Behringer draws very mixed opinions from users. Within the common view of the company as an extremely inexpensive brand, some feel its products are more show than substance, while others think the features and build of its various tools are remarkably impressive for the price. Personally, I think that, as with almost every company, some products turned out better than others. It's only logical that an engineering team under pressure to build “inventions” that work while keeping costs very tight will shine in some designs and not so much in others. So I think both camps have a point. In other words, the company has models that offer surprising capabilities considering what they cost, and others that really are very cheap but fall a little short once you put them to use.

It's also worth noting the different levels of demand and needs among different groups of buyers. First, there's the beginner or amateur musician, with a small budget and little experience, who is obviously not very demanding and may even use cheap gear to learn how to operate it, and even to start telling why one unit is better or worse than another.

Then there's the realm of professional musicians and the pro audio sector. This second group of buyers or users has a bigger investment budget and is much more demanding about results, since professional applications require minimum quality levels that can sink many products, no matter how cheap they are.

Taking these two groups into account, I think this company's products fit primarily in the first one, with the caveat that some (and I do mean some) Behringer models deliver acceptable performance in semi-professional and even professional settings. These products, which meet the minimum requirements, still carry aggressive (cheap) prices and are therefore appealing as an economical solution for certain needs.

BASS V-AMP PRO
Today we're looking at one of Behringer's offerings. This time it's a versatile modeler/multi-effects unit, since it includes signal processing for several types of instruments.

When it comes to modeling, many musicians run into trouble rehearsing, recording or practicing in spaces that aren't acoustically treated. Playing through a tube amp, even a low-wattage one, can become a problem when we shouldn't be making much noise or feel we're bothering someone. That feeling of being a nuisance can keep us from playing as well as we should because of lack of concentration. Well, here is a solution to that problem: amp and cabinet simulation. With it we can emulate various types of amplification, depending on the style or era we want in our sound, and we also control the signal level (volume). We get tones similar to those of big amps at full tilt, even when playing at low volumes or running the signal straight into our headphones.

Among the products that offer this kind of solution is the BASS V-AMP Pro, alongside other tools from various companies, almost certainly more expensive, that deliver results similar to the V-AMP in some cases and far superior in others.

What It Offers
The truth is that this little box is quite complete in terms of features. It can be used with electric guitars as well as basses (especially basses), vocals, keyboards and so on.

It has a series of presets (which you'll see at the end of the test bench) designed specifically for each type of instrument and need. There are 125 overwritable presets, organized in 25 banks, so we can use five presets per bank. In turn, each preset can include five “ingredients”:

- Amp simulation, with its own EQ, gain and volume settings
- Speaker simulation
- Pre-amp effect (for example, a noise gate)
- Post-amp effect (for example, delay)
- Compression setting

All presets can be edited with relatively simple, quick operation.

Cabinet/Amp Simulation
32 simulation models make recording easier in home studios.

Noise Reduction and Compressor
A dynamic low-pass filter removes noise present in the signal, while the built-in expander suppresses secondary noise in the pauses, that is, when you're not playing. The dynamic filter can be adjusted for frequency and sensitivity. The expander, for its part, adjusts the threshold and the release times. In short, and put in plain English for those less familiar, these tools let you eliminate the excess noise that can build up when you stack several effects.

Effects Processor
The Bass V-Amp Pro user has a multitude of effects at their disposal: delays, chorus, reverb, ambience, voice, Vox, rotary cab, flanger, phaser, wah and more.
We can use pre-amp and post-amp effects (modulation, delay, filters, special FX, synth FX and so on).

Tuner
It includes a simple tuning system. We tested it, and it reads out visually through red LEDs that tell us whether the note is flat or sharp, as well as indicating, in letter-name notation, which note is closest to the one we're playing. The tuner works well overall, meaning you can take a completely out-of-tune instrument to a pretty accurate tuning. That said, I found it a bit imprecise for tuning fanatics (myself included).

Distortion
It offers a range of saturation and distortion options. With its buttons and knobs we can adjust drive, tone and boost.

Connections

MIDI
On the rear panel you'll find the section for MIDI cabling: MIDI IN and OUT/THRU.

AUDIO
Instrument input
Aux In
Pre DSP insert return line in
Analog outputs
Headphones
Pre DSP return line out
Post DSP insert Send L/R
Balanced line output

DIGITAL OUTPUTS
XLR
AES/EBU S/PDIF

Wordclock input, coaxial

Tests and Results
We connected the unit's audio outputs to a mixing console and powered monitors in a studio setup. Our aim was to check sound quality, noise levels and the effectiveness of the various applications.

For the tests, we recorded several sources, checking, for example, the quality of the distortions on guitars, modulation effects and delays on guitar, as well as its options for bass applications, and so on.

After trying and recording different samples, we were quite satisfied with practically all of the effects other than distortion. In my view, guitar saturation is the most delicate area, and it's where the unit is weakest.

In any case, the quality and results of many of its combinations are surprising, yielding sounds very close to professional. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that if we mix different effects processors, and on some tracks we record with the flanger, rotary cab or ultrabass (to name some of the most convincing) from the Bass V Amp PRO, they will blend seamlessly with tracks made with far more expensive processors.

As I mentioned a little earlier, modeling and saturation are more complex. I think they're harder to get right. After my tests with the product, I concluded that they come close to acceptable levels but don't quite deliver professional results. In fairness, we have to take the unit's selling price into account, and you can clearly see an effort to offer a lot for little money.

Controls and Knobs
The layout of the controls is sensible and makes the unit easy to use. You can clearly see the unit's status thanks to its LEDs and indicator lights. The placement and presence of the necessary controls let us adapt the various configurations to our needs.

Now and then I've heard complaints about the fragility of some of the materials Behringer uses for its pots and lights. Perhaps it's true that they're not the best choice if we subject the product to the “total war” of gig after gig, especially with rental gear, which is where I think they most need to hold up. For home use, in your home studio or rehearsal space, though, you'd have to hit it pretty hard to break it, since its chassis is metal.

Conclusions
This is one of those occasions when the conclusions have to start with the price: 242 € (VAT included). It seems fair to acknowledge the effort of this company, like others, to offer a compact, metal-chassis unit with plenty of tools at an extremely competitive price. You can't have everything, so if you have a budget that is four times (or more) what this costs, you'll find more professional units. But for those who are strapped for cash and want to expand their rig's possibilities, it's fair to say this product will give you a great many effects, simulations and assorted tools, such as its tuner, with which you can record, rehearse, practice and create at respectable quality levels, considering what it costs.

As for audio professionals: we all know that sometimes the budget for getting a temporary project off the ground limits us enormously. I know the fun part is using million-dollar gear that sounds amazing, but when we find ourselves in a tight-budget situation, we have to get by, put together something decent and “nice” and earn a few bucks (a few euros), and having low-cost raw material isn't so bad.