VT Bass DI available?

[FretNoMore]

My guess is that it's probably the daisy chain. It could also be a faulty cable or pedal. Try running the VT with nothing else and see if it pops. Try using a battery or powering the VT with the One Spot but with nothing else being powered.

What is you signal chain? What effects and the order that they are placed.

If I remove the Suhr buffer that I now have in front of the VT Bass DI then I get pops from several of the pedals,
even if I power the VT separately or with a battery.

It's not a problem for me since the buffer for some reason solves this, but it would be interesting to hear a theory
or explanation why this happens.

 

[tech21nyc]

Well, if you like me have 15 pedals on the board, and have the last few years moved another 15 or 20 in and out of the board and hardly ever encountered a problem ... and then when you add the VT Bass DI you do get pops from several pedals ... I don't think it is all that farfetched to suspect that it just may be the new one that is somehow different from the others and is the one causing the problem? Of course in combination with some of the others, but if those 15 can co-exist, why can't the VT Bass DI?

It is certainly a "possibility" that there is something wrong with the pedal but the majority of pedals that come back to us as faulty usually test fine. We use a FET switching system that is before the buffer in the pedal. Everything is isolated and our pedals switch silently. If the pedal is new you can either send it back to the dealer or to us for warranty service but I would try to save myself the trouble and test it properly first.

In order to troubleshoot a pedal board issue you need to isolate everything. If you're running 15 pedals you probably have 16 cables, two power supplies (with 16 DC jacks) and a mix of possibly analog, digital, buffered bypass and true bypass pedals, plus your amp and guitar. That's a lot of variables.

You can't troubleshoot with everything connected. I would first test the cables that go from your bass to the board and the one that goes to the amp. If those are good, put a fresh battery in the VT Bass DI and only use that in the chain and see if it makes a "pop" when switched. If not start adding other pedals. It's best to power the pedals by battery first and see if there are any issues. If not, start plugging in the DC power to the pedals one at a time and see what happens.

 

[tech21nyc]

If I remove the Suhr buffer that I now have in front of the VT Bass DI then I get pops from several of the pedals,
even if I power the VT separately or with a battery.

It's not a problem for me since the buffer for some reason solves this, but it would be interesting to hear a theory
or explanation why this happens.

So our pedal isn't popping specifically but it's making the other pedals pop? Are the pedals that are popping true bypass? Please try my previous trouble shooting method. Also, try using your bass with a cable first and then try the wireless. When you go into the PA and a bass amp at the same time there can usually be a ground loop so I would try just using the one pedal to your amp first and then try running to the PA by itself and then combine but try the ground lift switch.

Which power supply, supplies are you using? Also, how was your board configured before? Were you running to an amp and the PA? Did you try the ground switch on the VT Bass DI both ways?

On the Suhr buffer, are you using the "isolated" output or the normal output? Were the other pedals popping when the VT Bass DI was engaged or in bypass before you added the Suhr buffer.

 

[FretNoMore]

OK, I opened a can of worms here ...

The VT does not pop, other pedals do in combination with the VT.
Popping pedals are true bypass.
It does it with or without bass connected, so cable, wireless or nothing.
Power is one daisy-chained 1Spot, or EBS wall wart for the VT, or VT on battery.
The board has been in *many* different configurations, without pops.
The current test is with only the 1/4" out connected.
The ground lift button does not help.
I use the normal out on the Suhr buffer.
Without buffer pedals pop whether the VT is engaged or not.

But let's not spend too much time on this, I don't want to rip apart the pedalboard so I'm happy with this being solved by the buffer.

 

[tech21nyc]

If it works with the buffer and you're happy that's all that matters. We'd be happy to check it out if you want to send it back. Running that many pedals in series and without properly troubleshooting the problem it's impossible for us to figure it out from here.

 

[Randy S]

I used the additional DI to get rid of some buzz. In my opinion it is a result of the building having a ground loop somewhere. The one I used was a Pro DI. I have also done the same thing using a JDI. The VT Bass DI is dead quiet most places.

And in those two buildings, I had to do the same thing with a Tone Hammer DI. Which is also dead quiet most places.

I do run single coil pickups, Barts on one bass, and a pair of Carvin RAD-Js on the other. So it could be just EMF noise, too.

When I run just the house DI it's also quiet. Both basses are active.

Just weird stuff, I think.

 

[tech21nyc]

Were you running the bass into an amp with the VT Bass DI? On it's own you shouldn't need an additional DI. In some cases if the ground at the stage is wired differently than the PA that could possibly happen.

 

[Randy S]

I was running direct to the PA in both places. Tried battery power, AC power, lifting the XLR ground, and finally gave up and went 1/4" out to the DI input. Both of these buildings have multiple panels, so there's a lot of places for ground loops or polarity issues. And I don't rule out EMF noise. Other places are quiet.

These were just noisy buildings. Other musicians were also having buzz and noise problems.

"Stuff" happens.

 

[tech21nyc]

Randy, are you only using our pedal between your bass and PA when experiencing this issue or are there other pedals and different power supplies being used?

 

[Randy S]

In one building I run the instrument and a monitor send through a Ross headphone driver, into a Pro DI. the Ross has it's own power supply. So that's a possibility there. But it's quiet without the VT Bass DI. And in other buildings, both direct and into an amp, it's quiet.

In the other I run through an old passive Whirlwind DI with nothing else between the bass and the board.

I think I'm going to take one of those receptacle polarity testers with me next time, and have a look see.

 

[BassMonstrum]

There's not a lot of demos on youtube of the VTBDI...

 

[boomboom4200]

Whadda ya mean? You looking to buy one or listen to one.??

 

[BassMonstrum]

Whadda ya mean? You looking to buy one or listen to one.??

Listen first then maybe buy one.

 

[tech21nyc]

In one building I run the instrument and a monitor send through a Ross headphone driver, into a Pro DI. the Ross has it's own power supply. So that's a possibility there. But it's quiet without the VT Bass DI. And in other buildings, both direct and into an amp, it's quiet.

In the other I run through an old passive Whirlwind DI with nothing else between the bass and the board.

I think I'm going to take one of those receptacle polarity testers with me next time, and have a look see.

The best way to isolate the problem is to break it all down. Just plug the VT Bass DI into the board and set the gain structure on the mixer correctly and listen to the sound and noise with your bass at full volume and the volume turned down. Then put the Ross into the chain with only the VT Bass plugged into it and if possible power both devices with a battery. Then add the monitor send and see what happens. It's process of elimination and you may need to change the ground setting on the VT Bass DI.

 

[jd-ns]

I bought a brand new VT bass DI pedal and it was faulty right out of the box for 2 reasons... 1) the input was bad (causing random total losses of signal), and 2) the power adaptor connection was bad (causing extremely loud popping sounds).

Aside from the bad input and adapter plug tone-wise the pedal is GREAT and meets all expectations!

The store where I bought it (Long & McQuade, Canada) have tested and verified it is a dud. They have ordered me a new one and are taking the bad one back, but do I have a one-time lemon??? Or do I need to be worried about the replacement potentially having problems??? Anyone else have a bad pedal right out of the box???

*****UPDATE*****
I got a replacement and it works PERFECTLY!!
EXCELLENT DI, amp simulation, and EQ!!
--> HIGHLY recommended!!

 

[Randy S]

No regrets here. It's a darn good unit.

 

[GLEN18INCHSPICA]

I've been using the VTBASSDI after a Zoom MS-60b a lot lately, using the MS-60b mostly for a little extra eq & the tuner. I noticed when I put the VTBASSDI 1st in line the sound improves even if the pedal is turned off. I've heard that Tech21 uses a good quality buffer in they're pedals & my ears definitely hear a difference. The only downside is I'll lose the tuner mute function of the MS60b if using the DI of the VTBASS setup like this, I could still use the DI of the GK head I use as a power amp & have silent tuning to the PA.

 

[keatz]

this VT bass makes every pedal before it in the chain !POP! every time their switch is used - goes straight to the cab and POP!! - nasty sound from any rig.

This is the exact problem i am currently having. The vt bass DI directly replaced a tonehammer which did not do this. Parallel output does not pop but that makes the pedal useless hah. Put the vt first in chain and pops are gone, but i need to use it last. Still pops when run on battery too. Such a bugger because i love the tones but its unusable and dangerous for my speakers

 

[keatz]

OK, I opened a can of worms here ...

The VT does not pop, other pedals do in combination with the VT.
Popping pedals are true bypass.
It does it with or without bass connected, so cable, wireless or nothing.
Power is one daisy-chained 1Spot, or EBS wall wart for the VT, or VT on battery.
The board has been in *many* different configurations, without pops.
The current test is with only the 1/4" out connected.
The ground lift button does not help.
I use the normal out on the Suhr buffer.
Without buffer pedals pop whether the VT is engaged or not.

But let's not spend too much time on this, I don't want to rip apart the pedalboard so I'm happy with this being solved by the buffer.

I might try and find a suhr buffer to solve my problem also. Did the buffer before the vt make the switching totally silent like there is no vt in the chain or just helped a lite bit?

 

[FretNoMore]

I might try and find a suhr buffer to solve my problem also. Did the buffer before the vt make the switching totally silent like there is no vt in the chain or just helped a lite bit?

Many years ago, don't know if I even remember ... but as I recall it made my combination of pedals quiet, though this popping issue is really somewhat a phase of the moon or trial and error thing, it can depend on what specific pedals, power, cables etc you combine.

Isolated power is probably a better bet, generally speaking.