Demeter VT-201

Very easy and subtle passive EQ. pure analog all tube tone, very beautifull tone. no manual included and to my suprise, this was a problem.

Played through my bass rig as follows>> Modulus Q4 w/emg's>> VTBP 201s (balance out-MIC LEVEL ONLY)>>(bal. in)DBX 160A compressor(bal. out)>>(bal. in)stuart world 1.2>> EBS 410 cab. oh so nice!! sounds beautifull. This rig is a tone factory, it's just drop dead gorgeous!! the vtbp is the heart and soul of this rig and more specifically... the tubes. I plan on replacing the originals (electro harmonics) with some real vintage telefunkens <> bottoms and all. dont worry the originals sound great!!

The reliability of this unit resides ONLY in the tubes. Invest in good vintage tubes, and they will take a beating cause they were built that way back then. Stick with new ones.. save some $ and take the risk. it's up to you.

UNBELEIVABLE.

I bought this unit and made a mistake because I needed a unit with balanced line level output(-10db)... which I thought it had. But since there is no manual available for the unit because of it's simplicity, I misenterpreted "balanced studio output" as said on the Demeter website. This is a mic level(+4db)output that is not compatible (or useable rather) with my stuart power amp because it's to quiet. Solution- Phoned Demeter and they said I could send trade my two month old vtbp in for a new HBP-1 for the difference in cost! ummmm. let me think....O.k.!! The beauty of small companies vs. big companies.... Great Costomer support, and Quality Manufacturing vs. "Who Are You Again??" and "Well..that's just the way we makem'"

Da Bomb Preamp. Try one.

The controls are as simple as they come, and there is no questions on how to set it up.

I play a '77 musicman, an excellent soudning bass, so I do not add much eq. The eq. that I do add is very subtle, and only adds to the sound of the instrument. I play it through a mackie power amp and eden 210xlt, so it would be obvious if it sounded bad.

I haven't had any problems, but tubes always make me a little worried.

I've never had to use it.

I play a large amount of jazz, r&b, and blues, and I could not have asked for a better preamp to enhance my sound. I've been using the demeter for a little over a year for recording sessions, and a little less than that on gigs and not a session/gig goes by without someone asking about the tone. I like the simple controls and would not want it to come with many more features. I think it is important to know that this amp will bring out all the subleties of your playing. That can be good or bad depending on the person, but the tone is extremely balance and rich. An overall great amp.

The unit is very very easy to use. Controls are simple and to the point. There was no manual included with the pre-amp however, and I did have a few questions which required me to ask the company directly.

I am using this Pre-Amp in the following fashion: Instrument (Zon Sonus Special V) -> dbx 266xl compressor -> Behringer Ultrafex II Enhancer -> Demeter VT-201 Pre-Amp -> Carvin VT750 Amp -> Acme Sound low B-2 speaker. The Pre-Amp is totaly silent, i can not detect any noise or unwanted interfearance. The controls however do not offer much for sound shaping. They are very subtle. If you do not have a good sounding bass already it will not help you. However if you do have a good sounding instrument it will sweeten the tone greatly. I have no problems with my Zon, but my Ibanez bass actualy sounds worse then if i plug into a different Amp.

I have had no problems with the unit. However since it is a tube pre-amp i would have a back up at a gig just in case it is damaged.

I have had a few questions and have been able to get them answered by the company directly. However the lack of manual is a big no-no in my opnion.

I play varied styles from Progressive Rock, to Jazz, New Age, Funk. Basicly everything.. :) It is a good match for any style I play, except if you are looking for a tube-overdriven sound which it can't do. I have been playing for 6 years. I own two basses, a Zon and a Ibanez (both 5 strings), SKB racks, dbx compressors, Behringer enhancers, Carvin power amps, Acme Sound and Hartke cabs, Alesis keyboard sound modules, Roland keyboards, Tascam recording equipment, Cakewalk Pro Audio software, Rexer and Samson wireless units. If my unit was lost i would replace it imediatly with the same thing. The one thing I love about it is the sweetness it brings to my bass, while being transparent and not adding alot of stuff that wasn't there. I compared this unit to the Alembic FX-1, and Eden, SWR amps. I choose it because of the sound quality and simplicity