Dimehead NAM Player

[jellodog]

@2dor Thanks for your thoughts.

I do understand some of the design criticisms; but at the end of the day, the primary function of the device is what I'm interested in, which is a performant low-latency NAM model player with decent converters. i.e. no compromises on the core tones.

 

[2dor]

@2dor Thanks for your thoughts.

I do understand some of the design criticisms; but at the end of the day, the primary function of the device is what I'm interested in, which is a performant low-latency NAM model player with decent converters. i.e. no compromises on the core tones.

I hear ya. That input gain thing is really the last bit to the puzzle for someone looking to get the same experience as plugging into the profile author's amp (provided the dBu rating is disclosed).

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

The input gain control is how you get more or less distortion out of your amp sim / nam model etc.
In turning it up or down, it helps you have dirtier/cleaner tone... And that's fun.

Knowing dBU headroom may well be a topic of conversation, and may well be interesting to some people (especially lately)...
but use the gain controls on these things as they should - to get more flexibility out of each model.

There's now also a boost in the newly added 'pedal' slot, so even if there's no pedal model loaded, you have that and a pre-eq =)

I'd say that approximately 2.5 on the gain knob is a bit like '0' on my audient ID14 (12dbu), or so.
So, the Dimehead isn't too dissimilar, is basically in that range.

 

[2dor]

The input gain control is how you get more or less distortion out of your amp sim / nam model etc.
In turning it up or down, it helps you have cleaner or dirtier tone... And that's fun.

Knowing dBU headroom may well be a topic of conversation, and may well be interesting to some people (especially lately)...
but use the gain controls on these things as they should - to get more flexibility out of each model.

There's now also a boost in the newly added 'pedal' slot, so even if there's no pedal model loaded, you have that and a pre-eq =)

I'd say that approximately 2.5 on the gain knob is a bit like '0' on my audient ID14 (12dbu), or so.
So, the Dimehead isn't too dissimilar, is basically in that range.

With how expensive some amps are nowadays & out of reach for some folks, I think it's a fair ask.

Hypothetically speaking, if someone posts profiles with one of my dream amps & that headroom number is provided, I could be happy knowing that the experience I'm getting is more or less as if plugging straight into that amp's input. Maybe that'll lead me to appreciate it differently than what I may have thought all along.

I'm all aboard using gear creatively and I don't shy away from trimming the input down or up even on my own profiles but it would help folks that are somewhat OCD about this kinda thing.

 

[jellodog]

but it would help folks that are somewhat OCD about this kinda thing.

 

[2dor]

Got me there lol

 

[MirrorProfiles]

the whole input level can be seen as trivial by some, but it’s a standard that has existed ever since the first digital modellers ever existed and is standard across the board.

I think it’s normal for users to expect the same kind of consistency whether they’re using a Kemper/QC/Fractal/Line 6/ToneX/NAM. Posting a value is 10000000% faster, easier and more useful than a discussion about it. Once it’s done everyone can move on with their life

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

Maybe so, but its pretty straight forward to see it as a clean boost/cut, and if you don't like what you have in that range, move on.
Save it as a preset when it's dialled in how you like it.

I suppose it's a bit like someone saying "here, I've made you some coffee, put as much or as little sugar in it as you want".

I am very much of the mindset that the input gain is part of the fun, my brain doesn't work with the 'calibrate it' perspective.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

Say I'm at zero on my Audient ID14, it sounds comparible to me when I'm at 2.5 'ish' on the Dimehead.
I'm pretty happy at those values as a starting point with my own captures.
So, I'd say it's really not too dissimilar, but I don't know the exact figures.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I suppose it's a bit like someone saying "here, I've made you some coffee, put as much or as little sugar in it as you want".

No it isn't. It's like ordering a latte and the barista giving you a shot of espresso and telling you to pour your own milk while wearing a blindfold.

Playing guesswork with levels is fine if you're just noodling around for fun but if someone is looking for a reliable way of replicating their tone, guessing is inferior to literally every other platform out there. On a Fractal or Kemper or Line 6 you just plug in and the amp responds as the real world version does. You can adjust input level for taste, but at unity you have the accuracy it was modelled at. This is the only sensible benchmark, anything else is daft.

If I've gone to the trouble of making a very specific tone, there should be a better way of just guessing to be able to replicate it Might be fun for some people to have stuff all over the place but there's no real benefit from having it that way. Anyway, enough discussion, my previous point:

Posting a value is 10000000% faster, easier and more useful than a discussion about it. Once it’s done everyone can move on with their life

 

[paisleywookiee]

No it isn't. It's like ordering a latte and the barista giving you a shot of espresso and telling you to pour your own milk while wearing a blindfold.

Playing guesswork with levels is fine if you're just noodling around for fun but if someone is looking for a reliable way of replicating their tone, guessing is inferior to literally every other platform out there. On a Fractal or Kemper or Line 6 you just plug in and the amp responds as the real world version does. You can adjust input level for taste, but at unity you have the accuracy it was modelled at. This is the only sensible benchmark, anything else is daft.

If I've gone to the trouble of making a very specific tone, there should be a better way of just guessing to be able to replicate it Might be fun for some people to have stuff all over the place but there's no real benefit from having it that way. Anyway, enough discussion, my previous point:

My enjoyment of plugins immediately changed when you posted that Google spreadsheet a year or two ago.

 

[DLC86]

No it isn't. It's like ordering a latte and the barista giving you a shot of espresso and telling you to pour your own milk while wearing a blindfold.

Playing guesswork with levels is fine if you're just noodling around for fun but if someone is looking for a reliable way of replicating their tone, guessing is inferior to literally every other platform out there. On a Fractal or Kemper or Line 6 you just plug in and the amp responds as the real world version does. You can adjust input level for taste, but at unity you have the accuracy it was modelled at. This is the only sensible benchmark, anything else is daft.

If I've gone to the trouble of making a very specific tone, there should be a better way of just guessing to be able to replicate it Might be fun for some people to have stuff all over the place but there's no real benefit from having it that way. Anyway, enough discussion, my previous point:

Totally... and since NAM is best in class for accuracy, I don't see why that accuracy should be compromised by something as silly as a wrong input level.

 

[Sedaxel]

Totally... and since NAM is best in class for accuracy, I don't see why that accuracy should be compromised by something as silly as a wrong input level.

And still it's sooooo difficult to understand by a few, who keep on arguing "yeah, but you can more or less..." or "estimate" or "use your ears"... Like if just giving the information of input gain was to harm all those other options. Or like it if it was so difficult to make public such a simple technical information.

Put simple: is it that f-+&ing hard to give that info???

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

I'm a simple man, I see a knob - I turn it =)
I see it as a gain control, and not an equation I need to balance.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

I've just been passed a note about the input levels.
- The input on the pedal is +4dBu.
- In the next firmware update there will be an option/preference for the gain to be displayed in db (like it does in the NAM plugin).

This should make it easier to adjust and calibrate your input levels.

 

[2dor]

I've just been passed a note about the input levels.
- The input on the pedal is +4dBu.
- In the next firmware update there will be an option/preference for the gain to be displayed in db (like it does in the NAM plugin).

This should make it easier to adjust and calibrate your input levels.

Thank you Dom. That's great to know!

 

[northern_fox]

It looks like it can run larger-than-standard models (snippet from the Facebook group):

View attachment 28900

Hm, I wonder what the differing factor is. I was not able to load a few I trained with more dilations than standard - iirc it said that the architecture wasn't supported.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

- The input on the pedal is +4dBu.

Is this definitely correct? 4dBu would be very easy to clip, humbuckers and 9V pedals would need quite a lot more headroom.

To match your Audient’s sound you’d need to remove 8dB or so (rather than boosting).

Even still, if it is 4dBu then it at least removes some guess work and allows users to achieve consistent sounds on whatever rig they are using. I can imagine a lot of guys will want to use their studio sound on the road.

 

[2dor]

There's a problem with that value

Is this definitely correct? 4dBu would be very easy to clip, humbuckers and 9V pedals would need quite a lot more headroom.

To match your Audient’s sound you’d need to remove 8dB or so (rather than boosting).

Even still, if it is 4dBu then it at least removes some guess work and allows users to achieve consistent sounds on whatever rig they are using. I can imagine a lot of guys will want to use their studio sound on the road.

It will definitely clip with hotter pickups but at least knowing the number helps.

 

[northern_fox]

Is this definitely correct? 4dBu would be very easy to clip, humbuckers and 9V pedals would need quite a lot more headroom.

To match your Audient’s sound you’d need to remove 8dB or so (rather than boosting).

Even still, if it is 4dBu then it at least removes some guess work and allows users to achieve consistent sounds on whatever rig they are using. I can imagine a lot of guys will want to use their studio sound on the road.

I can't confirm if it's correct, but I can confirm it's pretty hot - I air on the side of underdriving it with my OD to be safe and compensating with capture gain. I was hoping there would be a way to adjust this (or at least a global input trim level) but I'm not sure. Like dom said, roughly ~ 2.2-2.5 is about the same as gain 5 on the plugin for me