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Behringer Bass V-AMP Pro
- Thread starter CharlieC
- Start date
- Status
To all my bass brethren, and sister'en, I have nothing to gain by starting this thread. I simply took chance on a piece of gear and happen to really like it!
If you are fortunate, you simply don't just have "one" bass, and just have "one" amp. Variety is the spice to which we rock, funk, or move serious air to.
Tones are subjective, but most people understand the value of their hard-earned dollar.
I wanted a preamp for my rack that sounded great and fit the bill, a few came very close, but for my cash the Behringer Bass V-AMP Pro took the top 2-spaces in my rack.
By no means am I set for life, but for now I am happy to tell you that you should at least entertain the thought of test driving a Bass V-AMP. Most e-tailers will grant you this opportunity at almost no risk or cost to you, and armed with my Guide + Tips you'll have the best possible chance of keeping it. Out-of-the-box with no guide, not so much.
Most player do not realize the best tone elements lie not in the bass and gear, but start with you! Roll-up your sleeves, sharpen your chops, dig into some tone, and you will find joy in almost everything you touch... and when it costs $169 and delivers the goods then you'll be THAT much happier
Cheers!
If you are fortunate, you simply don't just have "one" bass, and just have "one" amp. Variety is the spice to which we rock, funk, or move serious air to.
Tones are subjective, but most people understand the value of their hard-earned dollar.
I wanted a preamp for my rack that sounded great and fit the bill, a few came very close, but for my cash the Behringer Bass V-AMP Pro took the top 2-spaces in my rack.
By no means am I set for life, but for now I am happy to tell you that you should at least entertain the thought of test driving a Bass V-AMP. Most e-tailers will grant you this opportunity at almost no risk or cost to you, and armed with my Guide + Tips you'll have the best possible chance of keeping it. Out-of-the-box with no guide, not so much.
Most player do not realize the best tone elements lie not in the bass and gear, but start with you! Roll-up your sleeves, sharpen your chops, dig into some tone, and you will find joy in almost everything you touch... and when it costs $169 and delivers the goods then you'll be THAT much happier
Cheers!
CharlieC,
Thanks for these tips.
Some of them are not very obvious.
I'm sure I never would have realized the low gain/tuner resolution.
I'm pretty sparing with effects, primarily eq and compression for me too.
The tuner was the last issue that will now allow me to leave the pedalboard at home.
Chris
Thanks for these tips.
Some of them are not very obvious.
I'm sure I never would have realized the low gain/tuner resolution.
I'm pretty sparing with effects, primarily eq and compression for me too.
The tuner was the last issue that will now allow me to leave the pedalboard at home.
Chris
Glad to help, Chris. At one time I used to scratch my head and wonder, "The rest of the V-AMP is so well done, but it's too bad the tuner really sucks!" ... Now we both know better! (and the added gain really drives the AMP models more realistically now as well)
Cheers!
P.S. For the curious out there, the major symptom that used to plague the tuner was that the "reading" of the notes was hard to trigger, and when I did hit the notes hard enough to trigger the display, the reading was so quick and then gone that the tuner was basically un-usable. I thought, "It's almost like it can't hear me well enough... Sort of like the SVT amp model in there that I'm unable to push into overdrive... It's like I need to somehow boost the input signal across the whole unit overall... BINGO!"
In case it's of interest to anyone, I ran across this site the other day for firmware eproms
http://www.eprompro.com/behringer.html
Bass V-AMP Pro ( OS/Firmware ver 1.09 ) $15.00
Prices are in US dollars, and INCLUDE shipping within North America. Overseas shipping may be a few dollars more.
Mine has 1.08 but I'm not going to bother.
http://www.eprompro.com/behringer.html
Bass V-AMP Pro ( OS/Firmware ver 1.09 ) $15.00
Prices are in US dollars, and INCLUDE shipping within North America. Overseas shipping may be a few dollars more.
Mine has 1.08 but I'm not going to bother.
Since this is the closest to a "main thread" on these units, here are some iphone pics of the internals.
The "infamous" battery has easy access and you can see the firmware eprom to the right of the battery.
There's really not that much in there.
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The "infamous" battery has easy access and you can see the firmware eprom to the right of the battery.
There's really not that much in there.
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Great pictures, Chris, and thanks for the valuable input to this thread!
As a side note, I was very impressed by the V-AMP unit when I first un-boxed it, as I thought it was really well built. The chassis is made of high-gauge aluminum and is very solid all around. The knob switches and pots are of no lesser quality than those of say, Line 6. Everything about it is more than what I expected and the internal electronics + architecture appear of good quality.
I say we keep this thread going, and let's see where it takes us.
Cheers!
As a side note, I was very impressed by the V-AMP unit when I first un-boxed it, as I thought it was really well built. The chassis is made of high-gauge aluminum and is very solid all around. The knob switches and pots are of no lesser quality than those of say, Line 6. Everything about it is more than what I expected and the internal electronics + architecture appear of good quality.
I say we keep this thread going, and let's see where it takes us.
Cheers!
Tip #13: The Clip Light
When tweaking your Bass V-AMP tones, pay attention to the red CLIP indicator LED. Adding too much EQ or boost via GAIN or VOLUME knobs may push the output of the unit into un-desirable distortion. When this happens, turn down the amp VOLUME knob (which differs from the MASTER VOLUME knob) until the CLIP light no longer comes on when you play. This will ensure that you are working with an optimum internal signal level, which in turn provides the optimum output level for your power amp or other external devices.
Bonus Tip: Instead of boosting frequencies, try reducing other complimentary ones. (e.g. turn down MID + TREBLE instead of boosting BASS)
When tweaking your Bass V-AMP tones, pay attention to the red CLIP indicator LED. Adding too much EQ or boost via GAIN or VOLUME knobs may push the output of the unit into un-desirable distortion. When this happens, turn down the amp VOLUME knob (which differs from the MASTER VOLUME knob) until the CLIP light no longer comes on when you play. This will ensure that you are working with an optimum internal signal level, which in turn provides the optimum output level for your power amp or other external devices.
Bonus Tip: Instead of boosting frequencies, try reducing other complimentary ones. (e.g. turn down MID + TREBLE instead of boosting BASS)
I just ran into this thread. I sold my unit about a year ago maybe.
I used it to drive a pair of Peavey 1200W power amps. I could hook it up to either a pair of AMPEG 215's or a pair of 810's. I could unplug and plug into my big multi SVT-4PRO rig so I could A/B between the units.
There were two modelling positions I usually used, and I selected between them depending on my mood. Either the Classic SVT position which is supposed to be the TUBE Original SVT and the SVT II modern position which is supposed to be an SVT-2PRO position.
I would not say either of those two NAILED the amplifiers but they were close enough that they gave you a pretty reasonable sound. Having the Cabinets definately made it work.
The only serious issue with the units is it is a computer. There is a low digital phase noise always present in the unit. If a guy was really anal about perfection of his signal, this would be a probem. It was a problem for me.
BUT it's pretty hard to argue with $169 bucks, and it will do all sorts of stuff. Using it for recording, that phase noise would be unacceptable IMHO.
For playing out somewhere, man have at it... The unit has enough voltage to drive any PA type amp as a preamp... and if you feel like playing a Fender Bassman, it has that emulation and while I no longer have a bassman around, it triggered that corner of my brain when I selected it.
As a preamp rating it 0-10... Its a 3-4 in my book. Noisy was the big complaint. As a cool toy 7 maybe. as a value to put together an innexpensive rig? 10. Would I buy another one? NO. I bought mine on a sale at GC a bunch of years ago like 2004 and it worked on my small amp quite well.
Anyway... There you go.
BOB
I used it to drive a pair of Peavey 1200W power amps. I could hook it up to either a pair of AMPEG 215's or a pair of 810's. I could unplug and plug into my big multi SVT-4PRO rig so I could A/B between the units.
There were two modelling positions I usually used, and I selected between them depending on my mood. Either the Classic SVT position which is supposed to be the TUBE Original SVT and the SVT II modern position which is supposed to be an SVT-2PRO position.
I would not say either of those two NAILED the amplifiers but they were close enough that they gave you a pretty reasonable sound. Having the Cabinets definately made it work.
The only serious issue with the units is it is a computer. There is a low digital phase noise always present in the unit. If a guy was really anal about perfection of his signal, this would be a probem. It was a problem for me.
BUT it's pretty hard to argue with $169 bucks, and it will do all sorts of stuff. Using it for recording, that phase noise would be unacceptable IMHO.
For playing out somewhere, man have at it... The unit has enough voltage to drive any PA type amp as a preamp... and if you feel like playing a Fender Bassman, it has that emulation and while I no longer have a bassman around, it triggered that corner of my brain when I selected it.
As a preamp rating it 0-10... Its a 3-4 in my book. Noisy was the big complaint. As a cool toy 7 maybe. as a value to put together an innexpensive rig? 10. Would I buy another one? NO. I bought mine on a sale at GC a bunch of years ago like 2004 and it worked on my small amp quite well.
Anyway... There you go.
BOB
Thanks for your honest feedback, Bob!
I definitely agree with you on the Fender Bassman comment. It does a very realistic Bassman tone (and others for me as well.)
I will say however, that the V-AMP I bought in 2009 does not have any operating noise like the one you bought from GC in 2004. To clarify, mine is so quiet that I completely disable the unit's noise gate and run without. In fact, my unit is so quiet that the "zipper" operating noise of the gate in some situations is louder than running without the gate.
My favorite amp model in the V-AMP is the original tube SVT, mainly because I fixed what used to be a gain-starved "almost, but not quite" impersonation caused by the default master input gain of the unit. (If curious, please see my Tip #1 on the first page of this thread for more info about this undocumented revelation.) The tones I now get from this model are right up there in quality with any other third-party gear promising SVT-like tones. And of course, true SVT fans would always argue that nothing beats the real thing.
Cheers!
I have one of the guitar v-amps (not pro) That I've used for guitar and bass for about 3 years for home practice. It has held up very well and gets about 3-4 hours of use 5 days a week. I know its not the same thing as what this thread is about but I figured I mention that reliability has not been an issue. Its quiet and does everything I need it to do.
I have had my eye on the v-amp pro for bass but the thing thats kept me from making the purchase is the need for a MIDI controller pedal which are not cheap. The MIDI controller pedals I've found cost twice as much as the V-Amp pro if not more. This is the thing that has killed the idea for me to purchase it to use for gigs.
I have had my eye on the v-amp pro for bass but the thing thats kept me from making the purchase is the need for a MIDI controller pedal which are not cheap. The MIDI controller pedals I've found cost twice as much as the V-Amp pro if not more. This is the thing that has killed the idea for me to purchase it to use for gigs.
A MIDI controller pedal is not required to use the Bass V-AMP Pro, nor could I justify the need to purchase one for my style of bass playing. Sure, I would entertain use of the MIDI expression pedals as a Wah-Wah and Volume, or the ability to change patches/mute/tune with my foot, but that's not how I play on a regular basis. IMHO having a floor board is more suited for lead guitarists. I have a few simple patches, I click them in with my finger between songs, and I'm done.
The Behringer FCB1010 MIDI foot controller costs ~$149. I believe at least one other contributor to this thread own them and they perhaps can give you their advice on the unit and how they use it with the V-AMP.
http://keyboards-midi.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-FCB1010-MIDI-Footcontroller-?sku=182469
It's a shame that the V-Amp Pros don't work with (and come with) a simple up/down footswitch like the POD-like V-Amps do...
I had both V-Amp and V-amp Pro guitar units and liked them...I should have simply kept the V-amp because I had no luck programming the MIDI controller to work with the V-amp Pro...
I had both V-Amp and V-amp Pro guitar units and liked them...I should have simply kept the V-amp because I had no luck programming the MIDI controller to work with the V-amp Pro...
I bought my first V-amp (for guitar) Soon after a friend took his Line-6 POD back after letting me use it for a few months. I used it a lot for recording my guitar tracks. I was hooked on the technology so I went out and bought the V-amp 2. Immediately, I discovered the tones seemed much more crisp and alive then the POD. I still have that unit. Since I'm a bassist I bought the bass version and was pleasantly surprised that the bass version is more than a bass amp modeler. It's a guitar amp modeler as well as a keyboard amp modeler as well.
It's not a stomp box with a couple of adjustment knobs. I think a lot of people that buy it are a bit lost or confused at just exactly what it is. It's a pre-amp that loosely attempts to mimic tones that we all grew up listening to. I think they did pretty good. But like some have pointed out... if you don't use it right... you won't get the right sound out of it. It took me a while to figure out some of the trickier setup configurations. I did the same thing as others did. I set it up to sound good recorded then took it out live and was disappointed at the sound. Yep... I forgot to change the operation mode to a live setup. Oooops. It's like a crescent wrench, if you aren't smart enough to turn the adjustment wheel you will claim that it doesn't live up to it's claim that it fits all size bolts.
I really like the configuration the original poster uses it for a live rig. I was considering doing that, but eventually I decided to buy "The Nuke" by Bugera (Behringer). I really love it. And the manual suggests using the Virtualizer Pro in the FX loop. I happened to have one, since I'm not a Behringer hater, so I plugged it in. Oh my gosh! I have never heard a bass rig that sounds sooooo goooood. I use 2 SWR cabs to run it, the Goliath III and the Son of Bertha.
I use my Bass V-amp Pro in my studio. It's a down and dirty way to lay down decent sounding bass tracks with very little effort. I just go DI and it sounds great in a mix. In the future if I have some recordings that really count, I'll experiment with miking the Bugera and mixing the live with the DI version. But for now the Bass V-amp Pro does just fine.
IMO... most of the Behringer haters are just snobish individuals that don't want to admit they could have gotten a better piece of gear for far less than what they paid for what they have. Right now, money is not a big issue in my life. But, a deal still appeals to me. Especially, if the deal sounds better than the more expensive alternative.
I have to giggle everytime I hear someone blast Behringer for being cheap and unreliable and then boast about their Mackie. They obviously aren't aware that Mackie just couldn't compete with Behringer... so they sold their company to Behringer. So to all you Behringer haters that have purchased a Mackie within the last 4 years... YOU OWN A BEHRINGER!!!
It's not a stomp box with a couple of adjustment knobs. I think a lot of people that buy it are a bit lost or confused at just exactly what it is. It's a pre-amp that loosely attempts to mimic tones that we all grew up listening to. I think they did pretty good. But like some have pointed out... if you don't use it right... you won't get the right sound out of it. It took me a while to figure out some of the trickier setup configurations. I did the same thing as others did. I set it up to sound good recorded then took it out live and was disappointed at the sound. Yep... I forgot to change the operation mode to a live setup. Oooops. It's like a crescent wrench, if you aren't smart enough to turn the adjustment wheel you will claim that it doesn't live up to it's claim that it fits all size bolts.
I really like the configuration the original poster uses it for a live rig. I was considering doing that, but eventually I decided to buy "The Nuke" by Bugera (Behringer). I really love it. And the manual suggests using the Virtualizer Pro in the FX loop. I happened to have one, since I'm not a Behringer hater, so I plugged it in. Oh my gosh! I have never heard a bass rig that sounds sooooo goooood. I use 2 SWR cabs to run it, the Goliath III and the Son of Bertha.
I use my Bass V-amp Pro in my studio. It's a down and dirty way to lay down decent sounding bass tracks with very little effort. I just go DI and it sounds great in a mix. In the future if I have some recordings that really count, I'll experiment with miking the Bugera and mixing the live with the DI version. But for now the Bass V-amp Pro does just fine.
IMO... most of the Behringer haters are just snobish individuals that don't want to admit they could have gotten a better piece of gear for far less than what they paid for what they have. Right now, money is not a big issue in my life. But, a deal still appeals to me. Especially, if the deal sounds better than the more expensive alternative.
I have to giggle everytime I hear someone blast Behringer for being cheap and unreliable and then boast about their Mackie. They obviously aren't aware that Mackie just couldn't compete with Behringer... so they sold their company to Behringer. So to all you Behringer haters that have purchased a Mackie within the last 4 years... YOU OWN A BEHRINGER!!!
Rolls MP128 MIDI Buddy Pedal - $129.00
http://accessories.musiciansfriend....701180&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26048293
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http://accessories.musiciansfriend....701180&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=26048293
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
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