# Positive Grid: Bias Head (new product coming soon)



## FireInside (Sep 15, 2015)

Interesting


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## Steinmetzify (Sep 15, 2015)

Huh....looks like they're stepping up the game a bit...

Read the product description....looks like a Kemper ripoff. Wonder how much...


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## Fretless (Sep 15, 2015)

inb4 phallic jokes.


PS I will get it just because I have uncontrollable gas.


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## Lain (Sep 15, 2015)

Ugly.


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## JPhoenix19 (Sep 15, 2015)

meh


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Sep 15, 2015)

It's certainly a cool idea, but I'm not sure how many people would really use it. From what I've gathered, most people using Bias mostly have it for home/quiet playing or easy recording, then still use regular amps for noise/live. Even those who use Bias live, that I've seen, just go direct and have a powered speaker if they need stage sound. 

Definitely good for anyone looking for a "powered Kemper on a budget" application, sort of like the relationship between the Axe-FX and Amplifire.


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## Randy (Sep 15, 2015)

Ultra modern technology, and they made it look like a short wave radio. Why?


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## Spinedriver (Sep 15, 2015)

I'd say it'll probably clock in at about a grand easy. The Kemper is a bit more than that but it has the display screen and slightly more sophisticated interface.

It'll be interesting to see how it measures up against the new Yamaha heads.


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## Lain (Sep 15, 2015)

Why are people comparing it to the Kemper already? As far as i know, the bias software was more EQ matching and not at all like the Kemper profiling.

I suspect this being closer to the THR100 than to the Kemper.


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## PBGas (Sep 15, 2015)

Great times to be a guitarist! Looking forward to hearing more about it!


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 15, 2015)

Randy said:


> Ultra modern technology, and they made it look like a short wave radio. Why?



Seems like they're trying to counter the futuristic equipment-on-the-deck-of-the-USS-Enterprise look of the Kemper. 

If it's priced well, I think this could knock the Yamaha THR head out of the park.


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## Spinedriver (Sep 15, 2015)

Lain said:


> Why are people comparing it to the Kemper already? As far as i know, the bias software was more EQ matching and not at all like the Kemper profiling.
> 
> I suspect this being closer to the THR100 than to the Kemper.



I've never actually done it but I think you're pretty close. With Bias, you select one of whatever amps are available, dial it in as close as you can to the amp you're trying to match and once you run the program, it'll "fine tune" it so that it matches up. You can't just hit a "match" button and have it make an amp profile automatically.

What I'm curious about is if the usb port on the back will be for firmware updates/ir loading like the Yamaha amp or if you'll be able to manipulate the settings via mac/pc. ie: being able to go into the "metal" setting and select which amp will be used as there are 4 in Bias.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 15, 2015)

That's how the Axe II's matching works. So if anything, it's trying to clone the Axe FX. 

I'm also guessing there's going to be IR loading, if this is based on the PC version of Bias Pro.


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## knet370 (Sep 15, 2015)

I'll definitely get one just because..


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## Electric Wizard (Sep 15, 2015)

TheWarAgainstTime said:


> It's certainly a cool idea, but I'm not sure how many people would really use it.


Yeah, that was my first thought. If it's for practice, the app is cheaper. If it's for serious recording, the plugin is cheaper. If you're so committed to Bias that you want to use it live, you're probably savvy enough to do it already.

I hope this is cool, but sometimes it seems like Positive Grid goes off in a million directions and doesn't see any one thing through. They took like two extra years on the bluetooth footswitch and just let JamUp die off. I'd really love it if they devoted everything to Bias and Bias FX as they're great but could be amazing with more work IMO.


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## Alex Kenivel (Sep 15, 2015)

Good for them, jumping into the "hardware" game. 



PBGas said:


> Great times to be a guitarist!



This is my thought. Things that were sought after are getting smaller and more easily accessible as the years go by.


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## bhakan (Sep 16, 2015)

Randy said:


> Ultra modern technology, and they made it look like a short wave radio. Why?


Because guitarists hate change with a passion, so if they make it look vintage there's a chance everybody won't totally reject it for lacking "mojo."

I feel like this forum is basically the only guitar community that actually likes gear that pushes the boundaries instead of being as vintage as possible.


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## 4Eyes (Sep 16, 2015)

looks like Kemper without alien lights


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## wakjob (Sep 16, 2015)

Love the retro 70's stereo receiver look.

Would be better if it was sliver.


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## PBGas (Sep 16, 2015)

Wireless button on the back. Interesting. Make some deeper changes on the ipad, sync it up and ready to go. This is what I do with the 2 H9s on my board and I love how easy and fast it is. Gives me more time to play and less time spent tweaking. Can't wait to see more!!!!


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## Mmcgrouty (Sep 16, 2015)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Seems like they're trying to counter the futuristic equipment-on-the-deck-of-the-USS-Enterprise look of the Kemper.
> 
> If it's priced well, I think this could knock the Yamaha THR head out of the park.



I doubt it. First because it's probably going to be around $1k, and second because Bias doesn't sound and feel much like a real amp. I'll take Yamaha's modeling any day of the week.


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## op1e (Sep 16, 2015)

Just give us a dam preamp already. Where's the display? HTH you know what amp/preset you're running? Must take a 2nd device. I like deep editing of an amp and the knob aspect, but the rest not so much.


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## Lorcan Ward (Sep 16, 2015)

op1e said:


> Just give us a dam preamp already. Where's the display? HTH you know what amp/preset you're running? Must take a 2nd device. I like deep editing of an amp and the knob aspect, but the rest not so much.



Now that you mention it how do you use it live or even in the studio? You still need a laptop or iPad to control the software so why do you need the hardware part at all when you already have the plug-in or standalone app. 

I'm really confused on this one now


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## JPhoenix19 (Sep 16, 2015)

It's Positive Grid doing what they've always done- hodge-podging a bunch of features together from other successful products.

It's like they took pages from Line 6 Amplifi's book with the iOS device editing (which I'm assuming it has), implemented the amp matching from Fractal (hybridized with the profile sharing of the Kemper), and put it in an otherwise strange looking attempt to look "vintage".

 To me, it's nothing worth writing home about. As stated previously, people who use Positive Grid's stuff live already probably don't need this.


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## AkiraSpectrum (Sep 16, 2015)

This looks interesting but I think this is the wrong direction. I think they should be putting out a physical modelling amp/fx pedal like a Line 6 Helix that runs BIAS FX (and has BIAS AMP as well maybe?). 
This would be a much better option for people who want to use BIAS FX live and want a more rugged unit for gigging/travelling and doesn't run on battery. If Positive Grid could throw BIAS FX into a pedal at a good price-point then they would be a great low-cost alternative to AxeFX, Kemper, Line 6 (POD & Helix). This way, people can still use it for recording at home, but can also use it through a PA or run it through an amp/poweramp for live situations and not have to worry about having an iPad, a mobile interface, and their new footswitch.


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## I Shot JR (Sep 17, 2015)

Kinda pointless as far as what we know so far. I think it'd have more success just as a rack-mount hardware version of Bias to compete with Line 6's Helix.


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## tylerpond05 (Sep 17, 2015)

I'd love to see something like what Digitech did with their iStomps and the iPad foot controller. Just with Bias.


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## PBGas (Sep 17, 2015)

A lot of comments about how useless it is and we haven't even seen the features of it. To me, it would sound like some folks that were put off with some of the mistakes that Bias made. I can understand that. I have the same feelings toward the companies of some things that I have purchased that didn't live up to the expectations. Let's see what more comes up with the product. I like some of the things I am seeing on it, but who knows until they share more.


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## marcwormjim (Sep 18, 2015)

PBGas said:


> To me, it would sound like some folks that were put off with some of the mistakes that Bias made.



I use and enjoy Positive Grid's products, and don't feel they owe me anything. 

Having said that, the Positive Grid I've come to know since Bias FX's release has me fully expecting them to react to initial, glaring problems with this product at launch by spamming Facebook with promotion for their next week's product.


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## Edika (Sep 18, 2015)

Wow 3D graphics have come a long way! It looks so real you think you have a real physical ampli... wait what? It's real?

Joking aside another piece of gear with great potential and an addition to the competition between modelling amps. Interested to see what it can do!


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 18, 2015)

> Introducing BIAS Head - Amp Match Cranked Up
> We are proud to introduce BIAS Head, a 600-watt powered guitar amplifier that will give you the world's finest amps. Amp match your tube amps, virtually swap tubes, share and download thousands professional Amp Match profiles.
> BIAS Head is beautifully integrated with BIAS Amp for mobile and desktop: for the first time, you can create your custom dream amp right in a physical unit, desktop, or mobile device, and play the same great tone whether it&#8217;s recording or a professional stadium gig.
> Sign up for more:



Looks like it'll be similar to the Kemper, in which you can upload/download profiled tones, and similar to the Amplifi in which you MIGHT be tethered to your phone/PC.

Price will be revealed later on, and they're aiming for an early 2016 release.


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## PBGas (Sep 18, 2015)

I hope it isn't tethered to the device in that, if you want to use IOS to edit, then fine. If not, then go right to the knobs and start turning and saving what you like. I would have liked some type of numbered preset thing but again, it looks like they have 5 spots reserved on there for the presets.


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## TheRileyOBrien (Sep 18, 2015)

The price will be a huge factor with this thing. 

For those who want to run bias live, there needs to be plenty of incentive to not just run a power amp and bluetooth pedal. 

For everyone else I don't see it really being worth owning if you have the other products already. 

I am interested to learn more though.


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## op1e (Sep 18, 2015)

Good potential, but would have gladly sacrificed some knobs or power for an lcd menu. Its just how we've been doing things for 20 years. No one wants to deal with adding an ios device and how to mount it up top without it getting vibrated/knocked off or trashed by an inept band mate or sound guy. Would be smart for them to release an unpowered rack pre after this for slightly less.


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## A-Branger (Sep 22, 2015)

Electric Wizard said:


> Yeah, that was my first thought. If it's for practice, the app is cheaper. If it's for serious recording, the plugin is cheaper. If you're so committed to Bias that you want to use it live, you're probably savvy enough to do it already.



well, not everyone has mixing monitors at home, and/or an audio interface. Not much point on having such a great amp modeler if you are going to play trough some cheap laptop speakers.

In my case I do have a nice pair of monitors, and ages ago I used to play with the amplitube, but it was anoying to adjust the level between the software and my itunes to be able to play along music. Having an amp is "easier" sometimes.

I see it like, instead of having a pedal board + amp (or computer), now its on a dedicated amp. So easy to jam, easy to take along for a gig or practice.

I dont see anything wrong, appart from the how would you control it?.. would still need an iphone/ipad attach to it?





AkiraSpectrum said:


> This looks interesting but I think this is the wrong direction. I think they should be putting out a physical modelling amp/fx pedal like a Line 6 Helix that runs BIAS FX (and has BIAS AMP as well maybe?).
> This would be a much better option for people who want to use BIAS FX live and want a more rugged unit for gigging/travelling and doesn't run on battery. If Positive Grid could throw BIAS FX into a pedal at a good price-point then they would be a great low-cost alternative to AxeFX, Kemper, Line 6 (POD & Helix). This way, people can still use it for recording at home, but can also use it through a PA or run it through an amp/poweramp for live situations and not have to worry about having an iPad, a mobile interface, and their new footswitch.




Now this guys is on the money. I personally think a pedal board is much better as ti give you control. But like I said up there, instead of pedal board + amp (or PA), they are just creating the amp..... and again the main problem stays.. how do you control it?.....

My money (if I had any), would still go towards the Helix kinda deal


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## JohnIce (Sep 22, 2015)

op1e said:


> Good potential, but would have gladly sacrificed some knobs or power for an lcd menu. Its just how we've been doing things for 20 years. No one wants to deal with adding an ios device and how to mount it up top without it getting vibrated/knocked off or trashed by an inept band mate or sound guy. Would be smart for them to release an unpowered rack pre after this for slightly less.



How much editing do you expect to be doing at a gig? I'm a Kemper user, used to be an Axe-Fx user, previously a Pod user, and I can't remember a single time where I started editing my presets at a gig...  Besides volume and some EQ in extreme cases, but those are right there on the panel, no need to use the app for that.

Secondly, if the editor is on your phone, why do you need to put your phone away on top of the amp all of a sudden? Keep it in your pocket like you always do.

Personally, I think ipad/phone integration is the way forward, small LCD screens with buttons and menus should go in the bin with cassette tapes and floppy discs in my opinion.


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## will_shred (Sep 22, 2015)

Why would I use this live when I can just use a tube amp? Bias is a great recording and practice tool... I think that they may be over reaching their bounds a bit, and I have a copy of bias desktop and use it all the time. However, if its cost competitive with the kemper and sounds almost as good that would be pretty cool.

and 600 watts? why...? What kind of cab are you going to plug that into?


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## op1e (Sep 22, 2015)

JohnIce said:


> How much editing do you expect to be doing at a gig? I'm a Kemper user, used to be an Axe-Fx user, previously a Pod user, and I can't remember a single time where I started editing my presets at a gig...  Besides volume and some EQ in extreme cases, but those are right there on the panel, no need to use the app for that.
> 
> Secondly, if the editor is on your phone, why do you need to put your phone away on top of the amp all of a sudden? Keep it in your pocket like you always do.
> 
> Personally, I think ipad/phone integration is the way forward, small LCD screens with buttons and menus should go in the bin with cassette tapes and floppy discs in my opinion.



Is there a Bluetooth link? Cause I didn't see that. And every now and then I will adjust an overdrive or something for the room if my amp is in my ankles or its a hot room where everything wants to feedback/.... acoustics. Maybe I'm crazy, but phones can stay phones and amps can stay amps. And if the average user has to buy an IOS device on top of the head or Bias Desktop its gonna be off putting. I'd rather have a screen and not need it than need it and not have it.


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## JohnIce (Sep 22, 2015)

op1e said:


> Is there a Bluetooth link? Cause I didn't see that. And every now and then I will adjust an overdrive or something for the room if my amp is in my ankles or its a hot room where everything wants to feedback/.... acoustics. Maybe I'm crazy, but phones can stay phones and amps can stay amps. And if the average user has to buy an IOS device on top of the head or Bias Desktop its gonna be off putting. I'd rather have a screen and not need it than need it and not have it.



I just assumed the app operation will be wireless, anything else would be crazy... if the H9 and Amplifi can do it I really don't see why this one wouldn't.

Secondly, a remote control app wouldn't be limited by Android's latency issues, meaning you shouldn't need an iOS device necessarily.

There is of course the issue of being future-proof. A self-contained unit wouldn't be affected if developers stopped supporting it, whereas if for some reason iOS or Android were completely remodeled AND Positive Grid stopped updating the app for the new operating systems, you'd have to either keep an old device around for control, or end up with an untweakable amp. Then again, someone somewhere would probably develop a substitute anyway, much like the Axe-Edit software started out as a private project. Programmers with too much spare time will always be around  (goes off to play Final Fantasy VII on a Mac)


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## op1e (Sep 22, 2015)

Good point. I'm just stuck in my ways I guess. Been navigating Digitech menus since the early 90's. If it weren't for people taking it on themself outside the manufacturer to do updates the 1101 wouldn't be half as good as it is now. I do a LOT of tweaking at the room, not really on stage. Up there I can go full loud, stage volume and beyond. If I had to take a laptop I'd be irritated. Maybe with this fancy new 6+ not so much. Depending on the price and if it FEELS good to play, maybe the Bias Head will be an option next year. But for now I'm throwing my money down the MTS well lol.


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## Veldar (Sep 23, 2015)

Randy said:


> Ultra modern technology, and they made it look like a short wave radio. Why?



All the better to cover Palms with.


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## Grand Moff Tim (Sep 23, 2015)

will_shred said:


> and 600 watts? why...? What kind of cab are you going to plug that into?




Pssssssst...




Bassists exist...


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## Alex Kenivel (Sep 23, 2015)

600 Watts, solid state?


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## Grand Moff Tim (Sep 23, 2015)

I'd hope so. A 600w tube amp would weigh ten thousand pounds.


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## Alex Kenivel (Sep 23, 2015)

Exactly. 600 solid state Watts through a 2x12 is plenty


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## indreku (Sep 24, 2015)

Kemper power head and rack I think are also 600w


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Sep 24, 2015)

^yep. It's about clean headroom, not pushing 600w all-out. That's why bass amps all have an absurd amount of wattage, at least to us guitar folk, and venue PA systems use racks and racks of 1000 watt or more power amps. As long as you don't push more watts than the cab can handle there won't be any problems.


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## Fraz666 (Sep 24, 2015)

bhakan said:


> Because guitarists hate change with a passion, so if they make it look vintage there's a chance everybody won't totally reject it for lacking "mojo."
> 
> I feel like this forum is basically the only guitar community that actually likes gear that pushes the boundaries instead of being as vintage as possible.


agree.

with a vintage look they try to extend the range of possible buyers


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Sep 24, 2015)

Fraz666 said:


> agree.
> 
> with a vintage look they try to extend the range of possible buyers



I don't know, I think the old Sears/Silvertone Amp fanbase is about as niche as our ERG fanbase.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 7, 2016)

MSRP is $1300, so it'll probably be around $800 - $1000 once it's actually available.


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## Aymara (Jan 7, 2016)

Visit the Positive Grid forums and have a look, how many issues their software has, and then tell me again, that you're interested to buy their hardware.

Before this company doesn't mature, I'll definitely won't invest much into their products, sorry.


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## marcwormjim (Jan 7, 2016)

I urge anyone curious to skim the their official forum and check out what a turd the BT-4 pedal has been, as well - And that's _after_ their mods deleted the unflattering posts. The fact that they have one non english-speaker assigned to reply to english requests for returns/refunds with messages refusing to acknowledge the requests says a lot about how little it took for PG to get too big for their britches. Hopefully they get some face-to-face criticism at NAMM.


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## Aymara (Jan 7, 2016)

marcwormjim said:


> Hopefully they get some face-to-face criticism at NAMM.



No angry customer will impress any poor NAMM employee. That changes nothing. PG checks their own forums and already know, that many customers are angry and why.

But the spread of the word of the current status quo in the guitar forums might help to wake up the managers of PG, who need to learn, that bug fixing currently should have a higher prio than any new product release.

If they don't learn to satisfy their customer base, it's just a matter of time until PG will be owned by Yamaha or another major company.


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## PBGas (Jan 9, 2016)

Aymara said:


> Visit the Positive Grid forums and have a look, how many issues their software has, and then tell me again, that you're interested to buy their hardware.
> 
> Before this company doesn't mature, I'll definitely won't invest much into their products, sorry.



I've had some good luck with the the products that I have purchased (Bias FX desktop Pro and Bias Amps Desktop pro) and only a few issues when it was first released. Now, that being said, I haven't always liked how they have approached their releases. I really think they should have done a better pricing setup for these two programs. I do agree that they need to work out some of their issues but every time I have contacted their CS, I've gotten an adequate response to solve the issue. 

Skim over to the Kemper forums or any other digital box and see all of the issues that are ongoing. I know...I've had a few of them over the past 3.5 years. Point being that anything like this will have issues, regardless. 

Not endorsing these guys at all...just hoping that this unit turns out to be really good. Not holding my breath or rushing into it though.


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## Aymara (Jan 10, 2016)

PBGas said:


> Not endorsing these guys at all...just hoping that this unit turns out to be really good. Not holding my breath or rushing into it though.



I first hope, they get all software issues fixed before they get bankrupt. I really like BIAS FX, but it's currently unusable for pro use, sorry.


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## PBGas (Jan 10, 2016)

Aymara said:


> I first hope, they get all software issues fixed before they get bankrupt. I really like BIAS FX, but it's currently unusable for pro use, sorry.



Out of curiosity, what issues are you having? Mine is running perfectly on the desktop version. I haven't used my IOS version in a while though....


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## Aymara (Jan 10, 2016)

PBGas said:


> Out of curiosity, what issues are you having?



I'm using BIAS FX on a Macbook Pro Retina (OSX 10.10.5) and an iPad Air 2 (iOS 8.4.1) and both show the same issue with different interfaces and guitars ... a single click/pop every few minutes. Most noticably when not using totally noisy high gain stuff ... btw, most users, even the pros, don't seem to know, what a noise gate is ... but that is a different topic 

Furthermore the cloud search only works on iOS.

It's also worth mentioning, that sometimes BIAS just crashes with feedback or no sound at all ... got that several times on iOS. On OSX the latest version sometimes causes Reaper to kick in automute.

Search the PG forum to find even more issues reported by others. Btw ... Win10 is still not on the compatibility list and iOS 9 is a distaster too.

A lot of work to do for PG to sort all issues out. That's why more and more users get upset ... PG release one new product after the other without fixing the others and implementing MIDI and Automation support in the desktop version.

Oh, and reading the forum about the BT-4 hardware pedal doesn't make one confident regarding upcoming new hardware.

I hope to read more postive news about PG in the near future and that they fix this pop issue ASAP.


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## PBGas (Jan 10, 2016)

Interesting! Not good to hear those issues. I'm running mine through STudio One 3. I've disabled the cab modelling with Bias and run WOS-III as my cabinets. I've not had any popping issues at this point when recording. I haven't used the IOS version live in a while so I'll have to test that out and see if it gives me issues. I haven't had any crashes. 

Now...the whole BT footboard. That is disconcerting. 

Either way, going to let this product run and see some users results with it before I even think about getting one.


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## Aymara (Jan 11, 2016)

PBGas said:


> I've not had any popping issues at this point when recording.



What astonishes me is, that this bug was only reported in the forum for iOS 9 and Win 10.

So why, does nobody seem hear that on other OSs?

My first thoughts were noisy setups ... when I test user setups in the cloud, I get shocked, what noisy crap I find there. I even remember one setup, that had amp noise nearly as loud as the guitar, and this crap was created by a featured artist, unbelievable. So my guess was, that most people are interested in high gain setups, where the pops might be less loud than the amp noise. I don't know.

But right now a second point comes to my mind, that might explain it: I use a high end headphone with above average resolution. It might be interesting to test, if the pops are maybe not hearable with cheap headphones. Higher samples rates don't make any difference, which I already tested.


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## RobPhoboS (Jan 11, 2016)

I've been playing around with FX and AMP, windows 7 on a proper desktop machine - no problems at all.
In fact I think it's a great piece of software and I am impressed with how quickly I can get a likeable sound out of it.


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## jjcor (Jan 11, 2016)

I use it bias fx and bias amp with my macbook and bypass the cabs and use ownhammers ir's and its sounds great! I have yet to hear any pops or have any major issues with it. The only problem Ive had is if I leave it on the tuner mode (in mute) and don't hit a note for a few minutes it won't pick up a signal after a while. Then I just press play in my DAW and it connects again. Weird bug but doesn't bother me.


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## DeathCubeK (Jan 11, 2016)

Randy said:


> Ultra modern technology, and they made it look like a short wave radio. Why?



who cares how it looks? how it sounds is all that matters.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 2, 2016)

https://www.facebook.com/positivegrid/videos/1116510735033922/

First video demo. I'm not too impressed.


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## mongey (Feb 2, 2016)

Thought it sounded ok. 

Surprised it has no effects.


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## Spinedriver (Feb 2, 2016)

I wonder what the price is on it. Surely it can't be more than Boss' Waza amp.


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## mongey (Feb 2, 2016)

Spinedriver said:


> I wonder what the price is on it. Surely it can't be more than Boss' Waza amp.



BIAS Head (MSRP $1299) will be available for Limited Early Bird pre-order in Q1 2016.


had an email from them this morning . not that I'm interested


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## Aymara (Feb 3, 2016)

As long as they are not able to support current products and instead release one new product after the other, shut down their own forum to hide this horrible situation, there's only one thing I have to say to every potential owner of BIAS Amp: Good Luck!


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## A-Branger (Feb 3, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> https://www.facebook.com/positivegrid/videos/1116510735033922/
> 
> First video demo. I'm not too impressed.



that "amp matching demo" was so off to the real ones


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## glpg80 (Feb 3, 2016)

I'd invest in an Axe FX II XL, Helix, or HD500XL before spending that kind of money on modeling which sounds that bad. It's like they took a step back to the 90's. They should have at least used FRFR cabs and ditched the traditional. 

Hell, even the vetta II HD sounds better at half the cost.


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## Lorcan Ward (Feb 3, 2016)

A-Branger said:


> that "amp matching demo" was so off to the real ones



They rushed through it as quick as possible in the hopes you wouldn't notice.


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## A-Branger (Feb 3, 2016)

Lorcan Ward said:


> They rushed through it as quick as possible in the hopes you wouldn't notice.



maybe an average player consumer (or a kid) watching the clip trough laptop speakers wont notice and think "hey that sounds similar".

but damn that was so off. Why would you show the feature if it doesnt work?, just mention it on the specs and done. Let ppl imagination think it works, dont show it doesnt


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## Aymara (Feb 3, 2016)

I get more and more the impression, that even the managers in this company are pretty young and unexperienced ... especially the later


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Feb 3, 2016)

Yeah, that Recto was REALLY off. It even has that harsh fuzzy clipping that I heard in some Bias demos, especially here.


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## Aymara (Feb 4, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It even has that harsh fuzzy clipping ...



It should be clear that the head is based on their software and as a BIAS FX user I can assure you, that it is a kind of art to create decent tones with it as it is an art to create a great guitar tone in a DAW in general.

I was especially shocked, what kind of crap you can find in the tone cloud. Even some sounds of the so called featured artists are often just a noisy mess.

But with some fine tuning it's definitely possible to get some nice tones, but BIAS in general can't compete with Kemper and Axe FX, especially when seeking a realistic emulation of hardware amps.

Their products have potential, but instead of fixing bugs and improving them, they don't and release one new product after the other, which also have issues. The best example is their hardware pedal. There were tons of complaints about it in their forum, which they took offline last week


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## marcwormjim (Feb 4, 2016)

I just logged into a seldom-used facebook account and discovered PG blocked me from posting on their page after a comment I made a few months ago. My crime was asking if the (then-about-to-launch) BT4 controller app had been tested with regard to the iOS 9.0+ bugs FX and AMP were experiencing at the time.

I looked back and found my and similar less-than-glowing comments deleted. At least we haven't gotten any PG heads uploading Strictly 7-style youtube meltdowns.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 3, 2016)

It actually sounds... really close.


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## Fretless (Mar 3, 2016)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> It actually sounds... really close.




Close, but definitely not what I expected. Notable differences between the original and the modeled on both runs, and on every demo I have seen thus far are major turn offs. I'd rather they just stuck to their amp models than try to jump on the matching bandwagon.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 3, 2016)

Well the original demo made them sound COMPLETELY different, but this one makes them sound a lot closer than before, just with volume differences.


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## PBGas (Mar 3, 2016)

Apparently the people in the 3 minutes that they SOLD out the 25 units would beg to differ. 
Ridiculous.

Miraculously, there a "a few more' units suddenly available this evening as well. 

Really lost all faith in them with this.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Mar 3, 2016)

Yup. Just got an email. 

And their definition of "a few more" is 100 spots. 

Yeeeeah.


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## wakjob (Mar 3, 2016)

needs... more... tweaking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Seriously. Everything like this has a learning curve attached.

Give it time. Wait for some more people to get their hands on one.
Results will vary, but eventually get better.


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## Aymara (Mar 4, 2016)

Aymara said:


> As long as they are not able to support current products and instead release one new product after the other, ...



Now it becomes absolutely laughable ... on their facebook page they posted, that they plan to release studio headphones.

It seems, that their CEO and their product manager are very young and unexperienced.

Think of it ... studio headphones ... what a totally mad idea, trying to compete with companies like Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic, AKG, Audio Technica, Sure, etc., that have decades of experience in this field. We shouldn't forget, that PG started as a iOS app developer.

It seems, it won't last long until they are bankrupt and will be taken over by a major player like e.g. Yamaha.

But I need to say, that the last iOS update was a real improvement. The problems are not completely solved, but drastically reduced ... it happens more seldom now. On OSX though the last update didn't solve the pops & clicks issue.

And their forum is still "under maintenance" ... embarassing!

Even if their amp would be able to top all alternatives, I wouldn't invest over 1000 bucks in this company ... not before this company matures in their behaviour.


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## xCaptainx (Mar 4, 2016)

well, I've pre ordered. I'll review and provide clips as soon as it arrives. 

Been all over the modeller park with HD147, VettaII, HD500, Axe FX and gigging/studio experience with Kemper. 

I used to gig with a tone match from our album stem files using the Axe FX II. I managed to get Bias Desktop to be in the same ballpark, so I'm looking forward to cranking this and comparing it to my Axe FX II tones I had. 

Audio from my album tone match from 1min 10 onwards 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ct5JA3mT7fk


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## xCaptainx (Jun 30, 2016)

Well, mine is shipping out next week. Watch this space...


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## PBGas (Jun 30, 2016)

I'm glad they are making good with their shipping deadlines! Hope to see and hear more from this! 

Really hope they find a way to seperate the poweramp and direct outputs so that you can use the modelled tone to the FOH and the cab off setting to a guitar cab. This is a missed opportunity and feature on their product and really why I didn't bother with it.


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## UniverseOfTheMind8 (Jun 30, 2016)

Seems better just to use the original desktop software.


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## Aymara (Jul 1, 2016)

UniverseOfTheMind8 said:


> Seems better just to use the original desktop software.



... and even better to test the demo frist 

BIAS FX had a major bug on OSX, which caused Reaper to activate automute every 10 or 15 minutes, because BIAS FX caused major noise. This problem also existed on iOS, but is already fixed since the latest update even on the iPad Pro. It's time to test it on OSX again to see, if they got that fixed too ... there was an update too at the same time, when the iOS update was released.

So it seems they woke up reagrding bug fixing, but nevertheless the weird product politics go on ... on Facebook they announced a drum app  ... the next mad idea.

So it's very likely, that bug fixing will continue to be very slow.


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## PBGas (Jul 2, 2016)

I really like what they have out now. But they really have to think about what they are focusing on and have the manpower to get the job done. They release the Bias head without the ability to seperate the emulation when running a cabinet and FOH at the same time, Every competitor out there has this feature. For me, the whole idea would be to go to my gig with the unit and small 1x12cab for my stage monitoring and then run the main out to the FOH system with emulation. 

Apparently the unit cannot do this. Piss poor planning on their part and 0 forethought on a key feature of their product...hence the issue with too many products and not enough hands to help with the planning/development. 

Edit.....see below. Still not giving them another dime of my $$$. Too many unknowns with these clowns.


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## Aymara (Jul 3, 2016)

PBGas said:


> ...hence the issue with too many products and not enough hands to help with the planning/development.



This company urgently needs a CEO, who not only knows business economics and music business, but also what cooperative leadership is.

And they urgently need to improve product management, that focusses on product improvements, before new products get developed.

The company and especially the dev department is too small for the current diversification strategy.

As I said before, I have the impression, that the current PM and CEO are too young and unexperienced to avoid bankruptcy in the long run, which is the logical conseuqnce, when products only convince at first sight, but fail at second sight, because of insufficient support.

I myself am waiting since end of 2015 to get convinced, I won't regret buying the pro version of BIAS FX and Amp. I only bought the standard version of FX for above reasons and still am not convinced that product quality is sufficient and support fast enough to invest in the Pro line. Having to wait half a year for a major bug fix is pretty much inacceptable and their stupid product management shows, that it's unlikely, that this will change in the near future.


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## marcwormjim (Jul 3, 2016)

They smartly dropped the price of Bias Pedal on iOS to five bucks, but I still need a reason to buy it. 

The only product in the pipeline I'm looking forward to is the guitar emulation. Line 6 seems lukewarm toward their current Variax series, and I don't know that Roland's COSM guitar modeling algorithms have *ever* been updated. I know Antares has a modeler, but I long for the day a tablet contains the whole rig.


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## Aymara (Jul 3, 2016)

marcwormjim said:


> They smartly dropped the price of Bias Pedal on iOS to five bucks, but I still need a reason to buy it.



I can confirm, that the iOS version of BIAS FX runs pretty stable and sounds really good on my iPad Pro now ... and I think, that 5 bucks more over Bias Pedal is absolutely worth it.


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## PBGas (Jul 4, 2016)

I was contacted by PG in regards to a request I had for more information on the head. For this version which is different than what was initially shown, they have added a parallel and serial mode. For the parallel mode, you can have the speaker cab output running to a regular cab and there is no emulation. At the same time, you can run the main out to FOH for full emulated cab tones. This is great news. I just wished they shared it with everyone previously instead of leaving it as a hidden feature.


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## Aymara (Jul 4, 2016)

PBGas said:


> I may now reconsider buying one as it would be really useful for me with this feature!



Just out of curiosity ... will you be able to send it back in case you don't like it? I guess, it's not possible to test it in a shop?


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## PBGas (Jul 4, 2016)

Aymara said:


> Just out of curiosity ... will you be able to send it back in case you don't like it? I guess, it's not possible to test it in a shop?



That is my initial worry. When I look at things again, I'm probably not going to bother doing this at all. The picture with Peter Lundgren of Queensryche on the Bias site is quite interesting because they blacked out the rack below which has his Kemper powered rack. The Bias head really looks photoshopped in there when you take a closer look at it. As with you, I'm just not trusting these guys anymore. Fool me once and twice but not the third time.


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## Endtropy (Jul 4, 2016)

I don't have an iPad or a Mac so I bought the Windows version and it's been a long drawn out nightmare. I would advise anyone stay away from giving them any money for anything outside of the iPad app.


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## Aymara (Jul 5, 2016)

PBGas said:


> The Bias head really looks photoshopped in there when you take a closer look at it.



Now that you mentioned that, I had a closer look and yes, the perspective and size of the amp looks incorrect at closer inspection.



Endtropy said:


> I bought the Windows version and it's been a long drawn out nightmare.



I remember from the former PG forum, that there were issues on Win10, so it would be interesting to tell us more details about your experience. Which problems did you have on which Windows version in which DAW?

Did you contact PG support?


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## Endtropy (Jul 6, 2016)

Aymara said:


> My issues are indeed with Windows 10. I have been in touch with PG support for over a month and I keep getting bounced around and forgotten. The first guy just dismissed me saying "Oh, well we don't support Windows 10" despite their website saying otherwise. They then keep suggesting driver updates I've already done or ridiculous workarounds that don't work.
> 
> I used several DAWs and have the exact same audio degradation in each program, even the BIAS standalone program. My computer has an i7-5930k (near top of the line for consumers) and 32 GB of RAM so you can't blame my hardware heh.


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## Aymara (Jul 7, 2016)

Endtropy said:


> They then keep suggesting driver updates I've already done or ridiculous workarounds that don't work.



That's the typical support crap, that you even encounter with Microsoft and Apple ... those helpdesk guys nowadays don't know much.

The problem with BIAS FX is it's DSP, which they seem to work over now. Some amp / effect combinations work fine, others cause major issues.

A further problem seems to be, that it was developed for iOS first and then ported to the desktop. Usually it's done the other way round.

I'm pretty sure, they will get that sorted out, but bug fixing is extremely slow because of their mad product management. As I said, I had to wait half a year, until the iOS issues were solved.


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## theicon2125 (Jul 8, 2016)

I was looking into this software, but it sounds like it would be a bad idea for me since I have Windows 10. I would want to use the standalone version of the software. Is it basically just junk? I have the app on my ipod and it's pretty good but I want to plug directly into my computer so that I can have better control.


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## Aymara (Jul 8, 2016)

theicon2125 said:


> Is it basically just junk?



It's the same as the iOS version, but allows higher sample rates and resolution.

I would recommend to try the demo ... it won't hurt  ... and might help to find out, if it runs flawless or not. It seems, not everyone is affected by the flaws of the Desktop version, as it was on iOS before too.


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## Aymara (Aug 12, 2016)

Aymara said:


> BIAS FX had a major bug on OSX, which caused Reaper to activate automute every 10 or 15 minutes, because BIAS FX caused major noise.



This week I got a mail from PG Support, that this issue is fixed. I tested the latest update a while and yes, it seems to be fixed as the iOS version too.

So as I said above, bug fixing is existent, but pretty slow ... I reported this major bug to PG Support in March after I saw, that 2 updates didn't fix it. So in total it took more than half a year or even more ... who knows, if this bug existet before I first tried this software ... it's very likely.


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## PBGas (Aug 12, 2016)

I wonder who bought all of the Bias heads because I have literally not heard a peep on any of the forums about them. That can't be a good sign......


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## Aymara (Aug 13, 2016)

PBGas said:


> I wonder who bought all of the Bias heads ...



They only said, that the first batch was sold out quickly, but how many units were in this batch, 3?  

I think the main issue with the head is, that you are forced to buy "blind" without testing it first.


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## axl12 (Aug 13, 2016)

PBGas said:


> I wonder who bought all of the Bias heads because I have literally not heard a peep on any of the forums about them. That can't be a good sign......


 I've got one. Its really really good. I'm still having fun just playing. I've got a 1x12 vintage 30 wide cab and a 2x12 vintage 30 slant in testing right now and thus far thumbs up. Only complaint, I wish they supplied a foot switch but that's the go these days, add-on's! (they would say it keeps the price lower) 
p.s Thinking of buying a RJM Mastermind to control it via midi anyone recommend them or not?


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## PBGas (Aug 13, 2016)

axl12 said:


> I've got one. Its really really good. I'm still having fun just playing. I've got a 1x12 vintage 30 wide cab and a 2x12 vintage 30 slant in testing right now and thus far thumbs up. Only complaint, I wish they supplied a foot switch but that's the go these days, add-on's! (they would say it keeps the price lower)
> p.s Thinking of buying a RJM Mastermind to control it via midi anyone recommend them or not?



Glad to hear it is working out nicely for you! Having fun while playing is what it is all about!!  

At some point I may be interested in one but I am going to wait this one out to see what they come up with next year. I'm betting they will have a unit with the FX built in as well. When that happens I will become real interested. Also want to see if folks have any reliability issues with them.


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## axl12 (Aug 14, 2016)




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## waterbound (Sep 9, 2016)

I have been looking for a decent quality overview/demo of the PG Bias Head (or rack) and unable to find any as of yet. I saw the xCaptainx indicated he had ordered on in 3/16 but nothing since. Are there any decent demos of all the features or is the head a fail? Thoughts? Thanks!


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## couverdure (Oct 28, 2016)

Ola Englund's Mesa Mark IV modeler comparison with the AX8, Kemper, Helix, and BIAS Head.


I think the BIAS Head is almost close to sounding like the real thing, just behind the AX8. I'm not a fan of the Kemper and Helix tones.


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## schecter58 (Oct 28, 2016)

How well does it work in a jam/live environment without having a PC connected?


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## Elric (Oct 28, 2016)

axl12 said:


>


You could have saved yourself a thousand dollars by adding a power amp to that iPad. Just saying. Save​


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## Carl Kolchak (Oct 29, 2016)

couverdure said:


> I think the BIAS Head is almost close to sounding like the real thing, just behind the AX8. I'm not a fan of the Kemper and Helix tones.



I would have thought the Kemper would have won this shootout hands down, but I agree, the BIAS head sounded the closet out of the four units tested. Go figure, right?


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## chuggalug (Nov 2, 2016)

I just got my BIAS Head in late last week and have been so busy I haven't had a chance to put it through the paces...Aside from plugging it in and messing around with some of the already programmed presets and mucking around on the tonecloud.

I do have it hooked up to a mesa 4x12 cab and its clearly overkill for the size area I use as my jam room. I was using a peavey 6505+ prior to this purchase and I can say that I already get a better tone out of the BIAS head just within a few little tweaks.


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## martial allart (Apr 6, 2017)

This little amp is so versatile


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## Serious (Apr 7, 2017)

That guy shreds. I left a few questions on the video, maybe someone here can help out? VV

Are there any differences between the audio coming out of the Bias Head and the audio on the Bias FX/Amp? If not what are the advantages of using the head for recording other than latency free? If the audio is the same it would seem more intuitive to use Bias Amp + Bias FX since you can have a ton of effects as well as amps and save 1000$. 2. Have you compared this to a Kemper or a Fractal? How does it stack against those? Thanks great playing!



martial allart said:


> This little amp is so versatile


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## Aymara (Apr 9, 2017)

Serious said:


> Are there any differences between the audio coming out of the Bias Head and the audio on the Bias FX/Amp?



With a good interface the Desktop versions should sound similar to the amp, that in my opinion is mainly a method to reduce losses through piracy.

But the amp is pretty powerful and doesn't require a computer on stage and it looks relatively traditional, which might be interesting for some players.

In a pure studio / home context the amp is a waiste of money in my opinion.


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