Bergantino Audio System's new Forté D bass amp head proves very big things sometimes come is small packages.
There's 800-watts RMS, 4-band EQ, Parallel Dynamic Circuitry and the one-knob BFT Big Fat Tube Drive circuit helping it to deliver everything from "pristine and sparkling clean tones, to mildly pushed tube drive, to super heavy, mix-shredding saturation and everything in between."
"To truly master the ultimate bass tone, this can’t just be solved by distortion alone. It needs to involve the way the amp module compresses, sags and reacts to load"
The Big Fat Tube knob has us intrigued for starters. "The world of bass tone can mean many things to different people and often it can be hard to replicate the desired essence and tone of a real tube amplifier," says Bergantino in its introduction to the Forté D.
"While you can get part of the way with distortion circuits and pedals, but to truly master the ultimate bass tone, this can’t just be solved by distortion alone. It needs to involve the way the amp module compresses, sags and reacts to load."
The US company's response is a refined approach to delivering the best of drive to bass players. But into a single control.
"You want that sweet, intoxicating soft clip purr? It’s in there," says the company. "How about grit and growl to give you some more presence in a mix? Yep, it’s there too. What about a massively saturated tube amp pushed within an inch of its life? You’ve absolutely got it with the Forté D."
All that gainy goodness is distilled into one knob for ultimate ease of use. But if you then want sparkling clean tones, you simply turn the BFT off. Simple!
Bergantino's other potential ace card for the Forté D (£999) is its Parallel Dynamic Circuitry, developing its compression developments for other products and tailoring it for bass.
As Bergantino says; "This new technology seamlessly integrates with the BFT drive feature, allowing for a very sensitive, touch dynamic that inspires, not only to achieve that pushed tube amplifier tone, but get the wonderful feel of total interaction between the player and amp."
Then there's the power. At 8 ohms (eg a single small cab) Forté D will provide 350W RMS and at 4 ohms this is increased to 700W RMS, while at a 2 or 2.67 ohms load the power output goes to the mximum 800W RMS.
And you don't even need a speaker to enjoy this amp – the Forté D's headphone jack makes it ideal for practice without disturbing anyone else.
In addition to the 4-band EQ to suite various bass styles, there's a Bright Switch enabling a 6db increase at 6.5kHz.
The Bergantino Forté D will be distributed in the UK and mainland Europe by Audio Distribution Group. For more info visit audiodistributiongroup.com and bergantino.com
