Behringer Vintage Tube Monster VT999

I have been a loyal user to this pedal since 2011, and i've been using it since then.
When i first tried, i did with the gear that was available in the store and it sounded good. Then i got home, tested with my gear, which were a Ampeg VT60 and a Fender Deville 212, with a Gibgon SG faded, and i was amused by the sound of it.
It has this powerful sound, with a lot of presence and can go from sutile overdrive, to a huge distortion.
Having a 3 knobs EQ is an advantage, that makes it versatile; Sweet spots are easier to find.
In a Span of 8 years, i think i have swapped the tube like 3 times, or 4 tops. The best one that has worked for me is the Tung-Sol.
This month, i tried to replace it with the Ibanez Tubeking TK999HT, which is not the direct clone of the one behringer was based on (Ibanez Tubeking TK999), and i thought it would be pretty close it, but no, they are completely different sounding.
TK999HT sounds too marshall, which is not bad, but not my cup of tea. Probably the TK999OD would sound more than the VT999. So, the VT999 will go back to the pedalboard and i will sell the TK999HT.

I have used this pedal with plenty of guitars, such as: Gibson SG faded, Epiphone DOT, Ibanez Artcore hollowbody, Fender Telecasters and Strats, Ibanez Jetking, Fender duo sonic, even with a jazz bass, and with every instrument, it sounds just fantastic.

Pros:
- Pretty darn versatile. You can dial plenty of tones with it (3 EQ knobs!). From a light overdrive almost clean, to a punchy rock distortion.
- Noise gate is good to clean a little bit of noise. Also, the pedal itself is not noisy.


Cons:
- Big Housing. It is just too big! If you open it, you will see that i could have been way smaller.
- Swapping the tube. Although is not as hard as replacing the tube like in the Ibanez TK999HT/OD, sometimes the pedal won't "detect" the tube placed in. It can be a pain.


A reissue of this one in a smaller housing would be just great!

(Originally written by manorhead/translated from Audiofanzine FR)
Overdrive pedal/tube preamp with noise gate

Controls: gain, bass, mid, high, volume.

Rather bulky metal construction. If you open it, you'll see that it could have been much smaller, because there is almost nothing inside.

UTILIZATION

No need for the user's manual (it's as easy as a tube preamp).

The only negative point is that you'll have to play with your screwdriver a long time if you want to replace the tube... especially when you want to close the pedal again...

SOUND QUALITY

The distortion sound is not bad. Used as a preamp the clean sound is awful and the noise gate is mediocre.

The distortion sound is not bad nor good. I've tried it in several setups with different guitars and amps, and it's never bad but the sound just doesn't cut through. With a bass guitar the sound is fat and interesting.

I tested the unit with the original tube and with a Sovtech and I couldn't hear a difference. I think the tube doesn't play an important role in the sound of this pedal.

OVERALL OPINION

I've only owned it for a short time but I think I will use it more with a bass than with a guitar.

I like the idea of the integrated switchable noise gate, even if this one isn't good. I also like the preamp function of the unit with its 3-band EQ. I like the distortion sound with a bass.

I don't like: the size and the poor sound... for much more money, you get much better products (it's not new).

For the price, you get an average tube preamp that allows you to add warmth to a bad solid-state amp and a bass distortion pedal. This is no high-class product but competitor products cost twice as much...

this is OVER DRIVE lamp, large (3 times a pedal)
2 jack and a 9 v transformer supplied with

UTILIZATION

configuration limit child
1-sheet manual
only the noise gate is a bit subtle set

SOUND QUALITY

efficiency, yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees, I use it to warm groovebox output sound, and what results, equalizer with adjustable gain bein floor, we soon comppte BUGERA the lamp works and gives depth and amplified form inimitable face sounds cold DSP.


ouff thing when you know it's a lamp like 17 euros piece!
Me, I'm not a big fan of the brand for its pedals, I have a DELAY who held 2 years, which SYNTH fucked after 3 short, I hope that it will last more

OVERALL OPINION

2 weeks of use, nickel
behringer would do that all the effects in this state of mind because the basic pedals to 25 euros plastoc, ca viellit way there, for 15 euros more, there's the correct sound of metal that takes the scene ca is large for all finger sizes, and LED continues to 1000 W
on the other hand, the noise gate has a small button, boring

good, must be careful, we are told that it's been too distorted, you really push the gain to death and push MId HIGHpour and have an early distortion distortion that resembles a poorly adjusted, put money in a real distortion if the goal

I've put behind a AKAI deluxe distortion