We don't do tube amp emulation. Our products are real tube pre-amps or overdrives, tube amp emulation is a completely different thing. We do build tube amps but once again we never and never will do emulation.
Dave
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Tech 21 VT Bass
- Thread starter Bob Moulton
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- Status
We don't do tube amp emulation. Our products are real tube pre-amps or overdrives, tube amp emulation is a completely different thing. We do build tube amps but once again we never and never will do emulation.
Dave
Not a problem and I was not having a go at you but I just wanted to make sure that nobody thinks DHA does emulation.
I haven't tried one yet since I sold all the ones I've gotten in so far right away, but for a softer tube sound with less overdrive you might want to look at the Paradriver DI. It's the re-work of the old acoustic DI which was great for upright bass or applications where less overdrive is needed.
BTW, for those that pre-ordered VT bass pedals from me I will have them in today or tomorrow.
i love mine. imo very superior to both the bass driver and the rbi. i have owned and gigged both. great price too. they need to discontinue the bass driver and introduce a vt version with a di and phantom power option.
I just picked one up from John at wymoreguitars.com (highly recommended, BTW).
Here is my quick review after fiddling with this pedal for a 1/2 hour. First impressions (subject to change, of course).
Pros: I began with all the sample settings as starting points. I enjoyed the Fat Tube setting best, than the Fliptop and SVT.
This pedal is as close to a tube amp as I've heard coming out of any non-tube piece of gear I've tried. The SVT setting is easily identifiable as an original SVT and 8-10s stack sound. I was not able to crank the volume level in my apt. to see if it has that same "sag" at higher volumes, but at moderate levels it seems very, very close. I haven't had much experience playing thru B-15s, so I am not a good judge of how close on it is to those amps, but I think it would have to be at least in the neighborhood. The Fat Tube was my favorite setting. Very meaty and thick sound. It seems like it would cut, but I'd love to hear it in the mix.
I was pleased to find the pedal can drive a power amp, and found that it sounded a tad better direct into the power amp and in the effects loop than in front of my pre/power amp rig. The controls are very sensitive and have a wide range of adjustments. The Mid knob is voiced very well. Unlike some, I've not had a problem with the mid suck of the SABDDI (turn down the low+ highs, and/or use the blend knob), but it is a nice addition.
Cons: I though the high knob could be voiced better. It is more like a presence knob. Would be nice to have a lower tuned high knob also. I am generally not a fan of the more extreme overdriven sounds, that said, I did not like the ones from this pedal. They might be in there with more twiddling, but the ones that I found were not pleasant. The slight over driven sounds (SVT) where very nice however.
Overall, this is a great pedal, and will replace my SABDDI as my backup preamp at a minimum and could be an "always on" effect dependent on the gig.
reference gear: Fender jazzes (flats and rounds), Demeter preamp, QSC PLX power amp, Epi 310UL cab.
Here is my quick review after fiddling with this pedal for a 1/2 hour. First impressions (subject to change, of course).
Pros: I began with all the sample settings as starting points. I enjoyed the Fat Tube setting best, than the Fliptop and SVT.
This pedal is as close to a tube amp as I've heard coming out of any non-tube piece of gear I've tried. The SVT setting is easily identifiable as an original SVT and 8-10s stack sound. I was not able to crank the volume level in my apt. to see if it has that same "sag" at higher volumes, but at moderate levels it seems very, very close. I haven't had much experience playing thru B-15s, so I am not a good judge of how close on it is to those amps, but I think it would have to be at least in the neighborhood. The Fat Tube was my favorite setting. Very meaty and thick sound. It seems like it would cut, but I'd love to hear it in the mix.
I was pleased to find the pedal can drive a power amp, and found that it sounded a tad better direct into the power amp and in the effects loop than in front of my pre/power amp rig. The controls are very sensitive and have a wide range of adjustments. The Mid knob is voiced very well. Unlike some, I've not had a problem with the mid suck of the SABDDI (turn down the low+ highs, and/or use the blend knob), but it is a nice addition.
Cons: I though the high knob could be voiced better. It is more like a presence knob. Would be nice to have a lower tuned high knob also. I am generally not a fan of the more extreme overdriven sounds, that said, I did not like the ones from this pedal. They might be in there with more twiddling, but the ones that I found were not pleasant. The slight over driven sounds (SVT) where very nice however.
Overall, this is a great pedal, and will replace my SABDDI as my backup preamp at a minimum and could be an "always on" effect dependent on the gig.
reference gear: Fender jazzes (flats and rounds), Demeter preamp, QSC PLX power amp, Epi 310UL cab.
I'd be interested in knowing people's experience with this pedal for live performance and/or recording.
RS
RS
I can't speak to recording, but I've been gigging a few times a week this Summer, and I ALWAYS use my VT bass. I use the "SVT" settings. I'm not good at describing sounds, but I find it absolutely indespensable. It gives your sound more "depth" without making it too bottom heavy. This is one of the first pedals I've ever tried that I couldn't imagine playing without. I've used it with two different Spectors, a Carvin and a Zon, and it makes ALL of them sound better, but they still maintain their "own" sound.
i've done about 8 or so gigs with mine. i don't use it for overdrive at all. i like the warm chewy tubish sound it gives me. really fat but tight. plays well with finger and slap styles. i won't say that it sounds exactly like a tube amp, but it definately sounds tubish in a good way. (i've heard some crappy sounding tube amps) i agree the treble control can get out of hand if you crank it, but i find that true of most treble controls. i will say that i am one of the apparently few people that found the bass driver to sound niether warm nor tubish. go figure, i will chalk it up to it not jiving with the rigs i was using at the time. however after owning and gigging both the rbi and bass driver i have decided that i just don't like sansamps. this one, however, is a keeper. tech 21 needs to put this circuit in all their bass preamp products, it does what the bass driver claimed to do.
also: distortion does not equal tube-like sound. just a pet peeve of mine.
also: distortion does not equal tube-like sound. just a pet peeve of mine.
How does the vt compare to the other bass overdrives such as the hematoma, blueberry, FT bassdriver, ect.?
Does the fact that it doesn't have true bypass bother anyone?
Does the fact that it doesn't have true bypass bother anyone?
bongomania
Commercial User
I haven't checked out the VT bypass myself yet, but if it's a really well-designed bypass, that's more important/valuable than whether it is "true bypass".
- Jun 16, 2005
- 3,584
- 31
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Spector, Aguilar, Darkglass
I must say I was slightly disappointed when I found out that they kept the speaker sim on this thing. I guess its not that big of a deal, but it would be nice if you could turn it off.
for $5 less than new.
Well, supply and demand I guess. It sold quick enough anyway!
any distortion users that can comment on how they like the distortion on this thing?
you guys certainly have me sold on the clean sounds.....
you guys certainly have me sold on the clean sounds.....
Using the Fat Tube setting, and rolling back the low, high, and drive knob just one notch, I've found a really nice tube amp tone, very similiar to my old Ampeg V4B head.
If you were on a budget and wanted an old school tone, you could but this pedal and a cheap power amp and have a great, inexpensive rig.
If you were on a budget and wanted an old school tone, you could but this pedal and a cheap power amp and have a great, inexpensive rig.
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