This looks pretty cool: Simplifier X

[SKU]

DSM Humboldt Electronics Simplifier X Zero Watt Reverb Stereo/Dual Amplifier Pedal

2-channel Stereo Analog Guitar Preamplifier with 6 Amp Voicings, 3 Modes, 3 Reverbs, Cabsim Section, Stereo XLR DI Outputs, Headphone Jack, and Footswitch

www.sweetwater.com

No tubes but still mostly analog. Pretty cool.

 

[Desertdweller]

Naming convention still the most ironic of any manufacturer.

 

[laxu]

The Hot Rod channel also includes a spot-on re-creation of a modern American tube amp classic in the USA Rod voice, providing you with an exacting tonal tribute to the standby tube amp found on backlines and studios all around the world.

So uh...is USA Rod voice a freakin' Fender Hot Rod Deluxe? Who wanted that?

 

[Sascha Franck]

The Hot Rod channel also includes a spot-on re-creation of a modern American tube amp classic in the USA Rod voice, providing you with an exacting tonal tribute to the standby tube amp found on backlines and studios all around the world.

So uh...is USA Rod voice a freakin' Fender Hot Rod Deluxe? Who wanted that?

I wouldn't mind. Those HRDs are incredibly nice pedal platforms.

 

[laxu]

I wouldn't mind. Those HRDs are incredibly nice pedal platforms.

IMO it's a reasonably priced, as loud as you'd ever need amp, with a rubbish overdrive channel, poor volume control and somewhat questionable build quality. Practical, but not "oh man, I wish I had that HRD sound in an ampless rig" stuff. It's kinda interesting that nobody has managed to dethrone it as the de facto Fender-voiced 40 watter. You would think it would be relatively easy.

I guess the idea is that since it's so ubiquitous, people build their pedalboard to work with that amp so replacing it in an ampless rig with the same voicing would allow people to keep their pedal settings as is?

 

[Sascha Franck]

IMO it's a reasonably priced, as loud as you'd ever need amp, with a rubbish overdrive channel, poor volume control and somewhat questionable build quality.

I think the overdrive channels are ok (a little special, though) on the newer renditions, but nobody is using it anyway. The volume pot issues have been fixed, from all I know and I haven't personally heard much of build quality issues. The rental ones I played through for some gigs were all fine.

I guess the idea is that since it's so ubiquitous, people build their pedalboard to work with that amp so replacing it in an ampless rig with the same voicing would allow people to keep their pedal settings as is?

Very likely.
But really, I absolutely like the HRD. I have tried to set up the HX Princess in a way it pretty much resembles a HRD in one of my live patches.

 

[SKU]

The Hot Rod channel also includes a spot-on re-creation of a modern American tube amp classic in the USA Rod voice, providing you with an exacting tonal tribute to the standby tube amp found on backlines and studios all around the world.

So uh...is USA Rod voice a freakin' Fender Hot Rod Deluxe? Who wanted that?

first time I read the description I thought they were going for a hotrodded USA amp i.e. Soldano. Weird choice ...
Though from a practical point of view most people who gigged are at least familiar with that amp as a pedal platform.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

This thing is pretty designed to be a pedal platform. I’d take an HRD as a pedal platform over any black panel amp. Or tweed amp.

 

[SKU]

With a tube preamp it might be really good.

 

[Sascha Franck]

I’d take an HRD as a pedal platform over any black panel amp. Or tweed amp.

Defenitely. Slap a pedal friendly speaker in (which I think they did with version III already, from all I seem to remember the Eminence ones from the first versions could sound harsh quickly) and it's a super-universal pedal platform already. Not too heavy, suffciently loud for pretty much anything, affordable, good looking (IMO at least), what else would you ask for?

 

[Jarick]

Having done the original Simplifier and the Deluxe version, I wouldn't hold my breath. It's a better Sansamp, but IMO doesn't compete with a good digital modeler.

I'd much rather throw $500 into a Friedman IR-X (or especially if they come out with a Twin Sister version).

 

[JiveTurkey]

The initial appeal of this is analog. And knobs. Every clip I have heard of the Simplifier stuff with any sort of gain has sounded godawful. So the preciousness of analog and knobs pretty much instantly flies out the window for me.

 

[Achilles]

And knobs.

Lots of them.

Sausage fingers need not apply.

 

[Jarick]

The initial appeal of this is analog. And knobs. Every clip I have heard of the Simplifier stuff with any sort of gain has sounded godawful. So the preciousness of analog and knobs pretty much instantly flies out the window for me.

The sound and feel of the Simplifier was not good. I'd much rather run something like even a Boss IR-2.

 

[SKU]

And an IR, so it doesn't sound like a fancy FlyRig5.

Makes sense although I like the feel of all analog stuff

 

[JiveTurkey]

Doesn’t sound like the feel is all that great.

Yeah if you are that hyper-sensitive to feel just use an amp.

 

[SKU]

Doesn’t sound like the feel is all that great.

Could be! Never tried any of their products but some people here prefer efrefr to the real deal so I’d take everything with a grain of salt!

 

[SKU]

Perhaps, but at least they’re not elitist snobs about it. Grain of salt indeed.

Exactly. That's why I like this forum!!!

 

[Jarick]

Doesn’t sound like the feel is all that great.

The feel was very much like running a guitar into an overdrive pedal into the board. Not great.

Actually in my early teens I was in a punk band where we ran the guitars direct into the PA with distortion pedals. But the PA system was one of those old 70s Kustom models that had a bunch of 8" speakers without tweeters or horns.

 

[SKU]

Wow, you’re really selling it!

Is this all about selling the gear you like? LOL