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Tech 21 VT-Bass

#22
JimmyM said:
I never use it to simulate an SVT. I just turn knobs till it sounds good to me...bass 12:30, mids and character slightly past noon, treble 9:00 or 10:00, drive to taste, increasing the bass as I increase the drive.
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Interesting, I have mine to hand and that is how I have it set roughly. Wouldn't anticipate similar tone goals there, guess its in how high the drive is set and my bass sounding like how I want (hotrodded P bass).
 
#24
JimmyM said:
VT Deluxe is disco'ed? It's still very much available at all the major online outlets and Tech 21 still lists it in their current products.
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My bad. On the Tech21 site, when you click Products and then SansAmps you see the VT Bass Rack and VT Bass DI, but no VT Bass Deluxe:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

However the VT Bass Deluxe is found when you click Character Series.
 
#25
DrC said:
JimmyM or anyone- would you mind please posting what settings you currently use for the VT Bass for SVT sound?
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Tech21 says the VT gives SVT sounds with the Character knob left of noon... I somewhat agree. As you dial Character left, you basically dial in the SVT Ultra Lo sound. The SVT Ultra Lo was a switch, not a knob, but the function was essentially to cut mids. So as you pan Character left, you dial in mid scoop.

IMO, I can get SVT style tones from any Character setting. As you pan Character right of noon, you're basically "increasing stage size". :p That is, you're increasing the volume level of your simulated SVT, heating up the power tubes. I had the most fun with my real SVT on big stages where I got to crank it up and get some power tube dirt into my sound.

So, it's tough to answer your question... we need to know what kind of SVT sound you're looking for. Clean and scooped? Pan Character left. Dirty and punchy? Pan Character right. (Character at noon is a nice middle ground). Then set EQ and Drive to taste.
 
#27
Just used the VT Bass in a full rock show, and an active jazz.

The pedal sounded awesome. I alternated between that and a regular Sansamp, which sounds similar but different. On the VT Bass - Character just below noon @ 11, Drive just below noon at 11:30, EQ at noon except for treble around 10.
 
#28
Blankandson said:
Several comments I've read (not on TB) say it works best with passive basses, works less on most active ones, and on a few select active basses doesn't do anything. Anyone using active basses with it?
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I use active basses, and have to set Drive lower on the VT than I do with the BDDI/RBI or RPM to achieve the same level of overdrive/distortion, even when Character is set to noon or below. In other words, the VT distorts more quickly. No big deal, I just keep Drive set lower.

For the record I use the VT Bass Rackmount, not the pedal. And as tech21nyc said, the rackmount has a rear input with pad switch, so I could use that if I needed additional headroom.
 
#29
I use a first generation pedal and have ended up in settings very close to Jimmy's and Mr.Foxen's. If I move too far away from that, I either lose too much lows or lose the "edge" of the sound, almost like there is no effect on when the bandmates kick in.
 
#30
The Tech 21 VT Bass pedal does do a decent SVT emulation only it sounds to me like they designed it to sound like an SVT with the "Ultra Low" switch engaged which is a mid scooped sound that I don't personally employ when I use either of my Ampeg SVP Pro and SVP Pro preamps or my SVT3 Pro head. Different strokes for different folks, though. However, the B-15 emulation is killer in every way and is how I use the pedal almost exclusively.
 
#32
pbassnut said:
The Tech 21 VT Bass pedal does do a decent SVT emulation only it sounds to me like they designed it to sound like an SVT with the "Ultra Low" switch engaged which is a mid scooped sound that I don't personally employ when I use either of my Ampeg SVP Pro and SVP Pro preamps or my SVT3 Pro head. Different strokes for different folks, though. However, the B-15 emulation is killer in every way and is how I use the pedal almost exclusively.
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For me, the B-15 setting (Character knob at noon) is the SVT setting. Dialing Character to the left of noon gradually introduces the Ultra Lo mid scoop, which I don't use either.

With my hard rock band I often dial Character somewhat right of noon for a little extra mids and crunch. This will reduce the apparent headroom, but as noted previously I keep Drive very low with my active basses to avoid too much distortion.
 
#33
It's a handy little thing, especially with a p.a. I also use the B-15 setting (noonish so to speak), and I keep getting compliments from people in the audience for my sound!
Not only bassplayers, but other musicians too!
>> and before I never got "sound" compliments.
(By the way, the looks & sound of the Portaflex stack help too...;))
 

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