Anybody else getting sick of modellers?

[Mongillo19]

I have multiple Fractal. This is my credo!

What do you have these days

 

[JiveTurkey]

What do you have these days

FM3, III, Stealth 50, LX II. The thought of perhaps returning to Synergyville with the LX has semi struck me more than a few times since yesterday

 

[BenIfin]

Played a reunion gig with my (very old) metal band last night.

Spent a bit of time sorting out my QC rig beforehand ready for the show. Tried a bunch of amps in there, sounded pretty good. Also a few decent captures. Downloaded a nice TS capture then on to the IR’s. QC ones are good but I prefer OH so they got loaded up and programmed in. Set up the effects chain and programmed my fairly limited switching. On to the power amp, hooked that up and sounded okay, not really punching me in the chest but was decent. EQ’d a bit on the power amp and the QC. Gave it a try into my amps FX return for good measure. Not bad all round but still not amazing. Was hoping that the engineer will be okay with a feed from the QC direct rather than micing the cab.

So after all that, the gig sounded absolutely amazing. Why? Because I got so sick of all the faff I sacked it off and just used my Mesa Dual Rectifier, which sounded absolutely crushing just by setting everything at noon in about 2 seconds and leaving the rest to the sound engineer.

I will say that the QC did a sterling job as a Tubescreamer, Wah and tuner.

Use whatever works and sounds best to you and the band you are playing with ..... no debate needed .... there is no universal "right answer".

Only thing I can add is that I have been using modelers and "FRFR" for several years now and despite changing modelers semi-regularly .... I've always been totally stoked with my live tones etc...... but I've never ever kidded myself I was playing a real Amp and real pedals and a real guitar cab

If I were rich and could afford it -or- was in a major touring successful band ...... I *maybe* would go back to 1 or 2 real amps, 5 or 6 pedals and a looper as long as I could just show up and play and then go home ..... those [possible] days are long gone for me.

Ben

 

[Mongillo19]

FM3, III, Stealth 50, LX II. The thought of perhaps returning to Synergyville with the LX has semi struck me more than a few times since yesterday

As someone who has had the III and the synergy in the same rack, don't do it

Fantastic lineup tho

 

[gy1900s]

Meh, real amps sound better, but modelers just have that convenient factor.

Not gonna lie, a Boss Katana 50 and the bigger footswitch when really dialed in is so close to my blackstar artist 15 combo and pedalboard, it's scary.

The audience would never know, but I can, which is why I still use a vintage style low gain tube amp and analog effects to achieve the sound I like.

Half the fun is getting the sounds I really want, but if I were in a professional cover band playing every weekend, I would perform with a modeling amp at this point


Yes, I know the Katana isn't a true modeler, but it works just fine for that task. If you want to sound like the Rolling stones one song and then like Duran Duran the next, it's got you covered.

 

[Frodebro]

Yes, I know the Katana isn't a true modeler, but it works just fine for that task. If you want to sound like the Rolling stones one song and then like Duran Duran the next, it's got you covered.

The Katanas are true modelers, they just don’t specifically model a huge variety of well known amps. The inspirations for the amps in them are fairly obvious, though.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Meh, real amps sound better, but modelers just have that convenient factor.

Not gonna lie, a Boss Katana 50 and the bigger footswitch when really dialed in is so close to my blackstar artist 15 combo and pedalboard, it's scary.

The audience would never know, but I can, which is why I still use a vintage style low gain tube amp and analog effects to achieve the sound I like.

Half the fun is getting the sounds I really want, but if I were in a professional cover band playing every weekend, I would perform with a modeling amp at this point


Yes, I know the Katana isn't a true modeler, but it works just fine for that task. If you want to sound like the Rolling stones one song and then like Duran Duran the next, it's got you covered.

Who wants to be close to a Blackstar though?

 

[fiftyshadesofjay]

I can’t speak for the other ranges but I have a Blackstar Artisan 100 and it’s amazing! Not a channel switcher though, it’s basically a hand wired plexi style amp

 

[Achilles]

Why isn't 4cm more popular?

Because analog up front is best!

 

[JiveTurkey]

The Artisan is supposed to be better but the rest of their brand has pretty much soiled the overall name beyond repair. St. James is cool for a grab and go?

 

[la szum]

These conversations are always fun.

Just remember people, that if this feels like Deja Vu it is a sign
the Matrix is alive and well and sucking us into another existential
dead-end.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Modelers do the trick for me. I realize there's that little bit of juice to be squeezed, but when I'm jamming with my pals, I'm not thinking "man, I need a tube head to really be having fun here.

 

[gy1900s]

The Katanas are true modelers, they just don’t specifically model a huge variety of well known amps. The inspirations for the amps in them are fairly obvious, though.

The Katana is not a modeling amp. It's a multi effects digital processor integrated into a solid state amp with a traditional class AB analog power amp, which also utilizes an analog gain stage.

There are no preset patches, and the on-board amp models are not inspirations unless you consider clean, crunch, lead etc inspirations.

The Katana does have effects that are inspired from existing effect, particularly Boss effects, but it does not model existing amps unless you create or download patches to do so.

This subject comes up quite often in Katana groups and has been beaten to death. It literally says the Katana is not a modeling amp on the Boss website. This is not opinion, it's fact.

What I have noticed is that a lot of older players can't get past the whole modeling thing and often don't understand the Katana, which is why it's the most returned amp out there. My nephew works at Guitar center and says they get boomers almost on the daily
because they can't wrap their minds around the concept of the Katana. It's not designed to sound like other amps. It's a quality solid state amp with a $hi+load of effects.

 

[fiftyshadesofjay]

The Katana is not a modeling amp. It's a multi effects digital processor integrated into a solid state amp with a traditional class AB analog gain stage.

There are no preset patches, and the on-board amp models are not inspirations unless you consider clean, crunch, lead etc inspirations.

The Katana does have effects that are inspired from existing effect, particularly Boss effects, but it does not model existing amps unless you create or download patches to do so.

This subject comes up quite often in Katana groups and has been beaten to death. It literally says the Katana is not a modeling amp on the Boss website. This is not opinion, it's fact.

What I have noticed is that a lot of older players can't get past the whole modeling thing and often don't understand the Katana, which is why it's the most returned amp out there. My nephew works at Guitar center and says they get boomers almost on the daily
because they can't wrap their minds around the concept of the Katana. It's not designed to sound like other amps. It's a quality solid state amp with a $hi+load of effects.

Oh god, I remember this debate from TOP. I also remember the Katana website says “One notable feature of the Katana-100 is its expanded selection of amp models and effects, providing a comprehensive palette of tones suitable for various musical styles.”

 

[la szum]

Did people have fun, or did they all get caught up in the minutiae
of obsessive-compulsive tonality??

/rhetorical

 

[la szum]

Amps sound good. Modelers sound good. We're blessed with lots of ways to sound good these days and we should be able to recognize what would be best and adapt. If it's a situation where just direct into an amp is the best solution and you can move some air with lots of volume... do that. If a modeler or a hybrid rig would be better use that. If they want a silent stage be able to go direct that way too. Flexibility and not getting bogged down into only one way - being able to dial in good tones based on the situation in front of you is the way to be.

I applaud this polyamorous post and it's open-hearted and inclusive spirit.

 

[gy1900s]

Who wants to be close to a Blackstar though?

A lot of people don't realize blackstar doesn't just make cheapo high gain amps.

All their professional grade low gain true valve amps are as good as any Fender, Vox, Marshall etc. I prefer the Artist series Blackstar amps over my Fender amps all day because of a feature that allows you to move them from American to British tone. I generally have it set right in the middle. Sounds like an AC15 and a deluxe reverb had a kid

 

[la szum]

Who wants to be close to a Blackstar though?

 

[JiveTurkey]

That youtuber is like one click away from taking the Johnny DeMarco : Brit Edition title. Embrace that shit you tall bugger!

 

[gy1900s]

The Artisan is supposed to be better but the rest of their brand has pretty much soiled the overall name beyond repair. St. James is cool for a grab and go?

Not really true though.

Blackstar makes very good high-end amps, and they make very good entry level amps.

Where the messed up was with their midrange valve amps that aren't actually true valve amps that can't be repaired. If they were smart they would have just cut their losses and abandoned those amps the second they started destroying the brand name. Instead they've decided to die on that hill.

With that said, tell me a $200 solid state Blackstar isn't as good as anything Orange, Fender, Marshall etc makes in that class.

Their high end amps are just as good as any of those brands as well, but they don't hold value because of the brand's reputation, So I could see why nobody would ever buy one new. I sure wouldn't.