the modeler effect and gear ditching

  • Thread starter Thread starter controlled_voltage
  • Start date Start date
I have 4 tube amp heads and an FX8. I also have an AX8 and FRFR cabs. I don't believe it has to be one or the other. The AX8 sounds great, but it isn't in the same league as the tube amps for the amp in the room sound. For me, the AX8 is great for late night, low volume playing or when I want to give my ears a rest. I like to play my tube amps loud and it's not always possible without waking up the family/neighbors.
 
mhenson42":nkaeyjdh said:
I have 4 tube amp heads and an FX8. I also have an AX8 and FRFR cabs. I don't believe it has to be one or the other. The AX8 sounds great, but it isn't in the same league as the tube amps for the amp in the room sound. For me, the AX8 is great for late night, low volume playing or when I want to give my ears a rest. I like to play my tube amps loud and it's not always possible without waking up the family/neighbors.
Click to expand...
Nailed it.

NO modeler does that "amp in the room" IMHO. The Kemper and Fractal stuff is stellar but it'll always feel different unless you're using a tube power amp and cab with the modeler and at that point... JUST PLAY AN AMP!!!!
 
I have plans to buy a Kemper, but I think I'll stick with amps too. First and foremost, I like to tweak, not just settings but tube rolling too. I'd love to profile the shinola out of my existing amps and then have a revolving door of amps that I buy, tweak, profile and flip.
 
I guess I'm just old now. I don't give a fuck about amp in the room. I really thought I would struggle with this but I have not and I'm really surprised about it. I guess I just grew accustomed to soundguys over the years telling me to turn down to the point I'm just use to hearing my guitar through the front stage monitors. At this point in the game as long as I can hear myself to play the gig and know it's going to sound good out front I don't give a shit about the amp in the room sound and feel anymore. I suppose I'm just getting old and want things as easy as possible these days.
 
victim5150":m37bgwtd said:
I guess I'm just old now. I don't give a fuck about amp in the room. I really thought I would struggle with this but I have not and I'm really surprised about it. I guess I just grew accustomed to soundguys over the years telling me to turn down to the point I'm just use to hearing my guitar through the front stage monitors. At this point in the game as long as I can hear myself to play the gig and know it's going to sound good out front I don't give a shit about the amp in the room sound and feel anymore. I suppose I'm just getting old and want things as easy as possible these days.
Click to expand...

For me the biggest change was when I realised that the amp sounding great in the room doesn't necessarily translate to sounding great through the mic and FOH/recording.

I shudder to think how shitty my tone must have been through FOH when my mindset was just "whack a 57 in front of it and be done".

Unfortunately I realised all of this right at the end of building 2 4x12's. :doh:
 
Chester Nimitz":5kiojd2g said:



If i played the Casino circuit like several friends i know with the FOH sound police i would consider a "pick up the handle & go" modeler.

They don't want bands clearing the first 10 rows of the older folks getting their Blues Buzz on ...

For outside gigs it would be two 100 watt heads, two 4x12's.
Click to expand...

ok im jealous...
 
I went the opposite direction, when I got back into guitar several years ago I started out with modelers (Pod XT pro at the time), moved to amps since then. Having said that, it'd be nice to have both at my disposal. Modelers are amazing for just sitting down and writing with, and real amps are just fun factor when you want to just play.
 
For me I am just too far down the tube/stomp box effects rabbit hole. Going digital would mean I would have to sell a ton of my gear to swing it.

What has saved some of my big tube amps is the Fryette power station, really a game changer for those of us with big amps.

My gigging amp is a little mesa TA15. I know the lunchbox amp craze is getting old, but the TA15 really is a terrific amp and highly portable. Makes my mesa mark IVA feel like a boat anchor when I drag it around now.
 
I have an Axe FX and 2 tube amps (and a Torpedo Studio).

I like the Axe, but I don't at the same time. I like the fact that it's pretty much ended my GAS for amps. I seriously have no desire to buy anything else. It also feeds into the fact that I don't gig, and never will; so having anything more than an Axe FX (or similar modeling tech) is complete overkill for me.

My problem with the Axe is when I go into the amp and speaker blocks, there's sooo many parameters you can tweak. Most of the time I don't tweak much, but sometimes it drags me into the "option paralysis" feeling (and sometimes it gets even worse if I want to add effects blocks). The option paralysis part of me would sell the Axe, but I know I'll regret it if I do.

When I look at the overall picture, the Axe really is the best deal for me. I still like tube amps, and still use the ones I have, but if you made me choose between the two, I'd take the Axe.
 
crankyrayhanky":1e31dd6q said:
If you get an FX8 or ax8 there's no need to keep all your pedals. I kept a few but flipped many. Great times to be a guitarist!
Click to expand...

On the opposite side, I've got an AX8 and bought a few pedals since.....they sound great out the front of the AX8 as well as my amp (of course) :D :rock: :rock:
 
My office currently has 14 tube amps in it and an AX8 along with a ton of other stuff like a G System.

I only play out occasionally.

I set up a rack with the AX8, 4 H9s and the G System (I use the G System as the midi controller because I like it better than my Ground Control) for when I play out.

I don't use a tube amp in that rack anymore. It has a Rocktron Velocity 300. I use my stereo Mesa 2x12 cab.

WHY? Because of covers. I have just been sitting in for my buddy when he can't make it to the gig. They are a cover band and the AX8 is just so flexible for that. I had been using a head but I decided it wasn't worth carrying the extra weight.

If/WHEN I start playing in an original band again I won't be using the AX8.

WHY SHAWN???? Because I use the AX8 when I am trying to mimic someone else's tone. I use heads when I am using my own. Different heads/guitars for different music.

Sometimes I do this southern blues rock jam thing with a buddy. I was using a Line 6 DT50 combo for almost all of this stuff but I since got the Jubilee, I am going to use it with my DGT and G&L Tele.

I just started some metal stuff with my other buddy Ryan for fun and I use either the Mark V or my 5150 III Stealth. I use a variety of guitars.

At home, I tend to play through my Plexi because I tend to practice hair metal riffs. I usually am playing one of my strats or one of the custom 24s.
 
I downloaded the new firmware for the AX8 last night and now some of my presets sound like dogshit. Looked over at my Mesa Mark IV and thought, "THANK GOD I never sold you"

The main thing the AX8 does for me is effects with my tube amp. If I wanted it for just the amp and cab models I would have went with something cheaper like the Amplifier.
 
crankyrayhanky":3aig1asx said:
If you get an FX8 or ax8 there's no need to keep all your pedals. I kept a few but flipped many. Great times to be a guitarist!
Click to expand...

This^. I also found the best way of course to duplicate a pedal was the A/B it directly with the AX8 effect. I could never get a Phase 90 to sound right but after plugging it in with the AX8 it took a little while but I finally thought, yes it can nail this pedal. Bye Phase 90. The AX8 is quirky and you HAVE t tweak. For example I couldn't match the Phase 90 at all then started messing with the feedback control in the AX8 Block 90 settings and that was it. Some effects are straight up easy, some require tweaking. The flanger is one I couldn't get anything I liked from but I request some help on the AX8 Facebook group and some guy who's in a Police cover band gave me some of his patches and his Flanger settings sound great. And he did a few things to tweak them that I would NEVER have thought to have done.
 
sutepaj":3ss5b444 said:
Keep your amps. Believe me.
Click to expand...

True words! :rock:

However, everyone has a different situation and ear for what they like and all respect to that. If it sounds good for you then you are where you need to be and have what you need. Look at a guy like Pete who makes some amazing recorded tones with the Kemper. When I had one, his Racktoverb profiles were always in my top 5.

A guy like Victim5150 plays live a lot. It makes a lot of sense for him to have a nice scaled down rig and damnit if he isn't the poster boy for getting fantastic live tone!

For me playing a couple of times a month, I'm absolutely much happier with my JP-2C and a Torpedo Studio going FOH.
 
I can't deal with tweaking at all. Even on pedals it is hard for me. Just got a katana practice amp and i don't even have interest in the deep editing options.
 
Ive been through 15 HG amps and all the modelers. I am glad my plan was never to sell
All my amps, I did whittle down to my favorites however and scratch my itch for new sounds with modelers.

Different tools for different jobs, I i use them all.

Sometimes the models lead me to an authentic purchase, (mostly pedals).
 
Other than the money, I don't understand having to pick one or the other. When I had an Axe or a Kemper, I always had amps and pedals. I don't have any modelers right now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top