New DHA VT2 pedal offer

[DHA]

Hi all,

I have had a few requests for a dual channel version of the VT1-EQ-Bass-Drive which we do but only in a rack format. So I have been thinking about what I can fit into our standard larger box and have come up with the following......

1. Valve driven two stage overdrive with true by-pass and 1+2 footswitches.
2. Two 12ax7 valves fitted pointing up thou the case with protective cover. Will be able to swap valves without taking the back off. When channel 1 is selected one valve will light up blue and when 1+2 is selected then both will light, one red and one blue.
3. I/P pad, Gain 1, 1>2, Gain 2, Level, Boost (switch pot), Treble, Mid, Bass, Q controls.
4. Bright switch, DI ground lift switch, Colour switch and Si/Ge clipping switch.
5. Balanced DI with XLR
6. In and Out 1/4" jacks
7. 2.1mm power connector - 9-12VDC operation.
8. Active EQ with mid band Q sweep.

As I say it's really a cross between the VT1-EQ-Bass-Drive and a VT2-Dual-Custom-Bass.

This design will require a new PCB so as I normally do with new projects I am offering the first five BC members that buy in advance a discount to help fund the development. The target price for this pedal which will be called a VT2-EQ-Bass-Drive will be £230-£240 but the discount price for the first five will be £200 and includes power supply and P&P.

This version may not have the headphone amp and Line In as on the VT1-EQ-Bass-Drive as I might not be able to fit it all on the PCB. I will try.

Comments welcome

Dave at DHA

[dannybuoy]

Hi Dave, I had a VT2 and one thing I did not like about it was the volume jump when engaging the 2nd valve stage. It would be much more useful to have either 2 separate channels that you can switch between, or just add a separate master volume control for 1+2 mode. It would also be great to have a switchable 5kHz low pass filter (i.e. speaker sim) on the DI and headphone outputs!

I also preferred not to use the colour switch, and the clipping switch was very subtle - Si seemed to not affect the sound much, and Ge dropped the volume by a large amount. Personally I would prefer to not have these features and instead have a cleaner and more low-cost layout.

Pokey-out-lightey-up valves are a great idea though! As long as they're well protected like on the EHX tube pedals.

[DHA]

[quote name='dannybuoy' post='308800' date='Oct 17 2008, 05:47 PM']Hi Dave, I had a VT2 and one thing I did not like about it was the volume jump when engaging the 2nd valve stage. It would be much more useful to have either 2 separate channels that you can switch between, or just add a separate master volume control for 1+2 mode. It would also be great to have a switchable 5kHz low pass filter (i.e. speaker sim) on the DI and headphone outputs!

I also preferred not to use the colour switch, and the clipping switch was very subtle - Si seemed to not affect the sound much, and Ge dropped the volume by a large amount. Personally I would prefer to not have these features and instead have a cleaner and more low-cost layout.

Pokey-out-lightey-up valves are a great idea though! As long as they're well protected like on the EHX tube pedals.[/quote]

I am looking at two volume controls and the boost only being available for channel 1 which will sort the volume jump issue. I will look into the filter idea as I have had that request before.

The two separate channels idea is not new as I used to do a "Twin" pedal which had two VT1's in the same box. So you could have channel 1 or 2, plus 1+2. I have been thinking about a VT3 in a rack but it's possible I could just about do it in a pedal. It would be a VT1 and a VT2 in the same box so 3 valves with true separate channels. I will try and use the same PCB for both the VT2-EQ-Bass-Drive and the VT3-EQ-Bass-Drive to keep the costs down. So if the VT3 is more what people are looking for then I work on that.

Will do versions with or without some features like DI, headphones, Colour, clipping so that there are different cost options.

I will work out a price for the VT3 if anyone is interested.

I think one thing to remember about these pedals is that they are really valve pre-amps as well as overdrives/EQs/DIs and I have VT1-EQ-Bass-Drive customers using them to drive separate power amps and active cabs.

Dave