Vypyr vip/ vypyr pro and AT-200

[Aartsbok]

It might be a very silly question...

We read everywhere (even in the manual) that the vypyr series amps are designes with passive pickups in mind. If one would have a guitar with passive pups, they should lower their volume.

Users all around the board scream that active pups miss a lot of punch when used on peavey's transistor amps, about tone, warmth, quality, whatever...

I myself own 2 jackson RR24 guitars, one RR24m with unfinished maple fretboard and one limited edition with yellow bevels, reversed sharkies ebony fretboard and binding. Both power a single emg-81. The amps I use at home are Peavey Vypyr VIP3 with Sanpera 2 and Peavey Vypyr Pro with Sanpera Pro.



Now, peavey is (and always have been) trying to sell the AT-200 guitar as the perfect combination for example a vypyr pro and sanpera pro. With those 3 there wouldn't be a tone you can't make, it would be 100% of all possibilities (is what they have said in various expositions and conventions and so on).

But....


Doesn't the AT-200 actually have active pick-ups? I'm not ranting or making fun of anything, I'm actually trying to learn something can someone enlighten me?

I'm on the fence of buying one to fondle with.

[j_fury68]

I have had several vypyrs including my current Vypyr Pro and Tube 60 ( which will be for sale soon). I can attest that Most of the vypyrs do accept passive pickups better than actives. However, I did like how the Tube 60 handles SD Blackouts...sounded great with that amp. I have also had a AT-200 guitar, but unfortunately not at the same time as I had the Pro. I will say for now that I have been inside it and know the components fairly well. The Emg looking pickups that you see on the guitar are actually passives and are engaged when the auto tune feature is off. The auto tune pick is 6 individual piezo pickups located in the bridge saddles. This is going to the guitar dsp and then out to your amp. It is power, and is active, but not the same output as EMG's or SD Blackouts. I found the AT-200 in auto tune mode to be very unsatisfying and sterile with gain channels, especially high gain. Palm mutes had no definition. At the time I was using it through a Vypyr 30. I am tempted to know how it sounds through the pro because Micheal Smith's demo vids did sound to bad at time when he used it. Some of the clean or octave effects were great, but then again cleans were never a problem with the AT-200 when I tried it.

[Aartsbok]

Thank you for that information!

I've got the oppurtunity to buy a used one (as new), boughtin 2014, with the breakout box, no antares shizzle loaded yet, for 350 euro's asking price.

The guitar in the shop now costs about 711 euro...WTF????? I remmeber them seeing at 199 and then 296 for quite a while, but I just bought my VIP3 and sanpara those days and since I allready had 2 killers guitars (albeit with active pups) I thought "I'll get that one later, in due time"... and then suddenly they fly up to 700... Dauym.... I didn't even think the guitar was worth that much concidering the build material.

So I'm hoping to get a good deal with this black AT-200 + breakout box for 350

[vypyrtrails]

I have a Jeff Loomis 7 string guitar that has emg 707 pups that just kill!

Their a bit more articulate. Their my favorite emgs.

He is not playing a Vip, but it gives you an idea of the 707.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci1EsIhFSoM

[Aartsbok]

Ok,

So I decided to bite the bullet.

I've bought the AT-200 and the breakout box... now, watching tutorial video's I seem to miss something very important...Being a usb midi controller (to connect the breakout box, so I can update the guitar and such).

I do not have that, but I do own a vypyr pro with sanpera pro controller.

Would that be suitable as "midi" controller if I hook up the amp by usb? :s

I hope I don't need to buy anything else, my budget has been spent way to high allready