MadAsAHatter
Well-known member
Don't get me wrong, they sound great. But they come up short in my opinion when neck to neck with the real amp. I know in your case you prefer the SYN Ecstacy and that's fine. But dstroud's Marshalls already do what he wants so I was suggesting he not go down the rabbit hole because he will likely just end up back where he started. Also I don't have a SYN amp. I have a Randall RM Lynch box so my experience with the power section will be different. That is a fair point.
Preface to the following that I'm not dismissing your opinion or trying to change your mind. I'm sure you already know all of this. Just keeping the conversation going for those who don't have 1st hand experience with modules
That's a downside of the modules. They're great on their own, but most people default to comparing them to the real amp. Putting them side by side and expecting a carbon copy without the $2000 price tag.... that's not gonna happen. The module and amp will sound slightly different. Neither would be better than the other. Just a matter of opinion on which a person likes more and what your are wanting to acomplish.
This is the sole reason I like to think of the modules as a variant of the amp. If the map is version 1 then the module is version 1a. This helps me make a judgement on them based on their own merits vs direct comparison. Somewhat the same concept on judging a Mesa Mk!!! vs MKIV. Both great amps in their own right, but side by side not the exact same sound. People are going to prefer one over the other. Back to the module side... If I want 100% Bogner Ecstasy tone and nothing else will do, of course I'm gonna get the real amp. If my goal is Bogner-like tone module or real amp would work equally well. Price tag wise it becomes hard to beat the module in this scenario. That's one of the top aspects of doing the modules.
Then there is the scenario, which I'm inferring is what the OP is after. Being completely happy with what you have, but wanting something a little different now and again without breaking the bank. i.e. running a SYN 1 & module through the loop. This is where modules can really show their merit. You love your JCM 800, but every now and again would like some Ultralead-esque tone. Boom! module in the loop with a solid 95% or more of the real amp tone and you're set. With the added bonus of switching to it with a simple click of a footswitch. No need to deal with swapping plugs or signal splitter mess if you wanted to switch back an forth on the fly. All without as hefty of a price tag as a real Ultralead.
Modules aren't going to be for everyone, but these are the top examples of where the modules show high merit. Next on the list of merits is wanting to go rack and having a shit ton of preamp sounds at your fingertips without completely breaking the bank.