Dimehead NAM Player

[jellodog]

I got close to buying a Tonex pedal but decided to hold out for all the reasons that have already been discussed at great length on this forum. I'd rather have a NAM device. I like good NAM captures anyway and it's only getting better.

This Dimehead device is definitely interesting, but that's not an attractive price point. I understand that they're a small company and don't have economies of scale and volume discounts on components though, so perhaps that's just a reality that I've got to accept.

Given that the "Codex" NAM player is in Genome, I do wonder if Two Notes will suddenly announce a firmware update for the Opus some day soon, but I have no idea if it has the processing power for NAM profiles. That would be amazing though, because the Opus is priced well.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

I don't see this as a competitor to something like a HX Stomp, but more like the large Tonex pedal or the Kemper Player. This probably made more sense when the Tonex One didn't exist, so I hope they can sell at least some of these.

It doesn't seem too cumbersome to work with and doesn't try to copy anything else, so I'm all for that. Looks a helluva lot better than the prototypes too. Not buying one because I don't really care about captures.

They have to not only go after all digital modeling device users if they want to succeed, they have to draw in other guitar players too.
If the plan is to only sell to the ‘Capture/Profiler devices only’ niche within a niche of all digital amp simulator device buyers then they are doomed. They could rule that fraction of a market segment and still go broke.

I think the QC design was the best attempt to draw in a larger market share of new users instead of just carve out a portion of a very small segment of guitar players overall. They sort of stumbled out of the starting blocks but, for example, NDSP could create a non capturing version of the QC (like what Kemper did) and own the $600-$700 market.
The ‘superior accuracy’ claim of NAM, even if true, is not a game changing feature. It’s a chart and graph that gets lost in a competition of shiny objects.

 

[laxu]

They have to not only go after all digital modeling device users if they want to succeed, they have to draw in other guitar players too.
If the plan is to only sell to the ‘Capture/Profiler devices only’ niche within a niche of all digital amp simulator device buyers then they are doomed. They could rule that fraction of a market segment and still go broke.

I see this as being compact enough to go in a spot where you'd put a Strymon Iridium, UAFX Dream/Ruby/Lion, large Tonex, Friedman IRX etc. Basically "the pedalboard amp" folks. Having a few effects built in doesn't mean they need to challenge the HX Stomp or Boss GT-1000 Core, but those few effects add the kind of convenience where it could be an all-in-one augmented by a minimum set of extra pedals.

I think the QC design was the best attempt to draw in a larger market share of new users instead of just carve out a portion of a very small segment of guitar players overall. They sort of stumbled out of the starting blocks but, for example, NDSP could create a non capturing version of the QC (like what Kemper did) and own the $600-$700 market.

Their aggressive marketing has worked very well. I see on Reddit for example many less experienced players asking if they should buy a QC. I think NDSP nailed the "Apple-like" design of it so it looks super modern compared to a lot of things out there.

I expect only about 5-10% of QC owners have ever used the capture functionality to make their own captures. I always wished you could use that capture output as an extra line out because most of the time it's just sitting there. Leaving it out won't change anything.

The rumored "Dual Cortex" might be just the right sweet spot product for many if it's smaller and cheap enough. I don't think they will be able to offer it at the $600-700 price point though, if the assumption is that it's the QC design but smaller, less encoders and I/O, less DSP etc.

The ‘superior accuracy’ claim of NAM, even if true, is not a game changing feature. It’s a chart and graph that gets lost in a competition of shiny objects.

Totally agree. As much as I hate it, Tonex is likely to keep the crown for a long time just because they were the first to get cheap capturing devices out there. You don't have to be the best, you don't need to have a good software...being cheap and available with enough content sells a lot of units.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

NDSP could create a non capturing version of the QC (like what Kemper did) and own the $600-$700 market.

Wut?

The cost of the QC is tied up in its big beautiful display, its rotary foot switches, etc., not whether or not it includes capturing. The Kemper Player lost...its screen, a whole bunch of footswitches, and most of the choice effects from the actual Kemper to arrive at...an $800 price point?!?!?

 

[Aleksi]

Wut?

The cost of the QC is tied up in its big beautiful display

 

[jellodog]

The cost of the QC is tied up in its big beautiful display, its rotary foot switches, etc.,

Well that cost certainly ain't tied up in its power supply!

 

[Enchilada Jones]

Wut?

The cost of the QC is tied up in its big beautiful display, its rotary foot switches, etc., not whether or not it includes capturing. The Kemper Player lost...its screen, a whole bunch of footswitches, and most of the choice effects from the actual Kemper to arrive at...an $800 price point?!?!?

Kemper created a ‘profile player’. It is an attractive option because Kemper has thousands of free profiles.

NDSP could do the same thing. Although they don’t have the catalog of captures to compare with Kemper NDSP has modeling as well.

If they dropped a small device that allowed playing captures and models and included a better effects palette than the Kemper Player, at the same price as the Kemper Player they would be ahead of the pack in that price range.
The NAM pedal in its current state would be way behind both of them.
That is the point I was making. What was yours? I didn’t really understand what you were trying to imply…

 

[laxu]

Kemper created a ‘profile player’. It is an attractive option because Kemper has thousands of free profiles.

NDSP could do the same thing. Although they don’t have the catalog of captures to compare with Kemper NDSP has modeling as well.

If they dropped a small device that allowed playing captures and models and included a better effects palette than the Kemper Player, at the same price as the Kemper Player they would be ahead of the pack in that price range.
The NAM pedal in its current state would be way behind both of them.
That is the point I was making. What was yours? I didn’t really understand what you were trying to imply…

A lot of the cost is in whether they need to develop new software for the smaller, cheaper device vs taking their existing software and reconfiguring it for less DSP, I/O and encoders. Additional savings can be had from a cheaper, smaller screen and the removal of some of the afore-mentioned features.

The rumored "Dual Cortex" is likely to be just a cut down system probably closer to say the Hotone Ampero II Stomp in concept. I would not be surprised if it's closer to a 1000 € price point rather than chasing the 700 € price point where the Kemper Player sits.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Kemper created a ‘profile player’. It is an attractive option because Kemper has thousands of free profiles.

NDSP could do the same thing. Although they don’t have the catalog of captures to compare with Kemper NDSP has modeling as well.

If they dropped a small device that allowed playing captures and models and included a better effects palette than the Kemper Player, at the same price as the Kemper Player they would be ahead of the pack in that price range.
The NAM pedal in its current state would be way behind both of them.
That is the point I was making. What was yours? I didn’t really understand what you were trying to imply…

My point is that you might be the only person on the planet that has ever had the thought experiment of: "Hey, what if QC released a device with the bulk of its UI stripped away so people could use captures they find on the cloud and its built-in amp models."

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Kemper created a ‘profile player’. It is an attractive option because Kemper has thousands of free profiles.

NDSP could do the same thing. Although they don’t have the catalog of captures to compare with Kemper NDSP has modeling as well.

If they dropped a small device that allowed playing captures and models and included a better effects palette than the Kemper Player, at the same price as the Kemper Player they would be ahead of the pack in that price range.
The NAM pedal in its current state would be way behind both of them.
That is the point I was making. What was yours? I didn’t really understand what you were trying to imply…

Well at 300 more than toaster or rack, and 150 more than Kemper Stage they can’t even get the delays and verbs in their flagship to get close.

Now if they’d make a player that also loads their plug-ins I’d be interested.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

My point is that you might be the only person on the planet that has ever had the thought experiment of: "Hey, what if QC released a device with the bulk of its UI stripped away so people could use captures they find on the cloud and its built-in amp models."

I seriously doubt that.
On the other hand I won’t apologize for other people’s lack of vision

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

Just got my power amp today (HB GPA-100) for running NAM Player into a cab. I have my pedal arriving tomorrow or the next.
Today I've been organising all my favourite reverb and cab IRs that will be for loading it up with. Seriously can't wait.
In the meantime, I've just spotted this:

 

[pipelineaudio]

Did you see my video where I opened up one of those apps and despite with Harley Vinson said all you need to do is a sore pad to make it 120 other than 240

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

0.5-0.7ms latency =)

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

Just did a quick demo using my phone, of the convolution reverb loader. (This is an IR I made from the Eventide Blackhole plugin... transferred very easily via usb stick). . .
Guitar > Dimehead NAM Player pedal > Harley Benton power amp > 2x12 Laney Cab.

 

[jellodog]

Just did a quick demo using my phone, of the convolution reverb loader. (This is an IR I made from the Eventide Blackhole plugin... transferred very easily via usb stick). . .
Guitar > Dimehead NAM Player pedal > Harley Benton power amp > 2x12 Laney Cab.

Interesting stuff!

I'd love to see some more of these as you become more familiar with the unit.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

Interesting stuff!

I'd love to see some more of these as you become more familiar with the unit.

Thanks dude! Will do some more content, as and when I can!
Any particular features you wanna see more of?

 

[jellodog]

Any particular features you wanna see more of?

Well it's a fairly simply unit, so apart from the reverb which you've already demo'd, I'm more interested the ease of use and especially in your general thoughts and impressions of the sound quality from the unit. i.e. are the converters and signal path solid, and does it live up to your expectations for that price point... once you get more familiar with it.

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

The converters and CPU spec, along with all the components, are the best you can get really.

As for ease of use: within the hour I was plain sailing.
To update firmware or upload files (NAM models, Cab and Reverb IRs etc) it's very easy via USB stick.

A while ago I went through all the comment sections of the posts in the NAM fb group / Dimehead's fb page / youtube channel, etc, relating to the pedal since last year and compiled as much info into a doc. This is what Dirk said regarding convertors (possibly a combination of two different comments):

 

[Dom Mcsweeney]

As for price point, I think it's fair. It seems to be getting updated quite often too, so it'll be more worth it as time goes by...
It's not got 'everything', but it's pretty much all I need, and no other products can load NAMs, reverb IRs etc... which is why I want this.
You could buy two for stereo rigs, and still have change compared to a Kemper or QC.
Also, I am fairly sure (in theory) it's more than capable of loading two NAMs in series - and I believe this is being carefully considered for future firmware updates - so, by that point, one of these will be cheaper and able to do more than buying two normal Tonex pedals.