The DijonStock Digital Home Recording Support Forum

Anyone have experience with the Behringer Bass V-Amp Pro?

I'm getting bored with the same old vanilla bass sound and want to add some variety to my bass tracks.

I don't have a bass amp so my standard operating procedure has been DI through the instrument in on my M-Audio Octane preamp.

The online reviews for the unit seem pretty good and the price is right @ $169 compared to $299 for a Line 6 unit. The Line 6 unit is getting slammed on the homerecording.com wbsite for both reliability and customer service.

I'm a guitar player that plucks bass strings out of necessity so any advice from "real" bassists would be greatly appreciated.

Gary

Gary, I'm not a "real" bassist so caveat emptor:

I use one of these. You can dial in quite a few different flavors



I know Anndra loves the POD. He should be along shortly to sing it's merits.

I'll check out the SansAmp as well.

I look forward to feedback from the "real" bassists in the forum.

How's that Oktava tube mic working out for you?

I picked up a GT66 tube mic a while back and I really like it.

Gary

I have two line 6 pods. A Pod XT Pro and a Pod Bass Pod.

I've never had a problem with either. I've spent a lot of time on the Line-6 Pod forums as well, and I've never seen reliability come up as a major issue.

I've never tried the Behringer unit, so I really can't comment on it. But, certainly I like My Bass Pod for recording.

OK, I'm impulsive but I can't turn down a good deal.

I went to GC this morning and I talk to the guitar accessory guy about the Behri & Line 6 units. He has both units in stock but goes on and on about the Line 6 unit for recording applications.

I tell him...."yeah, that's great but the price difference is $169 VS $299 and I've already exceeded my gear budget for this year and next".

We have a quick laugh and I notice a display with the Line 6 Bass Pod (not the XT) marked @ $199. We talk about the differences between the two units and I ask if the 30 day no question return is still in effect. he says "yes". So I reluctantly tell him to ring up the Line 6 unit.

When he scans the box and rings it up, the price comes up @ $299......it's an XT. I tell him forget it and he says "hold on dude, if I can give it to you at cost would you be interested?" I say "maybe, how much?". He looks it up on the PC and say's: "$225, out the door? I say: "Ring it UP!"

The best online price I can find is $299 so I think I got a good deal and I can always bring it back for a full refund if I didn't or if I don't like it.

Hopefully I'll like the unit.

Gary

That's a good price for a Bass Pod XT.

I use the Bass V-Amp - I purchased it before they dropped the prices. If it weren't for that I would have a Bass V-amp Pro sitting in my rack right now.

To make a long story short - there's nothing else like it out there.

There are not only really good bass tones, but there are also killer guitar tones as well. I haven't had the opportunity to run my keys through there but the rumor is that there are good keyboard effects too.

I think you'll enjoy it. I do.

Cin

_________________
"I'm not trying to play guitar, I'm trying to make music." - Michael Hedges.

I played with the Bass Pod XT yesterday evening and I am initially impressed.

I've only had time to check out the presets and the rich variety of available of sounds is pretty amazing.

Over the next few days I'll hack my way through the manual so I can understand its full capabilities and customize my own sounds.

As I play more and more bass, I'm developing an even greater respect for the instrument and those who play it well. It's a very physical instrument and at the same time can require a very subtle, light touch to properly execute the gentler passages.

This new tool has already inspired some new approaces to my writing. Let's see if the zest factor lasts.

Gary

Well ... since Bass is my main instrument I guess I am a 'real' bass player. Here is a precis of my tone journey using effects:
1. I started out very simply: bass -> amp. Fender '72 P Bass, Fender '66 Bassman head, Traynor twin 15 cabinet.
2. Disco, Bootsy Collins, P-Funk - I bought a Musitronics Mutron and an MXR Envelope filter (I've still got both) - that lasted about a year.
Back to guitar -> amp
3. Got tired of tube issues and lugging around a twin 15 cabinet so I bought a Peavey 130 watt 15" combo.
4. I stayed out of music stores for about 20 years except for the occasional set of strings.
5. I got back into recording and discovered the Internet. I realized that I now had a 'vintage' P bass, and that the world of music had changed dramatically.
6. Bought a Tech 21 Sans Amp Bass DI. That was an eye opener. All of a sudden the Peavey had some tone. And I got the GAS bug!
7. Moved up to a Lakland 4-94 (US made) and an Ashdown ABM 500 4-10 combo with a single 15" cabinet addition to get the full 575 watts.
8. Set up a pedal board:
Radial Tonebone Bassbone -> BOSS TU2 Tuner -> Carl Martin Compressor -> Tech 21 Sans Amp Bass DI -> Aphex Bass Exciter
Side chain from ToneBone to X-Ray Bass Distortion unit and/or ZOOM BFX 708 (detune patch)
9. Traded in the old twin 15 for a used 1990's Gallien Kreuger 410T and added a Behringer Ultrabass BX3000T head for playing in church.
9. Went back to the bass -> amp set up.

Hmmm... seems to be a trend developing. I guess my point is that I like the 'vanilla' bass sound the best. IMHO it does the most effective job of supporting the rhythm section.

Especially with the Lakland/Ashdown set up. That gives me the best bottom end 'lets drive the rhythm section' sound. And tons of useable tone variation from the Lakland. Did the same (no pedals) with the Lakland - Behringer/GK set up but I think I will have to add in the Bass DI as the outfit doesn't quite have the tone I want.

Colin

CW,

I agree with you man.

Allow me to clarify what i meant when I said "vanilla".

I don't have a bass amp so my tonal possibilities all come from my bass. it's a good bass, a Music Man Sterling with active electronics and good tonal options.

The wild effects are not what I'm after, however I am interested in a much better core tonal palatte.

From my perspective, there is no better sound than a quality bass or guitar plugged directly into a quality amp (with a quality player at the helm).

The Pod XT, at least after only one evening of experimentation, seems to be a good solution to my need.

Gary

Gary - Yes, we are on the same page. In fact what you want to do is the same thing I intend to do with the Behringer amp and GK cabinet that I use at church. I will be using the Sans Amp Bass DI which emulates different amp sounds depending on how you set it, whereas you are taking a similar route using the POD XT.

Music Man Sterling - I've always wanted a Music Man, great live bass.

I mentioned this in an earlier post somewhere but I will repeat it as it concerns recording bass. I was visiting the Lakland factory and I mentioned that I prefer my '72 P bass over the Lakland 4-94 for recording. The Lakland tech's answer was that passive basses tend to sound better when going direct. I tried that with my Lakland (has an active/passive switch, no tone control in passive) and it sounded great.
Do you record your Sterling active or passive?

Colin

I've recorded that bass using every setting imaginable.

The odd part is that the bass isn't even mine, it's been on loan for over 2 years.

A friend of mine owns a music store and "my" Music Man is actually part of his personal bass collection.....which is now up to 28 basses.

Gary

I am thinking about getting a Digitech BP200 for my bass. Does anyone use this device? Did anyone have reason not to buy this model and go for an other model/brand?

Regards, Rob

I have not heard or seen one but found some user reviews here;

http://www.harmony-central.com/Effects/ ... 200-1.html

Summary from the Harmony Central reviews are fairly positive

Ease of Use 7.9 (46 responses)
Sound Quality 7.9 (46 responses)
Reliability 8.7 (38 responses)
Customer Support 7.2 (10 responses)
Overall Rating 8.3 (46 responses)

_________________
Refusing to make waves is not an indicator of a life well lived. Refusing to
make waves is the state that precedes drowning. - Paul Coughlin author

My son has the Bass V-amp. Great for the money and he does spectacular things with it. On the guitar side, they will have to pry my POD XT from my frozen grip when I'm dead.

_________________
Honor is a debt you owe to those that see it in you.

Having used both the Bass V-Amp (pro) and the Bass POD XT (not pro) I would plump squarely for the POD. I find the sounds much more convincing on the POD and I found the V-Amp to be somewhat noisy (especcially when changing patches).

_________________
"Saying you're an adult would make you an IM-poster." - Robbie jan 2006

I will use my robot hand for good.

Was your problem with the V-Amp or with the Bass V-Amp?

The Bass V-Amp was a generation or 2 after the V-Amp. I've found it to be a very versatile piece of equipment. It has great guitar patches, bass patches and keyboard patches.

Cin

_________________
"I'm not trying to play guitar, I'm trying to make music." - Michael Hedges.

Yeah, a lot of people say the difference between the bass and guitar versions are like night and day. Nate's uses his Bass V gigging and recording...sounds damn good to me. I'm sure the Bass POD is boss as well, but at nearly twice the price.

_________________
Honor is a debt you owe to those that see it in you.

The problems I had were with the Bass V-amp pro. There were some nice enough patches, but, to my mind, it was not in the same league as the Bass POD XT. I'd call it worth every penny of twice the price.

_________________
"Saying you're an adult would make you an IM-poster." - Robbie jan 2006

I will use my robot hand for good.