VT as an OD

[C-60 Bass]

What sort of settings do you use when putting this into the input/front end of your amp? I want to do this with a GK 700RB-II which is set for a very small amount of grit, and I want the VT to push it to mild OD. So far it gives way too much boost and volume jump. Setting unity volume just ends up sounding fizzy.

 

[LSMFT6]

Unfortunately, I've heard that the VT and GK heads don't always play well together for that sort of thing.
Also, which version of the pedal do you have?

 

[C-60 Bass]

Its a V1

 

[C-60 Bass]

Sounds great into the FX return but then I cant really switch without unplugging.

I can see that the main issue is running 1 pre-amp into another - may look at doing it with something like a VMT?

 

[LSMFT6]

Well, at least try a v2 or VTDI (there's also the Deluxe but that's basically just a v1 with extras), both of which I use and prefer over the v1, if you like its tone.
I asked because what makes the v2 and VTDI so much better is the speaker sim defeat button - I'd be willing to bet that a lot of your issues would be solved with it.

 

[aledeville]

Character at 12 or slightly above. Gain not too high (10-11). EQ as wished, I mainly have the Mid and Bass slightly boosted.
Muddy? Sounds like too low Character or too much Gain imo.

 

[P-oddz]

In my experience and opinion, the VT doesn't really work as a stand alone drive to be kicked on and off, especially when you have distinct tones with your amp (in your case the GK). It alters the flavor of your amp too much and the eq'ing is so different that you'll always be chasing a "unity". It's great as a set and leave pedal in my experience - but I decided early on that it was unusable as a boost or drive pedal. If you're looking to just push your signal from a mild to a medium overdrive, I'd look into some boost pedals or I'd personally look at other drive pedals.

Leave the VT to what it does best - Ampeg flavor when you want Ampeg flavor.

 

[C-60 Bass]

Thanks and I understand the point about it being better as a stand alone, not an OD.

 

[Jayhawk]

I think JimmyM may have used his VT pedal like you're talking about at one point so he may have some input for you. You could also always try a Joyo UD (http://www.amazon.com/Joyo-JF-02-Overdrive-featuring-components/dp/B005M0CK9M) - cheap and would work for the effect you're trying to achieve.

 

[LSMFT6]

I've used mine as an OD for years (my tone comes from my bass, not my amp though) with great results.

 

[JimmyM]

I've used mine as an OD for years (my tone comes from my bass, not my amp though) with great results.

Me too. Quit for a little while but started again recently. Pretty much exclusively as an OD for electric, too.

 

[P-oddz]

I've used mine as an OD for years (my tone comes from my bass, not my amp though) with great results.

Me too. Quit for a little while but started again recently. Pretty much exclusively as an OD for electric, too.

Are you guys saying specifically as a preamp direct?
Or as an OD into the amp? And for "songs" as opposed to "sections of songs"?

I know Jimmy uses Ampegs so I could see the VT working more seamlessly, but what are you playing LSMFT6?

In my experience, I've found the VT is just eq'ed too different to be usable as a click-on/click-off in any given section of a song, but on a whole song basis obviously it works well.

 

[JimmyM]

The EQ does take a little work to be able to use it as an overdrive. Not the most intuitive EQ I've ever used, as everything seems to affect everything else. But once you get it set, it's set, and I can recall the presets at a click of a switch

 

[Jared Lash]

In my experience and opinion, the VT doesn't really work as a stand alone drive to be kicked on and off, especially when you have distinct tones with your amp (in your case the GK). It alters the flavor of your amp too much and the eq'ing is so different that you'll always be chasing a "unity". It's great as a set and leave pedal in my experience - but I decided early on that it was unusable as a boost or drive pedal. If you're looking to just push your signal from a mild to a medium overdrive, I'd look into some boost pedals or I'd personally look at other drive pedals.

Leave the VT to what it does best - Ampeg flavor when you want Ampeg flavor.

This was pretty much my experience too. The VT Bass is good at what it does (getting Ampeg like tones) but it wasn't my choice as a standalone overdrive. I like it as an always on pedal either for full songs or full sets and didn't really switch it on or off during songs.

With an Ampeg rig things could be different as you could dial in the VT Bass with a very similar tone but just more gain. A way to get SVT drive without the volume needed to actually push the power tubes.

If you like the sound of your rig as it is (and aren't looking to get B-15, SVT or other Ampeg tones) then I'd look for a less colored overdrive.

 

[halfjackson]

Me too. Quit for a little while but started again recently. Pretty much exclusively as an OD for electric, too.

This is almost exactly my experience with the VT too. I've really fell back in love with it recently, but now I only use it as an OD; either on its own, or added to other FX pedals. I've found that it can add an extra edge or tonal flavor to other engaged pedals that works very well.

 

[Driven Crane]

OK

 

[silky smoove]

My experience mirrors what others have said. As a standalone preamp for a heavy rock tone, there are few things out there that do a better job. As a dedicated OD it just didn't work for me. It's possible that through some extensive use of its EQ I could get it to basically be "unaffected" outside of the addition of dirt, but it seems like using the wrong tool for the job. Something like a Fairfield Barbershop or Darkglass VMT would be my go-to for this type of task.

 

[JimmyM]

Sure worked on my gig today as an overdrive I've got it set with a clean tone, a mild overdrive, and full-up overdrive which is almost fuzz and I actually have been using it as a substitute for my Team Awesome Fuzz Machine. Don't like it quite as much for true fuzz as a TAFM, but it totally reminds me of the sound of a B-15 turned up all the way so it works quite well for my purposes.

 

[PilbaraBass]

If you're going to kick a VT in and out, one thing you can do to reduce the "EQ trama" to your amp is to use it in conjunction with a graphic EQ.

Set the amp up the way you like without effects. Then set the VT and G-EQ up, but don't touch the amp.

When switching in and out, switch the two together.

 

[tech21nyc]

There is a way to use the VT Bass independently from your amp's preamp if your amp has a normal efx loop. You will need some sort of splitter and an A/B pedal. You send your bass to a splitter, a Boss TU2 works well for this. You then send one cable to the input of your amp and the other to the input of the VT Bass. You then run a cable from your amps EFX send to the A channel of the A/B box and another cable from the output of the VT Bass to the B channel of the A/B box. Finally run the I/O port of the A/B box to your amp's efx return jack.

Now you will basically have a channel switching bass amp. The A Channel is your amp's normal sound and the B Channel is the sound of the VT Bass. The advantage to this is that you don't have to worry about the EQ's from both preamps fighting with one another as they do when run in series.