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Bass V-Amp Pro

Discussion in 'Amps and Cabs [BG]' started by rdkill, Jul 18, 2003.

  1. Jul 18, 2003 #1
    rdkill

    rdkill

    Jan 20, 2003
    Just got my Bass V-Amp Pro in today from Music123.com . I haven't hooked it up yet but I have to say it is more solidly built than I expected. I plan to use it as a preamp with no other devices. Probably only use the tone controls, amp emulation, compressor, denoiser, and crossover. I wish it allowed you to independently select the "tone stack" from the "power output stage" but I suspect the SVT emulation (if done well) will be good enough for what I'm looking to get out of it. Anybody else got theirs in yet?
     
  2. Jul 18, 2003 #2
    rdkill

    rdkill

    Jan 20, 2003
    So, I hooked it up and, like wow, what were these guys smokin' when they designed the user interface to this? The SVT model doesn't have enough gain even for my "hottest" passive pickup - barely can get the SVT "growl" - not a chance with my weaker passives - might be OK with an active bass. There is an "overdrive" effect that sounds OK but is barely and incompletely documented even in the new v1.1 manual- and only usable if you check out the PC software for this guy that gives you a clue how to use it and even there it is called a "stompbox effect", not "overdrive" as the manual says. To change a control on the overdrive unit requires three keypresses, change the setting, then another keypress to get back to the original controls. Sorry guys, that ain't gonna be good enough to use this unit live. Many setting require you to hold a button down with one hand and use the other hand to turn a knob - if you can't run it single handed its gonna suck live. Sure you can use a bunch of presets - but if you need to tweak the sound because of the room or such? The unit seems to sound great and I have little doubt that with the right firmware it could be a great live unit. There is no documentation for the presets except a "name" for each - how about a list of how the controls are set for each preset? I was real disappointed that the compressor doesn't have any indication as to operation. I'd expect at least a single led to show it was "compressing" so you could set the threshold. The led ring around the threshold knob would make a great "degree of compression" indicator if it was programmed right! Well, I guess the marketing guys focused this unit on the kids playing in their rooms looking for cool weird noises and perhaps the studio. When is someone gonna build one of these DSP rackmount units for live gigs?
     
  3. Jul 19, 2003 #3
    Mudbass

    Mudbass

    Jul 25, 2001
    The Republik of Kalifornia
    [​IMG]
     
  4. Jul 19, 2003 #4
    kasbrey

    kasbrey

    Aug 23, 2002
    York UK
    Talking of the Bass pod pro - I've finally figured out how to use live and it not sound weak and "flat". I tried running it into a Behringer UB1002 with the BPP in live mode with both the XLR model out and the 1/4" (no cab) model output and mixed the two together. You really hear what you you are missing when you isolate the individual channels - very punchy. This also gets over the low output (at least when driving a QSC).Its a shame that this is so complicated. Nice to see the V-amp pro output is + 24Db. However I think I'm going to get a Sansamp RBI for simplicity.
     
  5. Jul 19, 2003 #5
    TxBass

    TxBass

    Jul 3, 2002
    Frisco, Texas
    rdkill,
    it may not help you out live, but I would highly recommend getting the MIDI cables and utilizing the V-AMP Design 2.0 that you can download for free off of Behringer's web site. This program allows you to do and see everything and manipulate it through the computer. Helped me to understand the unit a bit more...:cool:
     
  6. Jul 19, 2003 #6
    rdkill

    rdkill

    Jan 20, 2003
    Yes TxBass, Now that I gave up hope of using the manual and front panel to get something useful out of this I find the help file for the PC software documents some features better - even if it uses terms that don't always match the manual and you have to guess about what on the front panel corresponds to the PC controls. I do see in the manual that there is a MIDI parameter #89 called "global input gain" that might make the device usable with a passive pickup. I hope that this setting is "sticky" somehow as the "global" part implies it won't be saved in a preset? As there appears to be no way to adjust this "global input gain" from the front panel I'd worry even if it is "sticky" as these devices are known to "loose" their presets from time to time and if you can't tweak it back to something usable on stage without a PC that sucks...