The Diezel VH4 (Model) Thread

[GuitarJon]

Absolutely no issue with you dumping your videos in this thread but please try and join in on the conversation as well. Baiting answers inside your videos aint the one. You've just skipped past several relevant and genuine questions. Forums are for discussion, not spam.

If you have the time to post videos here, you can also join in.

I figured you guys would simply be interested in hearing the differences between my real amp and the modelers. Could have started my own thread but I figured this would be a good place to drop them.

Life is very busy, sometimes I don't have time to participate 100% with all questions etc. Sorry about that... (makes note: answer ALL questions to be worthy!)

I thought I mentioned the platforms I used already but it's Stadium XL, AM4, TMP, QC (models and v1 plus v2 captures) and Tonex.

Hope this helps :)

 

[GuitarJon]

Anybody got a St.Rock Amperium unit they could put through its paces for the VH4? That thing also had a mode of CH2 - CH4 preamps. The unit seemed to have very good amp tones in spite of its other shortcomings.

Damn, I totally forgot about that one! It's a great sounding unit. Not the most accurate per se but very pleasing sounding. Maybe I'll have to try it again!

 

[2dor]

Damn, I totally forgot about that one! It's a great sounding unit. Not the most accurate per se but very pleasing sounding. Maybe I'll have to try it again!

Yeah I mean the amp tones I heard coming from that thing & the palm mutes were among the most satisfying / convincing I heard out of any modeler.

 

[GuitarJon]

Yeah I mean the amp tones I heard coming from that thing & the palm mutes were among the most satisfying / convincing I heard out of any modeler.

The last time I tried it is a long time ago, but I remember it sounding and feeling really nice indeed. Totally top of the line!

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I figured you guys would simply be interested in hearing the differences between my real amp and the modelers. Could have started my own thread but I figured this would be a good place to drop them.

Clips are absolutely invaluable but even more so if there is discussion about it. It's not about starting a new thread or not, it's just about engaging in discussion. Dropping videos is a one way thing. The discussion right now just happens to be really aligned to what you're doing your videos on.

Life is very busy, sometimes I don't have time to participate 100% with all questions etc. Sorry about that... (makes note: answer ALL questions to be worthy!)

yep, we're all busy. and we're all making the effort to contribute clips and discussion here. I was curious about what you thought of the tests I'd done, because I think the results of Helix compare interestingly to yours. Comes across as something that is of zero interest to you, despite it being the EXACT topic of what you're diving into. Maybe its relevant enough to take 2 minutes to get involved with?

Stadium XL, AM4, TMP, QC (models and v1 plus v2 captures) and Tonex

Nice. Looking forward to how the QC model fares. I think captures will sound as close as we expect. I would have liked to have seen you compare some of the plugins mentioned in this thread too as they all vary a bit, and perhaps one will be closer to your amp.

TMP sounds OK, but has a kind of honky quality, and the low end is pretty lacking.

 

[nightlight]

I used to own a VH4. Channel 3 is where the action is at, and it's a hell of a good sound for Metallica-style riffage. The other channels were so-so, either too gainy or not enough gain. But if you like that Channel 3 sound, it's a good amp for sure.

Nice clips, @Orvillain. I have a Sig:X as well, but I moved the Diezel VH4 some time ago. Tried a DMoll most recently and came away with the feeling that it was also a one-trick pony of sorts, but a hell of a good trick. Parted with that too.

Currently gassing for a VHX, because it seems like it combines lots of tones in one box, and is silent stage-friendly too. Unfortunately, the only people selling want more than the retail price, which is ridiculous.

 

[nightlight]

This is a recording I did of the VH4. My recording techniques were quite rudimentary 6 years ago. Just sharing, probably too much gain.

 

[Jarick]

Diezel VH4 vs Tone Master Pro:

Really good comparison!

This is right now my #1 issue with the Fender TMP, and your video is a really good demonstration of this, the impedance curve implementation still seems off. Changing the impedance curve drastically swings the tone of the amp more so than on the Fractal unit.

Outside of that, the Fender has a bit less beef and a bit more presence but sounds pretty dang good I think.

 

[MirrorProfiles]

This is right now my #1 issue with the Fender TMP, and your video is a really good demonstration of this, the impedance curve implementation still seems off. Changing the impedance curve drastically swings the tone of the amp more so than on the Fractal unit.

This sort of sums up many of my gripes with modelling on the whole - stuff obviously wouldn’t get released unless it passes the internal accuracy testing, but often the methods of testing clearly have flaws where the accuracy falls apart once it’s put into real world use. I have a feeling a lot of the lab environments where testing is done are probably skewing things a bit (hello IK Amplitube Rectifiers etc).

Fractal is arguably closer here but it still usually needs some fudging around to get it right

 

[deadpool_25]

@GuitarJon does the VH2 exhibit that same unique characteristic on the palm mutes?

 

[GuitarJon]

@GuitarJon does the VH2 exhibit that same unique characteristic on the palm mutes?

Not really! Before I sold the VH2 I did a comparison and as it turned out they sounded quite different. The VH2 is great and it sounds massive, but it sounds much more "normal". I think it's great for people who want that sound but with less quirks.

 

[SeeD]

Really good comparison!

This is right now my #1 issue with the Fender TMP, and your video is a really good demonstration of this, the impedance curve implementation still seems off. Changing the impedance curve drastically swings the tone of the amp more so than on the Fractal unit.

Outside of that, the Fender has a bit less beef and a bit more presence but sounds pretty dang good I think.

He had the treble and presence a ways up I think, just thinking out loud. Then he changed the settings a bit, maybe another SIC would be better on the high end

 

[Dez]

But going back and exploring the amps for what they are is like a second layer of appreciation.

I always have fun exploring an amp in a modeler that I’m not familiar with or can’t access in real life without shelling out a ton of money

 

[MirrorProfiles]

I always have fun exploring an amp in a modeler that I’m not familiar with or can’t access in real life without shelling out a ton of money

Fancy chucking some QCM VH4 examples up?

 

[Dez]

Fancy chucking some QCM VH4 examples up?

Will do! I have to dive into it first, this is a model I’m not familiar with at all aside from playing some ToneX captures. Any setting recommendation?

Edit: nvm I grabbed your settings pic of the real amp you posted here!

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Will do! I have to dive into it first, this is a model I’m not familiar with at all aside from playing some ToneX captures. Any setting recommendation?

IMO part of it is working out version their model is based on. The presence knob behaviour seems to be the most telling thing - on some models you need it pretty much maxed out, and on others it's less extreme. On the darker units you'd need presence and treble up pretty high, on others they can have more "normal" settings to sound balanced.

IIRC some of the earlier models have a bit less gain on channel 2 so that might have some clues too.

If you like I can send you the DI's and IR I used earlier in the thread, and there is a load of settings that you could ballpark things from. But even just giving your own impression on how you feel its best dialled in IMO would tell a lot.

ToneX models are a bit random because I guess you won't really know settings or which circuit it is, and you'd probably have to guess gain staging a bit too. @2dor has put some free models out of his VH4 recently which I think is a newer unit (which seems quite dark to me).

 

[2dor]

@2dor has put some free models out of his VH4 recently which I think is a newer unit (which seems quite dark to me).

Yeah - it's a current production unit for sure; pretty dark at least for my tastes but you can make up for it by cranking the Presence and some mic placement.

 

[Dez]

If any other QC users have other settings to suggest - I can always reamp it again! Using the same IR and DI that @MirrorProfiles kindly sent me.

 

[Orvillain]

View attachment 58632

If any other QC users have other settings to suggest - I can always reamp it again! Using the same IR and DI that @MirrorProfiles kindly sent me.

Gains a bit too high for me I think. You can hear the palm-o's crapping out a bit in the middle. I overall like the brightness of it though.

 

[Dez]

Gains a bit too high for me I think. You can hear the palm-o's crapping out a bit in the middle. I overall like the brightness of it though.

Yeah that's user error in reamping, the DI needed to get lowered - I'll re upload another one later after I've A/B'd myself to a coma lol