(UPDATED for new FW!) EVH amp vs Axe Fx, QC and TMP...

[JiveTurkey]

The thing it always comes down to is they may be able to "sound the same". But the experience of playing whatever modeler of your choice through some plastic turd speaker (even if up REALLY loud) vs. cranking the "same" real world half stack up REALLY loud is not going to be in the same universe. Both can be supremely enjoyable experiences (depending on the level of turd in the plastic speaker); but not a 1:1 comparison.

 

[Gearzilla]

Feel is real.

 

[gearJunkie]

Feel is real but subjective.

FIFY

 

[JiveTurkey]

It's one thing when you are making this argument in a room full of purists. But this place is about as gear promiscuous as you are going to get

 

[fazer]

Honestly, i'd be less picky about this issue if people started using "preferences" instead of "feel". Because, yes, using hardware you prefer to use will make you perform better, but that has zilch to do with some unquantifiable magic sonic dust that won't show up in measurements / ABX tests.

I think some ‘feel’ aspects might show up in measurements. @laxu ’s example of compression for example. Take the Plexi and 800 amps on the TMP as an example. I used to own a JCM800 and I don’t think it had so much compression as there is in the model. The Plexi, conversely (though I have never actually owned one), feels to me to have too little natural compression. This is very subjective, I know, but couldn't that be measured, in theory at least, if anyone should care to do that?

In terms of satisfaction with the amp models it’s easy to add more compression via a pedal but not to remove built-in compression. The 800 has an odd tonality to it, also, as if it’s always near to feedback, and that feels wrong to me while playing. I’m guessing that could be measured somehow but I don’t know for sure.

 

[GuitarJon]

I don't feel like talking about feel

 

[Lysander]

I don't feel like talking about feel

 

[Orvillain]

Can you define "feel" for me?

I already did.

 

[Cirrus]

I tried to define feel a few months ago.

It's the difference between the sound you're intending to make and the sound you actually make. Nobody knows what the former was except the guitarist, so it only matters for the guitarist. But sometimes it feels easy to get what you want, and sometimes it feels hard. Not many people want it to feel hard. Except BITCHES AMIRITE LADS

 

[Cirrus]

It's fine to not agree. We can't all agree! Sometimes that happens :)

I don't agree with that.

 

[Orvillain]

Except BITCHES AMIRITE LADS

AND COWBOYS!

 

[GuitarJon]

View attachment 13321

It's hard to quantify or put into words but since I want to be critical of your meme I'm going to bug you about it!

 

[Los-D]

The only thing I feel right now is that they best get started updating that EVH in the TMP

 

[MirrorProfiles]

Hey @GuitarJon what about a follow up with Mercuriall 6160/Neural Gojira/STL Amphub/Kuassa VVV?

 

[Orvillain]

The only thing I feel right now is that my Axe FX is made by a company called Cracktal Audio. Coz they're very more-ish.

 

[FuzzyAce]

Feel is everything to me. It's more than just how the guitar feels, it's how the guitar interacts with the amplified source and how that translates over to your mind, ears, and hands. That affects how you play and approach the electric guitar in that moment. It certainly changes the end result. The tone could be glorious or sound like crap, but it feels right to you. Or maybe it feels like crap too and you're going for a crappy vibe? Whatever gets the juices flowing. It's all good... or bad. It's about the song anyways.

 

[Whizzinby]

With the exception of notable latency, feel is a tonal characteristic that we have difficulty otherwise conveying in concrete terms. IMO

 

[Lysander]

With the exception of notable latency, feel is a tonal characteristic that we have difficulty otherwise conveying in concrete terms. IMO

Food for thought: if the only person who can notice "feel" is the player, can we really talk about tonal differences?

 

[OrganicZed]

When I use the term “feel” with regard to an amp or amp model I am mostly thinking of the way that the amp responds to picking dynamics, guitar volume settings, and overall compression. A model can sound pretty close with full guitar volume and medium to heavy picking but then fail to clean up when picking lightly or rolling down the guitar volume knob.

The POD HD400 that I used to have sounded okay but it did not respond to guitar volume and picking dynamics very well at all.

 

[SwirlyMaple]

Feel = transient (time-dependent) response characteristics.

For an extreme example, a modeler with 30ms latency might sound dead-on when recorded, but the “feel” will feel like crap.

It’s not just latency though. The way the output signal varies in response to picking attack is something you can’t really hear as a listener, but will definitely notice as a player. A guitarist with good ears & hands can make things sound the same, but might be fighting the guitar much harder to do it.

It’s the initial note attack, the sustain, the decay, and how the breakup of the amp responds to firmer/softer picking. Those are all “feel” and they’re real. And they only have to be a tiny bit off to feel weird to the player but be nearly imperceptible in the recording.