Bergantino B/Amp at NAMM

[5StringPocket]

5, while I haven't played the Demeter I can unequivocally say that the B Amp can give you the warmth, sag, compression and harmonics of a good tube pre. I know this draws fire from the tube purists and I also know there's physics involved but Jim has managed to bottle up some incredible magic that let's this amp be a chameleon. It can literally give you any bass tone you seek (save time based effects like Chorus, delay, flange, etc).

The latest updates let you use the aux in volume dial as a blend feature for the drive circuit. This EXTREMELY useful when dialing in just the right amount of fur/grit/harmonics/drive to your clean signal. Very intuitive and easy to use on the fly and under gig duress. It needs to be heard to be believed and I have extensively A/B'd the B Amp with a host of my tube amps and fooled some very discerning ears. It's that good.

Also, with the newest parallel compression circuit that's about to come out, well, just when I thought it couldn't get any better...

Thanks this is good info. That warmth, sag, compression, harmonics, and heft to the notes is a core part of the tone I love to play with. I'm not heavily into effects but a bit of good compression and overdrive is part of the sauce and not having to set up extra pedals is a plus. I also built a pair of 1.6 cu-ft cabs loaded with Beyma 12WR400 drivers and Eminence BGH25-8 tweeter I'd like to check with the 2xHD112 profile. Looks like I might have to take a road trip to Dallas to check one out...

 

[5StringPocket]

Of course, we are always looking for where we can off load gear that isn't needed any more. In this case, I have chosen to keep my Demeter VTBP-201's. I have one in a rack for really big gigs, and one with the internal Class D, similar to your 800D.

In some ways, the Demeter is the complete opposite of the B|Amp. The B| has unbelievable flexibility and perfect tone at the center. The Demeter has a massively more limited tone; but, that tone is completely dialed in. I have considered moving the VTBP with the internal 800D, simply because I am more inclined to use the B| when I want the small amp. The 201 in the rack is going nowhere soon. [edit: that's not quite right. What I've actually been considering is moving my 201 in the rack, putting the power amp in a separate rack bag, and then using the 201 with the internal 800D with the power amp. That's my first world consideration ATM]

I suppose if I had to choose one, it would be the B|; but, I would feel like I had amputated my right arm. No, the Demeter has a pretty special voice. I would not say any other amp sounds precisely like it. The Demeter and Fender basses, especially a Jazz, is like peas n carrots.

So, I'm probably no help. That's why I didn't initially comment on your post. I suppose in your case, if I could only support one, it would be the B|. But, if I could keep it, I would keep the Demeter. Guess it's a first world kind of problem.

This is an interesting comment. I'd agree that the Demeter tone shipping is more limited but it does have a special voice that's dialed in and just works. That's what makes me reluctant to part with it.

 

[SnowTau]

I have found in some cases the file can get corrupted in "transit". However, every time this is the case and I resend it in a zip file it has worked. A zip file is on its way to you as I type.

Thanks! So it is a recoverable state when this happens? I was so worried it was bricked or something D: especially considering I tried an old file that had worked previously. For what it's worth I was on 3.00, tried to install 4.29, then a previous 4.xx, then tried to go back to the 3.00 which worked previously which is what has me a little worried.

As per rodl2005's suggestion I'll pick up a fresh USB on the way home just in case. Unfortunately I just had to leave for work so won't be about to try anything for 8 hours and get to worry about it all day

 

[Jim Bergantino]

Thanks! So it is a recoverable state when this happens? I was so worried it was bricked or something D: especially considering I tried an old file that had worked previously. For what it's worth I was on 3.0 tried to install 4.29, then a previous 4.xx, then tried to go back to the 3.00 which worked previously which is what has me a little worried.

As per rodl2005's suggestion I'll pick up a fresh USB on the way home just in case. Unfortunately I just had to leave for work so won't be about to try anything for 8 hours and get to worry about it all day

No need to worry. I have yet to lose a B|AMP to a bad firmware load! ;-}

 

[bucephylus]

This is an interesting comment. I'd agree that the Demeter tone shipping is more limited but it does have a special voice that's dialed in and just works. That's what makes me reluctant to part with it.

Exactly what I was intending in my comment and why I'm keeping mine, in spite of the B| awesomeness.

 

[SnowTau]

No need to worry. I have yet to lose a B|AMP to a bad firmware load! ;-}

It's alive! Not sure if it was the zipped firmware or the new USB but that's got it fixed

Thanks @Jim Bergantino and @rodl2005

 

[rodl2005]

It's alive! Not sure if it was the zipped firmware or the new USB but that's got it fixed

Thanks @Jim Bergantino and @rodl2005

Good stuff! !! Be sure to post your views. ..please.

 

[rodl2005]

I'm having the same issues as @SnowTau
I'm using the same USB drive that I used b4.... the files won't load to amp. .. amp is now unusable with all lights on and screen lit up but blank. Does anyone have the manual handy to do reset as I need it tonight.

 

[David A. Davis]

I'm having the same issues as @SnowTau
I'm using the same USB drive that I used b4.... the files won't load to amp. .. amp is now unusable with all lights on and screen lit up but blank. Does anyone have the manual handy to do reset as I need it tonight.

It sounds like you may have gotten a corrupted file too. You have to have the display to be able to do the factory reset per the manual. I would try loading an older version to see if it comes back up. If it does, you may have to have Jim send you the new file again. Do you have an older version file to try?

 

[rodl2005]

It sounds like you may have gotten a corrupted file too. You have to have the display to be able to do the factory reset per the manual. I would try loading an older version to see if it comes back up. If it does, you may have to have Jim send you the new file again. Do you have an older version file to try?

I've tried loading older versions. ...no go.
I've emailed Jim B.

Thanx anyway

Just a bummer. .as I'll have to head to my lock up to get a different amp for tonight's gig.
I'll have to remember to NOT try and update the B|Amp on days when I've gotta gig in future.

 

[rodl2005]

VERY ANNOYING as .... the same as the only other time I've gone to update the firmware. ... it doesn't work and I end up spending hours muckin around going back and forth from pc to amp, (trying different ways. ..checking the renamed file. .. I'm NO computer expert...that's for sure. .)
and not getting anywhere....

So. ..if I can't reset it while it's like this, I s'pose I'll have to wait for Jim's help

 

[rodl2005]

Done! Phew! Thanx Jim B.
For some reason it was showing up as "4.31- then my email name" as the file name. .. and so when I went to rename it. ..there were problems.
Jim sent it to me named so I didn't have to rename it, And it loaded straight away.
Now. ..gotta get to gig

Thanx again

 

[Jim Bergantino]

Done! Phew! Thanx Jim B.
For some reason it was showing up as "4.31- then my email name" as the file name. .. and so when I went to rename it. ..there were problems.
Jim sent it to me named so I didn't have to rename it, And it loaded straight away.
Now. ..gotta get to gig

Thanx again

I wonder if there was a reason I just so happened to wake up at 4am this morning, only to find your pleas for help in my email! ;-} Glad it all worked out!

 

[only4]

I'm having the same issues as @SnowTau
I'm using the same USB drive that I used b4.... the files won't load to amp. .. amp is now unusable with all lights on and screen lit up but blank. Does anyone have the manual handy to do reset as I need it tonight.

Just out of interest, does the USB stick still work properly? The reason I ask is that the one I used for a firmware update wasn't recognised by my pc the next time I tried it, I just blamed my old pc at the time.

 

[Jim Bergantino]

Just out of interest, does the USB stick still work properly? The reason I ask is that the one I used for a firmware update wasn't recognised by my pc the next time I tried it, I just blamed my old pc at the time.

I emailed him the file already in the proper form (didn't need to rename it) and it loaded right in. Not sure what was going on with his pc/thumbdrive, but he was trying to rename the file and it was inserting his email address in place of it. Once I emailed him the file already renamed, it loaded right in. I'm curious if you, Rod, and others with these issues are using PCs or Macs. I know with a Mac you have to make sure it's in the Master boot record partition of the thumbdrive, which we mention in our instructions.

 

[kjones]

I emailed him the file already in the proper form (didn't need to rename it) and it loaded right in. Not sure what was going on with his pc/thumbdrive, but he was trying to rename the file and it was inserting his email address in place of it. Once I emailed him the file already renamed, it loaded right in. I curious if you, Rod, and others with these issues are using PCs or Macs. I know with a Mac you have to make sure it's in the Master boot record partition of the thumbdrive, which we mention in our instructions.

Jim, you may well know I'm a Mac guy, and it's really no problem.

With my drive, I just rename the file, and drag it onto the icon of the drive as it appears on my desktop. Boom, done.

Any chance they're forgetting to dismount the drives from their computer properly? That sometimes leads to problems.

To rename, I just click and hold on the file and when the name box gets highlighted, I type in the correct name.

It couldn't be much simpler, for me anyway.

 

[Jim Bergantino]

Jim, you may well know I'm a Mac guy, and it's really no problem.

With my drive, I just rename the file, and drag it onto the icon of the drive as it appears on my desktop. Boom, done.

Any chance they're forgetting to dismount the drives from their computer properly? That sometimes leads to problems.

To rename, I just click and hold on the file and when the name box gets highlighted, I type in the correct name.

It couldn't be much simpler, for me anyway.

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for sharing your experience. There could be many factors, that being one. Another issue I ran into is that some thumb drives are set up such that it doesn't display the file extension (.hex in this instance), and the customer added another .hex to the end of the file name. So when I email them the file xxxxxx_yyyy.hex, where all the customer needed to do was erase the _yyyy part, they erased the _yyyy, but because they didn't see the .hex extension, they added it to the file name resulting in a xxxxxx.hex.hex. Sometimes I wonder why I didn't just do the forte' and sleep at night! ;-}

 

[only4]

I emailed him the file already in the proper form (didn't need to rename it) and it loaded right in. Not sure what was going on with his pc/thumbdrive, but he was trying to rename the file and it was inserting his email address in place of it. Once I emailed him the file already renamed, it loaded right in. I'm curious if you, Rod, and others with these issues are using PCs or Macs. I know with a Mac you have to make sure it's in the Master boot record partition of the thumbdrive, which we mention in our instructions.

Hi Jim, I've had no problems with either my amp or firmware updates so all good. My only problem has been that the thumbdrive I used for the firmware updates will no longer be recognised by my pc when it's inserted. Clearly a different issue.

 

[Jim Bergantino]

Hi Jim, I've had no problems with either my amp or firmware updates so all good. My only problem has been that the thumbdrive I used for the firmware updates will no longer be recognised by my pc when it's inserted. Clearly a different issue.

I understand but am still very confused by it. If you have added a lot of other non B|AMP files since the last firmware update, that could be an issue as the B|AMP may have had trouble "seeing" the file on your now very populated thumb drive. However if it's a dedicated thumb drive just for firmware upgrades, it shouldn't be such that it works once but not again.

Edit: Just reread your post. So it was your PC that wouldn't recognize the thumb drive before you even tried to load the firmware onto it and had nothing to do with an actual firmware load into the B|AMP.

 

[only4]

I understand but am still very confused by it. If you have added a lot of other non B|AMP files since the last firmware update, that could be an issue as the B|AMP may have had trouble "seeing" the file on your now very populated thumb drive. However if it's a dedicated thumb drive just for firmware upgrades, it shouldn't be such that it works once but not again.

Edit: Just reread your post. So it was your PC that wouldn't recognize the thumb drive before you even tried to load the firmware onto it?

Yes that's it, probably just a poor quality one out of a Christmas cracker that's gone duff after 5 uses!