The Gear Forum designs a next-gen digital modeler!

[Digital Igloo]

Went back to my clumsy, way too huge BCR, only to ditch that as well, simply because the Helix Floor wasn't up to it - so that's another thing possibly. We could have a deal: I'm fine with 5-pin MIDI the day L6 implements things properly. Or so.

First I've heard of this. What's not properly implemented?

 

[Sascha Franck]

What's not properly implemented?

MIDI controlled parameters. Once you assigned them, they were automatically controlled by snapshots, too - which, sorry to say so, is making exactly *zero* sense. It took all the way to 3.5 to adress this and you still have to do it manually for each and every parameter.

 

[Jarick]

I'm curious, are there any durability concerns with USB-C? Or is that a pretty robust connection?

I bought a used HX Stomp a couple years ago that had a busted USB connector. Luckily was able to return it. My newer one is a bit wiggly, but I don't think that's a fault of Line 6 as much as the connector itself.

 

[Sascha Franck]

To this day, IMO there's no truly decent USB sockets, but as long as the hardware is mounted properly inside the housing, the worst to happen is connection loss. Unfortunately, the sockets often aren't mounted properly, just soldered onto the PCB without any further fixation on the housing itself. No drama with printers, external harddrives, MIDI keyboards and what not - but on a floor device, I'd really love to see some extra security measures.

 

[Lysander]

I'm curious, are there any durability concerns with USB-C? Or is that a pretty robust connection?

It is not. No consumer USB connector is really designed for reliability.

USB-B is probably the sturdiest mechanically, and it's still quite flimsy. USB-C has the advantage of having little connection area with the socket... which is in turn crammed with delicate contact pads. They're notoriously easy to be made fail by lint, or a little humidity.

 

[laxu]

It is not. No consumer USB connector is really designed for reliability.

USB-B is probably the sturdiest mechanically, and it's still quite flimsy. USB-C has the advantage of having little connection area with the socket... which is in turn crammed with delicate contact pads. They're notoriously easy to be made fail by lint, or a little humidity.

USB-C tends to fail by bending it because the connector is so thin and small. Have had a few USB-A -> C adapters fail like that.

USB-A is quite sturdy but the center plastic tab can break, rendering the port nonfunctional or at least flaky. USB-B usually is not a very tight fit.

I agree they are not exactly built to be sturdy. But USB-C is the way to go as it would be nice to have the same connector on all devices rather than have to hunt down the right cable every time.

 

[Sascha Franck]

But USB-C is the way to go as it would be nice to have the same connector on all devices rather than have to hunt down the right cable every time.

Exactly.

Also, if one really wanted, one could to it as with network cable plugs, there's some with XLR cable alike "cases" (how in the world do you call that?), allowing for super heavy duty connections while still being able to use stock cables as well.

 

[GTR37]

I echo Jive Turkeys prior statement
Some of ya’ll should be handing out some resumes and filling out job applications

 

[Will Chen]

FM3 at about half the size with a polyphonic synth block.

 

[tysonlt]

The Gig Box:

A suitcase-sized modeller integrated into a flight case. Take the top off and plug in.

Phsycial knobs for everything. The board laid out like a good old pedal board. Like, 10 blocks, simple linear routing. A bright screen above each group of knobs, LED rings around the knobs, coloured for each block.

Foot controller slides out from the suitcase. Sit the board on a table or something, where you can reach over and just BOOM change the chorus depth.

Well-priced, because it just does a few things well.

Make me one.

 

[tysonlt]

Next model up: it's a black box. You say, "hey gig box, give me an 80's sparkly clean tone on footswitch one, AC/DC tone on switch 2, but not too bright. Petrucci rhythm on 3, lead on 4 with a bit of delay on the high notes. Oh and add some comp on the clean if you notice me plug my strat in. If it's sounding thin, boost the mids a bit, but don't let it get boomy."

 

[Sascha Franck]

The Gig Box:

A suitcase-sized modeller integrated into a flight case. Take the top off and plug in.

Phsycial knobs for everything. The board laid out like a good old pedal board. Like, 10 blocks, simple linear routing. A bright screen above each group of knobs, LED rings around the knobs, coloured for each block.

Foot controller slides out from the suitcase. Sit the board on a table or something, where you can reach over and just BOOM change the chorus depth.

Well-priced, because it just does a few things well.

Make me one.

Count me in! Would pre-order and take part in crowdfundings!

 

[Sascha Franck]

Talking about sort of mimicking the analog world: Given that pretty much every guitarist on earth has gotten their mouths watering when seeing all those elaborated Bradshaw, Cornish and whatever rigs, isn't it quite astonishing that to this day there's NOT ONE modeler allowing you to recreate any such a setup? I mean, in some aspects, they're not even remotely getting into the ballpark. Why is that?

 

[laxu]

Talking about sort of mimicking the analog world: Given that pretty much every guitarist on earth has gotten their mouths watering when seeing all those elaborated Bradshaw, Cornish and whatever rigs, isn't it quite astonishing that to this day there's NOT ONE modeler allowing you to recreate any such a setup? I mean, in some aspects, they're not even remotely getting into the ballpark. Why is that?

I'm not particularly familiar with those rigs, but isn't using a Fractal or Line6 rack unit with their remote control board pretty much exactly that thing? Just more practical and portable.

Or do you mean using such a system to control analog gear?

 

[Sascha Franck]

I'm not particularly familiar with those rigs, but isn't using a Fractal or Line6 rack unit with their remote control board pretty much exactly that thing? Just more practical and portable.

No, by means of handling, they don't even get close.
Just one example (and I'm doing it just like that with my loopswitcher based setup): I can preselect what's happening withing one loop (in various ways even) and that loop will then only exist as an "on/off entity" within the rest of the patch organisation. Example: You have a modulation loop with a Moebius inside and select some presets straight on the unit. The unit itself however will only become audible on patch 09 of your controller (because that's where the loop is active). Very simple, very straightforward, completely impossible on any modeler (without using external hardware of course).

 

[laxu]

No, by means of handling, they don't even get close.
Just one example (and I'm doing it just like that with my loopswitcher based setup): I can preselect what's happening withing one loop (in various ways even) and that loop will then only exist as an "on/off entity" within the rest of the patch organisation. Example: You have a modulation loop with a Moebius inside and select some presets straight on the unit. The unit itself however will only become audible on patch 09 of your controller (because that's where the loop is active). Very simple, very straightforward, completely impossible on any modeler (without using external hardware of course).

Wouldn't global blocks on Fractal do this? Preconfigure that fx block, then toggle it with scenes in a preset?

I don't really see a huge need for this sort of thing for my uses.

 

[Sascha Franck]

Wouldn't global blocks on Fractal do this? Preconfigure that fx block, then toggle it with scenes in a preset?

Might be. Global blocks could adress plenty of things anyway. But so far they only exist in 2 modelers (Axe FX and GT-1000).

I don't really see a huge need for this sort of thing for my uses.

I use that all the time for both modulations and delays/reverbs. Need to housekeep *way* less patches that way.

 

[Piing]

I would be delighted if the Axe-FX III, or the next gen of Axe-FX, allowed 6 instances of certain blocks, for hex-processing (processing the six stings separately, like the Roland VG). The Axe-FX III already has 7 mono inputs, so the potential is there.

I already made some experiments. This is some shit that I did with the existing blocks.
Strings 5 & 6 (In 4) -> Virtual Capo Pitch (-12) -> FAS Bass Amp -> Bass Cab
String 1 (In 2) -> 3 voices synth (+7, +12, +24) -> Plex Delay
Regular Pickups (In1) -> 6G4 Amp -> My clone of the Eventide H9 Crystals -> Delay and Reverb

Wish - Allow 6 instances of Vol/Pan, Drive, IR Player, Synth, Pitch and other blocks, for Hex-processing

Six instances of DRIVE, Synth and IR loader to allow processing the strings separately. Not only for poly-distortion, but for modelling different pickups, guitars and other string instruments (what Roland calls V-Guitar) using the IR loader. It may be not possible to get six AMP blocks (there...

forum.fractalaudio.com

The next step would be modeling guitars, pickups, bass, etc. Like the VG but with FAS quality

 

[GTR37]

Talking about sort of mimicking the analog world: Given that pretty much every guitarist on earth has gotten their mouths watering when seeing all those elaborated Bradshaw, Cornish and whatever rigs, isn't it quite astonishing that to this day there's NOT ONE modeler allowing you to recreate any such a setup? I mean, in some aspects, they're not even remotely getting into the ballpark. Why is that?

Because that was 1980

Was the size of a fridge if you are talking Bradshaw

The effects in many processor are better now and that why you do not see elaborate rack systems

Is unreasonable unless your playing stadiums

There are very similar product the Rocktron 8 is a patch bay

The things you are trying to achieve
Only about 2% of guitarists would be interested in so no ROI

Will cost more that three fiddy

If you really want that it’s easy to get Freidman. Does them
So your above statement is verifiably false

 

[Lysander]

Because that was 1980

Was the size of a fridge if you are talking Bradshaw

The effects in many processor are better now and that why you do see elaborate rack systems

+1.

It's weird going through old videos of massive 80s rockstars like Lukather, where they showcase the sounds out of their insanely complicated, uber expensive rack setups... and realizing you could program those sounds in 15 minutes in your $600 floor multi-FX unit.

We're really spoiled these days.