UPDATE: EVH comparison #3! Fender TMP update... not what I was expecting!

Wow, I thought the TMP sounded great...I guess the SIC was a pretty major issue after all. Its pretty unfortunate they didn't have that sorted at launch because so many comparisons where it previously sounded like sh*t will remain on YT to scare off potential buyers for quite some time.
 
I'll let the results speak for themselves but I'm very curious as to what you guys make of this:



Nice work Jon. TMP was closer than it was before but it still had a top end annoying fizz compared to the others. Crank your speakers and listen to the isolated guitar tracks.
 
I tried to approach the comparison with as much of an open mind as I could manage. Of the 5153s, the harshness in the upper mids of the QC sounds to me like something you couldn't dial out. That would still be a deal breaker for me.

Good on Fender for turning a hairy piece of :poop: into a usable product.
You have better ears than me my friend, granted I am not listening with headphones but I don't hear a huge harshness in the mids , although I have read they do have a prominent 6k spike , that most of the users eq out , but I think that all of the modellers to some extent , even the real amps when close mic'd will require some treatment , in the mix it cuts ,
 
Nice work Jon. TMP was closer than it was before but it still had a top end annoying fizz compared to the others. Crank your speakers and listen to the isolated guitar tracks.

I just cranked this during the isolated parts in my car at lunch....not really hearing "annoying fizz". Only a subtle difference that I wouldn't care two whatevers about if I were recording or gigging with this.
 
I just cranked this during the isolated parts in my car at lunch....not really hearing "annoying fizz". Only a subtle difference that I wouldn't care two whatevers about if I were recording or gigging with this.
I agree they are really close . to me the Amp itself has maybe a bit more girth or detail but in a mix it would be gone
In reality all 3 of these sound great , and I think reading some of the YouTube comments there is definitely some bias there because none of the 3 models are so vastly different than to say this sucks and huge kudos to Fender whatever they did its night and day from the last comparison


*** Now I want to hear the Plexi , 800 , Jubilee and Freidman @GuitarJon are you noticing similar improvements across the board is it less drastic and more subtle w the other models
 
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Good video and thanks for doing it.

So when you said before that you thought it was something other than the SIC that was causing a difference, do you now think that is the most probable place that the model was off?

It sounds much closer, now and definitely not much worse than the other modellers . The main difference to me is the real amp sounds way more dynamic in the palm mutes - the low end bounces out. On the models they all sound somewhat flat and thinner, without the bounce and excitement in the low end. Its very noticeable on the riff where everything but the guitars cuts out and the guitars are chugging on the low note.

I'd say for me the TMP has gone from sounding like a 2/10 to a 5/10. I think here, it probably sounds good enough to get the job done.
 
Good video and thanks for doing it.

So when you said before that you thought it was something other than the SIC that was causing a difference, do you now think that is the most probable place that the model was off?

It sounds much closer, now and definitely not much worse than the other modellers . The main difference to me is the real amp sounds way more dynamic in the palm mutes - the low end bounces out. On the models they all sound somewhat flat and thinner, without the bounce and excitement in the low end. Its very noticeable on the riff where everything but the guitars cuts out and the guitars are chugging on the low note.

I'd say for me the TMP has gone from sounding like a 2/10 to a 5/10. I think here, it probably sounds good enough to get the job done.

I.....kinda, barely hear that flattening of the low end? Again, I don't think this would ever register live or in a recording without the direct A/B comparison.

If an album take or live recording of an actual 5153 is replaced by the TMP version, I highly doubt anyone would be wondering why the tone is so bad all of a sudden. But maybe it's just lead ear on my part.....
 
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I.....kinda, barely hear that flattening of the low end? Again, I don't think this would ever register love or in a recording without the direct A/B comparison.

If an album take or live recording of an actual 5153 we're replaced by the TMP version, I highly doubt anyone would be wondering why the tone is so bad all of a sudden. But maybe it's just lead ear on my part.....
Yeah, IDK. I'm listening on studio monitors and I noticed it across the board. I'm sure its going to vary a lot depending on where its being listened to. I'm not sure its overly important in the grand scheme of things, but I do wish this was something emulations were able to handle better (could also just be how it was dialled in here). Generally I'm not fussed about small differences, but that low end bounce is really a huge thing in what makes amps feel great to play - you can perform that bass with how you play and get a wide range of dynamics.
 
I'll let the results speak for themselves but I'm very curious as to what you guys make of this:


FRACTAL FOR THE WIN TO MY EARS....The qc had some wierd mid stuff and the tmp was better buy lacked the umph and karang to me
 
Well done @GuitarJon
Headbang Rocking Out GIF
 
Good video and thanks for doing it.

So when you said before that you thought it was something other than the SIC that was causing a difference, do you now think that is the most probable place that the model was off?

It sounds much closer, now and definitely not much worse than the other modellers . The main difference to me is the real amp sounds way more dynamic in the palm mutes - the low end bounces out. On the models they all sound somewhat flat and thinner, without the bounce and excitement in the low end. Its very noticeable on the riff where everything but the guitars cuts out and the guitars are chugging on the low note.

I'd say for me the TMP has gone from sounding like a 2/10 to a 5/10. I think here, it probably sounds good enough to get the job done.
I suspect the impedance curve of the load box is bathtub shaped as opposed to an authentic impedance curve. This causes more "bounce" with palm mutes as that frequency zone is enhanced.

A more accurate test would've been to use either the Ox-Box or Two-Notes impedance curves in the Axe-Fx III.
 
I suspect the impedance curve of the load box is bathtub shaped as opposed to an authentic impedance curve. This causes more "bounce" with palm mutes as that frequency zone is enhanced.

A more accurate test would've been to use either the Ox-Box or Two-Notes impedance curves in the Axe-Fx III.
From what I gather the Red Seven has a pretty solid impedance curve shape, similar to the Suhr/React IR/Fractal load box. The bathtub impedance curves of the Two Notes stuff and Ox sound like mushy ass to my ear.
 
From what I gather the Red Seven has a pretty solid impedance curve shape, similar to the Suhr/React IR/Fractal load box. The bathtub impedance curves of the Two Notes stuff and Ox sound like mushy ass to my ear.

Yup! The Two Notes can't touch it!

Sorry I forgot to answer your previous question: to me with the older firmwares the EVH models sounded too flubby and undergained, even with the stock cabs. Another thing (as I mentioned in the video) is that I suspect that the calibration of the USB input levels for reamping is off with the TMP. I've been told they'll look into it, so that's great!
 
You have better ears than me my friend, granted I am not listening with headphones but I don't hear a huge harshness in the mids , although I have read they do have a prominent 6k spike , that most of the users eq out , but I think that all of the modellers to some extent , even the real amps when close mic'd will require some treatment , in the mix it cuts ,
Probably not. :cool: This stuff is all very subjective, since what we want to hear depends so much on what our ears report to us. The QC harshness just happens to be what mine picked up in that comparison.
 
Probably not. :cool: This stuff is all very subjective, since what we want to hear depends so much on what our ears report to us. The QC harshness just happens to be what mine picked up in that comparison.

What might be causing the perceived "harshness" is the Bareknuckle Aftermath pickup. It's a bright humbucker with an almost single coil twang to it.
 
For all who are interested in the techy facts regarding the RedSeven reactive load:

The frequency response isn't "bathtub" (or V shaped). It’s a proper speaker frequency plot done 100% in the analog domain, with hi-fi quality inductors, non polarized cap and ceramic resistors.
I'm skeptical of that claim given the size of the unit. Most of these small reactive loads don't have a proper low-frequency resonance and instead use a lower-order network that gives a bathtub shaped impedance curve.

Until someone obtains an impedance curve of the unit we can't know for sure.
 
What might be causing the perceived "harshness" is the Bareknuckle Aftermath pickup. It's a bright humbucker with an almost single coil twang to it.
That is possible , is the Aftermath a ceramic pickup?
I find for me personally the Alnico pickups are just a bit warmer and rounder , although if you used the same guitar on all of them it should be similar results you would figure

I have read about people saying QC has a mid spike about 6 k that people notch out
That being said I was watching a Leon Todd podcast last week and the guest was Angus Clark from TSO and he was talking about hi cuts , now keep in mind he was talking about arenas,But his hi cut is 5100, and the reason for that was his front of house guy said there is a lot of crap and noise and ugliness in the 6k region

just thought it was interesting that it was about the 3rd or 4th time I have hear that specific frequency band mentioned
I think Chris Baseford cuts that area to

So I don’t necessarily think that it’s only inherent to the NDSP
 
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