Behringer LX210 V-Ampire 210 Combo

This 2005 amp's greatest strength is that it is incredibly versatile. It has 32 different amps it simulates, from hi-gain to blues to clean. No matter your guitar or style, you can find something to match it. I play hard rock and metal myself.

There are 25 preset "banks" with 5 presets each. For example, in bank 1 I put a metal distortion, a clean, a smooth lead tone, a fuzz rhythm tone and a quasi-dirty fuzz-meets-clean tone. I can switch between all of them using the footswitch, but to go to a different bank I have to push a button on the amp. There is a split second pause when shifting between different amp models, but in L2 mode (recommended for just about all use)there is no drop out at all between different presets that use the same amp model. Therefore the presets can works as an effects box -- the same tone with and without the effect, or with higher or lower distortion.

It has an effects loop, inconveniently located in the back (the footswitch plug-in is also back there, but fortunately the cord is really long). It also has XLR and MIDI jacks, great for recording and live use, though I haven't tested out how it works straight through a PA (as opposed to mic'ed) yet.

My favorite amp sims are Custom Hi Gain (keep the mids around half, though, because a too-midrangey sound doesn't work in a band setting with this one), Black Twin for clean and Fuzz Box for leads and more psychedelic rhythms. The Rectifier sim isn't my taste but sounds like Metallica with the mids scooped.

The effects are by far the amp's weakest point. For one, turning them on pretty significantly reduces your volume. I'm not sure why, but it's annoying. Two, some of them aren't that good.

The delay, chorus, phaser, tremelo and autowah are quite usable. I would recommend presetting your sounds, though, because it's hard to tap the tempo in accurately, especially with delays. You can use two at the same time, but only the ones that they include together -- delay and chorus, for example. The flanger is easily the weakest -- you need to put it pretty much on maximum for it to work with distortion, using the "tap" button to adjust the speed is awkward (if you just do the tempo of the piece it will swirl all the way up and down on each beat) and it really doesn't work at all with clean sounds ("Lightning Crashes," for example). Fortunately, I still have all the effects I used with my old amp, so I can make up for it.

It also has "drive" mode and a noise gate you can set individually for each preset. The drive mode kicks up the volume and makes two gain stages (which is awesome for a smooth distortion) and the noise gate has 15 different settings -- it can just take the static out of the silence, or it can pretty much kill any note you sustain for more than 3 or 4 seconds. You can find the setting that works for each preset. My only complaint is that it takes a second to kick in, so you can have distortion sound => feedback for a split second => noise gate silences feedback, instead of the distortion sound => silence you're going for.

I've only had it about a week, but it's built quite solidly and the foot pedal looks like you could throw it off a building without hurting it. I've heard that the insides aren't the highest quality though, and the knobs are plastic.

n/a

I've been playing for about 8 years, and I use an Epiphone Les Paul with a bunch of random effects. I have to say that, for the price and features, I would not recommend anything else to a musician on a budget. Bear in mind that you'll need to buy a flanger if you want one, and that Behringer has a reputation for products that don't always last very long, but this amp sounds great and is the most versatile piece of gear I've ever experienced. It is more than twice as powerful as my old Fender Princeton Chorus, and it easily edges its way in between the drums, bass, vocals and two other guitarists in my band. Many of the effects work well if you can use the volume knob (you can set volume individually with each preset) to compensate for the lost power.

I don't know where to start. This was just released earlier this year based on the behringher LX112. The LX112 has 1x60watts 12" speaker but this one(LX210) has 2x60watts 10" thus, creating stereo. The 2 speaker V-ampire sells for $70, but for the same price you might wanna check some kind of musician's friend site (hint). It has external outputs for hooking up to a cabinet or monitor or mixer etc.

Plenty of volume. I'm shocked at how clean the sound is at high volumes. 1/4" headphone jack. The noise gate works very well. I never have really used a different one though. It works on a scale of 0-15. With 0 having the noise gate off and 15 cuts out all excess noise, feedback or buzz even on highest gain settings. You can adjust this to your preference.
The "Drive" feature i use on almost all of my playing. It seems to sound better by increasing the volume and accenting the tone controls(bass, mid, treb, gain ,presence) making a sort of overdrive effect.

125 Presets arranged in 25 banks of 5 presets. These range from soft and twangy to electronica and psychadelia. You can erase ones you don't like and save your own. You can switch to each preset in one bank with your finger or 2 way footswitch(included).
So if you are gigging and you got a rythym tone and a lead tone, you can erase two of the original presets and save yours in one bank. So when you're playing you can use the footswitch for switching up to 5 different presets. Then you have to change the banks with your finger in order to access the next 5 presets. ALso, when switching, there is less than a 1/2 second pause. This seems to bother some but not me.

Effects: (i forgot some)
Tremelo, rotary, auto-wah, chorus, flanger, delay, echo, ping pong delay, phaser, compressor, noise gate, reverb, and combinations of both such as delay and phaser one, delay and phaser 2, chorus and delay etc.
There are 9 reverbs Ranging from bathroom reverb to large hall to ultra reverb when on full gives a very cool, powerful orchestra like effect which is very cool to play chords on. I love the reverbs.
The auto wah is ok for certain songs. I rather use my crybaby.
All of the time based effects can be played up to your tempo by pushing the "Tap button" with the beat of your piece. I'm not sure of the limits for each one but i know the delay can reach definitley over 2 seconds. But you could also combine two effects which aren't made as presets and adjust the control for each of them.

Amp&Cab simulations V-AMP Pro:
I absolutley love the amp, cabinet and speaker setings. 32 amp models, 15 cabinet simulations, 15 speaker simulations. I love messing with these to try and get that exact sound i want. The Amp simulations are listed in the manual to tell you what they are supposed to be modeled off of such as the JCM800, Blacktwin, Tweed Combo, VOX-AC30, Mesa-Boogie head and many more. At first i was thinking well these are just alright. But after a few hours i was very impressed of the potential sound which could come out of the amp by simply tweaking the simulations.
The cabinet simulations are great too replicating old Fender cabs and such. The speaker simulations are really cool for adding that edge to your tone. The 15 models replicate Vintage 30 celestions, 60's american made speakers, and 70's british made speakers etc.
These are all outstanding. With nothing but an amp i can match almost any tone from any song i want.

I use my les paul custom for playing classic rock, 80's rock, classic metal, blues, shred, some country. This amp can do it all and then some. It's only noisy on extreme settings but then you could also use the noisegate and this eliminates exactly what you want gone. Distortion is brutal and very good.

I was skeptical of whether or not i should buy from Behringer because i've heard stories about how they are constantly being serviced and have to be sent to China or Germany. But this amp seems great and totally reliable.

Never had to deal with them.
1 year warranty also.

It's better than i imagined. I bought this amp without ever playing it, only by reading the great reviews i found on several sites. I did plenty of research into which amp i should buy. From the reviews i read, the LX210 reviews stood out right away compared to that of Line6, fender, hughes and kettener, marshall etc. And to think I would have bought an almost $400 marshall instead. Yes Marshalls are awesome but you just cant beat the price and features for this amp. So many different sounds. I can see this amp as being sold for double its price.

If lost I would definitley buy it again. No question. I gave a really messy review so if this amp sounds even half way decent, you have to check out the Behringer website. And for reviews, since its a new model there aren't that many so look under the LX112 to get a good idea of what its like. It is very similiar.

Overall, I can't rank it any lower than 10. This amp doesn't sound digitalized at all. No forced sounds just pure tone. I'm extremely pleased and think i made a great choice.

Pros:
-Tons of features(effects, controls etc.)
-Lower priced
-Great quality sound and construction
-Great simulations/like having several amps and cabs
-Durable 2 way footswitch included

Cons:
-Wah Wah was just ok. I'm picky about my wah-wah tone but it is still very useable.
-Knobs/Pots are plastic. I'm careful with my amp and i don't travel much but be careful because i've read that some have broken their plastic shell of the actual potentiometer.
-A bit complex. You have to read the manual to learn how to use this. After a day or two you should be fine.

The pros definitley outweigh the cons. If you buy this, make sure to check out the website for the Tone Library and Tone Presets List.

Any questions at all e-mail me.

A new amp by Behringer. Earlier this year (2005) I purchased a Thunderbird practice amp by Behringer for home use of my Alesis Micron synthesizer. I am not a guitar player, so I was very surprised that the amp could handle the synth at all (it is warm and inexpensive and built to last). So, I recently became part of a musical duo playing eclectic "loop" music. I needed a larger amp to be able to be heard alongside my guitarist. The 15 watt Thunderbird was only audible at maximum volume and was distorted. I purchased the Behringer V-Ampire LX210 through Musician's Friend and was not disappointed. It has way more features than I could ever possibly use, and I am pleased with the overall sound. After fiddling with the amp for a couple of days after work, I was able to get a "clean, tube-warmed" sound out of the amp at low volumes, and at higher volumes, it will be very clean. Took me a while to realize that the front input isn't so great for line-level instruments, as it creates clipping at low volumes. I don't believe I will be using many of the on-board effects outside of compressor, tremolo and reverb, simply because I tailor my sounds on the synth first, and it has it's own effects section. Any more on the amp would be overkill. I am fairly sure that the 60 watts will be enough for the types of gigs we plan to play, and I am not looking for a huge amplifier. It sounds boutique and is very acceptable.

The kind of music I play is ambient/loop-based/experimental. So, as a synth-geek, I am looking for the reliability of solid-state amplification with the warmth of tube/amp/cab simulation. It really is tits for my style of playing. I do notice it picks up the airplane and cellphone frequency really well, but what amp doesn't? The amp can be very dirty and aggressive when it wants to, and very clean/analog-sounding when necessary. So, I can go apeshit with distortion if I feel like it or be clean and punchy. The variety of sounds this amp can make is immense.

I have been playing synthesizer for about 10 years, but I am not a synth-player. I am a drummer. So, my melodies are simple and more abstract than an actual keyboard/piano player's might be. I don't know if I would buy this product again, but it sure sounds great right now. I don't hate anything about it, I do wish the effects processor was laid out a bit better, because it doesn't really lend itself to being user-friendly. They offer software for PC-only users to edit presets. I have to purchase a Mac OS X version. That's kind of short-sighted on Behringer's part. But, Behringer is a great company and are just conforming to world-wide standards with the PC. I did not compare this product to others. It was a blind purchase based on reviews alone. I was/am pleasantly surprised. I wish it had a more retro-looking front mesh.

This amp is one of the newbees from Behringer, just released this year I think. I've been playing guitar for nearly 17 years and need an amp that can dish out every style from Jazz to Heavy Metal. Undoubtedly, this amp has what it takes. The 125 preset bank I find most convenient allowing you to change between 5 channels in each of 25 banks - the footswitch hasn't broken yet - and there's almost no delay between channels. Another great feature is the LX210's easy useability. The 32 amps are already there for you (tweaking them takes like 5 seconds) and the effects sound amazing - especially the flanger delay 2!! What's kindof crappy is that you can't choose 2 effects at the same time...oh well, you can't win 'em all

BTW the people that decided to put tuners in amps are friggen Geniuses.

I've always been an Ibanez guitar fan myself, but I've been mostly using my 24 fret Vantage with this baby. Overall, you can kindof see that this amp was made for distortion, with its bone crunching "savage beast" and "rectified gain" amp settings but the clean amps are practically silent. You really gotta turn up the drive and gain to get any real volume. Wouldn't recommend this thing for large gigs myself, but since I don't do those anymore, I can't complain with the sound that I get in my basement studio. The bass is good (from what you can get with 2 10" speakers), echo and delay are great, the auto wah is pretty lame (I just use my cry baby) but there are 9 different reverb settings so that kindof makes up for it. The Noise gate is not too bad either - does the job.

Depending on what style of music you are playing (of course), I would say that humbucker pickups work best with this amp.

Never did a gig with it, though I've had it for about 5 months playing pretty much every day. Hasn't broken down yet; sounds like the day I got it. The speakers can take the volume - no worries there. It uses digital modeling so you don't have to worry about servicing it so much. Take care of it and there shouldn't be any problems.

Oh yeah, and I don't think dropping ANY amp or cab down the stairs would prolong its life, so don't do that either!

Never had to deal with them yet. The Warranty is still good - 1 year from Behringer.

This amp is syk (I think that is the term used these days). The unique light-up knobs looks scary in the dark, but pretty cool. Think of this thing as a V-amp (like the LX1200) with loadspeakers, external cab options and 25 - 5 separate modelling channels with footswitch accessibility. Best of all, you can get the sound of 32 high priced amps out of a SINGLE magical box. If it were stolen, I would definitely beat the Sh** out of the person who took it, then cry...then go buy another. You just can't beat the price!

3rd review!! and last one i promise!! the auto wah is very good actually - as is the noise gate and hi gain amps - just need to tweak and play.

AND the compressor can be used along side all the other modulation if you download the Behringer editing software (you have to select available downloads for V-amp Pro, if you select V-ampire it wont show any available!) you will also need MIDI cables to use the software. I have the old fashioned kind going into the game port on my soundcard. I couldnt get it working at first but i Joined V-amp Group at Yahoo and they had a lot of useful information = turns out my MIDI port was switched off in my BIOS - i followed the instructions to turn it back on and SHAZZAM! in business!.

This thing has some very deep editing potential when using the software - I think the features of this amp at this price should be rated 12 at least!! please disregard my negative statements (below) = they were down to User error/stoopidity ;)

I can highly reccommend this amp!

this is my follow up review after trying it out for recording and with my Variax.

GOOD THINGS;
it works well with the variax, being able to setup a preamp bypass patch means the amp turns into a flat eq powered speaker so the variax acoustics will shine through (as will your digitech rpx400 or pod xtl or any other floor based modelling pedal.) - while in bypass mode you still have access to the onboard effects and reverb = very cool!. The Variax also sounds cool through the amp models BTW.

it records well - for home studio use ive found the easiest way is to record it by running a stereo y cable from the Amp's headphone out into the left and right inputs on my card. It sounds alright and also mutes the speaker and you can control the signal level with the master volume ;) you could do the same thing with the unbalanced 1/4 inch or XLR line outs but the speaker isnt muted and the Master volume isnt bypassed - they're for perfomance applications i guess.

Some of the amp models are really, truly beautiful (especially when recorded) the tweeds and blackfaces are really warm and nice.

The reverbs and delays and modulation effects are really nice too - different to other effects ive used, but nice.

It still looks effing cool! jet Black with red LEDs which are shaped like tiny drops of blood - or plectrums ;)

Its a lot of fun!

CONFUSING THINGS;
I cant figure out the purpose of some of the 'configurations': the manual isnt clear = live1 is the default and sounded crappy through the speakers - so i went to Live2 which switched off all the cab emulation - so it sounded cool through the speakers, but crappy when recorded. I want my recorded tones and live tones to be the same - so ive stuck it (and left it) on Studio 1 which sounds ok for both. I also dont understand what UltraG simulation is - the manual doesnt explain well, they said its on the headphones but not on the 1/4 inch line outs - i recorded both and couldnt hear the difference. i may write to behringer and ask them to explain it - or wait for someone to come here after me and do so ;)


BAD THINGS;
some of the hi gain models are a bit samey, and also a bit 'over the top' - you cant complain about a lack of grunt, but sometimes they dont sound very nice.

The noise Gate is a bit brutal in the way it works, its quite simplistic - ive used more subtle noise gates.

you should have a seperate compressor aswell as a seperate reverb, i like the way the modulation effects are set out so you can have delay OR chorus OR chorus AND Delay as individual settings, But you should be able to apply compression to anything you want like the reverb.

The Auto Wah is disgustingly horrible - personal taste i guess.

The plastic components on the interface do not look very sturdy at all.

I cant find the Midi sysex patch software on the Behringer website ;(

switching between completely different amps causes a bit of delay as the V-amp loads all the new information, you have to setup your patches in banks with a little bit of thought to minimise this: keep the same amp on each preset in a bank, make sure it has the same cabinet and reverb type/drive settings. Then any alterations to eq or gain or FX should without the dealy when you switch, i havent tried going from bank to bank yet as i dont have the right foot switch and have to use the buttons ;)

its still cool and still fun but there are one or two things that arent perfect - but what is??

and it only cost me 150 notes so still amazing!

1) Do you know what year the amp was made in?

Just released by Behringer - i got one of the first available ones in the UK.

2)Is the amp versatile enough for your style of music?

definately! its V-amp Pro with speakers attached! check the reviews of the V-amp Pro rack effects unit to find out more. you can get pop/metal/blues/funk/goth/country, whatever you want.

3) How many channels? Does it have channel switching? Effects loops? Headphone jack?

1t has 25 banks of 5 presets, you get a free up/down footswitch to go between the presets in whatever bank you're in. it has an effects loop, headphone socket, built in tuner, stereo unbalanced and balanced line outs/line ins/midi connections/ground lift - tons more stuff, download the manual in PDF from www.v-amp.com to find out more = basically its criminal that an amp at this price should have SOO much flexibility, a 2x10 combo with 32 amp sounds that can drive 4x12 cabinets, or be driven by another amp or record di or go straight to PA with an fx loop?!?!? or numerous combinations of the above!! even if you hate the amp models this is still a very flexible and useful piece of kit.

4)What features do you wish it had? Why? Are there features you never use?

i honestly think its got it all covered.

5)Where do you use this amp? Does it have enough power for you?

i am a home recording type - i havent tried this into my pc yet, but have thought about getting the V-amp Pro for a long time just to record with, i may be trying to get giggin soon so i thought a V-amp pro amplifier that's loud enough for small rooms and has enough versatility to do bigger venues could be a good investment! - sold my wife on the idea anyway ;)

this review is on day one of ownership and im just telling you what the amp is like in your front room not plugged into anything.

For the amount of features Behringer have crammed into such a small cheap amp - its MUST be a 10!

1) What guitar and pickup styles are you using it with?

im using it with a squier stagemaster HH. I will try my Variax later on.

2)How does it suit your music style (and what is that style)?

anything from folk to pinkfloyd or the coctaeu twins to metallica, from ive seen it will cope with anything you throw at it style wise.

3) Is it noisy? On what settings, and in what environments?

a lot of the amp models are very quiet and dont need the noise gate (tweed champ/fender twin etc..) some - like the ENGL or the Hi Gain, and especially if you switch the Drive boost on - are very noisy = but by wacking the noisegate up to full it's brought under control, the noise gate seems pretty cool.

4) What kind of sounds can the amp make? How much variety?

it has your standard metal type hi gain and classic 60's blues and clean amps (the same ones the PODxtl or the GNX3000 have gone for really)- but it has some unique ones to behringer like classic clean etc..

The pre amp bypass, which switches off the modelling/cabinet/eq - but still lets you add FX - sounds really nice actually, very cool clean tone with a lot of character, play with it adding reverb or mucking about with echo and delay with the tap tempo = fantastic!! ;)

The important thing with this amp is to understand the TAP key - which is basically a 'SHIFT' key so if you turn a dial without it does one thing - but holding down TAP ande turning the dial will alter a different parameter = takes some getting used to but it works. Add FX and change the wet/dry mix on the fly - or Hold down the TAP key and you can alter the Presence or deeper FX paramter editing - or just use it as a common or garden Tap Tempo :) which works really well.

so basically you can play with it like a normal amp, tweak the gain/eq - add some reverb, bit of chorus maybe - but say youv'e come up with an amazing sound you wont remember how to reproduce - you can just save it in one of the 125 preset locations - simply by holding a button down for about 3 seconds - the interface looks tricky but its actually very ergonomically designed.

another thing to get your head round is the 'configuration' theres about 5 i think designed for live performance or studio recording - out of the box it was set to L1 - which i think is with the Cabinet emulation activated - it sounded a littel muddy so i switched it to L2 (as id heard it mentioned in the V-amp Pro and LX1200H reviews)and it brightened up really well through its 2 10" bugera speakers.

when i get it upstairs and do some serious recording i'll understand the configs more.

the effects are cool - i havent mucked about with the deep editing of parameters too much yet (remember the TAP/SHIFT key?) just using the surface settings - the chorus is nice but mild, as is the flange and Phaser - not over the top. the reverb and delays are very chool and the compressor definately works.

5)Is the clean channel distorted at high volumes? In what settings?

the amp models act like real amps so if you turn down the gain - most (except the real hi gain ones, and bearing in mind im using humbuckers) will clean up - the dedicated clean amp models are really nice, and as i said before the preamp bypass setting sounds really nice and clear (but no eq available on theis option).

6) How brutal is the distortion?

:) hohoho! - well if you get the right amp it get VERY saturated - not left feeling slightly let down at all in this dept!! :)death metal = more than achievable!!

dont know yet - 1st day of ownership, although the plastic knobs are worrying!. The foot controller could take a BOSS stombox on in a fight and win. - open back too so careful with those speakers!

dont know yet - but they turn out quality merchandise for no cash and everyon says nice things

1)How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own?

ive been playing and recording (in my room)for 2-3 years - getting to that time i want to go out and gig, i reseached this amp thoroughly before purchase, im glad it does what it said it would.

2) If it were stolen or lost, would you buy it again or get something else?

another reason i wanted it was that it was very cheap - if it were lost or stolen its only 150? to get another one! btw - it currently retails at ?210 GBP but i found a website that sold it for ?150 GBP on the first day they had it as a special offer - www.bluearan.co.uk - so i got a 60? saving and paid ?150! BARGAIN! i had a Marshall MGDFX30 for 140? and that was useless and sounded like crap = no versatility at all, the Behringer wins hands down.

3)what do you love about it? What do you hate?

i love everything about it - in particular the fact that its jet black with ONLY red LEDs = as a bit of a goth i think that is a selling point ;)

4)Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?

ive been checking Harmony-central about the V-ampire LX1200H and V-amp Pro for ages, i had downloaded the PDF manual and memorised it for this model back in february. I was thinking of going for the Digitech GNX3000 - or POD XTL as my next piece of kit - but i would still be without amplification - so the V-amp Pro rack effect/modelling unit with speakers and all the GNX3000 XLR connections was a no brainer, this was half the price too.

5) Anything you wish it had?

USB or SPDIF connection for DI recording? = that would be helpful ;)

6) m excited to be the first reviewer of this product ;) (assuming i havent gushed a bout it too much and no one beat me to it!)

it has to be a 10 when you balance the price against the features - as i got it with a massive reduction i wish i could give it an 11.