Modeler -vs- Real Dual Recto MW

[GreatGreen]

Poll closed.

---Results---

Ok, the poll is closed, and the real amp is....

Clip C

Totals:
Clip C: 4 votes
Others: 6 votes


Also, there were quite a few more views on the video than votes total. To me, this suggests it's getting tougher and tougher to tell what's tube and what's digital. So the next time someone starts talking about how modeling "just can't come close" to the real thing and how easy it is to hear the "obvious" differences, maybe ask yourself exactly what experience they've had testing that theory, because in my experience it's not quite as "obvious" as some people might claim. Is it identical? No. But is the best modeling available at least comparable to tube amps? I believe it absolutely can be.

Yep, it's yet another one of these threads!

Here are three clips. Two clips were generated entirely in the Axe-Fx III, and one clip loops in a real Dual Recto MW and reactive load in place of the amp block. Other than the amp and reactive load, the rigs and playing are identical. The amp block was dialed to show the amp model an impedance curve the same as the reactive load I used so that variable has been minimized.

The guitar was reamped through the Axe-Fx's built-in looper, so the guitar is identical in all three clips also. I dialed the real Dual Recto to something I thought sounded alright and recorded a take, then I dialed the Axe-Fx model (I did not use any Tone Matching, just manual knob twisting) to get as close to it as I could. The two modeling tones are not identical. I recorded a track with the modeler, made some adjustments to the amp block, and recorded again.


NOTE: Each clip's volume has been slightly mismatched on purpose. Please us your own volume control to adjust while listening to avoid "louder = better" bias.




Modeling signal chain:
guitar -> Boss GE-7 EQ model -> [Axe-Fx Dual Recto Model] -> IRs

Tube Amp signal chain:
guitar -> Boss GE-7 EQ model -> [Mesa Dual Recto Multi Watt built in 2020 -> Suhr RL] -> IRs



Screenshots of the patch, the boost, and the modeler's settings:

Patch:

Boost:

Amp model:

 

[Orvillain]

Would've rather had a riff than lead licks to be honest.

I liked them all. Amp A is the Axe FX III. One of the others is the real amp. I don't know which one, but I'll guess C.

 

[spawnofthesith]

All sound good, no idea which is which. I agree with orville that its B or C . I went with B for my vote

 

[RaceU4her]

ill guess B

 

[SKU]

A and B seem to be the same device. C is the outlier. Maybe C is the amp?

 

[deathbyguitar]

A and B seem to be the same device. C is the outlier. Maybe C is the amp?

That was my guess too

 

[kartikg3]

My guess is C.

 

[Stone]

 

[aivoryuk]

Quite a lot of low end on A which I'm thinking is the Fractal with B being the Amp and C being the modified Fractal

 

[GreatGreen]

Ok, the poll is closed, and the real amp is....

Clip C

Totals:
Clip C: 4 votes
Others: 6 votes


Also, there were quite a few more views on the video than votes total. To me, this suggests it's getting tougher and tougher to tell what's tube and what's digital. So the next time someone starts talking about how modeling "just can't come close" to the real thing and how easy it is to hear the "obvious" differences, maybe ask yourself exactly what experience they've had testing that theory, because in my experience it's not quite as "obvious" as some people might claim. Is it identical? No. But is the best modeling available at least comparable to tube amps? I believe it absolutely can be.

 

[Achilles]

Never seen a Boogie (real or model) with the treble set so low at under 1.5

 

[GreatGreen]

Never seen a Boogie (real or model) with the treble set so low at under 1.5

Fun things happen when you dial with your ears and not your eyes, friend!

Also though, and this isn't what I was doing, but there's a trick with the Recto where if you dial the Treble down hard counter clockwise to 0, it cuts the entire Treble pot and all associated components out of the circuit, including the small network of parts that shunt a lot of highs straight to ground. Setting the Treble to zero and using the Mid knob to control the mids and highs is a great trick to get more treble detail back into the amp.