...to my knowledge it has, as the HP output is a high impedance main out with mute switch to the speakers only...
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tc electronic bh250 - new micro head!
- Thread starter Jaldegren
- Start date
Picked up a BH250 this week and put it to a tough test last night. I had it going through a pair of Baer ML112 cabs, with a Squier P/J bass. I saw some back and forth in this thread about how giggable it is, so I figured carrying a room with a 6-piece band would be a workout.
The Good:
Really amazing tube-like tone for such a tiny little SS head. I dialed in a bit of the Grit TonePrint, and it was close to my ideal bass tone. It also hung in most of the night without diming the volume.
The Bad:
Like a tube amp, the lows had a tendency to get away from me, and with a boomy stage I had to dial up an HPF fairly high. Not a big deal. What was a big deal is that it started to crap out on anything below a standard A if I was digging in. My P/J has some fairly hot pickups for a passive bass, and it was just pushing the BH250 too hard at times. I'd try to do a couple of slap notes walking up the lower part of the E string, and the entire sound would just disappear and not come back until I let off the strings. I would have to play lighter to keep it from continually shutting down. This was at a 4ohm load, with volume only about 2/3 of the way up. I assume because the lows are so big on this little head that they were eating up all of its wattage when I tried to slap a low note. I had an Ampeg PF-350 that did the same thing exactly, so I assume it was getting pushed too hard and going into a protect mode of sorts.
Verdict is that I love the amp as something that fits in my cable bag, and it will work great for practices and smaller rock gigs with PA support. It sounds reeeaally good through my sealed Ampeg 210s. I wish I could get the TonePrint app would work (EDIT: user error, TonePrint app works fine), but laptop works perfectly, and the Grit is probably all I'll use, anyway. And it of course can't handle being pushed too hard with a 4 ohm load. I wish it would have performed a bit better, but honestly it did decently well in a setting that wasn't very suited for a 250w head.
EDIT: Re-reading, I should also add that it will likely work just fine for the majority of my gigs. Last night just happened to be one of the few where I actually need some muscle.
The Good:
Really amazing tube-like tone for such a tiny little SS head. I dialed in a bit of the Grit TonePrint, and it was close to my ideal bass tone. It also hung in most of the night without diming the volume.
The Bad:
Like a tube amp, the lows had a tendency to get away from me, and with a boomy stage I had to dial up an HPF fairly high. Not a big deal. What was a big deal is that it started to crap out on anything below a standard A if I was digging in. My P/J has some fairly hot pickups for a passive bass, and it was just pushing the BH250 too hard at times. I'd try to do a couple of slap notes walking up the lower part of the E string, and the entire sound would just disappear and not come back until I let off the strings. I would have to play lighter to keep it from continually shutting down. This was at a 4ohm load, with volume only about 2/3 of the way up. I assume because the lows are so big on this little head that they were eating up all of its wattage when I tried to slap a low note. I had an Ampeg PF-350 that did the same thing exactly, so I assume it was getting pushed too hard and going into a protect mode of sorts.
Verdict is that I love the amp as something that fits in my cable bag, and it will work great for practices and smaller rock gigs with PA support. It sounds reeeaally good through my sealed Ampeg 210s. I wish I could get the TonePrint app would work (EDIT: user error, TonePrint app works fine), but laptop works perfectly, and the Grit is probably all I'll use, anyway. And it of course can't handle being pushed too hard with a 4 ohm load. I wish it would have performed a bit better, but honestly it did decently well in a setting that wasn't very suited for a 250w head.
EDIT: Re-reading, I should also add that it will likely work just fine for the majority of my gigs. Last night just happened to be one of the few where I actually need some muscle.
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So the Toneprint app isn't working for you at all? What phone are you using? I have an iPhone 5C and use the app quite a bit. I have had a few occasions where it took a couple of tries to get it to load but most of the time it uploads the Toneprint on the first try.
Thanks for the post. That is a good realistic expectation of any 250 watt SS amp. Let me know what toneprints you want. I Can record them to MP3 and if you can play MP3 files on your phone It will work just fine. I'd be happy to.
I've got an iPhone 4s. I just read a review that said the phone has to be on regular ringer mode for it to work correctly. I always keep my phone on vibrate, and that may be the issue. I could hear the static and everything during the beaming process, so it didn't even occur to me before. EDIT: Yep, that was it. I even made sure my volume was all the way up as per instructions, just didn't think to actually, you know, have my volume on :/. Works great now.
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Thank you very much. I did get it working, but that makes me think an mp3 of a few would be great to have for times when a data connection isn't available. So would simply recording it off of the phone with a zoom recorder or even a laptop mic and exporting an mp3 is all it would take?
Yup. Just record it. I did it with the headphone out from my phone to the mic in on my laptop. You just need a real clean signal.
I guess I can/should post my own experience with the BH250 as a gig amp, in an attempt to build on Jumble's review.
I've used it live twice: with a Markbass 112 for a cover band (power trio), and with an Ampeg 115 for a 9 piece reggae/funk band. In both instances, I was playing small-ish rooms (100 people or so) with no PA support, and 3 sets. I also use an old Rickenbacker 4003 for both bands. I thought the amp handled both gigs fairly capably, although in the loudest moments I found that it wasn't quite holding up like my Orange TB500 has done in the identical situations. Just running out of headroom. I tend to run a bass-boosted EQ, especially for the reggae band, so surely that didn't help in terms of my keeping the amp within its limits.
In terms of sound, though, I thought it brought most of, if not all, the goods! I had a little bit of Spectracomp running just to even things out slightly and try to emulate just a hint of tube compression. Thought it worked great in a live mix; sat in nicely with both bands, didn't get lost or take up too much room. The bass boost at 100hz is a little higher than I would prefer for my reggae band, but I didn't find myself really lacking in bottom end; it still felt nice and bootylicious on stage! The old school vibe of the tone pairs well with my 4003, it allows me to dial in the clang if I want it, but can provide a nice roots vibe, pretty much with a turn of my knobs on the bass. Love that it can be a chameleon; the cover band in particular has a really wide repertoire, and the BH250 handled that aspect of the show with aplomb.
I'd think with a little PA support, this amp is fully gig-viable for small-medium size rooms. I like that the DI has a post-EQ option, and that it'll include the toneprint in the line out; it's the one thing I find less than amazing about my Orange.... I'd love to get a post-EQ option on that amp!
Anyways... yeah, those are my thoughts thus far. Not too dissimilar in experience from what Jumble was saying, ultimately. Long story short, it's the perfect back-up amp for me. Or, if I wanna get my Geddy Lee on, it's great for running in tandem with my TB500 and Rick! Almost instant Exit Stage Left tone with a fresh pair of Rotos on the bass....
I've used it live twice: with a Markbass 112 for a cover band (power trio), and with an Ampeg 115 for a 9 piece reggae/funk band. In both instances, I was playing small-ish rooms (100 people or so) with no PA support, and 3 sets. I also use an old Rickenbacker 4003 for both bands. I thought the amp handled both gigs fairly capably, although in the loudest moments I found that it wasn't quite holding up like my Orange TB500 has done in the identical situations. Just running out of headroom. I tend to run a bass-boosted EQ, especially for the reggae band, so surely that didn't help in terms of my keeping the amp within its limits.
In terms of sound, though, I thought it brought most of, if not all, the goods! I had a little bit of Spectracomp running just to even things out slightly and try to emulate just a hint of tube compression. Thought it worked great in a live mix; sat in nicely with both bands, didn't get lost or take up too much room. The bass boost at 100hz is a little higher than I would prefer for my reggae band, but I didn't find myself really lacking in bottom end; it still felt nice and bootylicious on stage! The old school vibe of the tone pairs well with my 4003, it allows me to dial in the clang if I want it, but can provide a nice roots vibe, pretty much with a turn of my knobs on the bass. Love that it can be a chameleon; the cover band in particular has a really wide repertoire, and the BH250 handled that aspect of the show with aplomb.
I'd think with a little PA support, this amp is fully gig-viable for small-medium size rooms. I like that the DI has a post-EQ option, and that it'll include the toneprint in the line out; it's the one thing I find less than amazing about my Orange.... I'd love to get a post-EQ option on that amp!
Anyways... yeah, those are my thoughts thus far. Not too dissimilar in experience from what Jumble was saying, ultimately. Long story short, it's the perfect back-up amp for me. Or, if I wanna get my Geddy Lee on, it's great for running in tandem with my TB500 and Rick! Almost instant Exit Stage Left tone with a fresh pair of Rotos on the bass....
I think there was one voice here sugguesting the amp sounds [too?] "wooly" for upright -
I double on a piccolo upright (a former cello) and am looking for a nice tone from that instrument - but in my mind that's more in the cab than in the [amp]head -
... any thoughts on that?
I think I want this amp!
I double on a piccolo upright (a former cello) and am looking for a nice tone from that instrument - but in my mind that's more in the cab than in the [amp]head -
... any thoughts on that?
I think I want this amp!
- Apr 18, 2008
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How to fix a cheapo Acoustic B20 practice amp when the chintzy head goes south? Trés simple!
- Apr 18, 2008
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That's a great fix for that cabinet! ^^^ I'll bet the sound improved quite a bit too!
Thanks! Truthfully, the stock head had a good basic sound. But it was limited to only 20 watts, which is fine for a practice amp, but no chance of using it live. And since it was super-cheap, it really was no surprise when it went south. The TC brings more headroom, making it much more dynamic, and the TonePrints make it far more flexible tonally. The stock driver is some sort of generic item, but it seems to be holding up fairly well to the increased power, at least as long as I don't go too crazy. I fully expect to have to replace it down the road though, at which point it will become one of those "Grandpa's old axe" things...
Thanks! Truthfully, the stock head had a good basic sound. But it was limited to only 20 watts, which is fine for a practice amp, but no chance of using it live. And since it was super-cheap, it really was no surprise when it went south. The TC brings more headroom, making it much more dynamic, and the TonePrints make it far more flexible tonally. The stock driver is some sort of generic item, but it seems to be holding up fairly well to the increased power, at least as long as I don't go too crazy. I fully expect to have to replace it down the road though, at which point it will become one of those "Grandpa's old axe" things...
+1 I've got exactly the same setup going on. The Acoustic B20 amp stopped working and wasn't worth fixing since I only paid $25 for the B20. So, I upgraded the speaker and will be using a BH250 as the amp. Time to start a club thread
Some blown fuse or defect mute switch, maybe? Have you tried the Aux input? (if that works the power amp is OK) Does the tuner work?
- Apr 18, 2008
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Try emailing TC Support. I had a problem with one of mine where the TonePrint knob wouldn't do anything. They sent me a firmware update for free that fixed it completely. Maybe the same approach would work for you?
Just played my BBNE 2 with my new TC BH 250 on GK speakers. My sound guy and fellow musicians were very happy with it, it was clean no unwanted noise they said. 250 vs 400 watt and the TC 250 sounded very full and loud and overall better than GK in a room of 300 people. I am so glad I got this very portable head as my 1st purchase.
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- Oct 7, 2000
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- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
Just got one of these. Haven't read anything in this thread yet other than this last page which included @jumblemind and @sloppy_phil 's reviews. 2 of the most spot on amp reviews I think I've read on Talkbass . I find myself a bit more in agreement with jm though. I'll do my best to add whatever I can...
I'll start with the disclaimer that my first test was running it at a rehearsal through a crappy cab (GK 8X10 with 4 of the speakers blown and removed). Yeah, it's a horror show, but I've played through it lots, and I'm used to what it can and can't do.
Getting distracted by a few things so my apologies if the writing here doesn't flow well....
Anyhow, I must say that if this were my only head it would be a no go. I'd absolutely send it back. I bought this only as a backup, and because I want to stack to heads to use the Rick in Rick-o-Sound mode on my new bass with my 2 15s. My other head is a Carvin BX700 and IMO one would have to be on a massive amount of drugs to choose this TC over that. The 2 don't even compare. And the Carvin only costs about $40 more. Makes me wonder a bit.
What I like and why I'm going to keep the TC: I like that I can fit it in my gigbag, and I like the toneprint because I want to mix my Ric with a clean and distorted sound. I don't like using pedals, and want LESS to carry, not more. I also need a backup as I had a head crap out on me once at a gig, and I never want to repeat that experiences. I have some PTS from that incident, and I've been carrying a spare head everywhere I go. I'm going to keep it because I feel it CAN hold up in a small to medium gig if I needed it to, and at low volumes I think it does the job. Tone is OK, but only up to a point.
What I don't like about it: It's severely lacking in something I can't quite put my finger on. Lows? Thump? Punch? It gets loud enough and is EQed to cut through and be heard, but it really sounds like half the amp the BX700 is. And I don't think it's just a wattage/volume thing. It's like it's missing a whole bunch of frequencies, and important ones, too. I asked the guys I was playing with to turn up a bit to see how far I could push this, and again - it cut, but in a really pathetic sort of way. And I had the amp cranked, bigtime, like on 9. Fiddling with the EQ at that point became almost pointless because the amp was working so hard to just keep up. Oh hwell... maybe I was just expecting a bit more out of that 250 watts. Maybe it'll wow me when I plug my 2x15s into it.
Last disappointment for me was the way the EQs are set. I know they boost and cut different frequencies to supposedly give a wider array of sounds... but I was unimpressed. The only usable sounds for me are between 10 and 1 o'clock on the bass and mids, and I had the treble pretty much cranked for cut. In lower volume situations that might have been different.
One thing I'll give TC credit for is quick customer service. Their user manual and online help left a little to be desired, but I emailed them 2X - once about the UTIL button (which is a hole, not a button, and I didn't feel safe sticking a paper clip in there as I suspected I needed to), and the other was with tones not loading (didn't know that only the bass amp models would load)... both times they got back to me immediately.
I'll chime in again after I use it with my 15s, but that's all I got for now.
Oh yeah... What's the mp3 stuff you guys are talking about?
. I find myself a bit more in agreement with jm though. I'll do my best to add whatever I can...I'll start with the disclaimer that my first test was running it at a rehearsal through a crappy cab (GK 8X10 with 4 of the speakers blown and removed
). Yeah, it's a horror show, but I've played through it lots, and I'm used to what it can and can't do.Getting distracted by a few things so my apologies if the writing here doesn't flow well
....Anyhow, I must say that if this were my only head it would be a no go. I'd absolutely send it back. I bought this only as a backup, and because I want to stack to heads to use the Rick in Rick-o-Sound mode on my new bass with my 2 15s. My other head is a Carvin BX700 and IMO one would have to be on a massive amount of drugs to choose this TC over that. The 2 don't even compare. And the Carvin only costs about $40 more. Makes me wonder a bit.
What I like and why I'm going to keep the TC: I like that I can fit it in my gigbag, and I like the toneprint because I want to mix my Ric with a clean and distorted sound. I don't like using pedals, and want LESS to carry, not more. I also need a backup as I had a head crap out on me once at a gig, and I never want to repeat that experiences. I have some PTS from that incident, and I've been carrying a spare head everywhere I go. I'm going to keep it because I feel it CAN hold up in a small to medium gig if I needed it to, and at low volumes I think it does the job. Tone is OK, but only up to a point.
What I don't like about it: It's severely lacking in something I can't quite put my finger on. Lows? Thump? Punch? It gets loud enough and is EQed to cut through and be heard, but it really sounds like half the amp the BX700 is. And I don't think it's just a wattage/volume thing. It's like it's missing a whole bunch of frequencies, and important ones, too. I asked the guys I was playing with to turn up a bit to see how far I could push this, and again - it cut, but in a really pathetic sort of way. And I had the amp cranked, bigtime, like on 9. Fiddling with the EQ at that point became almost pointless because the amp was working so hard to just keep up. Oh hwell... maybe I was just expecting a bit more out of that 250 watts. Maybe it'll wow me when I plug my 2x15s into it.
Last disappointment for me was the way the EQs are set. I know they boost and cut different frequencies to supposedly give a wider array of sounds... but I was unimpressed. The only usable sounds for me are between 10 and 1 o'clock on the bass and mids, and I had the treble pretty much cranked for cut. In lower volume situations that might have been different.
One thing I'll give TC credit for is quick customer service. Their user manual and online help left a little to be desired, but I emailed them 2X - once about the UTIL button (which is a hole, not a button, and I didn't feel safe sticking a paper clip in there as I suspected I needed to), and the other was with tones not loading (didn't know that only the bass amp models would load)... both times they got back to me immediately.
I'll chime in again after I use it with my 15s, but that's all I got for now.
Oh yeah... What's the mp3 stuff you guys are talking about?
- Apr 18, 2008
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Thanks for the honest and detailed review @Joe Nerve - I highly suspect that a lot of what you experienced is attributable to the cabs and not necessarily the head, so I'm interested in your followup with different cabs.
My BH250 does well with my BFM Jack 10s, but 1. they're very efficient cabs, and 2. I always have FOH.
My BH250 does well with my BFM Jack 10s, but 1. they're very efficient cabs, and 2. I always have FOH.
- Oct 7, 2000
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I'd like to think that too, but I use that same cabinet with a GK Backline 600 (which is the same wattage at 8 Ohms) and my Carvin. Both those heads give me all that I feel I'm missing with the TC, and I don't come close to pushing either of those to their limit.
