New DHA pedal - help please

[DHA]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1494102482' post='3293343']
I don't see the need for a blend. On full range low gain devices, they only serve to dilute all that delicious tone. They are only useful on heavier distortions or drive circuits that drop low end in my experience. I know you can crank a VT1 to get something approaching a fuzz, but I doubt that's how most people use theirs.
[/quote]

I tend to agree about blend as it should not be required on low/mid gain but I get asked a lot about it. The issue with high gain is compression which is both a good and bad thing. It does reduce the bandwidth which makes the overall tone sound narrow so adding a blend on higher gains is useful.

[DHA]

[quote name='elephantgrey' timestamp='1494109897' post='3293399']
I would vote for the blend. More options are always good. If some don't want it, they can keep 100% wet, and it will still be there for those that do.

Also, I've always dug the whole paint splatter and hand written thing. Love it on my blend loop.
[/quote]

first one to talk about the paint job! maybe its not such an issue as I first thought?

Edited May 6, 2017 by DHA

[eddiehoffmann]

[quote name='DHA' timestamp='1494112656' post='3293416']


first one to talk about the paint job! maybe its not such an issue I first thought?
[/quote]

I think it's not a deal breaker for someone who's only thinking with their ears. But you might attract more "average" costumers with a prettier package.

[DHA]

[quote name='eddiehoffmann' timestamp='1494113007' post='3293417']
I think it's not a deal breaker for someone who's only thinking with their ears. But you might attract more "average" costumers with a prettier package.
[/quote]

nail on the head as they say.

[DHA]

[quote name='dannybuoy' timestamp='1494110546' post='3293404']
I had one of your old VT2 pedals with the colour and clipping switches but never used any of them as it sounded best stock; in fact I just used the pedal like a VT1 std/purist. I would like to see a barebones VT1 with just gain and volume (and maybe input pad) in as small a box as possible.
[/quote]

a mini VT1...... yet another good idea, thanks

[Roland Rock]

I loved mine. Great to hear that the power supply is now a 9v standard type. If it helps, I never once used the headphone bit; It was all about the drive and EQ for me.
Looking forward to seeing the products!

[Twigman]

[quote name='eddiehoffmann' timestamp='1494094917' post='3293268']
I didn't know that. So is there an internal power pump now? And would it be ok to run it off a T-Rex Fuel Tank Chameleon?
[/quote]
I run mine off a T-Rex Chameleon using 2 of the 12V outlets combined using a current doubler cable
[url="https://www.thomann.de/gb/t_rex_dc_current_doubler_50cm.htm?ref=search_prv_4"]https://www.thomann.de/gb/t_rex_dc_current_doubler_50cm.htm?ref=search_prv_4[/url]

Edited May 7, 2017 by Twigman

[Twigman]

My suggestions:

Switches to NOT be mounted to the sides of pedals - they get switched in transit and also make mounting on a pedal board close to other pedals tricky.
The valve to NOT stick out the side of pedal - I have broken more than one in transit because of this

[eddiehoffmann]

[quote name='Twigman' timestamp='1494143979' post='3293525']

I rum mine off a T-Rex Chameleon using 2 of the 12V outlets combined
[/quote]

Good to know. Thanks!

[Callumjord]

Just my two cents but a VT2 but as a two channel preamp with a separate colour section with an independent switch and blend in order to fully blend the two sounds together would be my dream come true, along with an effects send and return.

Edit: also what would be the possibilities of an in built compressor as well?

Edited May 7, 2017 by Callumjord

[dannybuoy]

[quote name='eddiehoffmann' timestamp='1494147601' post='3293569']


Good to know. Thanks!
[/quote]

Btw the Truetone CS7 should be able to power one of these off a single output. Unlike most isolated supplies it doesn't use transformers, their support say the mA labels can be ignored and long as you don't exceed the amount rated for the entire brick, you can put what you like through each socket.

[JimBobTTD]

I can echo the comments about power supply...

I had one DHA pedal, a VT1-EQ-Bass-Drive that I bought off someone here. It sounded great as an overdrive and I used it to warm up my amp and, later, to give an OTT distortion when I did a few grindcore gigs. However, I was never fully happy with it as it was huge and needed its own power supply. The headphone out was noisy to the point of being unusable and, if I remember correctly, I had to have its volume on 0 or else it put a huge amount of noise in the signal. When the DI went noisy, I decided I had had enough and moved it on at a low price due to its defects. As a pedal in its own right, though, it was very good albeit a touch noisy. I would have kept it if not for the power needing to be 12v AC (if memory serves me well). I was not alone with the headphone out problem, although I could not find any other comments about the DI.

The paint job was never a problem with me. However, when combined with the headphone out not working and the DI going south, it made the whole package look amateur.

Switches on the sides look like repair jobs waiting to happen. Valves sticking out of holes look like poor planning (sorry, Dave, it is nothing personal) and I remember reading someone here in another thread complaining about them getting broken when moving the pedal about.

[Rumple]

I've had a couple, a VT1 and VT2 and they were very good indeed but ultimately I moved them on due to needing a dedicated power supply.

I wasn't a fan of the Jackson Pollock style paint jobs.

The proposed new range could be very interesting depending on the route you take, a VT1 Mini would be a great addition

[paul_5]

[quote name='Callumjord' timestamp='1494153368' post='3293637']
Just my two cents but a VT2 but as a two channel preamp with a separate colour section with an independent switch and blend in order to fully blend the two sounds together would be my dream come true
[/quote]

So a 2 note clone then...

[TPJ]

[quote name='DHA' timestamp='1494113207' post='3293420']
a mini VT1...... yet another good idea, thanks
[/quote]

+1

I use a Bob the Blender as just a valve stage at the beginning of the chain. A smaller version would be great. I like the orange paint schemes but not so much the white ones.

Also, I noticed the boost switch on the pedal reacts differently with different basses. One bass will be smooth and warm with the boost off and a little harsher and firmer with it on, and another bass will react opposite with it being harsher with the boost off and warmer with it on. What might cause that?

[sk8]

HPF, effects loop with a footswitch, 9 volt

The Headphone amp was okay but I think having one in a dedicated format and making the pedal more of DI control centre would be better. Footswitch for the colour to kick it up a notch?

For me less was more.

[DHA]

[quote name='TPJ' timestamp='1494171363' post='3293760']
+1

I use a Bob the Blender as just a valve stage at the beginning of the chain. A smaller version would be great. I like the orange paint schemes but not so much the white ones.

Also, I noticed the boost switch on the pedal reacts differently with different basses. One bass will be smooth and warm with the boost off and a little harsher and firmer with it on, and another bass will react opposite with it being harsher with the boost off and warmer with it on. What might cause that?
[/quote]

Its just a clean boost so should not make any difference. Most likely the VT1 valve stage is reacting differently and having the boost on just allows you to hear it. The input level to the VT1 does make a difference as you would expect with a valve as it breaks up.

[DHA]

[quote name='JimBobTTD' timestamp='1494157324' post='3293671']
I can echo the comments about power supply...

I had one DHA pedal, a VT1-EQ-Bass-Drive that I bought off someone here. It sounded great as an overdrive and I used it to warm up my amp and, later, to give an OTT distortion when I did a few grindcore gigs. However, I was never fully happy with it as it was huge and needed its own power supply. The headphone out was noisy to the point of being unusable and, if I remember correctly, I had to have its volume on 0 or else it put a huge amount of noise in the signal. When the DI went noisy, I decided I had had enough and moved it on at a low price due to its defects. As a pedal in its own right, though, it was very good albeit a touch noisy. I would have kept it if not for the power needing to be 12v AC (if memory serves me well). I was not alone with the headphone out problem, although I could not find any other comments about the DI.

The paint job was never a problem with me. However, when combined with the headphone out not working and the DI going south, it made the whole package look amateur.

Switches on the sides look like repair jobs waiting to happen. Valves sticking out of holes look like poor planning (sorry, Dave, it is nothing personal) and I remember reading someone here in another thread complaining about them getting broken when moving the pedal about.
[/quote]

The older VT1 was quite large but I swapped to the smaller VT1-EQ-Di-Bass MK2 a couple of years back. I also changed the headphone design and fixed the noise on that. Sounds like you had other issues with yours as its not possible for the headphone to introduce noise into the signal path unless there is a fault.

The supply is 9-12VDC not AC as this would have damaged the pedal.

My pedals are very low noise if used with a correct power supply.

Edited June 1, 2017 by DHA

[jimmyb625]

I'm just about to pull the trigger on a VT1 EQ DI (via ebay, sorry about that, but I've got some vouchers to use).
The headphone out and line in are definite plus points for me, with the psu being less of an issue.
I quite like the existing colour/paint schemes, but I can see why some people may be put off. Having said that, Pete Cornish only ever seems to bother with stickers on a basic enclosure.

[drake]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]VT1-EQ-Di-Bass MK2 user here. This has got me out of so many tight positions (studio, rented/shared backline etc). I really love the tone that I get using this and never go to gigs or studios without it. As I don't use any other effects I'm not too concerned about the power supply. The paint job isn't an issue as they can be had in plain colours, I went for plain cream. Some of the handwritten markings have rubbed off on mine[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]What I would like to be able to do is footswitch between the EQ/drive setting and kick in the colour and boost at the same time? Would probably mean a bigger pedal though? I'm not a great fan of blend controls either.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]High and low sweepable mid [/font][/color][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]controls would be really cool[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]I don't use the headphone or line in, but thats just me.[/font][/color]

[color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]With regards damaging switches and the valve, a bespoke hard case would be a cool option? I cannot find anything that suits - suggestions welcome if anybody has sourced something![/font][/color]

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='eddiehoffmann' timestamp='1494113007' post='3293417']
I think it's not a deal breaker for someone who's only thinking with their ears. But you might attract more "average" costumers with a prettier package.
[/quote]

Three separate sound guys at three consecutive gigs all joked that they hoped my "homebrew" DI pedal wasn't going to damage their gear. Its well worth changing the aesthetics of the pedal to match the internals.

As for the headphone out: I think its a good idea but similarly to the other user above the one I had on my DI-Bass-EQ-VT1 was too noisy to be usable for me. The other thing mentioned thus far that I agreed with was switches on the side of pedals: that's an accident waiting to happen IMO. Either put them on top (for toggle switches) or use low profile sliding/dip switches.

[Beer of the Bass]

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1494704469' post='3298060']


Three separate sound guys at three consecutive gigs all joked that they hoped my "homebrew" DI pedal wasn't going to damage their gear. Its well worth changing the aesthetics of the pedal to match the internals.
[/quote]

I did have an engineer complain that my DI/EQ was noisy, when I'd never found it to be so. I think it just looked noisy!

[Al Krow]

[quote name='DHA' timestamp='1494113207' post='3293420']
a mini VT1...... yet another good idea, thanks
[/quote]

Speaking of mini...what chance any manufacturer producing a 200W+ pedal board power amp? Something this sized, but geared to bass players:

http://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php/productpage/microblock-45

I suspect this would create a storm!

[drake]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1496274332' post='3310196']
Speaking of mini...what chance any manufacturer producing a 200W+ pedal board power amp? Something this sized, but geared to bass players:

[url="http://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php/productpage/microblock-45"]http://www.quilterla...e/microblock-45[/url]

I suspect this would create a storm!
[/quote]

Or a 200w all tube head??!!

[elephantgrey]

[quote name='Al Krow' timestamp='1496274332' post='3310196']


Speaking of mini...what chance any manufacturer producing a 200W+ pedal board power amp? Something this sized, but geared to bass players:

http://www.quilterlabs.com/index.php/productpage/microblock-45

I suspect this would create a storm!
[/quote]

I would buy that.