What beyond Vypro?

A forum for discussing the Vypyr series amplifiers, Sanpera footswitches and share settings
dalrymple
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What beyond Vypro?

Post by dalrymple » Mon Apr 10, 2017 5:10 pm

Been nearly 4 years since the Vypyr Pro was first introduced, 2+ years since they've been in stores. It suffered a bumbling introduction, and was underwhelmingly embraced by the musical community. Especially Pro's, right?

I'll simply ask this question; How many of you have ever actually seen one(in person,not CL) not on a showroom floor? I still have not, and I see about 30- 40 guitar players every week at jams, gigs, lessons, etc. Not one.

Anyhoo, how bout that next gen, so tantalizingly alluded to by HP in an interview around the release of Vypro's to stores?
Kemperesque capabilities, tones galore, models and profiling, efx, great tone ,etc...

So, where are the flying cars we were promised when I was a kid?
Next gen? Hopefully this one launches better than the last one. thuddd.

I like what they tried to do with the Vypro. My only request is the same as last time. Tube version guys. You nailed it on the Vypyr 1 Tube 60 & 120. Just slap a tranny in there and some bottles, you know, to make it actually sound good and be worth the $$ you're gonna want for it. Make it a PRO version. PRO. TUBES. PRO. TUBES. Vypyr Pro Tube version. Say it with me.

You know they wont, just like you know it's right.
Dalrymple

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Landshark
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by Landshark » Tue Apr 11, 2017 6:39 am

i see a Vypro every day. :D

doesn't need tubes - it sounds good enough. i got rid of my all-tube XXX head and 4x12 cabinet after i got the Vypro.


my only gripes about it are that the modulation effects (chorus/flanger/phaser) are too intense even at the lowest settings. if i didn't need to add a multi-efx unit for more subtle modulation effects, it would really almost be perfect.


yes, Peavey really blew the launch and promotion for this thing. i had to do an exchange at Guitar Center because i got a wonky one, and they had never even HEARD of the Vypro! this was well after it had been out for a while.

dalrymple
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by dalrymple » Tue Apr 11, 2017 9:12 am

Good to know there are happy owners, but not enough to keep this one on the market. Best kept secret and most tepid response to such a cool piece I have ever seen. But even I am not tempted. Now I did see one used for $250, and THAT was of interest to a lot of folks. Didnt last long. One of very few used ever offered on the SF Bay Area CL, a pretty big musical marketplace.

I own a 15, 30 combo and head version, 60 tube, 120 tube, Nano. I am totally vypyryzed. Pro means to me that working professionals gravitate to the amp because it offers something the regular line does not offer. Something that makes it PRO in reality, not just nomenclature or gimmicky features. 100 watts? no VIP3 has that. The amp mixing and efx placement are cool, but most professional(working regularly gigging) players have just a few tones and efx they use, and the rest wont matter to them. I am sorry to say I havent been to many gigs were players are using solid state amps, and few of those are any kind of Vypyr. I know of 1 beside myself who uses a Vypyr. His is SS. When he used mine at a gig where his crapped out, he was amazed at the tube difference. His comment was" Dude, I can FEEL it!" Cool.

Let me frame it in a different manner. I would gladly pay $600 for a tube version of whatever series comes next. Maybe even more. But I cant justify spending that kind of $ when my 10 year old Tube Vypyrs just sound better than any of the solid state models I can get.

I dont need an extra efx loop, I like the on board stuff ok. Dont care about file sharing, I can dial in my own amp and save a setting. USB connectivity? Never needed that on stage at a gig or at a jam. Dont really care how it interfaces with a computer, cause I dont.

What the SS Vypyrs dont deliver is what I want, need, to pull the trigger on a new amp for big $$. That sweet overdriven tone I get from the tube versions, which the SS ones imitate pretty well, but not quite. I own them and play them regularly, and to my ears, there is a difference that cant be explained away. Side by side, my Tube 60 sounds better than most tube amps, and certainly better than any of the SS stuff I run into. I wish it didnt.

When I hear the demos of Vypro, I hear the same thing I have in my SS versions. There is a noticeable difference, and in truth not everyone can hear it or cares. With certain types of music it probably would not even matter. But for what I do and have come to expect from my amps, it does matter to me. And it is a live difference mostly. I use ss Vypyrs in the studio, and there is not a tone difference to be gained using the phones jack to the board by using tubes vs ss. Sounds identical, because it is pre out, and same stuff. Totally happy with the results I record. Totally.

But live, you DO hear the tubes. Cleans are fine on the ss versions, IMHO, but the OD is not quite up to the tube standards on any of the ss amps I have heard. Maybe I'm just old and inflexible, but no really good players I know use SS amps, and only a couple I know use Vypyrs. Not a popular choice, but it does work for me. I would love a new toy, but I'm hanging on to my $$ for the next go-round. I'm ready to drop some $$, but I need a good reason to drop $600-$900, what the Vypro and pedal cost.

Pro. Retro technology. Vypro 2 Tube 120? 60? Sign me up, I got a grand. What you got HP?
Dalrymple

bgh
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by bgh » Tue Apr 11, 2017 10:08 am

Nice way to put it, Dalrymple! I have played other modelers (lower and mid tier, but none of the upper tier modelers) and find the Vypyr Tube 60 is head and shoulders above them all. I find I like the cleans on the Tube 60 most of all. The dirt is good, mind you. But I really like how well the cleans come out.

In context, the dirt channels of both of my Mesas are better than the associated red channels on the Vypyr (although the Vypyr does have more options). The clean channel on the Vypyr is on a par with the Mark IV, and is better than the cleans on the Nomad.

The Vypyr Tube 60's cleans are very deep and full sounding. They hold that characteristic even at volume. I like that.

The "Pro" started with excellent promise. But, as you alluded to, ended up with some things that didn't necessarily sound "pro" to me. And, even with the limitations of the original Vypyr series (such as the noise gate), I still roll with it.

Thanks for you post. It was very informative and very well written.
Lefty guitars: Gibson SG standard (1977)•Gibson LP custom (1979)
Amps : Mesa Boogie Mark IV•Mesa Nomad 45•Mesa TA-30•Vypyr tube 60+Sanpera I
Other: Effectrode Blackbird•Kingsley Jester•AMT SS11-a•Weehbo JCM Ltd.•Zoom G5•J.Coloccia Big Cannoli

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Landshark
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by Landshark » Tue Apr 11, 2017 4:47 pm

i have a Vypyr 30 and a VIP1 (only because i paid $50 each for them), and the Vypyr Pro blows them away as far as tones go. if those are what you are comparing the Vypyr Tube to, then you are correct.

... but don't dismiss the Pro until you play one. like i said before, i sold my tube stack shortly after buying the Pro, because it was that good.

bgh
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by bgh » Fri Apr 14, 2017 1:22 pm

I didn't dismiss it so much based on what it can do (as I have not had a chance to play through one yet). I dismissed it for pretty much two other reasons:

(1) My overall satisfaction with the original series Tube-60. Because I so like the clean tones from my Vypyr, I saw no reason to try to replace it with what may (or may not) have been a better model.

(2) The entire process as to how the Pro came into being, including the planning, announcement, and such. In the planning stages, it held what I considered to be some great promises. As time passed and word leaked out as to what it would really be, I became somewhat disenchanted with its prospects. The subsequent product announcement was dismal, as was the pricing mess-ups and the product availability. I decided not to pursue it based on those things.
Lefty guitars: Gibson SG standard (1977)•Gibson LP custom (1979)
Amps : Mesa Boogie Mark IV•Mesa Nomad 45•Mesa TA-30•Vypyr tube 60+Sanpera I
Other: Effectrode Blackbird•Kingsley Jester•AMT SS11-a•Weehbo JCM Ltd.•Zoom G5•J.Coloccia Big Cannoli

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Landshark
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by Landshark » Sat Apr 15, 2017 6:19 am

here's my story - i bought a Vypyr30 for $50 at an estate sale, and was so impressed with the sound of that little thing, i figured i'd take a chance on a Vypyr Pro. i got my Vypyr Pro from Guitar Center with a 20% off coupon. it acted a bit wonky, so i tried to do an exchange. after much B.S. and being told i wouldn't get a replacement for a month, i got a refund. Sweetwater matched the deal (within $15), and had one shipped to my door in 3 days.

previously had 6505+ and XXX half stacks with a Digitech GSP1101 - they got sold.

Vypyr Pro does all the high gain i could want (3102, XXX, 6505/6534, Recto, Bogner, Diezel), mid/high gain (Soldano, JCM800, Plexi, Valve King) and raunchy overdrive (Bad Cat, Budda, Matchless, DividedBy13) .... not much of a clean player, so can't really comment on those. I find that most modellers fail at high gain, but the Pro has that "feel" - it made playing fun again for me.

dalrymple
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by dalrymple » Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:07 pm

Very cool. You live on the dark side of the amp knob. The BIG stuff. I played for years in a swing band, and now at Blues jams also, about 85% clean, with only a little classic rock OD, not much heavier stuff. That big stack stuff sounds crazy good on any Vypyr I've heard.

Probably why the tube versions work so well for the cleaner players. Rock on!
Dalrymple

godoy.rafa
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by godoy.rafa » Mon Apr 17, 2017 2:56 pm

Landshark wrote:here's my story - i bought a Vypyr30 for $50 at an estate sale, and was so impressed with the sound of that little thing, i figured i'd take a chance on a Vypyr Pro. i got my Vypyr Pro from Guitar Center with a 20% off coupon. it acted a bit wonky, so i tried to do an exchange. after much B.S. and being told i wouldn't get a replacement for a month, i got a refund. Sweetwater matched the deal (within $15), and had one shipped to my door in 3 days.

previously had 6505+ and XXX half stacks with a Digitech GSP1101 - they got sold.

Vypyr Pro does all the high gain i could want (3102, XXX, 6505/6534, Recto, Bogner, Diezel), mid/high gain (Soldano, JCM800, Plexi, Valve King) and raunchy overdrive (Bad Cat, Budda, Matchless, DividedBy13) .... not much of a clean player, so can't really comment on those. I find that most modellers fail at high gain, but the Pro has that "feel" - it made playing fun again for me.
OFF-TOPIC: Hey, could you share some high gain settings (6505, 6534 and XXX)?

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Landshark
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by Landshark » Tue Apr 18, 2017 5:33 am

godoy.rafa wrote:
OFF-TOPIC: Hey, could you share some high gain settings (6505, 6534 and XXX)?

HINT TO PEAVEY: IT WOULD BE EASY TO SHARE SETTINGS IF THE VYPYR PRO COMMUNITY PRESETS PAGE WERE EVER PUT UP!!!!!
even Digitech (the "Kings Of Abandoning Equipment"), have user preset sharing pages for crying out loud.

its too much of a PITA to post settings for it - i'd have to sit here typing for a long time just for one preset, or do multiple screenshots of Vypyr Edit Pro.

Allen
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by Allen » Thu Apr 27, 2017 7:58 pm

TBH, I didn't really look at the pro because the vip had everything I wanted. What I'd really like to see is simply the vip with some better quality control. I had to replace mine after a few month, and there's been post after post about that sort of thing. I have no idea what the statistics are for their reliability, but I don't really have a strong confidence that its not going to putz out... or in the case of mine, start constantly resetting itself every time I play a bass through it.

The sounds you can get out of it are absolutely amazing and I don't really need any other amp, its great for absolutely everything I do... I just want it to last like my transformer 212 has (14 years, jams, gigs, and still going strong with no work needed on it EVER.)

tiger j
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by tiger j » Thu May 25, 2017 2:24 pm

I don't know how to post YouTube videos (or if it is even allowed...) but check out Tone King's comparison of Vypyr PRO 100 to the brand new Mustang GT100 using the Peavey 5150/6505 models on each. No comparison. In fact, he also compares it to an actual Peavey 5150 and, wow, it is just there!

HINT TO PEAVEY: With the launch of the Mustang GT line you have been given a new chance to show how the Vypyr PRO shines if you can just manage to get them in stores alongside the Fender, Line 6, BOSS, Marshall etc. competitors! Nobody will buy it if they cant even demo it, after all!

I have yet to see another Vypro in real life other than my own! I took a chance on mine and ordered one online but didn't get to play with one in advance. I have never seen one in a music store. I see new old stock Vypyr VIP 2s in particular all over the place, but no PROs.

My thoughts on a Vypyr PRO Tube: Fender and Line 6 have similarly moved away from tube modelers in favor of SS modelers with full-range or extended-range speakers. Many high-end rack and floor modeler users are likewise plugging directly into PA or FR speaker systems or products like the Tech 21 Power Engine. I think the effort is to actually try to replicate the original amp tones in a modeler and adding tubes to the modeler and equipping it with a regular limited frequency guitar amp speaker just botches that all up. An amp like the BOSS Katana, that does not "model" other amps but instead has its own tone and a bevy of effects to use with it, might be a good candidate for a tube version. I've no doubt the Vypyr First-Gen Tube combos sound great in their own right, but do they really match the original amp's tone they purport to model in any given setting?

The second issue is the purely financial one: First, the Peavey Vypyr PRO 100 is a $600 amp already sans Sanpera. Peavey isn't going to add tubes without jacking that price to $1000. The market has proven (as stated above) that high-end and professional modeler users want rack or floor units - not modeling combos. This is why even Line 6 doesn't just stick a Helix into a combo cabinet and instead produces a far inferior Line of Spider combos for the lower end market. Beginner to intermediate players love these affordable modeling combos; but pros either have already found their tone in a tube rig or they want a high-end processor that they can incorporate into an existing rig or PA system.

Peavey could introduce a Vypyr floorboard that could be plugged into any rig, but man is that market crowded already! I think, for the time being, the Vypyr PRO is about as "Pro" as a modeling combo gets before you have to start purchasing rig components individually to taste (which is probably what a musician who has more money to spend wants to do anyway!)
Warmoth Custom-Build Strat (DiMarzio Fast Track/Chopper/Mo'Joe)
Fender American Special Strat
Gretsch Electromatic Pro Jet w/ Bigsby
Fernandes Nomad Deluxe
Peavey Vypyr PRO 100 w/ Sanpera PRO
Fender Mustang GT40
Peavey KB3 w/ TC Helicon Voicelive

dalrymple
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by dalrymple » Fri May 26, 2017 2:30 pm

Tiger speaks the truth. None to be found in stores. Most dealers dont even know what a Vypro is.

Here's my difference from Tiger. I dont care if an amp model sounds like the original. It would be nice, but if a tone sounds good on its own, that's really all I care about, not the side by side comparison with a classic amp model. Designate them by # instead of name. Does #6 sound good or not? #12?

That which we call a rose will smell as sweet by any other name. Skunks stink, call em reindeer, wallabys, panda bears, etc. They stink.
Modeling is a suggestion IMHO, not a promise of accurate emulation. Call it what you will, do you dig it? will you use it?

That's all that matters to me. Use it or wont.
Dalrymple

GaryMadore
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by GaryMadore » Fri May 26, 2017 8:26 pm

dalrymple wrote:I dont care if an amp model sounds like the original. It would be nice, but if a tone sounds good on its own, that's really all I care about, not the side by side comparison with a classic amp model. Designate them by # instead of name. Does #6 sound good or not? #12?
^^^^ THIS ^^^^

I can't even remember what most of my presets started out as anymore. I just play A1, A2, A3, A4....

Cheers!

Gary

bgh
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Re: What beyond Vypro?

Post by bgh » Tue May 30, 2017 9:31 am

GaryMadore wrote:
dalrymple wrote:I dont care if an amp model sounds like the original. It would be nice, but if a tone sounds good on its own, that's really all I care about, not the side by side comparison with a classic amp model. Designate them by # instead of name. Does #6 sound good or not? #12?
^^^^ THIS ^^^^

I can't even remember what most of my presets started out as anymore. I just play A1, A2, A3, A4....

Cheers!

Gary
I agree with both of you. I cannot speak of the Vypro, but I can of the original series. Many of the amps that the original Vypyr series modeled were not amps that I had either played or knew. I never had a Dual Rec, or a Krank, or .... so I could not compare the models to them. I did have a plexi though. While the Vypyr was good, it did not "nail" the plexi tone. It was definitely ballpark though.

I quickly came to realize the benefit of the models was not in each one correctly emulating its namesake, it was in the fact that with them simply being present, I had a good palette to choose from. Each clean sound was different than the others, and each had a use. The same with the red channels (on the right hand side of the dial).

When I think of "plexi", I don't think "Marshall" specifically. I think of what I can get out when I use that model.

To me, that was one of the biggest advantages of the Vypyr. It presented you with an amazing palette of tones.
Lefty guitars: Gibson SG standard (1977)•Gibson LP custom (1979)
Amps : Mesa Boogie Mark IV•Mesa Nomad 45•Mesa TA-30•Vypyr tube 60+Sanpera I
Other: Effectrode Blackbird•Kingsley Jester•AMT SS11-a•Weehbo JCM Ltd.•Zoom G5•J.Coloccia Big Cannoli

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