"A good start-up effects pedal and real value for the money."
Sound:
The Behringer X V-amp has lots of sounds and tones to choose from. There are 99 presets but I would say you have to spend sometime to come up with your own sound/tone or tweak existing ones to your satisfaction since a lot of the presets don't really sound good. The amp modelling of the x-vamp is okey but not that good. There are a few amp models to choose from, as well as some delay, reverb and modulation effects which to me are sufficient for my needs. I play mostly hardrock/metal songs and alternative, though I also play blues. I also have a jazz band but we rarely play. The reverb, delay and modulation tones of the x -v amp are okey but I have to say that it's distortion tones aren't very good. I have a boss metal zone distortion which I consider as my main effects pedal and I just use the x-v amp for its reverb, and modulation effects. I suggest that you use the x - v amp this way and use it only to compliment or enhance the sound of your primary distortion or effects pedals. The wah tone isn't very good but if you tweak your sound carefully, it's wah pedal will do. Again, this effects pedal needs a lot of tweaking since it's presets aren't that good. Overall, the x-v amp's sound is okey but not great. For the price, however, it's value for the money.
Feature:
What's great about the x -v amp is that it has a power supply included. Another thing which I like is that it's expression pedal can be used for wah, volume, distortion, and modulation control. It's construction, however, doesn't look solid since it's mostly made out of plastic but I've gigged quite a lot with it and it hasn't broken so far.
Ease of Use:
If you've used a digital effects pedal before, it should be easy for you to operate this but if you're used to analog stomp boxes, you would need sometime to actually learn how it works. The manual though should be enough to guide you on how to use this pedal. As far as modifying your sound is concerned, it's always good to save your settings so you can just use the pedals to jump from one patch to another. If you don't do this, changing settings could be a hassle since you have to reach down, press some buttons, turn the knob, and step on the expression pedal to modify your sound...not very pleasant in live situations.
Quality:
The overall product quality is okey but initially, you would think that it's not rugged enough to take on the road because of it's mostly plastic construction but as I've said, I've gigged with it a couple of times and it hasn't broken yet. Just make sure you don't drop it too often or it will surely break.
Manufacturer Support:
Haven't contacted support since my x vamp hasn't broken yet since I bought it in 2006.
Value:
This is the strength of the x-vamp. Like most behringer products, it's ridiculously cheap and it comes with a power supply. It might not sound as good as more expensive pedals but it's cheap and it's well worth the price.
The Wow Factor:
As for aesthetics, it looks okey, nothing extraordinary about it though. I would say that for me, it's just a practical addition to my setup.
Overall:
I'm pretty satisfied with this product since I just use it to enhance my current sound. I would, however, buy another product to replace it for live gigs or recording. I would still use it for practice at home though. If I lost it, I would probably not buy another one. I would upgrade to a better sounding effects pedal even if it's more expensive since I do gig professionally.
Thanks for your vote. Can you specify what about this review did or did not help you?