• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

AMPEG Portaflex vs. Micro-VR vs. BA115HP

whitespikebass

whitespikebass

Boy Orbision
Feb 19, 2013
205
37
Austin, TX
#1
Need an additional, smaller rig.

Considering the Portaflex 500 with one 210 speaker, the Micro-VR with one matching 210, or BA115HP (the 220 watt combo)

Which of these is loudest? Not the most wattage, but the actual amount of sound in combination with the matching speaker.

Which sounds most like the SVT?

Which is most reliable?
 
#2
PF500/PF210he would be loudest, Micro VR/210av would sound most like a small SVT, and while I've never owned a PF500 or BA115, I've owned a PF350, a BA110 and BA108, and a Micro VR, and they're all reliable.
 
#4
Very hard to predict how much you'll need without hearing your band. Based on your description, though, I'd be tempted to say the PF500/PF210he could do it and the Micro VR and BA115 may struggle.
 
#5
Well its the BA115HP 220 watt, not the 100 watt.

If it puts it in perspective long ago I used an Eden WT400 with Ampeg 210 classic speaker and that was plenty. The Eden is 400 watts at 4 ohms. My speaker was 8 ohms and the power was around 240 watts.
 
#6
The Classic 210he takes more of a pounding than the 210av. So does the PF210he. Not saying the BA115hp or Micro VR won't work for you...just that the potential output won't be as much as the PF rig or your old rig.
 
#8
Based on my rig years ago, temped to get an AMPEG SVT-210HE or SVT-15HE with an AMPEG SVT-3 PRO head.

Although I worry a little because the SVT-210HE and SVT-115HE is rated for 200 watts RMS. The head would be 275 watts at 8 ohm.

Although I did this years ago with the Eden WT400 which would have been 240 watts. I didn't know any better then. But I never had an issue.

I have to admit, I'm a little skeptical about the Portaflex heads. Too many stories of them farting out. Plus the small price and design makes me worry it's not very robust/resilient on the road. Could be wrong.
 
#9
whitespikebass said:
Based on my rig years ago, temped to get an AMPEG SVT-210HE or SVT-15HE with an AMPEG SVT-3 PRO head.

Although I worry a little because the SVT-210HE and SVT-115HE is rated for 200 watts RMS. The head would be 275 watts at 8 ohm.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry too much about that - you won't hurt anything unless you've got the amp pinned and you ignore warning signs when you start driving the speaker cab too hard. Basically, you'd have to do it on purpose because it'll start letting you know before hand if you're pushing too much power into it.

I use an SVT-3Pro with an SVT-15E (sometimes with a SVT 410HE), and I've never had any issues. Was running into a brutal distortion problem with the 15, but it turned out to be my own stupid mistake, eq-wise. There's plenty of volume for smaller gigs, but if you're playing in a 200 + person venue, hopefully you'll have a house system to run into also.

I'm on the hunt for an SVT 210HE, hard to find though as they've been out of production for a few years now.:crying:
 
#10
Have you found your 1x15 to be unsatisfactory with your SVT-3 PRO?

Honestly I am undecided as to whether I would get a 1x15 or a 2x10. I always did like my old 2x10, but have been enjoying my 4x12 I use with my SVT. Wonder which would get closer to that tone.
 
#11
Naw, I dig the 15. I'd just like to have a 210 that I could run with it if I wanted, and I love the Ampeg stuff. I have a Traynor 210 which is built like a tank and sounds good, but I find it to be more nasal sounding than I'd like. And, as wrong as this sounds - part of me wants the SVT 210HE because cosmetically it'll match the rest of my gear, lol. :bassist: :hyper:

Honestly, I really like the sound of the SVT 3Pro with the SVT 410HE, and I doubt I'll be finding myself in gigs that need a larger rig anytime soon. I've run it with the 15 and thought it also sounded good (that'll get off topic, lots of debate on mismatching cabs and most folks don't recommend it, but that's a whole other bag of worms).

But yeah - the 3Pro + SVT 15E is a great combo. Definitely loud enough for rehearsals, with 2 guitar players and a drummer (mostly rock/blues/top 40 music), and it's been loud enough for gigging so far. But I prefer to use the 4x10 (with or without the 15) for anything bigger than 100 people or so. Either way, I usually run into the house system with the XLR-out on the back of the 3Pro anyway.
 
#12
I've always been a fan of the SVT210HE. Two of them have covered my needs quite well for the last ten years. However, over time, each one of the stock drivers gave up the ghost and got replaced with an Eminence Legend BP102-4, so now each cab handles 400w instead of 200w. For many gigs with FOH support, I can play just one cab, and the rest get both. I've never run it with a PF500, but have with a PF350. It was OK, but I ended up going with a Genz Benz Streamliner 900, and I dig it, big time. (It allows me to stack vertically, too, unlike my trusty old SVT head.)
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back