New Tech 21 VT Bass 300 Head!

[GreggBummer]

This amp will more than hang with any loud drummer and like most bass amps is meant to be your onstage monitor or your primary sound in the average club or venue. If you are playing on a concert stage you will more than likely be using a bigger rig and be pumped through the PA as well.

That sounds like a fair set of expectations for an amp at this power rating.

TECH21, please keep us posted on this new product. I think most of us would very much welcome an opportunity to plug into the amp when it ships to retailers.

 

[FooHead]

I wonder how seamless the switch from channel 1 to channel 2 is? Does it drop out momentarily?
I wonder if output goes up when you run in mixed channel mode, or does it stay the same as only using channel 1 or channel 2.

All of my questions about the VT300 are the same questions I would have with a Landmark 300...
Wes

On my Landmark 300...
The Channel switching from ch1 to ch2 is seamless, no drop out at all. It's also seamless going from combined Channels to the single channels and back. The pedal also uses a standard instrument cable (least on the Landmark it does) to connect to the head.

The output does not go up with Ch1+Ch2 running together. The volume is pretty much at what the loudest channel is when you run the 2 channels together. So if Ch1 is at 4 o'clock and Ch2 is at 5 o'clock the combined volume would be around 5.

Hope this helps.

 

[JGR]

Allow me to respond to some of your questions and comments.

The 300 watt analog power amp in the VT Bass 300 can actually exceed it's rated output and even if it starts to clip it will do so in a musical way much like a tube amp.It was meant to be as loud as an SVT without the weight. This amp will more than hang with any loud drummer and like most bass amps is meant to be your onstage monitor or your primary sound in the average club or venue. If you are playing on a concert stage you will more than likely be using a bigger rig and be pumped through the PA as well.

The difference between an analog amp and a digital amp in terms of power is that a digital amp cannot exceed it's rated output as digital distortion is completely unusable. This is why digital amps have built in limiters. They also don't produce transients in the same way a well designed analog amp can. The benefit of digital just like analog solid state is lighter weight and a smaller amp. We all know how much an SVT head weighs.

As for our amps not offering a 2 ohm output, just remember that although many amp manufactures rate the maximum power of their amps at 2 ohm's (hence the big output ratings) this is not the safest way to run any amp as the amp can easily over heat and short out.

We chose to use conventional 1/4" speaker outs rather than speakons for a couple of reasons. One is convenience. Most cabs have 1/4" jacks and 1/4" speaker cables can be found in most music stores. The other reason was that we felt there was no need for the speakons as they are designed for higher current applications which is why we used them in our Landmark 600 amp.

Good to see you guys on TB!
I love my Landmark 600's (I have two!). Give us a 600 watt version of this and a rackmount preamp version as well!!!

 

[Wes Whitmore]

Thanks FooHead, that's exactly what I wanted to hear!

 

[sonic assassin]

what a lovable company. they make sure to drop in and qualm our worries.

thank you tech 21.

 

[Growly Lytes]

I second the notion that Tech 21 NYC produce a 1U rackmountable VT Bass unit -- with a blend knob, configured similarly to the RBI and RPM models! Imagine the sonic combinations possible pairing such a unit with a RBI or RPM! The head does look cool, though.

Ive wrote to them about doing this very thing.
Combining a powerfull amp with the RBI & RPM.Or even just making the RBI & RPM with Tubes to see what they come up with.
This new amp doesnt really have enough power for most i think.

 

[bassyRyan]

So other than than dual channels, DI and portability, are there any sonic/power advantages this unit would have over just using a VT or VTDeluxe with a power amp?
Aside from the advantages of using a power amp, of course.

 

[MIJ-VI]

So other than than dual channels, DI and portability, are there any sonic/power advantages this unit would have over just using a VT or VTDeluxe with a power amp?
Aside from the advantages of using a power amp, of course.

I believe that the proposed VT Bass 300's two pre-amps can be used simultaneously = a 'clean amp/dirty amp' parallel signal path aka clean SVT/dirty SVT.

Those who are into serious overdriven bass tones may wish to test drive this new amp.

 

[Growly Lytes]

I believe that the proposed VT Bass 300's two pre-amps can be used simultaneously = a 'clean amp/dirty amp' parallel signal path aka clean SVT/dirty SVT.

Those who are into serious overdriven bass tones may wish to test drive this new amp.

Test drive but wont buy ! For Now....
Wheres the horse power ?
Need at least 600watts or double, especially when you have speakers like BP102`s needing that massive power to come to life.

 

[Wes Whitmore]

It's enough power for many...you could feed an external power amp if you need to as well. Think of it as a nice 2 channel pre with a backup 300 watt amp to get you through the night

 

[John D Harris]

It's enough power for many...you could feed an external power amp if you need to as well. Think of it as a nice 2 channel pre with a backup 300 watt amp to get you through the night

Or thinking even farther outside the box -- run the preamp into a DSP box, then low freq's out to a powerful bridged power amp and the high freq's out back to the internal 300W power section biamping a two or three way cab like a fEarful DIY.

 

[Bassdirty]

I second the notion that Tech 21 NYC produce a 1U rackmountable VT Bass unit --

While I also think this would be awesome...It would almost guarantee that nobody would buy the VTBass300.(IMO)

As it is, most people are leaning toward the vtbass + poweramp rig.A rackmount VT would certainly seal the deal.

I think they coulda gone either way: VTBass300 OR VTbass rackmount.But Not both.(I think they want the wrong way, personally)

But who knows, I am in the market for a new head, like I said earlier.But I'm leaning toward the VTbass Deluxe+ the Crown "Drivecore"


.

 

[David Jayne]

It's enough power for many...

Agree. Not many foks think an SVT or an 800RB aren't loud enough. C'mon already! Pretty sure most of the mega-power folks are trying to produce really huge low-end. For that, you do need big numbers. For the rest of us......300 is just fine thanks.

 

[John D Harris]

Agree. Not many foks think an SVT or an 800RB aren't loud enough. C'mon already! Pretty sure most of the mega-power folks are trying to produce really huge low-end. For that, you do need big numbers. For the rest of us......300 is just fine thanks.

I have a couple of sort of unique things that make me want 600W min and preferably 1200W. Most of the time I have 1400W available, but I probably only 'use' about half of that (program power).

1. I play with a really light touch (when I play with a pick -- currently only a couple of songs -- I lower the volume at my SR5 bass guitar by about 2/3 of my regular volume and that's not really digging-in with the pick).
2. My band's PA doesn't have a subwoofer.

They put me in the mains (somewhat) (JBL Eon15's), but not as forward as with most bands, so my stage rig provides bass to supplement the mains (I know -- not a great idea) and sometimes for smaller venues, I'm not in the mains at all.

I don't like a big, phat low end (except for a song or two), so that's not really why I feel I need the extra power.

 

[FooHead]

Agree. Not many foks think an SVT or an 800RB aren't loud enough. C'mon already! Pretty sure most of the mega-power folks are trying to produce really huge low-end. For that, you do need big numbers. For the rest of us......300 is just fine thanks.

+1

I find my Landmark 300 has more than enough oomph for the bars I play in.

 

[Fuzzbass]

My volume needs with my hard rock band are ridiculous. The drummer and guitarist play loud as hell, and PA is for vocals and kick only. 300W is *definitely* not enough. At some gigs I wish I had more than six tens.

So the VT 300 head might not be for me, but I love my other Tech21 products. I've got a SABDDI, an RBI/RPM rack, and a VT Deluxe pedal that I need to start using more frequently.

 

[timbledum]

But who knows, I am in the market for a new head, like I said earlier.But I'm leaning toward the VTbass Deluxe+ the Crown "Drivecore".

Either way Tech21 wins.

Btw i used Tech21 as an example in my exam essay today ^.^

 

[MIJ-VI]

Test drive but wont buy ! For Now....
Wheres the horse power ?
Need at least 600watts or double, especially when you have speakers like BP102`s needing that massive power to come to life.

Clean SVT/dirty SVT tone + [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] X how ever many that one needs...

2kHz, 92 dB? http://www.usspeaker.com/legend bp102-1.htm

 

[JimmyM]

nobody except people with ancient flatwounds could deal with bp102's, and maybe not even them. i think i saw one guy who liked them on here.

 

[Bassdirty]

nobody except people with ancient flatwounds could deal with bp102's, and maybe not even them. i think i saw one guy who liked them on here.

Why is that?
Is there something "wrong" with them?


Im curious, because I have looked at those in the past for a cabinet I had (never did get to try them though).

Sorry for the sidetrack.
.