Modelers suck

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For me, software plugins have surpassed digital modelers.

I dig my tube amps, and since selling off my digital modelers (except my SY-1000 because it's a guitar synth more than a modeler) I've purchased several new tube amps and cabs in the last one - two years. So, yeah I've gone "back to tubes" in a big way for me.

I do use a Line 6 HX-FX in the loop 4CM with a few of my amps.

I also purchased a used ISP Theta Pro Michael Sweet edition - it's a preamp with effects, '80s tones in a box, and it reminds me of my ADA / Alesis rack rig from back in the day.
 
thegame said:
He makes good points. Biggest takeaway is the digital "sounds" fine but cannot be 'felt' by the audience or performer. Digital amplification just doesn't evoke any feeling.
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I don't see or hear it like that at all. It sounds like a digital copy of a good amp which means it has harsh, ear fatiguing tones in the highs especially. Why would I want that unless I'm a geezer with a bad back or a lazy ass who won't hump a decent rig for the enjoyment of himself and others? That's a quitter rig. I get the fly date stuff, I do, but I think a savvy operator could arrange something decent for the gig, it ain't that hard. I've used the old Rolands and they were fine for what they are, a piece of crap throwaway for jams and the like. I'm sick of morons gushing over the Tone master series. I tell you what you show up to the gig with any of that shit and it will be your last payday with me jack.
 
VonBonfire said:
I don't see or hear it like that at all. It sounds like a digital copy of a good amp which means it has harsh, ear fatiguing tones in the highs especially. Why would I want that unless I'm a geezer with a bad back or a lazy ass who won't hump a decent rig for the enjoyment of himself and others? That's a quitter rig. I get the fly date stuff, I do, but I think a savvy operator could arrange something decent for the gig, it ain't that hard. I've used the old Rolands and they were fine for what they are, a piece of crap throwaway for jams and the like. I'm sick of morons gushing over the Tone master series. I tell you what you show up to the gig with any of that shit and it will be your last payday with me jack.
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disgonbgud-this-gon-be-good.gif


:checkthisout:
 
VonBonfire said:
I don't see or hear it like that at all. It sounds like a digital copy of a good amp which means it has harsh, ear fatiguing tones in the highs especially. Why would I want that unless I'm a geezer with a bad back or a lazy ass who won't hump a decent rig for the enjoyment of himself and others? That's a quitter rig. I get the fly date stuff, I do, but I think a savvy operator could arrange something decent for the gig, it ain't that hard. I've used the old Rolands and they were fine for what they are, a piece of crap throwaway for jams and the like. I'm sick of morons gushing over the Tone master series. I tell you what you show up to the gig with any of that shit and it will be your last payday with me jack.
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There goes our in agreement streak, right out the window. I knew that relationship wouldn’t last :cry:
 
thegame said:
Let me assure you, you’ve got absolutely nothing to worry about. :p
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No doubt you are correct. I have a backup tube amp for my tube amp so I will never have to sully my rep with a digital rig. If I am shooting for icepick tone to get people to remember me by I will do it the old fashioned way with a cranked amp and some blade pickups set close to the scrings..
 
Modelers have their place, but it's amazing to me that none of the super modeler fans understand the underlying problem - if everyone switches to modelers, who's going to keep developing new amps and new sounds?

If modelers eat a big enough part of the market share, in the future, there is going to be LITERALLY nothing - except banal "modern" 5150/v30 tones and every boomers super special take on the brown sound

The tones for specialists like me are going to disappear - especially when it comes to modeler presets.
 
DanTravis62 said:
Modelers have their place, but it's amazing to me that none of the super modeler fans understand the underlying problem - if everyone switches to modelers, who's going to keep developing new amps and new sounds?

If modelers eat a big enough part of the market share, in the future, there is going to be LITERALLY nothing - except banal "modern" 5150/v30 tones and every boomers super special take on the brown sound

The tones for specialists like me are going to disappear - especially when it comes to modeler presets.
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This is when the "vintage modeler" market comes into play. Better horde those Johnson J Stations and POD beans while you still can.
 
I get good tones from an 11r but I'm not Devin Townsend. He tried to go back to real amps and cannot surpass his modeler tones. To each their own, but I'll be playing tube amps.
 
modelling is so good now, but also, since getting into modelling I've bought like 30+ amps. Both rule, nothing really beats the experience of pairing an amp and a cab and playing guitar and everything being at one together. You don't really have to do any work to get a tone going, its all intuitive and fun.

I think as far as recording tones, if you can't dial them to be indistinguishable (at least as far as identifying which is the real amp), then its probably user error. And its perfectly understandable, modellers are kind of shit to use and not fun compared to amps. It requires relearning things from scratch and its just less satisfying overall. But thats not to say that modelling isnt insanely good these days and IMO its worth just diving into everything if you are even slightly interested. I've sold a few amps that I dug, but didnt see the point in keeping. There's plenty of stuff where Im happy enough to just use a digital version and to have a bit more space in the studio.
 
rsm said:
For me, software plugins have surpassed digital modelers.

I dig my tube amps, and since selling off my digital modelers (except my SY-1000 because it's a guitar synth more than a modeler) I've purchased several new tube amps and cabs in the last one - two years. So, yeah I've gone "back to tubes" in a big way for me.

I do use a Line 6 HX-FX in the loop 4CM with a few of my amps.

I also purchased a used ISP Theta Pro Michael Sweet edition - it's a preamp with effects, '80s tones in a box, and it reminds me of my ADA / Alesis rack rig from back in the day.
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I used the HXFX using the 4 cable method as well with my amps but switched to a Pod-Go. Pod-Go does the same thing as the HXFX, but has the pedal I can use as a Wah/Vol/Whammy instead of bringing seperate pedals. Also, if my amp has an issue, I can use the Pod-Go as a backup to get through a gig since it also has amps in there.
 
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sideshowsmitty said:
I used the HXFX using the 4 cable method as well with my amps but switched to a Pod-Go. Pod-Go does the same thing as the HXFX, but has the pedal I can use as a Wah/Vol/Whammy instead of bringing seperate pedals. Also, if my amp has an issue, I can use the Pod-Go as a backup to get through a gig since it also has amps in there.
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Nice; they should offer HF-FX models with and without an integrated pedal; Zoom did this for years with their entry level modelers (G1, G2, etc.)
 
Nigel said:
I get good tones from an 11r but I'm not Devin Townsend. He tried to go back to real amps and cannot surpass his modeler tones. To each their own, but I'll be playing tube amps.
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I remember him saying a big part of that was consistency, so that he was not jumping back and forth between studio tones and live tones. He could just use the same tones everywhere and not have to work to recreate everything constantly.
 
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