So, the pendulum has swung back to a tube amp over a modeler

[Tonetele]

I like My Katana as much as I like my Princeton. Although the Princeton does have eal tone to it.

 

[NWinther]

I am not going to stop using my valve amp, until I cannot get any new valves anymore.....
I do record directly these days, but I always play through my amps here at home, just to remind myself that the difference is kinda......huge!! And I just love the sound!

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi.

Yikes, I’ve forgotten what I was going to say. Um…

Oh yeah. I love the sound of tube / valve amps. I think the sound of my hand-wired Vox AC4-HW1 is amazing. I also sneak off at times and book solo time in practice rooms to use Twins, AC30s, etc. cranked. Cos it’s great fun.

But, at low volume at home, my wee vanilla THR10 sounds really great.* It does not have that touch response kind of connection you get with a cranked valve amp, but I can dial it to sound so full, sweet and beautiful (to me) that it brings some other kind of sonic connection.

So, for me at least, it’s a matter of situation, context, circumstance, etc. Even if just reducing the conversation to tube / valve amps, there is no one ‘best’ solution. So, in a way, debating ‘best’ re valve vs modelling is kinda just an extension of old debates, and equally dependent on context, caveats, etc.

Totally want a Fractal M9.

I totally want an M11. Also digital, but I’ll have to stick to analogue for now and keep saving.

Pax/
Dean
* and my AC4 does at times cause the summoning of the nonmusical fuzz…

 

[Blrfl]

If you want your modelers to sound like "amp-in-a-room," connect the modeler to a clean power amp + guitar cabinet with guitar speakers (turn off the cab-sim on the modeler). That would get you the "amp-in-a-room" sound and would sound as good if not better.

Or disable the microphone model, run the output to something flat and let the room do its thing.

This isn't directed at you, bit it drives me nuts when people base conclusions on apples-to-oranges comparisons. Amp in the room and mic'd amp in the room are two different things.

 

[TokyoPortrait]

Hi again.

I totally want an M11… keep saving

Huh, maybe sooner than I thought. I wrote the above (& took the photo) while waiting to go to a movie. Just looked at my ticket and I’m in seat M-11.

Pax/
Dean

 

[loopfinding]

I’m repeatedly surprised at how much debate arises about whether X modeler successfully sounds like X amp. I guess people need a point of reference to compare, and guitarist’s seem to keep a firm grasp on tradition, but ultimately, so what? Modeler X is not in fact a 1967 Super Reverb, so let’s get past that and evaluate Modeler X can do that a 67 SR (or whatever) cannot do. What can it do that is unique to that unit?

i agree with that. on my iridium, i have supposedly the "best" DR impulse response (ownhammer). i use the vibrolux one, and with the mid jacked in pseudo 5E3 mode. similarly i use that DR cab on the marshall model for my dirty sounds. why? because they sound good to my ears.

what amps are those combinations really emulating, sort of a 5F4 and a sort of a 5F8? who knows, who cares. i'm not aiming for authenticity, i just want a modeler that reasonably behaves like a real amp and gets a sound i’m after for my music.

 

[gimmeatele]

What? I have only just gone modeller! Late to the party again.

 

[bgmacaw]

I often switch between tube amps and modelers. However, I almost always run them through a IR cab setup to keep the volume down and the peace up in the house.

 

[mexicanyella]

i agree with that. on my iridium, i have supposedly the "best" DR impulse response (ownhammer). i use the vibrolux one, and with the mid jacked in pseudo 5E3 mode. similarly i use that DR cab on the marshall model for my dirty sounds. why? because they sound good to my ears.

what amps are those combinations really emulating, sort of a 5F4 and a sort of a 5F8? who knows, who cares. i'm not aiming for authenticity, i just want a modeler that reasonably behaves like a real amp and gets a sound i’m after for my music.

I can relate; that sounds parallel to my experience.

When I first borrowed a friend’s Pod 2.0, I found I liked the sound of the JC120 model with the gain and mids up somewhat, with Pod compression dialed up a bit, into the “Fender 1 x 8” cab option. I’ve never played through a real JC combo, or a tweed champ, but that combination was fun to play for me and seemed like a sound unique to that device, and that appealed to me.

Later I discovered that I liked it as a bass guitar preamp using the Plexi model at low gain—so fairly clean—with some compression and no cab sim selected.

Those two discoveries helped me get with the “ignore the settings names and use my ears” program, which has made my current Zoom B2 and Behringer V-amp Pro each a lot more fun to play through.

When I use the amp and cab sims in BandLab, I find I like the JC120 through a small Fender cab for guitar, and the JC120 through a 8 x 10” bass cab for bass, so I guess there’s some consistency in what I like to hear...?

 

[Fiesta Red]

By request of and to simplify the process for my producer, I often use an old Line 6 POD for recording. With a bit of tweaking and using my normal pedalboard, we get some excellent tones.

Live, I’m using my beloved ‘63-reissue Vibroverb. It works perfectly for me.

I’m not saying I wouldn’t use a modeling/digital amp live, I’m just saying I haven’t found one that works as well for me as the Vibroverb.

 

[Yesyoudidyouare]

Try a Fractal FM3.

Good enough for the Edge from U2, John Mayer, and Metallica, to name a few...

 

[Yesyoudidyouare]

I don't dislike modelers at all. I just haven't bought any yet. Totally want a Fractal M9. I bet I could do some really cool stuff with one of those. Especially since watching the demo vid. that Tim Pierce and Rhett Shull did.

Rat Shill is an idiot.

But yes Fractal is good. As TIM PIERCE mentioned.

 

[bobio]

I cut the darn pendulum down and tossed it in the trash, not going back to toobs....ever

 

[fenderchamp]

I’ve personally only had 2 modelers a line 6 spider a long time ago and the smallest cheapest Marshall code. I’m sure that I could get by with a modeler but I’ve honestly never really tried a nice one except at an open jam and everyone always brings the cheapest of crappy crappiness to those and I have like 8 nice tube amps at my house so I don’t have much incentive