July 2009 \ Reviews \ Amps \ Peavey Vypyr Tube 60 Combo Amp Review

Peavey Vypyr Tube 60 Combo Amp Review

by Adam Moore

Peavey's Vypyr boldly goes where no modeling amp has gone before
Premier Guitar July 2009
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Download Example 1
Dlx model, green channel (clean); Pregain 2:00; Bass 12;30; Mid 12:30; High 1:00; Post Gain 12:30; no reverb or delay. Guitar Vol at 10, Tone at 8.
Download Example 2
Plx model, red channel (dirty); Pre Gain 3:00; Bass 1:30; Mid 12:00; High 12:00; Post Gain 2:00; no reverb or delay. Guitar Vol at 10, Tone at 8
UNK Standard in bridge position into Peavey Vypyr 60, close mic’ed with SM57 and run into a ProSonus Audiobox and Cubase 4. Guitar by Randall Davis.
Click here to listen to our latest Amp Room podcast interview with Peavey's General Manager of Product Development, Fred Poole
Although Peavey has been working diligently for decades to make solid state amps sound like tube amps, last year’s release of the company’s ReValver modeling software seemed to signal a real technological breakthrough—the modeled sounds were so good, and recreated in such technical depth, that it seemed like one company had finally cracked the code to realistic, three-dimensional amp models.

It should be no surprise then that Peavey’s latest generation of combos are packed with the company’s slickest modeling technology yet—the Vypyr line features Peavey’s now mature TransTube technology and a blazing 32-bit floating point processor—but it may be surprising that the Vypyr has not managed to completely slay the valve. The Vypyr 60 and 120 models include a full complement of preamp and power tubes to provide the “feel” that’s been missing from so many other attempts at modeling. And while that hybrid approach isn’t completely new, Peavey’s execution is, meaning the Vypyr may very well be the first modeling amp to win a spot in your gear room.

Welcome to Your Spaceship
From the very start, it’s obvious that Peavey wants us to think of the Vypyr not as just another modeling amp (yawn), but a technological step forward (yeah!). The Vypyr Tube 60 is packed with a lot of powerful technology, but it’s the amp’s face that really delivers that futuristic message. Turning on the amp triggers an epilepsy-inducing lightshow on the front panel (this can be disabled), with the red and green LEDs surrounding each “encoder” (not knobs) dancing wildly until you plug into the input jack. I felt like I was on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, which, depending on your particular sensibilities, is either a very cool or entirely unnecessary thing.


And while having LEDs instead of numbers and lightweight encoders instead of beefy knobs initially felt a little alien, it’s a quick adjustment once you see how it all works together. Because the Vypyr includes so many tonal options the front face needs to be flexible. It works like this: your first three knobs from the right of the input— Stompboxes, Amp and Effects—control the main functions of the amplifier, and are ordered to simulate the order in which you would run a regular rig. Pressing either the Stompbox or Effects encoder will bring you into edit mode, and you’ll see the LEDs encircling the next group of encoders—Pre Gain, Low, Mid, High, Post Gain—switch instantly to represent the parameters of the effect you are editing, along with the amp’s Delay and Reverb settings. Press it again to return to your amp’s controls, or hold it down to bring up the Vypyr’s built-in tuner. Press the Amp encoder to switch between “channels,” and you’ll similarly see your LEDs change to reflect the different settings.


All in all, it’s a pretty slick and surprisingly easy to use interface, and the stompbox/effect editing process is as straightforward as it can be. A line of Bank and Preset selection buttons are positioned underneath the three main encoders and allow you to quickly store any of your settings with just a touch of the button, much like a car stereo. And while this should do the trick for the average user who will just fiddle with the thing each time they play, power users will definitely want to upgrade to the Sanpera I or Sanpera II foot controller, which makes all of the patch business a lot easier (more on this momentarily).

Future Rock
All the flashing lights in the world mean nothing if the tone’s not there, and I’m proud to report that the Vypyr 60 does not disappoint on this front. Backed by 60 watts, the 12 included amp models are all generally solid and include two channels; amps that don’t normally include a second channel have been given an additional “hot-rodded” circuit to choose from. Peavey has also painstakingly recreated the EQ sections of each amp model so that that they react as they would in real life, giving the Vypyr some definite tweaker cred.

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Comments

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UsernameComment
lindseyp
on 10/31/2009 		Nice idea. I bought a Vypyr Tube 60 today after playing through it for an hour. Earlier in the day I dusted off my trusty series II Peavey Transtube Bandit 112 to replace my Line6 Flextone II; thought about the smoothness the TT has, checked out Alpha Music in Virginia Beach and sure enough they had the Vypyrs on the floor. I got the Sanpera I foot controller and since I rarely use more than two amp sounds at any one outing there will always be one button left untouched. I didn't know about the USB until I paid for it :) Good job, Peavey.
holy ravage
on 10/09/2009 		Can someone explain how the tuner works for these amps....i don't see a lcd screem on the amp or pedal.
Thanks
Eric
on 09/15/2009 		I tried both the Peavey Vypyr 75 and the tube 60.
The 60 had A LOT BETTER TONE, (maybe the tubes help?) but otherwise is pretty much the same amp for about $150 more than the $75. I used lots of tube amps, combos and head/cabinet in the past, and as usual, for the price (and the weight to move around) the Vypyer 60 BLOWS THEM ALL AWAY! I've also owned Line 6 combos in the past, don't bother---as they tend to "forget" your stored presets from time to time, and they are very touchy about being moved around from gig to gig, etc.(maybe that's why they "forget"?) Peavey usually has the upper hand on the durability side, but time will tell with this new series.
I too am a little concerned about the the cheesy Sanpera I pedal, why did they just make it a normal midi connection so I could use a normal midi comtroller???
Guess they wanted to make some money on the pedals too???
ToneFan
on 08/13/2009 		I own a VyPyr 75 w/ the Sanpera I footswitch... I LOVE it. I also own a Peavey JSX (which, by the way, has been out for a long time, as has the 5150/6505, Delta series and XXX), a Marshall JVM, Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and MESA Rec.

The VyPyr is spot on to the JSX tones... the Plexi channel is MORE ACCURATE than the similar on my JVM and the Recto model is very close to my real MESA. All-in-all, Peavey's done a great job w/ these amps.

Contrary to a few posts, here... Channel changes CAN occur w/ a single button push - Channels A1, A2, A3 and A4 are selectable w/ a single push. Beyond 4-channels (i.e. B1-B4, or C1-C4) require a "bank change" followed by a patch change. However, if you're using more than 4 channels, in a single song, you may want to re-think just a touch. :-)

The upgrade... $30 cable? I have a $5 MIDI cable that I ran from my MIDI box to the VyPyr and it upgraded just fine. I have a USB-to-MIDI box, though. I guess if you had to buy it, from scratch, that would be more of an issue.

In addition to the real amps, I use LINE6 PODXT Live and X3, as well as a BOSS GT8 and a Digitech RP1000. I have to admit, the Peavey's "models" are MUCH better than the LINE6 (I owned both the AX2 212 and the Vetta for a while), VOX (I owned an AD30VT, for a while) and others.

Now, this is the "go-to" amp for most of my stuff, even the recording. It's as "dynamic" and "responsive" as my tube amps, easier to setup/work with and, in the end, once it's "buried" in the mix, sounds just as good.

My "beef" about the amp is the "lack" of routing possibilities. LINE6, BOSS, Digitech all allow for FX to be moved either pre-input jack or FX loop (Delay, Reverb, Modulation, etc). I would LOVE to see this in this amp - although it's sort of there w/ the "stomp" FX. Those move to FX loop and pre-input depending on which is selected.

I would, als
Winzlo
on 07/31/2009 		I also own the Peavey Vypyr 75 solid-state amp. I spent 3 hours in Guitar Center comparing Line6, VOX and Vypyrs. The 30 watt equivilants of each felt pretty "middy" and didn't throw enough punch for the sound I was looking for. So, I went up to the 60/75 watt lines of each. By far, I've never heard an amp with such rumbling lows and sparkling highs! I spent anouther hour just playing the amp, setting it up as close to my old live rig as possible. Within that hour, I was blown away with the clean and dirty tones. No, they're not tubes. Getting past that age-old debate, I played until everyone's ears were ringing in the store (I would consider myself a semi-pro player, so it wasn't because I sucked <Grin>).

Simply put, Line6 and VOX give you what they think you need and can't offer things they don't design for. The Vypyr gives you the pallatte to do just about anything with your tone, with the philosophy I completely agree with: Better to have too much of something and turn it down then never being able to get enough of it. That's Peavey's clame to fame for the Vypyr, as far as I'm concerned.
Andy A.
on 07/14/2009 		I own the 30 Watt Solid State. I am a pro player and play 4 Bar gigs and 8 church gigs a month. I have been reluctant to give up using my tube amps. This week I tried using the Vypyr at sound check and my sound man and band really liked the sound. It produced a good mix able sound in all categories.(clean and heavy) They only knock I have is that the high end needs to be turned way down. The clean settings are far superior to the Line 6 and the full parameter control of all effects smoke the controls on the line 6. The phaser acts like a phaser, the chorus like a chorus..etc. The use of analog effects and digital also smoke the Line 6 capabilities. After sound check I went and bought the Sanpera I. It is not the greatest foot pedal but it is not as difficult to use a mentioned below. I used all it features after a few minutes messing with it. One nice feature is the ability to turn effects on and off and the multi use wah and volume work very well together. They also did a nice job with the Dual Rectifier tone. Check out the amp, its really very impressive.
Rob W.
on 07/02/2009 		Wow! Look's like Peavey spent alot of time 'modeling' Line Six.
Doug N.
on 07/01/2009 		Foot Controller Sucks Boys. Try again!!
Larry M
on 07/01/2009 		Buy a Line 6 Spider valve with the Bogner tube section and doen't waste your money and time with another one of Peavey's "experiments" Peavey has brought out more amp models and discotinued them than anyone I can think of, their only enduring amps are the Bandit, and the Classic tube series. Really Hartley,stick with the "Winners "
sss128
on 07/01/2009 		I own a Vyper 75 solid state. The amp delivers on most of its promises. The Sanpera I, however, is probably the dumbest design ever for a foot pedal. A channel change requires pushing two buttons simultaneously, then stepping on the bank, then the preset. No alternative option exists from any other vendor. Software updates require a cable that is just about impossible to find ($30). Verdict: The amp is fine for bedroom guitar players, but very difficult to use live if numerous sound changes are required. A little more forethought/research would make this amp one of the best out there.



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