For Bugera Veyron T owners- amp set up and cab choice

[Pbman]

I've had the Veyron T for about a year and it's proven itself. I'm still getting a hang on to a proper set up. I only use passive Fender types and I see sometimes that the overload light still blinks. I keep the master volume at around 9-10 O'clock. I pin the volume and I use the gain as my volume control. Right /wrong suggestions?

In a smaller to mid sized room, I get away fine with my Rumble 15" can with a 8 Ohm-JBL K140. In a larger room, it's getting lost. I was thinking of getting a BBC 1215, with a 12" and 15", but they are quite pricey. I've played through the 1215 , with the amp , and it does well in a mid sized room, but I have no idea in a mid to large. There's another matching Rumble 15" nearby by with the stock Eminence. So my other thought would be to get a 2-10. The goal would o get the amp to 4 ohms.

 

[Analogeezer]

I've had the Veyron T for about a year and it's proven itself. I'm still getting a hang on to a proper set up. I only use passive Fender types and I see sometimes that the overload light still blinks. I keep the master volume at around 9-10 O'clock. I pin the volume and I use the gain as my volume control. Right /wrong suggestions?

In a smaller to mid sized room, I get away fine with my Rumble 15" can with a 8 Ohm-JBL K140. In a larger room, it's getting lost. I was thinking of getting a BBC 1215, with a 12" and 15", but they are quite pricey. I've played through the 1215 , with the amp , and it does well in a mid sized room, but I have no idea in a mid to large. There's another matching Rumble 15" nearby by with the stock Eminence. So my other thought would be to get a 2-10. The goal would o get the amp to 4 ohms.

Yes, unless the Veyron is different from just about any other amp you are doing it backwards.

You set the gain control to match the output level of the bass, and then the volume to set the volume of the amp.

I am confused by your back to back statements, you say you "keep the master volume around 9 or 10 o'clock" but the very next sentence you say you "pin the volume and use the gain control to control the volume of the amp.

You seem to be using the gain/volume/master terms for different things.

Unless this amp is drastically different, you have a gain control for the input then the volume (or can be labeled master volume) controls how loud the amp gets. It's really that simple.

I'm not sure what you mean by "overload light", do you mean the LED next to the gain control?

Generally you should set the gain control to where it just flickers now and then when playing fairly hard, then adjust the volume (master) to taste and the requirement.

I have an old Bugera bass head (BVP-5500) and while the manual kinda sucks they go into a lot of detail about setting the gain and volume controls. You might want to peruse your owner's manual about this, it should tell you exactly how to set this up.

Analogeezer

 

[Pbman]

Thanks for chiming in!

Here are my definitions-

Largest control- Master
Gain knob
Small volume
The overload light- Clip light

According to what you wrote, yes, I was using the small volume and gain wrong. I'll try your way and will look up the BVP-5500 manual

The Veyron manual is only a "what is" vs a "how to" manual. There isn't any how to at all

Thanks!

 

[Analogeezer]

Thanks for chiming in!

Here are my definitions-

Largest control- Master
Gain knob
Small volume
The overload light- Clip light

According to what you wrote, yes, I was using the small volume and gain wrong. I'll try your way and will look up the BVP-5500 manual

The Veyron manual is only a "what is" vs a "how to" manual. There isn't any how to at all

Thanks!

Ok I just looked up the "manual" for that amp and it is kind of an unusual amp.

Note the "clip light" is looking at the input signal to the amp, this is controlled by the GAIN control. When set properly it should flicker occasionally if you really lay into the bass. If it comes on all the time, then reduce the gain control. This is a very standard setup.

The clip light is a LED ring around the MUTE button.

There is no "amp clip" light on the output section of the amp; this is actually VERY typical for bass amps.

Master volume (the big knob all the way to the right) - this controls the overall output of the amp, like most master controls do.

Here is where it gets weird with the "volume" knob, according to the owner's manual:

VOLUME knob (BV1001T only) compensates for boosts in the signal from the GAIN knob. It also affects the level of the FX LOOP SEND jack.

I am not sure what they mean by this, I guess it sends more volume to the preamp section if you have to turn the gain down too much because the output of your bass is hot.

I would start by setting the gain to match the output of your bass, leaving the "volume" knob down and then turning up the master.

If you get no sound doing this, gradually raise the level of the volume knob then.

After thinking about this for a bit though, I believe I know what this "Volume knob" does.

I noticed this control is only on the version you have, the one with the tube in it. It is not on the MOSFET version of the amp.

Most likely this volume knob is what is usually labeled a "drive" control, this controls the amount of level that goes into the tube section, less level = less tube overdrive, more level more tube overdrive.

My Bugera and Ampeg SVP-Pro tube preamp both have "drive" knobs for this purpose. The Bugera has four tubes, the Ampeg five tubes.

So I expect you will get output with this volume control all the way down.

So try this:

1. Set the gain control to the appropriate level as described before

2. Turn the volume (drive) knob all the way down

3. Adjust the master volume to what you want or need

4. Then try turning the volume knob up slowly, note any change in the tone or sound as you do this. It might also increase your volume slightly as you turn it up higher. If it does react this way, it's a drive knob to get more input into the tube section.

If I am right about this, well they really should have labeled the knob as drive, not volume. Hell my Bugera even calls it this.

Best of luck and report back on your findings!

Analogeezer

 

[Quintessence]

One quick note here - I believe the clip light on this amp is actually pre-gain, so I don’t think changing the gain level changes how often the clip light comes on. I think the only way to change whether the clip light comes on is to turn down your input volume before the gain knob by turning down the bass and any pedals that are set before the preamp.

 

[Pbman]

Thanks, I'll try all the advice for a gig tomorrow
Thanks again!

 

[And I]

I'd get a matching 15" cab for large rooms. It's not your amp operating at 4 ohms that will make the difference, it's double the speaker cone area moving air that will make the difference.

 

[Pbman]

True, but now I have a JBL E140 that's been re-coned to 4 ohms. Tuesday at practice, I used the 8 Ohm. On a Wed night gig, I used the 4 and there is a difference. I lowered the settings compared to the Tuesday night settings. Plus the wed night place is much bigger

 

[Pbman]

Yes, unless the Veyron is different from just about any other amp you are doing it backwards.

You set the gain control to match the output level of the bass, and then the volume to set the volume of the amp.

I am confused by your back to back statements, you say you "keep the master volume around 9 or 10 o'clock" but the very next sentence you say you "pin the volume and use the gain control to control the volume of the amp.

You seem to be using the gain/volume/master terms for different things.

Unless this amp is drastically different, you have a gain control for the input then the volume (or can be labeled master volume) controls how loud the amp gets. It's really that simple.

I'm not sure what you mean by "overload light", do you mean the LED next to the gain control?

Generally you should set the gain control to where it just flickers now and then when playing fairly hard, then adjust the volume (master) to taste and the requirement.

I have an old Bugera bass head (BVP-5500) and while the manual kinda sucks they go into a lot of detail about setting the gain and volume controls. You might want to peruse your owner's manual about this, it should tell you exactly how to set this up.

Analogeezer

Question , on the BVP-5500, there's the "Valve Gain" is that the same as the "Volume " on the Veyron?

 

[Pbman]

I have to say that still like this amp but to adjust the input is driving me nuts. It seems that the only way to control the overload LED, is to lower the bass output .

I feel that this is not a good design. Adjusting the gain is no help.

I wish is was a simple Volume and master , like any other amp.

To have 2 settings-

Clean- Master up open, then use the volume as the real volume control

or

Dirty/Edgy- Volume up then use the Master as the real control

Like, some tube amps

 

[calypsocoral302]

I just took a look at this. It is worth noting that the FET version of this amp does not have that little "volume" control next to the gain control. Thus, I think @Analogeezer is probably correct about this being a "Drive" control to get a little harmonic saturation from the Tube-driven gain stage.

Regarding the "Clip" LED-- what kind of bass are you using? You might try using the -15dB input pad, as the manual describes this little LED as follows:
"The LED ring around the button will light to indicate clipping at the input jack."

It might just be telling you that your input signal is hot?

 

[flatrat]

There is a thread about how to use this amp somewhere on TB. My understanding is that it is a rather confusing amp with 2 or 3 volume knobs. I remember reading that the gain knob is the main volume control for this amp and the master volume acts more like the gain control.

I don't own one but the rehearsal space I jam in has one and I use it instead of hauling my gear. I fiddled with the gain, volume and EQ controls together to get a usable tone and volume, took pictures and use the same setting for all the jams.

It is paired with a 4-10 cabinet and gets plenty loud.

 

[Mingo Sanders]

I feel that this is not a good design. Adjusting the gain is no help.

Does the gain knob have any effect at all on the output volume. I ask because I bought a Veyron T that quickly developed a problem: the gain control had no effect on volume after the amp warmed up. I returned it for repair. Ultimately, the dealer could not secure the needed part and sent me a new unit. If the gain knob does nothing at all you may need a repair technician.

 

[Pbman]

I just took a look at this. It is worth noting that the FET version of this amp does not have that little "volume" control next to the gain control. Thus, I think @Analogeezer is probably correct about this being a "Drive" control to get a little harmonic saturation from the Tube-driven gain stage.

Regarding the "Clip" LED-- what kind of bass are you using? You might try using the -15dB input pad, as the manual describes this little LED as follows:
"The LED ring around the button will light to indicate clipping at the input jack."

It might just be telling you that your input signal is hot?

Bingo , my friend! I was at a shop ,today, here in MA and they had quite a bit of bass gear. Plus they had the Genzler amps, which I heard possibly that the Veyron T was designed after. But don't hold me to that. My bass is a Starr Guitar P bass with a Curtis Novack BD-DS which is a very powerful unit. He played with the controls a bit and he said exactly what you said, "use the -15 pad". Low and behold I had a killer sound. The master went from 9:00 to 12. The volume went from pinned to 1:00 and the gain settled about 11:00.

For now on , If I see any of my basses setting off the light, the -15 is on!

Thanks
It's a new day

 

[Pbman]

Does the gain knob have any effect at all on the output volume. I ask because I bought a Veyron T that quickly developed a problem: the gain control had no effect on volume after the amp warmed up. I returned it for repair. Ultimately, the dealer could not secure the needed part and sent me a new unit. If the gain knob does nothing at all you may need a repair technician.

Sadly I think us as owners are screwed. I can't find a schematic anywhere. I'm not sure if many places want to go near them. Have you seen this amp inside? It's all surface mount for most parts. The gain works better now that I know to use the -15 pad.

 

[calypsocoral302]

Bingo , my friend! I was at a shop ,today, here in MA and they had quite a bit of bass gear. Plus they had the Genzler amps, which I heard possibly that the Veyron T was designed after. But don't hold me to that. My bass is a Starr Guitar P bass with a Curtis Novack BD-DS which is a very powerful unit. He played with the controls a bit and he said exactly what you said, "use the -15 pad". Low and behold I had a killer sound. The master went from 9:00 to 12. The volume went from pinned to 1:00 and the gain settled about 11:00.

For now on , If I see any of my basses setting off the light, the -15 is on!

Thanks
It's a new day

I remember the kerfuffle that ensued when the Veyron series was released, mainly because they were a rather obvious knock-off of the Genz-Benz (Jeff Genzler's previous company, of which Andy Field was lead engineer, if I'm not mistaken) Streamliner head. Genz-Benz was owned by Kaman industries, which was then bought by Fender back in the early-2010's. After the buyout, Jeff and Andy went their separate ways, with Andy now serving as chief engineer of the Mesa bass amplifiers, and Jeff going on to start a new company, Genzler Amplfication. The Veyron does not really resemble anything from the Genzler lineup, but, as I said, its' resemblance to a certain Genz-Benz series was pretty hard to deny.

In Bugera's defense, the Veyron seems to be a rather well-regarded amp in its' own right, as most people who own them are quite happy with them, and they did, at least, add a compressor to distinguish their product a bit.

Glad to hear the input pad suggestion worked! I can generally figure out what to do with something, once I know where in the signal path it resides!

 

[calypsocoral302]

Sadly I think us as owners are screwed. I can't find a schematic anywhere. I'm not sure if many places want to go near them. Have you seen this amp inside? It's all surface mount for most parts. The gain works better now that I know to use the -15 pad.

You just described the vast majority of bass amplification products currently out there. While some small circles of the guitar world still treats surface-mount PCB like some sort of faux pas, they've been the norm in the bass world for a long time.

Bassists are *generally* more open-minded about technological advances, in both design and manufacturing methods, as bass was not particularly well-served in the early years of instrument amplification (there is a reason the Fender "Bassman" became a hot item with guitarists instead of bassists). Thus most of us don't have that sentimental attachment to point-to-point-wired vacuum tube amplifiers with vintage-correct transformers, as seen in the guitar world.

Oh, and I just realized I didn't respond to your question about a cab choice. Did you find something at the shop you went to?

If not, what style of music do you play?

One piece of advice about bass amps-- you can get away with cheaping-out on a bass or an amp, but NEVER cheap-out when buying a cab. In all seriousness, find the best cab for your needs that you can ALMOST afford... and buy it (don't go crazy getting yourself in debt, though). This is another way the world of bass amplification differs sharply from the guitar amp market. The latter will plunk $3500 on a Bogner or Friedman head, then plunk just a little more on a cab whose design is almost identical to what has been used since 1968.

In the world of bass, your cabinet has a major influence on the overall responsiveness and tonal color of your entire rig!

Since you mentioned Genzler in another post, did you check out their cabs? Top-notch, and very well-designed, by all accounts.

 

[Pbman]

Chiming back in-

So I like this amp but not a fan of the preamp with its, easy to overload, pre-gain.

Can a nice preamp be used that will be after the internal preamp and be before the master volume?

Finding signal chain info for this amp is very hard besides the manual.

 

[Firemedic73]

I have both versions of the veyron and love them both. The tube preamp version is new to me. I have not had any issues with clipping when using passive bass. A little here and there with an. Active even with the - 15 cut on. My question is can you replace V1 with a 12AT7 and leave the two other 12AX7 in place? And would it actually help as it is a lower gain tube?

And another question. Is there a way to disable the led "tube glow" light so you can see the actual tube glow? Dumbest thing they did on these amps was add a led tube glow light when it has actual tubes.

Thanks in advance

 

[Sundoggy]

I love mine except for one thing - the mute switch resets every time the amp is turned on. I'd like it to stay muted until I turn it on (mute off). Microprocessor controlled - I'd prefer it to be an actual switch.