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.

Bought it from Zzounds in 2005. It can handle just about anything, from classical to metal. I play blues and metal on it mainly. Features are endless, they definitly didn't get stingy on features. I use it in my bedroom only and its playing guitar is a hobby only for me. Therefore, I feel its plenty loud. Of course if you're gigging you'll need a mic.

I'm using a fender strat and a schecter c1 classic. Both sound superb on this head. I use the BG412S cab with it and use stereo mode. In my opinion, this head can get just about any sound pretty damn close. Considering the price, thats impressive!

Seems reliable to me.

Had a question for them and they answered it within 24 hours. They were very friendly and professional as well.

I've been playing for three years. IMO, this thing is awesome. I'd buy it again if it were lost/stolen.

some of the effects are cool. i really like the sound i got out of it. with this amp, all you have to do is mess around with it and find the right sound. theres alot of different options you can take with the amp. its a cool idea, but still not powerful enough.

not very loud. super heavy and seems study. but my channel light randomly blinks. weird but i can deal with it.

the vampire. exciting. i bought this because i am cheap and needed a more powerful guitar amp than a 15 watter and an amp that i could connect to my recorder (XLR outputs, neat). it has 125 or so presets. which, in my opinion, really suck. so i mess around with it and make my own. it sounds good. cool. i mainly use this just to practice on with headphones since i have nothing going on now and it sounds alot better than practicing on that 15 watter. but the main problem lies when you actually want to start playing this with a band. it states right on the face place 120 watts! you would think that would be enough power to blast away the other guitarist with a 65 watter crate. nope. i hooked it up mono to an old cab i have. both volumes at max and nothing. i might as well pick up an acoustic and play along. the drummer couldnt hear anything i played. so the vampire was a bit disapointing. but now it just sits in my room where i have headphones plugged into it. i also use it to record on my fostex mr-8. its sounds alot better connecting the amp through the XLR to the recorder instead of plugging your guitar directly in. its fine for what im doing, but playing a show or even practicing with a band? i dont think its going to cut it...

It's a multi-effects pedal built into a guitar head. You get 10 original guitar effects (Tremelo, Rotary, Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Compressor, AutoWah, Echo, Delay, PingPong Delay), 6 combined effects (Chorus+Compressor, Chorus+Delay1, Chorus+Delay2, Flanger+Delay1, Flanger+Delay2, Phaser+Delay), 32 amp models, 15 guitar cab simulations, and 125 memory locations. Has tons of outputs on the back for recording purposes and 5 different amp modes for switching between live/studio use. Definitely have to check out the manual to figure some of the settings out but overall it isn't hard to just plug in and play. Comes with a 2 pedal footswitch. Switches between the 5 banks. There's a noticeable delay between the banks but only if you switch from one amp/cab model to a different one. If you keep them all in the same type then the delay is gone.

I've played everything from blues to rock to metal to death metal on this amp. It doesn't deliver in the distortion department. It's lacking serious "nuts" to be a stage amp. With the right EQ it could be good for recording direct but I would never gig with it. The cab simulator will make distortion settings come through muddy on a 4x12 until you turn the cab sim off. And even then the distortion is lacking. The volume is also a turn off, it's really quiet compared to my last tube amp. You need a 4 OHM cab just to get the full 120 watts. Overall if you're just looking to jam out by yourself then this is a great buy but if you want to play live keep looking. This amp won't deliver. People who say the amp sounds amazing are either trying to find the bright side in why they paid $200+ or never plugged into a classic Marshall or Mesa before. It's funny how some of the people say they have all these expensive and classic guitars and then settle for the cheapest guitar head on the market. ;p

I don't trust anything digital. The outside of this thing may be a tank but the slightest bit of water or moisture inside the unit would most likely kill everything. And their warranty basically tells you that if the problem isn't their fault you get to pay for the shipping there, the cost of repair, and the shipping back. It'd be cheaper to just buy another one.

Havent had to use customer support but I'm sure they're ok.

2x60 or 120 watts means absolutely nothing when it comes to how loud this head is. It's way too quiet to play live and once you get over the inital effects it starts to become boring. I've played it with a 400 watt LG412V the equivalent of the Behringer BG412V and it still wasn't loud. If you already have a guitar head then go buy a Digitech GNX or even a RP100-300. If you don't then save up a couple hundred bucks and get yourself a tube amp. You get what you pay for with this one.

ton of features. dont forget to go to behringer.com and download the v-amp editing software! that way you can hook it up to your computer and edit anyway you want. i have a j-station and once owned a pod. sold the pod because it sounded like crap. kept the j-station (not so bad) but this is way better. you can print out your patches in the software. easy editing. sounds great

sounds kick ass. watch out marshall and boogie and any of those high priced tube amps, this thing sounds awsome. downloaded some eddie patches,i could not believe the sound!!!! you can get what ever sound you want for $200.00 lol, could be a little louder but so what. you can still hear when practicing and when playing out you will be miking anyway. as a matter of fact engineers were crying because my marshall tsl 100 was to loud. the kicker is that it doesnt sound good unless you have it way up. im going to sell my marshall so check out ebay if your interested!! also i usually run this amp through kustom full range speakers with the speaker simulation on, but if you want you can shut the speaker simulation off and run it through regular guitar speakers.

have not had a problem yet.

i emailed behringer because they dont give yout the editing software when you buy the amp. they responded very quickly letting me know that it is downloadable on there sight for free!!!! thought that was very cool.

going with a 10 on this one. get it. its only $200.00 but worth $2000.00 i would suggest buying this amp on price alone but the sound and overall value kicks ass!!!!!

You all know the feautures of this amp. And, since this amp DOES have a lots of features, i would give it an 10, but since it IS so damned hard to use and soo not loud i will give it a 5.

Then again, refer to other reviews to see an extensive list of the use.

This is a technology friendly unit, so if you are one of those guitarrists who love to tweak and play with your amps and effects units this IS FOR you (yes, it have midi conectors, edit softwares, and all that unecesary yada etc etc). If you plan to gig with this (which im sure you are planning) well, look somewhere else.

This unit IS weak. Does not have power or loudness in anyway. This unit IS NOT loud (not in mono, even less in stereo). And it should be since its a guitar HEAD. (and i used it with a 412 300 watts cab)

ALSO, this unit is hard to impossible to use. This is not a "right of the box" item. If you have used the V-amp, you will get right to it, but anyways... This requieres SOME NASTY tweaking, EVEN to crank UP the volume.

I think that technology is a GREAT GREAT thing... I love iit in TVS, music, coomputers and videogames... but the technology should make life easier and (in this guitar scenario) prettier, and not a pain in the neck to use and set. This unit will make you cry and want to trash it right away.

I rather have a normal, loud head (Crate Excalibur) with a GNX2; better results and LOUDER, CLEARER sound.

If behringer did a more reliable, easier 200 watts version of this Head, it would be MUCH MUCH BETTER; but since they dont, well...

I use a Schecter tshb1 and an sg les paul customized guit.

So... the unit starts to crumbles right away. This is NOT a joke. This unit might sound good, but is NOT loud. (And it does not sound that good either)

When i cranked the volume AT maximun, the unit WAS NOT loud, and also were very noisy. I though it were the cab, but then i used my other crate excalibur and i was VERY REALLY dissapointed at this Head.

The presets sucked. Once you tweak the thing, you can get very likely any sound you want; but for a price. And the price, my friend, is time. (and should i stress out that YOU WILL NOT get ANY louder even if you got the sound you want after one hour tweaking the soundss you need?)

ok, this is as simple as it GETS...

THIS UNIT IS NOT REALIABLE! and THATS FINAL.

This broke down FOR NO REASON @ the THIRD day (after less than 3 hours of use)
AMS send another one, i used it for about a month or two, when I realized this sucks for gigs (and i needed to gig)

So, i sold it, and the one unlucky guy who bought this to me...
Well, the damned thing broke 4 days after i sold it. This amp is reaaally cheap. I would NOT MIND PAYING $200-300 more for something MORE reliable with 200 watts

About customer service? WTF are these people (reviwers in this site) talking about?

The SITE SUCKS. I emailed someone @ behringer, and explained that my amp was not sounding as loud and as good as it should (i used to have a 100 watts combo that was thrice louder than this)
And they told me TO READ THE MANUAL! So, they treated me like a moron; I KNOW how to USE this UNIT (i used to own a V-amp; its essentialy the same). I just wanted to get MORE VOLUME and MORE quality!

So, they insult your intelligence... at his last email the guy told me "well, i think u R expecting too much of a 120 watts unit @ $200"

So, he admited behringer sells crappy, uncapable amps and that i should be happy because this was cheap? What gives?
I dont know if YOU agree, but... i think that a guitar HEAD should sound like a guitar HEAD; and the guitar heads should be loud, solid, reliable and ready-to-gig amps. If not, whats the case of carrying a Head and a Cab?

I belive in versatibility. And i AM one versatile guitarrist. But i dont think a gigging guitarrist, nor a pro guitarrist needs 10 kinds of distortion in one gig (or CD), or 7 different flangers and modulations per song. So, this unit is basically an anti-guitarrist device; because this is NOT loud and "forces" you shitty effects that you will not PROBABLY need

So, as with any effects settings, MOST guitarrists, even radiohead wanabes, will end up using less than 10 effects overall. And since this unit is so damned hard to use, and very weak, i recommend getting something ELSE. as a matter of facts, i dont see why should ANYONE get this.

Well, now i learned something. A Guitar HEAD COSTS like a guitar HEAD, so dont be fooled by the price of this.

But, i should add, one of th best cabs i have ever used is the 300 watts behringer with the jensens. (i have used celestion cabs, and they are just a bit better in my opinion) So, i dont SEE that this guitar head is BAD because of its price. ITs just a bad, unreliable product.

They should use a more simpler, eficcient interface, improve about a 100% the reliability of this, and make it louder and clearer.

I truly thin the concept IS NICE, but it is very poorly performed.
They should try to upgrade this for the best.

This brand new 2 x 60-Watt digital guitar modeling amplifier head features 32 authentic amp models, 15 speaker cabinet simulations and 16 multi-FX including noise gate, compressor, wah-wah, modulation effects, delay, reverb and many more. The LX1200H perfectly matches the brand-new BG412V guitar cabinet as well as the entire series of legendary BG guitar loudspeaker cabinets. This tone monster really is the ultimate modeling amplifier. With 125 memory locations for storing your presets and a dual-footswitch, you have a truly gig-ready package!

I use a KE3 Kelly with Duncan Designed Pick ups and this guitar sounds hot through this amp. I also found a squire in a ditch and pluged it in to this amp and the squire even sounds freaking awesome! If you play music and can't find your sound.... This Amp will help. Or if your going for a sound this amp has it! It is not noisy at all.. I have a Floreccent light like 4 feet above my amp and i can't hear anything with it... If i have my Tube Screamers on i can but other than that Great! The amp can make tons of sound 32 amp models to emulate and get dead on most of the time... The Clean is awesome.. The DIST is awesome! I can turn up Clean all the way and it isn't DIST at all.. I'm playing throught G12H80's. And the cabs new and i have been playing loud! The amp and Cabs are sounding better by the Second! The Distortion on it is So bad ass... That is if you know how to configure. To get good sounds you have to work with this amp nothing just pops out but just get a sound in your head and try to produce it through the EQ and what not...

This amp is built very rugged.... Heck the first day i bought it and it came to my house i picked up the box and the tape broke and the amp hit the Ground from 4 feet up .. Ground was concrete... The amp just had a Scuff on one of the corners... Nothing more.... So this is a good rugged amp. I would not need to by a back up at all...

I delt with the customer support from Musicians friend more than i did with Behringer the closest store is in Washington.....

Don't be surprised when you see this Amp's Price go through the roof. I'm guessing they will sell this for a good 799+ here in a couple of months becouse of how good it is....I also forgot to mention the output problem i ran into.... If you have a 4 ohm cab it will push that cab at 120 watts.... That is on either ther Right or Left channel.... If you have another cab you can put it on the right or left which every output your other cab isn't on and it will be pushed 60 watts.. So 60 watts on 8 ohm cab and only get one channel... If you have an 8 ohm cab and want 120 watts like i want just simple re-wire you cab and your set... Even though this is 60watts solid state... Its not to shabby pretty loud for solid state.. I don't think its loud but everybody else thinks its pretty damn loud so who know... I'm also breaking in my cabs so that might have somthing to do with it...


Http://www.Smiley-Smuggz.com

I think it was made in 2005. I sold off all my rack gear to downsize, and bought this. I did alot of research on modeling amps and have had a Cyber twin and for me this sound's much better. I also own the Vamp 2 desk top for home recording so I knew this would be great. I didnt like the sound's on the Line 6 stuff and the Cybertwin seem to be a little brittle. I play alot of styles, mainly Texas blue's and Classic rock. Also learned alot from dare I say the hair band day's. This has some fantastic tone's for all. I really am surprised that it is a digital amp. Very responsive to your playing. It has enough well over enough features for me. The only thing I dont like is the auto wah, But I have yet to hear one that I have liked.

I use two strat's, One with seymour vintage staggard's and a JB bucker in the bridge and the other with Mighty mite vintage alnico's. I also recently bought a Samick (Greg Bennett) PRS type with the cheaper designed by seymour duncan bucker's. All three sound a little different which is what I love about the amp. It really lets each guitar have it's own voice. Just pick an amp type tweek the eq, pick the best sounding simulated cab, through a little comression (or what ever effect you like) add a dash of verb (or not) hold button to store and your off. I built my own cabinet, It's a 2X12 but not your traditional type. It is actually two seperate chambers in one box. I have two old peavey speaker's 8ohm and can run the head in stereo using the full 120 watt's. It is plenty loud enough for most gig situations, but if not it has plenty of output options to run direct to the board with it's own direct box built right in, How cool is that. This amp will go from clean to scream. With heavy distortion you will need to step up the noise gate a bit which work's very well. I have preset's for Jake e lee back in Badland's and it just smoke's. I also got some killer SRV tone patch's. All I can say is if you can hear it, you can get it out of this amp. Much easier to program than the cybertwin was and a way better bang for the buck, (My opinion).

I have a few thing's made by Behringer and have been very happy with their product's. It is very well built, I would without a doubt gig with it without a back up. No worries...I have only had the head for three month's but a bit of trouble with it. Couldn't say that about the Cybertwin???? Like I said best bang for the buck in the modeling relm, Hand's down!

Called twice to get info on the amp before purchase and they were nothing but great, great, great.

Been playing since 1979, As stated before I have the two strat's and the samick, Yamaha g100112 combo, Peavey bass, a CB pro 5 piece drum set w/ sabine cymbals, Yamaha 10/2 mixer, V-amp 2, Alesis sr-16 drum machine, Tube ultragain mic100 preamp, computer based recording system, Pro tool's and cool edit pro 2.0 and variouse rack effect's and power amps. Got into home recording and am loving it. Write what I want, Play what I want. If it were lost or stolen I would buy another. I am super happy with it.I compared it with the line 6 and for me it kill's em. I cant believe how good this sound's to be more than half what line 6 want's for their amp's, Kinda make's you wonder, Hmmmmm.... I just thought I would put my two cents in on this amp because I thing it is a great value. I really believe most people would be very suprised if they sit down with one and give it a go for a little bit, Really suprised. Very much worth the money.

I Bought it new in 2005 from zzounds for $216.00 (free shipping too). Not sure when it was made, guessing it was 2004. This is one of the most versatile amps I have ever played on. It has 32 different amp simulations and 15 cabinet configurations. It can store many presets and you can flip through them using the pedal, a feature I don't particularly care for. I mostly just use this for home use, I do however plan on doing some recording with it in the future. NOTE: if you have a cabinet that is only 8 ohms, then you will need another 8 ohm cabinet to use all 120 watts, otherwise 8 ohms only allows you to use 60 watts instead of 120 watts. You can use a 4 ohm cabinet to use all 120 watts (in mono), or if you have a cab that can be rewired to have two 8 ohm speaker channels then you can use 120 watts in stereo (or just use two 8 ohm cabinets).

I am using this amp with a 1973 Guild S-100 that uses an SH-1 and a SH-4 Seymour Duncan humbucker. Its being played through a Marshall JCM cabinet with 4x12 celestions (an 8 ohm cabinet, so I only get 60 watts...argh). The sounds you can obtain from this amp are simply incredible. I've been playing for about 8 years now, and I have owned a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, and have played on many different big name tube amps. I actually use to be a serious tube snob, so please hear what I have to say. This amp does a DAMN good job of emulating the sound of real analog tube amps. I have to confess that it does indeed do a frighteningly good job of simulating the sound of the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. I use to play my rectifier day and night, so I know its sound pretty well, and I can tell you that this amp not only comes close to the sound of my dual rectifier, but it also can do 10 million things my Mesa Boogie can't do. The distortions that this amp provides is the reason why I bought it. Every amp simulation is distinct, and each one is very tweakable. I have to admit that I do not like the sound of this amp with the cabinet simulations. This might be be due to the fact that I am already playing the amp through a 4x12 cab, but I'm not sure. With the cabinet simulations turned on, it seems to sound muddy sometimes, but with it turned off it (in L2 mode) it seems to sound fine. In my opinion this amp is more suited towards a metal/heavy rock/punk guitar player than anything else, but is versatile enough for a jazz/blues/funk player as well. I am not saying this amp does a perfect emulation of a tube amp, because it doesn't, but it is EXTREMELY close. If you did a pepsi challenge with this amp and a room full of amps that it also emulates, very few people would even be able to tell the difference. Considering this fact, for $200 there is no other amp on the market that has a better value period. If your thinking about purchasing this amp, do it. You will not be disappointed. I've tried a few line6 amps before, and this thing sounds way better to me, and costs a whole lot less.

So far so good...none of the electronics have failed, nothing has broke...can't really say much.

I haven't contacted behringer about anything yet...so I dunno.

If it were lost or stolen, I would definitely bust a cap in whoever took it. Well, then again its so damn cheap I'd probably just buy another one and pimp slap the person who stole it. So far there isn't anything I have found that I dislike about the amp besides the fact that it maybe could look a little cooler, but who cares. I did hear from someone that active pickups such as the EMG-81, or EMG-85, have major troubles with this amp, so beware. Like I said before, this amp (to me) sounds better than anything Line6 has to offer, and at a price that is almost ludicrous. I would have easily paid up to $400-500 for this thing, because thats really how much it is worth! I really cannot believe that they are giving this thing away for $200 a piece.

to many to list.

this is one of the best amps ever made,dont listen to the people that say use L2 mode,use L1 mode with speaker simulation ,turn treble all the way up in configuration mode set mids and bass at half or so,it is really important to keep treble up though, exit mode find amp tweak the mother fucker , this amp can do some serious shit.

fuck yea.

nice people.

Ihave a bunch of tube heads, and this is my best head

Made in 2004. 32 amp models, 15 speaker cab sims, 16 multi-effects, 125 memory locations, 15 rear panel connectors, MIDI implementation, etc. I am able to cover any style and sound with this amp - which I love about it. Crystal clear cleans, slightly overdriven, blues crunch, raging distortion, or any other sound I can think up. You can save your sounds in presets to recall later, which is another big plus. I especially like the built in tuner and the tap tempo function. It is great for live and studio work. It can operate in both 120 watt mono or 2 x 60 watt stereo. It has more connectivity options and features than other amps I've seen or owned. It is very loud if you read the manual and learn how to use it. The lights and digital readout also look cool in a dark room or on stage.

I have many, different guitars with both humbuckers and single coils that I use with this amp. I am currently playing this head through a 400 watt custom built, mono, 4x12 cab loaded with Celestion G12H100s. At first, I thought this amp head was just okay using the included presets. After reading the manual and adjusting the amp to my liking, I now love it. One cool feature about this amp is that you can adjust the input settings to match your different pickups. Again, I can find any sound with this amp to match any style that I am wanting to play. I might go from a lush chorus sound, to a slighty dirty tone, to over the top thrash. With a push of a button or a tap of my toe, I can go from jazz, country, pop, rock, metal, etc. The amp is also very responsive to your playing and guitar settings.

Very solid construction. I would use it without a backup. I have had no problems.

I have never dealt with them. There is a user section on their website for uploading and downloading presets with other users. You can also download software from their website to save your presets on your computer.

I have been playing for 20 or more years. I own numerous guitars, amps, processors, pedals, etc. I would buy it again if it was lost or stolen, or I would buy their newest model if it was even better. I love everything about this amp. I compared this with their analog model, as well as other offerings by Crate, Peavey, Marshall, Carvin, Randall, Custom, Line6, etc. This was not only the cheapest head, compared to the competition, but also offered the most bang for the buck factor. I'm very happy with this purchase.

I got my V-ampire a few weeks ago and did one gig with it. It has some interesting features and seems to be easy enough to operate. Reviews like the ones here were very helpful as I started to explore the amp. I basically created my own sounds with the v-ampire. A few things I discovered as I was playing with the amp. You can adjust your overall gain by the type of pick-ups you use. If you use hot pick-ups then you would want to back off some of the gain. This works well. Also you have an additional EQ setting to set the overall bite of the amp. Though the Clean sound don't seem to sound crystal clear but hopefully when they make another version they'll work on that. I'd say 8 on the features.

I play a tradition strat style guitar that has split coils on each pick-up, and a Ephiphone Les paul custom plus. It works great with the strat I was definatley getting some SRV tones at times with it. The les Paul I thought didn't work as well. For cleaner tones it got a bit muddy to me. I since then have worked on it and fixed some of that problem. It's a metal style amp in my opinion. I've owned lots of amps and this one has more of that style of sound to me.

I hope it will last a long time. I've only had it for 2-weeks. It does have an unusual smell to it. Electronic type smell like a transformer burning. I suppose that's normal. Knock on wood. I play it everyday, and done one job with it so I hope it's normal. I baby the amp so time will tell I guess.

I e-mailed Behringer about the smell and any suggestions about getting a cleaner tone with the amp without the top strings wimping out. Haven't heard from them yet. Hopefully they will soon. All my friends who own there gear say they are great about helping out with questions.

I used the amp with a 212 cab wired in stereo so I get the individual speakers at 60 watts per speaker. The cab sounds great it's something I built and works fine with the head. Doesn't seem very powerful to me like a tube amp, but that's just, it's not. It's an incredible amp in my opinion. Just a few things that I think Behringer will iron out in the future. I've always been anti-digital everything, but in todays world it certainly is easier to go this route than have more amps on a stage and pedals everywhere. I wish they could make it a bit cleaner sounding. A good bell tone would be nice. Anyway it's great overall.

GOt this for Chrismas as a present to me.(why should the family get all the loot?)32 amp models 16 cab models .set your banks up with same models and the delay in swithing is nothin to whine about.As far as volume ?hehhe Kris take the bananas out of your ears
effects loop and more connections in the back than you may ever need.

I use a Carvin Contour 66,A Grande set neck Les Paul spec.(70's Lawsuit all Mahogany Paf Pro /bridge) .I record thru the headphone out ,(so far)and play live thru a jcm 800 cab.The models sound good to me and feel right live .this amp will bring down large wild game at 100 yds. Louder than ^#$%$& with the chest poundin thump you would expect bfrom a real amp. The engl is scary.Cab sims are very tight and don't sound just like EQ.the amp can be heard at
http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?songs=301656&T=7827
songs /plaid and iguana. I got over bein a tube snob years ago.

no problems so far

havent contacted behringer but AMS was very cool

been playing for a long time and started playing again for therapy(not the Psycho kind)Havent found anthing yet to whine about. the Vamp interface for PC is for good

Just a warning, I have this head since a week and I can only say it is absolutely not powerful. They say 60 watts/side, but it sounds much more like 25-30 watts IMO, and not tubes-watts. I was very surprised indeed. And a bit disappointed, even if playing loud is not much needed by now.
In fact my spider2 75watter sounds louder and clearer by itself than the vampire on a 412!
There are also big timelags when changing presets on the vampire, and that's a pain where you know. Again, nothing such on my spider 2 112.
In fact, my advice would be: spent a bit more cash for the spider 275 head if you need something loud&effective in the real nasty world.
Soundwise, you get farts&mud with the vampire, and cold sharp clear sounds with the spider2.
Nothing for the experienced player? Don't know.
One more thing: with the spider2 you can use a booster to push your solos, the amp accepts it greatly (I have a 901 tube pedal, great for heating the sound). While the vampire cannot stand it, it overloads and farts then. In fact it overloads with my RG 7strings, straight inside. No matter what I do with the input gain (in the drive menu).
Thanks for reading, I strongly recommend to buy this where you have a good return policy as I'm pretty sure you might be as disappointed as I am.

Made in '04. You can read the specs on the web site. I mostly play rock, southern rock and blues, but dabble in metal and even some country in the studio. It was an easy decision to lay down $220 for this amp. I've spent over 20 times as much on gear that couldn't do half as much. Like someone else said below, whether it really sounds like the actual amps isn't the point. I've used over half the amps it simulates and it's a lot less trouble than a Matchless, less worry than a'58 Champ, and way more versatile than a Mesa. Sure, the effects aren't as aggressive as some want but I don't like my sound over processed anyway. If you can afford all the gear this thing simulates go ahead and start your own museum and buy a semi to haul it around. Otherwise, save your money for a decent guitar. With headphones I can practice in the den while everyone else watches TV - pretty cool. Also, going online to download new tones will be a new experience for me.

I play an Am. Del. Strat and an old Les Paul with Seymour Duncans and a couple of others. Despite the hum from the Strat, this is a relatively quiet amp - more quiet than the amps it simulates. The cleans are pretty good and the distortion can go way over the top when you want it. With a decent EQ, the bottom end comes on like an avalanche. Active pickups are problematic with this amp but they are with other amps, too. The amp is also a lot more responsive than I expected. The guys I play with were blown away by the sound and the price left their jaws on the ground. Make sure you have decent chords and clean connections. Being digital, I think it's a little more sensitive to worn or dirty connections than traditional amps. Also, as noted elsewhere, read the manuel. You'll have to tweak it to get some really good tones. And if nothing else, learn the difference between S1, S2, S3, L1, and L2. I think it will be great int the studio. It does a great job creating the warmth and depth of a tube amp. For me, the real test was getting a "brown sound." With a little work, I think I nailed it.

This amp seems very rugged but it is basically a computer and should be treated as such. If you hit the road, buy a flight case. I've never had any problems with Behringer equipment and this seems at least as sturdy as anything else they make. Once I've spent enough time in the studio with it, I'll try it live. My main concern is that sometimes I like to tweak my sound on the fly depending on room, atmosphere, and mood. I still think a couple of pedals and a good tube amp makes that easier.

Not had to deal with Behringer Customer Support. One time an item was on back order with them and I actally got it before the store said it would arrive - very pleased.

I've been playing for 24 years and have a garage full of equipment. This piece can do so many different things fairly well that I'll keep it out front and save my vintage gear for when nothing else will do. For the price you can't go wrong. I compared this to a couple of others but my ears say this one does it the best and for the best price. If it were stolen or lost, I'd replace it.

Brand new 2004. Youve read about the features already or you wouldnt be here.

I'm using the Line 6 Variax 500 with this thing and man does it scream. I dont understand the variax reviews about not getting a heavy tone because the Lester setting is more than ample for any kind of heavy rock you want to do. I'm using an avatar 412 cabinet and running it in stereo, which is another huge plus for this amp. The stereo delays and rotary effects are top notch, just like with the v-amp. The wah leaves a bit to be desired, but it still sounds damn good for the price you pay.

This mofo is so friggin heavy!!!! Seems to be built fairly well though.

Behringer customer support is awesome. I've called them many times with questions and they are very helpful with everything about their stuff, as well as general gear questions.

The main factor for buying this amp is the price/features ration. While other amps like the vetta have some better features, the lx1200 matches a lot of them flawlessly. I will be using this amp for a long while.

Brand new 2004. 125 channels that can be edited and stored, 32 amp sims including all the major Hign gain amp legends including the 1959 Marshall plexi and JCM 800, 94 Mesa Boogie dual Rec trem-o-verb, Rectified head, Boogie MK II & III, The Engl Savage Beast, a souped up Rectifier amp, the ultimate V-amp(Brutal distortion) and others. The unit also simulates some very expensive amplifiers that some musicians might not ever get a chance to play through such as the Dumble overdrive special and the Budda Twinmaster as well as the Matchless Chieftain among others. Also features 15 speaker cab sims, 16 different effects each with TWO parameters, 9 different seperate reverbs, adjustable Wah, input gain switch, treble that also functions as a presence control, adjustable tuner, noise gate, 5 configuration modes, 120 watt mono, 2x60 stereo, headphone input, clip & signal led, power amp bypass to use the unit as an fx unit only, every midi configuration you can think of, downloadable software, volume with MASTER volume etc and so on as the features go on and on and that's just some on the front of the amp as the back is loaded with so many features, uses and configurations it would take me an hour to type it all. Unbelievable.

Most of the presets suck but once you start tweaking and honing in on what you looking for it gets apparant that you have at your disposable a very powerful and very thought out piece of gear. The unit is capable of getting all different kinds of sounds. I must agree the unit does lean on the high gain side and I love it because that's why I bought it. It is true it is hard(but not impossible) to get a "Buzzy" type distortion but that's by design as it only simulates expensive and milestone amplifiers, your not going to find a Peavy Bandit simulation on any of the settings. The amp sounds good through a 4x12 and even better when recording and using the cab simulations, and unlike many amps that cost 10 times as much the settings actually change the sound even moved a hair and actually there are even in between settings as well. Does the unit sound like a Savage or a Boogie? Of course not but close enough for my money. All the sounds are in there you just have to be patient and READ THE MANUAL 20 times if you need to. You have to understand the unit before you can master it's capabilities. It does come with a simple "up-down" footswitch that allows you access to all 125 channels. What I do is set up the 5 presets in each bank. That allows you five different sounds to do one song and beings your staying in the same bank no delay when switching. When the song is over you simply walk over to the amp and change the bank from bank 1 to bank 2 and so on, now I have 5 more sounds to do the next song. You could actually do this 25 times and do 25 different songs which is a nice set without changing banks during a song and each song has 5 different sounds for you to utilize. Now that's versatile and all with that little footswitch that comes with the amp like it should. The amp also looks wicked in the dark as you can see all the settings in RED great when on a dim lighted stage. The footswitch does'nt have any lights but you really don't need em. I currently use an 84 Made in Japan X-Series Vantage X-77 Avenger fitted with a Duncan SH-2 and Sh-4 the amp really brings the guitars tones out. That's all I use now, the amp with a Marshall 4x12 cab and my guitar. That's all I need(for now till they release the matching cab). I play Heavy rock and Heavy metal and have been playing for 30+ years. The volume complaints concerning the Combo version has been solved with the head version as Behringer was listening for sure. Also I would wait for the matching BG412V 4x12 cab which was delayed in it's release and moved up to the first quarter of 2005. I was told by a Behringer rep through email that the cabinet was designed for ROCK, not country, not blues, but ROCK and METAL and is voiced like a Marshall. I already ordered the cabinet and when it comes in out goes the Marshall and in comes another guitar.

Seams well built and works like it should I guess time will only tell.

Emailed Behringer several times and got a response every single time. Very heplful.

I can't really see myself giving this amp anything less then a 10 as I have'nt yet found anything about the unit that I don't like. For features, sound and the "Thought" process that went into the design concerning this amp it's a 9.5. Giving the price of $219.99 it gets a 10. Do yourself a favor if your looking into a modeling amp. Go into a music shop and A/B it with another modeling amp. You be the judge and all I can say to anyone reading this is THE AMP IS WORTH EVERY PENNY. PERIOD.

In practice this is a 125 channel stereo 2 x 60W head with 32 amp models and a whole bunch of digital effects thrown in. It aslo has just about every conceivable type of in/out connection you could ever want and even comes with a footswitch included.....What else do you want?!

Let's not get in to the "does sound exactly like (insert favourite vintage tube amp here)?" debate. No it doesn't, but if you think that's the point, then you REALLY don't get the point!! This amp has a fabulous range of different tones on offer and many of them are very good indeed. This point has been raised before but is important: unless you are using the V-Ampire for direct recording, MAKE SURE YOU SET THE AMP IN L2 MODE!! If you use a mode with speaker modeling engaged, then it WILL sound like crap when you are connected to a real speaker cab!

I'm a long-time modeling convert and use the wonderful PODxt as my main recording tool, but I have always been less impressed with this technology as an amp alternative until now. I've tried the Line6 Spider and Flextone combos and never been impressed - I think that frankly, this V-Ampire kills them dead. I have it hooked up to a Behringer 4 x 12 cab and it sounds great, even at home studio-friendly volumes (an important factor when comparing this to tube amps!). You have to take some time to tweak patches to suit your guitars and playing syles, but with some small effort, this amp will do sparkly clean, crunch and all-out shred equally well. Keep the effects subtle, and they will also add some spice to the sound (compressor/chorus is nice for clean and a little delay works great for soaring lead tones). The auto-wah isn't exactly a highlight, but who needs it?

Guitar-wise, I use a 2001 Gibson LP Std Goldtop (hot-rodded with SD Phatcat P90s - awsome sound!), PRS Custom 24, Ibanez JP100-P2 (Petrucci signature model), U.S. Peavey Wolfgang Stoptail Std and Line6 Variax 500. I've found great V-Ampire sounds for all of them, so this amp should work well with most guitars. I don't have anything with low-output single coils, but since you can adjust the input gain on the amp, that shouldn't be a problem. I'm not sure how loud you could get this thing to work using very low gain settings, but it's many times over-loud enough for my home use!

I haven't owned it long enough to comment yet, but my past experience with Behringer gear has been that they build robust stuff.

I've had some contact previously with Behringer and always found them open, responsive and helpful.

I've been playing for over 30 years and apart from my direct recording boxes, I also have a Laney TT20H 20/12W tube head. That has a great tone, but it is a single channel amp with a much more limited range of sounds on tap. The V-Ampire is just perfect for coming home, plugging in and jamming away with easily selectable, completely different tones & effects for maximum inspiration. It is NOT a substitute for a room full of hideously expensive tube amps, but it IS immense playing fun and for the price of one or two stomp boxes or about 25 sets of strings, it is quite incredible value. In bang-for-buck, I can't see any possible competition.

New Nov. 2004 - Seems surprisingly well made considering the PRICE. This amp is more than just a V-AMP2 with a power amps. It has a 'clip' light and an input gain control to adjust for weak or strong output pickups. Other features are well documented elsewhere. The other surprise is that the master volume control actually works thru it's entire range - on most other amps I've owned (and they are many) the master generally stops doing anything except making noise above 5 or 6. Overall it has a wealth of features. Those it does not have, I Don't miss.

I am using the head thru a mid '70s marshall 4x12 cab with rola-celestion goldbacks. The cab has been wired stereo (8 ohms per side).
This cab is undoubtedly a major component of the great tone I'm able to get. I like heavy and crunchy-bassy 80's metal tones ala marsall jcm800-900, and a crystal jazz chorus clean. The amp does these very well. Tweaking is necessary to even out the channel volumes, compression levels - etc. This amp seems to favor higher output pickups over single coils. at about 12 o'clock on the master volume the amp is plenty loud and starts to push air quite nicely. There is very little hum or noise with the noise gate engaged. The chorus effect seems to wash out the sound on high gain models a little more than I'd like, but this can be compensated for with some EQ and channel volume tweaking. The low-mid-high-pres. EQ adjustments are OK, but I'd love to see a second set of eq parameters come into play for the lows & mids when the 2nd option button is pressed. I'd rate the sound of this unit at or above the other modeling stuff from L6, etc... (I own a now dead AX2, so I would know)

Time will tell

Called them in Washington once about a year ago for a replacement e-prom chip for my V-amp2. They were very friendly and sent one at no charge.

Been playing 25 yrs. Owned a little of everything, Peavy, Marshall Crate, Line-6 and now this. If it proves reliable - for THE PRICE it's unbeatable.

Brand new, just out of the box Nov 2004. Extremely versatile, will channel switch oh about 125 times. Everything can be edited in your
preset; volume, gain, bass, mid, treble, set which effects you want, etc., right on the amp as you listen. Then save it on whatever preset number you want. Oh and the treble control is also a presense control
when you hold down the "tap" button. You'll have to go somewhere else to get the rest of the features, it has so many. I mean it.

I tried a Ibanez two PSND humbuck guitar and it still could get a good surfin sound. Dead quiet on most settings but will hum a little on some high gain, high volume settings, AS IT Should! Otherwise you would have a wimp sound. It reminds me of an amp with good a pedals array.
The "compressor" effect gives you great sustain and really helps
give you more power in the sound. It sounds fab at low and high volume
so IMO is the perfect working musicians amp. It is also the best bet for your studio as it has every connection and setting for studio convenience, like cab sims, etc. My favorite sound so far is the "modern hi-gain". But since the presets are all fully editable
there is no limit to the sound preference. I couldn't get it to
sound like fuzzy static even on the "Fuzzbox" setting, but I suppose
with some tweaking, that preamppy raspy static distortion could be dialed in. I mean for most of your applications this amp will sound better than most tube amps above 50 amps. And that is where most people have to play anyway. I haven't found a tube amp yet AT LOW VOLUME that sounds better than the Peavey Transtube Supreme, Crate GX1200H, Crate G1500H, Marshall MG100DFX, etc. Face it, you have to crank all tube amps to get into output tube distortion, otherwise the sound stinks as it is preamp distortion. However the amp companies are trying to get us to love that fizzy sound so they can make cheap
amps for us. This amp sounds great and can be your secret weapon to
make great sounds and not blast everyones hearing, unless they want you to. I really like this amp, you will too. I am one who has faith that there won't be any vacuum tube amps on the real Starship Enterprise a couple hundred years from now. BTW I own a 50 watt all tube PTP amp. It sounds good when cranked past halfway on the master.
Below that level it is preamp tone. I also have another 100 watt all tube that I use with a Hot Plate to get the volume down so it can be cranked also.

I got a double warranty when I bought it. It is "no extra charge" at one of the big musical supply houses. Years ago we really didn't carry a backup because we didn't have the room or money to drag around twice the equipment. I suppose I would just plug into the main mixer to finish the night, why drag all yer stuff around so it can get wrecked or stolen.

I got a free double warranty and so I guess I am fat and happy.
Other than that, I don't know nuthin'!

I hate to have to buy something twice, it just adds to the pain and loss. But if I could only have one amp, this would be it. The features and sound quality at the giveaway price, c'mon, this is made for the
real workin' stiffs. Tube rats wouldn't go near it for fear it might sound better than the overpriced and [never used on stage] amps.
Buy it, use it. It costs about like two decent pedals. Even the manual says you can bypass the amp and use it as a pedal, Ha!
Other than that I don't have an opinion!

i got this amp knowing it was going to be exactly like the V-amp2 i had last year, i was unimpressed with that as it sounded CRAP though my amp, so the idea of it BEING an amp made me go for it.it handles the goth/death/heavy metal i play really well even at low volumes and under head phones....pleanty of effects although limited and a nice selection of cab sim's.

it has enough of a raw edge to it when through two compact marshall 4x12's at its optimum of either 2x60 watts or 120 watts mono...the effects are nice enough to put someone to sleep, and if that does happen just turn it up louder to wake them back up.Tip find the heaviest F*****g setting and about 2am in the morning play wait and bleed and just watch how fast the neighbours lights come on. You'd be supprised.

very good reall....Yes behringer do seem to be the "break-down-able" products on the shelf but if you do happen to get one that works then it's not a bad thing.....don't be put off by reputation.....i wasn't and i'm glad.

Top notch....if a little slow took 6 days to get a response even for a general question....on the whole v.good

for the price very good ....if you cant afford line 6 amp heads go for the v-ampire it's cheap, fairly reliable (customer support that is) and all in all a fine bit of kit......Tip ....if you can get a v-ampire and a line 6 flextone head in the same room at the same time crank'em up and let your ears decide......Have FUN!!!!!

This is a 2 x 60W modelling stereo amp head with 32 amp models, 15 speaker simulations and some basic FX. Behringer mentions that it can deliver 120w mono, but please note: 120W MONO IS FOR 4 OHMS ONLY! With just one 8 ohm cabinet, you're stuck with 60W and that just won't cut it when playing with a loud band. So you'll either have to rewire your cabinet or buy a full stack. Bummer. I didn't read the manual well enough before buying, so this was a major let-down.

I have no personal experience on the sound as of yet(see "Reliability" below). But my bandmate says it seems soundwise pretty good and versatile. Especially for the money paid.

Arrived completely dead. No sound, no lights, nothing. There were no marks on the package nor on the head itself that would indicate any mishandling. So it's probably an indication Behringer's (non-existant?) quality control. With the same order came my bandmate's LX1200H as well. It worked.

I won't be dealing with Behringer directly. The company that sold me the amp will take care of the replacement. Warranty is for one year and it was put into use even without one note coming throught the amp(and somehow I'm...uh well...very unimpressed).

Well well well, I was practically standing in line to get this amp the instant it was released. I have used loads of different tube amps before and while I've loved the tube sound, I was looking for an easy plug-and-play MIDI controllable solution for live use. I'll post another review when (if?) I get it working. Looks nice and well built on the outside, though.