DECEMBER
New member
Do you mean with the XLR output and TwoNotes cab sims it sounds like a plugin? Or thru a real cab?Oh boy! I ended up here because I've been considering offering my Generator 120 III for trade locally and was wondering what other people think of it.
I was super excited when I first got it, but after nearly two years, I've realized that I barely plug into it. I have 6 other amps and tend to chose them over it.
I keep thinking to myself that it sounds kinda like I'm using a plugin through my monitors, regardless of settings. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I feel like a want something more raw.
I have the G20 and I'm not impressed with the TwoNotes stuff in it. I've also had a free version of their Wall of Sound plugin for a year or so with 14 IRs and I thought that was absolute trash, running my pedals directly into the interface to the plugin
I've spent many nights dialing in the Torpedo Remote on the computer for the G20 XLR, making many presets, recording many trial takes with them all, and none of them give a recording that is even remotely usable. They're all really tubby and boxy, sound like the 'mic' is a couple feet from the 'speaker', even when distance is set to 0, sounds like it's in a tunnel. The high end is always really harsh and buzzy.
I just got a 15+ year old Line 6 Flextone III XL with stereo XLR outs and that gives a more usable recording than the TN stuff.
The G20 thru guitar speakers sounds like a tube amp, has that nice smooth tube distortion, but it's really muddy, even with the treble maxed out. And the treble boosts too much of the high mids and makes it quacky. With gain maxed on red aggression, with a Precision Drive in front, it's still flubby and doesn't really chug. More like 'blub blub'. The bass is muddy and there are too much mids, even with the mid knob at 0 and a 10 band parametric EQ in the FX loop. And it's just a wonky midrange.
I like it better than the other 3 tube amps I have/had (Peavey Invective MH & ValveKing II 20 combo, Marshall DSL20CR), but that's not saying much.
The old Flextone I just got totally destroys all of these tube amps and is giving me much better recordings, with mics and DI.
I think I've given up on 20W tube amps. I've spent way too much money on them, wasted almost 2 years trying to get them to sound the way I need... a way they just can't sound, apparently. I love the feel, dynamics, and smoothness of tube distortion so much more than solid-state, but the EQ profiles of all 4 of these amps have been completely wonky. All the wrong mids in all the wrong places. Tubby, muddy bass & low-mids. Harsh high end with excessive screech and fizz. Even with a 10 band parametric EQ in the loops, I could not dial in a usable chuggy rhythm that recorded acceptably. I used a few different speakers with them, including an Eminence DV-77, GA10-SC64, and Celestion G12H-75 Creamback. I'm even liking the stock Celestions in the Flextone more than these speakers.