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Topic: Valeton GP-200LT (poor man's TonemasterPro) |
Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2024 6:45 am |
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After searching and searching, I think I found a piece of gear I actually like! I am very glad I didn't pull the trigger on some of the earlier things I was interested in like the things in this thread.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=396961&highlight=
I bought one of these Valeton's for less than $200 on Ebay. Is anyone else using one of these?? I got the Lt version cause I didn't want the Exp pedal and don't need more than 4 foot switches. My first impressions are amazing, very well built. It is very easy to dial in great clean sounds! All around easy to use and is easily the most versatile piece of gear I own. For anyone who doesn't understand what these are, (I didn't) these are the capabilities in a nutshell. Silent practicing without an amp using drum and looper with sync function (if you desire), just plug in headphones. With a real amp as a pedalboard with 4 effects assigned to the 4 switches. Or through a FFFR cab, direct to PA or studio monitors using amp simulations for recording or live performance. Works very well with acoustic and electric guitar as well as steel guitar. It won't babysit your kids or walk your dog, but it does everything else! It is also an audio interface! Under $200!! You do not need a computer to use this. When I first got it I did plug it in and download the updates, but I haven’t felt the need to plug it in again. It is easy to use without a computer.
It may be a pipe dream, but the more people using these the the more useful they would be. I would love to build a small community around sharing settings etc. There is a Facebook group, but no steel players that I have found. Here are some videos that show it in action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD62V74Nq0Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1dBJT2kRKY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1zHjl9e9yk |
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Dan Kelly
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 24 Feb 2024 3:55 pm
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Hey Tim,
How does the Valeton handle the PSG's typically high impedance pickup input. I have tried a number of these multi effects units and they tended to choke and misbehave due to the hot pick up input.
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Hey You Kids! Get Off My Lawn!
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 24 Feb 2024 8:28 pm
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| I considered one of these. They get good reviews but so do a lot of others. There is a lot of decent gear at bargain prices right now. |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 25 Feb 2024 6:17 am
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| Dan Kelly wrote: |
Hey Tim,
How does the Valeton handle the PSG's typically high impedance pickup input. I have tried a number of these multi effects units and they tended to choke and misbehave due to the hot pick up input. |
I can't say. The unit has handled everything I have used well, but I haven't tried very low impedance or very high. A coil tap could be useful on a guitar like that. Surely some people would get this and be unhappy with it, but the same is probably true of the Tonemaster Pro.
| Quote: |
| I considered one of these. They get good reviews but so do a lot of others. There is a lot of decent gear at bargain prices right now. |
Did you get yours working with your computer? I had no trouble at all with this one. I use a Mac so not sure that made any difference. Absolutely agree that there are lots of options. The market is really competitive and they are offering a lot of capabilities for very little money. My choice for this one, was that I believe it is the only unit with a Drum and Looper sync function at this price. Some may not care about that, but I wanted that option. I am just saying it would be really cool to get a lot of people using the same unit cause it would be fun to share settings. Probably a pipe dream like I said.
Anyway... I am really happy with this unit for practicing and I haven't really used it for much else. I don't perform and haven't gotten back into recording, but this pedal has so many options I am really excited to have it. This is the funnest new toy I have had in years! |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2024 6:08 am
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| The Valeton is well regarded by many guitarist who were Helix and Tonex users. After watching several more videos I'm more interested in this for steel. I would like to see a steel player's video but I know that isn't likely. Best price I've seen on ebay was 223.00 from the manufacturer. |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2024 8:40 am
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| Larry Dering wrote: |
| The Valeton is well regarded by many guitarist who were Helix and Tonex users. After watching several more videos I'm more interested in this for steel. I would like to see a steel player's video but I know that isn't likely. Best price I've seen on ebay was 223.00 from the manufacturer. |
I bough mine direct from Sonicake on Ebay. You can make an offer on one of their listings. I searched the sold listings and saw they had sold for as little as $192, so I made the offer and they accepted.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/125537178168
Jump on board Larry! I figure none of these are perfect, but they are all capable of making good sounds. There are a couple pedals alone that make this thing worth it. The Timmy is amazing if I do say so myself!
This video is what really convinced me to pull the trigger on this. I still love amps, and currently building another one, but I think I could be happy with one of these and an FFFR cabinet. It seems ironic to say, but this is minimalism at its finest.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZiXE4SDMz50 |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2024 6:22 pm
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| Tim, I seen the make offer tag so I will give it a shot. I bought the Nux amp academy and it's not bad. I have the Boss GT1 and the pocket GT and they are excellent. I use it with the Boss Katana 100 watt and in the effects in loop as a powered speaker. Does a great job. |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2024 5:50 am
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| Larry Dering wrote: |
| Tim, I seen the make offer tag so I will give it a shot. I bought the Nux amp academy and it's not bad. I have the Boss GT1 and the pocket GT and they are excellent. I use it with the Boss Katana 100 watt and in the effects in loop as a powered speaker. Does a great job. |
Let me know if you end up getting one! I would be very interested to hear your take on it. You could probably give a much better review on it as I am just a beginner playing a homemade instrument. I am not sure how it would do the more modern super clean and glassy steel sounds. I like old school steel with hair on the edge and it does this a thousand ways. The Fender Tweeds are my favorites and very convincing.
Anyway, I am still loving mine, it is always on when I go into my practice room. I am just scratching the surface with the possibilities. |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 23 Mar 2024 1:09 pm
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| I'm tempted to go for the Hotone ampere mini, also made by Sonicake |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 6:13 am
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| Larry Dering wrote: |
| I'm tempted to go for the Hotone ampere mini, also made by Sonicake |
That one looks nice too! Fewer inputs, but it has a touch screen which would make it quicker-easier to navigate. I could live with 2 footswitches, but I would miss the extra inputs I think. I do love how small the mini is, but if using as an actual footswitch, you might want to velcro it down to something. I noticed something really interesting about the amp modeling in mine. When playing through nothing but headphones and using a single coil, the slight background hum changes as I move the guitar around just like a regular amp. It is just crazy how convincing these things sound!
I just looked at it again and there are 2 other things I think would annoy me about the mini. The tiny volume knob and I am concerned the screen is a bit small to be useful. Might strain the eyes and these things are complicated so more info is better. I am not trying to talk you up on the Valeton  (Valeton!Valeton!) |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 8:31 am
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| Tim, the mini has a larger touch screen than the other. The stomp switches are easy to press by hand. I would be mounting it to a holder attached to the rear leg, much like I do with the Line 6 Pod XT. I have no use for a volume pedal on the device itself. Size is important and small is better suited. I have a Boss Pocket GT on the leg using a cell phone mount and it's nice and small. Phone app via Bluetooth controls all the parameters and even streams backing tracks through the unit. A very cool rig. The effects are typical Boss quality as are the amps and cabinets. That said, why would I consider another pedal? Because I'm always interested in the next best thing in sound and ease of operation. I also play guitar and have a large collection. What works for one doesn't always work for the other. Boss GT1 floor pedal is an example I use for guitar but too bulky for my steels. |
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Tim Toberer
From:
Nebraska, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 5:49 pm
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| Larry Dering wrote: |
| Tim, the mini has a larger touch screen than the other. The stomp switches are easy to press by hand. I would be mounting it to a holder attached to the rear leg, much like I do with the Line 6 Pod XT. I have no use for a volume pedal on the device itself. Size is important and small is better suited. I have a Boss Pocket GT on the leg using a cell phone mount and it's nice and small. Phone app via Bluetooth controls all the parameters and even streams backing tracks through the unit. A very cool rig. The effects are typical Boss quality as are the amps and cabinets. That said, why would I consider another pedal? Because I'm always interested in the next best thing in sound and ease of operation. I also play guitar and have a large collection. What works for one doesn't always work for the other. Boss GT1 floor pedal is an example I use for guitar but too bulky for my steels. |
I think its all the same technology at this point, it seems what you end up paying for is the package- inputs, touchscreen, more footswitches. I could see the mini working very well for what you are describing. I think I would really like a touchscreen, but I dont need many patches so I get by fine without it. I bought mine as a way to get rid of my pedalboard and get a more minimal setup. So far so good! It lives on the small table next to my steel. I think I would miss the extra knobs that mine has as well, which become the knobs to control the amp. It does way more than I need but it is a fun toy! |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 24 Mar 2024 8:50 pm
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| Tim I agree with that. Having the knobs is a plus. I don't mind a little menu diving as long as it's in a logical order. Some are not. The Boss pocket gt has a little bit of control on the unit such as volume and reverb, and a few other parameters but the presets are just numbers, no names. The old Line 6 pod xt is very tweakable on the unit and I love that feature. I wish they had continued that line and updated it. The Helix is bulky and the stomp is about like the Hotone ampere mini, but much more expensive. |
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