Tech21 Sansamp VT-bass reviewed

[dannybuoy]

This is the pedal I want now that I have grown up and gotten thicker around the middle!

 

[Qvist]

I MUST HAVE THIS PEDAL!!!

The GAS.... it's killing me !!

 

[57pbass]

Check out Bass Player mag 's site..they have a video review posted in the product review section .... the guy goes through all the different features and tones available...

 

[rickenbaker]

no don't go to bassplayer, go to youtube and search for tech 21 vt bass and go to the 4th viseo. it is a much better representation of the tone. All the guy does in the bassplayer video is mess with the character switch while the youtube vid shows different settings form the manual I think. I can get downright nasty or can be very deep

 

[Flo'Daddy]

I have the Sansamp (an older version) and seem to be getting a little hiss from it. People running sound want more signal so I turn up the gain, and there you go. Is this pedal noisy at all? Those using it straight to the board -- are you going to a direct box first?

Thanks...

 

[Ric5]

I got one! it is part of my pedalboard.

I split the signal into 4 parallel signals with a rolls mixer.

1 - I run one into the Line6 bass pod where I model an old ampeg tube and I also model a rat distortion pedal. I use this to get a retro midrange growlly distorted sound.

2 - The second signal goes into a Mxr bass di+. I use this pedal to get a clean modern sound. It laso has a distortion button that can give a moderate to extreme amount of modern distortion.

3 - The third signal goes into a Marshall Guv'nor. This gives me an old 60s marshall stack sound. This can go from a small amount of distortion to an over the top marshall sound. This effect can give you a Chris Squire Yes sound or a heavy metal sound, or just a subtle amount of distortion.

4 - The fourth signal goes into a Tech21 vt bass pedal. With this effect I get a slightly dirty Ampeg bass amp sound with a tube like growl.

Then I remix the 4 signals back together and run it into a bass amp, or pa, or studio mixer. Because the signals are parallel I can mix clean and overdriven sounds together and still get effect and a sound that punches through the mix.

 

[bongomania]

I can get downright nasty or can be very deep

Sounds like KRS-One lyrics.

 

[bongomania]

Then I remix the 4 signals back together and run it into a bass amp, or pa, or studio mixer. Because the signals are parallel I can mix clean and overdriven sounds together and still get effect and a sound that punches through the mix.

Very cool setup, I can dig it. If I may make a suggestion, try an active mixer (Rolls makes one of those too) at the last combining stage. With that passive mixer you may be losing some of your tone/high end due to each of the channels loading each other down. Passive is great for a splitter, but active is way better for mixing. Give it a shot!

 

[Surly]

Good review, probably sounds great with a P-bass. Mid heaven.

 

[Toolmybass]

I got the Bass VT pedal from an online dealer about a week ago. This thing sounds exactly like Tech21 describes their bass driver except that this one actually delivers! For the record, I have tried and owned almost all of there pedals and preamps and do not care for them. They all sucked tone and just sounded cheap to me.

The Vt has zero tone suck when off or on. The mid range is all there. Thats the starting point. The bass, mid and treble controls are each very powerful and useful. The character control seems to effect mids, compression and overdrive of the pedal all at the same time with a sweep of the knob. The drive setting goes from a totally clean sound to a very guitar like distortion. There is way more gain with this pedal than on the bass driver!

On saturdays gig, after sound check in a very crappy sounding room, I decided to try the pedal directly to the board and turn my stage amp(Ashdown Mk500 & Bergantino NV610) off. Guess what? The sound was so much better in this particular room that I didn't even use my amp! I had my attitude bass into a compressor, into the pedal, to the board! Thats it! I had the pedal set to the stock B-15 setting and it sounded just like my actual amp only it worked in this particular room better. I won't stop bringing my amp out but, at particularly bad rooms, I may just use the pedal instead.

This is the pedal that Sansamp should have put out all along. I may try a few of the guitar pedals as well. Just buy it. This one is worth it!

+100 I love my VT....Just as you described.!

 

[kringle77]

I love my full rig but, this BASS VT is going to be a classic. I will be keeping it in my gig tote just in case and it's all I really use at home. It also will be the new standard for adding od to your current amp without any tone loss or just plain sucking. It's just good. Buy one. The sale of bass drivers is going to plumet like the american dollar once these babies get out in circulation.

 

[Surly]

I'm surprised and happy that they're only about $150 being that the Bassdriver is $200. For price alone I would save the $50. Luckily with a new and improved product they're not gouging.

 

[mattq]

The sale of bass drivers is going to plumet like the american dollar once these babies get out in circulation.

i don't know if that's necessarily true. there's no xlr out on it which is why i bought a bass driver instead of this pedal. i may have preferred the tone in the vt, but all i need it for is to run a good sounding tweakable svt-sounding signal to the house. i think sansamp just realized there was two markets: preamp users and tone controllable direct boxes

 

[CrackBass]

just bought one on my lunch break. i'll let you guys know after tonight's gig. my band has a pretty big range so we shall see. hopefully it will give me that muted fingerstyle tone for some of the mellower stuff we do and allow me a bypass for my bright slap tone.

 

[DanGouge]

I love mine, it works great going right into a board or in front of an amp. I really tried to like the BDDI, but to no avail, but this box does it for me.

 

[bongomania]

I have a feeling as soon as I get employed again I will be buying a VT and a Tone Hammer and seeing which one dominates.

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

Please do, and post your findings, so that I may be lazy.

 

[bongomania]

Yes, master.

 

[Smurf-o-Deth]

Splendid!

 

[CrackBass]

well i just got back from tonight's gig, and all i can say is the vt bass is all that and a bag of chips. i used a bass driver years ago for a while but it just didn't do it for me. the vt really sounds tubey. not high gain (maby it does that but that's not what i was going for, i never tried to get that sound) rather it does that fat warm thing really well. i won't say it sounds exactly like a tube amp, but it seems to simulate a tube preamp at the very least. i ran the pedal clean and it was just so warm and fat it's rediculous. the mid knob on this thing seems to be very well voiced. cut without sounding honky. the vt also changes your feel. it definately has a little give but the punch is still there. i thought i would switch it on and off as an effect, but i ended leaving it on all night. this thing is great in the mix, the opposite of my experience with the bass driver. i got really comfortable with it fast. room filling sweet bass that doesn't get honky and sits in the mix very well. fabulous. it's a keeper. i just wish it had an xlr and phantom power option.

oh well it's 2 in the morning and i'm going to bed.