Amp in a Box

[mbenigni]

Not directed at you personally, but I'm so sick and tired of this response in regard to a user asking for a particular amp that's missing from a modeler.

"Just tweak amp XXX and you'll have an approximation of amp YYY"

Totally misses the point of the ask. And it's a bit off-putting IMO.

Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness? Or some other hippie shit my mom would say.

Or buy a modeler that also does Captures?

 

[Achilles]

Or buy a modeler that also does Captures?

In the words of David Byrne........

 

[jellodog]

[...] I'm so sick and tired of this response in regard to a user asking for a particular amp that's missing from a modeler.

"Just tweak amp XXX and you'll have an approximation of amp YYY"

Hrm. But @Stone did ask:

I'm curious as to why no Laneys (Ironhearts, Supergroups) in the Fractalverse ?

So @laxu's comment is pretty much answering that question. There's really no pressing need for them. I had pretty much the same thought before reading Laxu's response.

 

[Achilles]

There's really no need for them.

Then there's no need for having both a Fender Bassman and a Marshall JTM45, right?

 

[jellodog]

Then there's no need for having both a Fender Bassman and a Marshall JTM45, right?

Pretty sure you already know that those specific amps are part of the foundational blocks of classic amp history that could never be left out of a collection without a lot of arguments and disappointment from potential customers?

There's a fuzzy grey line here: on one side of the line is amps that absolutely would be expected to included; and given all your amp knowledge, I know that you know where that line is!

Your wink was noted

 

[Achilles]

There's a fuzzy grey line here: on one side of the line is amps that absolutely would be expected to included; and given all your amp knowledge, I know that you know where that line is!

Laney amps have been in business since 1967 and are still selling good enough today that Sweetwater carries their line.
That means there's been enough Laney fans to keep the brand alive for nearly 60 years.

One of those fans is asking why the box has no Laneys in it. 100% valid question.

The Axe has three Carol-Ann amps included. Those are a hell of a lot more obscure than Laney.
All's I'm saying is it's a fair question to ask - and I personally am sick of the stock reply of "just do this instead".

That's all.

 

[dronerstone]

One of those fans is asking why the box has no Laneys in it. 100% valid question.

No one says it's not a valid question. Twisting this around won't work, I can assure that much.

Some "classic" amps are still not in there, and as long as that's the case, you gotta help yourself by approximating a decent-enough substitute model.

Heck, I do lust after a proper 70's V-Series Ampeg guitar amp, and despite both L6 and Ampeg being under the same roof (Yamaha) it's still not in there, yet the amps are popular enough, imho.

Not meaning to bash L6 here, just saying there are different ways to achieve "that" sound with the Helix.

It's very well possible, and not even that difficult.

 

[Achilles]

No one says it's not a valid question. Twisting this around won't work, I can assure that much.

I'm not twisting anything. I'll try one more time.
I'M PERSONALLY SICK OF THE 'JUST DO THIS INSTEAD' response when someone asks why an amp isn't in a box.
I'm going to assume that someone who's going to publicly ask already knows the brand and which amps it's based on.

I just find it a bit condescending being told: "just compromise - it's basically the same thing."

Nothing personal here. Just making a comment.

 

[Stone]

OFC we can achieve tones by using different gear
In this case I did not use anything like Kurt Cobain did to record this song
I got pretty close P-90 Godin, Twin Reverb slammed by a Boss DS 1 and Boss CE 2 Chorus

 

[Achilles]

OFC we can achieve tones by using different gear

Satriani playing Satch's Boogie on a Les Paul with P90s!

 

[dronerstone]

I'm not twisting anything. I'll try one more time.
I'M PERSONALLY SICK OF THE 'JUST DO THIS INSTEAD' response when someone asks why an amp isn't in a box.
I'm going to assume that someone who's going to publicly ask already knows the brand and which amps it's based on.

I just find it a bit condescending being told: "just compromise - it's basically the same thing."

Nothing personal here. Just making a comment.

Alright, I get that.

As to why certain amps aren't there, I guess the only answer we can give you is "because they didn't include it at this point".

I've been working in (non-tech) customer support for almost a decade, and if you can't solve something, naming options/alternatives is usually the way to go, since it's better than just saying "no can do".

 

[Achilles]

the only answer we can give you

Who's 'we'?
I'm not asking the question btw.

I'm curious as to why no Laneys (Ironhearts, Supergroups) in the Fractalverse ?

Was it a conscious decision? Was Laney just overlooked? Does the designer not like that particular brand? Is it something that might be considered in a future revision?

Etc.

 

[laxu]

Was it a conscious decision? Was Laney just overlooked? Does the designer not like that particular brand? Is it something that might be considered in a future revision?

Etc.

More likely explanation is that Laney is not popular the US. I don't think they are particularly popular even in Europe.
Sweetwater seems to sell them in the US and the pricing is actually much more favorable than Marshall.

Which amp models get added seems to be based on things like:

• How much of a classic it is.
• Popularity. "One famous guy used it" is often not enough to make it worth it for the modeling company to procure the real amp.
• Cost. I would assume e.g the Mark V addition to Fractal is a case of "we bought a Mark V for a really good price". Modeling companies can't buy every newfangled amp on the market to model so they might pick amps they are interested in themselves, or ones that sell used for reasonable money.
• Amp company collaboration. E.g REVV Generator and Carol-Ann models are born from this. Raises the profile of the amp company, potentially leading fans of the model to buy the real thing.
• How difficult it is to model. Fractal has added a ton of Tube Screamer and Marshall models, because just by altering values on one model they built, they can build a bunch of variants. By comparison getting a Klon took a long time because it is different from other circuits already modeled.

IMO people should see what they can get out of the things already in the box, which is why I say things like "hey, try this model that is very similar and see if you can dial it to sound like the amp you are looking for." As an example, you don't need a Victory VC35 model because the Fractal Morgan AC-20 model can sound like 99% the same.

I tried the new Fractal Mark V models the other day and apart from the Extreme mode, they do nothing I can't get out of the MKIIC or MKIV models we've had for years. The real amp is often worth owning because it does different things than a IIC or MKIV can, but in the modeling realm these concerns are often irrelevant when you can just flick to the IIC or MKIV model the V is supposed to emulate with some of its modes.

 

[la szum]

And making it stay in tune for more than 3 minutes in a row. That's the real trick.

Check out the Black Country Customs Iommi Boost, too. I've never heard the Naga Viper in person, but in Captures etc. I've consistently preferred the BCC (which I now own.)

Always tempted by the Sabbra Cadabra simply by virtue of the name and graphics, but I didn't actually love the sound of it when I played it. The right Marshall model with Treble Boost is probably more effective.

Haha! I agree. It amazes me the thunderous tones he achieved with such a floppy, tensionless setup. That's
what virtuosos and icons do, though, right?

I owned the BCC Iommi Boost briefly. Sold it to @Mongillo19 . Treble Boosts are just such a tough ask in a low volume
scenario, in my experience. You literally need that 100dB plus volume of a cooking tube amp with the low-end imploding
to make a TB truly effective. Outside of that context, they are just not pleasant. To my ears.

I also agree on the SC. I owned the Sabra Cadabra right when it was released (2013-4??). Maybe I had great expectations,
but that pedal was both thin sounding and noisy. And my friend was owner/founder of Catalinbread. I was super stoked,
but I had to tell him it wasn't working for me. Which is cool, becazuse I love a bunch of their other stuff, and still own quite a few.

Could just be personal taste.

 

[PLX]

I built a clone of the Naga Viper..

It's good for the early Black Sabbath tones.

 

[dronerstone]

I built a clone of the Naga Viper..

It's good for the early Black Sabbath tones.

Nice, tbh that's better artwork than the OG version. Congrats!