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Bugera bxd12 - hi power combo - ghost product?
- Thread starter tubster
- Start date
But I want what I want, and that's not what I want.
Most combo's aren't going to let you attach external speakers. They put out their maximum power into the internal speaker(s). IMHO this is a good thing as it keeps the OHMs FAQ traffic down.
Really? The SWR combos did, as well as GK's, Genz, and Carvins. I'm just thinking the power section in these is going to be very similar to the Veyron M so why not have an option for an extension cab?
Mine should be arriving today. I will post an initial review and a gig review after this weekend. Geez, at this price, someone has to do it....
I got the 12, with paper cone.
Several reasons. It needs to fill a hole or take the place of something lacking in my amp arsenal. Small and light, one-trip carry is that hole. The 15 size would get closer to my midsized rig (a 210 cab with the tecamp Puma 900). I talked to my sales rep at the online place I ordered it from, and he said the aluminum cone versions were tonally what you'd expect, like the old Hartke stuff, with an beefier high-mid punch. What little I have read about the solid state amps is that they excel in this area anyways, and I'm usually after a warmer sound, so I opted for paper driver.
I play a steady church gig where I go direct, amp-less, and the monitors are Turbosound 12's. They have WAY more than you would imagine in terms of volume, clarity, tone, and low end. I guess these amps have Turbosound drivers (made in the same factory complex and owned by the same parent company), and they may even be the same drivers. So I'm betting this little amp will rock beyond what you'd expect of something that size from any brand. I just hope it delivers my preferred tonal flavor. With the excellent return policy, it is worth potentially losing a few bucks if all I can get out of it is a thorough review for the bass world. I guess I ordered too late last night. It shipped today and will be here Friday, and I will gig it on Saturday.
Not if they are Behringer/Bugera watts.
Maybe after switch on the amp will turn into a ghost product!!
No ghost product! It arrived, and it looks great. A little heavier than I expected in 2015. I couldn't weigh it, but it's heavier than a lot of other modern combos, GK, etc. The layout is great, construction and carpeting is great, knobs are great, the look is great. The knobs feel solid. I wish there was a center detent on the EQ knobs but oh well. The midrange points are good. The master had a bunch of mini detents. The compressor is useful, and pretty usable throughout the entire range.
The verdict? I don't like the tone. It has too much high mids and not enough lows, sounds like a GK in your face, without the lows. I tried to EQ it, and reference it with my amp with an Eden 112 speaker about the same size. I could not coax a usable tone from it. I like earth shaking lows and a pretty balanced, warm tone. I just couldn't get it. I could not tame those mids and strengthen those lows without turning knobs ALL the way almost, and when I get the tone I want, better that this guy's best tone, with my amp set flat.... I gotta send it back. I'm sorry guys, I really wanted to love it. I will not be gigging it tonight on my pop/soul cover band gig.
The verdict? I don't like the tone. It has too much high mids and not enough lows, sounds like a GK in your face, without the lows. I tried to EQ it, and reference it with my amp with an Eden 112 speaker about the same size. I could not coax a usable tone from it. I like earth shaking lows and a pretty balanced, warm tone. I just couldn't get it. I could not tame those mids and strengthen those lows without turning knobs ALL the way almost, and when I get the tone I want, better that this guy's best tone, with my amp set flat.... I gotta send it back. I'm sorry guys, I really wanted to love it. I will not be gigging it tonight on my pop/soul cover band gig.
Update: 6 or more years of thrashing this BX1200 has hurt either the speaker or the amp, I've not had time to plug the head into a good cab or push the speaker with a separate amp yet. Ordered a Bugera BXD12A to replace it with(tax write-off plus we'll fix the broken Behringer here) for now since our house gig has a great PA and the 12" aluminum works good for clarity in mids/highs. I will use the Bugera's -15dB guitar input run from a Line 6 HD500X line out so I can use the Bugera's compressor a lot to help lengthen the speaker life.
The Behringer BX1200 will get a replacement speaker or amp or both. For a speaker, it'll probably get a Hartke newer model if one can be sourced. If it's the amp, a lighter Class D will be strapped into the amp area of the Behringer BX1200.
@Timmy-Watts : the "no lows" you describe is why this particular 12" kickback amp serves well in venues with good FOH subs and good drummer's monitor. I EQ all of the lows out of it and boost the mids and highs with an MXR 10-band pedal EQ in front of it so it cuts. It gives me stage clarity without having to load up my vocal monitor(venue-owned & operated) with bass. Drummer's monitor is a good Yamaha with a 15+horn, LOUD and FOH subs are centered under the stage. Plenty of lows.
The Behringer BX1200 will get a replacement speaker or amp or both. For a speaker, it'll probably get a Hartke newer model if one can be sourced. If it's the amp, a lighter Class D will be strapped into the amp area of the Behringer BX1200.
@Timmy-Watts : the "no lows" you describe is why this particular 12" kickback amp serves well in venues with good FOH subs and good drummer's monitor. I EQ all of the lows out of it and boost the mids and highs with an MXR 10-band pedal EQ in front of it so it cuts. It gives me stage clarity without having to load up my vocal monitor(venue-owned & operated) with bass. Drummer's monitor is a good Yamaha with a 15+horn, LOUD and FOH subs are centered under the stage. Plenty of lows.
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Sweet water gives the weight as 43.9lbs. I note that the OP is in Spain, so European sources would probably work best for him.
Raf
My Behringer BX4500H head is a legit 450w (juding by comparing it to a GK700, Ampeg PF-350, and Carvin BX1200, but this this is likely peak watts, meaning around 250w RMS. I had a old Behringer BX300 combo a while and it was a great little amp. Crushed the 30w Peavey it replaced in sound and durability. The BX4500H head on top of my Avatar 12" 2-way cab makes for a great rehearsal, small gig rig.
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I know I'm late to the party, but how was the BXD12 that you ordered? I'm thinking about getting one to compliment my BXD15A. How does the combo sound and how loud does it get? My BXD15A can keep up with my Rumble 500 combo, so I was just wondering how the 12 inch version was? Thanks!
BXD 12 was a very good improvement over the Behringer version b/c controls are more flexible and a compressor that works without sounding like garbage is included in the 12 and 15 models. The 12 gets loud enough to be used as a floor monitor. Also got a Bugera 15 kickback with the non-aluminum speaker to use on very large stages(if needed). Both have about identical controls/functions and both work very nicely. Pics of faces below, settings as-shown. Volume levels are set between the 2 black marks.
The 12 gets thrashed if we're on a loud stage, same setup as discussed previously with the 12 to my right ear and vocal monitor on my left to my left ear. The 15 has seen many less shows than the 12 but gets use at home a lot.
As far as reliability, I've been fortunate with Behringer and Bugera. When my two youngest left home, they left their keyboard amps here(KX1200 Behringers 15" + 5" + tweeter) so now those two amps sit under a big screen TV in the living room making movies and concerts sound very real....after all these years they're still going fine. A Behringer SPL 3220(Behringer | Product | SPL3220) and transformer isolators(hum eliminators, similar to DI boxes) go between a ROKU box and the amps. The SPL3220 keeps the signal level fairly constant when changing channels(i.e. youtube vs Netlflix vs Amazon vs Hulu etc.).
Seems that the main thing I've learned from these is feed them clean power(filtered and/or monitored) and don't abuse them too much. The 12 gets leaned on sometimes but replacement speakers can be found. The Keyboard amps hardly get turned past "2" on the master and "1" channel volume to be quite loud on a 16 x 12 room. Rush concert DVD's(and other) on the keyboard amps are amazing IMHO. Probably outlast me.....
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I listened to a guy play through a BUGERA 15" combo last year and I was quite surprised at how loud, punchy and clear it was. Probably has something to do with the Turbosound speakers they put in them.Nice to see B-bashing in full swing as always! Some people are so dedicated!
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Nice thanks for the review. I love my BXD15A, it just as loud as my Rumble 500 combo that is almost twice the price. I may just buy another 15A just to have. How does the BXD15 sound (the one with the paper speaker)? How is the low end on the 15?
The low end on the 15 is very good for a small, ported box that you can carry with one hand.
For comparison, I have 2x15 cabinets and ACME B2's. In order of low end reproduction, the ACME then the 2x15 then the BXD15. None of them crap out on 4 or 4 string basses and they all work well on small to medium stages. Since the ACME is made for low B, it does lows the best.
I have wondered about stacking a BXD15A on top of a BXD15 paper speaker amp with them both turned sideways(like a 2x15 cab vertical). The paper speaker has a less-bright sound(unless crazy EQ is used) and it seems they would compliment each other PLUS acoustical coupling....you could probably get 6dB total gain(double speaker area and power approx. 3 dB, coupling approx. 3 more dB). If I ever drag the 15 and the 12 outdoors into the testing pasture, I'll run the sideways stacking test with the 15 on the bottom and 12 on top and record it with a Zoom HD video/audio recorder.
Testing like that(loud outdoors with no room interference) taught me that BOSE L1 throws bass the best and sounds the best with a front-loaded 18" cabinet replacing their B1 or B2 subs. Similar to the BOSE-clone Carvin PA's a while back.
For comparison, I have 2x15 cabinets and ACME B2's. In order of low end reproduction, the ACME then the 2x15 then the BXD15. None of them crap out on 4 or 4 string basses and they all work well on small to medium stages. Since the ACME is made for low B, it does lows the best.
I have wondered about stacking a BXD15A on top of a BXD15 paper speaker amp with them both turned sideways(like a 2x15 cab vertical). The paper speaker has a less-bright sound(unless crazy EQ is used) and it seems they would compliment each other PLUS acoustical coupling....you could probably get 6dB total gain(double speaker area and power approx. 3 dB, coupling approx. 3 more dB). If I ever drag the 15 and the 12 outdoors into the testing pasture, I'll run the sideways stacking test with the 15 on the bottom and 12 on top and record it with a Zoom HD video/audio recorder.
Testing like that(loud outdoors with no room interference) taught me that BOSE L1 throws bass the best and sounds the best with a front-loaded 18" cabinet replacing their B1 or B2 subs. Similar to the BOSE-clone Carvin PA's a while back.
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