UAD/PA VH4, incredible.

[VESmedic]

I still think this is my overall amp sim, it really just sounds incredible to me

Jeff Dunne IR’s for the cabs.
Ran through a real hardware API 5500 set flat just for alittle extra mojo. And then into a real set of pultec EQ’s for a slight cut in the low midrange. And that’s it. Pick this thing up when it goes on sale, well worth it.

 

[easstudios]

I dig it, I’m not convinced it’s the most accurate model out there but in some ways I think it can sound better than the real deal. Sounds nice and tight in your clip ?

I recently compared a few VH4 emulations, surprising how similar they can all sound:

 

[VESmedic]

I dig it, I’m not convinced it’s the most accurate model out there but in some ways I think it can sound better than the real deal.

I recently compared a few VH4 emulations, surprising how similar they can all sound:

I’ll check these out thanks homie. I haven’t played a VH4 in about 20 years surprisingly, but I remember it being extremely strange feeling. Like just very foreign compared to other amps. Maybe it was me being new at the time, it wasn’t bad per say, just very different, and I don’t feel it on the plugin, nor surprised on that one though.

 

[VESmedic]

@easstudios call me crazy but I think the helix one was my fav out of all those by far.

 

[easstudios]

@easstudios call me crazy but I think the helix one was my fav out of all those by far.

I definitely turned my nose up at Line 6 for a good few years, but I think their modelling is really good these days. I can get almost every emulation within a hair of my real amps (2204 aside because their one doesn’t have a bright cap FFS). Helix Native is a great plugin, lots of cool delays/modulations/reverbs in there that wouldn’t really be able to approximate with other gear. Only downside IMO is the included IR’s but I believe they have a new update coming that’ll address that (or you just use 3rd party ones….)

 

[Techdeth]

I’ll check these out thanks homie. I haven’t played a VH4 in about 20 years surprisingly, but I remember it being extremely strange feeling. Like just very foreign compared to other amps. Maybe it was me being new at the time, it wasn’t bad per se, just very different, and I don’t feel it on the plugin, nor surprised on that one though.

It took me along time for me to get my tone out of it . For one getting the kt77s out is a must . They are so bland and don’t open up . But even with them it took me a minute

 

[spguitar]

 

[braintheory]

It took me along time for me to get my tone out of it . For one getting the kt77s out is a must . They are so bland and don’t open up . But even with them it took me a minute

I hated KT77's in everything but my Gjika for whatever reason. My Uber Rev 1 came with 77's and was pretty disappointed until I swapped for 34's. They say though back in the day that KT77's & EL34's were the same thing and seems to be the case when I hear my vintage Mullard XF2 EL34's vs KT77's

 

[TheGreatGreen]

I’ll check these out thanks homie. I haven’t played a VH4 in about 20 years surprisingly, but I remember it being extremely strange feeling. Like just very foreign compared to other amps. Maybe it was me being new at the time, it wasn’t bad per say, just very different, and I don’t feel it on the plugin, nor surprised on that one though.

You're remembering right. I instantly knew the VH4 wasn't anything I'd ever be interested in the first time I played a real one and having played others since, my opinion hasn't changed. I remember thinking it felt in the neighborhood of a more coarse-grained JCM 800 with a bit more gain, but in a bad way, like they just cranked the preamp gain with no concern for what that might do for tightness or definition. and the amp just sounds kinda flat and lifeless because of it. You know how humbuckers lose some of their high frequency definition when you turn the guitar's volume knob down? That's kind of how the VH4 makes guitars sound all the time. I also remember there being a weird push or boost in the high mids, but a strange lack of actual highs overall. I guess the best way I can describe it is that every VH4 I've played sounded like a "vintage" amp trying but failing to sound modern.

FYI that clip sounds killer. Plenty of gain with a very saturated but clear characteristic, and very articulate. So it's absolutely nothing like I remember real VH4's sounding.

Disclaimer: I've never been able to spend very long dialing them in, so who knows, maybe they're much better than my memory is suggesting. But either way, you're absolutely right that there's something very non-standard about the way the VH4 sounds and feels.

 

[PurityS.L.G]

Sounds vicious! Good work man. I was able to compare the Brainworx/UAD to the real amp and the VH2 preamp pedal and they were all within a Scandinavian pubic hair from each other. I was quite impressed. With that said, I hated the real deal with KT77's. I know there are people who love to bash the "audiophile" guys but there are some amps that do sound miles different with certain power tubes, the VH4 being one of them for sure.

I hated KT77's in everything but my Gjika for whatever reason. My Uber Rev 1 came with 77's and was pretty disappointed until I swapped for 34's. They say though back in the day that KT77's & EL34's were the same thing and seems to be the case when I hear my vintage Mullard XF2 EL34's vs KT77's

Same here brother. My Framus Cobra I used to have came loaded with KT77's and sounded like absolute cat piss. Put in E34L's and that amp came alive. It was crazy. Most of my other EL34 amps I've owned I've tried some KT77's in them and it was total meh...Just flattened the character of the amp. I will have to disagree with you on the Uber though. My Rev Blue sounds glorious with the Gold Lion KT77's I have in them now. Even better than the vintage Svetlana 6CA7 tubes that came with the amp I purchased from someone.

 

[VESmedic]

Sounds vicious! Good work man. I was able to compare the Brainworx/UAD to the real amp and the VH2 preamp pedal and they were all within a Scandinavian pubic hair from each other. I was quite impressed. With that said, I hated the real deal with KT77's. I know there are people who love to bash the "audiophile" guys but there are some amps that do sound miles different with certain power tubes, the VH4 being one of them for sure.


Same here brother. My Framus Cobra I used to have came loaded with KT77's and sounded like absolute cat piss. Put in E34L's and that amp came alive. It was crazy. Most of my other EL34 amps I've owned I've tried some KT77's in them and it was total meh...Just flattened the character of the amp. I will have to disagree with you on the Uber though. My Rev Blue sounds glorious with the Gold Lion KT77's I have in them now. Even better than the vintage Svetlana 6CA7 tubes that came with the amp I purchased from someone.

I very very much prefer E34L’s to 77s I’ve learned as well, by far. Same thing with 6CA7’s. Love those guys as well.