Modelers Losing Their Luster

[FuzzyAce]

I'm not tired of modelers yet, I really just got started on them this year.
It's inspired me to play more music and record so nothing to complain about here.

 

[JiveTurkey]

AX8 ease of use = Hell on Earth

 

[Sascha Franck]

IMO, the Helix has nowhere to go it’s already there. The encoders and capacitive switches give that easy experimentation and live changes.

1) You still can't see multiple device's parameters at once.
2) Adjusting them quickly requires to have them assigned to switches, which sometimes is counterproductive for what you may want to have assigned to suit gigs.
3) Live changes? Only in case you get away with a single kitchen sink preset (which is what I did when I used a Floor). Otherwise, you'd have to save too often.
4) Related to (3), as there's no global blocks, all changes need to be done multiple times in case you want them to be reflected in more than one patch. Nobody does that live.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Oh, and this:

I get your constantly repeated bit about you wishing the parameters were in different orders. Funny thing is with my massive pedal board I never complained about the order of the knobs on a given pedal, I just learned where they were and knew how to use them,

Sorry to say so, but apparently you don't get my complaints about parameter order, otherwise you wouldn't come up with such a comparison. With an analog pedal, you don't need to flip pages all the time. With the HX series (especially the Stomps), you need to flip pages like a madman. Knowing where whatever parameter is located doesn't help with it. Besides, the same parameters are often on different pages anyway.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Learning my way around Logic Pro resulted in a LOT more frustration than the Fractal UI ever did.

But very likely you don't need to operate Logic Pro in a rehearsal. Or adjust things during soundcheck. IOW, you usually have all the time in the world. Which is an entirely different story.

 

[ericbr1]

Inspired by Laxu's post.

Are you tired of 1000s of models?
Downsizing to something smaller/simpler?
Going back to amps?
Purging all modelers?
Was it just GAS that passed?
You've grown to hate modelers?
Ain't nobody got time for that?
How's your back?

Discuss

Well, I'm only reading this forum as 3 weeks ago I had an operation and have been sitting in my recliner playing with all kinds of Software APPS this week .. .Neural DSP, Nembrini, ML audio, McRocklin's Suite/Polychrome dsp, etc. Everything is so easy to set up, and tones are f'ing great. Tonocracy only partially works for me, but still it sounds amazing too. I would never get tired of 1000's of models. . I know what most amps sound like and use the ones I love.

Meanwhie, I'm not quite done with this stuff to downsize . I have about 25 tube amps, I have Software, and I have a Fractal Ax8 still, and Atomic Amplifirebox, etc. Love it all

I gig with tube amps and guitar cabs. . I used my Fractal gear for years at gigs, but didn't like "FRFR" stuff, so used it into my Engl power amp into real guitar cabs. . It was fun, sounded great, but was just as much or more stuff to set up as my regular gear.

I'm never going to purge modelers nor would I hate them. I realize they are fantastic, and people just need to know how to use them to appreciate them.

My gas for tube amps has only passed, as I have no more room, and I'm getting older, and everything is getting heavier. . .BUT it's not time to sell as I rotate thru them and use them and they give me joy. I don't get much 'modeler/digital' gas, but these past 3 weeks have been a blast using the computer software

Anyway, I've found being in all -original bands over the years, and mostly all-cover bands over the years, there were only a real small % of local musicians that loved doing both. . I was 1 of them but for the other guys it was 1 or the other exclusively. With modelers and real amps, I've found pretty much something similar. . I LOVE BOTH, but most other guys I know , go 1 direction or the other.

Life is full of great choices . Rock on

 

[laxu]

Great point.

I think software plug-ins will show us the way on this. Blue Cat's Axiom allows you to open each block in a separate window; of course, you have to manage the windows so they don't overlap, etc., but that seems like an okay trade-off for those times when you really want to do this.
View attachment 15532

While this gets cluttered if we have skeumorphic UI like here, it can be a paradigm that works. Even two blocks side by side would do wonders.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I went for a full modelling setup for about two years and I'm now using a Marshall for the tones and modeller for the effects.

If I do use a modeller for the amp tones again I'll be running into a power amp and guitar cab. I didn't realise how much I missed guitar speakers until I went back to amps.

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

I'll give you my FM9 when you pry it from my cold, dead hands...

 

[SillyOctpuss]

I'll give you my FM9 when you pry it from my cold, dead hands...

Sweet. Free Fm9. Thanks dude

 

[GTR37]

I love modellers for the versatility and endless tones on tap
That said if you are a tube guy I think it is always nice to hang on to one tube amp for those moments when you simply want to plug in and play

 

[holoholo]

I am all in on modeling. I don’t think I’ll ever go back. Ever read TOP amps or effects forum? It’s like going back to the Stone Age. People still buying their Nth Bluesbreaker clone or some other limited edition color way bullshit.

 

[la szum]

Nope. Just getting started.

I am not an either/or guy. The world is riddled with false choices and
clumsy dichotomies that force us into believing we must choose this
over that.... or that over this. The false competition is in our warring/conflicted
minds. Indulgence over minimalism. Digital over analog. Tubes over
"FRFR". Lots over less. Less over lots. Yadda. Yadda. Yadda. Blah. Blah. Blah.

All things in moderation.... even moderation!

 

[KHAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!!]

Sweet. Free Fm9. Thanks dude

Come at me bro!!!!

 

[Eagle]

Had the AxeFX 2. Sounded amazing, but caused me to almost stop playing guitar since it was such a terrible UX and just in general, fiddling with a computer editor (or worse, the onboard editing capabilities) just killed my creativity.

Got back into real amps and it's so much simpler.
Mind you, I'm not old nor hate technology, quite the opposite. I'm in my 30s and work as a system engineer and love technology. But in this case, that type of workflow did NOT work for me.

AxeFX 3 didn't change anything so I never jumped onto that train.

Holding my hope that AxeFX 4 improves UX.
Until then, I'm continuing with amps instead!

UI is as simple as it could be considering the available options. The thing that gets me is it’s IR’s you just need a dozen or so amazing ones. Also a method of getting a flat output as a control.

 

[Tanax]

UI is as simple as it could be considering the available options. The thing that gets me is it’s IR’s you just need a dozen or so amazing ones. Also a method of getting a flat output as a control.

UI != UX

 

[Eagle]

UI != UX

What part of what I said didn’t you understand?

 

[Eagle]

Dumbing down the functions and routing could make the UI simpler but you don’t need to go past authentic controls if you don’t want to.

 

[TheTrueZoltan!]

Come at me bro!!!!

 

[la szum]

Life is full of great choices . Rock on

/thread.


We like to talk, though, and split hairs and parse out the essential differences amongst
the non-essential elements preventing us from "rocking on!"

It really is that cut and dried, though, if you ask me. We are in the midst of a gluttony
of riches, so there should be ZERO issue with landing on the perfect solution for every
person's unique circumstances. I am guessing the issue resides with the riches themselves.

In olden days you had to get on with what you had, because that was probably all you had.
Now with all the possibilities people can easily get caught up in the "grass is greener" approach,
and are always shuffling between one or another platform or solution, and never really settling.
Combine that with the 24/7 hype and marketing machinery blasting new things in our face all
the time (or even old things that are new again!) and it is easy to see how and why someone
could become lost in the Sea of Possibilities.

In a consumer-drive society we all have some commitment issues, I suppose.