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TC Electronic BG250 Club (Part 2)

#481
Hello you all,

I'm a bg250 owner since almost a year and find too it's a great amp.
I use it with a p bass in a loud rock band (pick and finger playing).
After reading this thread I understand that some other owners too have problems to deal with the mids.
I plugged a zoom b3 inside of it and I think that with using some amp sim and good amount of cab sim you can deal better with these mids.
I didn't find yet the perfect setting but I think I'm on the good way.

By listening to the drpepper samples it seems that the 210 is less middy.

You think that the 115 is too middy on it's own ?

I made some frequency recordings of the zoom b3 amp and cab sim to try to understand the different ways the famous cabs affect your signal :
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f36/zoom-b3-preamp-936505/index40.html (the recordings begin on page 40)
and what I understand is that most of the cabs have a big cut in the mids.

To my hears the bg250 115 doesn't have such a cut. It sounds more full.
But I'm not a sound specialist and I didn't try a lot af amps and cabs. So my interpretation may be wrong.

But I'm still amazed by how loud and clear you can play with this light amp.
 
#482
ticol07 said:
Hello you all,

I'm a bg250 owner since almost a year and find too it's a great amp.
I use it with a p bass in a loud rock band (pick and finger playing).
After reading this thread I understand that some other owners too have problems to deal with the mids.
I plugged a zoom b3 inside of it and I think that with using some amp sim and good amount of cab sim you can deal better with these mids.
I didn't find yet the perfect setting but I think I'm on the good way.

By listening to the drpepper samples it seems that the 210 is less middy.

You think that the 115 is too middy on it's own ?

I made some frequency recordings of the zoom b3 amp and cab sim to try to understand the different ways the famous cabs affect your signal :
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f36/zoom-b3-preamp-936505/index40.html (the recordings begin on page 40)
and what I understand is that most of the cabs have a big cut in the mids.

To my hears the bg250 115 doesn't have such a cut. It sounds more full.
But I'm not a sound specialist and I didn't try a lot af amps and cabs. So my interpretation may be wrong.

But I'm still amazed by how loud and clear you can play with this light amp.
Click to expand...

I'm not a sound specialist either. But I sense an inherent "honk" in the BG250-115-O that doesn't thrill me, and it doesn't seem to dial out completely by the amp's EQ. I usually cut the mid 1 or 2.

I have found the same thing as you have with the Zoom B3. I mostly run an amp sim, and I was surprised at how well they go together. It initially seemed redundant to run an amp sim in front of a preamp. The Markbass and SVT sims do some beautiful things with the BG250.

Like you, I also found, by accident, that the BG250 cab accept some amount of cabinet sim pretty well without "hump doubling." I have sets of identical patches with cabs turned on and off, and forgot to select the the off patch with the BG250, and found that it still sounded pretty good.
 
#483
I think the amp sounds great on its own, and with the TubeTone, but when I use my VT Bass pedal, it's just killer.

drpepper said:
I'm not a sound specialist either. But I sense an inherent "honk" in the BG250-115-O that doesn't thrill me, and it doesn't seem to dial out completely by the amp's EQ. I usually cut the mid 1 or 2.

I have found the same thing as you have with the Zoom B3. I mostly run an amp sim, and I was surprised at how well they go together. It initially seemed redundant to run an amp sim in front of a preamp. The Markbass and SVT sims do some beautiful things with the BG250.

Like you, I also found, by accident, that the BG250 cab accept some amount of cabinet sim pretty well without "hump doubling." I have sets of identical patches with cabs turned on and off, and forgot to select the the off patch with the BG250, and found that it still sounded pretty good.
Click to expand...
 
#484
I sometime use the GK one with the bg250 and I can reach very pleasant sound for finger playing.

And with the SVT and the cab sim engaged you can boost your mids a lots without honky tone. But the SVT cab sim makes a big mid scoop so it generates a very specific frequency curve : 3 bumps (one in the bass and low mids, one at 3kHz, and one at the selected mid frequency).
But with the cab sim full engaged even if the sound seems nicer alone, I find it's not cuting very well through the mix. As I hear it of course.
I think the good combination would be to find the good amount of cab seem : not to much, but a sufficient amount to give character to your tone.

With the bg250 alone I have a good tone, but if I want to be heard well in my band I have the feeling there is a litlle lack of low end. I hear the bass but feel it less.
 
#485
I agree with drpepper that there is kind of a weird "honk" with original 115. I almost think it has more to do with the speaker cab voicing than the amplifier - just a guess though. I have a Zoom B3 and a VT Bass v2 (with the switchable cab sim) and either one of those improve the tone - but it's not enough of an issue for me playing in cover bands that I want to add an outboard pedal. I do think the amp sounds better in general if you get the master above 5 - but it's damn loud at that point.
 
#486
I do own a VT bass too. And keeping the mids a little bit cut improves the bg250.

I too play in a cover band and I prefer to use my zoom b3 wether tweaking my amp between very different sounding songs (clean finger vs distorded pick).

It's such a pleasure to move with so a light rig that I try to make it sound the better it can :)
 
#488
I'm starting to regret choosing this over the Ampeg BA 115. I originally chose to because it was half the weight, twice the wattage - but I'm not really happy with the tone. Maybe it's just the bass I'm using? I went to Alto today and the Ampeg had low end for days, while I'm struggling to get any decent sound out of the BG250 - everything sounds flat. I'm totally uninspired while playing through it. When I bought it, I bought a floor model for a discounted price. Could there be some issues that are finally coming out now, 2-3 months later?
 
#489
CBNJ said:
I'm starting to regret choosing this over the Ampeg BA 115. I originally chose to because it was half the weight, twice the wattage - but I'm not really happy with the tone. Maybe it's just the bass I'm using? I went to Alto today and the Ampeg had low end for days, while I'm struggling to get any decent sound out of the BG250 - everything sounds flat. I'm totally uninspired while playing through it. When I bought it, I bought a floor model for a discounted price. Could there be some issues that are finally coming out now, 2-3 months later?
Click to expand...

Maybe you're just a fan of the "Ampeg tone"? Nothing wrong with that! Several folks here run a pedal like a Zoom B3 in from of their BG250 and seem happy with some amp sims. I run a B3 and do all the 'color' to the amp from the pedal, as opposed to having the amp coloring everything that goes into it.
 
#490
CBNJ said:
I'm starting to regret choosing this over the Ampeg BA 115. I originally chose to because it was half the weight, twice the wattage - but I'm not really happy with the tone. Maybe it's just the bass I'm using? I went to Alto today and the Ampeg had low end for days, while I'm struggling to get any decent sound out of the BG250 - everything sounds flat. I'm totally uninspired while playing through it. When I bought it, I bought a floor model for a discounted price. Could there be some issues that are finally coming out now, 2-3 months later?
Click to expand...

Like Grateful says, go for the sound you like.

I have to ask out of curiosity though, are these judgements on the "flat" and "uninspiring" qualities being made in a band setting or playing alone?

I ask because, as I look back over my comments, many...most...possibly all(?) of the negatively slanted comments are with regard to listening (closely) to the amp while practicing/playing alone.

The "honk" I've mentioned from time to time, for example, has nothing to do with the sound in a band setting. Hell, for all I know, once the other instruments are firing, that quality of the tone might be part of what makes it sound good.

I had a PF500 and an SVT7PRO, and what I noted, especially about the the PF500, was that they seemed to me to be "flat" and "uninspiring" in terms of bedroom tone, but in a band setting they both were awesome...straight up rock tone that mixed and cut beautifully.

I tried an GK MB200 in my search for a small, light backup, and it absolutely killed in terms of bedroom tone...quite inspiring, but in a band setting, less so.

But again, go for what speaks to you.
 
#491
Yes, it's clear that this combo isn't designed to have the most seductive tone when used alone : it sounds very flat / middy but not scooped as some others.
But it's way efficient whith other instruments playing around.

And I find too that it's cool to have some preamp between it and your bass to have a better control on it's tone.

I've been able to dial very good clean finger tones, very good pick overdrived tone. But I haven't found yet my perfect setting for clean pick playing. Or maybe it's because I try to reach to many different tones :)
 
#492
I really would love to read the 75 pages of this continuous thread, however I would like an answer to my questions a bit quicker (as reading 75 pages takes me a whole week, and I want to buy my amp tomorrow).

Looking into TC Electronics BG250 208, 112, or 115.

I played through the 115, and found it ok loud, sound good, but too heavy for my taste.

I play finger funk, a la Jaco Pastorius or Victor Bailey, and am looking for one of these 3 amps.

Any info on loudness between 115, 112, 208? (dB SPL)
Any info on which one sounds best for finger funk (I'm not playing 6 string drop A rock songs; so I'd like that old school, punchy but also warm sound)?

I like the portability of the 208, don't like the price though. Don't like it has so few options neither.
Doesn't have a tweeter, but I sure hope I can dial the speakers to sound dull!
Not really into playing with effects.

It's a class D amp, so I can always buy a Speakon splitter cable, and add another 8 ohms cab, as long as I don't drive the amp to the max, it should be fine.

Any suggestions/comments on my questions are greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
 
#493
ProDigit said:
Looking into TC Electronics BG250 208, 112, or 115.

I played through the 115, and found it ok loud, sound good, but too heavy for my taste.

I play finger funk, a la Jaco Pastorius or Victor Bailey, and am looking for one of these 3 amps.

Any info on loudness between 115, 112, 208? (dB SPL)
Any info on which one sounds best for finger funk (I'm not playing 6 string drop A rock songs; so I'd like that old school, punchy but also warm sound)?
Click to expand...

The 112 and the 115 weigh within a couple of pounds of each other, so if the 115 is out due to weight, then you are left with the 208.
 
#494
I know.
The 112 is my limit.
It'll also fit better in the small trunk I have.

I've read a good 35 pages so far, seems like most people aren't happy with the volume of the 208.

It'll be the 112 or 115, I'm going to see if I can pass by GC and SamAsh tomorrow, and see if they have them in stock.
For sure SamAsh has the 115, which I already tried, but another location may have the 208 too perhaps?

I know they won't have the 112, which sucks because I want to compare both in sound quality.
The 115 is a bit big, and a bit heavy, but sounds really good.

Either that, or an Eden CX110 (since I already have an Eden 260 amp).
 
#496
I wrote a few days to the TC Electronic Customer Service to know how they describe themeselves the new combos in term of sound (I live far far away from any good music shop so I try to get informations as I can).
And they answered me very quickly :

BG250-112 Best of both worlds a lot of bass focused on the mid with out loosing treble
BG250-210 Scooped means that the mid has been removed a bit
BG250-115 Fully rich sounding bass cut through kind of mid
BG250-208 tight and small yet it sounds big'


So like you mean to be focused on funky style, it seems that the 112 would be a good choice. Becaus as I understand it the 208 is small but needs an extra cab to get full power -> not so light if you're after some headroom.
I'd really like to try the 112 :bassist:
 
#497
ProDigit said:
I know.
The 112 is my limit.
It'll also fit better in the small trunk I have.

I've read a good 35 pages so far, seems like most people aren't happy with the volume of the 208.

It'll be the 112 or 115, I'm going to see if I can pass by GC and SamAsh tomorrow, and see if they have them in stock.
For sure SamAsh has the 115, which I already tried, but another location may have the 208 too perhaps?

I know they won't have the 112, which sucks because I want to compare both in sound quality.
The 115 is a bit big, and a bit heavy, but sounds really good.

Either that, or an Eden CX110 (since I already have an Eden 260 amp).
Click to expand...

As far as I've seen, there's only been a few people to comment much on the 208.

I think that the operative difference should be between "Not as loud as" and "Not loud enough."

And then the question is - "Loud enough for what?"

The 115 is markedly louder than the 208 standalone, however, I've found the 208 loud enough to play in a group setting with drums, 2 guitars and vocals through PA...not loud, but loud enough.

I leave it to others to try to define the sounds. That seems to be beyond my capabilities to do well.

I'm also surprised by the description of "too heavy." I guess it's all relative, and dependent on expectations, but for a while after getting the 115, I basically made anyone who got close enough lift it to see how light it was relative to its appearance...including some random strangers. That wore off after some time. Now, I see it as weighing what it weighs, and something smaller and lighter would have appeal.
 
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#498
ProDigit said:
I know.
The 112 is my limit.
It'll also fit better in the small trunk I have.

I've read a good 35 pages so far, seems like most people aren't happy with the volume of the 208.

It'll be the 112 or 115, I'm going to see if I can pass by GC and SamAsh tomorrow, and see if they have them in stock.
For sure SamAsh has the 115, which I already tried, but another location may have the 208 too perhaps?

I know they won't have the 112, which sucks because I want to compare both in sound quality.
The 115 is a bit big, and a bit heavy, but sounds really good.

Either that, or an Eden CX110 (since I already have an Eden 260 amp).
Click to expand...

One thing to consider with the 208 is that you won't get the full power of the amplifier unless you connect to an external 8 ohm cab. I guess it all depends and how you intend to use it...

I went with the 112 as it's fairly light, powerful and has enough power for low to mid volume rehearsal and acoustic gigs. It also easily covers my home rehearsal needs.

I have a larger Aguilar rig for my louder playing situations.

Cheers!
 
#499
I used the 2x8 again the other night. I like the sound. In my opinion, it would be fine for jazz and possibly pop/rock depending on how loud your drummer/guitarist plays. raising it up and using it near your head as a monitor and going into a PA I'd guess it would be fine for most things. Plugging into a second cab would be a good option for more volume.

If it cost less I'd go for it for sure. It sounded good to me, and I think would be OK even without an extra 8 ohm cabinet for some/many things ... all depends on how much volume you need. Love the size and weight.
 

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