Hi
I just bought a BEHRINGER Vampire and I would like to share my
impressions:
The Behringer V-Ampire is brand new (released September 2003) and I've
only had it for a liitle over two weeks, but since there isn't any review
yet, I thought I'd share my thoughts anyway. I have been a very happy user
of the BEHRINGER V-Amp 2 for 1 1/2 years though, so getting started on the
BEHRINGER V-Ampire was very easy for me.

It's a modelling combo with 32 amp models and all the usual effects
(compressor, wah/auto-wah, chorus, phaser, flanger, rotary, delay,
reverb), so it's as versatile as an amp can get. My band plays
funk/soul covers, but I also play quite a bit of rock guitar, and the
BEHRINGER V-Ampire gives me all the sounds that I will need for the
songs we play.

One addtional effect that I would like to have is an acoustic
simulation (as in the BEHRINGER Bass V-Amp) because it might come in
handy live, and there isn't a harmoniser either, but neither is a
problem for me.

Thanks to the LEDs around the dials, any changes that are made to the
BEHRINGER V-Ampire's controls are become visible instantly - this is
as good or even better than motorised faders. Dialling in all kinds of
sounds is very intuitive and easy, but for full control over all
effects settings and combinations, it's necessary to connect the
BEHRINGER V-Ampire to a computer and use BEHRINGER'S (free) V-Amp
Design software.

The amp has several outputs, of which I find the balanced XLR-outputs
the most interesting. These have an optional analog speaker simulation
(BEHRINGER "Ultra-G") which can go directly to a soundboard, i.e. it's
not necessary to place a mic in front of the BEHRINGER V-Ampire when
playing live.

Even though it has only got one 12" speaker (Jensen JCH 12/70, 8
Ohms), the power amp is actually stereo, so it's possible to add
another cabinet to it, or even not use the internal speaker at all. I
haven't used the BEHRINGER V-Ampire with the band yet, but I'm pretty
sure that the built-in speaker will be loud enough for rehearsals or
small gigs - but then I don't play death metal. Wattage numbers
usually don't say that much but for the sake of completeness: Using
the built-in speaker the V-Ampire delivers 1x70W (8 Ohms), using
external cabinets (4 Ohms) it's 2x50W. My two main guitars are an
Ibanez RG-550 and a Fame Forum III (excellent PRS copy, with two
splittable humbuckers), and the BEHRINGER V-Ampire works well with
both of them.

The BEHRINGER V-Ampire is esssentially a BEHRINGER V-Amp 2/Pro with an
added power amp and speaker, so if you know either of these boxes, you
know what to expect from the BEHRINGER V-Ampire.

Of course I don't like all of the 32 models, but neither do I like all
"real" amps that are available. There are, however, *many* models that
suit my playing. For funk/soul I mostly use clean and mildly distorted
sounds, and the "Clean V-Amp", "Custom Clean", "Classic Clean" and
"Black Twin" models all work very well in this context. For soloing
and rock stuff I use high-gain sounds, and I particularly like the
"Ultimate V-Amp", "Modern Hi-Gain" and "Custom Hi-Gain" models.

In my opinion, most models respond very well to my playing, and
different guitars also sound different when played through the
BEHRINGER V-Ampire. The built-in speaker sounds open and direct and
transports the characteristics of the models well.

The built-in effects are just fine to my ears, although I wish that it
were possible to access all effects combinations without having to
have a computer nearby.

The analog speaker simulation on the XLR-outs does a good job of
making the BEHRINGER V-Ampire's sound availble to a PA. The point of
having an analog simulation is that the BEHRINGER V-Ampire already has
a guitar speaker, so that it doesn't make sense to send all signals
through a digital speaker simulation first (although this *can* be
done as well). Signals that go directly to the board, however, need a
speaker simulation, and for those the analog speaker emulation is
there. As I have said, I've only had the BEHRINGER V-Ampire for about
2 weeks, so I can't really say how reliable it is. It surely seems to
be rugged and roadworthy, but I'll have to do a few gigs with it
before I can further comment on this point. As far as backups are
concerned: Since I already have a BEHRINGER V-Amp 2, it's easy enough
for me to take a it with me as back-up and go directly into the
soundboard, should the BEHRINGER V-Ampire decide to stop working for
some reason.

Prior to buying the BEHRINGER V-Ampire, I have sent them several
e-mails and called them, and they have always been helpful and
friendly. Of course the real question is what happens if I need my
BEHRINGER V-Ampire repaired, and since that hasn't happened yet, I
can't comment. Warranty is two years, and I live in Germany, so
finding an authorised service center shouldn't be a problem. I have
been playing for 16 years, and I have tried quite a bit of equipment
in that time. One of my reasons for buying a BEHRINGER V-Ampire was
that it can deliver lots of usable sounds in one small packed, thus
saving me the hassle of lugging around and setting up the rack gear
that I had been using for the past couple of years.

I have looked at quite a number of modeling amps because I wanted
something versatile. I liked the Zentera and the Vetta, but both of
them are grossly overpriced in my opinion. The Vox Valvetronix (don't
remember which one) wasn't bad either, but I didn't find it nearly as
impressive as some people seem to do. One thing that I dislike about
most modelling amps (including ZenAmp and Flextones) is that looking
at the amp doesn't tell you anything about its settings, and the
BEHRINGER V-Ampire (as well as the BEHRINGER V-Amp 2/Pro) solves this
problem elagantly - and besides, all these red LEDs will look
impressive on stage. g

One thing that I haven't mentioned is price: The BEHRINGER V-Ampire
costs considerably less than most (if not all) other modelling amps.
Of course this wouldn't mean a thing if the sound wasn't there, but
since it is I would defnitely suggest taking a close look at the
BEHRINGERV-Ampire if you're shopping for a versatible and portable
amp.