# The Sheriff V4 Preamp (demo/review)



## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

*SOUND:*

The Sheriff V4 Preamp (same sound as from The Sheriff amp) has a full-bodied Marshall Plexi sounds; and so, if you want to integrate that sound with an amp you already have (via the FX Loop) or as a stand-alone pedal while recording or direct to PA, The Sheriff V4 Preamp likely is the premier piece of gear for consideration. 







The sound is fantastic as it’s not merely a pedal, but a four-valve preamp that produces authentic amp tones that not only mimic a high quality plexi, but adds a unique chewy robustness that is unmistakably Victory Amplification. The first channel is not exactly a ‘clean’ channel – although when dialed back to about 9-o’clock it sounds somewhat clean with melody lines and some light chord strumming (it helps to have your guitar volume dialed back a bit as well). Beyond that point you get some quality gain, and anything past 12-noon is excellent for light to medium rock riffing with a good dose of crunch in the mix. The second channel has a similar sound to the first, except it is far more robust, aggressive and with a thick grainy punch. This channel has obvious use for lead playing, as well as heavy power chord work. The first channel has very good headroom, whereas the second channel is a bit tighter with added saturation. Both channels accept dirt pedals well, although anything intense or high-gain oriented works best on channel 1 (due to added noise in the signal when cranking channel 2), although channel 2 accepts such pedals fairly well if its gain is not turned up too high and the gain on the pedal is kept low as well (when combined modestly there is plenty of balls). Although The Sheriff V4 is considered moderate gain (whereas its counterpart The Kraken V4 is high-gain), The Sheriff still sounds plenty hard-hitting to my ears, and particularly when adding some push from an overdrive pedal. The Sheriff V4 does not have as much bottom end as The Kraken or The Countess, which likely is why it’s considered less high-gain than the other two.



*OVERALL IMPRESSION:*

Victory Amp’s answer to the Marshall Plexi is The Sheriff, and it may be argued that it has superior tone quality to many Marshall Plexi models. The four valves running the Sheriff V4 produce thick rich tones that range from sizzling to heavy and biting. At a price $499 USD, The Sheriff V4 Preamp is an investment to be certain, but definitely a piece of gear that ensures both quality and functionality (being able to transform any amp into a Plexi beast). The Sheriff V4 was designed primarily to be integrated into an amp’s effect loop, to give access to additional amp tones at a fraction of the price of a new amp (and so, you can set it atop your amp head or amp/cab combo), which means being able to use your Fender, Vox, Friedman or ENGL amp and still get the Plexi-type tones from Victory’s Sheriff V4 at a third the price and a fraction of the weight (an important factor for gigging musicians). As well, the Sheriff V4 Preamp can be used as a standalone unit in front of your amp or directed into your DAW or PA system when gigging. Part of the Victory preamp collection (including The Countess and The Kraken), The Sheriff has its own characteristics that make having all three fun to own and use interchangeably. Not only is the overall quality of sound exceptional and more ‘alive’ than what can be achieved with amp-simulators, but the quality of construction is outstanding (and other pedals sound superb when mixed with either channel). And because you’re feeding this 4-valve tank a lot of power, it comes with its own 2-amp 12-volt adapter (together with plug ends to accommodate any country’s electrical concerns).


*GENERAL USE:*

Used as a standalone unit (on your pedal board) or with your current amp in the effects loop, The Sheriff V4 Preamp found its home on my pedalboard and through an Axe-Fx II for speaker simulation. However, its chief design was to afford musicians the ability to use an amp’s channel(s) as usual, and also the Sheriff V4 for additional sounds and tones (perfect for those who run clean single-channel amps). Because the Sheriff V4 is valve-driven, it has that pure analog quality and will sound natural with other valve amps. And so, you can have your channel(s) in your amp, then switch to the Sheriff V4 (which bypasses your amp’s preamp) while producing great sound. Adding dirt or delay pedals, for example, will need to be arranged as usual and to your preference. In standalone mode you place whatever you want before and after the Sheriff V4 (dirt before, delay/reverb after and modulation where they sound best). If integrating the Sheriff V4 within your amp’s effect loop you can add pedals direct to your amp’s input or along with the Sheriff V4 in the loop. The Sheriff V4 operates just like any other amp/preamp. There is a switch to bypass or turn the unit off (the LED is on when the pedal is on) and a switch to navigate between the two channels. Each channel has its own Master Volume and Gain, but both channels share an EQ. The Bright switch likely will remain on ‘0,’ which is neutral, unless you find your effects loop (or even a single-coil guitar) a bit bright or harsh, then you can remove some treble by flipping to -1 or -2. If operating in standalone mode, adjust the EQ and reserve the Bright switch when using the Sheriff V4 in an amp’s effect loop. There also is a TSR input that allows remote switching, ideal if you have the Sheriff V4 mounted atop your amp.


*OTHER DETAILS:*

The Sheriff V4 Preamp measures in at 225 (w) x 140 (D) x 80 (H inc. feet) mm (8.85 x 5.5 x 3.1 inches) and weighs 1.7 Kg (3.75 lbs). It is built like a tank and meant for road-wear. With an all-steel chassis (held-together with high-torque 8-blade Posidrive screws and machine bolts) the four internal valves are well protected. The Sheriff V4 comes with a 5-year warranty and the valves come with a 2-year warranty (good for approximately 6000 playing hours, which works out to two-hours-per-day over eight years – they can be replaced for approximately $15 USD). The pots have a very smooth feel when turned and all pots and foot switches are silent when turned or engaged (no static, crackling or clicking sounds). The Sheriff V4 boasts a protective kick bar with powder coated gold metallic paint, together with black writing and graphics. The LEDs for on/off and channel selection are raised only slightly and well located, and so they are free from foot stomping trauma. All connections are made through the back (with the exception of the TSR remote switching input), all of which is good for protection of the cables and inserts, but also saves on pedal board space. The rubber feet under the unit are heavy-duty screw-in types.


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## pat6969 (Feb 4, 2013)

Sounds pretty decent but whoever was playing in that video needs to work on their timing, big time.


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

We all have our short-comings... I'm sure I can listen to your playing and composition (if you can compose) and find fault. Rather, I'll simply support a fellow guitarist and wish you all the best.


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## pat6969 (Feb 4, 2013)

Sorry Brian, wasn't trying to be an a$$, just some constructive criticism. Playing was decent, timing was just off.


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

My timing is always off. Neil Young once said that he wasn't a singer... he was a stylist. I'm not a guitar player, I'm a stylist. Either that or the drummer can't keep up with my artistic brilliance.


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## troyhead (May 23, 2014)

Hey @Brian Johnston I wonder if you are dealing with some latency issues with your recording. With digital processing, each device might add an imperceptible amount of latency (1-4 ms, for example), but each of them added together ends up totalling to something that is noticeable. Starting with the wireless, to the Axe FX, the Ocean Machine, and finally your audio interface, you may very well be experiencing this issue. This is a problem with all digital effects, unless you have a reverb or delay with an analog dry-through path. Once you get past 4 ms, you can start to hear things are out of sync.

Outside of your signal chain, the audio interface / DAW could also be experiencing latency with the monitoring or recording which might be resolved with some configuration changes.

To me it sounds like the guitar is off but consistently behind, which makes me think it may be a latency issue of some kind.


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

That could be as I'm hearing the beat... playing to the beat... hearing my notes go with the beat. And then...
Not sure how to adjust my DAW...is there something I need to look for when recording... is there a typical 'name' in one of the drop-down menus that I need to look for. I know all DAWS are different, but perhaps there's a common aspect that would take care of this. I'm using Sonar X3. Thanks.


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## troyhead (May 23, 2014)

@Brian Johnston Check your audio options in Sonar or your audio interface. Setting the sample rate / buffer size affects how much latency there is (you should be able to see the input/output latency change as you adjust the sample rate & buffer). Setting the buffer too low can result in audible pops and clicks, but setting it too high means more latency. Recording multiple channels at once may require a larger buffer, but a single channel may let you lower the buffer. You will need to experiment to find the perfect balance that works for you.

Looking into it further, it seems like somewhere between 8-12 ms is the maximum amount of latency you would want to have from what you hear in the monitor to your playing being recorded on the computer's hard drive. I would suggest getting rid of anything unnecessary that adds latency. For starters, ditch the wireless for recording. Adding the reverb & delay in Sonar after the recording instead of the Ocean Machine can buy you some more time, and would let you record in mono rather than stereo (possibly allowing you to lower the buffer). And if you are using wireless headphones for monitoring for some reason, definitely ditch those. Bluetooth is too slow for real-time performances and recording.


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

Thanks for the suggestions. I do recall in the audio section about the buffer size and latency. I'll look into that next time I record (particularly with drums, lol).


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## CDWaterloo (Jul 18, 2008)

Thanks for the review and sound samples. sounds good with the backtrack music.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

Im loosing my hair and gaining weight. it's definitively because of LATENCY fewf now I know.


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## WhiteFalcon (Jun 9, 2015)

Had to check to make sure I wast on TGP for a second. The tones you're getting sound amazing and your playing is good and most importantly it highlights the aspects of the gear you are demonstrating very well. I'm also a big Neil Young fan BTW. Nice piece of gear and great demo.


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## Brian Johnston (Feb 24, 2019)

Appreciated. I was never a shredder, but I'm good at developing melody and hammering out some riffs. I'm now putting more focus on vibrato and emotion (since I can't shred, lol).


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