Tech 21 SansAmp VT Bass DI

[somanytoys]

Has anyone used one of these? I'm interested in getting a nice Ampeg bass sound, and I've read that this is one of the best ones. I like Tech 21, just curious if anyone here has had any experience with them, and how they did at that sound (and others) vs other pedals.

[burpgun]

I have the VT bass pedal, which I believe sounds exactly the same as the pedal you're seeking info about, but without a few of the bells and whistles. It's been a super long time since I played through an SVT so I'm not going to be great on comparisons. That said, this pedal is pretty much essential to my sound. It's super sensitive and you can dial anything from roaring distortion to just a little bit of crunch. It can be bright, dark or anywhere in between. It's made me completely agnostic about bass amps. As long as the amp is loud and clean, the VT Bass can deliver the tone.

[somanytoys]

Yes, from what I've read, they are supposed to be very similar.

I'm not even sure if I've played through an SVT before myself, but I definitely know the sound - at least the more typical sound with a P bass (which I don't have). As long as it gets pretty close to that, I'm good, I'm just trying to be able to replicate different sounds with pedals.

So far, as pedals and preamps for specific amps/ sounds go, I have a Rusty Box pedal/preamp for the Traynor TS-50 B sound (Albini's Shellac/Big Black), a Tech 21 Geddy Lee preamp, and a Tech 21 Dug Kinnick pedal/preamp . They're all pretty versatile, actually, besides the main sounds they're able to accomplish. And of course there are various other pedals I use, like fuzz, eq, and whatever.

I'm just looking for something to get me another, different and distinctive sound, and this sounds like it would be perfect, especially if it is just as versatile in getting other sounds as those others are, which it sounds like it is.

Thanks for the response, that definitely helps. Looks like that's going to be the next purchase for bass...

[thisisnickpaige]

So i've never had that, but i a firm believer in the OG Sansamp Bassdriver, and it is incredible! I can get ampeg sounds, i can get Fender sounds. Even sounds fairly okay on guitar but man, it's incredible. Sound guys love me for it, and engineers smile everytime.

[somanytoys]

I was going to get a paradriver, but instead I got the Geddy Lee preamp. I've always heard that Tech 21/Sansamp makes great stuff, at least for bass.

I'm definitely going to check the VT DI out, the thought of not carrying bass amps and huge speaker cabs around anymore sounds very nice! well, once I start playing out again, but still, yeah...

[thisisnickpaige]

Dude, it is a God send. I haven't owned a bass amp in almost a decade because of it - you just don't need it. And the fact i can rock up to a gig with my bass in a gig bag, and a PT Nano+, and that's all i need. Plus it has XLR out with ground lift, and optional line level makes you the immediate friend of most any sound guy i have ever come across. They're like, " Play? ...okay, great. Guitars? " They're usually amazed at how good it sounds too with minimal if any EQing on their end. I highly recommend them for performance and studio; I found discovered it when i was in the studio. The guy we were working with swore by it and sure as heck converted me.

[somanytoys]

I used to use my SWR head's direct out for recording, but for years now I have used a Hartke Bass Attack pedal instead, for the effects on my Hartke combo, a separate (clean) out to use with another amp, and the direct out for recording, when I'm playing in New Orleans. But I still play through the amps, we don't have a PA. It's not bad because I don't move the amps, they stay there, I just keep swapping out pedals.

When I got that Tech 21 Dug Kinnick pedal, I can see exactly what you mean with that. I'ts small, has lots of control and lots of sounds available, an XLR direct out and headphone capabilities. As long as I would be playing somewhere with a system that can handle carrying the bass, that's all I would need as long as I had a monitor or in-ears.

I'm definitely going to get one of these soon.

Edit: I broke and got one, it arrives next week. I think I'm really going to love it.

[somanytoys]

I got this in last night, and played it for a while. It's a beast, it's exactly what I expected it to be.

I only played it through the PA, and it sounded just like an SVT/fliptop - big, strong and really variable character. It has lots of other good sounds, but that's the one that I was looking for. I used the parallel out from it and went into a Jext Telez Range Lord and a Dizzy Tone, into an Acoustic bass head and a 4x10" cab, and all of it sounded really great together. Then I swapped out the JTs & Acoustic and went straight into a Traynor TS-50B head, into the 4x10, and that also sounded really great with it. I usually use a Rusty Box pedal for that sound, but I haven't used that head in a while, and I wanted to use the real thing for a change. They were all such complementary sounds with that pedal, and straight into a PA - just awesome.

I didn't get a chance to try it with the Pinnick pedal or the Geddy Lee preamp, I'll probably try that this weekend. But this pedal definitely has the Ampeg sounds down, and it sounds amazing DI. I guess I need to try it through an actual amplifier, too, but just DI so far, it's a great bass sound for foundation that many other sounds dance around with amazingly well, I'm very impressed and happy.