Power amp modeling

Having ventured into the realm of tube preamps with the Friedman IRX and now Synergy - I would love to see more poweramp modelling options

Here are some of the things that I've tried

Friedman IRX using as intended sounds great and the poweramp modelling does add some mojo - it isn't like Fractal modelling where if you turn up the channel volume you get more poweramp saturation it is more of a fixed curve with some waveshaper (probabaly like Tonemaster Pro) but on all accounts done well.

If you just use the power amp simuation with another preamp it may sound a little dark - it really is tuned to the preamp side of it - but still very useable.

I've used the Fractal FM3 Tube Pre model and obviously you have options galore to tailor the sound and sounds good - bit of pain in the ass as I have to photo the power amp settings from other models to apply to the tube pre - and there isn't a presence control - although you could use the jmp1 output eq which is labeled presence but don't know if it reacts the same.

I also tried the Mercuriall vst amps which you can turn the preamp off and just use and that sounds good as well.

I've only had the Synergy system for a bout 2 weeks but a week later decided to get a fryette powerstation 2 for self attenuation (the prescence control is very subtle).

I'm using the Fractal for IR's ( and that is still where a rabbit hole exists) and post effects. I have to say in the short time I've had this setup it is the best tone I've ever had. Some of that is maybe me trying to justify it my choice :ROFLMAO: but I'm not thinking how close it sounds to a real amp and then the next software update comes and I then say the same thing.

I'm playing more rather than tweaking and that is the main thing.
 
I am saving for the pod express...
State Of The Union GIF by PBS NewsHour
 
JiveTurkey said:
For me; it seems like the delineation between pre and power section is a bit murky. And the interaction between said sections murky as well. So it becomes a thing where I'm like 'how accurate is this modeled preamp and modeled power amp that are being treated as separate things on top of the fact that we're not talking a bout a real life disconnect between 2 normally tied together systems; we're talking about an emulated disconnect between two emulated systems"


Way too many mental gymnastics in this discussion for my dumb brain.
Click to expand...

Aren't you just overthinking all this quite a bit?

I mean, once you separate pre- and poweramps, most "authentic" tones are out of the window anyway. Really, for me it's rather like "give me anything to plug my preamp into".

Did that already. I still own a Soldano SP-77, great preamp but after trashing all real amps (or rather just hiding them somewhere so they can collect some proper dust), I never knew what to do with it. Then I got the Amplifirebox, used the poweramps only and *boom*. Just great. Same with the AMT Pangaea, which they updated so that it now has a pretty decent poweramp section. Again, the Soldano sounds ace through it. Unfortunately, it's now more or less taken apart because it needs some serious servicing, but that's something defenitely happening in the next months, it's still an incredible preamp.
Anyway, all throughout my testrides, I didn't even once think about whether poweramp model XYZ would sound like its real life counterpart. I just enjoyed things.
 
Sascha Franck said:
Aren't you just overthinking all this quite a bit?

I mean, once you separate pre- and poweramps, most "authentic" tones are out of the window anyway. Really, for me it's rather like "give me anything to plug my preamp into".

Did that already. I still own a Soldano SP-77, great preamp but after trashing all real amps (or rather just hiding them somewhere so they can collect some proper dust), I never knew what to do with it. Then I got the Amplifirebox, used the poweramps only and *boom*. Just great. Same with the AMT Pangaea, which they updated so that it now has a pretty decent poweramp section. Again, the Soldano sounds ace through it. Unfortunately, it's now more or less taken apart because it needs some serious servicing, but that's something defenitely happening in the next months, it's still an incredible preamp.
Anyway, all throughout my testrides, I didn't even once think about whether poweramp model XYZ would sound like its real life counterpart. I just enjoyed things.
Click to expand...
Overthink AlwaysTM
 
aivoryuk said:
I've used the Fractal FM3 Tube Pre model and obviously you have options galore to tailor the sound and sounds good - bit of pain in the ass as I have to photo the power amp settings from other models to apply to the tube pre - and there isn't a presence control - although you could use the jmp1 output eq which is labeled presence but don't know if it reacts the same.
Click to expand...
Another tactic is to add the Tube Pre's preamp's parameters to the Amp Model of your choice, along with all the settings I posted earlier in this thread.

The JMP-1 EQ is different vs the tube power section's filtered NFB (Presence and Depth), though of course it might also sound great.
 
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