Fryette Pittbull Ultralead II

[DanTravis62]

My biggest concern with anything touching a laptop from a company that doesn’t typically have a history of software interfaces is that eventually operating systems become obsolete and updates to software for products are not considered long term.

I hate everything about the digital part of this amplifier and it’s because it just isn’t going to last. The screen and user interface are awful and my opinion is that the software will be outdated in 7 years once new things have been developed and it falls victim to no longer being the shiny new thing.

This is why I don't buy expensive recording interfaces, LOL

I have a friend who, for their studio, in the early 2000s, bought a bunch of super expensive recording I/0 - top of the line at the time. Thousands of dollars.
Complete trash now. Wanna know how I know? He gave them to me, and I tried to find the drivers to make it work.

 

[DanTravis62]

I'm a tube amp guy for life, but I'd put my money on a Kemper outlasting a cheapie Blackstar every time - analog/digital doesn't enter into it.

That's bullshit though - digital has a million advantages over tube amps, the modeler people never shut the fuck up about how light they are, how convenient it is, how they can copy all the terrible tones of artists they like, etc etc

I use a kemper all the time, I love it, but let's not pretend the modeler people don't do that.

But as soon as we run into the advantages of tube amps in literally any way, in any conversation - lifespan, retaining value, ease of service - now we have to make apples to oranges comparisons to level the playing field and pretend those aren't advantages?

Okay, well if we are comparing apples and oranges, we can compare a cheap mojotone Champ kit and a Quad Cortex in 30 years. Both have been sitting in a storage unit the entire time.

Which one do you think is going to be easier to get working?

 

[ZEN Amps]

Yeah, but Fryette made amps that were solid and serviceable and even though "PCB" and "PCB mounted tubes" were well thought out and simple. Unlike an ENGL for example. When he has to cram everything into a small form factor, I don't believe there is anyway to make it the way a Deliverance is. (Have a look at Deliverance gunshots for a good open serviceable and logical looking PCB amp.

You could be right, it remains to be seen. I like to keep an open mind on these things... was it Zappa that said "A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open".

May I ask what the issue you had with the one (small form factor) Fryette product you owned was? Your own words and experience aren't exactly filling me with optimism for a shrunken and crammed Pittbull with digital components.

Two separate power station issues. I didn't personally repair either but I can check with my guy. Pretty sure one was an underrated cap in the power supply, the other was something to do with a switch or switching feature. Shit happens - it was the lack of support that was more annoying.

That's bullshit though - digital has a million advantages over tube amps, the modeler people never shut the fuck up about how light they are, how convenient it is, how they can copy all the terrible tones of artists they like, etc etc

I use a kemper all the time, I love it, but let's not pretend the modeler people don't do that.

But as soon as we run into the advantages of tube amps in literally any way, in any conversation - lifespan, retaining value, ease of service - now we have to make apples to oranges comparisons to level the playing field and pretend those aren't advantages?

Okay, well if we are comparing apples and oranges, we can compare a cheap mojotone Champ kit and a Quad Cortex in 30 years. Both have been sitting in a storage unit the entire time.

Which one do you think is going to be easier to get working?

I'm not really following all of this man. I wasn't saying anyone has to do pretend or anything - I just noticed how black and white many of the comments have been, and the conflation as mentioned.

I think I understand your point about the digital crowd heavily praising that tech, that's pretty normal stuff. As is tube amp diehards not wanting to play through a soulless little box. I get both sides, and ultimately modellers leave me bored and cold.

To answer your second question, the champ of course. Again my point was that things aren't always so cut and dried, like my AMS / Blackstar example.

As an aside, one of my all-time favourite studio units is the Empirical Labs Distressor, and is a digitally-controlled analog device. Had a pair for nearly 30 years without a hitch. Have also had digital units shit the bed after a month, that's no fun.

Back to Fryette - presumably he is confident he can sell enough of these things to justify the venture. Seems like the OG version eventually failed (financially) so better off trying something different than repeating past mistakes. It remains to be seen if incorporating that digital EQ and the funky form factor are dealbreakers for everyone.

 

[DanTravis62]

As an aside, one of my all-time favourite studio units is the Empirical Labs Distressor, and is a digitally-controlled analog device. Had a pair for nearly 30 years without a hitch. Have also had digital units shit the bed after a month, that's no fun.

That's a terrible example as it's literally just the button controls that are digital in the Distressor LOL

Compared to a full on LCD screen and digitally managing the entire signal through the EQ? That's like saying a zakk wylde les paul and a chapman stick both use EMGs - yeah, okay, you got me, they both use emgs man.

Back to Fryette - presumably he is confident he can sell enough of these things to justify the venture. Seems like the OG version eventually failed (financially) so better off trying something different than repeating past mistakes. It remains to be seen if incorporating that digital EQ and the funky form factor are dealbreakers for everyone.

They definitely seem like dealbreakers for a whole lot of people who should be his target audience, according to the thread - although, as kelly and others have said, his target audience seems to be Page hamilton and Dan and he seems to think its 1994

 

[ZEN Amps]

That's a terrible example as it's literally just the button controls that are digital in the Distressor LOL

Cut me some slack you hard arse, it's nearly 11pm here and I've been mixing a metal record all day!

 

[DanTravis62]

Cut me some slack you hard arse, it's nearly 11pm here and I've been mixing a metal record all day!

Hopefully you used the distressor a bunch, esp on the vocals and the drums

seriously my favorite piece of gear of studio gear, of all time

 

[Eazy-ESP]

You could be right, it remains to be seen. I like to keep an open mind on these things... was it Zappa that said "A mind is like a parachute. It doesn't work if it is not open".


Two separate power station issues. I didn't personally repair either but I can check with my guy. Pretty sure one was an underrated cap in the power supply, the other was something to do with a switch or switching feature. Shit happens - it was the lack of support that was more annoying.



I'm not really following all of this man. I wasn't saying anyone has to do pretend or anything - I just noticed how black and white many of the comments have been, and the conflation as mentioned.

I think I understand your point about the digital crowd heavily praising that tech, that's pretty normal stuff. As is tube amp diehards not wanting to play through a soulless little box. I get both sides, and ultimately modellers leave me bored and cold.

To answer your second question, the champ of course. Again my point was that things aren't always so cut and dried, like my AMS / Blackstar example.

As an aside, one of my all-time favourite studio units is the Empirical Labs Distressor, and is a digitally-controlled analog device. Had a pair for nearly 30 years without a hitch. Have also had digital units shit the bed after a month, that's no fun.

Back to Fryette - presumably he is confident he can sell enough of these things to justify the venture. Seems like the OG version eventually failed (financially) so better off trying something different than repeating past mistakes. It remains to be seen if incorporating that digital EQ and the funky form factor are dealbreakers for everyone.

Perhaps you are right. But the lack of Fryette support I have heard A LOT makes me think an idea like this could be cool if it was a bigger company or Fryette hopefully make so much from this they grow their organisation and get a better support setup.