Rob Chapman "joins" Atomic Amps ..... "major new" release coming very soon

[Sascha Franck]

Never played through an Ampli-Firebox. I’d be curious to try one though.

It's really nothing special. Some good to great sounding amp models, a few of them IMO at least pretty much as good as they get. The clean(-ish) amps taking pedals very well (thr driven ones not just as much). And that's pretty much about it.

For me, the AFB is much more about whether it suits your workflow or not. I bought it to be a clean pedal friendly amp to replace my real amps and it did that quite well until I went to a Helix Floor, But due to certain issues and my prefered way of working, I sort of went back to a more traditional (but slightly more complexed) pedalboard and the AFB suits me well sitting on the board shown below - has been more of an "oh, I already have that device" process, but I might even try to rebuy it 2nd hand should it go down. Note: I'm never using the switches (might use the boost switch for reverb on/off one day on a scaled down board...), so it's in fact a 100% WYSIWYG thing. And that's the very thing I like about it (and the NUX Amp Academy next to it) as I can do the most relevant adjustments that may seem necessary to accomodate a gig (or venue) in a heartbeat during soundcheck without having to deal with multiple patches, re-savings and what not.

 

[paisleywookiee]

All of that costs a lot more than the $299 I'm paying for the Ampli-Firebox.

Clearly you don't like it. Not everything is for everyone. I'm hoping it will be a good fit for me. If not, the quest for a small and light practice box will continue.

Well, I wasn’t implying you should go out and buy all that. Just that many people already have a laptop/ipad/phone that’ll run that.

 

[Stratzrus]

Well, I wasn’t implying you should go out and buy all that. Just that many people already have a laptop/ipad/phone that’ll run that.

Love it or hate it, you never know if a piece of gear is right for you until you get it into your own hands and use it. We'll see how it goes.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Love it or hate it, you never know if a piece of gear is right for you until you get it into your own hands and use it. We'll see how it goes.

I actually think the hardware is solid, and they should partner with Mike Scuffham for the modeling. That’d be killer. I’ve had the AA3 twice, the Amplifirebox twice. They’re little bricks.

 

[Jarick]

You could always go with Tom Bukovac's travel rig: a $75 Blackstar Fly 3. Play the backing tracks on your phone and play guitar through the little amp. No need for anything else.

Personally if I were traveling a lot and wanted to play guitar I'd just run Helix Native or Neural plugins through my laptop. Very powerful, excellent sound, easily play along with backing tracks or songs or hell you can record an album.

Specifically for hardware, it's hard to look past the HX Stomp for an all in one travel rig. It can do amp and cab modeling plus several effects, plus it's a USB audio interface, plus it has some basic integrated switching for live use. And if you want to record you can get Helix Native at a discount too.

 

[Lysander]

Specifically for hardware, it's hard to look past the HX Stomp for an all in one travel rig. It can do amp and cab modeling plus several effects, plus it's a USB audio interface, plus it has some basic integrated switching for live use. And if you want to record you can get Helix Native at a discount too.

+1. If you're gigging as well, i'd seriously consider the HX Stomp XL. Probably the best flyrig money can buy today.

 

[la szum]

It’s not bad it just hasn’t kept up with the times. Because it’s a decade old.

#Headrush

 

[la szum]

Watch the first 35 seconds of this video!



Then skip forward to around 2:30 - very insightful!

All I got out of this was .....

 

[Sascha Franck]

It’s not bad it just hasn’t kept up with the times. Because it’s a decade old.

Fwiw, what about that Marshall 2204 everybody is asking L6 to add to the Helix' amp portfolio? Isn't that like- what? - 40+ years old? And did it keep up with the times? How many updates has it seen?

 

[paisleywookiee]

Fwiw, what about that Marshall 2204 everybody is asking L6 to add to the Helix' amp portfolio? Isn't that like- what? - 40+ years old? And did it keep up with the times? How many updates has it seen?

Are you comparing a modeler to a tube amp?

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

So, a birdie says it's not Amplifire based...

So you’re saying Nelson over at the other place is never going to get that awesome update to his AA3 he was just sure was in the cards?!?!

I’m even less excited if it’s not amplifire based. “Hey guys, this Amplifire development…we had a pretty good, stripped down minimal idea and then innovated it at a snails pace such that everyone has run circles around us in size, price/performance ratio, etc. why don’t we put ourselves even further behind by starting from scratch?”

 

[Jarick]

Fwiw, what about that Marshall 2204 everybody is asking L6 to add to the Helix' amp portfolio? Isn't that like- what? - 40+ years old? And did it keep up with the times? How many updates has it seen?

Vintage analog gear is cool. Vintage digital is often not. 80s rack effects? Absolutely. But old modelers? Nah.

I loved playing Quake back in the day but it’s not going to hold a candle visually to Starfield.

 

[Lysander]

Vintage analog gear is cool. Vintage digital is often not. 80s rack effects? Absolutely. But old modelers? Nah.

Hey, some people still claim for those old models. Pod's Treadplate is quite beloved, and apparently was the basis for Helix's Badonk.

I loved playing Quake back in the day but it’s not going to hold a candle visually to Starfield.

Funny you should mention that I definitely had way more fun playing the recent Quake remakes than Starfield.

 

[Lysander]

I’m even less excited if it’s not amplifire based. “Hey guys, this Amplifire development…we had a pretty good, stripped down minimal idea and then innovated it at a snails pace such that everyone has run circles around us in size, price/performance ratio, etc. why don’t we put ourselves even further behind by starting from scratch?”

Yeah. If this ends up being just another "FRFR" cab, i'll be really pissed at Chapman for having us waste 11 pages of posts on thin smoke.

Nothing wrong with Atomic FRFRs - i hear they're pretty damn good. But it's hardly an innovative, nor highly requested product.

 

[paisleywookiee]

Yeah. If this ends up being just another "FRFR" cab, i'll be really pissed at Chapman for having us waste 11 pages of posts on thin smoke.

Nothing wrong with Atomic FRFRs - i hear they're pretty damn good. But it's hardly an innovative, nor highly requested product.

Yeah I’ll be pissed if I wasted all this time in the bathroom posting about something that ends up being another speaker.

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Starfield.

Bleh.

Skyrim4life

 

[Tritium3H]

All of that costs a lot more than the $299 I'm paying for the Ampli-Firebox.

Clearly you don't like it. Not everything is for everyone. I'm hoping it will be a good fit for me. If not, the quest for a small and light practice box will continue.

I would say go for it, Stratzrus.

I don't understand some of the comments pooh-poohing the Ampli-Firebox. I own the Ampli-Firebox MK2, as well as a Kemper Power Rack, as well as a Fractal FM9 Turbo (just for points of reference). IMHO, the tones in the AFB Mk2 are not at all "dated". They sound absolutely fantastic...especially the Marshalls, the Friedman, the Fender Bassman, the Fender Deluxe, the SLO, and the 5150. I never liked the M-B Rectos in real life, nor do I like the version in the AFB Mk2, so there is that.

In any event, just in terms of pure, basic amp tones, of the models I just listed, I feel the AFB Mk2 can be dialed in for extremely convincing and satisfying tones. I think the is a heck of a lot of "bang-for-the-buck" in this little pedal. By the way, the built-in OD/distortion stomps, as well as the delay and reverb effects are very, very good, and exceeded my expectations for a device of this price level and footprint.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Are you comparing a modeler to a tube amp?

Indeed.

 

[Sascha Franck]

But old modelers? Nah.

Why exactly not? Once the sound is sufficient and usability is fine, why should I not use old modeling tech?
In fact, old analog gear is usually causing *way* more hassle in terms of maintenance.

 

[Stratzrus]

I would say go for it, Stratzrus.

I don't understand some of the comments pooh-poohing the Ampli-Firebox. I own the Ampli-Firebox MK2, as well as a Kemper Power Rack, as well as a Fractal FM9 Turbo (just for points of reference). IMHO, the tones in the AFB Mk2 are not at all "dated". They sound absolutely fantastic...especially the Marshalls, the Friedman, the Fender Bassman, the Fender Deluxe, the SLO, and the 5150. I never liked the M-B Rectos in real life, nor do I like the version in the AFB Mk2, so there is that.

In any event, just in terms of pure, basic amp tones, of the models I just listed, I feel the AFB Mk2 can be dialed in for extremely convincing and satisfying tones. I think the is a heck of a lot of "bang-for-the-buck" in this little pedal. By the way, the built-in OD/distortion stomps, as well as the delay and reverb effects are very, very good, and exceeded my expectations for a device of this price level and footprint.

It's out for delivery.

I don't expect it to out perform my FM9 but I got it with the idea that it would be good enough for use other than gigging, was small, light, and affordable.

The fact that some have stated that they are very reliable is icing on the cake.

Will report back after I've spent some time with it but I'm looking forward to having it as an option when there's a reason to go small instead of big, heavy, and expensive.