Rocktron VooDu Valve

It's maybe not the easiest, maybe due to the big number of parameters. But once you get used to it you realize the hugeness of intervention possible on sound.

I had/have several kinds of preamps and virtual preamps; but whenever i come back to voodu i can notice how different it deals with your playing touch, responsive and with that little tube warmness. The effects are good, not the best maybe, but good. The ability to control up to 8 midi controllers together makes it unbeatable in versatility for a pedalboard (i use it with a FCB1010). One of my best buys, without a doubt.

I depend on it, at last

Never dealed with

I play mainly rock, and love Vai and friends. I've been able to achieve very good and similar sounds.

I`ve got this unit for about 2 years... For the first time there were a little problems to get the desired sound. Now I can do anything with this... Editing function is very wide, you can tune your sound like you want, including all details (thanx to the great eq section)... Manual for this unit is really good. It includes all useful information...
I`ve "upgraded" my VooDu... No, that`s not upgrade... it`s just like "tuning"... I have bought it with an Audio Classic 12AX7 and have chenged it on the Engl tube...

My set is:
Jackson Kelly Custom Shop (DiMarzio Evolution in bridge & DiMarzio FRED in neck position) -> Jim Dunlop Cry Baby 535Q -> Rocktron VooDu Valve -> Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 100 (into "return") -> Marshall 1960 ASL (4x12" Cabinet, Slash Signature) + sometimes I use the t.c.electronic G-Major after VooDu...
OK, about noise... you are kidding? With the HUSH you will never hear it... It seems to be an ideal in the noice reducing...
Some words about effects... Preamp section is great... I like this character of distortion... Much more than other... But there are some problems (IMHO) in the speaker simulation... It is not so good for me - the sound becames... eeeh... such as it`s dead:) when you turn it off and plug the unit into combo (or stack) - you have no problems. The modulation effects seems to be good. But I prefer to use the t.c.electronic...

You can go to the war with it... And it will work... Nothing to say - very good...

On the rocktron.com you can download some presets... Some of them are very useful and very close to the famous guitarist`s sounds (such as Yngwie, Dime, Hendrix, Satch etc.)... I think, that it`s a good idea.
One thing... I live in Russia... Here is the ~220V, and I`ve purchased the VooDu from USA, where is ~127V... I`ve tryed to order the europeian adapter, and it is very long story... That`s the minus...

I play a lot of styles... From blues to the brutal metal styles... This unit works great for all of the music styles... No problems...
Sometimes I think about Triaxis&t.c.electronic G-Force, but it`s more expencive than the VooDu... May be... sometimes... but now I`m pleasured with the Rocktron unit...
Good quality/sound... In this price range, I think it`s the best...

This is the best processor still available on the market.
They are still being manufactured in Korea and include original presets with better dynamic range chips. Lowered the digital aliasing as well by adding an optical noise reducer to the hush circuitry.
The manual is pretty much straight ahead.
Mine is this years model but not sure how to access the firmware #.

Using a music man Luke with a 4x12 marshall cab. I bought two velocity 100's and parallel them. This absolutely rocks!
I dig the Luke sounds and the VH sounds.
The ditortions are pristeen and over the top edge.

This is a sturdy unit! I dropped mine a half a dozen times (it is enclosed in a 4 space roto rack). It never flinched. Took a lickin' and keeps on tickin'.
Don't need a backup. This thing is solid.

Since GHS took over they are not as apt to be more Rocktron as before. They make so many other products that it's become a bit of a corporate maze and the people you talk to are nothing more than customer service minimum wage folks.

Matches all styles except the dreaded country.
Played all my life. Owned a bunch a gear til I got the VDVALVE
Would buy it twice over
This is the tone shaper I searched for the last 25 years. Easy to get there and like a rocket when it takes off. People in the audience are just blown away from the sound I get from it.
Play a lot of Steve Lukather style and when I rip out the solos on Farenheit, I'll be over you etc. you would swear that SL was in da house.

My stage guitars are of several variaties and pickup combinations, with my main ax being a '91 Steinberger GM4TA with EMG 81 & SA's.
I'm running the VooDu into a Marshall EL84 20/20 into Marshall 1960 cabs.
The VooDu will cover any style of music, only limited by the user's ability to program the unit to taste. On high gain settings, there's more crunch than you can probably use, and with the Hush built in it's got the quietest high-gain sounds that I've ever heard.

Mine is the VooDu Man model that I bought as a factory demo in 1997.
After having used a variety of amps and effects over the years, the VooDu remais unmatched for features in a one-space unit.
1. 254 channels with zero-dropout switching via non-proprietary midi controller.
2.Unmatched preamp and tone versatility.
3. DSP effects including Phaser, Wah, Hush, Flange, Pitch shift, Delay, Reverb, tremolo, and chorus.
4. Line outs for poweramp, balanced outs for going direct, using a completely adjustable speaker sim.
5. Built like a tank.

I've had it since '97, and other than changing the tube occasionally, the unit is almost bulletproof. Once, the rack it was in fell out of the back of a moving truck at 35mph. The rack's lid popped off, and the rack went rolling down the road, bounsing on the face occasionally. When I opened up the unit, there was no damage to the VooDu (which is built like a brick) other than scratched knobs and one iffy pot. When I called Rocktron to order a few parts, I told them the story about my out-of-warranty VooDu, and they sent me the parts for free.

Customer support, for all Rocktron gear that I've owned, is always better than I expect form a corporation.

Playing professionaly for 20+ years, I have really tried to check out other gear, like the Line 6, Boogie, Marshall, Digitech, and on and on. While I like the tone of the Marshall JMP1, the VooDu preamp and effects package combined with 8-parameater real-time control can not be matched in one rack-space. If mine were lost I would not hesitate in getting another. I'm looking for another one for my studio.
There are s few things I wish it had, but they are minor and not worth mentionaing.
For more info, check out the VooDu Valve discussion board:
http://p097.ezboard.com/bvooduvalve

I love the interface. It does exactly what it's supposed to; it let's you tweak every parameter; and every adjustment is similar.
Once you get the hang of it, it's a breeze ( says the doctoral student in computer engineering! )

The best I've tried. This is the only product that could come close to my all tube class A amp. I believe I have finally found the "holy grail" solution. ( With one minor exception, which is the very slight digital buzzing or zippering noise as a strum fades into the noise floor. This is not going to be a problem for me live, because it won't be heard. And I don't think it will prevent me from using it in my studio, because my digital mixer has the same problem!)

don't know - just got it.

don't know - just got it.

I wish I had known about this box a long time ago. The only real design issue I have is that the speaker simulator can be enabled/disabled for right/left or both. My guess here is that they figured you'd record on one channel, and use the other for live. They should have made the enable/disable based on the output, since they provide unbalanced outs for live play, and balanced outs for recording. I would like to have spk sim disabled on the unbal'd and enabled on the XLRs.

The bashing of Rocktron must stop! The Voodoo Valve is probably in fact the most quality, preamp/processor available for the price. Bar none!
The unit just out of the box is great in and by itself! Add a little tweak here and there and you probably can't beat it any where!
Why the one guys bitch about "the unit turns itself on and off" should have had it fixed instead of being the leader of the processor bash.Buy one of these babes today and you'll be rockin in paradise!

Stellar quality! Motorola has been the innovator for world class DSP(Eventide, G-force etc.).

Dependable and audience captivating! Would not use a backup with this unit. Covers all genres!

Rocktron is very customer oriented despite it's growth. You just have to talk to the right people to get all your questions resolved!

I play a John Petrucci style. The Voodoo is the perfect match. I have been playing for 30 years (20 of which have been professional).
I would buy this unit as many times as it needed replacing.
I love the presets, and the ability to go on line and download more.
There is a slight learning curve, but once you get it dowm at home, and gig with it, you are in tone heaven(the crowd too will love you).
I have had virtually every processor available, and the Rocktron stuff beats all hands down!

This preamp/effects processor is not the easiest to use. It takes some time getting used to. But, once you spend time reading through the very comprehensive manual you can become a pro. Take your time. Get to know it, and then it becomes second nature. I have one of the first versions made in the USA. Bought about ten years ago. Works like a charm. This is the same unit as the online version without the online software. You can go to Rocktron.com patch bay and download the editor (free) and then buy an inexpensive midi port and do the same downloading and uploading of patches.

I use a Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson CS 356, Ibanez RG 440 Roadstar, and a Taylor 614CE. I run the Voodu Valve through a Mesa Boogie 50/50 into a Marshall JCM Lead 1960 4x12 with stock 75's split in stereo. All this is run through a Furrman Power Conditioner. Switching is done with a Rocktron MIDI Mate. This unit is very quiet due to the HUSH system. The effects are very plush. The wah however, is not as nice as the real deal but if you tweak the EQ settings on the wah, you can get some nice sounds. I play mainly Progressive Rock. Rush, Yes, Genesis. I am in an original band that plays progressive rock and this unit handles it nicely. If you play progressive rock, you need a unit that can bring up different overdrive and effects settings within one song. So, being able to program this thing and then call up multiple effects, EQ, and preamp settings is a must. If you are interested in some Rush presets. I can send them to you if you email me. They are pretty close. I used to be in a Rush cover band. I am writing this review now because I was recently in search of the Holy Grail of preamps so that I could get that perfect sound. I had noticed that the Voodu had very nice overdrive and distortion, but that the clean sounds were just too clean and thin. I wanted a beefier clean. I tried Marshall JCMs, Fender Deluxe, Mesa Boogie Triaxis, Tripple Rect, Budda Twin, Line 6 Flextone III, Line 6 Vetta and I could not seem to find the perfect amp. The Mesa Boogie Triaxis was the closest thing and I almost bought it, but while in Guitar Center I had my rack unit with me and plugged the Triaxis into the Mesa 50/50. I then decided since I had the Voodu Valve in the rack that I would compare it. I was able to get pretty much every sound that the Triaxis made except for the fatter clean sounds. The Guitar Center tech came over and said, "Wow, that Triaxis sounds really nice." I told him it was the Voodu and he said, "So, why do you want to get rid of it?" So, I decided to keep the Voodu. I have since changed the tube to a Solvtek primarily because the original was ten years old and to warm it up a bit from the stock Chinese tube. I also had a very minor change done by adding a resistor at the input stage to fatten up the signal. It now sounds amazing. I even tried the Rocktron Prophesy which is a very excellent unit, but considering that I would have to pay about $1,000.00 for it, it certainly is not several hundred dollars better than the Voodu. I also like how versitle the Voodu is in designing your own sound from the ground up. The Prophesy has four different amp configuartions to choose from all of which the Voodu can capture quite nicely.

I have owned this unit for ten years and have never had one problem with it. It is built very well and has always worked fine. I have gigged many a time with no back up and would probably still do the same.

I have dealt with Rocktron many times to get answers about programming and product info. I have never had a bad experience with them. I had trouble with removing the chasis to replace the tube and they had me send it to them to fix for very cheap. They sent it back within a week perfectly done. Very helpful and very concerned to make me happy. Remember, this is a unit that is ten years old.

WIth playing progressive rock, you can't find a better match. I must have a preamp and effects processor that can change sounds quickly and seemlessly and this unit delivers. It would be nice for this thing to get the sounds of all my favorite amps, but that is just not possible unless you own them all and can lift several hundred pounds every gig with no problems. The modeling stuff is nice, but can never fully capture true tube warmth and does not have the versitility of custom designing your sound as the Voodu does. I have been playing for 25 years and ten of those years have been with the Voodu. It has been a great companion. I took this long to write, because I didn't feel it was necessary until I was out looking to replace it with something that could get a beefier clean, but with the new tube and a small modification with the addition of a resister at the input stage, I got what I was looking for. I give a 8 here because of the modifications I had to do in order to get it exact and the recording capabilities are not as nice as my LIne 6 POD XT Live. The Line 6 guys have nailed some of the amp and cab simulators that make this much easier with the POD than the Voodu. The Voodu does have cab simulators and XLR outs for recording which is nice, but then you have to tweak the patches to dial up just the right sound fro direct recording, with the Line 6 stuff, doing that kind of stuff is much easier. But, I never intended the Voodu to be used with recording. It is my live rig and it works great. Once you get used to using this unit, it really does become very easy and is very inspiring to writing music. If it were lost or stolen, I would have to buy a new one and do the same mods and then upload all of my saved patches from my computer. I would hunt down the culprit and in addition to a life sentence in jail listening to Linda Rondstat records, I would have the judge sentence him to re-program all of the sounds exactly as I had them from the ground up. A very tedious process for those that are familiar with writing patches.

Still reading and experiencing sounds and endless limits to tonal shapes and colors..its EASY as the gentleman below stated plug it in and start playing don't bash this unit...

HotDammmn!!!!!.....the gentleman below is absof***inglutely correctomundo..just need to read more to dial in the sounds of Lynch, Becker, Dr. E.V. Halen....I am going to challenge you though the Peavey TUBEFEX is its rival in sound quality I dialed in all Halen Sounds....and got some crazy Lynch..and Becker.tunes..it got stolen

RELIABLE.....its my Partner in Crime Friends and neighbors think I have a bunch of amps..I can only give this Biatch a "10"

can't but I am going to soon I am missing buttons due to my pesky nephew named "Monster"

I'd like to know where I can talk to guys/gals that have setting or tips on how to dial in sounds if you have the old voodu valve that does not offer the on-line version

very complex : the beginner should stay away or contact a friend that SHOULD own one (every one should)this is the best preamp I've ever known but it is very sophisticated---

I use this with an Ibanez guitar with a seymour duncan jb in the bridge, and run direct into the mixer.the speaker simulator is so close to micing the cabinet it is unreal!!!! it cracks me up how some people bash this unit and beleive me I think it is funny...not that they are bashing but how stupid and lazy some people are.--hey idiot! - you must plug the guitar in to get a good sound...do you need me to show you? I mean read some of these reveiws that give them a 1 on sound quality !!??ANYONE who has played a properly set up voodu valve knows that there is NOTHING better...I challenge anyone to come up with a better sound in ANY preamp than a properly set up voodu valve. if you need a reveiw listen...buy one and there are alot of cool people on the web that use one and would love to help you set it up.go to the midi preset page..you wont find a better tube /glassy thick sound that this...the whole key is in the incredible equilizer!!you need to boost your volume , then sweep until you find the good frequency, back it down flat--every time. low, mid,highs and the presence. once you find the frequency dial the "Q" until you hear it clean up ...loads of gain,great effects...really super preamp..its a shame I can only give mine a "10"

built like a safe!!! steel chassis,thick front glass LED. very impressive

I deal with them to figure out the chain of effects and using it and I bug a certain gentleman alot and he doesnt mind. very professional, and another 10!

10 ---play metal (king diamond, children of bodom,megadeth,etc)great match for clean or dirty...I even plugged my little cousins crap 25 dollar garage sale guitar into mine and it sounded good...like an old friend--its always there for me

There is a learning curve to this thing. It takes a little while to get used to the 3-knob setup. But once you get used to it, you'll be twisting knobs like a pro! There are TONS of parameters that can be adjusted for each effect. It's easy to get good sounds, as it doesn't really do anything poorly. The manual is detailed with some good illustrations.

Awesome sound! Most of the presets are for rock and metal. But with a name like ROCKTRON, what did you expect?! And it does high gain sounds VERY well. However, this is not the only good setting. It sounds FABULOUS clean. I love to set it clean, but crank the output to slam the front end of a tube amp. In this way, it can work like a "clean boost." The output of this thing can get LOUD, even at the lowest clean settings, so you can really make your tubes dance.

I use a G&L ASAT or S-500 into the VooDu Valve and then into a Fender Hot Rod DeVille (60w 4x10) or a Peavey Delta Blues (30w 1x15). Or, with stereo output, I can run into both at the same time!

It's not noisy at all, and the Hush noise gate keeps it under control even in high gain settings. The delay sounds excellent. I really love using short delay times for a slapback echo sound. SURF and ROCKABILLY are no problem here! The chorus is good too, and can go from a quick warbly sound to a long dreamy sound. I also used the wah function with a MIDI foot controller and expression pedal. It's pretty good... certainly better than your usual Dunlop or other inexpensive wah pedal. It probably can't compete with high end wahs, but it's not bad overall. I honestly didn't use many of the other DSP effects, so I can't comment much about them. My band and music didn't call for many effects. I like a good straightforward tone.

This is a DSP/Tube Preamp. As I said the DSP effects are good, but the preamp is really where the great tone comes from. Set clean, it's like playing the biggest guitar in the world. It lets the sound of your guitar come through without coloring it up, but with such richness and BALLS, that you'll think your guitar must be 50 feet high! Set it to high gain sounds, and you can have any tone you want. From scooped-mid metal rythym to thick, creamy Santana leads, it's all here.

I kept it in a 3-rack-space padded bag. It has been tossed into dozens of cars and trucks and has seen many miles. It has never broken down in several years of practice and gigs, and I always played w/o a backup. I trust it without question.

N/A

I played in a two bands and played a wide variety of music. From Jimmy Buffet to Sid Vicious and everything in-between. Classic rock, folk, punk, country, you-name-it we-played-it.

I had a few tones which were vital. First, a clean tone w/ delay for most clean parts. Great twang with my Tele. Lots of quack with my Strat. Second, a similar sound, but with some dirt on it. Great for blues and rockabilly. Great crunch! Third, a high gain sound for the hard stuff. Third, a high gain sound for the heavy stuff. Basically, it could do anything.

But now I have moved and gone back to school, so I have downsized my rig. I play guitar by myself in my office now, so I just don't need a big setup anymore. I sold it a few months ago, but I would not hesitate to get another one.

The VooDu Valve really helped me to make music. The preamp adds a fullness and richness that I have not heard from any other preamp pedal or DSP. The effects are great too. Get one!