Behringer V-Amp 2

Easier to use than the PODxt, but part of that is probably because the POD can do more. I use my VAMP2 much more often than my PODxt because I just want to plug & play and find the VAMP less intimidating.

Odly, I've owned the PODxt for the same amount of time as the VAMP2 but I haven't used the PODxt much, but I'd say the PODxt definitely sounds better than the VAMP2. One advantage (AND disadvantage, for me at least!) of the PODxt is that you can plug its USB cable into the PC and use GuitarPort to SEE the amp/effect setups more visually, and tweak the settings with your mouse, rather than messing with the controls on the POD. That is the reason why I use the VAMP2 more: I don't yet feel comfortable controlling the PODxt without the computer, so it means you have to boot up the PC and play in front of the computer... The VAMP2 is a bit easier to use.

In the beginning I was also one of those guys who said: "I don't care about what those tube purists say about modelers. I don't care whether it sounds like the real amps its modeling. All that matters is that it sounds good to me."

Well, now, about two years later, I'm starting to think, uhh, to be honest, this thing really just doesn't sound that good!

I use Strat(s) and I've played the VAMP2 with headphones, as well as directly into the effects loop return of my amp, and both ways it sounds pretty crappy. The clean amp models are OK, and the distorted sounds are good for power-chord type stuff, but for lead stuff (e.g. solos) it just sounds "digital". Also, when playing full chords (v.s. power chords) on distortion, the distortion does this really ugly digital sounding breakup. It just sounds very wrong.

I mostly use the VAMP2's chorus and/or delay effects, but I usually bypass the amp simulation completely. (Press Tap & Tuner keys together). The reverb is OK. The tremelo, wah, compressor are useless to me.

(Remember to change the VAMP to "L3" live mode when using it with an amp to disable stereo & speaker simulation).

It's plastic, but that's OK. When you buy a playstation or MP3 player you're not going to complain that it's not solid steel, so who cares. Just handle it with care. I avoid pulling out the IN / OUT cables unnecessarily (i.e. I rather pull cables out of the guitar / amp). But... of course you can clearly see/feel that the PODxt is just more robust.

Their online helpdesk is OK.

I have mixed feelings about the VAMP2. I used to love it. But as I get better at my playing, I realize more how bad it sounds!

I've been playing for about 2 years. When I just started playing, I bought both the VAMP2 and the PODxt. I bought the modelers, of course not for budget reasons, but simply because my playing sucks and I thought it would be cool to use a modeler and headphones. That was a bad excuse to buy modelers. As one beginner to another, I ask you, please don't make that mistake.

It's with regret that I have to say, please invest your money in something else, preferably an amp, e.g. the Roland Micro Cube costs about the same as the VAMP2 and is way more useful. Yes, the VAMP is cheap, but if you have to buy a modeler, rather get the PODxt Live or a BOSS GT6/8 or a Vox modeler!!

If I had to start over, I'd rather just save my money to buy a decent amp and add a few effects pedals later.

As other people have said: You get what you pay for. You can't really expect a $100 VAMP2 to match a $300 PODXT/BOSS-GT6 etc.

Very easy to use. Not rocket science here. Lighted LEDS make it superior to the POD, or POD XT in this category.

This is where the Behringer V-amp lacks. The sampling rate is only 32khz, (LESS THAN CD QUALITY!) which make the guitar tones and distortion sound "trashy" like a cheap amplifier. I found that to make the guitar tones sit well in my mixes, I have to make the whole recording sound a little bit trashy using overcompression and killing the dynamics to match the guitars.

Very hard to impossible to get a studio quality sound out of these. At best these are great for Apartment recording or late night jam sessions w/ your computer.

Dont expect to ever Gig this thing and play it out of an amp. It will just sound wrong.

The dynamics on the output of this unit are non existant. Meaning that when you listen to the playback or just analyze how it sits in a mix, it sounds very thin and harsh to the ears, definately does not sound like it could pass as a Mic'd cabinet.

100% of the time now, I can hear a POD, or a V-Amp guitar track in a recording if presented a sample to listen to. There is no tricking people with units like these.

I'd say they are reliable, I bought one of these when they first came out, the V-AMP one for 199$ at guitar center (this was like 4 years ago). Then upgraded the Flash chip to V.2.0 (not a big improvement I might add).

This unit has never broke down. Although it is anoying that it doesn't have an ON/Off switch you have to unplug and replug it in every time.

Once, a pin got bent in the A/C plug.

and my tuner button is less responsive, i have to hit it hard for it to move into tuner mode.

Never had any issues so i cant comment

Bottom line: YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. and you will not feel ripped off with this, especially if you do not have any other alternative for apartment recording and late night jamming.

There might be other alternatives that are better like the POD XT, however all of these MODELER units all sound the same.


SAMPLES of songs I recorded guitar tracks w/ the V-amp:

http://www.csupomona.edu/~tgao/myhome/demo1.mp3

This unit is very easy to use and editing patches is not at all complicated. The manual is very easy to use and the proper amount of time should be taken to understand the capability of the V-amp 2. Getting a good sound out of this unit can be difficult and is very subjective. It takes plenty of "tweaking" to get the tone you want. "Tone" means different things to different people. A large part of guitarist's sound is in his/her style, fingers, pick, guitar, cable and power source. Take time to experiment. This is a versatile piece of equipment and it will be difficult to find a good sound in 15-20 minutes.

I am running a Parker Fly Deluxe into 4 modified (self modified and they sound GREAT!) pedals. A Boss SD-1, a Boss DS-1, a Boss MT-2 and a Boss GE-7. The GE-7 is connected to the input of the V-amp 2. I use the 3 Boss distortion pedals to get a variey of bluesy/distorted/heavy sounds. The GE-7 (EQ pedal) is used to either "shape" those sounds or is used as a lead boost. I use this set-up with V-amp 2 set on the "Tube Preamp" setting. The "Tube Preamp" is a nice foundation to build from and to my ear it sounds the warmest of all the clean simulations. With this set-up I run the V-amp 2 straight into the PA and on occassion I will run it in stereo.

** It is important to remember that the EQ on the Mixer/PA will require some adjustments to get the sound your after. Different PA speakers and mixers will sound unique just like guitars, amps, pick-ups, etc. Again, take your time, be patient and experiment.

If I am not using the modified Boss Pedals I will use a variety of the amp simulations to get various clean/blues/dirty/crunch and heavy settings. I really don't care how close they are to the actual amp they are simulating. My main concern is that I get a good sound regardless of the simulation or model. My favorites are "Custom High Gain" and the "Brit. Hi Gain." With these settings I go from that bluesy tone to something really heavy and everything in between.

I will try to use it as an effects only in the effects loop of my Peavey Classic 50 4/10. The V-amp 2 allows you to by-pass the preamp simluations allowing use of the effects only. I am not sure how this will sound but for $99 it is worth the effort to try. After all, it's another option.

I can't rate the reliability fairly. It is plastic which tends to be less reliable than a metal housing. The pedal however is metal and since I will be stepping on the pedal I am not that concerned about the plastic shell on the V-amp 2.

I had the original V-amp and I own other Behringer equipment. They have always been very helpful and have provided great customer support.

I have been playing about 16 years and yes, I would consider myself a "Tube Snob." In my opinion, there is no replacing a tube. I play a variety of rock, blues, pop, heavy and praise and worship music. I grew up listening to artist such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen, Eddie Van Halen and Stevie Ray Vaughn. Many different styles and strengths very few of which I can play but I enjoy trying. The V-amp 2 provides me with the opportunity to sound like any of them.

The things that the V-amp 2 has to offer are well worth the money. It is a great unit to record with and you have the luxury of running it straight into a PA. Where else can you spend $99 on a new piece of music equipment that is this flexible? Sure, there is better equipment out there but I have yet to find a $99 toy with all of these features that sounds this good. I personally have not a heard 1 piece of Line6 gear that sounds good to me. In fairness to Line6 I have not spent much time with their equipment. I don't particularly care for the Digitech stuff. It sounds way to "Digital" to me. The Boss stuff including the GT-6 and the new GT-8 are not bad but if I had an extra $500 laying around (Who does?) I would probably checkout the Vox Tonelab SE thoroughly.

It would be nice if this where true bypass to better allow its use with a guitar amp. I don't prefer to use the V-amp 2 straight into a guitar amp because it colors the amps tone. Even a good tube amp may negatively affect your opinion. I think it works very well with a PA and Mixer. I am even considering the purchase of a powered monitor so I can use it as a spot monitor and run the V-amp 2 straight to it.

Basic features are easy to use, but you definitely need the manual to learn how to tweek some parameters like presence & effects/reverb settings.

I've been using this for over a year for private practise and lately for a couple of gigs. I never really cared for the compressed sound I heard through headphones, but I assumed the unit would be okay through a PA or for direct to harddisk recording. Boy was I wrong! This toy just sounds flat & lacks character. You are far better off with a real tube amp. Considering that this thing costs less than most pedals, I can easily conclude that you get what you paid for here.

The input jack has become tempermental. I have to wiggle it to get signal sometimes. The same with one of the 1/4" outputs. Oh well, that's what you get from cheap piece-o-crap Chinese parts and manufacturing.

Also, there is a significant dropout when you change to some presets. So this is definitely NOT a gig-worthy piece!!!

I doubt you'll get much support from this German design outfit. My Pro audio friends tell me that Behringer makes throw away junk that isn't worth fixing when it breaks. THAT SUCKS, but I should have known based on the low price of this thing.

This is an okay toy for a beginner guitarist with a low budget. Or better yet, GET A REAL AMP! Seriously, a small tube combo amp and a couple of pedals will provide much more satisfaction & inspiration.

If direct recording is your goal then try a Rocktron Voodu Valve - it's a far superior tone generator.

It's pretty easy to get usable (if not the greatest) sounds out of the V-Amp 2. Editing patches without the V-Amp software (which requires a seperate MIDI cable) isn't that intuitive. It makes more sense to configure the unit while it's attached to the PC, and the software is quite easy to use. The manual is comprehensive enough, yet easy to to follow.

Here's my signal chain: Fender strats (loaded with DiMarzios) - Peterson Strobostomp tuner - DOD YJM 308 Overdrive - Modded Crybaby Wah - SansAmp GT2 - Boss CH-1 Chorus - Boss DD-3 Delay - Boss CS-3 Compressor - V-Amp 2 - into either my computer (SoundBlaster Audigy 2 ZS Platinum Pro soundcard) or a PA system.

This unit is great for playing around at home with your computer and laying down some basic tracks. The amp sims vary from very good to piss-poor. The speaker sims are useful. The effects are hit and miss.

Good effects include the delay, ping pong, and flanger. I hate the chorus, compressor, auto-wah, rotary, and just about every other effect on the unit. They sound quite sterile, hence my use of Boss pedals.

For high-gain sounds, the V-amp 2 is OK. Cleans are sterile. Mid-gain tones (blues, etc) are passable, but I find my Sansamp to be much more responsive to my playing style and volume changes.

Overall, it's a nice toy that I enjoy using to "stereoize" my signal going into my computer. As far as quality tone goes, it sounds a little sterile. Most of the effects are lame.

I wouldn't use it on a gig without a backup, considering it's a computer in a plastic case that could easily get fried due to a power surge or voltage fluctuation. For home use, it's fine.

I play classic rock, heavy metal, jazz, classical and fusion. This unit represents great "bang for the buck".

For the price (especially used!) it's worth every penny. This unit is FANTASTIC for a beginner guitarist. If you've been playing for 15 years like yours truly, you tend to be a bit more discriminating with your sound.

For my purposes (an easy interface for my signal chain into my computer), I like it a lot. Some of the amp sims are good and I enjoy using them to get different sounds when I do some recording.

Is it professional-level gear? Certainly not. If it were stolen, I probably wouldn't buy it again. I notice a distinct "coldness" to the tone. I'm not a tube snob, but I am picky about what I hear, and I feel that I get much better sounds from my analog Sansamp then from the all-digital V-amp 2.

People who rate this a "10" for sound either haven't been playing a long time, are used to playing through beginner-level gear, or are still basking in the glow of "new toy syndrome".

Still, for the price, I'd recommend it.

This machine is very basic and good for beginers who want a amp modeling multi effect for a cheap price. Good for say a 10 or 12 year old just starting guitar. However, there are other options out there that are much better at a similar price point like the BOSS ME-33 (far superior to the VAMP)

I'm writing this because I think that Harmony Central is a fantastic resource for learning about gear you're thinking about buying.
Based on the reveiws for the Behringer Vamp 2 that I read here I would have foolishly gone out and purchased this pedal . . . I'm glad I didn't.
Instead I rented the Behringer VAMP 2 and a Line 6 PODxt (the original that Behringer is ripping off) for a two week trial period in my home recording studio.
It was used by myself a professional guitar player and audio engineer for 22 years, another Engineer and 2 other guitar players with decades of experience and great ears for tone.
We recorded direct with it and also through a Fender Tweed, 1964 Fender Bandmaster, VOX AC30, Marshall & Fender Twin.
This thing sounds like crap.

Patch changes make a sound . . . that's not right.

I have experience with other Behringer gear and I know that their customer support is quite good.

It is very misleading of other reviewers to compare this to the Line 6 POD as an equal option. This machine does not approach the same tonal quality or depth of the POD at all. I don't even want to get into the details of the differences, there are too many.
I just felt that there were too many good reviews here and it wasn't right.
I have over 250 vintage and modern guitar effects and I honestly don't think that this machine does anything particularily well and it's certainly nothing like the POD. I'm not saying that the POD is perfect but it is in a class apart from the VAMP 2.

Basically if you're going to buy something like this make sure you check out all of your options before opening up your wallet.
Line 6, BOSS, Vox & Digitech all make multi-effect pedals with Amp modeling that certainly outshine Behringer's effort.
Shop with your ears folks.

Fairly easy to use. I'm not a big "tweaker", so I don't bother with a lot of the settings. I basically just go from bank to bank and then tweak the stock presets to taste. A lot of the stock presets, to my ears, sound very good - particularly the heavy distortion ones. Some slight tweaking and off I go.

This was my first try with a multi-fx unit in a while. I got a POD v1.0 last year on a trade and tried that. It was absolutely useless - sounded HORRIBLE. I wanted it to record into my PC but every setting I tried sounded terrible, so the next day I sold it.

I wanted a multi-fx pedal that would give me some effects and be cheap. Something to record to PC. So I looked on zzounds.com (best online retailer without a doubt) and found the new X-Vamp2 for $62 ($5 discount for the factory resealed version). It is a scaled down Vamp2 but with an expression pedal. A couple of days after ordering it I come home to find a bigger box than I expected sitting at my doorway. Sure enough, I got lucky - zzounds sent me the regular $99 Vamp2 instead of the $62 X-Vamp2! Nice eh?

So I set this thing up to record into my PC and it sounds excellent for the price. Excellent period. The high gain tones are very good. Particularly the rectifier and british hi gain models. The classic clean model is decent. The vamp clean is okay. The American Blues model, which seems to be popular with others, sounds terrible to my ears. The distortion models are good, the cleans are usable. I can't get a great jazz tone out of it, but good enough.

As for the effects - the auto-wah is very cool. The compression and delay are very good too. Surprisingly, the reverb is excellent. I don't use the other stuff much if at all (chorus, flange, etc), but they are usable if you like them. Keep in mind that I'm sure individual boss pedals would be better, but for the $62 I paid for it (and the $99 you would have to pay for it) this thing is excellent.

Seems reliable. I've had it a couple of weeks and it hasn't broken. NO power switch, but who cares.

They have some software for free that you can download from their site. That alone gives this a 10 compared to others. I'm a computer junkie, but I haven't had the urge to interface my Vamp2 with the PC yet.

I give it a 9 overall. I'm a tough grader. Not all of the models are good. But there are decent to good cleans, and excellent overdriven/distortion sounds to be had. So if you want to record to your PC, this is the thing to use. Can't be beat for the price. I wish it weren't so cheesy looking and the cheesy name makes it sound like a toy. I doubt it would be my first choice to use live, but I'd bet it would work well. For live work I'd always prefer individual pedals, if I wanted effects at all. I'll soon have some sound examples up on my website: www.sixstringtheory.com

One of the easier modelers to use. Editing is a snap...manual is quite adequate.

I use a Charvel Surfcaster with a Dimarzio PAF in the bridge, Kent Armstrong Hot Lipstick in the neck and a MIM Strat with Lace Sensors.

Usually just use this for headphone practice, but occasionally run it into the effects return of my Mesa F-50.

Unit is very quiet, decent noise gate will help out hi gain settings.

Effects are decent...very useable but nothing spectacular.

There are a lot of amp models in this unit...I really only use a handful. I really like the Blackface, the JCM800, and the Soldano models, and the Boogie MarkIIc. I use the Plexi model as well as the JTM45, but find them a bit dark...can't dial in enough treble for my tastes. It's useable, but not quite how I'd like it...with both buckers and single coils. The Bassman model is also good. Oh, the Van Halen modded Plexi is also pretty cool. Don't care at all for their models of the Dumble, which is a little disappointing. And for each of the JTM 45 and the Plexi they have their own custom models that are supposed to be much more tweakable...I find them completely useless...waste of programming space if you ask me. But no problem, there are so many other models that are decent.

I had one of the cheap Valvetronix amps and actually thought it had better models on it all around, but for the money, the V-Amp2 is a deal, and for playing with headphones it does me fine. If I ran across a cheap used Tonelab, I might replace this with it, but until then, it'll do me fine.

Only had it a few months so far...no problems. Besides, I just use it for practice.

Don't Know

Great bang for the buck!

if it were lost or stolen, not sure whether I'd get another one or not...probably check out my options. This technology is constantly changing with something better on the horizon.

You get 25 banks with 5 patches per bank, works great and the included pedal allows you to switch up and down between the patches. Lots of knobs and a fair amount of menusurfing, you have to hold one button down and press another to do certain things etc. Overall, good layout for a multieffect. Illuminated knobs are the best idea since presliced bread since their position changes with the patches, like they should rather than presets that change parameter value by bypassing the knobvalue.

I use it with a Epi standard Les Paul and right to my computer. It sounds awesome, maybe partially due to my 5.1 surround, I would guess that if you use a cheap amplification system, its gonna suck pretty hard. It's not noisy at all, although with everything maxed it is. There's a noisegate though, but it's pretty bad. Effects sound OK, compression+chorus effect is great. Delays sounds pretty good too. Phase,flange,wah are all fine, great for coloring the ampsimulations. However, the tremolo effect sucks, you can't adjust anything other than speed and mix, no waveshape!

Amp sims are great for the money and through a good PA it will definitely give you a great sound, Hi-Gain Brit is the best!

Its plastic, but the pedal is metal and you get a gigbag with it so yeah, you can depend on it. Doesn't seem to need a backup either, just dont step on the case. I havent had any problems at all with it, and its about 6 months old now.

Worth it! It is capable of pretty much all genres but it only sounds good if you know how to tweak it. I would not buy another if it were stolen, I would go for a footbased multi instead. This is more of a studio, stationary effect. Its awesome and if you want a way to record great guitarsounds or just jam in your home, on low and high volume, then this is it! The extra money for a POD hardly seems worth it to me.

extreeeeeemly EASY! Must read the manual though.... everything is simple as turning knobs, taping buttons, and double functions. after you read the manual, it should be easy. Getting good sounds...also easy. Editing patches... super easy. The manual is about v-ampire, v-amp pro, and v-amp 2. it's a little bit confusing by the first time I read it. But I understand it in my second read.

the word is.... WOOOWWWWW. As long you use it as it meant to be used. It's a VIRTUAL amplification. It sound best WITHOUT AMPS!!!! So just plug directly into the mixer. You can turn off the speaker sim though and plug into your amp. Sounds good, but not best. I use an Ibanez GRG-270DX chinesse made (Very cheap guitar with a so-so sound) an Ibanez IBZ10G amp. I plug it into the amp and my first thought is..... not bad, but A LOT BETTER THAN MY ZOOM GFX-5!!! trust me dont buy ZOOM, ZOOM's distortion is crap!! then I a headphone.....my reaction was....OH MY GOD.........I CAN'T BELIEVE THE SOUND!! V-Amp's Distortion is a little bit noisy, great for rythem good for leads. Chorus is WONDERFUL !! I LOVE IT !!! The Delay.... GREAT!! Auto wah....not good, gonna need a pedal for this one (Behringer FCB1010), can't afford it. When I turn the speaker sims off, it sounds better in my amp, the boogie dual rectifiers distortion's a little bit muddy though (Little bit disapointed at this point). Others are good. in my headphones, the dual rectifier's sound is GREEAATTT can't tell the difference ! I can get Daita Ito's (SIAM SHADE's lead guitarist, great japan rock band) sound easily! for your info Daita is a big fan of dream theater, which means, a great fan of John Pettruci. Daita uses the same amp as Pettruci, Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier.

Ummmmm. Plastic, Hard PVC. As long as you take care of it it's ok. Well you're not gonna stomp on it, it's not a stomp box. The footswitch, there's where you gonna stomp. The footswitch made of metal, veerry sturdy! carefull though, the button's still plastic. I don't have any other effects (Sold my good for nothing GFX-5), so i have to gig with it. Well the -NOT SLIGHT- delay when you change amp simulators is not good. You can't go from clean to distored or distored to clean in a blink! well a little bit practice on this would fix it, just push the footswith with the -NOT SLIGHT- time earlier before you want the effect to change(I think).

The Dealer.... VERY FRIENDLY, they explained everything!
about behringer, The V-AMP yahoogroups is very helping.
Never dealt with them directly though.

I Play in the church, so I play a very wide range of music. But I like Rock the most. Currently i'm listening to SIAM SHADE (seriously, a very good band! buy one of their CD's, much lighter than Dream Theater,similar to DT but has a wide range of rock). I LOVE the amp sims especialy the dual rectifier. Well if I had the money I would buy a BOSS GT-6, damn! that thing is just too expensive for me. Well this thing inspired me to play! ussually I only practice about 30 minutes a day, but now i can play for couple of hours and forgot to eat (bad for your health ^_^), i can play at night with my headphones at night without disturbing other people WITH GREAT SOUNDS !!!. If you don't have enough budget but want a goooooood effect(not the best), then this is for you. Don't buy ZOOM.... Just to remind you. This is an AMP SIMULATOR it will never sound as good as the real thing (it's 90% the same though).