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Ampeg BA-112 v2 - No line out - Any workarounds?

H

heygreene

Guest
Mar 10, 2017
8
1
#1
Hi all. I have the ability to purchase a 1 year old BA-112 v2 for $125, which I think is a good price. However, I'll mainly be playing in my church, and I normally use "line out" on all amps into their PA system. I don't see a line out on the new v2's... is there a workaround for this?

Maybe this is a really dumb question, but could the headphone 1/8" be converted to 1/4" and then used as a line out? I'd assume it would sound like crap.

This is really disappointing... these amps sound great, but I don't want to have to deal with the hassle of mic'ing it every time! Thanks.
 
#2
Yea you can tap off the speaker out. You've got to keep the speaker hooked up tho it's still providing the load. Less important for SS stuff tho.

Here's a quick schematic using a fender bassman but the idea Is the same. You won't have different ohm taps on your amp since its SS.

If you need variable output you can use a pot.

If you can't solder your amp tech should be able to do this but it's not a hard project if you've got basic soldering skills and a little project box.


Headphone out could be done simply with only a 1/8 to 1/4 cable/adaptor, but headphones out generally mutes the speaker so maybe this isn't what you want for the stage?


Line_Out_Spitfire_Schematic.bmp

Line_Out_Spitfire_Schematic.bmp
 
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#6
Weird let me see if I can upload it manually. The links behind the pictures may sti work if you cut n paste in the mean time

http://robrobinette.com/images/Guitar/5E3P_Build/Line_Out_Spitfire_Schematic.bmp

Unfortunately no work around without soldering, unless you use that headphone output which probably isn't what you want unless you can use a separate monitor on stage.

It's really just a couple resistors and jacks - I could build the box up for you but it wouldn't be cost effective with the shipping.

You can also get commercial solutions like Hughes and kettner red box but that's wven less cost effective.


Different schematic:
367008d1381534439t-how-hard-might-add-line-output-amp-doesnt-have-one-line-out.gif
 
#7
Personally, I think a speaker out DI for a SS amp is pointless (now a tube amp is a different story), and doing that mod to what's essentially a good but inexpensive practice amp is a waste of money and time. If it were me, I'd mic it (not any harder than using a DI IMHO...slap it in the middle of the cone and play) or get a decent but cheapo DI like a Whirlwind Director and call it good.
 
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#8
yes, easy, use a direct box, mic chord in the XLR on direct box, guitar on line in of D.B., line out to amp. This also protects your amp. Had a friend who plugging a mic cord into his amp, amp was turned off, as the mic cord got close, it had a 1" arc to XLR plug. Toasted the amp.
 
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#10
I would be game to try the headphone out to DI box, but I also need to be able to hear it on stage, as it acts as my monitor, so that would be an issue.

The old amp we have now has a line out to a DI, and I also use it as a monitor. I want the same setup, since I'm not there every week and I'd like to bring my amp in and plop it down and plug it in. I'm doing this b/c the old bass amp at church cuts in and out and is very "touchy".
 
#12
Zenman, I think what you're saying is the church sound system won't use any of the sound shaping/effects from the amp... it will just use the house sound system settings. Therefore no matter what amp I'm using on stage, it will just act as a monitor and have no effect on the sound running through the house.

If that is the case, if the amp did have a "line out" on it, would the house system then get the effects from the amp? Thanks!
 
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#13
That is correct. Hooking up the way I described does take the amp out of the equation as far as the house sound goes. That may or may not be desirable depending on the situation.

It is hard to say how the church's current set-up is working. Depending where in the signal chain the line out is coming from within the amp would determine whether the controls were affecting the output of the line out. When an amp has an on-board DI, there is usually a switch that gives you the option of Pre or post EQ giving you a choice to send an affected or an unaffected signal. So your "line out" might or might not reflect the settings on the amp?

A lot of guys obsess over having "their" sound delivered to the house. But you also want to consider the very real possibility that the tweaks that make the amp sound good on stage, may not necessarily be the same tweaks that are required to produce a good sound in the house.
 
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#16
Yeah for only $125 I'm really tempted to buy it. It's only 1yo and in mint condition... so I might be able to work around the "no line out" issue for that. :D I agree though... makes NO sense not to have a line out.
 
#19
I would just buy a DI box if you're set on using that amp. But then again, by the time you add that cost to the ampeg, you could have just bought an amp that had a line out. I wonder why they removed it from the 112. It looks like only the 115 or 210 have the line out options.

If the church has the ability, throw an instrument mic up there and you'd be fine as well.

That is a great price for the amp, cheapest on GC's website is $199. Make sure everyone on the amp works before you buy it. Don't wanna see you get ripped off.
 
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