IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS.
RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK
DO NOT OPEN
CAUTION
CAUTION: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF ELECTRICAL SHOCK, DO
NOT REMOVE COVER. NO USER-SERVICEABLE PARTS INSIDE.
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EFER SERVICING TO QUALIFIED SERVICE PERSONNEL.
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ISQUE D'ELECTROCUTION
NE PAS OUVRIR
ATTENTION
ATTENTION: POUR REDUIRE LES RISQUES D'ELECTROCUTION
NE PAS ENLEVER LE COUVERCLE. AUCUNE PIECE INTERNE
N'EST REPARABLE PAR L'UTILISATEUR. POUR TOUTE
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EPARATION, S'ADRESSER A UN TECHNICIEN QUALIFIE.
ELEKTRISCHE SCHLAGGEFAHR
NICHT OFFNEN
VORSICHT
VORSICHT: ZUR MINIMIERUNG ELEKTRISCHER SCHLAGGE-
FAHR NICHT DEN DECKEL ABNEHMEN. INTERNE TEILE KONNEN
NICHT VOM BENUTZER GEWARTET WERDEN. DIE WARTUNG
IST QUALIFIZIERTEM WARTUNGSPERSONAL ZU UBERLASSEN.
READ AND SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS.
HEED ALL WARNINGS.
This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts the user to the presence of uninsulated dangerous
voltage within the product’s enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a
isk of electric shock to persons.
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This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts the user to important operating and maintenance
nstructions in the accompanying literature. Read the manual.
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This unit is powered by potentially hazardous voltage. Therefore,
observe the following safety precautions:
1. Read and follow all instructions before
using product.
2. Do not use product near water (such as
near a bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, swimming pool, in a wet basement, etc.).
3. Unit should be located so that its location
or position does not impede the flow of air
through the ventilation openings.
4. Product should be located away from heat
sources such as radiators, heat registers, or
other products, including amplifiers, that produce heat.
5. Product should be connected to a power
supply only of the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on the product.
6. Protect the power cord from being walked
on or pinched particularly at plugs, convenience receptacles, and the point where
they exit from the unit.
7. Do not allow objects or liquids to penetrate the enclosure through openings.
8. During heavy use, chassis may get hot to the touch. Handle with care.
9. Protect unit from strong impact.
10. Unplug product before cleaning. Never spray liquid cleaners into the amp: wipe
with a clean, lint-free cloth to remove dirt and film.
11. Only use attachments/accessories specified by the manufacturer.
12. This product should be used only with a cart or stand that is
recommended by the manufacturer. When a cart is used, use caution when moving the cart/product combination to avoid injury
from tipping over.
13. Amplifiers may be capable of producing high volume levels
that could cause permanent hearing loss or damage, if the exposure to such levels is prolonged. Such damage is progressive and irreversible! If you
experience any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, consult an audiologist.
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14. Unplug unit during lightning storms or when unused for long periods of
time.
15. This unit must be earth grounded. To reduce the risk of electric shock, NEVER
remove or otherwise attempt to defeat the ground pin of the power cord. If the provided plug does not fit into your outlet, consult an electrician for replacement of the
obsolete outlet.
WARNING: To avoid the risk of fire, electric shock or injury, do not expose this unit
to rain or moisture. Do not remove the chassis from its cabinet, or remove metal covering from chassis parts. Removing the chassis from its cabinet exposes extremely
dangerous high voltages. There are no user-serviceable parts inside. Hazardous voltages are present inside the chassis. Refer all servicing to qualified personnel.
CAUTION: Never modify the power cord. If original power cord becomes damaged,
frayed, or has exposed wires, replace immediately with same rating and gauge, or
higher. Replacements are commercially available or you can contact Tech 21 directly.
WARNING: Attempting to repair this unit is not recommended and may void its
warranty. NOTE: In the U.S. and Canada, servicing is performed at factory only. In
other countries, please refer repairs to the local Tech 21 authorized distributor.
FUSE
Fuse holder is located inside A/C cord receptacle. You must disconnect
and remove power cord to change fuse. Replace with similar type
and same value: 100V and 117V units: use F 8A L
230V and 240V units: use F 5A L
QUICK START AND STOP INSTRUCTIONS
QUICK START: Here’s how to get your VT Bass 1000 up and running before read-
ing the entire manual. Note: By not reading the manual, you’ll miss out on how to get
the most out of your new investment!
1. Plug the VT Bass 1000 head into speaker cabinet(s). Cabs must be rated for total
of 1000W RMS minimum at 4Ω or 600W RMS minimum at 8Ω.
2. Attach the AC cord to the amp and plug into a wall socket.
3. Plug your instrument into the front panel Input jack (on the left side).
4. Make sure the Level control on each channel is turned down. Then turn on the VT
Bass 1000 and adjust the Level controls accordingly.
5. Play your bass and you should hear a sound coming through the amp. If not, check that
your guitar’s volume control is turned up, recheck your connections, and be sure your
cable isn’t faulty. If there is still no sound, refer to factory or qualified technician.
QUICK STOP: After shutting off the VT Bass 1000 (or any amplifier), wait at least 10
seconds before turning it back on.
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Tech 21, the Company
VT Bass 1000, an Overview
Tech 21 was formed by a guitarist possessing the unusual combination of a
trained ear and electronics expertise. In 1989, B. Andrew Barta incorporated
Tech 21 and made his unique invention commercially available to players and
studios around the world. His highly-acclaimed SansAmp™ pioneered Tube
Amplifier Emulation in professional applications for recording direct and per-
forming live, and created an entirely new category of signal processing. While
there have since been many entries into this niche, SansAmp continues to
maintain its reputation as the industry standard.
With a full line of SansAmp models, Tech 21 also offers effect pedals and
MIDI products, as well as “traditional” style amplifiers for guitar and bass.
Each product is thoughtfully and respectfully designed by Andrew himself
with the player in mind. Our goal is to provide you with flexible, versatile tools
to cultivate, control, refine and redefine your own individual sound. Tech 21
takes great pride in delivering consistent professional quality sound, studio to
studio, club to club, arena to arena.
The VT Bass 1000 bass amp head is a 2-channel, 2-rackspace adaptation of
its pedal counterpart, the SansAmp Character Series VT Bass. The heart of
the VT Bass 1000 is the analog warmth of the SansAmp emulation circuitry
that was designed to recreate the powerful tones of Ampeg®-style stacks.
Each channel features a powerful 3-band
active
EQ section and a full-range
Drive control to dial in your desired tone. The unique, continuously-variable
Character control moves seamless between decades of different voicings. It
alters the entire sonic structure of the sound, from thick flip-top funk, to
indie rock snarl, to deep tectonic distortion.
For studio and live applications, our proprietary, 100% analog SansAmp
Tube Amplifier Emulation technology enables you to go straight into the
mixer of a recorder or PA system via the XLR Direct Output.
The included Footswitch further expands the VT Bass 1000’s capabilities. In
addition to being able to remotely change channels, there is a MUTE switch
which allows you to silently tune your instrument, and a MIX function to
simultaneously
engage both channels, yielding 3 footswitchable sounds.
The VT Bass 1000 offers bootylicious tones for fearless pro players yearning
to jump ship from the status quo.
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FRONT PANEL
The VT Bass 1000 is designed with active controls, which boost and cut, rather than
traditional passive controls which only cut. This effectively doubles many of the control’s capabilities, giving you a much larger range of adjustability and, ultimately,
more variety. It should be noted that you need not necessarily set everything at max
to achieve maximum results. As you experiment and become familiar with the interrelationship of the controls, you’ll easily be able to customize your own sounds.
Channel Selector Switch
Manually switches between channels when there’s no cable plugged into the rear
panel Footswitch jack. To remotely change channels, use the included Footswitch or
any standard latching footswitch. It will override the manual selector switch. (For
more information, refer to page 8.)
Gain
A 10dB gain boost to set up the pre-amp for different pickups.
For example, with lower output passive pickups, you can have
punchier sounds with Gain engaged. Conversely, with higher
output active pickups, you can have a cleaner sound with
Gain disengaged. Of course, you can also obtain over-the-top
distortion by using high output pickups with Gain engaged.
Character
Sweeps through an entire range of tonal possibilities associated with the Ampeg®style family of amplifiers. In addition to modifying the frequency response, the
Character control also influences the attack and drive that are characteristic to this
particular amplifier style. Therefore, you may need to adjust your gain and tone settings after tweaking the Character control.
Level
Acts as a master volume and is interactive with the Drive control. For clean sounds,
set Level at max and control the overall level with the Drive control. For dirty sounds,
use Drive to set up the overall amount of distortion and Level for the overall output.
Input Jack
Faithful to the original designs of traditional tube amplifiers, this 1/4" Input is high
impedance 1MΩ. The typically additional low sensitivity input, however, is not needed
due to the Gain switch.
GUIDE TO CONTROLS
Drive
Adjusts the overall amount of gain and overdrive, similar to when the output section
of a tube amp is being pushed. The first half of the rotation will increase the volume
as well as the overdrive.
Bass, Mid and Treble
This powerful EQ section is like having a studio mixing board at your fingertips. Bass,
Mid and Treble are active tone controls that cut or boost ±12dB from unity gain at 12
o’clock. Bass is tuned to 125 Hz; Mid is tuned to 500 Hz; Treble frequency is 3.2 kHz.
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REAR PANEL
FUSE
Replace with similar type and same value:
100 and 120V units use: F 8A L
230 and 240V units use: F 5A L
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Fuse holder located inside A/C cord receptacle. You
must disconnect and remove power cord to change fuse.
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Speakon®Speaker Outputs
Wired in parallel. Total load: Min. 4Ω, 1000W RMS.
These high quality locking plugs ensure maximum
power transfer and provide secure connections.
Reminder, Cabinets must be rated:
1000 watts RMS (minimum load) @ 4Ω
600 watts RMS (minimum load) @ 8Ω
SansAmp™ XLR Direct Out
For recording, the SansAmp XLR output is like having a built-in direct box. You can
go direct to the board and get the same sound you hear coming out of the speakers
right onto tape or disc. The SansAmp circuitry not only captures the warm, rich, natural harmonics and sweet overdrive characteristics inherent to tube amplifiers, its
speaker emulation encompasses all aspects of multiply-miked tube amp rigs.
For live gigs, you can use this output direct into the PA system and you won’t need a
microphone in front of the amp. And you won’t have to subject the audience to a
sterile, muddy, or boomy bass tone.
Tuner Output
As long as the unit is plugged in, the tuner output provides a constant, unaffected
signal at all times, regardless of the position of the Level controls or the status of the
Mute button on the Footswitch. This output can also be used as a buffered out to
send a transparent signal to other outboard gear.
TRIPLE-FUNCTION FOOTSWITCH
The Footswitch further expands the VT Bass 1000’s capabilities:
•CHANNEL remotely switches between the two channels.
•MUTE allows you to silently tune your guitar or change instruments.
•MIX engages both channels simultaneously, giving you three footswitchable
sound options.
Level Selector Switch
Allows you to connect the VT Bass 1000 via the XLR Output to other equipment with
a variety of signal levels:
0dB position. Line-level output.
-10dB position. Pads down the line-level signal by 10dB.
Ground Lift
Connects or disconnects the ground circuits between the XLR Output of the amp and
the mixer. We recommend starting with the ground lifted. If necessary, connect the
ground by pushing the button in.
Pre-Amp Output
Effects Loop Send.
Power Amp Input
Effects Loop Return.
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Corresponding LED indicators let you know the status of each switch. The
Footswitch is powered via the cable, so batteries are not required. And, unlike most
amps which require a custom multi-pin connector, this Footswitch is engineered to
utilize
any standard 1/4” instrument or speaker cable. You can easily replace the
cable should you lose it, or purchase different cable lengths to suit your particular
needs.
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USING WITH ACTIVE BASSES
Active electronics have higher output and typically generate more noise. To compensate, we recommend lowering the volume on your bass. Additionally, experiment with
using flat EQ settings and/or decreasing the Drive, Character and Treble controls.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR RACKMOUNTING
1. Unplug unit. Remove top cover. Install rack ears with provided hardware. Replace
top cover.
2. If there isn’t enough clearance at the bottom of the rack case, detach the rubber
feet simply by removing the screws.
OPTIONAL 4X10 SPEAKER CABINET
(Model #B410-VT)
• 8Ω / 500 watts handling
• Four cast frame, custom-
designed 10” speakers
• Rear vented
• Speakon®connectors
• 1/4” connectors
• Dimensions: 24”w x 24”h x 16”d
• Weight: 70 lbs.
VT Bass 1000 SPECIFICATIONS
Note: With on-going product development and improvements, specifications and/or
the cosmetic appearance of this unit may change without prior notice.
Replacement parts are available, i.e., knobs, logo plate, handles, etc. For more
information, please contact your authorized dealer or Tech 21.
Model Number: VTB-1000
Input Impedance: 1MΩ
Nominal Input Level: -20dBm
Optimal Output Load: 4Ω
Power Output: 1000 watts RMS (minimum load) @ 4Ω
600 watts RMS (minimum load) @ 8Ω
Power Amp Input Impedance: 1MΩ
Power Amp Input Level: approx. -20dBm
Pre-Amp Output Impedance: 1kΩ
Pre-Amp Output Level: approx. -10dB*
XLR Output Level (selectable): 0 to -10dBm
Maximum Power Consumption: approx. 1500VA
AC Input Power (factory set): 110V, 117V, 230V, 240V
NOTE: AC power cannot be switched.
Each unit is constructed for specific voltages.
Cycles: 50/60 Hz
Dimensions: 17”w x 3.5”h x 11”d / Overall depth: 11.25”
Weight: 12 lbs.
Optional Accessories: • 4x10 Speaker Cabinet (Model #B410-VT) and
corresponding optional black vinyl cover with
white logo (Model #VC-B410)
*
Actual levels will vary with your settings.
®
Registered trademarks.
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