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Valeton Bass Dapper

#61
A couple of other points with the Dapper:
- it is very quiet, even with my very advanced case of tinnitus I can tell.
- be aware that when you turn off the unit, it isn't actually turned off. As I put my bass back in its stand I hit the strings and the signal went through the unit to the amp. So when you are not using it, turn it off/unplug it at the wall socket.
 
#62
If you engage the tuner, it mutes the outputs. I agree, the unit it dead quiet. I've been using mine quite a bit lately. It's really nice to walk in with a double gig bag and a mic stand, and have that be the entire rig. While I didn't have much love for the Dirty-Q section, it has grown on me. It's PERFECT for Sir Psycho. I'm really glad I took a chance on this pedal from an unknown company.
 
#63
BassikLee said:
If you engage the tuner, it mutes the outputs. I agree, the unit it dead quiet. I've been using mine quite a bit lately. It's really nice to walk in with a double gig bag and a mic stand, and have that be the entire rig. While I didn't have much love for the Dirty-Q section, it has grown on me. It's PERFECT for Sir Psycho. I'm really glad I took a chance on this pedal from an unknown company.
Click to expand...

I was mainly pointing that out for the sake of not using more electrickery than necessary at home (gigs don't really matter). I hate giving power companies any more money than necessary.
I am very glad that I took a chance on this unit too; I may very well end up buying some more Valeton products.
 
#64
BassikLee said:
If you engage the tuner, it mutes the outputs. I agree, the unit it dead quiet. I've been using mine quite a bit lately. It's really nice to walk in with a double gig bag and a mic stand, and have that be the entire rig. While I didn't have much love for the Dirty-Q section, it has grown on me. It's PERFECT for Sir Psycho. I'm really glad I took a chance on this pedal from an unknown company.
Click to expand...

I just got mine in today. I saw your video/demo onnYouTube with your P bass & it sold me. I haven't tried it out yet but I was surprised at the weight of it. Seems well built. I try to take care of my gear so it should last me a good while. I'm just an amateur wannabe player. I play a couple of times a month at my church. This should be perfect for me.
 
#66
Bass Blender said:
I just got mine in today. I saw your video/demo onnYouTube with your P bass & it sold me. I haven't tried it out yet but I was surprised at the weight of it. Seems well built. I try to take care of my gear so it should last me a good while. I'm just an amateur wannabe player. I play a couple of times a month at my church. This should be perfect for me.
Click to expand...
Just note that it doesn't play well with others. Anything after the output or in the loop is fine, though I have found that some effects add noise when put in front of this unit.
I have left a few tips and pointers through the thread; if you do have questions Lee and myself should be able to help out.
I really hope you like it as much as Lee and myself.
 
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#67
Rumbles said:
Just note that it doesn't play well with others. Anything after the output or in the loop is fine, though I have found that some effects add noise when put in front of this unit.
I have left a few tips and pointers through the thread; if you do have questions Lee and myself should be able to help out.
I really hope you like it as much as Lee and myself.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot! I appreciate the tip! I might would use a reverb pedal after this occasionally, but most of the time it will be just the Dapper Bass unit for me. I haven't tried it with flatwounds, yet. I just tried it out with my jazz bass that has half rounds on it.

I'm glad I got this thing. Gonna make what little bit I do, so much easier.
 
#68
Slight zombie thread resurrection post.*

Just bought one of these on eBay after many months of deciding whether to get one or not. At £86 for a barely used unit, the price was just too good to pass up. Especially as I was considering spending this on a compressor pedal for my nano board anyway. Hopefully, the Dapper will be my nano board (not to mention being my backup rig too).

*What's the nomenclature for a 'slightly zombie'?
 
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#70
Had a brief play with it last night plugged into my Blackstar Core ID Beam - so not as accurate as my gigging rig, but good enough.

Very impressed so far. Compressor is easy to dial in and the boost nicely pushes the amp into drive. Chorus is full, very full. Not as good as my TC Corona, but still usuable for the odd song that requires the effect. Octaver tracks better than I thought it would, but I can't see myself using the second octave down. Then there's the amp section. Appears to have that typical sansamp scoop and quite bright at the top end. I found I needed to boost the mids and reduce the treble significantly to match my bypass tone. Saying that, even set flat it was still a 'nice' bass tone. It remains to be seen what it will sound like through my gigging amp.

Thoughts:
  • I like overdrive, I was hoping I would be able to use the amp section as an overdrive pedal. I still may get away with it, but I think I may end up using a separate drive pedal in the front end.
  • The amp section. Is this a sansamp clone, or something else? It's nicely voiced, but I'd like to find out what the voicing is based on, as well as the eq centres.
  • The boost section. I wish this was separate to the compressor like the Flyrig. It's capable of pushing the amp section into tubey overdrive, but useless if I have to bend over and turn up the tiny knob.
  • fx loop. I may use this, but again, I wish it had it's own on/off foot switch.
That all said, I may be overthinking it at this stage. I bought this as a backup amp and small multifx unit for function gigs, short set gigs and the times I need to travel light and/or don't want to set up the bigger parallel signal rig. For these type of gigs, it could and should be perfect. No-ones really going to notice if I'm not using overdrive on Mr Brightside, and I'm sure they won't complain if the chorus on Sweet Child O'Mine sounds too full.

I can say with some certainty that's it's earned a place in my gig bag. Now I need to revaluate my other gear and have a clear out and rearrange as this little gem is definitely going to replace some other bits and pieces.
 
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#72
I agree that the Octave 2 parameter isn't very useful. I believe that I have mine turned all the way down. I know it's not set past 9:00. Instead of a boost in the compressor section, I would like to have at least one more adjustment on the compressor. Whether it be the ratio, attack, or release adjustment. I sometimes adjust the gain for my different basses, but generally keep that knob around 9:00 as well. I would also like to have a speed/rate on the chorus too. I usually like a rather slower rate. This one is not that bad for what I'll use it for. Definitely wouldn't want it any faster, but that is just my personal tastes.

The Dirty Q is OK. I don't really use it much except to maybe make a certain riff or part "fun". Overall I'm very pleased with what the unit does for me. Sounds best on my Epiphone Les Paul bass and my G&L JB-2. It's useful with my Gretsch semi hollow bass but that bass's tone is a lot different than my other 2 basses. I may need to play with the amp section more when I am using my Gretsch bass to get a tone I like better. Anywho, just a few thoughts about it since I've had mine for a few months now.
 
#73
Update.

Used it at rehearsal last night with my gigging amp. Suffice to say, I'll be happy using this as a standalone effects unit/DI for certain applications that doesn't warrant the stereo dual signal path 'big board'.

The compressor is excellent IMO. One of the best single knob compressors I've had the pleasure to use, and definitely better than any of the models I was using in my MS60b on my 'function band' nano board. Punchy, relatively uncoloured and no perceivable loss of low end. In fact, I may drop Valeton a line and find out if this compressor is the same as they use in one of their stompboxes.

I was hoping to use the bass amp section as a drive effect. Whilst it's possible to get a fairly pleasing drive out of it, and eq it to sound not dissimiliar to the bypassed tone, it's not quite what I'm after. It behaves a little too much like a pushed tube amp, in that it gets rather flabby and compressed, and loses the punch that my bypassed tone has (turning the compressor off made no difference). So for me, it's not a good enough drive to have on for an entire song, but for the odd passage, it'll be just fine.

However, back off the gain and the punch returns, and it is a pretty nice tone. I tried this direct into the rehearsal room PA and I was quite pleased with the tone. As I tend to use my bass amp's eq to adjust for the room, I was actually able to get a tone out of the PA that was similar to my amp, so I'd be more than happy to use this as a DI if my amp goes down, or indeed just to feed the monitors. In fact, one of my guitarists (who is also tone hound) reflected that it sounded like 'me'. Can't ask for better than that!

I do think that Valeton missed a trick here though. It would be great if there was a switch for the thru output so you have the affected tone minus the amp section coming out of the thru output and everything out of the DI. This would be similar to how people sometimes use a sansamp BDDI at the end of the their signal chain.

As mentioned before the chorus is rather thick and full. Quite a contrast to my Duff McKagan loaded TC Corona Mini, but still usable. I'll just need to back off the bass' volume to compensate for the volume boost.

Octaver sounded great, and I need to spend a little more time with the Dirty Q section. Engaging the fuzz seemed to kill the volume, and finding a sweet spot on the filter itself is a little challenging. TBH, the bass balls-esque tone isn't my filter of choice, but passable for the odd occasion.

In summary. I'd happily gig with this as a micro effects unit - certainly easier to use than the MS60b as a standalone unit (only did that once - it was a PITA), and the compressor does wonderful things to my tone. If I were to use this as a DI though, I think I'd use a separate drive pedal.
 
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#76
ga_edwards said:
Slight zombie thread resurrection post.*

Just bought one of these on eBay after many months of deciding whether to get one or not. At £86 for a barely used unit, the price was just too good to pass up. Especially as I was considering spending this on a compressor pedal for my nano board anyway. Hopefully, the Dapper will be my nano board (not to mention being my backup rig too).

*What's the nomenclature for a 'slightly zombie'?
Click to expand...
*They only say "bra" and hold both hands out in front of themselves ...
 
#77
I know that I thought back then that this wasnt for me, but I'm thinking of removing my b1on, opto compressor (inexpensive nano one, can't remember brand but one of the many Chinese nano pedals that are the same), eq, and fuzz. B1on is a pain to switch patches by hitting both switches and I really only use a few settings anyway, plus the octave is disappointing live. I never use my fuzz at all, and the option compressor distorts really easily. The eq is there just in case but I never use it. So this would fit nicely and I can run my bass microsynth /ms60b in the effects loop, switching it with my loop bypass pedal.

Anyway,@BassikLee, your videos are still very helpful!
 
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#80
Received it yesterday, tried it in the basement, no question that this is replacing the b1on, compressor, and eq. I love the compressor, I just wish it didn't automatically add so much gain, but I'll deal with that because it sounds so good. The octave is so much better than the b1on. The filter is ok, definitely sensitive, but I just need it for "can't stop the feeling" and it seemed fine.

And, I put the bass microsynth/ms60b in the effects loop with me effects loop switch and it was great. So this is definitely staying.
 
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