Behringer LX1200H V-Ampire Head

I'm not going to get into describing it here. its way to much to describe and If you dont know what this is yet, then you should'nt be reading this anyway. You can download the whole manual for that matter. I will say that its a lot easier to use then the POD. The digital lighten up dials are very usefull.

This is the reason I'm writing the review. At first I loved the way the tone broke up much like a tube amp. It didnt have that digital fake tone like the line 6 or the digitech. The Vamp reacts to string picking rather then giving you instant hard tone like the Line 6 and all other modelers. The V-amp isnt fatiquing to the ear and I enjoyed it for that reason.
(NOTE: Unless your recording, keep it on L2 mode for live play) Anyway I thought I found the holy grail of modeling amps but, as I played it more, I came to discover it's digital tube like emulation had its faults. For one thing the high gain modeling tone break up didnt sharpen at the end like a real high gain tube amp such as Peavey 5150 or Mesa rectifier. It just floated therefore it sounded sloppy although somewhat passable. I couldnt become satisfied with the sound no matter what I did with the programming. I tried using the built in noise gate but all that did was lessen the feedback and background hiss. It doesnt have the decay feature to shorten the notes. SO I had a boss NS-2 lying around and figured i'd link it up to the vamp and viola!!!! I got the tone I wanted where the high gain modeling tone sharpened up at the end. The oddity to this is that t I had to configure the noise gate in reverse compared to the way I would with an amp. The Threshold has to be set at around 10 and the decay has to be set at zero. Wierd huh? its usually the other way around but, then again, you cant expect a modeling amp to react like a regular amp or analog pedal since its based on computer algorithms. At the end, I managed to create a cheap killer rig. I've owned mesa's, peavey 5150's, Marshall's and although they sounded great, it was overkill for just practice. I wanted a more compact practical solution and was reluctant to revert back to modeling amps. I tried the Pod xt (horrible, harsh digital tone) Johnson J-station (warmer tone then the POD but, still has a flat digital sound and is exausting to the ear like the POD). I eventually came across the VAMP on sale for a rediculous 60 dollars price. Set it to L2 mode and it sounded great at the stre. As I mentioned before, it sounded great for a day until I noticed the tone flaw but, the Boss Noisegate NS-2 solved all that. I recommend you all try that as the built in V-AMP Noisegate just doesnt cut it. Without the noise gate I rate the VAMP to 7 but with an external noise gate it gets a 9. I'll give it an 8 as a compromise.

Its plastic but looks sturdy

Behringer is notorious for not having telephone customoer support and they usually take a while to get back to you over e-mail.

I've been playing for 10 years. I mainly play all sorts of metal from Metallica to all the new stuff out today (Lamb of GOD, As I lay dying, Killswitch engage etc.).. As I mentioned use an NS-2 with this pedal to really achieve a great sound. Although I found that a noisegate works well in conjunciton with this pedal, I think an EQ pedal would also enhance the V-AMP's tone. The beauty of the VAMP is that it sounds like an actuall amp therefore it would react great to a pedal chain.

I got this head in 2005 or 2006, I've forgeton exactly. It's a single-channel digital modeling head - really, it's a Behringer V-Amp with a solid-state power amp stage packaged in a (very nice looking) black tolex covered head. This is by far the most versatile amplifier I've ever owned or played with. It simulates 32 amps and the simulations are all pretty darn accurate. One thing I don't like is that if you are running a lot of reverb or other of the built-in effects, the volume just totally goes away. I mean to the point you can have a conversation while standing right in front of the cabinet. So the secret is, keep all that glitzy stuff turned down to low levels, use the drive and gain functions, and make sure you are in the right mode (L2 works best IMO for live playing) and it will be loud enough. This amp is NOT easy to use, especially if you're coming from a tube amp with its dirt-simple controls. There are so many modes and features and settings on this that you need to plan on spending a lot of time with this figuring out how to dial it in. If you don't do this, you probably won't be happy with it. But if you take your time and really master the controls, you will be amazed.

Most of the amps this is simulating are tube amps, and believe it or not, the amp really does sound like tubes. It doesn't quite match that huge, round, room-filling sound of a bank of EL34's but the tone is darn close. Solid state amps generally sound lousy because transistor distortion emphasizes the wrong harmonics.... but since this is a digital modeler, the distortion is synthisized and not a product of transistor clipping. The result is, this actualy does sound like a Plexi or a Mesa Boogie or a Fender twin or an AC-30 or...... nothing short of fantastic versatility and sound quality. The only thing I would add is, I wish Behringer had modeled a Hiwatt and an Orange as two of the amps. Oh well, can't have everything I guess.

No problems with mine. I've had to replace tubes on my other amps, but this has no tubes. I hear that the Behringer pots and knobs are fragile.... all mine are still ok. But the knobs/pots could probably be more rugged.

No need to deal with them, as I haven't had any trouble.

If I could only have one amp (I currently have 5), this would be the one. This might be heresy but I would rather give up both my 6L6 AND EL34 tube amps than this guy. Yes, those tubes are so loud they can make you sterile! But this one delivers so many different tones, nothing can compete. Besides, if you really need to fill a big room or outdoor venue, you will be micing the cab and going through the PA anyway. Generally a $200 solid state amp will sound pretty dismal... I wouldn't recommend the ones I've tried to even a kid just learning. But this head does absolutely everything from surf tones to blues to rock to metal, has a load of built in effects and just plain sounds great. All for cheap-cheap-cheap. I got a Behringer BG412V cabinet to play this through and that thing is really good, too. Again, a fraction of the price you would expect for that sound quality.

Got this amp about a year ago. It is very versitile. You can get any sound you want. I play stuff ranging from jazz to metal and anything in between.

I use a battery of guitars from a Jackson V, to an Ibanez S series, a Les Paul, A hot rodded Strat, and a B.C Rich NJ series. All guitars have been modified with diffrent pickups. I was using this srickly on the computer but when my Carvin V3 went down I started using it with a 2x12 cab wich is why im writing this review. Do to the size and weight and sound I won't be using my V3 anymore. I love the sound of this amp!

Never had a problem.

Never used them

I have to give this a rating of 10. It got me out of a couple of ordeals. It was there when I needed it wich is more to say then my expensive tube amp!

Got this new in december 2007....one channel...but that was the reason i considered it in the 1st place.....play christian rock...i'm a rescued van halen fanatic....this amp works great for that...yeah it has great features....like a new toy....2 bad i don't use any of them other than goof'n of at the rehearsal hall....it gigs very well....not like i punish it though...it travels in a road case....yeah i know...$200 head in a road case...i'll explain further below....(sheesh)....word 2 the wise...invest in a power amp...or buy 2 of these and an A/B box...hey it's a bargain....you can afford 2....that's the reason for the 9....100watts a side stereo & it would get a 19 out of 10....u listen'n tech support?

deal is....my 1 channel 50watt plexi went belly 2 the sun....only one way 2 run that baby....take u'r arm & run it across the dials...heat the tubes up & it's ready 2 go....turn the volume on the guitar down for the clean tone...anyway....gigged it hard...2 hard....but don't cry....it's been repaired & works great....but i needed something to get me through until it got back from the doctor's office.....didn't wanna spend $6000 on 1 like i already had....didn't forsee me spending $1500 on a 1987 reissue, seeing as i got a real 1 & the reissue is....& always will be, a reissue....ran across this that had a plexi sim. gave it a try....very cool....except for the volume.....my plexi is on here....had 2 back off the disortion gain a tad...1st time i've ever done that....otherwise it's pretty much the same...even fits the road case well(see...that's why the case)

BTW...i front end every thing....use mxr( phaser, flange, chorus) dunlop(wah, volume), & boss pedals(overdrive, delay) on my pedal board....never used an effects loop...not gonna start...front end....this head responds very well to all the effects....reverb is the only feature i actually use from the head itself...

i use hot-rodded strats...2-71's, 2-74's, all 4 rodded with dimarzio 57's at the bridge...i was clipp'n this thing at the start, but my brother(the smart 1) read the manual(which i never do) and programmed it to back off the input gain...no more clip'n

the only other amp that was a contender was a peavey windsor....cool amp....it tried hard....it just didn't keep my attention long...not sure why...

i'm retire'n my plexi...well, not completely retire'n it....it will do studio work from now on....that's it....kinda wanna hand it off 2 my son....didn't think i was gonna get 2 after it had it's fit....decided that at this price & my tone still intact i could afford at least 4 of these a year if needed.....my plexi won't get any more damage...at least until my son gets it...this head gets a 9 because i had 2 pull out an ada tube power amp that i got in trade to run my other cab....

plastic knobs....yeah...it's safe in a road case...if i didn't already have the case...it would probably suffer on the bus...

wouldn't know...at this price i'll chunk it & get another...

used it since december 2007....it's been cranked wide open through this day of march 2007...it's gigged hard...didn't plan on stay'n with ti at 1st...kind of a band-aid until my plexi got well...decided i would stay with it since if it got destroyed it wouldn't break my heart....if it died...i would probably get another...at this price it's no problem replace'n it....it gets a 9 because of the volume issue....but a 10 in tone...

The usual: solid state, 2*60 watts, 32 amp sims, 15 speaker cab sims, 16 multi effects, 125 memory locations, dual footswitch, etc.

Bought it on eBay so I have no clue when it was made.

It is very versatile and provides a huge range of sounds. I play a little of everything from strumming country and folk to Type O Negative metal. It has sound through out that range which is great.

It is just the single channel but with all those presets it gives you tons of options. I like the headphone jack for night time playing. I can not really think of anything that I wish it had. The stereo effects are awesome.

Huge Note: I use this am for playing at home. I have read about how it is very low volume for it rated wattage, yes this seems to be true BUT for playing at home this is absolutely not a problem. I can see how it would be an issue playing out, though.

This amp can make tons of different sounds. Some of the presets are very usefull while others are good once you start tweaking. This is a very good jack of all trades. No, it doesn't sound exactly like a 1978 Whosiwatchit that costs $4000 and weighs as much as a large farm animal. For a price of $199 new I don't expect perfection but I am very happy with what I got.

The different distortions give you sounds ranging from barely breaking up to massive metal distortion. It has some nice clean tones, also. Try out the presets and then start lowering the effects from them and they get a little more usable.

I um using multiple types of guitars with it such as a Washburn WI64DL(HH), Ibanez SZ520QM(HH), OLP Luke(Active SSH), Ibanez RS140(SSH), Johnson Strat(SSS). Unlike some modelers I have tried I can actually tell a difference between guitars and pickups.

I am running it through a stereo Create GT212S cabinet.

The stereo effects sound great. The effects are pretty usefull throughout. The auto wah is so-so but aren't they all.

I am rating it based on cost and what you get for it.

Have only had it for about a month and it is still working. I don't feel I can rate it yet.

I have been playing for about 5 years. My guitars are mentioned above. My other amps are a Fender Cyber-Deluxe, B-52 LG100A head, Fender Princeton Chorus, Peavey Transtube 212 EFX and a Kustom 12A.

I love its versatility when I don't feel like switching to a different amp for different sounds or playing with effects boxes.

I haven't compared it side by side to my Fender Cyber Deluxe yet. The V-ampire has the leg up on it since it is stereo. But the Fender is good because it is a combo and doesn't take up much room in my living room. So, to me it wouldn't be is one better than the other since they are both good. They each serve a specific purpose for me.

Again, the volume is fine for playing at home. You can make dishes rattle and cats run very easily.

I've posted a review before. This is an update and a warning.

I was at band practice last week playing my typical blues rock best when I started really going crazy with the effects. I noticed the V-ampire was getting unusually warm, so I shut it off and took a break for lunch. When I came back an hour later, I switched on my amp.

A loud, thunderous boom erupted from my head, and then a terrible droning static noise. I looked over to see and smell withe smoke pouring out of the back of the amp like the crest of an ocean wave.

Anyway, I switched to my nearby fender combo, finished the practice, and took my head home. Strangely, everything works fine on it via the headphone jack, but the back output panel is completely fried (i.e. it won't send a signal to my cab).

By the way, I had it running into the proper cab with the proper wattage, and the master volume was only turned up half way. The overload signal was not on, and it was in a cold basement where it had plenty of room to breath.

The company so far (I'm still dealing with them) has not responded to my emails which were sent nearly a week ago, nor has the nearest behringer authorized repair center. I've had this amp for a year and a half, and unfortunately the warranty is only good for the first year.

Bottom line: Play the hell out of this thing for the first year while you can get it replaced. After that, you'd better be walking on eggshells with this amp. It's an amazing amp, and I am truly remorseful that it has left me.

It was only $200, and I got an amazing year out of it playing all kinds of shows and recording, but don't be surprised if it explodes on you.

Bought brand new in April 2007. I have now had it set up for 24 hours. When I decided to buy it I thought I was buying a fun toy that good produce some cool sound and crank a bit of volume. I also Expected it to perform marvelously as a studio amp with all the ins, outs, sound versatility, Midi, etc. Well... it's a lot more than a toy. The various amp sims really are amazing. Id love to blindfold a brand snob and challenge him to guess what he's hearing. The effects are killer once you start tweeking instead of trying out the mostly lame presets. It's awesome fun switching between a clean, mellow folk-blues sound, a bluesy, dirty distorded ZZ-Top kinda sound or a hard, thick, compressed Tony-Iommi crunch. With this amp you'll ever only need one guitar. Putting together your own combinations of amp sims, cabsims and fx is a piece of cake once you get to understand the logic. You can also download a boatload of other user's presets from Behringer's site.

It's just a single channel, but with the 125 available presets, it's like having a 125-channel amp! Except, there is a fraction of a seconds silence when switching. Ins and outs include phones, fx loop, pre fx, post fx, dry, wet, XLR, speaker, Midi, footswitch and probably a couple I forgot.

Asking for any more for the money is almost embarrasing but if I could pay for a couple more features it would be; a jack for an expression pedal, another footswitch for "channelsurfing" thru the fx like on a multifx pedal and a drum-machine like in Digitechs pedals. If it had those, I'd only need one guitar and the v-amp. Nothing on the floor, in the rack.....

I have no idea if this thing has enough power, especially with some of the crunchy sounds. If I get anywhere near cranking it I'm afraid the roofs gonna' blow off.

Can you say bling? This thing lights up like a pinbal game and has all kinds of informative features and diodes on every dial and button. Of course there's a tuner as well.

What can I say. It took me about ten minutes to get the regular sound from my other head. To tweek my favorite sounds took me maybe another 10 minutes per sound. Once I had stored some 7 or so favourites, the V-amp can replace my older and waaaay more expensive head. I really think you can get any sound under the sun with this thing. BTW, if you can't find it by fiddling with the dials and buttons on the front, you can download a sound-editor from Behringer which makes it a breeze to exploit every last bit of potential that this amp has. The various clean sounds are mostly really clean and the couple of times I pushed it, a little clip light warns you before you get there and a notch on the guitar volume fixed it right away. Distorsion is mega! As much as you could want, with as much reverb, chorus, sustain, screaming tube sounds as you could want. My old head has a "more distorsion" button but it's nothing compared to when you pour on the various ways to distort on the vamp. Some of the effects are a bit on the noisy side, but they're the ones that are noisy on any digital effects device.

24 hours and still going strong... :)

I have actually dealt with them in reagards to a mixer. They were extremely helpful and there was nothing wrong with the mixer. Just the user. :)

Been playing off and on for some 30 years as well as roadied, road tech, studio tech, etc. I would replace it in a heartbeat if I lost it. In fact, I think I'll buy another one as backup. Heck, for the price, I';ll get one for work and one for my buddy's cottage as well. I compared it to a bunch of other heads and to be honest I bought it purely on features for the buck. I'm so glad I did. I'd take this over any $2K head I've tried.

This thing is a God among the insects of the modeling world. The footswitch isn't as versatile as I would like, though. I recommend MIDI control.

As other reviewers have already pointed out, there is a learning curve to this head. It'll take about a week to get the hang of it, but you'll find yourself tinkering with the effects and amp models for years. I've had my head for a year and a half, and I still keep getting better sounds than I thought were possible outta this thing. The Rectified head is amazing.

Behringer quality knobs..what can I say? It was only $200. You'll want to be careful with this one.

If you want versatility, this is the amp for you. Line 6 wishes it was this good. And the price is unbelievably low.

well this has everything you could want. 32 different amp models and 16 different effects. also has a noise gate.120 watts very loud, with the right cab.

this thing is amazing for the price. the cleans are goodand stay fairly clean. the effects are pretty good as well, but the best part is the distortion. My favorite modles are the savage beast, which is like a nice marshall type sound, the modern distortion, which can do alot of differnet things, and the rectified head, which is like a mesa rectifer. very good reverb as well.

seems to be good

havent talked to them

great amp if you are on a budget or if you just want versitility

All the bells and whistles you'll ever need.You have to read the manual or you'll never utalize all the great features of this head.

I play strats.1 w/Texas Specials,1 w/SD Texas hots and a stock Tele.I play blues,clasic rock,some metal.Most of the tube amps sound dead on and for recreating you favorate artist,This head nails em all and I havn't even scrached the serface yet.Sounds I go for range from SRV(of course),Angus Young(even with single coils),Clapton.I've only had it for three days and have got these sounds almost dead on.I read on here somene say this wasnt for metal,,BS!The clean tones are awsome as well.The thing is,it aint no out of the box amp.You realy gota get in and tweek it.It's plenty loud.I'm running mono thru a 2x12 cab and this is my favorate piece of gear I ever bought and at a fraction of the bread I've spent over the years.And the effects,,Sound beter than ones I've spent more money on than I did this hole head.

I have to give it a 5 caus I've only had it for three day.It seems sterdy.The knobs and butons feel like thay will last.I wouldnt through it down the stairs tho.

I've bean playing for 15 years and owned a Marshall JCM800,Crate BlueVoodo,a VM 5watt tube amp,Kalamazoo,FenderM-80Head,and a couple hand wired low watt tube amps.Thay were all great amps.But this thing is like having all of them and more tone sculpting.I would replace this thing in a heart beat if some slimeball stole it.For the price,you got nothing to lose.

There is more good stuff here than should be possible for the price. I would say that this head can hold its own with the line 6 head and many others as well even at their higher price. I can see that many of the perceived negatives in others' reviews is a result of not learning how to get around on this head. It's not difficult at all , but does take some time and tweaking to get learn how to get your sounds. After you know how to do it, it's a piece of cake. I have replaced two pieces of equipment with this head ( a Marshall head and a Crate Vintage Club 50 ) with no regrets.

The complete and total sound pallette is here. More to the point, YOUR sound lives here, too. Go for it !

I have many Behringer products and all hold up very well. I expect this head to be the same. German engineering... what more can I say ?

Never had to. That says alot.

Been playing 35 years. I have too much equipment and over the years have owned more than my share. I have Fender and Peavey and Marshall and Crate and Hiwatt amps at this time. I am thinning the herd and modelling makes that possible. This head and my Roland synth and VG-88 gives me the buttload of possibilities I need in the studio. If this amp were stolen, I would buy another one without hesitation.

Ok I just got this head about 2 weeks ago. I already had the v-amp2 and was quite impressed with the amp models. I was actually gigging with the v-2.through the PA. But I had this fender ultimate chorus which wouldn't quite sing the way I wanted her to. So I thought this head if anything like th v-2 would help it. BINGO. It has all the features of the V-2. 32 amp models, every effect made except a ring modulator,talk box, or octaver. The thing comes with everything you need to play except talent. I don't care if they are not exact, I love the amp models and that is why I bought it. This thing does produce the closest thing I've heard to tube distortion or tube clean that I've heard other than real tubes The amp also has stereo capabilities, many different output choices, no channnel switching but 5 different presets that can be edited takes care of that. Then there is midi input for a drum machine......You should get it by now.

I play mostly strats(7)and (1)tele. (2 strats w/H-S-H configuration,4 w/texas specials and 1 w/handwound pickups special ordered.The way I use the head is as described in the manuel on page8 item 19. I use the analog outputs straight into both inputs on my fender ultimate chorus.This does a variety of things. 1 it cures the loudness problem others talk about(fender is also a 100watt amp) we're running 2 power amps. 2 the chorus on the fender is still active(sweet)3 still able to utilize channel switching on the fender. 4 there is now double EQ shaping ability(both amps EQ active)and I still run tube screamer, and line-6 roto machine in front of the head for better access(no internal programming)plus the sweet chorus available by fender footswitch on the amp. I am quite pleased with this buy. It suits my purposes just fine. I gig with this setup in a biker church service. Most of these guys are also Ex-Navy or Vietnam Vets and the like a little rock or blues put to their gospel songs, so my style of play would basically be SRV-Hendrix type stuff. I am alsovery pleased with the distortions this amp produces.

I've only had it for2 weeks but it seems like it will do fine if you take care of it (keeping in mind it is a computer so I'll try not to bang it around too much). V-amp 2 still works. May be a good sign?

Don't know. I've never had to deal with them. I do know that the Behringer web site is very helpful.

I've been playing for about 14 years. My other amps are a fender ultimate chorus,Roc Pro 1000,Fender Super, Roland 405 mini stack,Marshall Avt20, Westbury 1005m, and a Randall RG50-112 and a multitude of stomp boxes. Guys I am proud to announce that my three and a half year tone search is over. I think I can use this thing. Actually we should all consider tha most of us are actually searching for some one elses tone. A book I read explained how in the studio a lot of guitar layers are laid and the artist themselves can't even duplicate many tones themselves.i.e. all Dumbells don't sound alike. Many of you favorite artist have had mods done that you are not aware of(SRV-amps),(Hendrix-always his pedals). I'm told that Van Halen hooked up so much crap and mistakenly got the "brown sound" and then they couldn't quite remember how they did it. So I say take what you have, think unconventionally(out of the box)and try different configurations and begin to save yourself some money. You may already have good tone and want something else. As for me my therapist says to play 3 Lx1200H guitar models a day to cure my gear lust. It seems to be working. I am finally satisfied with my tone the the accessability of it all for $170.00. Who would've thunk it.
(maybe the pros who use practice amps to record in studios?)

I am submitting a review somewhat prematurely cuz I am very surprized by this amp. We all know the features so I won't take away your time to read them. I am also not writing a great review so I can get more $$$ selling it on eBay. I have no intentions of selling it, I only paid $138 for it brand new with a $20 2 year extended warranty. A Line 6 would cost more than double with not half the features. One thing I am curious about, if any of you know if you can change the wah wah frequency width email me. It sounds great for a digital wah but the bandwidth from low to high is enormous and it would be nice to adjust it. Same goes for the volume pedal. I am using an FCB1010 midi pedal. One BIG reason I purchased this is because it is MIDI controllable. It makes it so much more versitle than the competition. I am running it through a Peavey 5150 412 cab with EVH 1200 speakers stereo. I also have a Jackson 412 with Eminence speakers that sound great too. I bought this cab locally for $60 and it's been my main cab lately after using the 5150 for 6 years. I also use a Marshall with Vintage 30's on occation. I play mostly Metallica through it in my band (Four Horsemen) and so far it's holding its own.

I play mostly Jackson USA King V's, also an NJ neck thru Mockingbird, an ESP KH202 and a Soloist. I've only had this amp a few days and can already hear some amazing tones from an all solid state amp. I'll do a more in depth review after I've used it live. I can tell you that the distortion is great for SS, and it is very easy to dial in a great sound quickly. It also depends on what you are after, and of course not everyone is going to like it. (Athough some people need to get their head out of their asses and just listen). Remember what you paid for this amp and I'm sure you'll be smiling. I play in a Metallica tribute band, while I have ALWAYS used all tube power, I can see this amps potential. When turned up (all the way) the lead tone diminished a bit, but some eq tweaking and amp selection should help with that. The rythem sounds absolutely crushed with the rectifier model, and the clean sounds were excellent with the Black Face and the Calif. clean. The overall volume is plenty for live use. I can't ever imagine not having enough headroom with this amp. Just what was that guy that rated it so poorly running it through? I run either a Peavey Classic 50/50 or a VHT 2902 power amp for my tube rig, that should tell you something about loudness. I like it real, real, loud, and I don't like alot of power tube breakup like you get from a Mesa 20/20, it's too much for Metallica type sounds. My friend uses one for Maiden stuff and likes it, but I found it too be too muddy. This Behringer is definitly loud enough. The reverb does take away loudness however if you turn it past halfway, many processors do this though and I can't see why you would need this much reverb anyway, it has more than enough. It does colorize the tone, but I think in a good way.

As far as other tones from the model selection, only you can judge. I only know what I like and don't like and right now I'm doing Metallica, and it crunches quite well. There are dozens of other great sounds in here and I can't tell you if it sounds just like a Vox AC30, but I'm willing to bet you can get a great Lep Zep sound from it and many others. The noise gate works as well if not better than other amps I've used. A good external gate would be better, but would cost more than this head!!!

Behringer gear is Kmart in quality if you ask me. I've had good luck and bad (mostly good) with their products. I've owned mostly PA gear by them. I have one of their digital crossovers (Ultra Drive Pro) and it's been great, I like it better than the dBX PA ($500 version, I can't afford the better ones and for mostly practice, whatsthe point)I also have an 8024 digital EQ that I had problems with after about a year, but the extended warranty covered that. Which leaves me to say buy the warranty extension if it is offered, It's well worth it for mass produced gear like this when you never know you might get a lemon.

With a company this huge it can be hard to get good help. I had lots of runaround when I wanted to know how the time delay microphone program worked with the Ultra Drive. Their reps are probably as well informed as your Home Depot guy in electrical about plumbing. In other words you have to speak to the right guy about your problem, if that's possible.

Been playing for about 25 years, the last ten with all kinds of rack gear. One head was never enough for me, so I went to rack gear for versatility. I first used an ADA MP-1, the mother of all preamps(MIDI). I used this for about five years then decided to make a change. So I bought an MP-2, I liked that it had a wah effect and compressor built in and if it had reverb, delay and a pitch transposer I'd still be using it, awesome tone. The MP-1 sounded great too, but much different animals. Then I tried a Peavey Transtube, very versital but not tubey enough, so I bought the Tube version (TubeFex), couldn't stand the delay when changing patches, went with a Roctron Piranha, totally different tone but it rocked ass, but it was a one trick pony so I bought a Voodu Valve which I am currently using, with the Transtube Fex for the tuner and excellent pitch transposer. Through a Peavey 50/50 Classic power amp into a 5150 412 cab for my main rig. The Voodu Valve and big brother Prophecy are however a combination of tube and digital sound, and you purists may not like them but I can get close to just about any sound I'd ever want better than any modeling amp on the market, except maybe the Engl but at over $2000 I'd rather buy another guitar. Enough babble, this amp kicks ass! I was all ready to squash it with a bad review, while it will never sound as good as tube, at 1/5 the cost, it can be nothing less than awesome. Sure the effects could be more extensive, but if you need more, buy a G Major. At this price you cannot go wrong, I bought is a backup but may use it for one set and the tube rig for another. SAVE THOSE TUBES, not that I mind changing them, but it would be nice not to have to worry about them for a change. I don't think digital will ever replace them in our lifetime, but they are getting closer and closer. For the guys that don't think this is loud enough, buy yourself a EP2500 power amp and 8 Marshall V 30 412 cabs and play it in your 10' x 12' bedroom and sign language me about loudness while you drown out the airport next door. deaf sob's

Tons of features, all of which have been already listed in other reviews. I really like the fact that it has a built in tuner. I have no trouble tuning my 7 string, as I do with my korg tuner.

When I first played this amp at the music store, I would have given it a 2. The presets really suck. I played around with the controls a little and got some decent sounds out of it, but nothing spectacular. But, I decided to buy it anyway. After messing around with it for several days, I really started to understand what this amp is really capable of. As others have stated, use L2 mode. Read the manual and learn how to use this amp. It is capable of wonderful sounds.
I mainly use this amp with a Washburn WG587 7 string guitar. I also use a Gibson Les Paul, Fender Stratocaster, and a Dean Bel Aire. This amp is absolutely awesome for metal. Very clear and defined on most all settings. I mainly use the Savage Beast amp model. Does it sound like the amp it is modeled after? I don't know. Honestly, I don't really care either. I just know that it sounds great. Very clear and defined. Every note is heared. The distortion is great. I use the Black Twin amp model for most of my clean sounds. Very clean and clear. Sounds alot like an old Fender. I have never owned a Twin, but have played a couple. I have owned a Blackface Deluxe and Blackface and Silverface Bassmans. The V-ampire could hold its own against any of them. There are some really good sounds in this amp. I don't use all of the amp models, but they all sound pretty good. The Brit High Gain is great fo AC/DC if you back the gain off a bit.
The noise gate is a must to prevent feedback with high gain settings. I really hate digital effects, but the effects in the V-ampire are great. You have enough control over the parameters to get your sound right. The flanger is great. All of the effects are great, even the auto-wah, it just takes a little tweaking. I haven't tried my Crybaby 535 with this amp yet, so I don't know how it responds to pedals. The effects sound so good, I don't use any of my pedals at all anymore.
The only real complaint that I have is that the reverb sounds a little tinny and fake, but it isn't that bad. I really don't use reverb that much anyway. A little echo or ping-pong delay sounds much better. I turn the reverb up to about 2 with these effects.
There is a very slight delay when switching between presets, but it isn't that bad. If you don't switch amp models, there is no delay at all when changing presets.
I use this head with a Behringer BG412H cabinet running in stereo mode. This thing is a lot louder in stereo. Now, as for all of the comments about this amps volume. Many people are complaining that this amp is not loud enough. This amp is very loud. Very, very loud. The volume control does not act like it does on most other guitar amps (at least all of the ones I have owned, mostly tube amps). On most other amps, the volume starts out low. When you get to about 3 or 4, there is a huge increase in volume. Once you reach 6 or 7, the amp is really loud, but does not get much louder beyond that point. The V-ampire, on the other hand, starts low and gradually increases. There is no huge jump in volume anywhere on the dial. You have complete control over the volume. So, when you tun the master vol. to 5, it isn't super loud. Just keep turning. On about 7 or 8 this thing is so loud you can feel it in your chest. What I am saying is, just crank it up. This volume control acts like every other volume control should. No jumps in volume, just nice, smooth, steady increase in volume.

I have only had it for 2 weeks, so I am not sure, but I don't really trust anything digital. It seems to be well built.

I have been playing for about 14 years. I have several amps: a Blackface Bassman, Silverface Bassman, Crate Vintage Club 50 head, Ampeg Portaflex B18N, Epiphone Galaxie combo amp (great for blues), a few solid state Peaveys, etc. The V-ampire has any sound I could ever want. I really love this amp. It is like having several amps and effects pedals all in one unit. I really do not like digital effects processors, but I really love the V-ampire. It is basically a digital effects processor with a built in amp. It really honestly sounds great. If anything happened to it, I would buy another. I may even buy another one now, in case they quit making them. I play nu-metal,classic metal, death metal, rock, punk, grunge, alternative, a little blues, and even some reggae, and this thing can deliver whatever tone I want. You can't beat this amp for the price. Period.

I thought the effects and mods sounded pretty good but switching between channels is a problem: In studio mode there's a pause between channels and in live mode it makes this weird loud squeal noise. You can get around it by using the same amp model between two effects but if you don't want that then you're stuck.

It was the quietest amp I've ever heard. You need to put it at around 3 or 4 to even really hear it. I'm sending it back because it's no use if it's this quiet. I'm running the head through a behringer 412S.

Overall it sounds great if you're not planning to play live with a band.

This Head is LOADED w/ em!
This head has it all ya just have to take the time to do research & look at the manual. From what i hear out of the speaker Cab..it has MORE than enough power. IT IS LOUD!
I am not a giging musician....This is the first 1/2 stack i've owned..I have a Traynor 4x10? Celestion loaded Custom Valve 80q combo amp too.

I have guitars ranging from Gibson Les Paul & SG, a Jackson RR5 & A GMW PDV Randy Rhoads. All Humbucking..Tonz of old school Metal tone!...Many different speaker cab/ head combinations.
The clean sounds at high Vol don't seem distorted to me.

Can't comment on it...have only had it < 1 week..would think that it is very reliable.

Again, Can't comment on it...have only had it < 1 week..

Been playing for 23 years. Again.. I have guitars ranging from Gibson Les Paul & SG, Burny LP, a Jackson RR5 & A GMW PDV Randy Rhoads. All Humbucking..I have a Traynor 4x10? Celestion loaded Custom Valve 80q combo amp too. I aslo have a Line6 GP & that is what i wanted to match only LOUDER!
I like everything..you gotta READ the manual.
Thought about line 6 spider & the 75 watt HD but..the price kept me comming back to Behringer.
For me..this IS exactly what i wanted for now.
Read some comment here & elswhere that this may not be loud enough..
That is total BS..i picked up a New, no-name- 8 OHM, 4-12 speaker cab loaded w/ Jensen MOD 50's..it moves my pant legs!!!!the OHM-age thing is what you really have to watch...again READ the manual...

I got this 1/2 stack for 410 bucks incld. shipping! SICK!
This modeling thing is the future..i hated all the stomp boxes all over the floor & batteries & all that crap.

Don't be scared that it might not be loud enough..it VERY loud w the correct equipment.

It's basically got the exact same preamp as the V-Amp 2 (which I used to also own) and V-Amp Pro but is in amp form with 120 solid state watts and different outputs and master volume. The fx aren't bad, IMO, but they lower the volume of whatever amp setting it's on a little. It has a few pretty decent tones, though, and some of the fx sound pretty good.

I play styles ranging from blues-rock, some classical and jazz-inspired rock, classic metal, hardcore punk and extreme metal and shred. IMO the amp has a few really good settings, i.e. Bitish high gain, modern high gain, and rectified head. I stay on British or modern gain most of the time, and some of the cleans sound pretty good, as well. Leads sound really good on modern high gain, too, IMO.

To the last reviewer, I'd have to ask if he tried an eq pedal in the loop. Admittedly, I get better tones when running from a Boss GE-7 eq in its loop and line out from the head into a tube amp's fx loop return (on a Peavey Ultra Plus amp). That setup sounds really good, IMO, and literally the same as using a V-Amp 2 into a tube head. Even alone, I don't think it sounds bad at all and surely deserves more than a 2 for overall rating, but again not everyone can like all the same tones, and I admit I'm basing my score on running it mainly into a tube amp head and I will buy the V-Amp Pro to do so and let my wife use this head to sing through and for late night practicing, though I've also used it to play for people and got a really good sound.

It may be that the Vox Tonelab SE may sound better for some sounds, but for the price these heads run, at the least they're a pretty good deal for practicing, and at best they can be used to run into a tube power amp and sound really good (though you might as well get a V-Amp 2 or V-Amp pro to run into another amp fulltime, as I will).

I bought this amp used at a local Guitar Center w/ no manual, etc, and it's working as good as when I got it over half a year ago and suspect it likely would hold up however long I have it as long as I don't abuse it much or spill drinks into it, etc., but I can't give anything digital a perfect score; that's reserved for intense construction solid state amps such as a Roland JC-120, IMO.

Never called them and never plan to, so I'll leave it as no opinion.

I've been playing since about '88 and have had a buttload of various amps, i.e. Carvin X100B, Laney AOR, Marshall JCM800, Peavey Ultra Plus, Ultra 112, 5150, Rockmaster preamp, Tech 21 Sansamp PSA-1 preamp, Roland JC-120, etc., and I can appreciate that there are better amps than this Behringer head, but for its price and pretty good British and metal tones as well as some good clean tones, I wish I'd have had one when I was first learning guitar and have no problem with its tones into a nice tube head JUST AS LONG AS THE CAB SIM IS TURNED OFF~!

If the cab sim is left on, it will sound harsh and crappy. I got a V-Amp 2 a couple years ago and took it back immediately after bringing it home and hooking it up to my amp and wondered how people could have liked such a harsh crappy tone~! But then I read some reviews and am glad I gave another one a chance~!

Brand new 2005 model. Lot's of different sounds...all terrible! Lot's of different built in effects. I must say this is the quietest 120watt amp I've ever heard, I'm running it with Behringers matched cab BG412H, it sounds more like a sruggling 30watts. I play in a modern rock band, the cab is ace, the amp is junk!

I use Les Pauls with custom shop pickups. Boss ME50. If you can find a tone that suit? You turn the volume up & all the mid comes rushing back in, dial it out & the amps too quiet again! Either way it sounds awfull. No good for rock or metal....can't imagine it being any good for any musical style.

Didn't keep it long enough to find out! Although build quality was excellent the amp looks very tough, being a Behringer it will probably be reliable.

Don't know.

Look this amp is absolutely awful, don't listen to anyone that says it's good...I run a pro studio, Engineer at shows & play in a real rock band....it's kak.....avoid. Behringer make high quality audio equipment, at unbelievably low prices, my studio is completely rigged out with their gear but they can't make guitar amps, don't know what their bass amps are like.

120watt modeling
25 banks- 5 channels per bank

I use a shecter c1 classic, a USA G$L ASAT special , and a Gibson blueshawk with this amp. I'm running it trough two wintage Kustom 4X10 flat responds speaker cabinets. The sounds I'm using are very close to actual tube amps. You have to tweak this amp head like you would any good tube amp and if you set it up right it will respond like a good tube amp. I am very picky about the sounds that I use ( ask my wife or any of the band members that play with me) and have always been looking for that perfect sound. Ive used or owned vintage gibson, marshalls, fender, magnavox, peavy tube, carvin,and a bunch more that I don't have room or time to write about, but this amp head WILL give you real tube sound if you take the time to work with it. Some of the effects are weak , and I do use different pedals when I play, I've yet to found a can do everthing guitar, pedal, or amp.

I have used it for the last year and I have had not problems with it.

I have been playing for 40 years, been in rock, blues, and country bands. Now I play in a church and travel with my minister and band. We do rock and blues style music as well as old school gospel and hip hop. I currently own a cravin X60 tube amp and a fender deville 4-10 which because of the sounds I get from the v-amp head, I went and bought a V-amp 2 that I run through them. I've played line 6 products and look at vox and fender modeling amps and went with beheringer not just because of the money( which I will have to say stop me from even looking at behringer for years) but to me I like the sound that I can get from this amp over the others, there is no such thing as the do-all perfect anything there are always trade offs but you should look at this amp if you are looking for an amp before you spend the big bucks.

Just snagged this on ebay . The date sticker says it was made in Aug 04.The features go on and on but really its a modelling head with a bunch of amps models and effects to choose from. If you record with it you will like the speaker simulations as well. Lots of well thought out features including multiple lines out and XLR out in stereo. Effects loop (as if you need one!) Headphone jack, 125 patch strage spots.
I play a variety of music but mostly rock and heavy metal. Great sounds for me. Lots of power.

I use mainly my Jackson DX10D and my Dean cadillac. Both feature high output pickups and this amp responds ver well to both. I find the high gain type sounds very useful as opposed to some medellers that have lame distortion. The ultimate high gain setting on this puppy is fantastic. I have played lots of amps and this sound is exceptional for me. It is a noisy amp for sure but what do you espect with gobs of gain at your disposal? I use the noise gate feature lots and find it adequate. It has a bit too long of a release for me. THe heavily gated distortion sounds I use almost sound like there is a short reverb on them. It's really just that short time the gate takes to close. Not too bothersome live but in the studio I sould probably use one of my rack mounted gates in the loop instead. When gated it is one of the quietest amps I have ever heard. You can put your ear right up to the speaker and you can hardly tell its on. By the way I play LOUD! I think the clean channels are excellent as well and th effects make a big difference. I got my basic clean sound with some comp and chorus in about 15 seconds. Very very easy to navigate and storing patches is super simple as well. This thing can do every sound made by a guitar amp. The distotion setting are surprisingly realistic and at least some of the amp models are useful to me. What more can you ask really?

No breakdowns yet but I always carry a spare anyway. Digtal stuff can be unpredictable.

Have not dealt with the company but the website is very good. I downloaded the manual and studied it intently for a week waiting for the amp to arrive. That's nice compared to some companies where you can never seen to get any manuals.

I have been playing over 25 years and currently own 9 electric and 2 acoustic guitars. I have lots of brand names and none really stand out except maybe my Dean. I have 6 amps including a Peavy XXL, Triumph and Bandit. A couple of Roland cubes. I have had a few different Marshalls but eventually got rid of them. Tempermental for me. I am becoming a solid state convert.
If it were lost or stolen I would probably seek out another one. My son is jamming with this one in his band and he quite likes it. Easy to use and program and enough patch storage that I gave him his own section of memory! I really like it too and will take it to it's first gig this weekend. I read some reviews that say it is not loud at all and that baffles me. How loud do you need it? I play with a relentless pounder of a drummer and a guy with a Marshall DSL100 and a 4-12 and our bass player likes to be hard as well! No troubles for me with volume. The V-ampire kept up very well. I even got told to turn down! I run a pair of 2-12 bottoms, and compared to my XXL which is 100 watts RMS they seem as loud as each other. You have to do some tweaking to get the gain structure set up with this amp but once you do it's excellent.

Features are covered pretty well in previous reviews so far. It's pretty versatile and actually sounds surprisingly good -- basically it's a V-Amp 2 but integrated into its own amp and w/ some extra jacks on the back. As has previously been mentioned, it's not a loud amp -- at least especially when not running it mono into a speaker or cab that's 4 ohms or stereo at 8 ohms. Even then it's nothing like a 100 watt tube head, but it has better volume running 4-ohm or 8-ohm if running stereo.

I've found that a graphic eq helps out the chunk factor when running it through the loop on the back, though it seems to have less affect than doing the same w/ a good tube amp, but I LOVE running the line out jack from the V-Ampire into a Boss GE-7 eq pedal, then into the fx return of my Peavey Ultra Plus head. It gets all kinds of great sounds~! I also sometimes put another eq pedal (Danelectro Fish&Chips) in front of the V-AMpire and use it as a boost. I did the exact same thing w/ the V-Amp 2 I had before this, and it worked about identically the same.

I can get some fat sounds out of it that are about as close to tube as digital can get IMO, admitting the resonance switch on the Ultra Plus amp and the eq pedal between the V-Ampire and Ultra Plus helps that out~! :D

The amp alone is pretty good but could use some fattening up on some models, but sounds pretty decent w/ how I've got it set up. I don't use the fx at all on any of the drives due to it cutting into the volume and "spreading out" the sound (whimp-erizing it IMO). On clean settings the fx are ok, though. I use a Samick Torino 2 SG copy w/ EMG 81/85 pickups, and that works great.

For what it is -- a digital sim-head, I think it's as close to being on par w/ the old Tech 21 Sansamp PSA-1 preamp as I could find without trying some of the $1k or above range digital stuff or the original amps this thing models

I bought it used and it's still working fine -- I didn't have any prob's w/ the V-Amp 2 I had, either.

No experience/contact w/ them.

I'd say 9 since I'd prefer a little more volume and fatter tone w/ the head alone but still the ability to get all that running into another (tube) head~!

Well, after using it for 3-6months it is collecting dust...
Far too much to tweak to achieve a simply good tone, too much to bother about (drive function, live settings or not, and so on for days).
Very weak, 2x20 watts is more accurate whatever the cab. And power output expands in a bad way, can't explain but you never get a simple strong sound with pressure in it as does my tiny marshall MG15dfx.
And 14,5 kgs is far too heavy for a simple modeler since its poweramp is useless.

You can get pretty smooth sounds, weak clean tones unless you go the other way (e.g. backing off the drive on overdriven amp models), the compressor is way good and the noise reduction effective.
I bought this because of how good the xv-amp (mind you, 68euros) sounded, big mistake since the aforementioned sounds 1000times better hooked to a basic behringer gx210, aka ultratwin, in the aux in...And louder. Plus you get combinations(comp-delay-reverb-mod) and octaver.
Vampire not that good in every aspect, live a line 6 spider2 210 is the way to go and at home there are better units at the price.
Still, I found some very enjoyable after some time

Have or have had a lot of their stuff, always reliable except a Mic200 crapping one.
Well done, in general you don't have better built gizmos unless you pay a lot more (think tc electronics and up).
But what good it does for the vampire? Useless unless as home entertaining only

I wish it had the same strong sound as my tiny mg series marshall.
I wish it had far less options, like the spider2 210, so you play your guitar instead of tweaking knobs with both hands.
I wisn it weights 10 kgs less.
I also wish I bought the rack version plus a proper power amp instead, no I wish I stuck with my xv-amp hooked to my ultratwin fantastic 210 2x30 watter. But I didn't knew by then...
Folks, it is not an amp, only a modeling-effects unit.

This is an update to my review from 1/31/05. I have since used this thing in my home studio and live with the matching cab in places up to 1000 seats and spent over a thousand hours with it. Only mic'd the cab twice for the largest place - volume was fine but needed a wider throw. I spent hours in my home studio tweaking this thing but that's the way it should be. In live settings it worked flawlessly. IMO, someone committed to his craft won't be put off by learning the features. It's no more difficult than my car stereo. Most of us use FX that are more complicated. If this amp seems too complex, you should keep playing alone in your bedroom or retire. Compared to the average pro set-up this thing is a piece of cake.

The sounds I can create with it continue to make me smile. Initially, I was overwhelmed by all the simulations (who really needs 32 amps at once?) but it inspired me to re-invent my sound which, unless you're a legend already, is a good thing.

The effects continue to be a little weak but that's what pedals are for and most of us use pedals with any amp at any price.

I bought the matching 4X12 cab and the volume, even in stereo, is very, very good. I'll concede that solid state watts don't seem as loud as tube watts (never have, specially Line 6 amps) but even cranked wide open, I still get good tone. It definately sounds more substantial than the Line 6 Spider. (I have a friend who is shelving the Spider in favor of this amp.)

Many of those having trouble with the sound and volume of this amp are using mis-matched equipment that they haven't bothered to learn to use. In computers, we call it an ID10T error. A guitar player really needs to understand things like line level, impedance and ohms. In 20 years as a working musician, I've learned that every piece of equipment needs tweaking from one gig to the next - and if you tweak one piece, all the other pieces will be affected and need tweaking, too. Making music is art, not science.

I'm a working musician who was tired of laying down $1000's for my amps and then a few hundred more each year for new tubes and general repair. So, I took chance and I'm glad I did. Even if this thing only lasts another year, it will have paid for itself but I think it will last several years. If and when it fails, I'll buy another one without missing a beat. Unlike tubes, which change their sound as they age, the software driving this thing will always be the same until it crashes completely. Then I can buy another one that will sound exactly the same as before. No one can say that about changing tubes.

If you break this thing, you would break something more expensive, too - which would you rather lose, $200 or $2000?

Haven't had to deal with the company - which says good things about their products. I have some of their sound equipment but this is the first piece like this I've bought from them. I expect no problems.

If you're conservative about your sound and prefer to stay with tried and true eqipment, or if you're insecure and want expensive stuff to impress people, don't buy this amp. On the other hand, if you want a versatile amp that will help you to both expand and hone your craft, it's well worth the money. I have pedals that cost as much.In price, it beats the Line 6 Spider HD175. In sound and features, it rivals the $400 Spider HD.

I've collected some great vintage amps (check my other reviews). I've used them to tweak the Vampire and I really like the results.

I can use (and, if I want, abuse) this amp and save my vintage gear for when nothing else will do.

Features are pretty well documented in other reviews. I've had it for a few weeks, and haven't scratched the surface of what this can do. I bought this to replace a Peavey 2x12 amp from 1985, tube and transistor, which was a sweet rig. I've been playing since 1984.

The actual amp models seem pretty accurate. Granted, I haven't played any of the botique tube amps to compare. But the head does a good job of replicating actual tube tone.

The effects are decent. But I don't like the fact that you're limited to one effect, with a seperate reverb. (Though a few of the choices are two effects combined.

People have complained it isn't loud enough. I use it in my practice room, so its more than loud enough for my needs. (The Peavey was louder!) But it should be sufficient for a small club.

I've had a few amps in my day. A crappy Fender practice amp, the Peavey, a Line 6 Guitar Port for practice. I bought the V-Amp 2 when it came out - and was impressed enough to want an actual head based on that modeling. I also got the BG412H cabinet, nice.

I play a varitey of guitars. Steinberger, Kramer, Fender Strat. The nuance is pretty amazing with some of the amp models.

Because the amp is digital, you don't have complete control - there are a limited number of stops on the various dials. But the control you do have is sufficient. You want a tone, it's basically there. Clean amps are clean at high volume. You can crank the gain and turn down the master - and you've got some nice distortion - at bedroom volumes.

It really responds to how hard you pluck the strings. You can pick softly and then dig in - and you'll really hear the difference.

I play about an hour a day or so. It works. It's built like a tank, in terms of the chasis, MDF with dovetail joints. The knobs are pretty cheap, but don't hit them with your guitar, and they'll be fine. All in all it weighs 50 + lbs. If you're planning on schlepping this about, consider that - as well as the fact that the cabinet is more than 100!

I expect it'll last. My V-Amp2 has held up, and that is fully plastic. It's electronic equipment - get a surge protector, treat it like a computer.

Can't say I've had to talk to the company.

Bought it at Guitar Center - which was a mistake. Took almost two months to get it to me. The sales rep kept giving me crap about the delivery. When I ordered it - it was going to be 10 days, which became three weeks, which was then a few days, then a few more days. I pitched a fit about the delivery - and got $40 for my troubles.

Overall I'm happy with the amp. I've got about five sounds I've dialed in - that are impressive. It's fun to play with.

If it were stolen - I'd buy another. It's not a Line 6 Vetta, but then it's 1/8th the cost!

Like all things guitar... Tone is in your fingers. If you suck - I don't care if you have the best of everything - it'll sound like crap! But keep practicing, feel it, live it, love it. This amp makes me practice more - and isn't that what it's all about!

I may not be Jimmy Page, but I can pretend!

Just a comment on some of the reviews. If you hook this amp up to the older Behringer 4x12" cabs, or other speakers which have higher impedance(8ohms mono or 16ohms per channel stereo) you are only going to get half the amp's rated wattage, which means you'll only have about 30 watts per channel stereo or 60 watts mono. You need, for example, the new Bugera-loaded BG412V cabinet (4ohms mono or 8ohms per channel stereo and cheaper too)to get the full output power.It doesn't matter how many watts the cabinet says on it, look at the ohms. Read the spec sheet for the amp. If you don't understand what I'm talking about stop posting gear reviews because you're confusing people. And if you want a damn good lead sound, press the "TAP/2nd Par" button and select the ENGL "Savage Beast" simulation, with just some delay or verb. Oh yes-you ARE using the "L2" configuration aren't you? Don't forget ,when in configure mode, to set the input gain to suit your pickups and the 3-band global EQ to suit your speakers before exiting and programming your patches. If you've done all that, and still don't like the amp, perhaps you need to get a day job.