Trace Elliott ELF vs TC Electronic BAM200 opinions?

[stewblack]

4 hours ago, Ledge said:

Just bought a BAM 200 so I will let you know how I get on with it.

Was tempted by the ELF but not a fan of Peavey (long story) - but TC kit never disappoints - I have a Nether that has now replaced my OC2 completely.

Did think about the Toneprint stuff - but I kind of like my boxes and the concept of re-syncing effects (I use 2 different drives in my board, and a Bass Balls filter along with the Nether) would do my head in. Plus - live you often need to dial in a slightly different OD, depending on the EQ which I set differently for each venue - so I can't see the benefit. I may yet eat my words, but I've never had on board effects so I guess I won't miss them.

For me having an amp that small is a miracle of modern science, right up there with parking sensors - my old Trace Rig weighed in at a whopping 'Too heavy to shift' and my Hartke one wasn't much better.

 

Please let us know how you get on - I've recommended this amp (as one option of several) to a friend looking for lightweight kit.

[la bam]

Any news on the BAM? How is it holding up? Volume, Sound etc?

TC stuff doesnt seemed to be stocked anywhere in shops you can actually test them in.

[nightsun]

I went to see Richard Strange last week and Paul Cuddeford was using an Elf through a Bareface cab.  OK, he had PA support but I was amazed and very impressed with how good it sounded. I may pick one up SH just to have a play with, handy to keep in the car as a spare.

 

Edited September 30, 2019 by nightsun

[Mickeyboro]

13 minutes ago, nightsun said:

I went to see Richard Strange last week and Paul Cuddeford was using an Elf through a Bareface cab.  OK, he had PA support but I was amazed and very impressed with how good it sounded. I may pick one up SH just to have a play with, handy to keep in the car as a spare.

 

Tried one in a shop last week, but didn’t rate it as highly as the GK MB200 I own. 

Theres s difference in size, but I go for the GK sound any day. 

[la bam]

49 minutes ago, nightsun said:

I went to see Richard Strange last week and Paul Cuddeford was using an Elf through a Bareface cab.  OK, he had PA support but I was amazed and very impressed with how good it sounded. I may pick one up SH just to have a play with, handy to keep in the car as a spare.

 

I've had an elf. I too thought it was amazing.

It's only for a back up amp, so with the elf being twice as much, I was hoping the bam might be an option.

[mcnach]

On 11/07/2019 at 05:20, Sugio said:

I've got BAM200.

Inside the BAM200 is different from TE ELF.

 

 

why did you think they'd be the same?

[mcnach]

Anybody else has experience with the TCE BAM200?

I have no idea when we'll be gigging again, but the ever-optimistic me with a few bank notes to burn is thinking that a supersmall head would be the ideal backup that I would leave with my bag of gear and take everywhere with me. Both these amps look ok to save a gig at a pinch, but the BAM200 is around half the price so it's looking pretty attractive just now.

 

[mcnach]

Well, I just ordered the BAM200. At that price it's hard to say no. If it's half decent and the DI works, it's a win. I've spent more on overdrive pedals!

[DiMarco]

Bandwagonesque, I'd say.

 

[stewblack]

I was so close to getting the BAM200, I didn't because already having the BG250 208 combo I reasoned I had a 250 watt version which I could simply take out of the combo and use as a small head.

When my SVT went pop at a gig one Sunday night in Swindon, I was glad to have the little TCE. It got me through the gig.

But the itch for the Elf never went away. When one came up second hand and I was in funds from a sale, I put the TC back into its combo. No idea if it will get a lot of use because I don't know how many gigs there will be when I get back out into the world.

Looking forward to your review @mcnach

 

[Raslee]

3 hours ago, DiMarco said:

Bandwagonesque, I'd say.

 

Elf, Gnome...lets await the Ampeg Pixie 😂

 Edit..just seen I'm slow off the mark again and this joke has already done the rounds ages ago in another thread.

Edited May 27, 2020 by Raslee

[stewblack]

13 hours ago, Raslee said:

Elf, Gnome...lets await the Ampeg Pixie 😂

 Edit..just seen I'm slow off the mark again and this joke has already done the rounds ages ago in another thread.

I hadn't heard it before so I still enjoyed it. 

[mcnach]

16 hours ago, stewblack said:

I was so close to getting the BAM200, I didn't because already having the BG250 208 combo I reasoned I had a 250 watt version which I could simply take out of the combo and use as a small head.

When my SVT went pop at a gig one Sunday night in Swindon, I was glad to have the little TCE. It got me through the gig.

But the itch for the Elf never went away. When one came up second hand and I was in funds from a sale, I put the TC back into its combo. No idea if it will get a lot of use because I don't know how many gigs there will be when I get back out into the world.

Looking forward to your review @mcnach

 

 

That's why I was hesitant to get the BAM200 but at the same time that's why I wanted it: I don't think it'll get used a lot, so the BAM200 being so cheap was a reasonable choice. At the same time, the Elf is not THAT expensive either so I might as well go get my first choice (the Elf).

To be honest, I have no experience in real life of either. On videos they both sound adequate.  There are plenty of reviews about the Elf and I'm confident the Elf would work just fine for me, the BAM200 is a bit more of a question mark, but then I can't expect it to be disappointing either: it's a very very simple amplifier, as long as it is reasonably clean it'll do the job I want it for.

It feels a bit strange buying a backup emergency amp these days, when all my gigs up to September have been cancelled, and the ones beyond September are full of question marks... but you've got to strike when the money is your pocket... and before we buy all the garden stuff we want to buy (new place, garden just has grass right now), I am not sure I'll have a lot to spare after my girlfriend and I make our garden shopping list 

It should be here on Monday/Tuesday.

[mcnach]

16 hours ago, DiMarco said:

Bandwagonesque, I'd say.

 

 

Interesting. They all seem to have the same kind of layout and features. I do like the look of this one more than the radioactive snot Elf green or the red BAM200 (and I do like red). 

I wish they had a speak-on connector 'though. I could not see whether the Gnome has one, or the price... but I suspect it'll be a fair amount more than the £119 the BAM200 goes for. I saw there's a Gnome-i that can act as a USB computer interface for recording, That's pretty cool if the sound is good. 

[DiMarco]

Speakon connectors are too large for the Elf I reckon. It has a Jack output.
Nothing wrong with that by the way. Here's a pic of mine.

Edited May 28, 2020 by DiMarco

[Salt on your Bass?]

Does the elf provide much break up on the gain? I've seen some references to it being a bit of a 'rock' flavour and having compression/limiting baked in as part of it, but wondered what your experiences were for those using it. Also, whats the DI quality like?

I'm considering one now as a home amp for bedroom and home recording. I dont want anything 'uber clean' tbh and the elf sounds like it may work nicely at a good price point. Thanks 

[DiMarco]

14 minutes ago, Salt on your Bass? said:

Does the elf provide much break up on the gain? I've seen some references to it being a bit of a 'rock' flavour and having compression/limiting baked in as part of it, but wondered what your experiences were for those using it. Also, whats the DI quality like?

I'm considering one now as a home amp for bedroom and home recording. I dont want anything 'uber clean' tbh and the elf sounds like it may work nicely at a good price point. Thanks 

I wouldn't expect too much of that. The gain knob seems to have three modes. At low gain it is nice and clean, but not clinical sounding like many other small class D amps. When dialing in more, the led will turn yellow and you can clearly notice it limiting because it is applying quite a lot of it pretty quick. It is only on lots and lots of gain where it gives you its breakup, but again lots of it. There is no slight breakup.

If you want a rock tone with slight to heavy breakup, I suggest you check out the Two Notes Le Bass preamp. It has a 12AX7 tube handling the breakup and you can choose "cold fusion" or "hot fusion" modes where it either blends the clean and driven channels side by side or puts them in series. It does by far the best job of giving you tube grind because it actually is tube grind.

[Salt on your Bass?]

Thanks @DiMarco - I have the Two Notes CabM and have considered the LeBass previously. Might just go for a separate thread. Appreciate the insight

[mcnach]

2 hours ago, DiMarco said:

Speakon connectors are too large for the Elf I reckon. It has a Jack output.
Nothing wrong with that by the way. Here's a pic of mine.

 

You're probably right about a speak-on being a bit too large for it.

I prefer speak-ons because every other amp/cabs I use have them, and all my speaker cables have speak-on connectors. I think I have one speak-on to jack somewhere, I'd better find it before Monday or order a new one.

[stewblack]

9 hours ago, Salt on your Bass? said:

Does the elf provide much break up on the gain? I've seen some references to it being a bit of a 'rock' flavour and having compression/limiting baked in as part of it, but wondered what your experiences were for those using it. Also, whats the DI quality like?

I'm considering one now as a home amp for bedroom and home recording. I dont want anything 'uber clean' tbh and the elf sounds like it may work nicely at a good price point. Thanks 

Actually I think it does, but you have to crank it. Can throw some recordings together if you'd like

[Salt on your Bass?]

1 hour ago, stewblack said:

Actually I think it does, but you have to crank it. Can throw some recordings together if you'd like

That'd be great if it's not too much trouble stew, that's a very kind offer. 

[stewblack]

7 hours ago, Salt on your Bass? said:

That'd be great if it's not too much trouble stew, that's a very kind offer. 

My pleasure. I won't get the house to myself until later, but I'll get to it as soon as I can. 

[stewblack]

@Salt on your Bass? here you go, passive p-bass, T and V full up, into Elf into Ashdown 112, recorded through mic. Green light up to number three then green amber flash then red flash by the last two.

 

[mcnach]

1 hour ago, stewblack said:

@Salt on your Bass? here you go, passive p-bass, T and V full up, into Elf into Ashdown 112, recorded through mic. Green light up to number three then green amber flash then red flash by the last two.

 

 

Not bad! I like that. In fact, it sounds pretty good!

Maybe I should have gone for an ELF instead of the BAM200? Although I do favour clean amps and adding dirt with pedals...

[MartinB]

Interesting! I didn't think my Precision was particularly low-output, but with it my Elf stays clean right up until the distortion circuit kicks in at the end of the Gain dial. I don't get a red light either - only green (signal) and amber (compression). Pretty much the same as described below:

On 28/05/2020 at 13:20, DiMarco said:

At low gain it is nice and clean, but not clinical sounding like many other small class D amps. When dialing in more, the led will turn yellow and you can clearly notice it limiting because it is applying quite a lot of it pretty quick. It is only on lots and lots of gain where it gives you its breakup, but again lots of it. There is no slight breakup.