He clearly took a day off. I mean, we're 20 posts in a thread that has his three favorite letters in the title...there's no way he would have let this one slide!
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VT Bass DI Speaker Sim = HPF?
- Thread starter MtManiac
- Start date
He clearly took a day off. I mean, we're 20 posts in a thread that has his three favorite letters in the title...there's no way he would have let this one slide!
- Oct 22, 2015
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The VT Bass graph upthread looks to me like the cab sim acts similarly to a LPF when engaged. Which may or may not suit, or may or may not be enough. Same as the low frequency roll off - may or may not suit or may or may not be enough. [grain of salt from one with absolutely no engineering degree and of imperfect hearing]
Here's how I see it and it may draw some ire. If you're recording, the HPF is in the recording software as part of the EQ. If you're playing live, there's an HPF built into the mixer that should be applied to a lot of things, especially the kick drum and the bass guitar. So this leaves us with standalone HPF *pedals* as something to buy for speaker protection only. That's all well and good if you play really loud and push your gear to its limit, but otherwise I'm heading more towards simplification than expansion. If you have a pedalboard with 10 other pedals, adding one more for an HPF is no big deal but I don't think too many people actually need one.
Pretty much every board made these days has HPF built into it, but that doesn't mean the sound tech is going to use it. That's why I got one...too many that think I want the EDM/hip hop mix.
Consider my ire drawn.
My take is that it's always up to the artist. If an artist wants to try and dial in their tone via EQ, OD, compression, or any other effect... including an HPF, prior to it hitting a console, that's their rightful decision.
There is no right or wrong, only results - and there are plenty of valid schools of thought (some admittedly more idiot proof than others) when it comes to getting good ones.
Consider my ire drawn.
My take is that it's always up to the artist. If an artist wants to try and dial in their tone via EQ, OD, compression, or any other effect... including an HPF, prior to it hitting a console, that's their rightful decision.
There is no right or wrong, only results - and there are plenty of valid schools of thought (some admittedly more fool proof than others) when it comes to getting good ones.
I'm always in favor of whatever the artist wants, but if the artist has to ask if he needs an HPF, he probably doesn't. I see an HPF as more of a utility tool than a tone shaper, to remove frequencies that that you feel more than hear and thereby protecting speakers. Of course you can use an HPF to shape your tone if you want to, but I haven't found them useful in that way in my own recordings. And again, if you do find HPF useful in that way, you won't be asking the question. I think HPFs have become like compressors recently where all these guys who don't understand them and don't need them think they're supposed to have one because Talkbass says so. I'm just saying that if things are working for you now, don't go looking for a solution to a problem you don't have.
This is my philosophy when it comes to any effect. Don't worry, we're in violent agreement.
Al Kraft
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I have to agree with Kro and JimmyM. While a HPF is a great tool and quite versatile for both tone shaping and/or problem solving, it's simply a tool. Just like I dont always need a hammer or pair of pliers to get a particualr job done, a HPF isn't always needed - although when the job calls for a certain tool, it's always nice to have the right one handy, and to know how to use it properly.
I agree, and to play devil's advocate for a second, the best way to figure out what an HPF or any other effect realistically can and can't do... is to personally mess with one.
@BillMason it looks like you might have a few options to test out an HPF already in your arsenal. Unless I'm mistaken, your Spectracomp may be able to be programmed with one via it's Toneprint capability. Sorry if I have that wrong, just a a loose impression that I have as it pertains to that unit.
Edit: apologies, it looks like my comment about the 700RB-ii no longer applies, as I had missed it being under your "previously owned gear" section. Sorry about that!
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I have to agree with Kro and JimmyM. While a HPF is a great tool and quite versatile for both tone shaping and/or problem solving, it's simply a tool. Just like I dont always need a hammer or pair of pliers to get a particualr job done, a HPF isn't always needed - although when the job calls for a certain tool, it's always nice to have the right one handy, and to know how to use it properly.
You’re describing me! :-D Thanks to you and others for refreshing sanity!
- Oct 22, 2015
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Does *anybody* fully understand the VT Bass?
That's the main reason I got one too. It's a tool. Its there to help me do a job if I need it.
B.
Hehe! It's a complicated pedal for sure. I still discover new things about it.
I have both: the Broughton HPF/LPF right before the VT DI at the end of my chain. Only had it for a little while but I can definitely hear the difference even at low volume. And it makes it easier to cut through the mix when I’m playing loud with the band. But it’s a subtle effect. Is it necessary? No. Does it make me sound better? Yes. Like others have said it depends on the problem you’re trying to solve. Plus they have high resale value if you decide you don’t like it.
- Oct 22, 2015
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What it appears to me as a confirmed-not-an-audio-enginner type is a HPF in front of a VT will let the VT do its magic better Tech21 VT-Bass - where's the magic ?
A VTBD and HPF comprise the whole of my signal chain between my bass and amp <shrug>
A VTBD and HPF comprise the whole of my signal chain between my bass and amp <shrug>
The VT does a good job as an HPF on its own as far as I'm concerned but everyone to their own thang.
No wrong way to do it - it all comes down to personal preference. For me, I like the idea of an HPF after something like a VTDI. That way the full signal can be used for saturation purposes (again, just a preference thing), with additional low-end reduction taking place only after the VTDI does its thing, and only as needed. 
- Oct 22, 2015
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Every way is probably a good way to do it, if you look at it long enough.
