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SVT VR Ultra Lo switches

W

Wild Steve

Dec 19, 2010
198
8
#1
Just noticed that on the SVT VR the Ultra Lo switches do different things on Channel 1 and 2. According to the manual when Ultra Lo is set on channel 1 it makes it lower by cutting some of the mid frequncies, but on channel 2 it gives -11db to the 40hz frequencies so is a bass cut - does this sound right or am I misreading it somehow?
I just assumed that "Ultra Lo" engaged would mean the same thing on both channels as "Ultra Hi" does.
Steve
 
#2
Yep, that's right, Steve. The Ultra Lo is a cut in channel 2, and there's a 3 position bass switch in ch 1...left is bass cut -20db at 40hz, middle is flat, and right is whatever they do to make it sound bassier. It's so guitarists could use them, too. But guitarists actually realized themselves that it was just plain crazy to use a 300w amp and it never really caught on. One of the more mature moments for the guitarist population out there, I'd say.
 
#4
The channel 1 Lo is a mid cut, which is a bit rubbish because it has the effect of making it much quieter so if you engage it you must turn the volume up too to compensate!
The Low boost on my vba400 doesn't cut the volume, not sure how that works.
Having lots of fun with the VR, 3rd time lucky I hope as the other 2 I tried In the past had issues.

Steve
 
#5
Wild Steve said:
The channel 1 Lo is a mid cut, which is a bit rubbish because it has the effect of making it much quieter so if you engage it you must turn the volume up too to compensate!
Click to expand...

Dont think of it as killing your volume. With it off lets say you have 20 watts of power evenly distributed across the frequency spectrum. Now if you boost the lows you are still sending that same 20 watts of power, but more of it is going to the low frequency band, and less to the mids. It takes a lot more power to increase the low range than the mids, so for a mild bass boost you loos more sound in the mids. This is actually a good thing, as you are not changing the amount of power from your amp, it doesnt change the stress on your transformers.
 
#7
Wild Steve said:
But that's the point, the bass is not being boosted, it's only cutting high mids which make it seem bassist but it's definitely noticeably quieter.
Steve
Click to expand...

Power is being redistributed to the lows, and the the total power sent is per your volume knob. If you were playing close to the limits of your amp and you hit the bass boost it would not exceed the limits. If it simply spiked that frequency band, the amp could be damaged.
 
#8
CL400Peavey said:
Power is being redistributed to the lows, and the the total power sent is per your volume knob. If you were playing close to the limits of your amp and you hit the bass boost it would not exceed the limits. If it simply spiked that frequency band, the amp could be damaged.
Click to expand...

It says nothing in the manual about boosting lows, only cutting mids. And how else do you explain the very noticeable drop in volume? It's not marginal. It's significant.
Steve
 
#9
Wild Steve said:
But that's the point, the bass is not being boosted, it's only cutting high mids which make it seem bassist but it's definitely noticeably quieter.
Steve
Click to expand...
That's why most of us with SVT's tell you not to mess with the ultra lo buttons. You can mess with the ultra hi if you want to sound like Poison, but nobody ever uses the ultra lo that I know of.
 
#11
I think there may be a place for the Ultra-low (other than with duct tape holding it "off").

If you play softer jazz, etc, and just use the 300W for headroom, then maybe it can do some good, keeps you kinda out of the lower vocal range of the "mix", but you're still "there".

It's been on Ampegs forever, and I don't know exactly what it was intended for originally. The above is all I can figure.

Nobody probably ever intended it for loud rock use...... but people do use it, I suppose on the "everything not forbidden is compulsory" principle.
 
#13
beans-on-toast said:
I figure that they put this in for the accordion players that Ampeg was always trying to satify. :p
Click to expand...
Yeah, and some people think we use Ampeg because they look cool...what the hell is cool about accordion? And the original owner didn't even like loud music or distortion! Jeez, who knew we were such nerds???

:D

Just kidding...actually accordion is real cool...as long as it's not being used to play polka.
 
#15
JimmyM said:
But guitarists actually realized themselves that it was just plain crazy to use a 300w amp and it never really caught on. One of the more mature moments for the guitarist population out there, I'd say.
Click to expand...

I'm more inclined to think that they couldn't handle lugging the extra weight of the SVT around, heck, most of the gutarists I know complain about carrying a Marshall head, and they only weigh ~40lbs. :hiding: :D
 
#16
Wild Steve said:
It says nothing in the manual about boosting lows, only cutting mids. And how else do you explain the very noticeable drop in volume? It's not marginal. It's significant.
Steve
Click to expand...

Hey Wild, we're gonna have to compare notes sometime. I noticed on your footer you're running an SVT-VR/Berg610 with a P bass a Jazz and a Sublime fuzz pedal - I've got the same set up (among others).
 
#17
What do you make of the Sublime? I find it's got a great sound on its own but once in the mix with guitars it tends to disappear almost completely - perhaps this is the case with all fuzz pedals, or are there ways to set it so that it cuts through better?
Just like the SVT and the Berg though, it sure is big and impressive, that's the main thing! ;)
Steve
 

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