(continuation...)
The midrange tone control seems to focus on the "thicker" frequencies, not as much in the "burpy" upper midrange. Turning it up increases the overall presence of the bass without making it speak too loudly, or with a "through a tube" feeling that comes with many active EQ pre-amps. Even at full boost, the midrange never seems nasal or honky. When turned all the way down, the tone takes on a pleasant scoop, delicate but never seeming weak. It was very reminiscent of Villex's "classic" midrange cut circuit, but did not seem to affect the treble frequencies at all. The upper midrange frequencies also did not get scooped out, which probably explains why there was not a great loss in clarity in this setting.
The treble tone control operates with exceptional smoothness, and it was surprising how nice it sounded. When fully boosted there was never any hiss or harshness; the bass simply had more of that great clarity and top-end detail. There really is no parallel for this kind of boost, since most of the active pre-amps I've tried have imparted some kind of hiss or noise in the signal when the treble was turned up all the way. When turned down, the treble frequencies went away for the most part, but there was still clarity. This tone control did not impart a resonant peak in the midrange, as most passive treble tone controls do. In this respect I would compare it to an Audere "Z-mode" active pre-amp's tone control, which (until now) was probably the smoothest and most non-resonant treble cut that I've heard so far.
For these three tone controls, I guess the best non-scientific feeling I can express is that they give and take in a natural manner, not imparting a character that wasn't already present in the basic tone of the pickups. There's never a feeling of "too much" of any of these bands, even when the tone controls are fully boosted; likewise, I never felt that any of these tone controls had the ability to boost any particular frequency band unnaturally, to fundamentally alter the response of the pickup and therefore color the sound of the bass. Furthermore, when using multiple controls, they seemed to work cooperatively and cohesively, and not introducing sharp "cliffs" in the perceived frequency response. NVT is, simply put, the most "uncolored" tone control, but it still gives you a vast palette of tonal flexibility. There is no need to refer to the tone controls as "equalization" because in reality there is nothing there to be equalized: the system presents only the tone generated by the bass, shaped by the tone controls to match the needs of the music. I would imagine that a single-pickup NVT system would not feel too limited in its range of tonal flexibility.
When the tone controls were set back to their neutral positions, I spent more time exploring the solo'd tone of each of the pickups. The neck pickup has the same pleasant warmth, deep fundamentals and rich midrange as the Villex NVT classic system. But at no point do the lower frequencies overpower or mask the upper midrange, or darken the character excessively. This neck pickup can cut through a mix! It rivals a Lane Poor "wide aperture" pickup in the same position for overall clarity and detail, and I dare say the Villex even has a stronger yet more natural fundamental response. I'm not the biggest fan of the "typical" neck position for pickups, so when I find a neck pickup whose tone I really enjoy in this position, it's a rare and special thing. This is one of those times.
The bridge pickup is, as you would expect, very rich in the midrange. However, there was no lack of fundamental, and never any doubt about the frequency which underpinned all the beautiful harmonics and overtones which were so neatly transmitted to my amplifier. It was very pleasing to play with a bridge pickup that possesses a strong fundamental and doesn't sound overwound or "too hot". It made many other bridge pickups seem a bit lacking, in one way or another. Even with all the detail and clarity, there was never a sense that the pickup was imparting its own color or tonal signature to the sound in this position, as is common with many other bridge pickups.
In fact I'd go so far as to say that there is no inherent coloration at all, as near as I can tell. The Villex NVT tonal signature is only the tone of the union of wood, strings and frets (if any) in the bass. It faithfully reproduces what the bass speaks, with all nuances and quirks intact. If the bass itself doesn't sound good, then the Villex NVT system won't make it sound any better.
Unfortunately, I discovered several more downsides or weaknesses of the Villex NVT system. These need to be presented in this review. I've mentioned a few others above, but the following merit some special attention.
First, the overall signal level is very low. In order to get a volume level comparable to other pickup systems, I had to switch my amp into "passive" input and crank the master volume up to 50% (it's usually between 10% and 20%) which I almost never need to do, even in a live situation. Most passive pickups seem capable of putting out a stronger signal. Even my set of Lane Poor passive pickups generated a stronger signal by themselves (without a pre-amp) when compared with the signal level of the Villex NVT system. The Villex "classic" system also had a stronger output level. This isn't a showstopper issue, and if your amp is capable of boosting the gain (or if you use an outboard pre-amp or "booster" to do the same) you won't run into any problems with being heard. Still, it does need to be accounted for, and if you switch basses often in a live situation, you'll need to remember to adjust the gain on your amp/pre-amp/booster to avoid blowing out your speakers when you switch away from the bass with Villex NVT pickups.
Second, there appears to be no difference between the construction of the neck and bridge pickups. This isn't bad in itself, but it tends to produce a mismatch between the output levels when each pickup is solo'd, especially if your bass has pickup routes which are spaced somewhat far apart. This also causes a neck-pickup-heavy tone when both pickups are turned to full volume. I would imagine this could be mitigated if the bass had pickup routes which were spaced closer together, or for standard locations, installing a small resistor in series with the neck pickup to tame down its volume by a small degree. I've learned to expect that most bass pickup manufacturers tend to wind the bridge pickups "hotter" (i.e. more windings) in order to balance the output levels between them. (For what it's worth, the Villex "classic" system is the same way.)
Finally, the sealed and proprietary nature of the tone module makes it extraordinarily difficult to diagnose any problems or damage which may occur with prolonged use. The sealed "black box" conceals all the critical circuitry, and is clearly not intended for repair by a technician or skilled musician. Even the multi-colored wires leading to the potentiometers are covered with black epoxy where they attach to the tone module, so they cannot be replaced if they break. Likewise, the circuit board which connects the tone module together is only visible at its edges; no traces or "vias" can be seen due to the thin layer of black epoxy on its face.
This isn't fundamentally any different from an active onboard pre-amp which is sealed with epoxy and not intended for user repair. I've played through several and never had a need to open one up. For that matter, most bass pickups are sealed with epoxy as well, and very few so far have become damaged to the point of becoming unusable; furthermore, I usually haven't felt a burning desire to open up a sealed pickup out of curiosity, to see what makes it unique.
However, due to the relative rarity of the Villex NVT pickup system, it seems counter-intuitive to seal shut the innards of the tone module so tightly so they can only be safely repaired (or replaced) by the sole person who possesses the technical knowledge to do so. We should never expect for a pre-amp or tone control to fail, but in the real world, things occasionally break and need to be fixed. If, at some point in the future, William Villex is unable (or unwilling) to repair or replace a failed NVT pickup or tone module, the poor bassist will be out of luck.
I can understand the need to protect a proprietary recipe or formula for creating a new and unique system, and I know that it can be difficult for inventors with limited resources to effectively defend their patented innovations, and therefore, their livelihood. In some cases, secrecy is an easier defense than a patent and an army of lawyers. However, I also feel that electronic systems of all types should strive to become more perfect "durable goods" which (a) last longer due to good design and superb manufacturing, and (b) can be repaired at some point in the future if they become damaged or inoperable, in order to extend their useful life. I'm less concerned with the desire to tinker a system to find out how it can be modified, or to reverse-engineer a system in order to glean information about its construction which enables its duplication. (These are both nice to have, but let's not digress.)
It's obvious to me that the Villex NVT system satisfies the first criteria: aside from the physical geometry of the potentiometers and the slightly too-large pickup shells, I could find no flaws with the construction of the tone module. These issues are both solvable. It is designed well and manufactured to a high standard, as far as I can tell. The thin and somewhat fragile conductors of the attached wires could be addressed in future revisions of the NVT system as well. I just wish the tone module were also repairable, that's all.
But enough of such matters. The more important aspects prevail: the tone and playability of this system are unsurpassed, by any other active or passive system that I've tried so far.
In summary, the Villex NVT pickup system represents a significant evolutionary step forward in bass pickup technology. It represents a new gold standard for the first stage of converting string motion into amplified or recorded sound. NVT is to this new decade what the original Precision Bass pickup of the 1950s was to that decade, but with so much more flexibility, clarity of tone, and overall warmth. It is perhaps the subtle reinvention of the electric bass, and represents an equally important expansion in possibilities and techniques available to bassists today.
Much has been said and written about the "character" of certain bass pickups, or certain models of bass guitars. We have in our heads an concept about what a Rickenbacker should sound like, what a Fender Precision should sound like, and even what a more modern bass like an Alembic or Zon should sound like. The Villex NVT system doesn't fit neatly into any of these buckets. Its character is simply the pure sound of the bass and its musician.
