Amps in Modellers

[Stone]

Hello all, noob question here, why do some modeler amps have 3 separate amps like in example clean rhythm, lead, some bright and some jumped
why not just have 1 amp and be able to switch different channels like the real amps, its not like most modelers dont have enough foot switches

 

[Moe45673]

That's a good question and my biggest guess is so you don't have to use the extra DSP when you don't want jumped. But there might be something more technical to it

 

[Whizzinby]

I assume it’s because the path the signal takes in the amp differs by channel, (amount of gain stages for ex.) so you have to model each channel independently.

I mentioned in another thread that I think it would be cool if we got to point in processing power where you could simply load one amp block for the amp and channel switch from within that one block, like a real amp, but my guess is that would be a waste of cpu commiting resources to all channels within the amp, even if they won’t be used.

 

[Stone]

Does not the Fractal have that feature in the amp blocks
like they have separate channels ?

 

[Fireproof]

Does not the Fractal have that feature in the amp blocks
like they have separate channels ?

Yes, in the FM9, for example, each amp block has 4 channels. So you could load a Bright amp, Normal amp, and Jumped amp in the first three channels, for example, (all with different B, M, T, Gain settings, etc.) and then switch between them with footswitches, for gapless changes in tone for that single preset.

 

[Fireproof]

Yes, in the FM9, for example, each amp block has 4 channels. So you could load a Bright amp, Normal amp, and Jumped amp in the first three channels, for example, (all with different B, M, T, Gain settings, etc.) and then switch between them with footswitches, for gapless changes in tone for that single preset.

Also - with the FM9 and AxeFXIII - you can have 2 amp blocks in a preset, so you can do the above twice. FM3 only has a single amp block.

 

[Lysander]

I assume it’s because the path the signal takes in the amp differs by channel, (amount of gain stages for ex.) so you have to model each channel independently.

This, and the fact that... you really don't need to? Part of the fun of modelers is that you can effectively mix-and-match channels from different brands seamlessly.

Yes, in the FM9, for example, each amp block has 4 channels. So you could load a Bright amp, Normal amp, and Jumped amp in the first three channels, for example, (all with different B, M, T, Gain settings, etc.) and then switch between them with footswitches, for gapless changes in tone for that single preset.

Yeah, but you'll get audible gaps switching channels on Fractal amp blocks.

 

[Fireproof]

This, and the fact that... you really don't need to? Part of the fun of modelers is that you can effectively mix-and-match channels from different brands seamlessly.



Yeah, but you'll get audible gaps switching channels on Fractal amp blocks.

Oh got it. Thanks for the correction. It’s gotta be less gap than switching whole presets, though, right?

 

[TSJMajesty]

Hello all, noob question here, why do some modeler amps have 3 separate amps like in example clean rhythm, lead, some bright and some jumped
why not just have 1 amp and be able to switch different channels like the real amps, its not like most modelers dont have enough foot switches

I don't know, but it was a surprise to me when I got the Axe. They have 5 different models for the JPIIC+

• Green
• Yellow
• Red
• Yellow Shred
• Red Shred

Other amp brands/versions are done the same way.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Oh got it. Thanks for the correction. It’s gotta be less gap than switching whole presets, though, right?

I believe so, and there are ways to make the switching seamless. I can't think of a scenario in which you'd need to change presets during a song, so that part doesn't matter to me.

 

[Lysander]

Oh got it. Thanks for the correction. It’s gotta be less gap than switching whole presets, though, right?

About the same, IIRC. Channel switching effectively reloads a block, so you get this brief but very audible gap. Used to be the case in my FM3 (which caught me by surprise), and i hear it's the same across all Fractal products.

 

[Stone]

This, and the fact that... you really don't need to? Part of the fun of modelers is that you can effectively mix-and-match channels from different brands seamlessly.



Yeah, but you'll get audible gaps switching channels on Fractal amp blocks.

So its not Seamless like Snapshots in the Helix?
Still, that's something Helix should work on make at least 3 switchable channels per amp block, controlled through snapshots or independent top row foot switches

 

[Fireproof]

About the same, IIRC. Channel switching effectively reloads a block, so you get this brief but very audible gap. Used to be the case in my FM3 (which caught me by surprise), and i hear it's the same across all Fractal products.

Ahh. Well, I’ve never even noticed, so it doesn’t bother me. And I guess if it doesn’t bother the 25 Gift of Tone Artists - then who am I to let it bother me?

 

[JiveTurkey]

So its not Seamless like Snapshots in the Helix?
Still, that's something Helix should work on make at least 3 switchable channels per amp block, controlled through snapshots or independent top row foot switches

Snapshots aren't channels. Snapshots and scenes in FAS are the equivalent.

 

[Fireproof]

So its not Seamless like Snapshots in the Helix?
Still, that's something Helix should work on make at least 3 switchable channels per amp block, controlled through snapshots or independent top row foot switches

No - Channels are not like Snapshots in Helix. In Fractal land - we have “Scenes” which are just like Snapshots. So in that case, if I needed true seamless switching, I do know I could use my 2 amp blocks to load 2 different amps and then use scenes to seamlessly switch between them.

I incorrectly thought Channels worked the same way, but apparently it does not.

 

[Stone]

Yes i know snapshots and FAS equivalent, was saying it could be possible to implement
IE 1 amp and 3 separate channels controlled via snapshots or foot switches
IE: snapshot 1 loads the clean amp with settings just as you can do now but now add 2 additional tabs for crunch or molten lead
and assign the snapshots to bottom row switches or top row
or something like that

 

[laxu]

Hello all, noob question here, why do some modeler amps have 3 separate amps like in example clean rhythm, lead, some bright and some jumped
why not just have 1 amp and be able to switch different channels like the real amps, its not like most modelers dont have enough foot switches

With different channels, switches etc you might want to make separate amp models to authentically replicate what happens in the real circuit. But switching between these models might not be instant so developers decided to just have them listed as separate models because that's the easiest way to handle it.

I would prefer selecting just the amp and then having all the channels, switches etc like on the real deal. Hopefully next gen we will get that.

 

[DrewJD82]

Austin Buddy’s Live Gold has the presets set up that are often using the different amp channels in one preset, stepping up in gain from Clean/Cleanish/Dirty/Lead. Another reason why I think that pack should come in every Fractal unit, it’s just laid out in a way that makes sense to a guitarists unfamiliar with how this stuff works.

It’d be cool if you could pick which way you’d prefer to have it set up; all the channels combined into one amp like the actual amp, or having them split up like they are currently for those who prefer that workflow. I can definitely see benefits to both and if loading an amp with all the channels would suck up CPU, it’d be cool to be able to choose which you’d want to do. Since half my ”I’m going to use these in the real world” presets are rarely more than Drive/Amp/Cab/2 Delays/Reverb, I’m not using a ton of CPU and wouldn’t mind having all the channels in the amp automatically.