Behringer V-AMP PRO User Manual

Users Manual

Version 1.0 September 2002

ENGLISH

V-AMP PRO

DATA-MANFULL_V-AMP PRO_ENG_Rev_A.PMD 16.09.2002, 14:151

V-AMP PRO

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

CAUTION: To reduce the risk of electric shock, do not remove

the top cover (or the rear section). No user
serviceable parts inside; refer servicing to qualified
personnel.

WARNING: To reduce the risk of fire or electric shock, do not

expose this appliance to rain and moisture.

This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to the
presence of uninsulated dangerous voltage inside
the enclosurevoltage that may be sufficient to
constitute a risk of shock.

This symbol, wherever it appears, alerts you to
important operating and maintenance instructions
in the accompanying literature. Please read the
manual.

DETAILED SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS:

All the safety and operation instructions should be read before

the appliance is operated.

Retain Instructions:

The safety and operating instructions should be retained for

future reference.

Heed Warnings:

All warnings on the appliance and in the operating instructions

should be adhered to.

Follow instructions:

All operation and user instructions should be followed.

Water and Moisture:

The appliance should not be used near water (e.g. near a
bathtub, washbowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub, in a wet basement,
near a swimming pool etc.).

Ventilation:

The appliance should be situated so that its location or position
does not interfere with its proper ventilation. For example, the
appliance should not be placed on a bed, sofa, rug, or similar
surface that may block the ventilation openings, or placed in a
built-in installation, such as a bookcase or cabinet that may impede
the flow of air through the ventilation openings.

Heat:

The appliance should be situated away from heat sources
such as radiators, heat registers, stoves, or other appliances
(including amplifiers) that produce heat.

Power Source:

The appliance should be connected to a power supply only of
the type described in the operating instructions or as marked on
the appliance.

Grounding or Polarization:

This device must be grounded.

Power-Cord Protection:

Power supply cords should be routed so that they are not
likely to be walked on or pinched by items placed upon or against
them, paying particular attention to cords and plugs, extension
cords and the point where they exit from the appliance.

Cleaning:

The appliance should be cleaned only as recommended by the
manufacturer.

Non-use Periods:

The power cord of the appliance should be unplugged from
the outlet when left unused for extended periods of time.

Debris and Liquid Entry:

Care should be taken that debris and/or liquids do not enter the
enclosure through openings.

Damage Requiring Service:

The appliance should be serviced by qualified service
personnel when:

s The power supply cord or the plug has been damaged; or

s Debris or liquid has entered the appliance; or

s The appliance has been exposed to rain; or

s The appliance does not appear to operate normally or

exhibits a noticable change in performance; or

s The appliance has been dropped, or the enclosure

damaged.

Servicing:

The user should not attempt to service the appliance beyond
that which is described in the operating instructions. All other
servicing should be referred to qualified service personnel.

2

DATA-MANFULL_V-AMP PRO_ENG_Rev_A.PMD 16.09.2002, 14:152

V-AMP PRO

FOREWORD

Dear Customer,

Welcome to the team of
BEHRINGER users and
thank you very much for
expressing your con­fidence in BEHRINGER
products by purchasing
the V-AMP PRO.

Writing this foreword
for you gives me great
pleasure, because it
represents the cul­mination of many months
of hard work delivered
by our engineering team
to achieve a very am­bitious goal: to present
you with an excellent
virtual guitar amplifier,
which gives you maxi-

mum flexibility and performance through its advanced sound
and remarkable range of functions. The task of designing our
new V-AMP PRO certainly meant a great deal of responsibility
which we assumed by focusing on you, the discerning user and
musician. Meeting your expectations also meant a lot of work
and night shifts. But it was fun, too. Developing a product usually
brings a lot of people together, and what a great feeling it is
when all who participated in such a project can be proud of
what theyve achieved.

It is our philosophy to share our enjoyment with you, because
you are the most important member of the BEHRINGER team.
With your highly competent suggestions for new products youve
made a significant contribution to shaping our company and
making it successful. In return, we guarantee you uncom­promising quality as well as excellent technical and audio
properties at an extremely reasonable price. All of this will enable
you to give free rein to your creativity without being hampered
by budget constraints.

We are often asked how we manage to produce such high­quality devices at such unbelievably low prices. The answer is
quite simple: its you, our customers! Many satisfied customers
mean large sales volumes enabling us to get better purchasing
terms for components, etc. Isnt it only fair to pass this benefit on
to you? Because we know that your success is our success
too!

I would like to thank all of you who have made the V-AMP PRO
possible. You have all made your own personal contributions,
from the developers to the many other employees at this company.

My friends, its been worth the effort!

Thank you very much,

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION ......................................................... 4

1.1 ... before you get started ............................................... 4

1.1.1 Serial number ....................................................... 4

2. CONTROL ELEMENTS ............................................... 4

2.1 Front panel ...................................................................... 4

2.2 Rear panel ...................................................................... 6

3. EXAMPLES OF USE/OPERATING MODES

(CONFIGURATION) ................................................... 7

3.1 Selecting CONFIGURATION modes ................................ 7

3.2 Standard set-up with MIDI foot controller and

(optional) recording system ........................................... 7

3.3 Hard-disk recording studio ............................................. 7

3.4 Live set-up in combination with a

full-range monitor system .............................................. 7

3.5 Live set-up with P.A. system and

your own guitar amp on stage ....................................... 8

4. V-AMP PRO PRESETS ............................................... 8

4.1 Calling up presets ........................................................... 8

4.2 Editing presets ................................................................ 9

4.3 Storing presets ............................................................... 9

4.4 Discarding an edited preset/restoring a single

factory preset................................................................. 9

4.5 Restoring all factory presets ......................................... 9

5. AMP/SPEAKER SIMULATION .................................... 9

5.1 Amp descriptions ........................................................... 9

5.2 Speaker descriptions .................................................... 11

6. EFFECTS PROCESSOR ............................................ 11

6.1 Effect descriptions ....................................................... 11

Reverb and delay algorithms ....................................... 11

Modulation effects ........................................................ 11

Combinations of effect algorithms

(multi-effects programs) .............................................. 11

Special effects .............................................................. 12

6.2 The separate reverb effect ......................................... 12

7. TUNER ......................................................................12

7.1 Tuning your guitar ........................................................ 12

7.2 Setting reference pitch A .......................................... 12

8. INSTALLATION ......................................................... 12

8.1 Rack mounting .............................................................. 12

8.2 Mains voltage ................................................................ 12

8.3 Audio connections ....................................................... 12

8.4 MIDI connections .......................................................... 13

8.4.1 Sending/receiving MIDI-Sysex data ................... 13

8.5 AES/EBU and S/PDIF standards ................................... 13

9. SPECIFICATIONS ..................................................... 14

Uli Behringer

DATA-MANFULL_V-AMP PRO_ENG_Rev_A.PMD 16.09.2002, 14:153

10.MIDI IMPLEMENTATION .......................................... 15

11.WARRANTY ............................................................. 16

CAUTION!

Please note that high volume levels may cause

+

permanent damage to your hearing and/or your
headphones. Turn all LEVEL controls to the left
before you switch on the unit. Be sure to keep the
volume at an appropriate level.

3

V-AMP PRO

1. INTRODUCTION

Congratulations! With the V-AMP PRO you have acquired the
professional 19" rack version of the V-AMP 2. Our ultimate aim in
developing it was to create the authentic sound of classic guitar
amplifiers by means of physical modeling and to combine this
with the latest DSP effects.

The V-AMP PRO has a number of decisive advantages over
its little brother, the V-AMP 2: the output signal can now be
taken in digital formand you can even select the output
format. External synchronization of your V-AMP PRO is possible
via word clock and, what is more, the V-AMP PRO features
an additional analog speaker simulation, giving you unprece­dented flexibility. But if you think the V-AMP PRO has been
designed for guitarists only, youre wrong: for example, with its
innovative preamp bypass feature you can even use it purely
as an effects processor. And thanks to its digital signal
processing, the V-AMP PRO also works as an all-purpose A/D
converter with an extremely low-noise, high-impedance input.

But enough of this talk. Nothing we say will convince you as
readily as what you hear and feel when you test your
V-AMP PRO for the first time. But...

1.1 ... before you get started

The V-AMP PRO was carefully packed at the factory and the
packaging is designed to protect the unit from rough handling.
Nevertheless, we recommend that you carefully examine the
packaging and its contents for any signs of physical damage
which may have occurred during transit.

+ If the unit is damaged, please do NOT return it to

BEHRINGER, but notify your dealer and the shipping
company immediately. Otherwise, claims for
damage or replacement may not be granted.

Be sure that there is enough space around the unit for cooling
and, to avoid overheating, please do not place the V-AMP PRO
near radiators etc.

+ Before you connect the V-AMP PRO to the mains,

please make sure that the voltage setting on the
unit matches the local voltage!

The mains connection is made using the enclosed power cord
and a standard IEC receptacle. It meets all of the international
safety certification requirements.

+ Please make sure that all units have a proper

ground connection. For your own safety, never
remove or disable the ground conductor from the
unit or of the AC power cord.

The MIDI connections (IN, OUT/THRU) are for standard DIN
connectors. Data is transferred via ground-free opto-couplers.
Further information can be found in chapter 8 INSTALLATION.

1.1.1 Serial number

The V-AMP PROs serial number is located on the rear. Please
take the time to fill in and return the warranty card within 14 days
after the date of purchase, so as to benefit from our extended
warranty. Or register online at www.behringer.com.

2. CONTROL ELEMENTS

2.1 Front panel

Fig. 2.1: V-AMP PRO front panel (section 1)

Use the POWER switch to put the V-AMP PRO into
operation.

The GAIN control determines the distortion level of an
amp simulation.

The VOLUME control determines the volume of the se­lected preset.

The BASS control in the EQ section is for boosting or
cutting the low-frequency range.

The MID control is for boosting or cutting the mid-range
frequencies.

TREBLE controls the high-frequency range of the selected
preset.

+ If the TAP key is down (see fig. 2.2), the TREBLE

control functions as a PRESENCE control. This
enables you to boost/cut a high-frequency filter
tuned to whatever amp model is active, thus
simulating the frequency-dependent coupling of
tube amps.

The AMPS control is for selecting one of 32 different
amplifier simulation models. The control is surrounded by a
ring of 16 LEDs. Each LED corresponds to two types of
amplifier. The first 16 simulations can be selected by turning
the AMPS control (marked on the housing in: white).

To select the simulation models 17 - 32 (marked on the
housing in: gray), press down the TAP key while making
your selection by turning the AMPS control.

+ The LED 17 - 32 in the bottom left-hand corner of

the DISPLAY indicates that one of the simulation
models 17 - 32 has been selected.

In addition, you can activate a PREAMP BYPASS by
pressing the key combination TUNER and TAP. If
PREAMP BYPASS has been selected, none of the LEDs
on the AMPS control lights up. To disable PREAMP
BYPASS, simply select a different amp model or press
both keys again.

4

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1. INTRODUCTION

V-AMP PRO

Fig. 2.2: V-AMP PRO front panel (section 2)

These five keys are for selecting a preset (A - E) within
one bank.

In EDIT mode (activated by simultaneously pressing the
arrow keys described in ), the keys perform the
function printed directly above them. As long as EDIT mode
is active, the EDIT MODE LED lights up.

s A: Accesses the MIDI functions. Use the arrow keys to

set the MIDI channels for transmitting and receiving
(1 through 16).

If you use key A in EDIT mode to select the MIDI function
and then press the TAP key, the MIDI OUT jack is set to act
as a MIDI THRU. In this case, the V-AMP PRO does not
send its own MIDI information, but passes on the signal
received at the MIDI IN jack.

s B: Selects the DRIVE function. This noticeably raises

distortion and volume. Use the arrow keys to switch DRIVE
on and off. The DRIVE function is wired pre GAIN control.

+ While editing the DRIVE function, you can also

activate and adjust the wah-wah effect by turning
the EFFECTS control. The LEDs surrounding the
EFFECTS control indicate the position of the pedal.
If none of the LEDs lights up, the wah-wah is
bypassed.

s C: This key activates the CABINETS mode. Use the arrow

keys to select the type of speaker or combination of
speakers you want. You can also switch off the speaker
simulation completely (-). For further details, please refer
to chapter 5.2 Speaker descriptions.

s D: Use this key to select the REVERB function. The

arrow keys can be used to select one of nine different
types of reverb in addition to the multi-effects processor.
For further details see chapter 6.2.

s E: Here you can activate the NOISE GATE function. Use

the arrow keys to adjust the noise reduction threshold.

+ After preset editing, please press TUNER/EXIT to

quit (the EDIT MODE LED dies out).

+ DIGITAL OUT: The digital output can be configured if

keys A and B are pressed simultaneously. The
display reads either SP for S/PDIF or AE for
AES/EBU. Please switch between these two formats
using the TAP key. The LEDs in the display illustrate,
whether you have chosen internal synchronization
(with 44.1, 48 or 96 kHz sample rate) or external
synchronization via word clock (see tab. 2.1 in this
users manual). Use the arrow keys to select the
appropriate sample rate with respect to the
receiving device. The TUNER/EXIT key allows you to
quit the DIGITAL OUT configuration.

+ CONFIGURATION: If you press the D and E keys

simultaneously, you can select the V-AMP PROs
general operating mode allowing adjustments to
different studio and live situations (see chapter 3).
Press TUNER/EXIT to quit configuration.

The TUNER button is for switching on the tuner. In addition,
this button can be used to quit EDIT mode (Exit).

Use the two arrow keys to select a different bank (BANK
DOWN and BANK UP). You can skip banks by holding
each of the keys down. To activate the EDIT mode, press
both keys simultaneously (THE EDIT MODE LED in the
display lights up). if you press one of the keys A - E ( )
in that mode, the arrow keys can be used for setting
parameters.

The TAP button performs five functions:

s Tap: Tap the rhythm of a piece of music on the TAP

button and the selected effect automatically adapts to the
tempo of the music.

s Presence: Holding down the TAP button, you can use

the TREBLE control to change the PRESENCE setting of
the amp simulation model youve selected.

s 2nd parameter: You also can access the second effects

parameter set by the EFFECT control by holding down the
TAP button (see chapter 6).

s Amp models 17 - 32: Keep the TAP button pressed

down and select an amp model using the AMPS control.

s MIDI Thru: The MIDI OUT jack can be set to act as

MIDI THRU (see A).

Fig. 2.3: V-AMP PRO display

Tab. 2.1: Output formats and display LED assignments

The DISPLAY shows you what preset bank you have
selected and gives you information on parameter changes
when you are editing. In TUNER mode the DISPLAY shows
the pitch of the instrument connected to the unit. If one of
the amplifier simulations 17 - 32 has been selected, the
LED in the bottom left-hand corner of the DISPLAY lights
up. Additionally, the DISPLAY reads the digital format
output and the sample rate of your V-AMP PRO and
illustrates whenever the V-AMP PRO is synchronized by
an external word clock signal. Applied signals are indicated
by the SIGNAL LED, overload signals by the red CLIP LED.

DATA-MANFULL_V-AMP PRO_ENG_Rev_A.PMD 16.09.2002, 14:155

2. CONTROL ELEMENTS

5