Hotone Ampero II Stomp - Review

[laxu]

How many blocks are left?
Also I've read that the A2S switches Presets extremely quickly. I might be able to work around that this way.

I can't remember at the moment but it was severely limited to the point that I would not want to work with its captures. I much preferred using its own amp models anyway.

My Problem with the HX Stomp is mainly, that you can only load one Amp channel and switching Presets takes quite some time. I cannot switch the Amp model in a snapshot/scene and so I have to figure a way to get a clean and a distorted Amp sim into one Preset. This limits my options extremely as it doesn't support 2 full models in one preset (only very light ones).
If the preset switching is fast, I might be able to switch from clean to distorted wihtout anyone noticing if I include an FX return with trails on. The reverb is analog in my case and will not be interrupted by the switch.

You could just pick up e.g a Tonex One and slap that in the HX Stomp fx loop. More latency, but would solve your amp issue and give you more fx slots to play with on the HX Stomp.

At least don't sell your HX Stomp before evaluating it against the Hotone.

 

[FrankyFire]

I can't remember at the moment but it was severely limited to the point that I would not want to work with its captures. I much preferred using its own amp models anyway.


You could just pick up e.g a Tonex One and slap that in the HX Stomp fx loop. More latency, but would solve your amp issue and give you more fx slots to play with on the HX Stomp.

At least don't sell your HX Stomp before evaluating it against the Hotone.

I won't sell it before evaluating it.

Latency might be an issue, we're using wireless IEM and Guitar as well as a digital Mixer. It adds up. It's already perceivable if you pay attention.

ToneX One is no option, as I'm unable to use their software as I'm a Linux only user. NAM can be created using any DAW and Tone3000. Also I do not have the space for another device on my pedalboard.

For me it would be fine if I could use the capture along an IR, max 2 EQ, a Comp an Overdrive and FXSend/Return.

 

[laxu]

For me it would be fine if I could use the capture along an IR, max 2 EQ, a Comp an Overdrive and FXSend/Return.

Yeah that should fit. Fx send/return will add some latency though, so unless you absolutely need it I'd just run things before/after the pedal.

I'd still explore the amp models on the unit because the captures were IMO a bit disappointing compared to Tonex or NAM plugin.

 

[FrankyFire]

Yeah that should fit. Fx send/return will add some latency though, so unless you absolutely need it I'd just run things before/after the pedal.

I'd still explore the amp models on the unit because the captures were IMO a bit disappointing compared to Tonex or NAM plugin.

Yeah sure, but I'm using the FX Loop of the HX Stomp already, so should not be worse than the current situation.

I did some thinking and re-checked my HX Stomp patches. If I'm honest, I mainly use it to turn on and off basic Effects (OD, EQ, Comp for Clean), have some Amp sound with IR and route MIDI. There's no need for me to touch the device even and I usually don't, because the interface is so small.
So maybe I'll check out the Sonulab Stompstation. It will still work with what I have in my mind if I create NAMs for all situations (Clean, Clean with OD, Rhythm, Lead). That reduces the need for Pedals in front of the device, so there's no switching required into the device and the post loop will be controlled by the Hydra as planned. It also supports switching patches and it does so fast. Having Reverb controlled by the Hydra (including Trails) makes the switches imperceptible.
Or is there something I'm missing?

 

[laxu]

I did some thinking and re-checked my HX Stomp patches. If I'm honest, I mainly use it to turn on and off basic Effects (OD, EQ, Comp for Clean), have some Amp sound with IR and route MIDI. There's no need for me to touch the device even and I usually don't, because the interface is so small.
So maybe I'll check out the Sonulab Stompstation. It will still work with what I have in my mind if I create NAMs for all situations (Clean, Clean with OD, Rhythm, Lead). That reduces the need for Pedals in front of the device, so there's no switching required into the device and the post loop will be controlled by the Hydra as planned. It also supports switching patches and it does so fast. Having Reverb controlled by the Hydra (including Trails) makes the switches imperceptible.
Or is there something I'm missing?

I'd probably check if the new Valeton GP-50 meets your needs as well. See the thread for these products here.

Realistically a Tonex One might be a somewhat viable solution for you as well, with way better capture quality. If you set it to the preset selection mode (press footswitch + alt together), you can cycle between 3 presets. Each preset can have Comp, EQ, Mod, Delay and Reverb so you would be able to build some of your settings combinations via its built-in effects and different captures.

To access more presets than 3 at once, you would need e.g Pirate MIDI Polar products and a MIDI controller (e.g HX Stomp).

 

[FrankyFire]

I'd probably check if the new Valeton GP-50 meets your needs as well. See the thread for these products here.

Realistically a Tonex One might be a somewhat viable solution for you as well, with way better capture quality. If you set it to the preset selection mode (press footswitch + alt together), you can cycle between 3 presets. Each preset can have Comp, EQ, Mod, Delay and Reverb so you would be able to build some of your settings combinations via its built-in effects and different captures.

To access more presets than 3 at once, you would need e.g Pirate MIDI Polar products and a MIDI controller (e.g HX Stomp).

The Valeton GP-50 was what sparkled my intereset in replacing the HX Stomp. But it doesn't load IRs along Profiles, which doesn't work for me, because I switch them from time to time and don't want to create new profiles each time. I thought about waiting until GP-150 and GP-180 will be released.

As far as I know Tonex One and Sonulab are on par (at least when Null-Testing). I do not recognize small details in a live situation anyways, as the drums are just so loud and there's so much going on.
Sonulab has MIDI and I do not need an extra device to translate to USB and the presets work the same. Also there's Bluetooth and a mobile app included, which is a huge plus for me (always missed this with the HX Stomp). The only thing keeping me from pulling the trigger is: Flexibility with the Ampero Stage II and the soon to be released Valeton devices.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Fwiw, are there any latency figures for the Sonulab thingy around?

 

[Sascha Franck]

If you set it to the preset selection mode (press footswitch + alt together), you can cycle between 3 presets.

It's actually only two. Unless I'm missing a trick that's not in the manual.

Each preset can have Comp, EQ, Mod, Delay and Reverb so you would be able to build some of your settings combinations via its built-in effects and different captures.

For me, the issue is that you can't edit anything but the most basic things on the pedal itself.

To access more presets than 3 at once, you would need e.g Pirate MIDI Polar products and a MIDI controller (e.g HX Stomp).

That's actually a very powerful team. Buying the Polar Pico (even if it was sorta expensive-ish as it had to be shipped from Australia and I had to pay customs) has been the best decision ever.

 

[FrankyFire]

Fwiw, are there any latency figures for the Sonulab thingy around?

Yes there is:


Slightly above 2ms with everything activated, so extremely low.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Slightly above 2ms with everything activated, so extremely low.

Oh, thanks. I thought I already looked for Leo Gibson's test - apparently not so.
That's a great value then.

I may have to reconsider some things. I actually grabbed my Tonex Ones (3 by now, but one was kind of an "accident") because they offer some onboard editing, which I think is downright horrible on the Sonulab. But then I ended up to do all small EQ and volume edits in my GT-1000s (yes, two of them...) anyway or grab the TXO Controller web editor (only working with the Pirate MIDI Pico), so I could as well hide any such a unit below the pedalboard and possibly even gain some real estate on the top.

 

[laxu]

It's actually only two. Unless I'm missing a trick that's not in the manual.

It's 3. You need to be in the preset selection mode and then it will consider the "Stomp" option just another preset and the foot switch cycles through all 3.

I wish you could make this a default option because the Stomp option is useless to me.

 

[Sascha Franck]

It's 3. You need to be in the preset selection mode and then it will consider the "Stomp" option just another preset and the foot switch cycles through all 3.

Oh right, the switch works as a selector then. But you're losing the other controls in that mode. Plus, you might run into accidentally touching them and change the preset. Nothing I'd do live.

 

[laxu]

Oh right, the switch works as a selector then. But you're losing the other controls in that mode. Plus, you might run into accidentally touching them and change the preset. Nothing I'd do live.

Yeah it's far from perfect for sure.

 

[Ricfil]

...NAM can be created using any DAW and Tone3000. Also I do not have the space for another device on my pedalboard...

One thing I notice is that perhaps people are mixing NAM captures with Soundclone captures in this conversation. The end captured files are not the same quality. And so "headroom" and DSP usage should also differ.

A Soundclone capture made with the unit itself will have a better sound quality than a NAM capture (capture of a capture) imported into the unit. For more details on this one can check Leo Gibson amazing youtube videos where he tests all this stuff.

The Valeton GP200 can handle a NAM capture plus a full signal chain with no problems at all (for the most part), so I would guess a Stage would also be able to do the same.

The bigger diference on the Ampero devices must be when using Soundclone captures made with the unit themselves. Those are DSP intensive, to the point that one can use only a couple of effects along with them on the signal chain. But they are also way better sounding to my ears.

Check out this video out, and notice the amazing capture quality (6:41 minute mark) and also the DSP limitations (16:00 minute mark):



Correct me if I am wrong.

I don´t own the unit. I am still researching about them and this is info I have gathered along the way.

 

[AlbertA]

check Leo Gibson amazing youtube videos where he tests all this stuff.

 

[laxu]

One thing I notice is that perhaps people are mixing NAM captures with Soundclone captures in this conversation. The end captured files are not the same quality. And so "headroom" and DSP usage should also differ.

A Soundclone capture made with the unit itself will have a better sound quality than a NAM capture (capture of a capture) imported into the unit. For more details on this one can check Leo Gibson amazing youtube videos where he tests all this stuff.

The Valeton GP200 can handle a NAM capture plus a full signal chain with no problems at all (for the most part), so I would guess a Stage would also be able to do the same.

The bigger diference on the Ampero devices must be when using Soundclone captures made with the unit themselves. Those are DSP intensive, to the point that one can use only a couple of effects along with them on the signal chain. But they are also way better sounding to my ears.

I don´t own the unit. I am still researching about them and this is info I have gathered along the way.

The Ampero 2 and Valeton can read and interpret NAM files, but they do not run NAM. They get converted to each platform's own neural network modeling system and my experience was that there is something wrong with the way Ampero 2 handles NAM files. It worked mostly fine but introduced a strong bump at 100 Hz. If you correct that with EQ, it's still not perfect but fairly decent conversion.

By comparison Soundclones made from the unit itself seem to work better, but they are not Tonex V2 or NAM quality.

At the same time, running captures is so demanding that you are severely limited by what effects you can have in the same preset. It just made no sense to me to use captures and instead I just went back to using the fairly solid amp models in the Ampero 2.

I would not buy Ampero 2 Stomp for capture use. But it's a solid box otherwise.

 

[Jkist7]

Modeling has come so far that there is an overall general parity in tone quality between all modelers. Sure, Fractal has those final nths of detail, etc etc.

But what I'm saying is the actual user experience of the product is almost more important these days, since pretty much all modelers are now capable of really kick-ass tones. For that reason, the Ampero Stomp 2 keeps finding its way back into my play time. Nothing else rivals it in the price range, and even out of its price range its still a contender.

I do agree, the captures can be passable if you find solid ones, but the modeling is pretty good anyways, I don't feel the need.

 

[Grumms]

I have the A2S since last week. I'm pretty pleased with it, though a little disappointed by the quick lack of resources when you use clones + IRs. But I think that it will take 1 or 2 more years to be "unlimited" at this price range.

I notice an annoying hum. The ampero is plugged in a F40i, which runs on battery, which should prevent the grounding issue. The hum is light if I use a wireless connection between my guitar and the ampero. It's annoying only with some presets. When I use a cable to connect my guitar to the Ampero, the hum is loud. How could that be ?

My ampero is a B-stock, do you think it could have been sent back by the first buyer because of this issue ?

 

[Grumms]

Another weekend deep diving in the A2S. I tried it on my PPC212 with a Harley Benton GPA-100.

At first, sound was very good, but I noticed I let the IR on, and it's not how it's supposed to be used. So I turn the IR off, and the sound became very agressive, sometimes clipping with some amps. I had to use severe EQ to have a correct sound.

I tested with the No Cab mode of the Ampero, but same (which is logic, no reason that it changes the sound).

May have I done something wrong? I found that my PPC212 sounded better with the GP5 before the GPA100.

 

[laxu]

Another weekend deep diving in the A2S. I tried it on my PPC212 with a Harley Benton GPA-100.

At first, sound was very good, but I noticed I let the IR on, and it's not how it's supposed to be used. So I turn the IR off, and the sound became very agressive, sometimes clipping with some amps. I had to use severe EQ to have a correct sound.

I tested with the No Cab mode of the Ampero, but same (which is logic, no reason that it changes the sound).

May have I done something wrong? I found that my PPC212 sounded better with the GP5 before the GPA100.

Check your output levels.

When I had the Ampero 2 Stomp, I did not find that turning cabs off had this sort of effect. Because cab sim -> guitar cab sounds like you have a blanket on, maybe this is what you perceive as "aggressive"? Any clipping would likely be caused by too high levels somewhere in the signal chain.