Tech 21 VT Bass

[takfar]

Do most people keep everything on their amps flat when using the VT?

Yep, amp pretty much flat here, slight cuts compensating for room characteristics only. The knobs on the VT, however, are all over the map.

Actually, I've been keeping the VT eq on mid 1:30, high 12:30, low 3:00, and adjusting character and drive (and level, accordingly) to whatever fits the song I'm playing. It's a lot to mess around with either way, and the level knob is especially hard to control.

WE NEED A PROGRAMMABLE VERSION, YA HEAR, TECH TWENNYONE?

 

[noahw1]

Wow!
On night Friday I used my VT at band practice and it was great. I hadn't had a lot time to play with it but was able to dial in some nice fat tones pretty easily. This band is a hardcore rock band and it really cut through. I used some overdrive but was mostly going for ballsy tube sounds.

Saturday I used it at an outdoor gig with a soul/r&b band and the tones I got were awesome. The entire band was commenting on it. It was able to really cut through.

Today, I played in a gospel group for the first time and used it and found it a little harder to get dialed in with what I was looking for; however, I think it was due to the fact I didn't have much time to figure out the room. Some of the harmonics I played barely came through. I bumped the mids though and got a pretty solid tone. Those little knobs are so flexable.

Needless to say this is an always on effect for me now. Next time I play with the hardcore group I'll add my Boss ODB to the chain and see what sort of crunch the two combined will give me.

A great pedal.

 

[Valerus]

agreed, this has great OD tone

 

[EASonBass]

Here's a link to a song I just recorded in the studio using the VT Bass to a DI into the board.

Settings where approximately mid 11:30, character 11, Bass/treble 1, drive 10:30.

I played it finger style on a Rex 5, EMH HZs, neck full on bridge 50%. DR highbeams that are a little dead.

Compression added at the board.

During the B section the chiming whole notes is actually bass with lots of chorus. And on the unison riffage I added distortion but it's kinda masked by all the guitar distortion.

The VT took several attempts/experimenting to record. Sounded brighter in the mix then we liked on many of them especially with a pick. I think this was around the 6th setting we tried that sat well in the mix.

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[Surly]

Sounds good. Takes a little experimenting but the pedal works!

 

[JazznFunk]

That's the one thing I've noticed, particularly on some live recordings done recently with one of my groups... the VT can be very bright when used direct if you don't massage the treble. It was a little distracting in the mix, something I had to remedy on later recordings. I find that if you set the treble around 10 or 11:00 and perhaps boost the treble control slightly on the bass itself (if you have one) you can get clarity without brightness, depending on the blend. On the other hand, with some darker basses I welcome the added boost on the top end from the VT Bass. My Lakland 44-02 (with the rear pickup in humbucking mode) is actually very dark compared to my 44 and 55-01's and I have to boost the treble a bit to get the top-end clarity back that I need in most cases. When splitting the back coil I get some of the top-end back, but that's to be expected. I over-compensated with my 44 and 55-01 basses before with a little too much treble boost when used in conjunction with the VT. So yeah, it takes experimenting and using your ears for sure.

The VT took several attempts/experimenting to record. Sounded brighter in the mix then we liked on many of them especially with a pick. I think this was around the 6th setting we tried that sat well in the mix.

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Eublet]

That's the one thing I've noticed, particularly on some live recordings done recently with one of my groups... the VT can be very bright when used direct if you don't massage the treble. It was a little distracting in the mix, something I had to remedy on later recordings. I find that if you set the treble around 10 or 11:00 and perhaps boost the treble control slightly on the bass itself (if you have one) you can get clarity without brightness, depending on the blend. On the other hand, with some darker basses I welcome the added boost on the top end from the VT Bass. My Lakland 44-02 (with the rear pickup in humbucking mode) is actually very dark compared to my 44 and 55-01's and I have to boost the treble a bit to get the top-end clarity back that I need in most cases. When splitting the back coil I get some of the top-end back, but that's to be expected. I over-compensated with my 44 and 55-01 basses before with a little too much treble boost when used in conjunction with the VT. So yeah, it takes experimenting and using your ears for sure.

Same here. My 44-02 is quite dark in comparison to my 55-02. I have to roll the treble up on my 44-02 to almost 3/4 just to equal the clarity of my 55-02 when set flat.

I'm still playing the VT, but I'm finding it's really got a treble brashness about it that you have to watch out for. Running it through your bass cab doesn't reveal it, but out in front through the PA it can really ping if you don't watch it. I've learned to turn the horns in my cabinets full up and then back off on the VT treble until it sounds good. And using it with in-ears is a whole 'nother battle.

It seems they designed this for bass players who are using the pedal through more traditional cabinet where the high-end ping doesn't come through, so it balances nicely. For full range sound reinforcement, it'll cut you in half with those same settings.

 

[JimmyM]

I think it's more of a thing where the treble knob can cop the sounds of an SVT with the ultra-hi switch on, as that's what it sounds like to me when I hit that switch on mine.

 

[dannybuoy]

You're getting a treble boost if you set the treble to 12 o'clock, I measured just below 11 for a flatter treble response, although you get the speaker sim 5k rolloff no matter what.

 

[joeydavidson]

When I've played Ampeg heads in general I tend to get better results diming the mids a bit for clarity, the treble adds too much 'click'. The VT is quite similar, I have the high at 10.30 o'clock.

 

[Burger666]

I'm not sure whether it's of any value to you guys but I put up a VT Bass demo just for fun the other day. I'm a 6 stringer by trade so go easy on me. I tried it with a Telecaster as well and it was great.

Links:

With bass

I can't believe there's 58 pages of discussion about this box from bass players and bugger all clips out there. Very strange.

 

[Eublet]

When I've played Ampeg heads in general I tend to get better results diming the mids a bit for clarity, the treble adds too much 'click'. The VT is quite similar, I have the high at 10.30 o'clock.

Same here, and I run my VT treble around the same as well.

 

[Eublet]

I'm not sure whether it's of any value to you guys but I put up a VT Bass demo just for fun the other day. I'm a 6 stringer by trade so go easy on me. I tried it with a Telecaster as well and it was great.

Links:

With bass

I can't believe there's 58 pages of discussion about this box from bass players and bugger all clips out there. Very strange.

Excellent video! Very representative of what the pedal does, and for showing the pedal facing forward with those settings while you're playing it. Good job.

 

[Burger666]

Excellent video! Very representative of what the pedal does, and for showing the pedal facing forward with those settings while you're playing it. Good job.

Thanks. I try to do the same for all my clips. If you decide to take up guitar you'll find 80 odd videos on my channel designed to generate GAS in even the most resilient. Thanks for letting me stop by.

 

[1009]

Nice, Burger. I've been using the VT with my tele since the 2nd day I got the thing. Sounds great -- although I use it more as an "always on" than for OD. I can approximate that Kyuss-type guitar sound using the suggested SVT settings.

 

[grygrx]

Way past Max Count, feel free to start Number 2 if desired.