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VT Bass Rackmount...

#21
bgavin said:
I came to that decision, and it arrives the end of the week.
I'm downsizing all my other preamps and pedals to an RPM+VTRM and footswitch.
My needs are a set-and-forget playing tone, and a solo/boost tone.
Click to expand...

Ordered mine from Sweetwater. I'll post my first rehearsal+gig report early next week.

I'll start with the VTRM soloed, but at some point I'll pair it with either an RPM or an RBI. Not sure if I'm going to alternate as you will, or run them in parallel. If the latter, I'll probably go with the RPM because it's flatter than the RBI, and has the cool semi-para mid.
 
#24
Yeah, living here in the Peoples Republik of Kaleefornia can be quite trying at times.
I am a WFH type, my client is Eastern time, so I am at work at 6am Pacific.
Our developers are Pacific time, and expect me to stay online at least until 5pm Pacific... long day.

I couldn't sleep until 10am, no matter what, and don't care about NFL, so no impact.
My VTRM won't get here until Friday, as it has to be cavity searched by the Self Esteem police before it enters Kaleeforneeyah.
Their esteem-sniffing dog has a Dog Rolfing class on Thursdays, so I have to wait an extra day...
 
#25
bgavin said:
Also got mine from Sweetwater. Tyler said it will be here this Friday.

The RPM sweepable Mids is a huge feature.. too bad they did not add it to the VTRM.
I have need for two distinctly different tones, so the foot switchable mode is my choice.
Click to expand...

Don't forget about the internal DIP switches that change some of the EQ frequencies. Could make all the difference!
 
#30
Fuzzbass said:
Wait.... what? How is it that I am completely unaware of this?!?
Click to expand...

I think it's somewhere in one of the other threads... I think one is for the bass center frequency and the other is for the mid IIRC... it's not listed in the manual which is strange...
 
#31
The price seems pretty reasonable to me, even if it is full retail.

I sold my VT Bass pedal already, and have the SVP-Pro up for sale right now.
Gig money pays for my modest gear expenditures, so it's all good.
My RPM was top-dollar (used), but entirely worth it.

I fully expect the VTRM to be very similar to the RPM in operation.
Mine is dead quiet, has sikly smooth controls, lots of output, and a wide range of tonal configurations.
They appear to be all built on the same rack chassis, which is an economy of manufacturing scale.
I figure the power supplies are also common, and well proven.

Tech21 told me there are no engineering changes to the board for either RBI or RPM over the product life (remarkable).
This tells me this family will have a long a productive life span.
What's not to like?
 
#32
First use tonight at rehearsal with my rock band. This was a good test because I can use a wide range of tones with that band -- for some of the songs, overdrive, distortion, and even fuzz is appropriate.

I ran the VTRM straight into my power amp, which pushed a pair of Bergantino HS210 cabs (ported, with tweeters). I used my black Sadowsky P-bass... my favorite... strung with reasonably fresh LaBella Hard Rockin' Steels.

In short: I am really happy with this preamp! The Blend control is a powerful addition. It adds an extra dimension of tone compared to the VT Deluxe pedal.

In long, it's like the RBI on steroids. When the Character knob is fully counterclockwise you get that mid-scoopy thing going on, especially with Blend full up: think SVT Ultra-Lo. But as you rotate Character clockwise, you get more mids... and more distortion once you go past noon. I really like the RBI, but it only gave a relatively small slice of SVT. This preamp gives a much wider range of SVT mojo, and it definitely includes hot power tube mojo.

I A/B'd the VTRM with my Reiner (JGR) preamp. This is an apple versus an orange. The Reiner gives the pure tone of your bass, with four bands of EQ and nice overdrive that goes from clean to fuzz. The VTRM doesn't really do flat unless you keep Blend rolled way back. But I didn't get it for flat, I got it because I wanted SVT tones, and it does those extremely well... better than most all-tube preamps.

I kinda wish the VTRM had a vari-mid like the SVT: 200, 800, 3k (the VTRM mid is 1k). That said, it's fine as is... and easier to use. I was getting some tones that were really close to the 70's SVTs I owned back in the day. They seemed a little bright through my tweetered Berg HS210 cabs, but I was able to tame the highs with the passive tone control on my Sadowsky. I'm sure the VTRM will absolutely KILL through my Bergantino NV610... that's my "fridge killer" cab.

I'll probably wind up running the Reiner preamp into the rear input of the VTRM. I can then use the Reiner for clearer tones, the VTRM for wilder ones, and maybe volume boost. I also want to try the VTRM with RBI, and especially the RPM.

This Saturday's gig is with my "Motown band" where I'll be using my red P-bass strung with flats. More thoughts then, but I thought the pedal worked especially well with that bass, so the VTRM should too.
 
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#36
JGR said:
Don't forget about the internal DIP switches that change some of the EQ frequencies. Could make all the difference!
Click to expand...
None found.
I opened up mine after it arrived today (Link Removed flying around loose) and did a photo session on the unit.
There are Link Removed, no dip switches.
Perhaps Tech21 will chime in here, or I will send a PM to them requesting identification of those jumper blocks.

The VTRM is very nicely made on the inside. Very serviceable.
I will post hi-res photos shortly.

Link Removed
Link Removed
Link Removed
Link Removed
Link Removed
 
#38
From Tech21 compliments of Fuzzbass:

The jumpers are only in the VT Bass Rack. The values are 80Hz, 100Hz (stock) and 120Hz for the bass frequency. 750Hz, 1000Hz (stock) and 1200Hz for the midrange. The other turns on and off the sub sonic filter. There wouldn't be a problem unless you inadvertently damaged something. Just make sure the unit is unplugged and you only change the jumpers.

You would need to take off the bottom cover which is attached with 6 screws. Be very careful to use the right size screw driver as these screws are on tight. If they get stripped they will have to be bored out. With the bottom cover off and the controls facing you the jumper behind the Character control is for the subsonic filter which is preset for "on" from the factory. Move the jumper over one to turn it off. The middle pin is still connected but you have reversed the outside position. The jumper for the bass is between the bass and blend controls. Removing the jumper completely shifts the frequency up and moving it so the middle pin is still connected but the outside pin is reversed shifts the frequency down. The same goes for the mid jumper which is right behind the treble control.

If you are unsure or need us to walk you through it give us a call and you can speak to our engineer. We can also perform the mod free of charge but you would have to pay for the shipping of the unit both ways.
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#40
The only problem with that is, switching while power is on.
One would ALWAYS have to remember to turn off the power before switching.

For me, the above requirement guarantees I would smoke my VTRM.

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