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Pros:
- A wide range of useful features
- Usable with acoustic
- Electric and bass guitars
- Lightweight and easy to use
Cons:
- You need to purchase the pedal to reveal the full potential of the amp
As the time goes by and the humankind leaps towards development, innovations are becoming more and more significant. Not only are they important, but they also play an integral role in the ability of the brand to compete with others. If, in the past, it was enough to bring out a badass device, nowadays companies have to try harder and break the ground with their products. Not many of them succeed in that race, however, those who do, become staples. That is the exact attitude Peavey undertakes. Vypyr VIP 1 is a state of the art amplifier that has a lot to offer. I will dive into its features, controls and sounds and you will see for yourself what is so innovative about this fella. So keep on reading!
Features
VYPYR VIP 1 is a solid-state amplifier with a single 8” speaker and 20 watts of power. This bad boy has a Variable Instrument Input, which can any instrument you plug in. This allows you to utilize your acoustic, bass and electric guitars with a single amp. That is not all. It has a Variable Instrument Performance technology that can emulate the suitable amplifiers for the above-mentioned instruments. Plus, it gives all the electric guitar players out there access to the instrument models. VIP 1 has 16 presets dispersed within 4 banks, each of them delivering specific amp simulations. It can deliver 20 effects, with 2 additional instrument choices (acoustic and bass emulations). Back to the amp models: there are 3 channels (high, medium and low gain) for each amp, which operate in accordance to the instrument you play. VIP 1 also has a tuner and onboard looper only usable with Sanpera I or Sanpera II foot controller, as well as tap tempo and Edit mode (assigns different functions to each knob). This amp has a guitar input, Bi-directional USB input (can be employed for recording or downloading updates, can act as MIDI), auxiliary input for mp3 or CD players and a headphone output (can be used for recording as well).
Controls
The control-related policy of VIP 1 is WYSIWYG – what you see is what you get. That is exactly how everything works here. Firstly, you will see four buttons that allow you to choose the instrument type and continue your playing accordingly. Then comes the Inst/Stomp knob, which lets you pick out various effects and 2 instrument simulations and can also activate the Edit mode if pushed. Next we have Amplifier encoder that enables you to choose various amp simulations and can act either as channel switcher or a tuner. Now, we have approached the tone shaping part of the device. Pre Gain distorts your sound and adds gain to it, while in Edit mode it controls Parameter 1; Low balances out the bottom-end of your frequencies and manages the Parameter 2 in Edit mode; Mid, of course, shapes the mid-range and modifies the Feedback of the Delay effect in Edit mode; High cuts off the squeaky high-end spectrum and changes the Level or the Intensity of the Delay in Edit mode; Post Gain takes care of the preset volume and modifies the Reverb in Edit mode. And finally, we have Master Volume, which controls the overall level of the output. You will also see a small button for Tap Tempo, and LEDs for Looper and Edit mode (in the latter case, it indicates if the effect is before or after the amp).
Peavey Vypyr VIP 1 Sound
It was a mouthful, ha? Due to such wide range of features, the sound of VIP 1 is also quite versatile. The instrument-specific amp modeling creates an extremely elaborate tone that gets on with your music like a house on fire. The models available include Budda, Twin, 6505, British, Classic, and more, which are exact emulations of those legendary tones. The Transtube circuitry guarantees to deliver the most natural and organic analog sound. The effects on VIP 1 are reminiscent of effects pedals, which means they have their own character and definition. The ability to employ 4 effects simultaneously gives you a number of sonic options. In short, the overall sound quality is top-notch with a really good amount of control over the tone and some ethereal versatility.
Conclusion
I think you already know what I am about to say. VYPYR VIP 1 is a spectacular practice amp that offers way more than you would ever think of. With just 20 watts of power it can deliver instrument, amp and stompbox simulations, which is definitely something extraordinary. I highly recommend this amp and trust me, if you decide to invest in it, you will be convinced that is worth every penny. Good luck!
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