Pretty sure it’s just avoiding signal clipping/optimizing amp headroom.
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1200W Forte HP
- Thread starter Mark_70
- Start date
I’m apparently late to the party. After 5 years of health issues, I’m back, and looking to put together a huge sounding rig that can play outdoors without PA support. I started with a PJB pb-800 and 2 C4s. I like the sound, but want more volume. Unfortunately Phil doesn’t make a head that will drive 2 ohms, and I don’t have the strength to lug 2 C8s. So the head is going back and started a quest for an amp that could deliver 2 ohms, and ordered 2 more C4s. Listened to countless you tube demos, read tons of reviews and user experiences, and my Forté hp with bag and foot switch shipped today, but it will take a week to get here.
Now I’m wondering if I should get me some bergantino cabs to replace the Phil Jones. I’d probably get 4 112 cabs. It’ll be a lot more money. A little more bulk and weight.
I wish we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic so I could just go try this stuff out.
Anyone driving PJB cabs with their Forté HP? I just love the form factor of those cabinets.
Now I’m wondering if I should get me some bergantino cabs to replace the Phil Jones. I’d probably get 4 112 cabs. It’ll be a lot more money. A little more bulk and weight.
I wish we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic so I could just go try this stuff out.
Anyone driving PJB cabs with their Forté HP? I just love the form factor of those cabinets.
Awesome that you're back in the saddle. I would post this also in the big Bergantino thread and you'll get a lot more responses but I would think an NXT 112 and 210 combo would suit you extremely well with the HP. Lots of guys singing that combo's praises and unless you need an insane amount of volume it's going to be the best sounding, low weight option. A set of 2 NXT 2x12's is also supposed to be killer but it doesn't sound like you can do a 2x12 (49 lbs).
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where is this forum you speak of?
yeah, 49 ponds is a deal breaker for the foreseeable future. 7 pound Basses are too much for a whole set. 30 pounds-ish is my limit.
My rig in the ‘90s was a 19 space rack with a crown PB-2 and trace pre amp driving 2 4x10s. Sounded glorious. We’ll see how the 4 PJB cabs sound next week, but I’ll order some Berg cabs in the mean time to try them out. Thank god for free round trip shipping during the quarantine.
Sorry I meant Bergantino thread l, not forum. Here's a link. Good luck!
Club Bergantino! Let's See Those Rigs!
Well, I did a lot of reading in that thread, thanks for the pointer, and looked at the bergantino cabs. I can't seem to find a you tube demo of something that I lover the form factor of, or that I loved the tone of significantly more than the PJB cabs at this point, so I guess I'll wait until the new amp and extra cabs arrive this week (that's right, fedex update says eta on the amp is now friday instead of next monday) and I'll see how I like the sound. I was playing the all PJB setup today and it really sounds quite good, I'm just hoping that doubling the speaker area and boosting the power amp gets me a little more volume for those outdoor gigs.
I think if I were to go for a similar form factor I'd get 2 ENXT112s and 2 NXT112s to have the capacity to handle the power of the amp, and would be about the same weight as the 4 PJB cabs, but they'd also be much larger and much more expensive, and I can't find them at a retailer with a friendly enough return policy to want to try them out.
As I am sitting here typing this, screw it, I'll order them at sam ash and suck up the 4 hour round trip drive to return them if they aren't significantly better.
I have had my forte HP for about a month now. It is not often that I am at a loss for words. I can only say that this is the finest amp without any tubes that I have ever played, and at my age I have played many. I am stunned that the eqpoints and features are so well set. I have gigged it twice now. I am becoming a digital convert, this amp can do tube as easily as it can do modern solid state. Just amazing.
I haven't heard a Berg Forte HP yet, but am planning to. The reviews seem to indicate this is a very special amp.
For a huge sounding cab that will handle any outdoor gig, as well as a coffee bar, and weighs in at well under 30lbs, I'd suggest one of the Barefaced 112's. I have the Super Compact (21lbs), Super Midget (21lbs) and BB2 (26lbs). I can use all the cabs separately or the SM pairs up with the SC or BB2 depending on the gig.
PJB cabs=beautiful finish detail, cool look.......clear but poor volume output per watt/pound/dollar IME.
These are nice cabs, but the Bergantino cabinets are hard to beat for quality, efficiency and sound.
Mark
I owned several PJB products when they first made a splash, and still own and love a Double 4 combo. I found they sounded pretty good and clean, and the fit and finish was gorgeous. That said, there's no getting around the simple fact that it takes 4 of his smaller drivers to get close (but no cigar) to the volume output of a good 12" cone (for a given power input), but with added complexity and a higher ratio of metal to paper. For a normal sized, cab, I never heard anything that wasn't easily available at or below the same price point from other companies. The tiny combos make best use of the small drivers, simply because they allow boxes so small that where space is at a colossal premium, they're world beaters. My D4 easily fits in an overhead carry on bag, and the portability for travel is why I bought it. I always enjoyed TBer Kjung's description of PJB cabs as "a bad idea, beautifully executed"
. IMHE, Berg cabs are faaaaaar superior to the PJB boxes, in all respects other than aesthetics/esoteric coolness. YMMVThe Bluetooth foot pedal just arrived for my HP. Not sure that I really need it but I have been so impressed with this amp that I decided to treat myself to the bells and whistles.
Does anybody know which the the distortion/overdrive engines comes on the HP from the factory?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Well, I've had a Forte HP since November. It's one of the best sounding amps I've owned. The sound through my Barefaced SC, SM and BB2 cabs is in another league. There is an authority, solid warmth and fullness in each note, but the features I thought would make it a game-changer, HPF, Compression, etc I'm finding I can live without.
So late to this party, that it’s just me and the janitor…
I recently did a thread on going class D/Neo that got alot of attention-& was very helpful
i’ve narrowed my decision down to two things… either the EBS Reidmar 750 (and it’s corresponding cab), or this [Forte HP]
I’m familiar with the EBS tone, but I’m not familiar with the Bergantino tone at all… i’ve heard so many great things about Jim’s Amps, that I am intrigued… I guess I have to find a dealer to try it out with my jazz bass…
The reason I’m posting here, is that I’m feeling froggy about the whole “you don’t need 1200 W with FOH “
Although the forte HP is capable of 1200W @ 4 or 2,..(which is beautiful headroom I might add)
Am I really going to be schlepping around 2 cabinets at this point in my life?
No
I will be using the 210 corresponding 8ohm cab for most gigs- if not all..
Which drops it down to 600W..
and I don’t know about anybody else, But if I get into a medium sized venue, on a decent sized stage, with a loud drummer, everybody’s drinking, guitar player is going crazy,… then 600W@8, doesn’t seem like overkill to me.
I think the forte HP would be killer… but again, I have no idea what it sounds like.
….Off of the soapbox
I recently did a thread on going class D/Neo that got alot of attention-& was very helpful
i’ve narrowed my decision down to two things… either the EBS Reidmar 750 (and it’s corresponding cab), or this [Forte HP]
I’m familiar with the EBS tone, but I’m not familiar with the Bergantino tone at all… i’ve heard so many great things about Jim’s Amps, that I am intrigued… I guess I have to find a dealer to try it out with my jazz bass…
The reason I’m posting here, is that I’m feeling froggy about the whole “you don’t need 1200 W with FOH “
Although the forte HP is capable of 1200W @ 4 or 2,..(which is beautiful headroom I might add)
Am I really going to be schlepping around 2 cabinets at this point in my life?
No
I will be using the 210 corresponding 8ohm cab for most gigs- if not all..
Which drops it down to 600W..
and I don’t know about anybody else, But if I get into a medium sized venue, on a decent sized stage, with a loud drummer, everybody’s drinking, guitar player is going crazy,… then 600W@8, doesn’t seem like overkill to me.
I think the forte HP would be killer… but again, I have no idea what it sounds like.
….Off of the soapbox
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If it is any help I bought the HP because I did not want to carry two cabs to loud practices and wished to put 600 watts into a single 8 ohm (Barefaced bb2) cab. It works magnificently in achieving my goal of loud, punchy tone with plenty of headroom. I also run a Mesa D800+ which is a similarly magnificent amp but at loud volumes into 8ohms I can hear the difference between the 400 watts of the Mesa and the 600 of the HP. The Bergantino just sounds and feels a little tighter and more in control at the bottom end. At normal volumes I would be totally happy with either.
I'll add to that. I used to own a D800 and powered it with a pair of Revsound cabs, a 215 and 210. Playing in a very loud metal band the amp would clip and I needed more volume.
With the HP bandmates told me to turn down.
5 string pocket nailed it above... the headroom, authority and fullness of the notes is where, IME, the Forte HP is a big step above all the 800W amp offerings.
I have 2 - HDN 212's. One can get very loud, but 2 is glorious.
Using one I much prefer the presence of that 212 over the Ampeg 810 mud box that is in the rehearsal space I jam at. Hands down it fills the mix well and that is with vocals, guitar and drums going through a large PA in a rather small room. I'm only going through the 212, no pa support.
