Behringer V-Amp 2

>How easy is it to get a good sound out of it?
>How about Editing patches?
Very easy. Start by rolling OFF both effects and reverb.
Put Gain, Treble, Mid, Bass, Volume at 5. (10 being max)
Select an amp model that you like. VAMP2 will automatically select a matching cabinet for you.
Now play this for a bout a minute. If you feel you need more "thickness" or "push" on the sound, go into edit mode by pressing the < and > buttons together, then press the B button (which controls DRIVE) and set the value to 1.
Now you will have a basic crunch tone.
REMEMBER: The VAMP2 is an AMP modeler. It doesnt model POST-production effects like parametric EQs and maximizers etc. Its a virtual amp.
Now if you're set with this basic tone. You can go an create specific patches for it:
For instance: Boost the Gain to 8, mid to about 8, add delay at 6, reverb at 4 -> This will work as a nice lead tone. Adjust the noise gate accordingly. If you want your lead tone to cut through, increase the presence by holding down the TAP button and moving the treble knob. This controls presence. If you want to be able to do smooth fast picking a la John Petrucci, try putting the presence on 0.

>How is the manual for it (if there is one)?
The manual has a lot of data and its only abput 20 pages. So you can go through it pretty fast.
In a nutshell:
Configuration mode: Press the B and D buttons together. In this mode you can adjust INPUT GAIN: Hold down the TAP button and move the Gain knob. This controls the input gain of your guitar signal. If you need more gain and are using weak pickups, put this to a higher value.

Edit mode; Press the < and > buttons together. In this mode, you can set: cabinets, noise gating, reverb type, and midi functionality.

>Do you know the firmware revision number? Has your unit been upgraded?
I bought a VAMP. I upgraded to a VAMP2 via 2-2-4 firmware upgrade. I burnt the EPROM myself lol! The upgrade is absolutely free

At this point, i highly recommend you join our VAMP2 users group on yahoo and also check out the amazing Korb's Vamp patches page.

# What setup (i.e. what guitars and amps) are you using this with?
I have about 7 different guitars:
Ibanez Xiphos with Dimarzio D Activators
Ibanez RG270 BloodlIne with Bill and Becky Lawrence L500R and L500 XLs (ultra cool pups)
Fender Standard White Stratocaster
Gibson Les Paul Custom Tobacco Sunburst
Ibanez JEM 77FP
Pluto Acoustic with EQ
True Tone - Reflective Insight Guitar

# Is it noisy? On what settings?
It's about as noisy as the pickups you sue. For instance, for years I used it with my RG that had standard Ibanez powersound pickups which are great but can be a bit noisy and muddy. Once I changed those to the L500s, voila, crystal clear with no noise even at massive stage volumes. Its all in your pickups and cables dude. The VAMP only throws out what you put into it :P

# Are the effects weak or do they always sound great?
The effects are really good. A real bonus. You get about 2 seconds of delay which is awesome. You should check out this youtube video of the VAMP2 delay in use. The guy uses it to play Judas Priest's dual guitar intro to Victim of Changes on his single strat. Search for expert villages tutorial on using guitar effects II: delay. The guy uses just a vamp2 and explains some radical concepts about using delay in music.
The other effects are very usable, the key is to dial them in right. Basically, use the tap button to change parameters for either effects and adjust them till you get it right.
The phasers, chorus, flangers, tremolo, are all good. Lush and full. Smooth and juicy.

# What amp are you using it with?
When i sue it at home, I usually use the AUX in of my Marshall MG15CD which has a great 8" marshall speaker. Its good for practice. I would also run my VAMP into my DAW and listen to it out the PC speakers or monitors. Sounds great through them as well. And of course through head[hones.
Live: I always go DIRECT into the Mixer with a flat EQ. Killer tone.
Go check out my videos on youtube. I've used the VAMP on almost all my live gigs with my band PRITHVI.

# Can you get the sound of your favorite artists? Who are they?
Pretty easily out the box. It depends actually. A lot of my favorite artists started using a lot of post-production EQ'ing etc later in their careers. However, here's some tips:


Steve Vai: Modern High Gain. Mid, Bass, treble, Gain: all at 7. Presence at 5. Delay at 5. Reverb at 4. DRIVE: ON
Cabinet: 12

Megadeth (Rust in Peace Era):
Dave's rhythm: Custom Hi Gain, Bass, Mid at 3, Treble at 9, gain at 5. DRIVE: ON
Marty Solo: Custom Hi Gain, Bass: 7, Mid: 8, Treble: 5, Gain: 7 or 8, DRIVE: ON
Cabinet: 10

Van Halen (VH1, VHII): Just use Preset 2B. Its dead on.

To get a great SRV tone, Use the JCM 800 model with DRIVE ON and gain on 4 or 5 and Bass: 7, Mid: 5, Treble: 6. For leads boost the Mids and gain.

I'll be putting up a new patch page soon with loads of artist patches. Check out Korb's page for more.

# Are certain effects (distortion, chorus, ...) very good? Very bad?
LOL
Nothing bad in this. The effects are not exactly lexicon quality but then theyre not needed for what its meant for. Theyre super-usable.
Check out Gary Schult on Youtube for more info.

# Can you depend on it?
YUP. Used in over 60 gigs. Never broke down.

# Would you use it on a gig without a backup?
YUP. have done so many times. Though unless you're playing on a desert island, there's every chance there's an amp lying around somewhere. lol

At this point i would like to point out that due to its plastic body, the buttons are quite sensitive so you really need to keep it AWAY FROM DUST when you're not using it.

# If you've dealt with the company, how helpful/friendly were they?
Free upgrades. Customer execs on forums. etc. Its all good.
With the VAMP community, you'll never need customer support.

# Ever get an upgrade, or try and get it repaired?
I got some knobs replaced on my own. Its fun. You can get your won knobs like skull shaped ones or maybe door knob style..god you can really get creative. That's the bets part. Try doing that on other processors! Its quite Customizable.

# What style of music do you play? Is this a good match?
Its a very versatile unit. Think of it this way:
If you think of guitar music of the last century, this here blue jewel has it in it. You just have to move those knobs and search them amps/cabs.

# How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?
I've been playing for 12 years.
I have a lot of nice gear:
Guitars mentioned before,
Line 6 Spider III 75
Marshall MG15CD
Boss ME8
Zoom 505II
Stranger DA1 Distortion
Presonus Firebox
Simulanalog Guitar Suite

# If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?
I would probably get another. I just like it more than anything else.

# what do you love about it? What do you hate? What is your favorite feature?
I like the fact that it FEELS great to play. I love the responsiveness. The FEEL is very sweet. I love its compactness and ruggedness. Its userfriendliness. When i use it, I end up player 10 times more tahn i would with anything else. It makes me a born again- guitar addict every time. I lose sleep...

I hate the fact its hard to get them here in India. Plus, I wish the body was made of cast iron so it would last forever!

My favorite feature is the AMPs and Cabs. They're gorgeous.

# Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?
I've played every processor and amp out there.
Theyre all nice in their own way. I just prefer this one for its character. Its unique. I've played PODs etc. Theyre nice for sure, I just like the sound of the VAMP over them. Its my personal preference.

# Anything you wish it had?
Umm:
1. A harmonizer!
2. Stompbox, wah modelling in front of the AMPS.
3. Compressor in front of the amps
I'm currently using my ME8 as a pedal board in front of the "virtual" amp: VAMP. Its working out excellent.
Since I already have all these on the ME8, I'm not really bothered.

# Does it help you make music, or does it get in the way?
It does. Big time. I have written most of my best songs on a VAMP. It also makes me wanna play guitar 24 - 7. If i didnt have to go to work and do chores, I'd prolly be jamming away on the blue jewel.

# Anything else you'd like to share?
Thanks for reading my review. I'd be more than happy to help you with anything. Contact me of you like. I'm on myspace as well so go ahead and check me out. /arjunkaul
Take care and peace and love to you!

I wanted to write this review to thank that "James Acker" guy who reviewed this product on here (3 years ago). Your battery suggestion (below) just brought my V-Amp 2 back to life. So where ever you are... THANKS!!!

On to the review!

Very easy to use. Never used any editing patches. Bought it used... no manual, don't need one. You can download the software and user manual for free online, but I've never needed it.

I'd highly recommend this before buying one of those way over-priced Line 6 things (that do the exact same thing). For the value, it's unbelievably cheap ($99 new). Why not have one of these lying around? Cheaper than most stomp boxes.

I'm going to give it an 8 just because you really need a manual or something printed to find what preset number matches what sound (like 11 for Van Halen). But I rarely used the presets.

I mainly use a Fender Strat with humbuckers. I use the V-Amp when I want to get cool sounds at low volume, headphones, laptop recording. Works great, but I don't think I'd use it live.

You could use it live I suppose. I believe there are ready is some speaker emulation thing on it... so I don't know how that would sound through an amp & speakers. It could work though.

My fav artist isnt important. Whatever your looking for, I'm sure the V-Amp could get close.

O.k. As I mentioned before, this thing crapped out on me and I thought it was dead. It wasnt dead... just a simple watch battery replacement and a reset (thanks again James Acker, below).

Anyway... before I knew what the real problem was (I was in Afghanistan) I opened it up. From the conditions I was living in the thing was filled with dust. I blew all that out... still wouldnt work. Then I got mad and slammed it down a few times hoping that would fix it. Then I gave up on it and threw it in a junk box. It sat in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees for months. Then tonight I learned it was only the battery.

Sure it's in a cheap plastic shell, but considering how much unjustified abuse I put this thing through... and the fact that it now works perfect... that should say something about it's reliability.

Never had to use

What do you got to lose?

Like any multifx, especially at this price point, it could be easier and the manual COULD be better. But it's super easy to get started and the interface is straightforward. Wish it had an on/off switch, but for a hundred bucks, including bag and foot pedal, this is pretty hard to beat.

I'm giving this a 9 based on it's VALUE for the buck.

People who trash this unit are clueless.

I spent many years on the road as a pro player and have a great live rig, guitars and more boutique pedals than I have room for on my pedal board. (e.g., Hotcake, Eventide, Cusack Music, Barber, etc., etc.). Anyone who expects this little powerhouse to compete head to head with "real gear" tone is beyond naive.

It will NEVER sound like a Plexi or AC30 or whatever rig you love.

It's not a high end modeling unit for recording, though I'd imagine it makes pretty passable demos in garage band.

What it is AMAZING for, are three types of players.
1) Students trying to learn how to use effects and wanting to experiment with many different sounds easily and on a budget
2) Occasional Hobby players who just want to hook something into a cheap amp or stereo and a sound pretty impressive
3) Semi-pro and Pro players who want something portable for practicing and hooking up an ipod to.

For these, this unit is amazing. Other players would dig it too. But there are comparable units (pod, vox) with different capabilities that may be more appropriate...but MORE MONEY.

The layout is smart. The ability to turn up an aux input is inspired. The tap tempo and tuner are helpful. Etc. It's a long way from perfect. But it's a less than the cost of most effects pedals and exponentially more versatile.

And the sounds? Yes, they're a bit digital. Yes, every preset isn't great and there are some volume issues across the presets that could have easily been smoothed out. It's not dead silent. The trem could be better. The wah is useless. Chorus, flange and phaser are so-so. But all in all, it sounds GREAT for what it was generally meant for...Practicing and perhaps some home demo's.

I wouldn't gig with it. It's plastic, not a pro piece of gear, though it can sound fairly pro. Don't know how long it will hold up, but I'd expect fairly well with normal semi-careful use.

have never dealt with Behringer.

If you're a budding player, buy this...yesterday.

For the money, it's a better value than the POD or pocket POD. Spend the extra bucks elsewhere. Over the years you'll buy LOTS of gear if you're like most players. Assuming it holds up, this is a unit that will remain in your arsenal, but take on different roles as you progress. It'll start out your main rig, making you sound more pro than you are through a cheap amp or some kid who's daddy bought him an expensive amp but no effects. Then it'll become the thing you play with headphones so you don't bug anyone. Etc. Etc. On down the line until it's like Woody from Toy Story. Old and worn but with too many memories to chuck it.

For me, it's what I'll throw in a dufflebag and use when I travel or when I don't feel like dealing with the hassle and volume of my amps. It won't ever replace tube satuated bliss. But it'll help any player built their chops and hone in on what tone they like, so that when they drop real $, they do it smartly. Nothing sadder than somebody throwing down heavy cash on the wrong kind of amp, then being forever frustrated that they can't get the tone they want.

The only similarly good value I can think of for the beginning player or hobbyist is the new Fender XD. Don't know how they'd sound together.

My guess is that more inspiration and songs come from units like the V-amp, pod etc. than any pedal/amp set up out there. Only the plain ol' acoustic guitar probably trumps these in the writing category.

Three thumbs up.

Very easy to use. Anyone with basic knowledge of guitar effects processors can use this. Otherwise, the thorough instruction manual included should help. Patch editing and saving is fairly easy too.

With a decent set of studio headphones it sounds really good (I use Audio Technica ATH-M40S 'phones). For the price (mine was ??67) it's an absolute steal. I had a Line 6 Pocket Pod prior to this, and while it sounded pretty good, it was really fiddly and hard to edit without a computer. This unit sounds better in my opinion, the high gain stuff is on par with the Pocket Pod and the clean and crunch sounds are better (to my ears anyway). It also has a more natural 'feel'. Don't know why as it's digital. The effects are good too. Not as good as some processors (I have NI Guitar Rig 2 and 3, a Line 6 Toneport with Gearbox, IK Amplitube 2, Metal and Jimi Hendrix and Revalver 2 and 3 demos and the effects on all of them sound cleaner). But the effects are on the V-amp are very good. The reverbs in particular surprised me. They can be selected independently from the other effects. Reverb #4 is my favourite; it sounds like a long delay but without the repeats. Sounds gorgeous with an acoustic plugged into it and the preamp bypassed. As far as amp models go, they're on par with Line 6's. The other software I have has models that sound cleaner and more detailed, although their simulated speaker cabinet response is much better, as the software is much newer.
However, I record with the V-amp as it's much easier to use. I'd rather tweak the V-amp than try and tweak a program clicking a mouse.

It hasn't died yet and I've had it 8 months.

I've never had to contact Behringer.

This is a really good unit that is excellent value for money. I hope they update it in a couple of years and refine the amp models and effects. The V-amp 2 is really quite old compared to the newer processors. I'd buy a V-amp 3 without a doubt.

Any questions, email me. I'll happily provide soundclips too.

I use this as my practice amp. It's pretty plain and simple, to get to the different amp settings (17-32) just hold the tap and twist the knob. All things can be learned through just reading the manuel.

Compared to the pod xt, it would be a 10 imo. But in general its just an 8;average. I play tech death metal, and I mainly use the modern high gain amp, and I can get a great death metal tone. The cleans are pretty decent for the most part. The fx are good as well, kind of the basic stuff though.

it's has been fine so far, but keep in mind it is made of plastic.

If you are a death metal person and are confused to what home recording/practice amp to get, the v-amp is your best route or the pod 2.0. The pod xt is just too fuzzy and every tone you use with distortion/compresssion is going to come out muddy, unless you spend hours(im not lying) ****ing with the parameters and placeing effects in your amp settings ect. ect. ect. Plus it only costs 100 bucks you can't really lose. Also, if you are still unsure, look up matt soleto of decrepit birth on youtube of him playing along with his songs. All done with the v-amp 2.

i've owned this for 3 or 4 years now. in the beginning, all i had was a soild state that i thought was silly, and i was able to coax some really nice sounds that could make my solid state sound less silly.
that's the thing...this thing is very tweakable, if you like that. like me.
some presets were not accurate.
so you must be patient to get the accurate sound, but once you figure out how to use it, there's a lot you can do. the manual is pretty good at telling you what you get.

in the beginning, i used this with a peavey solid state and got good sounds.
i enjoyed the andy summers-like preset, but had no presence so i had to adjust the drive, found that the srv was pretty harsh in the highs so i had to adjust the treble, but other than that sounded great. i'm a huge vox fan, so i loved it in the beginning because i thought the vox sounds were good. now i have an ac15 with an ef86 channel and i think the vox on the behringer will just not do. i love the chieftain, but found that the modern class A is in now way a sound like a matchless. blackface twin and fender champ settings are good, as are the soldano-ish and jtm 45 sounds. jcm800-ish sound was not too bad either, and if i were in a mood to play van halen (like when i use the "eruption" setting for ain't talking 'bout love with my gibson les paul!) i don't think i've ever done any tweaking. the worst of the tone bank presets, to me, is the factory setting for "streets", which is A1. the amp setting, cab, delay, feedback, and reverb are all wrong, and you have to tweak it to get the right sound. i find that the roland jc-120 setting had been a better amp for this, and even using the presence feature (tap button + treble) along with this amp, made the jc-120 sound a little tubey, like the roland bolt60's (remember those?).
in fact, the jc-120 (80's clean) sound is the best sound on this, but again, you have to increase the drive to 1.

currently i am only using this at home. with my solid state amp, which i now realize has a pretty good solid state clean, i use the amp settings, but with my vox, i am only using the digital effects.

like i've said, i used this in the past with a les paul or a dot into a solid state, but currently after having put it aside for almost a year, i took it out again and realize i like the digital delay, and have actually used it for noodling around at home, and currently the setup has been strat into vamp, delay setting (long delay with feedback at 4-6 repeats, tempo 132) reverb at 2.5 - 3, into vox.

right now, i haven't the time to sit with this thing and try to remember everything i've known thing to do. one is enough for now.

a couple of times it went bizarro world on me and shorted out or something because i lost presets and got crap sounds that weren't even preprogrammed. i don't even know where they came from.
but i restored the factory presets and everything was ok. if you leave it unplugged for a while, you'll lose your presets.

i play different kinds of music, and honestly i haven't taken the time to see what this thing can do. i mean i may have at one time, but since upgrading my gear, i don't do much with this anymore.
been playing off and on for about 16 years.
i have a gibson les paul custom, a dot, and a 62 strat. i play through a vox ac15 and a valve jr with mullards through a divided by 13 cab fitted with a g12h heritage series speaker. i also have cute little vox da5 for practice, which also has a good delay feature and some nice fenderish sounds and passble, though still voxy marshall-ish sounds. i use a fulldrive mosfet, an old dunlop wah, sometimes that fender deluxe boss pedal, and sometimes an old turbo overdrive to color my sound. lately i've used the behringer vamp2 for it's delay setting only.
what i love about this is the jc120 setting.
what i love about this is the tweakability.
what i hate about this is the tweakability.

I've used this for 3 or 4 years live. My environment was not amp friendly so this is what I've used up until I needed to play acoustic and electric. Doesn't work for acoustic well and I'm trying to limit my baggage, I just bought a digitech GSP1101 and the jury is still out.

Ease of use: It depends, its easy to access the necessary areas (volume, EQ, patch switching (5 at a time from the included footswitch), you need to manualy push a button up or down to change banks to get the next set of 5 patches (5x25=125). I have 5 sounds that I switch between.

If you want to customize the effects you need the software. Which I got to work after buying a $35 midi to usb cable. It gave my xp fits so I would install it and then uninstall it. I would not recommend spinning the effects selector. Case in point, factory reset the whole unit before you settle in with it. If you are down the road go to bank 1C and reset that patch. Now listen close and play, you hear compressor, Chorus and Delay. Spin the effects dial and then return to that point, the delay is now gone and you can't get all 3 back unless a) you don't save the patch, b)factory reset, c) software. You can switch anything else all day long no problems getting back or if you only want 2 effects. I would simply switch patches and then try different amp models.

I just run this straight into the board with a behringer di. Can be somewhat noisy at times especially with a cheap cable. Buy a good cable. Isn't that why we play guitar, to make some noise? Don't run this unit into the preamp section of your guitar amp. It will sound bad. Run it into your stereo or headphones or mixer board or the "power amp in" on you guitar amp and it will sound great (for digital). For $99 unbeatable. If you are search for a tone that defines you, this isn't it. If you are looking for inexpensive versatility with descent tone this works great.
I play a strat and prefer the compliments of the fender amp models: 65 Black Twin (SRV),57 Deluxe Tweed Combo (Jeff Beck blow by blow), and the Bassman. Not perfect but hey to buy all those amps? I also switch to the vox ac30(not the treble boost version). I'm going to give this a 10 based on digital unit that sounds similar, not exact, to thousands of dollars of gear.

Only failed me once, at home fortunately. Back of cover says "do not remove bottom cover no user serviceable parts". There is a lithium battery inside. If you unit ever starts sounding different then the day before without explaination then this is it. I serviced it myself and I'm still alive. Used it for 4 year with much satisfaction. I'm older and play in a worship band. If I was younger playing near a mosh pit it might not do so well with sudden impact.
I've used without a backup for years. Although, since worship can be anything you create it is not necessary to be identical to the last time you played the song. Tthere are 2 keyboardist and a piano player that can cover the cords if the v-amp were ever to go on the fritz. If I got paid and it was crucial I would consider a backup.

It seems like I tried emailing them for some reason, can't remember what. No reply.

We play worship music, anything from modern, to latin, to swing, to jazz, to hymns. We have a very skilled pianist from motown. Included: Lakewood, Hillsong, Tomlin, Baloche, Gungor. I've been playing off and on for since I was 19 so I guess around 27 years or so. If I didn't just buy the digitech GSP1101, (which is highly customizable from the unit without software and sounds great but $500), I would replace it in a heartbeat. I like the aux in so I can run an mp3 player into it and blend the guitar. I don't like the shape so much for cabling. Tones of tone in a compact unit. This seems as rich to me as the GSP1101 and seems warmer then the pod. 24 bit is nice. I wish it could handle acoustics better. If you can't use an amp for whatever reason. Buy this unit.

To get the full effect of it, you need to read and re-read that manual to get the best tone off this. The manual sucked. Could be a lot better... but just read on. Don't know the firmware version.. I wish it were easier to load the new one... haven't figured that one out yet (I have no MIDI cables or interface) I'd like to upgrade it and I know I can (sys file on the website). Date code is 05 05, I have no idea what the FW version is. Editing is very versatile.

I put this directly into a regular stereo with EQ options, 2 8 inch speakers. It's not noisy and needs NO extra noise gate. It seems people reviewing this are confused about how to use it. (When you switch from studio mode and live mode the gain control is the noise gate's first parameter, then use the two arrow buttons and click the E and set it from 1 - 15, third use the compressor and use the tap to edit the "presence" of the effect with the effect knob) Same goes with all the other effects with the tap key. This is all key to the sounds of the effects. They sound great if you tweak them. I use the Savage Beast, Modern Hi Gain, and the ultimate v-amp for metal. Once again: You really need to tweak the hell out of the settings for the amp presence, the cabinet, noise gate... MOST IMPORTANT: The distortion isn't weak... you need to up the DRIVE option to get some deep distortion.) For rock I use the Brit Class A, Custom Hi Gain, and classic clean and clean v-amp for clean setting. and the mighty American Blues and the tap on the same setting. I don't want the sound of my favorite artists... but I can get a great tone for Metallica, Slayer, Pantera, Death, October Tide, various doom bands. Not really a great tone for brutal brutal metal. The reverb is nice on 2 or 3. Good for recording and jamming.

This thing is cheap plastic... so i'd be careful with it. Behringer is notorious for bad dependablity - considering the plastic use. But I think this is what makes the price really reasonable. I wouldn't use it at a gig laying on the floor. A heavy step could break this little killer tone master.

Never had to.

Play: Metal, Rock, Blues... good for just about everything but the really brutal metal. I'd replace it in a heartbeat... this thing is my favorite guitar accessory ever. I wish is had a 10+ band EQ and a better amp for EXTREMELY heavy stuff, and an On/off switch

Im using a LTD ex-400 ( explorer model with EMG 81/60 active pickups)

Im playing in my bedroom and use the v-amp 2 with headphones ( sony MDR-200 ( a pair of 30-40 $ headphones )


thats all .

Its easy to use , just plug and turn the knob , you can choose out of many amp . hold the tab while turning for the second parameter and presence . its very compact and doesnt take place .

Ive never edit any patches , i just want to plug the guitar and play and get hi-gain , and nice clean . well the v-amp2 does that very well . basically , its bedroom use . its a toy with awesome sound .

Im mostly into metal , grunge , alternative so my review is base on that .

The unit sound very great , the rectifier head , the ultimate-vamp settings and a couple more give solid distortion with emg81/60 , specially playing in dropped tuning ( D or C ) ,

Its noisy if you have cheap guitar and pickup , i had a cheaper LTD ex-50 before and sound like crap . everything was noisy i couldnt heard what i was playing ( the change of strings ) . its better with emg 81 .

The only thing i complain is the palm muting ( but its probably the emg-81 , it give weird palm muting , im sure it would sound great with good passive pickup like seymour duncan sh-4 and a fat strat ). but dont let this remark change your mind about buying . its ahard to have punkrock palm muting with the emg-81 , this pickup is great but not for everything IMO . ill try it with a seymour duncan passive humbucker and write another review .


otherwise , the unit is very great for a bedroom use . its a toy made of plastic but it sound great . i wouldnt take that on tour on recording , its not a serious amp , its a bedroom toy .


ive never plug it to my computer , so i cant tell about midi stuff and everything .

Its better than the Line6 spider 2 i had before , im glad i sold it for a 80 $ behringer v-amp2 .

So for the price , you cant go wrong . through headphone , it sound fantastic , ive never try it with speakers cabinet or through a amp . i use it as a stand alone unit . i even bet it would sound better headphones . while playing through headphones , the cabinet selection is disabled i think but its no big thing , it sound nice .


Overall 10/10 for a unit under 100 $ . its really inspiring ( yes theres great sound in the hi-gain section , maybe not a tube amp , but really close to some artist like seether , nirvana , three days grace etc..., easy of use and get nice distortion . theres 4 type of clean and they sound crystal clean .

so if your a bedroom player who want a easy of use amp that take no place , give great sound and various amp and effect , get a v-amp2 .


sorry its a bedroom player level review . but its great . i would defenatly buy another anytime . the best amp ive had so far and perfect for what i used it .

Better than the fender frontman 15 , line 6 spider 2 amp ive had in my life .

Mine was bought off ebay used and work really well . never had problem with it . its made of plastic and look kinda cheap toy .

its realiable but wouldnt drop it on purpose .

Never had to deal with it .

for bedroom playing , late jam through heapdhone , its fantastic .

Just read the manual. The product is deep, but the knobs help, and it is pretty simple to use in the heat of battle if you understand how to read.

This has lots of great sounds. I have mainly used the Blackface model, as it sounds the most organic to me.

The plastic seems sturdy, and the knobs are encoders, not mechanical (except for master volume). The fewer moving parts the better.

I play the blues. I like to ride my volume knob to change sounds, and this gives me more headroom to do so.

I just got the VAMP-2 a couple of weeks ago, and I am very pleased. I took it to the local blues jam tonite, plugged into the fx loop of my Behringer GM-110 amp (on mode L1). I used the blackface model, and when necessary boosted the signal with the Behringer PB-100 booster in front of the VAMP. It sounded killer. I am so pleased that I can get such a good sound with such inexpensive, high quality gear.

Very self-explanatory! You have to be dumb to not be able to figure it out. The onlt thing kinda difficult would be MIDI if you don't have training or prior experience with running MIDI.

I think the secondary parameters have better tones than the first. Effects are very clean and adjustable. (Speed, depth and rate adjustments)

Never had a problem...... And I've owned mine for over 2 years.

? Never had to call

I'd buy another if I had to. I recommend it and have had 4 friends of mine buy it as well because of the impression it's made when they heard it.

With the Behringer V-Amp 2, it's fairly easy to get a good sound out of it without reading the manual. However, after reading the extensive manual, it will become second nature. The manual has everything you could possibly need to know, and editing patches is a snap. It is kind of a 'geek' processor, meaning that there is a bit of a steep curve at first, so newbies will find themselves overwhelmed.

Two words for you: holy crap.

Considering that this unit costs only $100, a mere fraction of the competition, I was of course skeptical. I figured I could get a fairly decent sound to get me by, but I had no idea what this sucker could do. Now, I'm using this in my home studio so I could plug directly into my computer without the need for an amp. I'm not trying to get my favorite artist's sound; I'm using this so I can get MY sound without an amp.

Before I got the V-Amp 2, I wasn't 100% sure what "my sound" was. Folks, I believe I have found it. I use this with a modified B.C. Rich Bich Platinum Series with Seymour Duncan pickups (read my review elsewhere on this site). Whatever my evil little heart desires, I can pull from this unit. You want a slightly overdriven bluesy sound? The V-Amp will give it to you. You want face-melting metal distortion that still has note clarity? Just ask and you shall get it. The modulation, delay, and reverb effects are everything you could possibly ask for, too. It'll take me years just to see what this little marvel can do.

Honestly, I'm actually using my second V-Amp 2 because the input jack on my first one failed me after only a couple of days. Thankfully, it was still under Musician's Friend's warranty, so it was nothing to send it back for a new one. Just a pain in the a$$ to have to wait. The second one is treating me pretty well, though, but I'm being extra gentle with it.

Frankly, I wouldn't use it for a gig at all, but then again, I wasn't planning to. If you want to gig with the V-Amp 2, you're better off either getting the V-Amp Pro rack unit or even the V-Ampire, which is essentially an amplifier with the V-Amp 2's brain (I plan to do the latter, actually).

Behringer was very helpful with any questions that I had, usually responding to my emails within 24 hours. When I approached them about my input jack problems, they essentially told me to ship it back and get a new one, which is exactly what I did.

GET THE WARRANTY!

I am in an experimental metal band, so I need to have a versatile amp modeler. The Behringer V-Amp 2 delivered what I needed in spades. I've been playing for 16 years and have used many different amps and effects units, including a Korg AX-3000G, which I still kinda miss like an old girlfriend even though I'm now happily married to my Behringer. I've also used Crate and Peavey amplifiers, which I'm turning my back on when I get the Behringer V-Ampire head and an Ultrastack cabinet.

When shopping around, I was flip-flopping on the V-Amp 2 or a Line 6 Pod XT. When I got a gift certificate to Musician's Friend which put the V-Amp 2 within my price range, I went to that and I'm so glad I did. This has everything I can possibly want and at $100, I'd feel like a greedy little b!tch if I were to ask for anything more. I DO wish it were sturdier, though.

If it were lost and stolen, I'd just get a new one no sweat. Not before putting a curse on the soul of the ba$tard who stole it, though.

Very easy to setup, i got a good sound out of it after a bit

i got a few guitars with good pickups and the Ultimate V Amp settings r rubbish, i found the best tone 4 metal is surprisingly the Numetal Head despite not liking nu metal and playing death metal. i bought this 4 uni so i dont have 2 take my pedals and amp (boss metal zone and other various things) and using the Numetal head amp i can get a tone as full as the metal zone. clean tones and effects r very nice.

pedal tht came with it is very sturdy, annoyingly when changin between presets theres a delay before the preset takes effect.

never dealt with them

good enuff for uni, 4 me it wasn't bought as my only effects processor as i have my proper setup. but it could take tht place but switchin live between clean and distortion would b an issue cos of the delay.

I LOVE THE PRESETS OF SMOLSKI AND BEYRODT.

EXCELLENT. THE V-AMP 2 SOUNDS EQUAL TO POD 2 FOR ME. THE PRICE IS VERY LITTLE FOR THIS BEAST.

This thing is pretty easy to use, i dont think ive even looked at the manual yet.
I have used this on almost every song i have recorded and released with my band in the last 2 years, i have also used this thing a few times on stage connected to a direct box for a good live sound with no problems at all.

This box sounds pretty good, some of the effects are quite useable such as the tremelo and delays although i wish there was a little more control one could have over effect parameters, maybe its possible but im just too lazy to open the manual and have a look.

its made of plastic so its not really that roadworthy, i have used it live without a backup

It hasnt broken yet but if it did id probably just throw it away without even checking if it could be repaired, its probably better and cheaper to just buy a new one.

When i bought this i really wanted one of those Line6 Pod thingies but i was broke at the time and this one was much cheaper, i use this thing mostly in my bands recording studio, i have recorded guitars, basses, harmonicas and even vocals through it and the results have been just fine, sure, i wish the effects section were a bit more advanced but for this kind of money i would say this is a real bargain.

It's very easy to get nice sounds, especialy distorted sounds.
Also very intuitive editing. Nice and clear manual.
I bought it 3-4 years ago, never upgraded the software.

Very easy to get Steve Vai, Queen, Van Halen, blues sounds. I think some sounds are unatural, but maybe occured after my unit was fixed ( i broke once ). I think some sounds are not as they were. I have to check that out but i'm vary lazy.
The effects are nice, mostly delays and echos. Others are ok. Auto Wah and Phaser not so good.

I think you can trust the unit. It's made of plastic, but look strong enough to get some abuse.
Better to bring a backup, it's so cheap.

Very friendly and helpful guys. Always answer very fast!

I mostly play from clean, almos jazzy, to metal stuff, depends on the music. I've been playing for almost 30 years now, and i have one Yamaha Pacifica modified and a Steinberger GL4T. Some acustics guitars too.
I would surely buy another v-amp, so easy to find sounds and very cheap.
I love the speed to mount it ( like 5 min ) and the sounds/flexibility at home, stage.
I hate Auto wah and Phaser, can't use them, and also no switch to turn it on.
I wish guys at Behringer could put nice effects, balance volume and delay from amps, which is annoying sometimes.
It helped me A LOT to practice and record.
Please listen the record i recorded some solos, EXCLUSIVELY using v-amp2 : http://musea.musearecords.com/ext_re_new_catselect.php?np=34170

Read the manual and you shouldn't have a problem using this. It is somewhat cumbersome, however, and takes some getting used to. The "tap" button seems to have been a bad idea overall; would have preferred a more regular dial for tempo features. Can be difficult to get a good sound out of.

I mainly play metal and bought this for practice and recording, mainly the latter. In both cases, I find the high gain amps are quite muddy, even with bright guitars (a Squier Telecaster!), and the only way I've been able to cure this is to put a Zoom Powerdrive before the unit, to boost the highs going in. Clears it right up, effectively, and keeps my ESP LTD EC-100 from being ruined.

For practice, this thing is exceptional, no doubt. I would buy this over a practice amp any day, especially considering they're about the same price. So many combinations of sounds that you can tweak this to suit even a very specific pair of headphones. Hook it up to a decent pair of PC speakers and you've already got way more than what you paid for. It's a good ear trainer, too. I wish I would've had this when I started out.

Recording is another story... I've been going at it for quite a few months now and have not found the right sound. Only about half the high gain amps have usable sounds, notably the Dual Rectifier, Savage Beast, and Brit High Gain. The others are either overdone, fizzy, or lack punch compared to these ones. Then there's the cab sims... oh boy. These things are very hard to judge, because they're quite misleading and not balanced too welI. The 4x12 cabs, especially the default (15), are pretty weak and brittle and require a definite volume boost over the others to have any effect at all. They also respond very poorly to post-recording EQ. Again, only about half the cabs you can really use; I'd say 3, 7, 10, 12, 15. Make that a third, plus dependency on amp types.

I've tried to use this for band practice with a tube amp (vamp into effects loop, no cab sim) and found it was totally impossible. The thing emitted a high-pitched squeal at every end of note. The noise suppressor did not help, nor did any of the settings on the unit. Perhaps a boss NS-2 before the unit might have helped, but in any case the high-gain amps sounded way too harsh and ended up having the same characteristics at high volumes. Not for high volumes in general.

Despite these two paragraphs, there is lots to love about the unit. The dedicated Reverb and Presence controls and a true blessing; can no longer live without and essential for recording. I don't use the effects much, but the delay is absolutely beautiful. Although only a fraction of them sound good, the sheer amount of combinations of effects/amps/cab sims you can pull off with this could keep you entertained for years.

Things it could have used:
-parametric EQ as global EQ (the global EQ is good only for practice/rehearsal as it is)
-presence control on global EQ
-decent noise gate and compression (compression should have been a separate effect, too)

Thing seems pretty shaky, sometimes makes crackling noises. But, it's held up so far.

Excellent unit FOR THE PRICE. Would never rely on for shows/rehearsal, and will probably not give you the exact recording sound you're after, but excellent for practice and getting a general feel for different amps. There are so many ways that you can incorporate this into your setup that you're bound to always find some use for it, whether it be a simple effects processor or full-fledged combo simulation. It's a master of nothing, but a good general help, as long as you don't expect the very, very best.

if you don't get this unit, then you're done! :P

i most certainly can get the sounds from my favourite artist out of this thing! i have played both line6 (even the pro version, THAT thing really disapponted me!) and the v-amp, and the v-amp blows the pod right out of the water, especially on the clean sounds! the only thing that bothers me with this kind of digital guitar-thing, is that the tone never fades out realistically, the noise gate drowns out that sweet, almost feedback-tone you get from real amp. but hey, that's just pickin'! lol

i use this in a recording enviroment, tried it live once, and it worked great there too.

i hear alot of people don't like the distortion-sounds from this thing, but i have to disagree! the dist sounds are killer, if you know have to dial them in. the clue is not the crank the distortion-knob all the way to 10. the way i do it is, i use the drive-function, set the distortion to around 5, and roll of alot of bass (as low as 2) many don't believe that it is behringer-distortion on my recordings! :) and remember, alot of the sound is in your picking-hand, it doesn't matter if the sounds are pristine unless you play loose and "jazzy"! play it like you mean it!

had it for 3 years, used it almost every day. never broke down on me once! that says alot...!!

never had to use them... :)

there is no better product than this if you're looking for a multi-thingy. it beats the crap out of line6, thats for sure. i can recommend this thing forever! the only thing, as i have seen others have mentioned, for recording, the effects don't quite measure up, but thats what plug-ins are for, right?

Pretty easy to get started but I highly recommend reading the manual. There are a lot of multi-function buttons and its not always clear as to how you access parameters just by looking at it. Having the midi/pc software for edits and backup is nice.

I use it for all kinds of sounds, even as an acoustic pre-amp. I'm using it with various guitars including a Yamaha RGX-TT and Washburn 7-strng. I use it direct for recording and also with a Mosvalve power amp or a Fender Deluxe 112 solid state.
To start with I was kinda so-so on this thing. But then I read the manual. VERY IMPORTANT- 1. Learn how to engage the "DRIVE" setting. This is basically a boost pedal function. Yes, it will be louder but more important it makes every sound (clean, distortion or otherwise) punchy and present. If you think your V-Amp recorded tones are wimpy this gives you more of that "speakers moving air" whoomp. 2. CHANGE THE SPEAKER MODELS. Each amp sim has a default speaker cab. Usually these are ok live but not the best studio choice. For example, the recto model has a 4x12 cab. Ok, but who mics all 4 speakers when they record (or live for that matter). I found the 4x12 to be kinda mushy and gray sounding. I changed it to one of the 1x12 models and it's awesome. Very clear and full. So take the time with these tweaks and you'll get some very usable sounds. Just keep tweaking. The wah isn't great but it's very usable if you have a controller like the FC1010. My only gripes are that there seems to be a "fizz" as the noise gate closes and patch changes between setting with different pre amp models are not seamless (if the models are the same then it is seamless). So far it hasn't been a problem, just an annoyance.

I've had it problem free for about a year and a half. It is my backup for live playing (I use a Digitech 2120/Mosvalve setup live) with my progmetal band Strange Land (www.strange-land.net). I use it with my blues band with just my amps built in distortion as backup. It's not as flexible or powerful as the 2120 but its as compact as a few stomp boxes for my blues gigs. Its plastic, don't throw it across the room.

Haven't dealt with them in this or any other stuff (I also have an FC1010 foot controller and a Mixer)

I play Prog metal, Satriani-esque instrumental rock, blues, jazz, acoustic. Its a great affordable way to record direct, especially if noise is a concern. It also plays well live if you need more than a few stomp boxes or if you're going direct to a PA. I can get almost all of the sounds I need out of it. The only thing I can't get are pitch shift/harmonizer/whammy sounds (which I need with the prog band). My dream gear would be a 2120 with a good built in amp/speaker sim. Overall its a handy compact toolbox to have around. Its nice to fire up my computer, plug in and go when I'm feeling creative. Try it on vocals, bass and other instruments, too. I also use the Amplitube plug in, which I like, but its a big drain on my computer power. I would likely buy another one if lost or stolen (I'm hoping for a next gen V-Amp soon)

Since it seems they have removed contact info (otherwise I would have emailed this) I thought to reach out to DAZZA... if you had read further down on the reviews here, I mention in my review (James Acker) that the problem you are experiencing is simply the backup battery worn down. You can search for my review where I describe how to repair it (takes all of about 10 minutes, one screwdriver, and you have to have the battery already...one of those flat "pankake" batteries, Lithium CR2032 3v batteries. They are sold all over, easy to find) Take out the screws on the back, carefully lift the cover and find the battery up on the top there. Carefully (EXTRA careful) remove it, replace it, button it up...good to go.

The problem seems to be when you have changed patches on any of them and the battery goes. It can't remember it's settings but knows it is not "default". Temporarily you can make it go to default (see the manual) but this only "holds" until you power down/up again. After that it STILL thinks the patch has changed, and same problem.

Changing the battery will fix this, and costs all of about 2 bucks I think.

Good luck.

It's fairly easy to use. The LED's really help! But sometimes all the 2nd parameter things get a little hard to remember. I guess that's where the manual comes in.

OK, here is the downfall. I don't know if any longtime V-AMP owners have had this problem, but most of the time all of my patches now have this horible fuzz and low volume with a really bassey sound....YES ALL OF THEM! It doesn't matter if I wipe my sounds, and start again, it's full whacked! I do have to admit, that the sounds were half decent when I first got the unit. All the amp models are preset to certain cabinets. It's funny because if you try the other (non preset) cabinets to amp models, they don't sound that good. You could maybe only use 1-2 cabinets with a usable sound for each amp model. One more gripe (sorry for all the rambling), there is limited layering of effects. Now I understand you don't use phaser, compressor, delay and wah at once all the time, but it's nice to have that flexibility. I have owned a super cheap Zoom thing before, and even that had way better flexibility in the effects department.

Is it just me, or does everyone else's V-AMP work great at the start then go downhill! Firstly, it's very rare that my patches actually save when I turn the power off (yes, from the powerpoint first, then unplug the adaptor). Super frustrating, because I always have to dial them in again. Secondly, there is always some type of noise coming out of it, even if I have the noise gate full way up. Thirdly, all or most of the patches have a horible buzz going through it. And lastly, there is no on/off switch, what were they thinking? Maybe I bought a dud....I dunno!

I haven't tried to contact them. But one thing that is half decent, is that they have all the manuals readily available on the website.

I'm not very pleased with this unit. The only really great thing about it is that it comes with a bag and a small channel selector. Apart from that, this is a dog! If it were stolen, I wouldn't really care. I'm looking to sell it, hopefully I can get at least $100 AUS if I'm lucky. If you're looking for a similar (and cheap) option to this, get the POD 2.0.; It absolutely canes this in terms of sound. But I'm getting some cash flow soon, so I'll probably get a Tonelab SE or something like that.

The basic controls are easy and intuitive to use. The effects require some reading of the manual, but I found the explanations to be pretty straightforward. I didn't use the presets/banks much, but when I did, I found them a litle confusing. Using this thing manually like you would amp controls, its pretty simple.

I really liked the British Hi-Gain, BlackTwin, and JazzChorus sims. The chorus settings are decent, and the auto-wah great if you use it with the right distortion. I liked to use this direct (sounded great), and I thought it sounded good when plugged into my solid state amp (using the amp on a neutral setting).

Notice that I used past tense for some of my descriptions. I was a huge fan of this thing, it was perfect for my needs. But then I would occasionally get this horrible squealing tone that did not change from setting to setting. Rebooting the V-AMP would make this noise go away. This was after I had it for about 6 months. About a year after I had it, the horrible sound became permanent, and I haven't used it since. I would not use this thing in a gig without a backup, no way.

I didn't deal with customer support. When the unit failed, the warranty was up, and its so cheap that buying a new one was a better option than trying to get it fixed.

I play blues/Classic Rock. I have been playing guitar for 23 years. I own a Telecaster and a Les Paul. I have considered getting a new one, but the unreliability of my first one prevents me from pulling the trigger on another one. I loved everything about it when it was working. It certainly helped me make music; I was able to get a lot of great sounds from this thing, and found it very easy to tweak for just the right sound.

Minimal tweaking needed for decent tone. Editing is simple. No idea how to upgrade to new firmware.

Amp models sound great. Effects leave something to be desired.

AC adapter is not reliable. Unit tends to become very hot upon extended use (eg., teaching for 7 straight hours). Some software glitches.

Good basic unit for the price.

It took me a day to get used to it, was confused at first, not much experience with these types of gadgets, but quickly adapted and its not bad at all.

This box can take you on a historical journey of all the legendary rock heroes & amp sounds of the past, it's really an amazing piece of equipment.

It's all in here, and I mean ALL! Fender, Marshall, Mesa, Soldano, even the "boutique" amps like Matchless, Budda, and some I've never even heard of. Some of it sounds so good, I can almost "taste" the tone. If you play guitar, you probably understand what I mean by that. Some of the tube emulations are so sweet it almost brings tears to my eyes!

After using this for a day, I can honestly say that I don't understand why anybody would ever buy a "stand alone" stomp box, where you're getting maybe one or two particular amp settings or fx, when you can get this thing that has 32 very realistic amps and tons of cool fx settings for the same price of 1 stomp box!

Well, if you don't go out in your backyard and play football with it, I'd imagine it will be fine.

Yeah, it has a plastic case, but it pretty solidly built, I would not characterize it as "flimsy". It also has a really nice carrying case.

As far as gigging without backup, I'd always have a backup for anything. For this price, I'd carry two around.

I mostly play tele's and my Squier '51 through it, they sound great.

I play blues & classic rock.

If it had a drum machine, I'd marry it!

Do yourself a favor and try out one of these things, it's hard to believe how great it is for this price, or any price.

If you can't find a ton of tones that you enjoy in this, you should not be playing guitar.

Basically very easy to use, considering how much is jammed into this little box.
Open the manual and you're up and running in 10 minutes.
Editing, saving, copying is also super easy.

This is a cheap little plastic box. For that, it's amazing, period. You have believable simulations of lots of different amps and cabinets plus a basic supply of effects in an extremely portable small shell. Of course, a tube amp will always sound better - digital emulation sounds flat and artificial compared to the real thing, and you always have to fight with latency because of the digital conversion. Having said that, this little thing kicks the asses of many of its much more expensive colleagues, and in the wide array of preamp and cabinet possibilities everyone can find satisfying sounds. It is a perfect tool for quick recording and for gigging with public transport.

The pre-fx and distortions are good and definitely usable, even for professional studio productions if you're not Testament or Deep Purple. The problem starts when the tempo climbs beyond the standard metronome, where the inherent latency becomes destructive to your timing. Also, very dynamic music loses a dimension with this thing which is, well, only a simulation. In the beginning, I thought the V-Amp answered all my questions; 3 years later, I carry around 160 kg of equipment again if I need really good sound.

The post-fx (delay, chorus, reverb) range in quality from extremely basic to purely horrible, and should be seen as practise effects. Nevertheless, it's nice they are there to use them occasionally. If your standards aren't really high, you can go a long way with this thing, especially in recording. Live I found it works best when used without external preamp. And it's programmable and MIDI-controllable.

BTW: a MIDI footswitch drastically reduces the preset switching time, compared to the included up/down footswitch.

So, again, it's not Mesa Boogie or Eventide, but a good and very compact low budget all-in-system for everything except hi-end demands.

Basically dependable. There is a widespread problem though which many reviewers here report, which is the spontaneous loss of presets and erroneous sound behaviour. I experienced it as well after 2 years of frequent use, and I thought it's broken, but after I changed the battery inside it worked fine again. CHANGE THE BATTERY, GUYS!
And it is made from plastic, so try not to step on it :-)

Zero, actually. I have some other Behringer things, all with their little problems and annoyaces, and I never received any answer to any of my polite questions through their German website. These things, as value-for-money as they may be, all have issues that every user sooner or later stumbles over, and the fact that they don't even mention these obvious problems in their help section, let alone offer any solution or even answer their freaking emails is a fact that doesn't help this company at all. It's a shame, because otherwise their approach to music gear is commendable, but I got angry too many times trying to get their help. Customer support? Forget it, the worst ever.

All in all I give it an eight because it's still unbelievable what this little thing does. Know what to expect, and you'll enjoy it. Rehearse and play low-profile gigs without breaking your back. Work on the road. You want great sound? You'll need better stuff.

(As a side note I'd like to add that the shape is cute but very impractical and inefficient. What's wrong with a box?)