300 is spot on, and is very versatile. It also has the authentic features of the ultra switches, and level and gain. The newer version also has an XLR out; mine is older and has a 1/4” Bal Out. This pedal is extremely well made and sounds authentic, and is very quiet if used for recording. I have used a variety of SVT’s over the years in performance settings, and there have been small differences between them that I recall. The overall experience, to me, though is difficult to capture otherwise.

I watched this video a few years ago, and I think it captures my experience with the SVT’s that I’ve played:

 
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#8
bassnyc1 said:
My apologies: long post ahead

Hi all,

I'm chasing the SVT in a box sound. To be honest, I've been at it for years. I bought the Ampeg SCR-DI when it first came out and I still have it. It's good and I use it at home but it's a bit too heavy for carrying around. That's why I then got its little brother, the Ampeg Classic pedal. I was underwhelmed, basically because it's output is low. I've also been using the Tech 21 VT Bass for many years. I've had 3 versions: the original, then I traded it for the deluxe, sold that and got the VTDI which I still have and it's my always on pedal but not perfect. Many people claim it's an SVT clone but I've never felt that way. It has good clank and drive and is nice when paired with an actual SVT (which I often do). Last year I got into the modeling thing. I bought an HX Stomp. After trying for a year, I've decided it's not for me. (I made a post recently about that)

So now I want to go back to all analog. I'm going to purchase the Master Effects Super 40 because I run a Rickenbacker in stereo and I'm kind of chasing the Geddy sound. That will be for the bridge pickup. I could get another Super 40 for the neck pickup (like Geddy did) but I want a bit of SVT character. I was pretty close to deciding on the Origin Effects Bassrig Super Vintage based on the reviews and videos I've seen. It just sounds amazing. However, the price tag scares me. I've just stumbled on review videos for the Master Effects Super 300. It also sounds amazing, pretty close to the SV and half the price. So..........

If you have either of them, please share you opinions. If you have or have tried both, again, I'd love to know what you think.

Thank you for reading my crazy long post.
Click to expand...
I just traded a Super 40 with Sonic Titan, it sounded great… bought it before I had an Orange AD200B…
 
#11
Also with more relevance to the thread…

I picked up the Super Vintage about a month ago. It somehow manages to be worth every bit that I paid for it. There’s a ridiculous array of available tones, the drive is sublime and reacts uncomfortably like a tube amp (I also own a V-4b reissue for reference), and the SVT feel and tone are there in a way that really blew away my expectations.

I have no experience with your other option, just wanted to gush about the Origin.
 
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#12
I was typing this before I read your response to my post.
bobomatic said:
Hold on a second though… he showed off the midrange frequency options with the EQ set flat? FACEPALM.
Click to expand...
I don't (personally) understand the face palm, because I really liked what he played, and the tones. I guess I get that he could have made a longer video about moving all the mid knobs around. It was a good reference point for me relative to the OP's issue, that he is chasing the SVT sound. I guess for me, the SVT sounds like an SVT even before you tweak knobs around.

One of the things I like about the demo video above is that he is playing without the (common) massively distorted tones that so many videos show.
I just watched a YouTube video about the Origin Effects Super Vintage and almost all of the tones are harsh and distorted. Not what I want. Maybe a better way to say it is that I like the edge of breakup, or just before. I also like the warmer more "studio" sounds.
Everybody has their preferences.
 
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#13
I have the Master Effect Super 300 and I’m very satisfied.

My needs were very simple : I wanted the sound of Dio's bass player using my standard p bass and got it rather quickly with this pedal.

This pedal is extremely well made and super robust, you can feel it when you push the buttons. Better in every way than my previous Tech 21 Geddy Lee pedal.

The other sound I wanted was the Deep Purple sound and the Night Owl pedal (the black one) gives me that also rather easily.

Below is my "simple" pedalboard that got positive comments from my band mates :


1775495751243.jpeg
 
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#14
bobomatic said:
Also with more relevance to the thread…

I picked up the Super Vintage about a month ago. It somehow manages to be worth every bit that I paid for it. There’s a ridiculous array of available tones, the drive is sublime and reacts uncomfortably like a tube amp (I also own a V-4b reissue for reference), and the SVT feel and tone are there in a way that really blew away my expectations.

I have no experience with your other option, just wanted to gush about the Origin.
Click to expand...
“Also with more relevance to the thread…”
Really? You only have the Origin and a V-4b reissue. How is that more relevant to the OP’s question? You don’t have an SVT and you don’t have the other pedal in question.
 
#15
I use a Super Vintage as my 'amp' on a silent stage on tour. It's one of those things that kinda made me rethink my entire rig.

To give some context - I am a player who usually uses a ton of saturation. My go-to forever was a Darkglass B7K through my Verellen Meatsmoke into the cab of the week. Great tones, no complaints. I thought there was no other way to achieve this level of ferocity. BUT I got a gig that needed something a little less extreme and specifically something that can go straight to FOH/IEMs.

The SV does that and so much more. It sounds and feels like a real rig through the mains as well as in my ears. Plus it gives me a great platform for everything else I do. Even on the occasions I get to rock my Meatsmoke and Aguilar 412, I still send a DI to FOH from the SV because it's just got *it* and cuts my setup and soundcheck time. It's the first thing that I've used that actually feels/sounds like an amp besides an actual amp. I think whatever mojo they have going with the 'cabsim' is the money and the amp out EQ is REALLY useful.

I can't speak to the ME 300 specifically. From what I understand, most 'amp in a box' solutions are really just recreations of the preamp. I think the special sauce of the SV is the attention to how the power section reacts to the pre along with the '810.' YMMV of course, but it's just one of those pieces of gear that's becoming ubiquitous for a reason.

Since you mentioned weight - the SV is pretty hefty despite having a smaller footprint than the SGT-DI. SGT-DI comes in at 1.9lbs and the SV is 1.86lbs according to the manufacturers. It would make for an excellent self defense tool if push came to shove...
 
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#16
bobomatic said:
I picked up the Super Vintage about a month ago. It somehow manages to be worth every bit that I paid for it. There’s a ridiculous array of available tones, the drive is sublime and reacts uncomfortably like a tube amp (I also own a V-4b reissue for reference), and the SVT feel and tone are there in a way that really blew away my expectations.
Click to expand...

I fully agree. The Origin Super Vintage is absolutely amazing. Doesn't have an "Ultra Lo" switch, but I don't miss it.

I also own the Master Effects Super 300. Slightly different feature set, but it's also impressive. The Super Vintage is my desert island SVT sim, but if the price of that one is a concern, then I highly recommend the Super 300, which is roughly half the price.


Edit: my favorite bass rig back in the 80's was an early 70's SVT. The magic happened in larger venues or outdoors where I could really open it up and get the power tubes cooking. That was my frustration with the amp: it sounded fine at lower volumes, but I missed the magic. That's why I prefer my current SS rigs that use amp emulation: I can get the cranked amp sound at any volume. My pants won't flap at quieter volumes, but my ears are happy!
 
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#19
bass player 53 said:
“Also with more relevance to the thread…”
Really? You only have the Origin and a V-4b reissue. How is that more relevant to the OP’s question? You don’t have an SVT and you don’t have the other pedal in question.
Click to expand...
Ok first of all you can chill straight the shag out. I hope you have the day you deserve. As you did, I shared the experience I have with one or the other, exactly what OP asked for. And to assume that because I “only” have the Origin and the V-4b I have nothing to add… know what? I’ve wasted enough of my mental energy. Moving on.

In regards to the midrange facepalm… the reason for that is because he actually cycled through the settings and played as if it made a difference, which it won’t, because the chosen mid frequency only matters if the mid knob moves toward boost or cut. I feel like if you’re going to highlight a feature of a piece of gear, you should probably do it in a way that illustrates how that chosen feature behaves. Again, to each their own, and it sounded fantastic, but it just bewildered me that he’d take that approach.
 
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