Ultralead II

[TheGreatGreen]

I feel like he never will make a headshell version

Same. I wish he would but the way he talked about it in the NAMM interviews made it seem like he thinks it would be too expensive. Plus he seemed really excited about all the extra digital crap he’s shoving in the amp that basically nobody seems to want.

But hey who knows, maybe after this thing only sells like 8 units total when it finally releases in 2034, he might reconsider a head version after that.

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

Same. I wish he would but the way he talked about it in the NAMM interviews made it seem like he thinks it would be too expensive. Plus he seemed really excited about all the extra digital crap he’s shoving in the amp that basically nobody seems to want.

But hey who knows, maybe after this thing only sells like 8 units total when it finally releases in 2034, he might reconsider a head version after that.

I think when it sells 8 models, he is bitter about it and never makes it still

 

[Techdeth]

I feel like he never will make a headshell version

I need style with tone . I’m not having my tube amp look like an uglier duller axe efx looking thing .

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

Same. I wish he would but the way he talked about it in the NAMM interviews made it seem like he thinks it would be too expensive.

We all have kind of glossed over this. But I really doesn't make sense to me.

It obviously wasnt easy to create this digital monstrosity, as it is not done, and I would assume he had to hire outside help to create it. If he sold a shitload of the units, the production price would be very cheap and would start to make the R&D negligible.

But when it sells...idk, i would guess 15 units, will he cover the costs? The price isn't cheap enough for it to attract anyone new vs modelers. The diehard fryette fans are probably 80% cool on this, as they all wanted heads...

It just makes me wonder who this is for, and that is why my estimate is 30 units sell, and 15 are returned to sweetwater or where ever.

 

[SgtThump]

We all have kind of glossed over this. But I really doesn't make sense to me.

It obviously wasnt easy to create this digital monstrosity, as it is not done, and I would assume he had to hire outside help to create it. If he sold a shitload of the units, the production price would be very cheap and would start to make the R&D negligible.

But when it sells...idk, i would guess 15 units, will he cover the costs? The price isn't cheap enough for it to attract anyone new vs modelers. The diehard fryette fans are probably 80% cool on this, as they all wanted heads...

It just makes me wonder who this is for, and that is why my estimate is 30 units sell, and 15 are returned to sweetwater or where ever.

TBH, none of it makes sense. I wonder if he’s really just looking for investors to make it a reality?

 

[S̷͖͑m̵͎͂á̵̺s̸͚̈́h̴̬̑]

The thing is, no one would have been that mad if he made it a rack unit if he kept it analog. He said he is moving into the future. But he is moving into ten years ago

 

[DanTravis62]

The thing is, no one would have been that mad if he made it a rack unit if he kept it analog. He said he is moving into the future. But he is moving into ten years ago

That's the thing that makes this really head-scratchy

I'm sure this thing will sound amazing in 2 years when they are finally delivered, for 4000$, until they all die and can't be fixed in 2035

 

[godgrinder]

The thing is, no one would have been that mad if he made it a rack unit if he kept it analog. He said he is moving into the future. But he is moving into ten years ago

It probably was envisioned 10 years ago indeed, but he was too busy building Power Stations in the meantime lol.

 

[RedB4Black]

If he was smart, he'd also make a non-digital interface, non-midi, good old analog version of the rack mount ULII then a separate rack mount analog EQ to integrate with it for those that want it. I'd buy both those in a heartbeat even if all in was a few hundred $ more.

 

[Omnipotent1]

I’m trying to make sense of the concept.. On one end it seems like a cool studio tool & I like the hybrid approach.. On the other end I think modelers/profilers would still give you wayyy more options to spark quick inspiration.. Maybe this thing is a crazy shaper box idk.. You’d kind of want it to be once you implement digital functionality.. If it’s a 1 trick convoluted pony then I couldn’t do it.. It seems clunky without a computer.. Idk if anyone wants to haul their computer to a gig.. Bewildering..

That's the thing that makes this really head-scratchy

I'm sure this thing will sound amazing in 2 years when they are finally delivered, for 4000$, until they all die and can't be fixed in 2035

I foresee the same serviceability issues in the future.. Mainly on the digital side..

 

[DanTravis62]

I foresee the same serviceability issues in the future.. Mainly on the digital side..

Yep, exactly

I'm sure it's really impressive engineering, for the design stages

But part of engineering is its lifetime, and service capability

 

[TheGreatGreen]

If he was smart, he'd also make a non-digital interface, non-midi, good old analog version of the rack mount ULII then a separate rack mount analog EQ to integrate with it for those that want it. I'd buy both those in a heartbeat even if all in was a few hundred $ more.

Yeah. Imagine if an amp maker was super excited about a new amp he just made, and he was also excited about a new 4x12 cab design he just made... but then he decided to mash the two together into a 4x12 "combo" amp with the head built right into the cab. The head might sound great, the cab might sound great, and while plenty of people buy heads and cabs all day long and might even buy that separate amp and cab as a pair, almost nobody is going to want both inseparably married together like that.

That feels like what Steve is trying to do here. Maybe there are some really cool ideas and sounds in each distinct part of the the preamp, the poweramp, and the digital parts of the ULII, but all together it makes something so extremely specialized that I can't see any real target market for it. Most people interested in any one aspect are probably going to be less interested in the other aspects, and people interested in an all-in-one device are going to be better served by modeling. People who want rack tube amps are going to be better served by Synergy stuff.