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Tech 21 pedals - if you could have only one?

#141
Nephilymbass said:
I mostly stuck with their rack sans amps when I was using tech 21. I had a bass driver for a while but I used the rbi in particular for a long time. It's great stuff. Over the years I switched back to normal amp setups and went from Tech 21 to Darkglass as far as drive sounds. But one tech 21 pedal i still would really like to get my hands on is the red ripper. I also wouldn't mind having a bass fly rig just to have as an always setup practice rig.
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Interesting you mention that. I guess I had a false start with Tech 21 pedals a few years back when I was sent a BDDI v2 instead of a Paradriver v2, by mistake by the UK retailer I had ordered it from. I'd assumed them to be pretty similar and frankly I wasn't particularly impressed by the BDDI - it was a little too polite for my tastes.

And that's where things stood till I picked up a used Red Ripper last year, which is great, and which was then followed by a string of new Tech21 releases that got my attention and started me looking into these pedals a lot more.

But the VTDI, which has so far received more 'votes' than any other Tech21 pedal on this thread, really is a versatile tone machine and the Character dial gives it a huge amount of flavour.
 
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#142
Al Krow said:
Been working through some of the sample settings in the VTDI manual. Interestingly the 'Bite' engaged = presence boost (high mids / treble) + HPF, to tighten up the low end, is the default setting on all of the sample settings.

Is that also pretty much the default with rest of the Tech 21 pedals where a Bite switch is available?
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Do other pedals have a "bite" switch?

I always assumed it was to accentuate the way that a pushed tube amp would sound through an old-school cab - HF sizzle from the harmonic distortion, but then with a steep drop from a cab with less high-end extension. Again - akin to mic'ing an Ampeg amp into an Ampeg-y cab.

Maybe with some "ultra-high" button thrown in as well.

The VTDI is meant to approximate the whole system, including the mic if I'm not mistaken.
 
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#143
Kro said:
Do other pedals have a "bite" switch?

I always assumed it was to accentuate the way that a pushed tube amp would sound through an old-school cab - HF sizzle from the harmonic distortion, but then with a steep drop from a cab with less high-end extension. Again - akin to mic'ing an Ampeg amp into an Ampeg-y cab.

Maybe with some "ultra-high" button thrown in as well.

The VTDI is meant to approximate the whole system, including the mic if I'm not mistaken.
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I too always thought it was a "full amp and typical mic'ed matching/companion cab emulation". The blend knob was supposed to give you the ability to mix your own "dry" bass signal with that emulation much like one might do with combinng a straight DI with mic'ed cab signals in the studio or certain stage situations.
 
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#144
Al Kraft said:
The blend knob was supposed to give you the ability to mix your own "dry" bass signal with that emulation much like one might do with combinng a stright DI with mic'ed cab signals in the studio or certain stage situations.
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Yup, and just like blending live or in the studio, it can also carry some significant risks if one isn't careful. As it pertains to my VTDI I've found that certain blend settings, especially where the signals are blended approximately half and half by signal strength (not by knob position), can introduce odd high-frequency notches.
 
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#145
Kro said:
Yup, and just like blending live or in the studio, it can also carry some significant risks if one isn't careful. As it pertains to my VTDI I've found that certain blend settings, especially where the signals are blended approximately half and half by signal strength (not by knob position), can introduce odd high-frequency notches.
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I think that's why I've been happy with the VT Bsss V2 pedal which doesn't have a blend knob (it's 100% effect when it's on). Many folks found the BDDI needed the blend to help perserve the presence of mids in the final signal, but for me the VT series is not overly scooped to start and has more control to bring out mids. I suspect that if I used the VTDI I would use 100% effect on the blend knob.
 
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#146
Al Kraft said:
I suspect that if I used the VTDI I would use 100% effect on the blend knob.
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I used to be a big proponent of blending with my VTDI, but over time my preferred settings have evolved to 100% effect, just as you mentioned.

Maybe I'll change my mind and go back at some point, but IMO Tech 21 took great care in making the VT series sound good enough on it's own that it doesn't need blending to make up for any deficiencies.
 
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#147
Kro said:
I used to be a big proponent of blending with my VTDI, but over time my preferred settings have evolved to 100% effect, just as you mentioned.

Maybe I'll change my mind and go back at some point, but IMO Tech 21 took great care in making the VT series sound good enough on it's own that it doesn't need blending to make up for any deficiencies.
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The Character series was a true step ahead IMO over the BDDI (which I still like by the way) in terms of not needing to to do much other than fine tune the voicing to your liking. The BDDI always required sacrificing some control authority to compenste for a pretty large mid scoop with everything at a neutral position. While that scoop was satisfying playing on my own, I always found it to be less distinct bordering on muddy at times in a mix. The BDDI V2 really fixed that for me.
 
#148
Lowbrow said:
On self-imposed lockdown here in Pittsburgh, PA, brother. Be safe.
[bite & speaker sim engaged]

View attachment 3764251
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Been working through some of the sample settings in the leaflet and came across one clean tone that I particularly liked, which they've called 'Warm Compression'. Thought I'd compare the settings to yours and actually they're pretty close! Yours has a couple notches more Character with the vol dialled back to compensate, but otherwise pretty much the same.

It also completely ties in with your recommendation to dial the Character a little more counter clock-wise to get a warmer tone, so thanks for getting that pretty much spot on!
 
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#149
Still really loving my VTDI which together with my Ripper are sitting very comfortably on my mini-board:
PB - 2007mini II.jpg


I've got an opportunity to get hold of a YYZ for a reasonable price. Be particularly interested in getting folks' thoughts on how the YYZ stacks up against the VTDI but also the Leeds if any of you have had both?
 
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#151
johnk_10 said:
i've never had a VTDI, but i had a VT deluxe (which i really liked) and still have an original VT (1st version). I also have a Leeds and a YYZ. while i really like all three of them, my YYZ gets used the most.
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Ah excellent! You seem to have all the pedals (or close) that I'm currently looking at! Love to hear some more about the Leeds and the YYZ and why the YYZ, in particular, seems to nail it?
 
#155
Q\Strip. It's an easy answer because it's the only one I have actually kept. I do love it, though.

Hot take: I like the dirt sounds I get from my Joyo American Sound better than anything I could ever find in the VTDI.

Before anyone throws stones, I will allow that as a result, a Blonde is on my wish list for pedals for the future. The AS is far too noisy, and I'm assuming the superior build quality of the genuine article will address that.
 
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#156
I've been using the VTDI for a couple of years now and it's been the best thing to happen to me. Live I've been rolling with blend at 100% but I've obviously been doing a lot more recording with headphones lately and have found the drive to be a bit farty even with the bite engaged and at low settings, so I've been playing with it at 1/3 or even less.

I have the Leeds in my rig as an overdrive too and love it for both guitar and bass. I've actually been doing some demos with the Hiwatt custom shop so cheekily took it in for them to have a listen. I wouldn't embarrass myself by comparing it to the sound of a couple of grand worth of handwired 201 valves into a full stack, but we did agree it was a good sounding drive by itself.
 
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#159
Kro said:
That's the best part! Hehe, I love the sound of my "farty" VTDI in a mix. I used to blend it more often, but anymore I just run it up at 100% affected. Even for recording.
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Funny you should mention that as I've spent the morning with the blend back up to full and enjoyed it. The gain is at about 9 o'clock so not really doing much even with a fairly hot comp into it though. I think the issue is I've been pushing for more clarity lately whereas the VT is a very amplike pre and I've been fighting against that - set up as a big fat amp it sounds fantastic.
 
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