New TC Elec. BH550 & 800

[Scottkarch]

OK XBUD I just got a new audio recorder that handles higher bitrates. I tested out on my BG250 and was able to upload the following toneprints into my amp.

Again.. here are the instructions..

Put them on your phone, if it supports playing MP3 files. Turn your amp on, plug in your bass, no other pedals/effects to start with, turn your bass volume up, hold the phones speaker right by the pickup and play the sound. It will sound like an old fashioned modem tone for 2 seconds. I actually think that it is just a modem tone and that these amps have a software modem built into them and that's how they know what to do with the tone/noise. I was also able to load them with a 1/4-1/8 cable going right from my phone to the bass input.

I think these should work.. they worked

soundcloud.com/scott-karch/sets/tc-electronic-bhbg-toneprint-test



Here is a DropBox link directly to the files. If this work, I'll start making mp3s for all the TonePrints.

Invalid Link Removed


An advantage to this way of loading TonePrints is that you can have the 2-4 prints you use regularly in a playlist or easily selectable.. it will be much faster than navigating throught app.

 

[avvie]

Tl;dr

Did anyone find out the true power ratings yet?

 

[bass4u]

Used the Bh550 on another gig this past weekend. Pushed it fairly hard, had the volume almost halfway up. Using two GK 2x12 NEO cabinets. It was a 300 seat venue with with a good size stage. I was competing against a guitarist with a full Orange stack, loud drummer and a very powerful vocalist. I had no issue hearing myself onstage. The amp stayed cool to the touch the whole night. I'm really digging the 'Classic Chorus' Tone print. The chorus fits really good in the mix and I only had to turn the TonePrint knob up to maybe 11 o'clock to get a good chorus sound with no low end loss. The 'Octaver' Tone print tracks extremely well and sounds really good but there is a very noticable volume loss using it. Unless somehow TCE can rewrite that Tone Print so there isn't such a huge volume loss , that Tone Print is worthless to me in my opinion. I like the EQ better than my GK MB500. The GK MB500 for me has way too much high end crispness that I have to cut quite a bit to tame it. (tweeters are turned off in my cabinets) The BH550 tone controls are very easy to get a good sound with a number of different basses I have very quickly. I haven't actually turned the volume passed 1 o'clock yet because the speakers sounded like they were on the verge of breaking up. Half volume was crushing loud with the tone comtrols all at about the 1 o'clock position. For the price, features, size, weight and sound of the amp,
for me it's a bargain. I really don't care what the amp specs out to, it works for me whatever the spec ends up being.

 

[Scottkarch]

Cool bass4u if you get a chance, try out those MP3 files I just posted to load toneprints... I'm guessing since the BH800 toneprints work on my BG250, they will work on the 550 as well.
Thanks for the write up.

 

[mccartneyman]

Question for the TC users here, while we're on the subject:

Do their heads seem to have an exaggerated low end boost thing going on? I'm always finding that I need to CUT the bass knob significantly when playing through an 8x10 cab; otherwise, the boominess is unbearable. Am I just hearing things?

I have the BG250 115 combo, an RH450 and a BH250. In each case, I don't find that I have to cut lows, whether with the combo or using the RH450 with an RS21 and RS210 or the BH250 with a Hartke Hydrive 112 and a Genz-Benz NEOX 112T. Depending in the bass and room, I sometimes cut mids. Most of the time, the EQ is near flat on all three amps.

 

[AndyLES]

Thanks for your input, guys. I'm starting to think it's the Ampeg 8x10 and/or the room exaggerating the lows.

 

[ticol07]

I think too it's the 810 combined with the room.
I own a bg250 (which has a bh250 head), and it's a very flat amp when all the controls are set at noon (unlike the RH serie which have a baked in voice). So, I guess the other BH amps should be the same.
But I encountered some booming problems with this bg250, and after a lot of measurements I understood that the amp isn't the culprit, it's the speaker combined with the room : the speaker emphasises the 100Hz region and it can be problematic in some rooms.
I think the 810, even if not voiced the same, has a strong presence in that area too.

 

[John D Harris]

Finally got a reply from TCE regarding the power output of the BH800 @ 8 ohm, but they did not address my ratings methodology question:

-------------------
Sorry it has taken so long to get this to you.
The BH800 will produce about 450 watt into 8 ohms. This is all I was given as an answer to your original question and no reference to RMS, IEC, peak, etc..
-------------------

That was for the BH800, so 800W @ 4 ohm & 450W @ 8 ohm.
Since they won't give a methodology, my guess would be this is NOT rms, but I could be wrong.

 

[CL400Peavey]

Finally got a reply from TCE regarding the power output of the BH800 @ 8 ohm, but they did not address my ratings methodology question:

-------------------
Sorry it has taken so long to get this to you.
The BH800 will produce about 450 watt into 8 ohms. This is all I was given as an answer to your original question and no reference to RMS, IEC, peak, etc..
-------------------

That was for the BH800, so 800W @ 4 ohm & 450W @ 8 ohm.
Since they won't give a methodology, my guess would be this is NOT rms, but I could be wrong.

On FB they responded that the APM used in the RH series was not used here, but would not confirm RMS ratings.

 

[Matt Morgan]

I've had a back and forth exchange with TCE techs about the power rating of the BH800 as well. It took a few weeks but here's what they claim: at 8 ohms the BH800 puts out 450w RMS at 1-3% THD at 120v, at 4 ohms it puts out 800w RMS at the same THD and voltage ratings.
This is their claim. I haven't seen any independent test results anywhere yet.

 

[wisconsindead]

I think too it's the 810 combined with the room.
But I encountered some booming problems with this bg250, and after a lot of measurements I understood that the amp isn't the culprit, it's the speaker combined with the room : the speaker emphasises the 100Hz region and it can be problematic in some rooms.

My BG250 115 combo also does this. It is not a very flat combo and I am excited to replace it soon. The difference in output along the A string is deplorable.

 

[srcTW]

The more I play the BH550 the more I'm liking it. With the Subtle Comp'N Drive tone print I'm getting a great tone with a few EQ tweaks. Really digging it.

 

[lomo]

Just received a BH800 through a trade. Love the sound, form factor and features. I have no technical instruments to measure its' output, but it does not seem (to my ears) to be anywhere near as loud as my previous "800 watt" heads (GK MB800, early Mesa M9) and it does sound compressed down low at high volumes. For my needs it will be plenty loud, since I am no longer gigging, but I suspect that the bench tests will show the actual, true power output to be far lower than 800 watts rms. Does anyone know when BGM will be publishing a review?

I am very impressed with the sound quality of the tone prints, and I have a question. The toggle on the head does not allow simultaneous use of tone prints. Can that be accomplished with the pedal?

 

[smogg]

I am very impressed with the sound quality of the tone prints, and I have a question. The toggle on the head does not allow simultaneous use of tone prints. Can that be accomplished with the pedal?

Short answer is NO. But I believe you can load "pre blended" tone prints.

 

[lomo]

Another question-is there a way to equalize the volume between tone prints 1, 2 and "no tone print", without relying on the blend knobs? Does the volume boost of a given tone print get "imprinted" in some way based on the position of the gain or blend knobs at the time it's beamed into the head?

 

[lomo]

On playing with the tone prints a bit more, it seems the combined ones I have tried goose the volume (and the unwanted noise/distortion) very heavily. The quality of the non-combined ones is great though.

 

[srcTW]

I didn't notice that with the compression and drive tone prints I have used. No issues.

 

[lomo]

I only noticed it with the combined ones (comp'n drive, etc), but I wasn't paying close attention to the settings on my head while downloading. The volume virtually doubled when I flicked on the tone print and there was a dramatic hiss as well. None of the individual prints I have tried had that issue. I am particularly digging the "grind" OD and "desert flower" flanger, and it looks like those 2 will be left in place. For compression I am pretty much married to my Joe Meek outboard units (floor Q and 3Q). I also have to add that the addition of high and low mid controls has really pushed this head from "pretty good sounding with a cool tone print innovation and handy tuner" to a "great sounding and full-featured" head.
Playing the 800 through my GB NX2 cab sounds so good that I regret having bought the 208 combo; I miss the tweeter. If anyone wants to trade another TC product for the 208 combo let me know. I'd be interested in any of their other combos (with tweeters), another BH 500 or 800 head (+cash from me) or an RS112 with the coaxial tweeter.

 

[Quadzilla]

Question - does the BH800 come with rack ears (or can they be purchased?)? With my rig, rack mounting is a must. Looking at the pics, I don't see bolt holes for rack mounts.

 

[lomo]

Question - does the BH800 come with rack ears (or can they be purchased?)? With my rig, rack mounting is a must. Looking at the pics, I don't see bolt holes for rack mounts.

No and no.