Welcome to my Behringer X32 FX Series tutorials. Today we are going to be looking at the Stereo Guitar Amp and Dual Guitar Amp.
Behringer Stereo Guitar Amp
The Behringer Stereo Guitar Amp is an emulation of the Tech21 SansAmp PSA-1 and can emulate the sounds of a range of different types of guitar amplifiers. While this is not an effect you would use all of the time, I can see some specific uses in smaller bands or even youth rooms in churches that don’t have space or budget for an on-stage guitar amplifier.
This effect would allow the direct connection of an electric guitar to the X32. I would recommend using a direct box to interface your guitar with the XLR connections rather than trying to go through an aux input. The Aux inputs of the X32 are going to have less gain adjustment than using one of the XLR inputs. Plus, the impedance of a direct box is going to balance the high impedance load of the guitar in a better way than the console.
Behringer Stereo Guitar Amp Controls
Layer 1
- Pre Amp – The Pre Amp parameter controls the sensitivity of the input section of the effect. This can also be thought as the gain before the band specific distortion (Buzz, Punch, Crunch, and Drive). Control allows for adjustment from 0.0 to 10.0.
- Buzz – The Buzz parameter controls the low-end breakup and gain. Control allows for adjustment from 0.0 to 10.0. To get more a more buzzy distortion, increase the level of the buzz control.
- Punch – The punch parameter controls the mid-range breakup and gain. Control allows for adjustment from 0.0 to 10.0. To get a more clean Fender-esk sound, decrease this parameter from the center point. To get a more Marshall-esk sound, increase this parameter.
- Crunch – The Crunch parameter controls the high-end harmonic content and pick attack. Control allows for adjustment from 0.0 to 10.0.
- Drive – On a lot of tube amplifiers, there is not a master volume on the amplifier. The last volume control is the gain on the power output section of the amplifier. The Drive parameter controls the distortion from the power amplifier section.
- Level – The level parameter controls the overall level of the effect. Control allows for adjustment from 0.0 to 10.0.
- Cabinet – The Cabinet button allows a modeling of a ‘mic’ed guitar cabinet’ if your musician is using a mic’ed cabinet but is using this effect as an insert and then routing sound to the cabinet, I would suggest disabling the Cabinet parameter. Otherwise, I would leave this on.
- FX Home – Pressing this button takes you back to the ‘home’ tab of the effects.
Layer 2
- Low – This is an EQ control of the effect to fine tune the output sound from the effect. Control allows for adjustment from 0.0 to 10.0 with a default setting of 5.0.
- High – This is an EQ control of the effect to fine tune the output sound from the effect. Control allows for adjustment from 0.0 to 10.0 with a default setting of 5.0.
- Cabinet – The Cabinet button allows a modeling of a ‘mic’ed guitar cabinet’ if your musician is using a mic’ed cabinet but is using this effect as an insert and then routing sound to the cabinet, I would suggest disabling the Cabinet parameter. Otherwise, I would leave this on.
- FX Home – Pressing this button takes you back to the ‘home’ tab of the effects.
Using the Guitar Amp
Getting tone out of a directly connected guitar to the mixer is fairly simple! Here are a few sample settings to get you in the right area to get a sound like some of these popular amps:
Marshall JMP-1:
- Preamp: 10.0
- Buzz: 3.3
- Punch: 3.0
- Crunch: 4.3
- Drive: 9.5
- Low: 4.8
- High: 7.3
- Level: 2.3
Marshall High Gain:
- Preamp: 10.0
- Buzz: 2.5
- Punch: 9.5
- Crunch: 7.3
- Drive: 9.5
- Low: 6.8
- High: 6.0
- Level: 3.0
Marshall Clean:
- Preamp: 4.8
- Buzz: 5.0
- Punch: 5.0
- Crunch: 10.0
- Drive: 0
- Low: 10
- High: 7.5
- Level: 8.8
Fender B.B. King:
- Preamp: 7.0
- Buzz: 5.0
- Punch: 2.0
- Crunch: 9.5
- Drive: 9.5
- Low: 0.8
- High: 2.5
- Level: 6.0
Fender Twin:
- Preamp: 8.3
- Buzz: 8.0
- Punch: 0.0
- Crunch: 9.3
- Drive: 7.3
- Low: 2.8
- High: 7.8
- Level: 4.8
Mesa Rectifier:
- Preamp: 10.0
- Buzz: 10.0
- Punch: 9.3
- Crunch: 8.5
- Drive: 8.5
- Low: 9.5
- High: 9.0
- Level: 35
Vox AC30:
- Preamp: 9.8
- Buzz: 1.8
- Punch: 10.0
- Crunch: 6.3
- Drive: 8.5
- Low: 6.3
- High: 8.0
- Level: 2.3
Why?
Again, I am sure some of you are thinking WHY?! WHY Drew, WHY did you spend time on this one?!
I remember when I was in youth group at my small church in Oregon, an amp simulator like this would have been perfect for our really small completely untreated cement brick room with metal support beams in the middle. With some small rooms (well, really any small room) a live amplifier will NOT be a good idea. Having the ability for someone to plug their Squire Strat into a DI box and then have the board do some amp modeling will be a perfect solution for some people. Granted this is not for everyone, but this may help some of you!
9 Responses
There is another use for this gem of an effect… I use it in a ‘fake bi-amp’ setup for my bass. Using the tube preamp model I can get a fat, warm sound in the low end. For the high end I parallel process it through one of the ‘virtual channels’ on my XR12 and the guitar amp sim inserted.
I can crank up or turn down the grind as desired, and the low end stays solid and clear.
I can’t imagine the number of bass players who are running direct right now and NOT taking advantage of this effect. It works GREAT for bass, easy to shape and is (imho) lightyears better than running without it.
thanks for explaining this . I do sound for a small church and I have used this effect . I wasn’t really sure what I was doing ..just turning knobs until I got something remotely close to what I wanted. anything I need to know about the x32 I look for your videos thanks again
Hi. I guess this goes in the insert rack and not in the side-chain rack, am I right?
I’m using it for my bluesharp, great sound.
Thanks for the presets. I’m going to try to use this this Sunday. I would love to see a video on this. I am going to run a full pedalboard rig to a DI and then use this effect. We are all have IEMs and are not running speakers on stage. Thanks
AWESOME idea. I can’t hardly wait to try it.
Hello.
It is more DI than AUX, but is it not good to connect it directly to the stage box such as SD8 or SD16 with a horn terminal?
Here’s another scenario where this setup is useful. I’m a keyboard player who also plays rhythm guitar: only 4-8 songs per night, mostly on electric 12-string. I used to lug around an AC30 and pedals to get the tone. Now, I’m down to a Tech 21 Liverpool and TC Nova Drive, going to an MR12, and buried inside my audio rack. It works fine, but a) I have to remember to press the Liverpool’s footswitch at each gig (defaults to bypass at power-up); and b) when I need new sounds on the Nova Drive, I have work in the back of the rack. Using the guitar amp EFX eliminates 2 pieces of gear plus 3 cables — simpler, lighter, cheaper. I dedicate two MR12 EFX slots to guitar — ex: amp + tremolo ,or fuzz + amp — although I don’t always use both, and share the reverb with the keyboards. I can move from a Fender w/tremolo, to a Marshal stack, to a clean AC30TB — in one song!
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