Modelers Losing Their Luster

[Orvillain]

So today, writing session with bassist and guitarist.

I loaded up my 'Recto Matched' preset, which is a matched Recto2 to my multi-watt Recto. Threw a virtual Boss SD-1 in front of it, and loaded a Recto dyna cab with dynamic 1 microphone on it. Sounded sick.

The Axe really is a piece of piss to get a great tone from.

 

[Mongillo19]

I actually bought the QC with no intention of using it for 4cm, just wanted to explore its capturing and amp models. The 4cm use was a happy side accident, spurred on by successfully capturing a couple of my favourite drive pedals that aren’t modelled anywhere.

However, now that I’m using it that way, overall the reasons would be:

- sound + feel in 4cm (QC has been great, better than L6, in my experience, equal to or only slightly less than FM9)

- size and weight (WAY better than FM9, in that regard)

- ease of use (also better than L6 and FM9)

- I have very basic effects needs, overall, and everything I use, I’ve liked the QC versions, with the exception of the Univ-Vibe

If Fractal made an FM6 or something similar in size to the QC, or their version of the HXFX, I’d be all over it, for sure.

Awesome! Yeah I bet it's super neat to have your amp in the QC. The QC misses some of the detail of the amp imo but is definitely good enough

 

[Sascha Franck]

I'm beginning to think that now all(most) modelers are within a few +/-'s of each other, we may see a lot of updates with the UI.

I can only hope so. Right now, all of them have pretty much proveable shortcomings in one aspect or the other.

 

[holoholo]

Modeling has been the best it’s ever been and keeps getting better. 2203s, spring reverbs, Marshall’s out the asshole. Tons of great sounds at our fingertips.

Modeling losing its luster?

 

[Elric]

My strategy has been, acquire a sh*t load of everything == no FOMO. Modelers, tubes, analog, all good stuff.

 

[la szum]

At the same time we tend to adapt. Got a single channel amp you want to do clean and dirty? Roll down the volume on your guitar. Got a modeler without a 2203? You use something else to get in the same ballpark.

That's, literally, how I use my modeller like 99% of the time. 100% of the time when I am playing with a band.

 

[Achilles]

I finally moved my last modeler (the QC) and swore off them after scoring one of these. Simple clean and then the middle is modded Marshally and the bottom is SLO-ish. Between those, all of the feel and mode options (both 3 pos), and then the guitar's knobs, you got a shit ton of tones to play with.

It honestly sees more action that the amp.

 

[dean701]

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

considering you just got an axefx3, and the topic of the thread, are you regretting your decision?

 

[2112]

The

I don't think Fractal's effects get enough credit to be honest. There's some really fine reverbs and delays there. Yet so many of the wish list requests are more amps, amps, amps.

Yep, the effects are stellar AND there's a gigantic grid where you can freely route blocks as you wish. Emulating specific vintage gear is great, but the creative possibilities of the grid and the control the effect algorithms provide to the user make it an incredible tonal sandbox. Oh yeah and there's a modifier system that lets you control just about any parameter you like.

If you just want to recreate a straightforward "traditional" rig, it's all there. If you want to do stuff like this too, go for it;

 

[JasonE]

I never got rid of my amps and pedals. In fact, I have been buying more pedals all along. I use whatever fits my ears and hands the best at the moment. I was doing some fiddling around this weekend and took a couple of Wampler drive pedals and plugged them into my Two Notes C.A.B.M+ and then into my interface. I was pretty surprised at how good that sounded. It took a little playing around with things in the CAB but man, it dialed right in. Other parts of the song I was working on were done with my Kemper. If I needed something with more gain, I would have hooked the FM9 up.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Being recently asked to do so many live sound gigs, which still terrifies me, but now have been placed on the exclusive rider of several of the biggest local bands, I am seeing first hand just how different these worlds can be. The guys who bring their modellers on and only use amps as their personal monitors or just go thru the monitors or in ears sound WORLDS better than the loud stage volume amps mic'd up with the drums leaking thru them and into the vocal mics and all the other crap.

Unless the stage is GIANT, where it seems like we can deal with it better, but again, NONE, not a dB of that stage amp nonsense reaches the audience's ears.

I can see why playing an amp is more immediate, and maybe more fun for some people.

But if you care about the song, the performance, what the audience hears, the modellers thru impulses absolutely murder the dinosaurs. They end up sounding like an album

Tru dat. Now that said, the current fashion of having kick and bass and almost vocal level and drowning guitars says something about the counterproductive nature if small stages in small clubs.

When I played with the Steve Kimock Band he was a strong believer that other than vocals and acoustic instruments there was no necessity for monitors as long as folks set up and dealt with levels in a sensible way.

No silent stage and not fighting FOH= win.
But he'll he tours with a 3 amp rig that includes a Dumble.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Once you go Fractal you never go back(tal).

I'm proof that's not true....

 

[dk_ace]

You comment did not appear to be directed to an individual, but rather the idea of someone disagreeing with your point of view.

Right…. It was a direct reply to a specific user.

D

 

[Achilles]

I'm proof that's not true....

As is the steady stream of used units available on Reverb. Same goes for all of the other top modelers.

 

[Will Chen]

I'm proof that's not true....

Of course it's not, just being stupid. I'm happy with the FM3 (and AX8 before). All that really matters is the guitarist being totally comfortable with their rig so it doesn't get in the way of making music.

 

[Ed DeGenaro]

Of course it's not, just being stupid. I'm happy with the FM3 (and AX8 before). All that really matters is the guitarist being totally comfortable with their rig so it doesn't get in the way of making music.

there is that.
Or as I told a friend of mine yesterday, who a scary good player...we don't let gear stand in the way of our tone. .
Back 20 some years ago my set-up and how well i gelled with it determined what I could pull of.
That stopped with the Ultra, I pretty much could sleep walk through stuff. A decade later when I got back to amps from the A2 (because the models felt to same-y) the old problem was back.
So a decade of hard core shedding, like when i was a teenager got me to where the difference between gear for me is that i finally play to the amp instead of making the amp bent to me.
If that makes any sense.

 

[James Freeman]

I love tube amps and want to own them all, but it's not practical in many ways, particularily money and space ways.
For me, intergrating the modeler with a cab and getting an accurate and authentic response is very important and my gas for tube amps is getting quenched rapidly after getting the Axe Fx and reading some recent posts by Cliff.

Much obliged,
James "The Authenticitarian" Freeman

 

[Foxmeister]

I love tube amps and want to own them all, but it's not practical in many ways, particularily money and space ways.

Not to mention the cabs you ideally need to properly take advantage of a large collection of amp heads!

 

[laxu]

Not to mention the cabs you ideally need to properly take advantage of a large collection of amp heads!

That's the real space taker. To me it's always the right amp with the right cab.

When I got the Vox AC30-ish Victory VC35, I was disappointed how through my Bluetone 4x10 with 10" Greenbacks it sounded somewhat similar to my Marshall-based Bogner GF45 SL. Only when I paired the VC35 with Alnico Golds (as Victory recommends) it brought out all that Voxy goodness and had a distinct character that was great.

A lot of the modeling discussion is so heavily centered on amps, yet personally I'd rather take more Dyna-cabs and mics instead.

 

[Orvillain]

I love tube amps and I will own them all.