First guitar amp/fx modeler?

[7 Dying Trees]

I think first modeller was the pod xt pro, and I still have it 19 years later! If the boss gt-5 counts (I think it had cosm, but never used it) then it'd be that.

Dit have a zoom 4040 I think, but don't think that's a modeller, just a cheap plastic fx unit

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Does the AX2-212 count? If not, technically it was the original POD, but I used an Alesis Quadraverb GT, Marshall JMP-1, and SansAmp PSA-1 before that.

Did you ever run the Alexis cab sim together with the JMP cab sim?

In the mid-90s I sold a JCM800 1x12 combo to get a Boogie Studio preamp. I ran a quadraverb gt in the loop of it, turned the cab sim of the GT on and used the cab sim outputs of the preamp for my first direct rig. Sounded pretty good - running them in series like that seemed to steepen up the roll-off enough to actually sound kinda like a mic'ed cab.

After that, it was a Flextone - either II or III - as a first real "modeling" setup for me.

 

[Digital Igloo]

Did you ever run the Alexis cab sim together with the JMP cab sim?

In the mid-90s I sold a JCM800 1x12 combo to get a Boogie Studio preamp. I ran a quadraverb gt in the loop of it, turned the cab sim of the GT on and used the cab sim outputs of the preamp for my first direct rig. Sounded pretty good - running them in series like that seemed to steepen up the roll-off enough to actually sound kinda like a mic'ed cab.

After that, it was a Flextone - either II or III - as a first real "modeling" setup for me.

IIRC, I sold the Quadraverb GT to fund the JMP-1. Sounds interesting; wish I could've tried that.

I probably shouldn't admit this, but 99% of my guitar tones since those older rigs have been... DAW plugins (Amp Farm+Echo Farm, then POD Farm, then Helix Native+Scuffham S-Gear). Will still use my Helix Rack (AES/EBU into Dangerous 2-BUS+ into Focal Trio6be monitors) when I can't be bothered to boot the studio.

 

[VegasGuitar]

My first was the original, first generation red bean POD. Been through almost all the successors til now.

 

[KingsXJJ]

How many of you had one of those first oh so promising Korg Pandora’s? Heh!

 

[Los-D]

PX2 owner here…

 

[KingsXJJ]

PX2 owner here…

I wish I had tried it. Decent?

I’d like to see a new Pandora with improved amp and effects modeling, IR’s, built in drum rhythms, Bluetooth streaming for backing tracks and play along plus a looper and multi-track recorder. Kind of like a Boss Micro BR-80 on steroids and in that form factor.

 

[Fireproof]

Man I can’t even remember my first. I think it was a very early (pre-Pod maybe??) Line 6 multi-fx floorboard. But can’t find any pics to verify. Maybe one of you know.

 

[Los-D]

I wish I had tried it. Decent?

I’d like to see a new Pandora with improved amp and effects modeling, IR’s, built in drum rhythms, Bluetooth streaming for backing tracks and play along plus a looper and multi-track recorder. Kind of like a Boss Micro BR-80 on steroids and in that form factor.
View attachment 324

It was pretty decent actually, and I played an entire (Top 40) gig with one (it was my backup unit) a long time ago.

 

[primeholy]

I grew up in the backwoods of basically nowhere. After getting an electric guitar for Christmas, I realized it didn't sound like I expected electric guitar to sound. After much research I realized I needed something called "distortion," but I lived in a place where the only thing you could buy locally was cowboy boots, guns, and groceries.

So, I did what any resourceful kid would do. I took a car cassette adapter (the kind with the aux cable that would hang out of the tape slot), stuffed it into my old Walkman, plugged my guitar into the cassette adapter, and plugged the headphone output of the Walkman into my dad's stereo system.

You should've heard the awesome overdriven analog tones I got out of that thing. The higher you turned up the volume on the Walkman, the nastier it got.

Eventually I moved onto more conventional units like the Zoom1010 and Yamaha Magicstomp.

back in 88 or so I had a console stereo in my room. Someone in my apartment complex threw away a nice old teac tape deck. I hooked it up to my console stereo and hooked my guitar up to it. I’d have to hack the deck to make it record without a tape, and it would pass signal from my guitar. I lived in Nashville, but was too poor for guitar stuff

 

[SwirlyMaple]

back in 88 or so I had a console stereo in my room. Someone in my apartment complex threw away a nice old teac tape deck. I hooked it up to my console stereo and hooked my guitar up to it. I’d have to hack the deck to make it record without a tape, and it would pass signal from my guitar. I lived in Nashville, but was too poor for guitar stuff

Lol, I'm so glad to know I wasn't the only one crazy enough to do things like this. Hey, maybe there's a boutique market for our tape deck hacks... the Primeholy TEAC Tapedrive? The SwirlyMaple Cassette-Fuzzette? I think I hear money falling from the sky! $ $ $ $ $ $

 

[SwirlyMaple]

IIRC, I sold the Quadraverb GT to fund the JMP-1. Sounds interesting; wish I could've tried that.

I probably shouldn't admit this, but 99% of my guitar tones since those older rigs have been... DAW plugins (Amp Farm+Echo Farm, then POD Farm, then Helix Native+Scuffham S-Gear). Will still use my Helix Rack (AES/EBU into Dangerous 2-BUS+ into Focal Trio6be monitors) when I can't be bothered to boot the studio.

ah HA! So now we know the real reason that Metallurgy was released before Helix 3.2!

 

[JiveTurkey]

I'm just glad to see Columbo is making the rounds

 

[GTR37]

I started with this in the early 90's:

View attachment 67

Ah yes the presets
Lizard Licks
Brontochorus

 

[KingsXJJ]

The other guitarist in my first band (The Oatmeal Whiteys) had an ART SGX 2000. What an interesting way to name your tone stack controls…

 

[the swede]

ah HA! So now we know the real reason that Metallurgy was released before Helix 3.2!

Because Di wanted a new plugin

 

[Digital Igloo]

ah HA! So now we know the real reason that Metallurgy was released before Helix 3.2!

After finishing the record this spring, I ordered a Mac Studio Ultra on May 18 with credit card points. It's STILL not here, and the earliest it'll ship is October 5. A corner of my studio is filled with brand new gear, sitting in boxes waiting for the stupid computer to arrive. So not much music for me this year, sadly.

Never buy Apple products through Chase.

 

[SwirlyMaple]

After finishing the record this spring, I ordered a Mac Studio Ultra on May 18 with credit card points. It's STILL not here, and the earliest it'll ship is October 5. A corner of my studio is filled with brand new gear, sitting in boxes waiting for the stupid computer to arrive. So not much music for me this year, sadly.

Never buy Apple products through Chase.

Want to start a betting pool on whether you get your Mac or we get Helix 3.2 first?!

 

[EOengineer]

Necropost alert.

The L6 POD was my first modeler, right after they started shipping with the 2.0 upgrade already installed from the factory. I had just graduated high school.

As cool as that device was, it was actually the model guide in the manual that perhaps left the biggest mark on me. I was young and had no idea what a Deluxe Reverb sounded like, or how the Cut knob on an AC30 worked. I studied that guide like the fate of the world depended on it. I spent months working through the amp models, referencing the guide, listening, adjusting, comparing…it was like someone dropped a museum of gear on me and my little 18 year old brain couldn’t get enough.

Now I have a tradition of running through some specific amps every time a next gen device comes out just to compare and appreciate the increased realism we seem to get with each new generation modeler.

 

[HotRats]

Necropost alert.

The L6 POD was my first modeler, right after they started shipping with the 2.0 upgrade already installed from the factory. I had just graduated high school.

As cool as that device was, it was actually the model guide in the manual that perhaps left the biggest mark on me. I was young and had no idea what a Deluxe Reverb sounded like, or how the Cut knob on an AC30 worked. I studied that guide like the fate of the world depended on it. I spend months working through the amp models, referencing the guide, listening, adjusting, comparing…it was like someone dropped a museum of gear on me and my little 18 year old brain couldn’t get enough.

Now I have a tradition of running through some specific amps every time a next gen device comes out just to compare and appreciate the increased realism we seem to get with each new generation modeler.

Imho the L6 pod is one of the greatest piece of gear ever made.

Nothing has been the same after they released it.