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Tech 21 VT Bass DI noise

acmeseed

acmeseed

Jun 15, 2009
243
205
Mission Viejo, CA
#1
I wonder if anyone has ever had a DI introduce noise on the line back to the board and if so was it something that was repairable.

I am having a problem with my VT Bass DI. I am getting a hissing sound out of it, mainly out of the XLR output going to the board.

My pedalboard is fairy simple, I have one Polytune 3 tuner, Keeley Bassist compressor and the VT Bass DI. I connect the output of the compressor to the input of the VT, the XLR goes to the house and the 1/4 output to a GK combo amp. Power comes from a Spot One wall wart.

If I replace the VT with my SansAmp the hissing goes away. I have tried changing settings, turning on ground lift, etc. but nothing seems to help.

I will greatly appreciate any feddback.

Here's my poor man's pedal board after I exchanged DIs.

167237420.jpg


Mike
 
Last edited:
#4
acmeseed said:
I wonder if anyone has ever had a DI introduce noise on the line back to the board and if so was it something that was repairable.

I am having a problem with my VT Bass DI. I am getting a hissing sound out of it, mainly out of the XLR output going to the board.

My pedalboard is fairy simple, I have one Polytune 3 tuner, Keeley Bassist compressor and the VT Bass DI. I connect the output of the compressor to the input of the VT, the XLR goes to the house and the 1/4 output to a GK combo amp. Power comes from a Spot One wall wart.

If I replace the VT with my SansAmp the hissing goes away. I have tried changing settings, turning on ground lift, etc. but nothing seems to help.

I will greatly appreciate any feddback.

Here's my poor man's pedal board after I exchanged DIs.

View attachment 2968537

Mike
Click to expand...

I have the first generation VT bass pedal, and I also find it somewhat noisy. (We are talking wide range hiss, right? Not a 50/60/100/120 Hz hum?)
On the other hand, the elevated noise level, compared to some other OD pedals is the only tone related downside I have noticed.
 
#5
Yes, it's wide range hiss, turning on ground lift helps a bit, but not much.

Overall I don't think it would be too loud to hear over the rest of the band, but it's annoying getting it back in my in-ears.

I agree the overall tone(s) I can get with the pedal are great, other than this little nuisance.

Thanks.
 
#7
I'm don't intend to resurrect this thread but I have also noticed a slight hiss with my VT Bass DI.
However I only get this with when I have a pedal (any pedal) before the VT Bass DI.
When I run it by itself, or first in the chain, it is dead silent; whether output is via the 1/4 inch and/or via the XLR output.
 
#9
eriky4003,
The other effect pedals don't hiss when going directly into an amp or into other DIs such as an MXR bass preamp, a JDI or even into a Focusrite ISA One.
As I mentioned, the VT Bass DI makes no noise when used by itself, even when used as an effect into a Focusrite ISA One (both DI and mic inputs).
I have tried powering it via batteries, different power supplies and even phantom 48v, but it still does not like pedals before it.
Something to do with its buffer perhaps?
The level of hiss is absolutely no problem playing live.
It can be a problem when recording, depending on where you want your noise floor.
I like the pedal and do not think it is defective, it just seems to be what it does.
 
#10
Mike plus 4dBu said:
eriky4003,
The other effect pedals don't hiss when going directly into an amp or into other DIs such as an MXR bass preamp, a JDI or even into a Focusrite ISA One.
As I mentioned, the VT Bass DI makes no noise when used by itself, even when used as an effect into a Focusrite ISA One (both DI and mic inputs).
I have tried powering it via batteries, different power supplies and even phantom 48v, but it still does not like pedals before it.
Something to do with its buffer perhaps?
The level of hiss is absolutely no problem playing live.
It can be a problem when recording, depending on where you want your noise floor.
I like the pedal and do not think it is defective, it just seems to be what it does.
Click to expand...

What other pedals were you running into the VT Bass DI?
 
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#11
tech21nyc,
Thanks for taking an interest in this.
I do not have the impression that the level of hiss that I am experiencing is as bad as that described by the OP, nevertheless FWIW:
The pedal board is usually quite simple, two or three pedals in the chain but not always the same line-up/order of pedals. It's more of a temporary studio set up (VT Bass DI is set more or less clean-using the XLR out) than a live venue pedal board. The pedals running into the VT Bass DI can include Diamond Comp SL, Mad professor SHOD, Fulltone OCD, Catalinbread Talisman, MXR Carbon Copy, Earthquaker Dispatch Master, Buffalo FX Ge fuzz, Spaceman Gemini III fuzz and a Spaceman Aphelion.
I also use the VT Bass DI as an effect when I want the "Ampeg" sound in which case it runs into other pedals and is normally first in the chain - I do not get hiss in this scenario.
At first I thought that it was just gain from other pedals raising the noise floor, but I later found that by replacing the VT Bass DI with an MXR bass preamp I do not get the same noise... nor the ampeg sound either unfortunately.
I do not run the other pedals very hot, I do not like bass overly distorted, smooth but gritty, yes.
Whatever that means ;)
 
#13
acmeseed,
In a recording situation, the balanced out makes it useful for running the effect into mic pres with no DI input...
On stage I agree, it's a different matter.

I have yet to try running it after a Radial Shotgun ( Radial's 4-way guitar splitter and buffer) with pedals run before the Shotgun. Three of the Radial's outputs are, shall we say, 'sort of isolated' and this might cut the hiss...
When I find time to try (and if it works), I'll post the result.
 
#14
Mike plus 4dBu said:
tech21nyc,
Thanks for taking an interest in this.
I do not have the impression that the level of hiss that I am experiencing is as bad as that described by the OP, nevertheless FWIW:
The pedal board is usually quite simple, two or three pedals in the chain but not always the same line-up/order of pedals. It's more of a temporary studio set up (VT Bass DI is set more or less clean-using the XLR out) than a live venue pedal board. The pedals running into the VT Bass DI can include Diamond Comp SL, Mad professor SHOD, Fulltone OCD, Catalinbread Talisman, MXR Carbon Copy, Earthquaker Dispatch Master, Buffalo FX Ge fuzz, Spaceman Gemini III fuzz and a Spaceman Aphelion.
I also use the VT Bass DI as an effect when I want the "Ampeg" sound in which case it runs into other pedals and is normally first in the chain - I do not get hiss in this scenario.
At first I thought that it was just gain from other pedals raising the noise floor, but I later found that by replacing the VT Bass DI with an MXR bass preamp I do not get the same noise... nor the ampeg sound either unfortunately.
I do not run the other pedals very hot, I do not like bass overly distorted, smooth but gritty, yes.
Whatever that means ;)
Click to expand...

It sounds like a gain staging issue. It would help to know the exact settings of the VT Bass DI including Blend control. The MXR Bass preamp, if I'm looking at the correct one, has no amp emulation and is designed as a totally clean preamp with EQ options. A better comparison would be with our Q\Strip.

You said this is in the studio, are you using an interface or a mixer? Do you also know how to gain stage the interface? Many of the other pedals you list are will add their own self noise and even into a "clean" amp, every link in the chain will add noise downstream.

Balancing the output level of the VT Bass DI with the -20dB pad either on or off and adjusting the input trim of your interface will yield the lowest noise and the greatest amount of headroom. Unfortunately there is no magic setting, the end user needs to experiment.
 
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#15
tech21nyc,

Thank you again for your interest.

"It sounds like a gain staging issue" - nope

"Do you also know how to gain stage the interface?" - yep - BTW it is running most of the time into the mic-pre input of an ISA One and then into an RME interface. Recording level is set at -18dB in the DAW.

For example (so we understand each other), when I run my quietest pedal (Lehle Sunday driver in clean buffer mode, no boost) into the VT Bass DI (and no other pedals), then:

Set at unity gain with the-20dB pad on, there is an increase in noise when I switch the VT Bass DI on (the drive and level knobs are at 11 o'clock, blend on full, everything else: 12,o'clock).

Replacing the VT Bass DI with the MXR Bass Preamp (which is as you point out is, "designed as a totally clean pre-amp with EQ options") there is no increase in the noise floor when it is switched on at unity gain, every thing 12 o'clock.

This is no big deal for me as I have already stated. I can live with it and use the VT Bass DI without problems.
 
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#16
Recording level in the DAW adjusts the gain level after the A/D conversion process. Here's the best way to test it. Turn off the PAD on the VT Bass DI and set your ISA One to to line or instrument level. Turn the Blend and Drive on the pedal counterclockwise or off. Set the Low, Mid and High to Noon or flat. Put the pedal in bypass and plug in your bass and play it. If it's an active bass also set the tone controls to flat. Set the input level on the ISA to the recommended setting with the VT Bass in bypass. Now engage the VT Bass DI and rotate the level control to the same volume as the pedal in bypass. There should be no hiss. Let us know.
 
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#17
tech21nyc,

Right you are!
There is no increased hiss, well almost, it's insignificant, inaudible except with the monitors on max.

To be clear, this is when only the level control is used to set the volume to be the same as in bypass.

However, when subsequently increasing the drive control together with the blend control - extra hiss is introduced...

I see what your getting at here ;)

But then again, I didn't think the pedal was defective to begin with...
 
#18
Mike plus 4dBu said:
tech21nyc,

Right you are!
There is no increased hiss, well almost, it's insignificant, inaudible except with the monitors on max.

To be clear, this is when only the level control is used to set the volume to be the same as in bypass.

However, when subsequently increasing the drive control together with the blend control - extra hiss is introduced...

I see what your getting at here ;)

But then again, I didn't think the pedal was defective to begin with...
Click to expand...
Increasing drive = adding noise. That's just how distortion works. It's the same on any dirt pedal.
 

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