Stompstation by Sonulab (new NAM player pedal)

[Sidler72]

A good mate of mine - Alex - emailed Sonulab via their current website with some questions and got this response ... he passed it on to me, but it doesn't mean a lot to me as I'm not into A.I Capturing methodologies and techniques etc... but those of you that are will probably understand it:-

" ..... Sonulab employs VxAmpEngine technology for NAM model conversion, a black-box system for modeling guitar amplifiers. Included with StompStation is a conversion tool that identifies NAM models and translates them into a computationally more efficient format for direct execution on an embedded system. The conversion process extracts 99% of the NAM model’s characteristics, so slight differences may be observed. In fact, the neural network is converted into a block-based model, reducing nonlinear operations and allowing them to be executed in oversampling. Numerous tests have shown that the result will have less aliasing and may, in some cases, appear slightly more defined compared to the original model. In addition, we are excited to announce that the product will be available for commercial release in the early months of next year. Stay tuned for updates, which you can find on our website ..... "

My take on it is its taking the capture and converting it into some sort of model .So instead of having a snapshot of the amp You’ll be able to adjust the amps parameters.Sort of like liquid profiling on the Kemper. I could be wrong though I don’t know much about NAM captures.

 

[Los-D]

A good mate of mine - Alex - emailed Sonulab via their current website with some questions and got this response ... he passed it on to me, but it doesn't mean a lot to me as I'm not into A.I Capturing methodologies and techniques etc... but those of you that are will probably understand it:-

" ..... Sonulab employs VxAmpEngine technology for NAM model conversion, a black-box system for modeling guitar amplifiers. Included with StompStation is a conversion tool that identifies NAM models and translates them into a computationally more efficient format for direct execution on an embedded system. The conversion process extracts 99% of the NAM model’s characteristics, so slight differences may be observed. In fact, the neural network is converted into a block-based model, reducing nonlinear operations and allowing them to be executed in oversampling. Numerous tests have shown that the result will have less aliasing and may, in some cases, appear slightly more defined compared to the original model. In addition, we are excited to announce that the product will be available for commercial release in the early months of next year. Stay tuned for updates, which you can find on our website ..... "

Could this be like capturing on the QC or similar but seamless/more efficient ? Essentially creating a “capture” of a capture to load on the device (?)

 

[2dor]

Could this be like capturing on the QC or similar but seamless/more efficient ? Essentially creating a “capture” of a capture to load on the device (?)

I think it does that re-compiling to C++ code, in essence creating a mini-plugin that runs on embedded hardware of just that single .nam profile.
It's a very clever solution if that's the case.

 

[Los-D]

I think it does that re-compiling to C++ code, in essence creating a mini-plugin that runs on embedded hardware of just that single .nam profile.
It's a very clever solution if that's the case.

Nice. I am not a DSP guy (at all) but kinda reminds me of linearization of non-linear control systems to run on embedded platforms.

 

[BenIfin]

Again ... I'm way out of my depth here .... but one thing Cliff has said a few times is that AI / ML Captures tend to have [relatively speaking] poor aliasing <- I'm paraphrasing but that was the gist of it.

So in my simple brain ... if this process takes %99 of the NAM Capture and does "its thing" and one of those things to to noticeably reduce aliasing, that can only be a good thing.

Also reading what was said, its seems almost certain that it will allow you to load your own NAM Captures and the the unit will then convert/update them to sound better on the unit.

This could be a great box for NAM users (?)

 

[2dor]

Again ... I'm way out of my depth here .... but one thing Cliff has said a few times is that AI / ML Captures tend to have [relatively speaking] poor aliasing <- I'm paraphrasing but that was the gist of it.

So in my simple brain ... if this process takes %99 of the NAM Capture and does "its thing" and one of those things to to noticeably reduce aliasing, that can only be a good thing.

Also reading what was said, its seems almost certain that it will allow you to load your own NAM Captures and the the unit will then convert/update them to sound better on the unit.

This could be a great box for NAM users (?)

If there's no noticeable compromise to the profile quality & the price is right - hell yeah!

 

[BenIfin]

If there's no noticeable compromise to the profile quality & the price is right - hell yeah!

Yeah. Agreed. If it really does keep the NAM Capture intact to a degree of %99 "integrity" and if the aliasing is improved that will (a) mean the NAM-Capture-Sound will be identical - although I sure some golden ears will claim they can hear the missing %1 and (b) improved aliasing will make the high-mids and high-frequencies clearer and more defined.

Who knows ... maybe - just maybe ... this will be the NAM Box-Loader-Player that everyone has been waiting and hoping for (?)

And if it is, and if it stays at EUR $250 or less, it will sell faster than "a hot dog to fat man" :)

 

[Sascha Franck]

1) Low latency > low aliasing.
2) Great onboard UI > low aliasing.

About (2) we already know it'll suck (no need for any firsthand experience), so let's see whether they at least manage (1).

 

[BenIfin]

F.w.i.w .... its got Midi ...so once you have your sounds set up [for live use] the UI is immaterial .... i.m.e at least :)

 

[Sascha Franck]

F.w.i.w .... its got Midi ...so once you have your sounds set up [for live use] the UI is immaterial .... i.m.e at least :)

No way. Just another completely not needed additional layer of complexity.
In case I'm buying what actually is made to sit on pedalboards, on unit editing has to be at least decent.

 

[BenIfin]

No way. Just another completely not needed additional layer of complexity.
In case I'm buying what actually is made to sit on pedalboards, on unit editing has to be at least decent.

Again ... f.w.i.w ... I've been using various modelers live for the last 10+ years ..... never once have I adjusted an Amp or EFX setting during soundcheck or the gig ... its all setup, via desktop editors at home ... and with no intention of bragging, I know how to set up my sounds at home so they translate 1:1 live.

The only things I have ever touched on my gear at a gig are ..... turning the unit on .... adjusting the units master output-volume level for my stage / foh use .... and adjusting the hi/low global eq for the room Im in ... that's it ... I don't know what else to say

 

[Sascha Franck]

never once have I adjusted an Amp or EFX setting during soundcheck or the gig

How many gigs did you play? 3?

 

[Sascha Franck]

Besides, it's not just about gigs anyway.
But hey, if you think everybody should be such a masterful sound designer as you, more power to you!

 

[BenIfin]

How many gigs did you play? 3?

Besides, it's not just about gigs anyway.
But hey, if you think everybody should be such a masterful sound designer as you, more power to you!

 

[Sascha Franck]

Facepalm emojis, weapons of the almighty.

 

[Lysander]

Doesn't disclose too much. There was a very intriguing post this month in the NAM group about something similar:

View attachment 31797

No offense, but this is complete nonsense.

 

[2dor]

No offense, but this is complete nonsense.

None taken at all. This is over my head anyway

 

[2dor]