I personally don't think it would be redundant because Ampeg's solid state amps don't get as close to all-tube tone as the VT, but if you're happy with your clean tone and don't need the VT's overdrive capabilities, then it probably would be.
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Tech 21 VT Bass
- Thread starter Bob Moulton
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I played my second "gig" with it last Sunday night - this was the first time I had EVER cut through a mix in the uppers. I could hear my notes from the D/G strings 12th fret hitting the back wall and bouncing back. It was an awesome feeling. No more comments like "Dude, I could see your fingers moving but couldn't hear the notes".
- Andrew
- Andrew
I'll be using mine on New Year's eve with my LM2. can't wait to try it. I like Jimmy's stomp box setting for live use. Tried it in my basement and it sounded great. Just a touch of growl it adds is nice.
I've got a VT with a Markbass CMD 102P combo which uses an LM2 as the power section. I LOVE the combination. Really adds some warmth or grit to the SS MB power, depending on what you're looking for!
That is absolutely true. You can also get a very warm tube setting with this thing. I think it really enhances the LM2 sound. Not that it isn't great on it's own as well.
Iv'e just gone full circle and have gone back to using JimmyM's SVT settings.I love this little thing.
I have made an observation.
It's just ok on my active bass. I could take it or leave it, and mostly leave it for the band I'm playing in, unfortunately.
It is incredible on my passive bass, which I play about 8% of the time.
It's freaking AMAZING on my passive bass when using a pick, which I do about 1.837% of the time. The sound is incredible. But it's not working it's magic quite so well on my main bass.
Because of the observation I've made, I'm considering selling it to anyone who mainly uses a passive bass, because for that end, there's nothing better. Guaranteed.
It's just ok on my active bass. I could take it or leave it, and mostly leave it for the band I'm playing in, unfortunately.
It is incredible on my passive bass, which I play about 8% of the time.
It's freaking AMAZING on my passive bass when using a pick, which I do about 1.837% of the time. The sound is incredible. But it's not working it's magic quite so well on my main bass.
Because of the observation I've made, I'm considering selling it to anyone who mainly uses a passive bass, because for that end, there's nothing better. Guaranteed.
Are you still EQing your active bass along with the VT? You could be EQing your signal to death. It sounds great with my active bass, which I leave nearly flat (just a tad roll off of the highs).
I agree with that assessment. I have a Marcus Miller jazz bass and the sound is just so-so. With my 2008 Am Std P-bass, the sound is awesome. But I use the P bass 70% of the time so I am ok with that.
+1
It's great with my passives. Just OK with my actives. I'm not considering selling this thing though. I love it!
Yes, but not as much as you may think. I start with EVERYTHING flat, bass, amp, and VT Bass. I build my sound from there: I usually roll off the treble and a TAD of mids to get a smooth tone, and then boost bass a mini-tad (all on the bass itself). Then I mess around with the settings on the VT Bass, starting at flat, then subtle experimentation with the EQ finding the sweet spot. Then I mess with the drive/character.
It's difficult to get a good, let alone great, sound out of it using my active bass, no matter what settings I use. However, I find it VERY easy to get an awesome sound using the passive bass. As far as I'm concerned, it's a magic box for the latter instrument.
I'll be using my Compulator and Xotic Bass RC alone for my main bass, it seems. But the VT Bass is far from a bad piece of gear, it's just not versatile. It's a two or three trick pony, but for my main gig, none of the tricks are effective.
J
jhan
Guest
I've had this pedal for about two weeks now. My rig is a Sansamp RBI / QSC GX5 / Ampeg SVT 410hlf. I have to say that the VT Bass and the RBI work really well together. Seems to bring out the best characteristics of both. Additionally, the VT Bass seems to do a decent job of taming some of the low end mud characterstic of the 410 HLF.
At first, I thought having an RBI and VT Bass pedal was sort of redundant. Boy was I wrong. Definitely expanded the tonal pallete!
At first, I thought having an RBI and VT Bass pedal was sort of redundant. Boy was I wrong. Definitely expanded the tonal pallete!
I want one, bad.
I can't afford one and also have my Sansamp Bass Driver, so I think I'm gonna try and trade em out.
I can't afford one and also have my Sansamp Bass Driver, so I think I'm gonna try and trade em out.
Finally my obsession in nailing that Chris Wood's tone took me to order a VT. Let's see ...
I bought it from Sweetwater: amazing customer service! They offered me a nice discount on the total invoice because of international shipping costs, and I didn't ask for it!
Furthermore the pedal shipped litterally 3 HOURS after I placed the order!
I bought it from Sweetwater: amazing customer service! They offered me a nice discount on the total invoice because of international shipping costs, and I didn't ask for it!
Furthermore the pedal shipped litterally 3 HOURS after I placed the order!
Pedal of the future
Jimmy, have you tried running the VT bass through the effects loop on the LM2 ? I was wondering how that would work. Any thoughts on that ? Thanks.
Never even tried. I don't like running effects in the loop. Not only do I not hear a difference, but they don't always make it through the amp's DI, and you need to run two extra cables.
Seems like that would be pretty unnecessary. The Markbass' preamp is pretty transparent, so it's not like it would change the basic tone that much, but since you're running a line-level signal into a pedal designed for instrument level input, you won't really be able to clean it up, you'll just get distortion.
Thanks Jimmy, also, where do you have your VLE and VPF settings on the LM2 when using the VT bass ?
VPL is off, VLE is at about 9:30 to approximate the 5k rolloff of non-tweetered 10"s. Makes no difference in my tweeterless cabs, but when I use the LMII I DI and add VLE it so the soundman can't have access to those annoying high freqs.
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