Modeling Fidelity likely isn’t as critical as we think.

[Sascha Franck]

Really good music can be created with any modeler or device imo.

Might've been different in the past (you'd be hard pressed to record an album full of thick riffing with a Zoom 9002), these days defenitely yes (and since quite some time already).
The same can be said for production stuff. ITB is just working extremely well and it doesn't matter anymore whether things are somewhat different in listening/nulltests.

For me personally, it really all boils down to usability. IMO this is something that could be *massively* improved by each and every company (at least when it comes to modeling). Even compared to just my rather lowly hybrid-setup, when it comes to live/session/rehearsing-userfriendliness, they all just plain and simply suck (for my use case at least) and I can perfectly elaborate why some of the issues apply to pretty much everyone, just that many people seemed to be used to "ok, I'll get along" instead of harrassing the vendors to finally come up with something decent.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I recorded this with POD Farm 12 years ago, and tbh I think it sounds pretty great? I'm kinda biased though.

Yeah, sounds great (great playing as usual, too).
But let's face it, these kinda overdriven lead tones aren't too much of a problem. They usually don't need too much dynamics (heck, often they profit from some bits of compression here and there) and as they don't exactly need to "fit" in a mix but are allowed to stand out, I always thought that EQ-ing them to fit isn't too hard, either.
For me it's the kinda EOB tones that really lacked the most in earlier modeling generations, followed by, say, riff tones that would clean up like the real deal. But these are pretty much covered today, too.

 

[Lysander]

They sound great because they were the tech used to make the music we all grew up listening to. If that music was made with Gorilla 15 watt combos, that would be the sound we would have been conditioned to love.

Yeah, but there's a reason why music was recorded with tube amps instead - and it's not like Gorilla amps weren't available everywhere at the time.

 

[ChordInversion]

They sound great because they were the tech used to make the music we all grew up listening to. If that music was made with Gorilla 15 watt combos, that would be the sound we would have been conditioned to love.

What gets defined as 'good' for a given set of ears early is a big deal. Whether or not you write your own music and match the tone to the music can also matter. I will often make a bee line to try out gear that people in TOP dismiss as "boxy" or "harsh," because that gear often has really interesting potential when writing. The concept of objectively, universally better tone is as strange to me as the concept of objectively, universally better color. But some people really want everyone to know that they are the arbiters of tonal quality (when they aren't). Insert "Tag knows tone" video here.

 

[Frodebro]

Yeah, but there's a reason why music was recorded with tube amps instead - and it's not like Gorilla amps weren't available everywhere at the time.

The earliest amps were tubes, because that's all that there was. The people who came along later and continued to use tube amps were reacting to the tech that THEY grew up listening to, which was invariably tube amps. The same argument applies here.

 

[Orvillain]

For me personally, it really all boils down to usability.

For me, it is all about inspiration. I don't really care what I use, as long as it inspires me to create. But I've definitely converged on a few approaches and a few essential sounds that inspire me.

 

[Sascha Franck]

For me, it is all about inspiration.

Yeah well, in my case, inspiration is pretty much directly connected to usability. Once I have to fool around more than just dialing in a few knobs, I usually switch to "tech mode" already - and *boom* there goes my inspiration.

and a few essential sounds that inspire me.

This is precisely what I'm trying to get away with since a while by now. It's also why I'm not using amp plugins for recording most of the time anymore but one of my two live boards, only sort of enhanced by stuff that stays at home. I'm just incredibly familiar with that stuff and the sounds I usually need are called up or dialed in in a matter of seconds.

 

[Orvillain]

Yeah well, in my case, inspiration is pretty much directly connected to usability. Once I have to fool around more than just dialing in a few knobs, I usually switch to "tech mode" already - and *boom* there goes my inspiration.



This is precisely what I'm trying to get away with since a while by now. It's also why I'm not using amp plugins for recording most of the time anymore but one of my two live boards, only sort of enhanced by stuff that stays at home. I'm just incredibly familiar with that stuff and the sounds I usually need are called up or dialed in in a matter of seconds.

Yeah same reason I've given up with modelling platforms for the time being. When I plug into my Helix or Axe FX III for instance, I just get lost in creating cool sounds. Fine. They're capable of that.

But when I've got a bog standard delay and reverb into the front of my Mark V, I actually end up writing songs!

 

[Sascha Franck]

Yeah same reason I've given up with modelling platforms for the time being. When I plug into my Helix or Axe FX III for instance, I just get lost in creating cool sounds. Fine. They're capable of that.

Still using the Stomp and Amplifirebox as pedal platforms (depending on which board is set up at home). But they're really just that.
And I'll change the recording situation somewhen this year, my plan is to re-activate my old Soldano SP-77 (needs urgent servicing) and run it into an AMT Pangaea (which, astonishingly enough, features a dedicated power amp simulation that is quite nice), use 1 or 2 IRs and do the rest via pedals in front. Zero menus anymore.

 

[ChordInversion]

For me, it is all about inspiration. I don't really care what I use, as long as it inspires me to create. But I've definitely converged on a few approaches and a few essential sounds that inspire me.

That's a really good point, and a not uncommon perspective. I know a lot of players who feel similarly - that the gear provides inspiration. I totally get it.

I never have it work that way for me. I have the inspiration, then seek gear that makes sounds that fit the inspiration. But I have seen it work the other way around in real time while observing other musicians.

 

[KingsXJJ]

When I think or hear any really good [ ie: supposedly "classic and therefore brilliant" ] Tube guitar Amp or "classic drive or delay effect etc..... many words come to mind ...... "fidelity" quality is never even a nano thought.

Thinking the supposedly great [ ie: old ] Tube Amps and effects have "some good to moderate to high levels of audio fidelity" ... is kind of like a perfect oxy-moron statement.

You’re not using the word fidelity as I am here. You may be thinking of high-fidelity or Hi-Fi. I’m using fidelity in a different sense.

“Fidelity means loyalty, faithfulness, or the accuracy of something to its original.”

If I were using the word as you seem to be, I’d agree with you.

 

[Mikael Dez]

My first amp was a Peavey Bandit Transtube 112

This exact model, oh god the memories

 

[ian_dissonance]

Having tools that aren’t trying to be faithful to any particular thing. IMO modeling will not do the thing that a lot of people want because they’re chasing their tail in one way or another regardless of fidelity. They want a room sound that never existed, or they want $200 studio monitors/“"FRFR"” to sound like a big amp, or an album tone that is a chain of 12 things before and after an amp. And honestly A LOT of guitar players would rather dink around with gear than do the things that would improve their playing so they can tell themselves it’s something external holding them in place with their hobby or their enjoyment.

 

[PLX]

.. honestly A LOT of guitar players would rather dink around with gear than do the things that would improve their playing so they can tell themselves it’s something external holding them in place with their hobby or their enjoyment.

 

[paisleywookiee]

I texted my wife a wall of Silmarillion lore the other day because she asked about the art on my Tolkien calendar. Her actual response was:

(disclaimer, I'm literally wearing a LOTR "The One Ring" silicon ring right now)

 

[paisleywookiee]

I recorded this with POD Farm 12 years ago, and tbh I think it sounds pretty great? I'm kinda biased though.

Sounds great! You should post it in that TOP Dumpster Fire, and say it was recorded with an original Fender DR, with a Royer 121 and SM57, into a vintage SSL, with just the right amount of cigarette smoke in the air.

 

[Hapless]

I texted my wife a wall of Silmarillion lore the other day because she asked about the art on my Tolkien calendar. Her actual response was:

Elen síla lúmenń omentielvo

 

[TSJMajesty]

YA YA YAAAA THANKYOOVERYMUCH

 

[TSJMajesty]

A LOT of guitar players would rather dink around with gear than do the things that would improve their playing so they can tell themselves it’s something external holding them in place with their hobby or their enjoyment.

Puts hand back down.

 

[Aleksi]

The more I've distanced myself from guitar playing the more I've realized how weird it was to be so fixated on having the most accurate model of some amp that I'll never hear in real life, let alone actually play.