I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

[P I K A]

Hey guys I scored a VV USA model and I got the manual with it but its got many pages. I won't get a chance to try this out till later but does anyone have some favorite settings I can try just to get started and make sure it works?Hi gain settings [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

Factory settings on that things are horrid, you must take lotsa time and tweak it. This will be time VERY well spent as this preamp has a lot to offer if you unlock what it can do. Most of the coolness is in the extremely tweakable pre and post EQ stuff. This gets deep, and you will just have to experiment. Its EQ stuff is very powerful and useful, take a lot of time playing with is.

The big key to getting a good chunky tight crunch out of that unit is to pull the bass totally out of the pre-EQ and boost the bass almost full in the Post-EQ. This tightens the sounds tremendously and gives a very cool edge to it when using a bit of heavy distortion. The rest of the EQ setting are your choice as to what sounds good. The bass thing is the main important trick with it.

I kept the Variac off, it was not my fav. Flubbed the tone a bit I though.

I used the distortion on the heaviest tube setting, and kept the distortion dialed back to say 62 or less. Much more than that flubbed the sound a bit.

If you do happen to get inside the unit, check the tube, factory is a JAN GE 5751, some people change it to a 12ax7, and that is IMO a nono. The 5751 sounds much better as a 12ax7 is just too much gain.

The speaker emulator is cool, but use the full range setting, and be easy on the resonance.

I prefer to use my own external effects with it and use the VV for it's distortion. But, the thing has some quite useful and decent effects, just play with them, factory settings are also weak there as well.

That might get you a little progress. Again, tweak tweak tweak. There is a nice preamp hidden in the lame factory presets. And just give up and don't discount this unit, it's pretty cool, and would be my choice in a sorta low cost rig.

[P I K A]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

Thanks John I knew you would chime in sooner or later. I'm taking that advice and will give reports on the unit later on in the week. 100 + pages is a lot of reading but I'll do some experimenting. Thanks for the input I wanted to get started and not have to take weeks to start to get a good tone.

[pro-fusion]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

John, how would you compare the VV to a Piranha, strictly in terms of sound quality? I've got a Chameleon 2000 at present, and I'm thinking of changing, even if it's just to an old blackface Chameleon or Pro-GAP, which both have the pre/post EQs, like on the VV. The Cham 2000 doesn't have that type of EQ, and it could sure use it...

[Cleveland Metal]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

Well, I've played them a few times and didn't like them... BUT, I also played the VV and didn't like it till I got one cheap and tweaked it a while.

The piranha doesn't have any effects in it if I remember right and although 99 presets of MIDI, it is basically 3 tube mode settings like clean, distorted, like really distorted, haha. The VV is a bit more optioned out.

The piranha does have TWO tubes compared to the VV having just one. Neither runs the tube at any good voltage as it should be ran, so both are actually lacking true tubeyness, but they still do ok as far as tone goes.

All in all, I'd say if you can ge a piranha for a good price, try the thing and see what you think of it once you tweak it a while. You might just like it a lot. I hear the piranha has a bit more dynamics than the VV which can sort of have a deadish sound in a certain resepct I guess.

I personally think I'd lean more to the VV as it seems like it is more versatile in the extra things that the piranha doesn't have like, speaker emulator, variac, more tube mode settings and controls for them and it does the cool phase shifter and some other effects I sort of like for times when you just plug it into a power amp or PA and don't have a outboard effect unit.

I've heard a lot of people prefer the VV distortion over the piranha, but, I'll figure it depends on the tweaking and what you're playing it through.

As always, look to older VV units that are made in the USA, the newer korean ones don't seem so great. All the Piranhas are USA I believe.

[pro-fusion]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

Thanks! I actually like the base sounds I get out of the Cham 2000, but it really does need more EQ flexibility to be what I want.

The effects aren't really a big deal to me because of the unusual setup I've got: I run the Cham dry and put a single output into an ADA Ampulator, and from there into the mixing board of my Akai DPS-12 recorder. The Ampulator makes all the difference, because it is a speaker simulator with a tube section that simulates the effect of a power amp on the sound, as well as the speaker cabinet. Creates a lot of heft and complexity to the sound that is lacking in the internal Rocktron speaker simulator. What sucks about the Voodu Valve and all of the Chameleon models is that they don't have effects loops. If they did, I'd run the Ampulator in the loop and use the Rocktron's internal effects. As it is, I use the internal effects in my Akai, which aren't as nice as the Rocktron effects. To get an fx loop in the current Rocktron line, you have to go all the way up to the Prophesy, which is way the hell over my budget.

Since I don't need the internal fx, I may pickup an old Pro-GAP, since I believe it is really just a Chameleon without the fx, and you can get them absolutely dirt cheap (under $100, if you are patient). Might go for a Voodu Valve, though, for the tube sound. Whichever way I go, I'll probably pick up an Intellifex to go in the signal chain after the Ampulator--I think the Rocktron effects are really high quality for the price.

[StuTDavis]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

Just to add a little to what John's saying...

As unit vs. unit by themselves, the Piranha is much more along the lines of a straight-tubey sound than the Voodu, to my ears. Which makes sense, since that's mostly what it is...cranked tubes without effects. If you've ever tried the Marshall JMP-1 preamp, the Piranha is like one of those, goosed a bit more, with a bit wider range into the metal sound. I can't remember exactly what the Piranha has on it...I think it's got a parametric mids and some sort of little exciter built into it? Anyway, when I tried one, it reminded me a good bit of a JMP-1 that could just nail further metal territory. Wouldn't mind having a lot of these preamp-only units to try in my rack again...I didn't really realize how to get the most out of them at the time when I was trying them.

The Voodu, on the other hand, while it doesn't sound as naturally tubey, has a much wider sound range than the Piranha. With those internal EQs, the Variac etc that John mentioned, it can go from a basic tubey kinda sound way up into ultra-scoopy thrash to mids-laden smooth solos etc etc. The only issue with the Voodu is that little strange artificial sound we've mentioned about it before.

Sounds like you're looking for a good, thick, tubey sound in there, with the units you're talking about, and the fact that you're using the Ampulator to add in that tubey power amp sound. In that case, I'd say I can make you feel better about the Prophesy being too expensive. I had one, and they really aren't very naturally tubey sounding to me. You'd get the same dynamics with more tube girth in the Voodu. Just wanted to say that...I know it always makes me feel better when I know that something expensive that I can't afford isn't as good as the cheaper unit for what I want. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

If you want to start off with more of a straight tubey sound and modify it with external EQs if necessary, the Piranha could be a good one. That's how quite a few of us on here are doing it--a basic tube preamp with no effects, then seperate EQs before and/or after the preamp.

Good luck! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Stu

[pro-fusion]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

Thanks for the info, Stu. I went in a bit of a different direction and just BINed an old Pro-GAP Ultra off of eBay. I'm not entirely sure about Rocktron's product history, but I believe the Pro-GAP was the predecessor to the Chameleon, only it's a strict pre, rather than pre + FX, and would seem to fit my needs very well--plus it's cheap enough that I can spring for an old Intellifex and still spend less than I would for a used Voodu Valve. The original Pro-GAP seems to have only allowed two different sweepable adjustment frequencies, but I believe the Ultra has the more fully realized pre and post EQ's that have been featured on the early Chameleons and the VV.

As I get more and more into extreme or power metal territory, I'm looking for a very crisp sound, rather than the tubey classic metal sound I would have wanted a few years ago. The Cham 2000 provides that crispness, but doesn't have as much adjustability as I'd like. The great thing about having a solid-state pre going into a tube power stage (or Ampulator, in my case) is that you retain the crispness and intensity of the solid-state sound, while adding the body and complexity of the tube stage. But I would really like the ability to do more sophisticated EQing, which I have lacked up till now.

If I don't like the Pro-GAP, I'll most likely pony up for a Voodu Valve. The Piranha doesn't really sound like what I'm looking for. Dynamics are great, but nowadays I always seem to end up compressing the hell out of everything, anyway! [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[StuTDavis]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

Yeah, that tube-meets-solid-state sound is basically what my sound is, too. Only I do it backwards of what you're talking about. I take the thick-all-tube preamp and basically use EQing, sound modifiers, compression and a little solid state distortion up front to sculpt some of the tubey sound out of it. You can tighten and crisp up tube sound very well this way.

I've tried it both ways, and found this to be the best for what I've tried. When I've tried to tube-up solid state sound, it always ended up seeming kinda weak and thin. However, crisping and tightening tube sound the way I do it can leave the tube girth and power in the sound intact, while adding in the more solid state characteristics as you want. Unfortunately, doing it my way tends to be a heavy money-soaker, and that's never the way anyone WANTS to have to go hehehe.

But, you never know, I've never tried a ProGap, so maybe that'll do just what you want--hope it does for you.

A friend of mine had a Cham 2000 several years ago, and I thought it sounded really good, myself. He was running it with a Mesa 50/50, I'd have loved to hear it with my Mesa 20/20 now. But he was also going out from there, of course, to a speaker cab. Your setup might sound completely different than his, being the setup itself is so vastly different.

Stu

[pro-fusion]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

The Cham2000 sounds fine, but it has a certain annoying high mid frequency that the regular EQ controls don't affect It definitely has more sensitivity to pick attack and authentic 'chunk' than any other solid-state preamp I've played. Another flaw is that the low-end is a bit 'indistinct' and flubby--I think the pre/post-EQ will fix that, as John indicated, by removing a bunch of the low end at the input and replacing it after the gain stage.

It has a distinctly "Rockman" quality when played through its own speaker simulator. My Ampulator juices it up a lot--most of the solid-state 'graininess' is removed, though not quite all. The Ampulator fattens up the sound so much, particularly if you push its tube section a bit, that I almost think it would be too much to use much of the tube stage on a Voodu Valve along with it.

[Ebbflow]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

I am really enjoying my Chameleon (Online version) and what everyone else mentioned is true, just take some time and tweak them. Having Pre and Post EQ's is a nice added feature as well. Pro-fusion I hope the Pro Gap works for you, I picked one up on the cheap and it had plenty of gain but I found the clean channel lacking. Yes, I hate to admit it but occasionlly I play clean. The Chameleon and VV have great clean settings! I even like the in between settings available where it sounds like it's just breaking up. The high gain does still have a SS graininess compared to my tube pre's but for the cost and features, my chameleon was a steal and the USA models are dead quite.

[pro-fusion]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

You know, I'm funny that way about clean channels. I record with them, as well, but I'm not nearly as picky about the sound as I am with distorted sounds. As long as I can get the sound reasonably loud and reasonably clean, I'm happy. I think that's mostly because I use cleans only to double complex chords or arpeggios to make them more discernable, or to stand alone in certain rhythm guitar sections. Either way, I'm not doing anything that requires a killer clean sound along the lines of a Matchless, or even a Roland JC.

The only problem I imagine having with the Pro-GAP along those lines is that it does not have a built-in compressor, which I find essential for getting good heavy metal-type clean sounds. I have an outboard fx unit with a decent compressor that I could insert between the guitar and the preamp, if necessary. I've also got a J-Station that I can use for recording clean sounds if I don't like the cleans in the Pro-GAP.

I wouldn't mind getting a stereo compressor unit that I could also use to juice up my drum machine recordings a bit, as well.

[pro-fusion]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

BTW, Ebb, since I don't get my Pro-GAP for a few more days, how would you compare the distortions in the Pro-GAP and the Chameleon? I'm guessing they are very similar, but I've never played a Pro-GAP before, so I'm flying blind here.

[Ebbflow]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

If memory serves me right, I don't believe they are that similiar but I honestly can't say. There are a few Holdsworth and Lukather presets but they did not impress. With enough twisting of knobs and pushing of buttons I'm sure you will dial in something. I have to admit I never spent much time with mine. Again at these prices they're practically giving the stuff away! Let me know.

[Axegrinder]

Re: I just got a Voodu Valve (settings)?

It's good that this post came up.I'm thinking about getting a VV. I was wondering,between the piranha and the VV,which one has the most extreme distortion?