DHA VT1-EQ-Bass-Drive

[karlbbb]

It took a while to get here, but after my first few days with this pedal I thought I'd post my impressions!



Build Quality: 9 - Absolutely outstanding. Sturdy case that could certainly stand some abuse. Pots are secure and have a nice feeling to them (not loose, so hold settings very well), and switches have a satisfying "click" to them, especially the foot switch (it's true bypass). The pedal itself weighs a lot less than you'd expect, especially on first glance, but this is by no means a bad thing!

Looks: 10 - I think it looks [i]really[/i] cool. I'm sure most have you have seen the paint job, and I love the real custom vibe that it gives off. The blue LED behind the valve and the [b]really[/b] bright blue operation LED finish off the look, and all my band members were impressed!

Sound: 9 - The range of sounds from this pedal is incredible. From smooth bass tones to a really gritty overdrive, it's all there! I started with the unit flat and the tone controls on my Spector on flat, and went from there. The EQ controls are very responsive and little adjustments yield big changes in the sound (I believe you get +/-12dB adjustment from each pot). One of the best features of the EQ is the "Q" pot, that adjusts the mid frequency. It took me a little while to find the "sweet" spot, but once it was there it sounded amazing. I had the I/P pad set quite low as the output from my Spector is quite hot, and I set it so I started to get valve break-up from about the 2 oclock position on the gain pot. The valve break-up itself is lovely and warm, and I was very impressed. Adding Boost with the switch (controlled by the Boost pot) added to the sound even more, and flipping the "colour" switch added a lot of gain/fuzz to the sound, and some really nice sounds are to be gained.

Practical use: 9 - I think the sheer range of sounds on it's own make this a worthy addition to anyones pedal board. I ran a line cable from the laptop to the line in of the pedal, and then headphones into the headphone socket, and this made the box into a perfect practise amp (with the added bonus of it being silent for anyone else in your household!). The DI is silent as you like (also tried it at band practise through our PA), and the level control pot is a handy addition (I imagine the sound guy would like this, as long as you don't set it too hot).





I'm very impressed with the pedal, but unfortunately, it didn't sit quite right with the bands sound. After about 9 hours fiddling, there was something to the sound that didn't sit quite right. This may sound hypocritical (especially after the glowing review, but believe me, this pedal is outstanding) but I'm not sure I'll be keeping the pedal. My main application is of course the band, and I feel I got the wrong idea of the sound I was after, and because of this I can't justify keeping the pedal. [b]Despite this, I'd heartily recommend the DHA pedal to anyone, and Dave is great guy who quickly responded to any questions from me.[/b]

[redzombie]

Cheers for the review, I really fancy getting my hands on one of these for my grit channel. You're not selling yours by any chance?

[karlbbb]

PM sent!

[paul_5]

Been using one of these for a while now, and it's become something of an 'essential' piece of kit. It's a great practice amp (Line in for iPod or similar) and a headphone socket that will also drive two 8Ω speakers, and the lovely tubey warmth and grit that we've all come to expect from Dave's kit.

The headphone output is a little bit 'hissy' but not massively so, and to be honest, once you start playing it becomes unnoticeable.

Where it becomes indispensable (for me at least) is recording; I use the DI out to go straight into Protools and then use the 1/4" output to go through the FX rig and record both channels at once - makes for an easier mixdown as I can blend just the right amount of effects with a lovely crisp, edgy valve bass tone. Both outputs have their own volume controls, so it's easy to get the right balance of output to fussy pedals (like the OC2 or ZVex Wooly Mammoth) that don't like a hot input signal.

Absolutely love it, well done Dave.

[paul_5]

Update on the above: I used one for the first time with my fretless over the weekend, and the increased mids available really made a huge difference to my sound - absolutely loved it.

I replaced the stock tube with an ECC82 (12AU7) to tame some of the 'GRRRRR' and used the normal channel (colour switch off) for the best fretless tone I've had in a long time.

Still a very happy bunny.

[Lozz196]

I`ve just managed to get hold of one of these - thanks Bassy - and just having had it a few days, I`m really impressed. The original valve has been replaced by a JJ ECC81 (though the original valve was included in the sale), to tame the gain, and this suits me perfectly.

With all controls at 12 noon, and the Colour switch on, which adds compression, I get a wonderful fat/tube sound, with just a little bit of gain. Plus, when digging in, for the start of a song like Ace of Spades, I get the breakup on the sound that I need.

Really pleased with this. My set-up is Fender Precision into a Markbass Mini CMD121P combo, and previously the sound was warm but clean. I now have the added grit that I was looking for. I`m not going to need any other pedals.

[discreet]

[quote name='Lozz196' timestamp='1360932258' post='1978478']
I`m not going to need any other pedals.
[/quote]

Well, if no-one's going to say it, I will - can we quote you on that??

[Lozz196]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1361214851' post='1982983']
Well, if no-one's going to say it, I will - can we quote you on that??
[/quote]

Please don`t