New Ampeg Venture Series

[dfp]

What amp were you playing through prior to the V7?

Fender Bassman 800 in recent years with Bassman Neo cabs, also recently tried Mesa WD800 and Aguilar AG500 on gigs with my Ampeg SVT-AV cabs. They all were nice amps in different ways, but not what I was looking for.

Going back some years, Thunderfunk 400 (way too attenuated in highs), Eden WT600 (nice, as I remember it from 20 years ago, but it was damaged and unreliable and I just moved on rather than repair or finding another).

Played an SVT-CL with Ampeg 810 at an outdoor festival gig last summer, that was life changing. It was a “this is it!” revelation. I know it’s not the exact same experience, but I feel the sound I get with the V7 and the SVT cabs put me in the tonal ballpark of that big SVT rig, albeit on a smaller scale, which frankly suits most of my situations better than an actual 810 and 80 lbs tube amp would.

 

[MarkA]

Fender Bassman 800 in recent years with Bassman Neo cabs, also recently tried Mesa WD800 and Aguilar AG500 on gigs with my Ampeg SVT-AV cabs. They all were nice amps in different ways, but not what I was looking for.

Going back some years, Thunderfunk 400 (way too attenuated in highs), Eden WT600 (nice, as I remember it from 20 years ago, but it was damaged and unreliable and I just moved on rather than repair or finding another).

Played an SVT-CL with Ampeg 810 at an outdoor festival gig last summer, that was life changing. It was a “this is it!” revelation. I know it’s not the exact same experience, but I feel the sound I get with the V7 and the SVT cabs put me in the tonal ballpark of that big SVT rig, albeit on a smaller scale, which frankly suits most of my situations better than an actual 810 and 80 lbs tube amp would.

Cool! Appreciate the history and your perspective - helps contextualize your answer in a much more meaningful way.

My understanding is that the 112 AV cabs are a little more beefy sounding and more low-end-tolerant than the 210 AVs - is that your experience?

In any case, I'm glad that you've found a rig (or two) that you dig so much and that's practical for you, to boot!

 

[dfp]

Cool! Appreciate the history and your perspective - helps contextualize your answer in a much more meaningful way.

My understanding is that the 112 AV cabs are a little more beefy sounding and more low-end-tolerant than the 210 AVs - is that your experience?

In any case, I'm glad that you've found a rig (or two) that you dig so much and that's practical for you, to boot!

Yes the context is sometimes hard to convey without going on at length lol

The 112av is markedly more powerful, more beefy and deeper sounding (though by design they are not “subby” deep) and potentially even brighter up high thx to the tweeter than the 210av, though they are still similar in overall tone profile. There are situations where I prefer each pair, so I love having both options.

 

[patzilla83]

A couple of days ago my V7 started producing interference of some kind. Without opening it up, I’ve checked every input and output and it won’t go away. The interference is after the comp but is affected by the sgt and eq controls. The ultra low switch is also making a loud popping noise. I’m hoping for something simple because I purchased the amp used and it doesn’t have a warranty. Any help or tips are appreciated.

 

[dfp]

A couple of days ago my V7 started producing interference of some kind. Without opening it up, I’ve checked every input and output and it won’t go away. The interference is after the comp but is affected by the sgt and eq controls. The ultra low switch is also making a loud popping noise. I’m hoping for something simple because I purchased the amp used and it doesn’t have a warranty. Any help or tips are appreciated.

As a new V7 owner I hate to hear that! Not old enough for normal wear, sounds like a lemon, or suffered a trauma at some point, and if you bought used there’s just no knowing.

Perhaps try Ampeg customer service for options? Not a great place to be, sorry!! They are running a sale now on the Venture line, maybe they’ll do you a solid on repair or replacement in spite of your out of warranty situation for good will… here’s hoping at least!

 

[Monyet]

I'm unsure whether Ampeg would like to advertise this, but two women from the first gig with the VB-210 in October turned up pregnant yesterday. The math adds up. Undisputed potency I'd say.

Other than this, my stack receives at least one compliment on the sound quality from sound guys every gig. I can hear myself clearly in the mix without having to turn up the PF-500 past 1 o'clock. Sound is always pleasant and present. EQ is scooped, little compression, no low or high boost needed.

Next April I'll have a big outdoor gig and I intend to have a V7 by then so I hope to give a review of a complete Venture stack (2 x VB-210 + V7) for this topic then.

Lastly I cannot stress enough how amazing it is to carry this kind of tone in a box you can move through a crowd while holding it over your head with one arm or one in each hand while holding the top in your armpit. Dump, plug, play.

 

[jon_c_703]

I know there is some debate about mixing speaker types in a rig (e.g. running 115 +210)- some do it and love it, others say you're setting yourself up for weird phase issues. So I found it interesting that Ampeg encourages mixing cabs in their FAQ:

Is anyone here running a vb-115 + vb-210 pair?

 

[tombowlus]

I know there is some debate about mixing speaker types in a rig (e.g. running 115 +210)- some do it and love it, others say you're setting yourself up for weird phase issues. So I found it interesting that Ampeg encourages mixing cabs in their FAQ: View attachment 7187025

Is anyone here running a vb-115 + vb-210 pair?

I have not tried any of those combinations, but I really like the VB-112 on top of the VB-115.

 

[yonkrz]

Ditto on the 112/115 cabs, i usually put mine together on the floor.

 

[shoot-r]

I know there is some debate about mixing speaker types in a rig (e.g. running 115 +210)- some do it and love it, others say you're setting yourself up for weird phase issues. So I found it interesting that Ampeg encourages mixing cabs in their FAQ: View attachment 7187025

Is anyone here running a vb-115 + vb-210 pair?

I'll attempt to say what that debate was about.
Using "different" manufacturers cabinets together with how each manufacturer has decided to tune their cabinets, the cabs efficiency, ported or sealed, ect., may or may not, work well together.

Ampeg Venture series, and several other manufacturers, (Mesa Subways, GK IV's for example), has designed, tuned, and built their cabinets in that series to be mixed and matched as the player wants.

Mixing say, Ampeg Venture cabs and another manufacturers cabs, (even Ampeg cabs outside the Venture series), may result in a fantastic sound/tone, but it could also just as easily, result in the phase problems, ect. you mentioned.

If you stay in a series of cabs that were designed and tuned to work together your ears will probably like the results of mixing those cabs.

 

[jon_c_703]

What they're saying, using "different" manufacturers cabinets together with how each manufacturer has decided to tune their cabinets, the cabs efficiency, ported or sealed, ect., may or may not, work well together.

Ampeg Venture series, and several other manufacturers, (Mesa Subways, GK IV's for example), has designed, tuned, and built their cabinets in that series to be mixed and matched as the player wants.

Mixing say, Ampeg Venture cabs and another manufacturers cabs, (even Ampeg cabs outside the Venture series), may result in a fantastic sound/tone, but it could also just as easily, result in the phase problems, ect. you mentioned.

If you stay in a series of cabs that were designed and tuned to work together your ears will probably like the results of mixing those cabs.

Thank you for the response. And I agree with all that you said.

But I have read many posts on TB that insist you are always better off pairing identical cabs vs. than mixing non-identical (even from within the same manufacturer/series). That is why I found it interesting that Ampeg encourages mixing.

I've also read "Don't just assume a 115 have better low end than a 210" which is maybe good advice, but in this case, that assumption is correct. The
frequency response (-3dB range) of the 115 goes to 30 hz, while the 210 goes to 39 hz. So if you want that low B to hit, you probably want the 115.

Sorry if bringing all this up is beating a dead horse-I know this topic has been well-tread. I'm just trying to make sense of the conflicting advice I've seen here! Thanks again.

 

[agedhorse]

Thank you for the response. And I agree with all that you said.

But I have read many posts on TB that insist you are always better off pairing identical cabs vs. than mixing non-identical (even from within the same manufacturer/series). That is why I found it interesting that Ampeg encourages mixing.

I've also read "Don't just assume a 115 have better low end than a 210" which is maybe good advice, but in this case, that assumption is correct. The
frequency response (-3dB range) of the 115 goes to 30 hz, while the 210 goes to 39 hz. So if you want that low B to hit, you probably want the 115.

Sorry if bringing all this up is beating a dead horse-I know this topic has been well-tread. I'm just trying to make sense of the conflicting advice I've seen here! Thanks again.

Your assumption of 30Hz being the -3dB number is incorrect. You are creating your own conflicting information.

 

[jon_c_703]

Your assumption of 30Hz being the -3dB number is incorrect. You are creating your own conflicting information.

Not sure what information your statement is based on, I'd love to know the source. The more info the better!

But FYI I am not assuming nor creating my own conflicting information, I'm quoting the measurement from Ampeg.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Thank you for the response. And I agree with all that you said.

But I have read many posts on TB that insist you are always better off pairing identical cabs vs. than mixing non-identical (even from within the same manufacturer/series). That is why I found it interesting that Ampeg encourages mixing.

I've also read "Don't just assume a 115 have better low end than a 210" which is maybe good advice, but in this case, that assumption is correct. The
frequency response (-3dB range) of the 115 goes to 30 hz, while the 210 goes to 39 hz. So if you want that low B to hit, you probably want the 115.

Sorry if bringing all this up is beating a dead horse-I know this topic has been well-tread. I'm just trying to make sense of the conflicting advice I've seen here! Thanks again.

The advice as noted above was correct at a time where those considerations were not in the cards.
Nowadays manufacturers have a better understanding of these things and have plan for the mixing of cabinets. The understanding of how frequencies overlap and phasing issues. How to build to allow the cabs to work together rather than apart.

So today the not mixing hold true for the vintage cabs out on craigslist or between different lines in one manufacturer stock. But cabinets made by the bigger builders in a single-line have been made to play together like Mesa has done and now Ampeg too.

It's just the world we live in now

 

[agedhorse]

Not sure what information your statement is based on, I'd love to know the source. The more info the better!

But FYI I am not assuming nor creating my own conflicting information, I'm quoting the measurement from Ampeg.
View attachment 7187843

That HAS to be a typo, the -3dB was not present on other versions and 30Hz at -3dB is simply not possible under the best of conditions at 99dB/1W/1M sensitivity. Understanding the math behind speaker design quickly shows how impossible this is in an enclosure of this size.

 

[Monyet]

V7

Pulled the trigger on the V7, had it for a little under a month now. Two gigs, one with one VB-210 cab, one with two, lots of rehearsing at home with one cabinet at low volume, approximately 30 to 120 minutes daily, sometimes at a stretch, sometimes divided over the day. First impressions:

- It has a very clean and transparent sound if everything is "in neutral"
- This sound is slightly different from the PF-500 in the sense that is feels a bit more "electronic" (I can't quite put my finger on it, hence this description)
- Around 2 o'clock the real volume kicks in
- The SVT-setting is spot on (to my ears)
- The B15-setting is significantly lower in output; you need to tweak the volume and mids up in order to cut through the mix to the same degree as the neutral setting or the SVT-simulation
- In both simulations the grit sounds natural and really adds some realistic tone options
- @4 Ohm (in my case with two VB-210 cabinets, horizontally stacked) it has about the same perceivable output as the PF-500
- It feels less warm after long sessions than the PF-500 and makes less fan noises
- It seems sturdy enough, buttons do not feel flimsy
- The carry bag is a bit snug, I wonder what this does to the buttons long term

Hope this is useful to my curious fellow boomstick enthusiasts of the portable Ampeg persuasion

 

[Jim Guyett]

I was able to try the V7 at GC Nashville...being as helpful as the employees are...n't, I had to play through a MarkBass 3x10....please tell me the suck I heard coming from this thing was the cab and not the head. I switched switches and rotated dials...nothing good. What didn't I do (besides demand an Ampeg cab to play it through?)

 

[Monyet]

It was the cab.
Here to help.

 

[dfp]

I’m a couple months in with my V7 and it’s my favorite amp I’ve ever owned, by far! My favorite amps I’ve ever played, that I may have liked as much or more (it’s been a while and I can’t compare side by side) are the actual B15 and the actual SVT.

 

[Yahboy]

A couple of days ago my V7 started producing interference of some kind. Without opening it up, I’ve checked every input and output and it won’t go away. The interference is after the comp but is affected by the sgt and eq controls. The ultra low switch is also making a loud popping noise. I’m hoping for something simple because I purchased the amp used and it doesn’t have a warranty. Any help or tips are appreciated.

Regard the pop sound on your V7 Ultra Lo switch, all my cheapo RB112 also has this issue but not loud. Contact cleaner do help, but just for a while and the pop return again. Been claim 2 new preamp board , problem no solve.
I also meet the scratching noise on SGT Grit pot while turning the knob. 1 of the new preamp board still has same issue.

I hate that , but i love this cheapo combo sound pretty much.