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Tech 21 VT Bass (Part 2)

#61
I spent last weekend recording bass parts in a professional studio (Rainstorm Studios in Bellevue WA) for a female-fronted pop-country album using my VT-Bass.

I ran my Warmoth/Status G4 (dual Darkstar pickups, all passive) into a Radial J48 and sent that to the board for my "pre" sound. From the J48's "thru" into my Tech 21 VT-Bass which then went to another Radial J48 and sent that to the board for my "post" sound. Using my preferred live setting:
Low: 1 o'clock
Mid: 11 o'clock
Treble: 11 o'clock
Character: 12 o'clock
Drive: 11 o'clock

The engineer absolutely loved the signal she was getting to the board. Her comment was "That pre is really nice. It's warm but still really present and the grit blends nicely with the rest of the band."

I had her take a pre signal before it hit the VT-Bass just in case she wanted something more polite to blend back into it. After hearing the preliminary mixes, I'm not sure that she used much, if any of the pre signal. It's either predominantly or all the post sound through the VT-Bass.

I've yet to use the VT-Bass on a gig, but it performed exceptionally well in the studio. Combined with a set of Darkstar pickups, it's really the most wonderful vintage, yet still full-range type of tone I've ever been able to achieve. Great stuff. Everything is there that I want, and nothing that I don't. My main annoyance with other pres/amps is ganky/honky sounding upper-mids. The VT-Bass has tons of upper-mid content, but with my basses and my playing style, unless I get stupid with the EQ, the upper mids always sound pleasant and musical, while still being aggressive. Not quite sure how Mr. Barta made it happen, but he nailed it.
 
#62
UPS dropped off the '08 P5 yesterday, candy cola/maple board nice, thanks again MR BEAR. Then UPS just dropped off new VT pedal. AMS did a lower price request, free ship + threw in 1 free yr extra warranty, cool.

I just hooked it all up to my Fender Rumble 100. Damn nice sounding. I was trying the VT card settings, I think so far I'm liking Fat Tube setting. Now when I pushed the scoop button in on the Rumble, it sounds so much better. I ran it thru the effects loop, bypassed the Rumbles' pre, prolly a good thing but I really like the way it sounds with the scoop button in.

A buddy just invited me to sit in on his solo acoustic gig. Never do but I think I'll take the Rumble, VT & P5 to open em up abit. I've only spent a couple mins with the bass and pedal. I'll put my headphones thru Rumble later to jam em some more and get used to both.

Cool, I just saw the pdf for alternate settings, I need to go open that up and check em out. So far, great pedal, (fantastic P5) even the Rumble will get more use than ever before, now. Got 2 blues gigs this weekend. Will run it all thru my bigger rigs. Gotta go practice some more. :bassist:
 
#63
I just looked at the vt-settings.pdf by JimmyM. Just one question - in the SVT settings it says Character and Highs at "0". Does that mean "turned all the way down" or 12:00 o'clock? I hope that's not such a dumb question. :hiding:
 
#64
Sliza said:
I just looked at the vt-settings.pdf by JimmyM. Just one question - in the SVT settings it says Character and Highs at "0". Does that mean "turned all the way down" or 12:00 o'clock?
Click to expand...

i think he means all the way down. :)

ok so i finally got on of these. very cool indeed. and more suited to what i was seeking than the BDDI. certainly more sounds in there too with all that control over mids - maybe TOO MUCH control, in fact. whoa, all these knobs are sensistive!

on the topic of mids i have a question: what would you all say the Character knob actually does as far as mids go? from what i've noticed i'd say in general it is a combined mid & drive control. but i'm having a little trouble deciding how the Character mids differ from the Mid knob mids. i think i'm hearing the Character knob as controlling mids of higher friequency than the Mid knob but my ear is getting confused.

now bear in mind i'm a guitar player so please be patient with me (and maybe speak a little more slowly).

anyway, it's a great pedal!
 
#70
Sliza said:
I just looked at the vt-settings.pdf by JimmyM. Just one question - in the SVT settings it says Character and Highs at "0". Does that mean "turned all the way down" or 12:00 o'clock? I hope that's not such a dumb question. :hiding:
Click to expand...
sorry, never saw this till now. yes, character and highs were all the way down, which explains why i could never use an svt and leave the tone controls flat.
 
#71
Im not much of a pedal person, so forgive my noobie question here. I just got the VT and like it , but when running this pedal in front of your rig, how do you deal with your amplifiers pre-gain? I have a GK 700RB with the pre gain, woofer volume and tweeter volume. Im a little confused on how the "gain structure" path should look. I dont want to over process my signal, just looking for additional growl.

Im after the Geddy lee, Chris Squire sound. I use a Rickenbacker of course.

Any help would be great.
 
#72
I set the VT Bass's volume level, after adjusting the EQ, etc. to get the tone I want, to match or be slightly louder than the bass itself is with the VT *disengaged*. Basically, when I turn the VT Bass on or off there isn't any significant change in volume, just the effect on the tone. Then you can set your amplifier gain as you would normally without the VT Bass in the signal path. Bear in mind that the more grit/grind you add with the 'drive' knob, the lower you'll have to set the output volume. This pedal gets hot (meaning LOUD) fast.

lowendblues said:
Im not much of a pedal person, so forgive my noobie question here. I just got the VT and like it , but when running this pedal in front of your rig, how do you deal with your amplifiers pre-gain? I have a GK 700RB with the pre gain, woofer volume and tweeter volume. Im a little confused on how the "gain structure" path should look. I dont want to over process my signal, just looking for additional growl.

Im after the Geddy lee, Chris Squire sound. I use a Rickenbacker of course.

Any help would be great.
Click to expand...
 
#73
I recommend using the active input if your amp has one since the VT has so much gain on tap. I don't have an input gain knob with the amp I'm currently using but with so many different amps it's hard to say what would work. I'd setup the amp how you like it and then the VT Bass how you like it and go from there.
 

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