Will an indefinitely relevant/sold modeling platform ever exist?

[Boudoir Guitar]

Will we ever get to a big, full-fat modeler that is like a hot rod deluxe, dsl, etc., that is considered good enough to just keep in the catalog forever with only very very very minor changes made? Kemper is kinda close I guess.

I havent been following the L6 stuff closely enough to see if non-stadium Helix Floor and LT are planning to continue indefinitely or if they are going to be phased out. Seems like a Helix LT at $999 could’ve super viable for a looooooong time.

Or are bibboy digital devices just too much like iPhones, where even if a 13 is perfectly sane for most people, it’s always going to be a constantly fluctuating line of products to keep people interested?

 

[Baba]

I don't think so. That is not the nature of that beast. Even the "best" pieces are just the best at that given time, there is always room for improvement in both the hardware and the software.

You may have the "best" laptop ever made, currently, but there will be a better one tomorrow.

 

[Orvillain]

Never.

 

[ivanmancic]

IMO, Fractal is already there in terms of sound, so if they manage to get the user experience to at least the level of Stadium, Quad Cortex or Ampero II, there would be no need for me to ever get anything better.
It might be more likely though that some other company with good UI will solve the fully parametric capturing and get there faster.
Static models are hard no for me from user experience standpoint.

 

[dbfretz]

Any current gen Fractal product will absolutely last sonically. The latest releases from Line6 still don’t sound as good today.

 

[ian_dissonance]

It’s kinda like old cars vs new cars. Tube amps are old cars that can always be repaired with some hand tools as long as parts are available, modelers have way too much going on to just last forever or be repaired forever. Even if the sound can’t get any better there will always be ways to decrease size and increase usability.

 

[EOengineer]

In term of modeling accuracy, yes, I do think we will. We aren’t fully there yet but there’s a clear arc in the direction of diminishing returns in accuracy. I think we’re within a decade of getting to that point where we’ve pretty much nailed it in the eyes of even the most staunch hold outs.

However, the hardware will always need to evolve. Dynamic range and SN ratios continue to improve and that’s going to push consumers towards the latest and greatest.

 

[Chocol8]

Not likely. Everything we have today will still sound good in 20 years but no one will want this stuff because there will be newer options that are easier to use and the new hardware will be more reliable than 20 year old electronics.

 

[deepskyone]

My assumption is that modeller producers buy the required chips in tiny amounts compared to the big boy customers (automotive etc.) If the latter move to a new platform, the former will have problems sourcing their parts.

 

[metropolis_4]

Will an indefinitely relevant/sold laptop/PC/tablet/smart phone ever exist?

It actually seems to be moving more in the opposite direction with more and more cheap expendable devices coming on the market

 

[Baba]

IMO, Fractal is already there in terms of sound, so if they manage to get the user experience to at least the level of Stadium, Quad Cortex or Ampero II, there would be no need for me to ever get anything better.

So, there's no sound quality difference between the first gen Axe FX, and the III? Meaning, there's no way Fractal can at this point, improve the sound of their devices?

Any current gen Fractal product will absolutely last sonically. The latest releases from Line6 still don’t sound as good today.

lol, wut?

 

[mikah912]

Will we ever get to a big, full-fat modeler that is like a hot rod deluxe, dsl, etc., that is considered good enough to just keep in the catalog forever with only very very very minor changes made? Kemper is kinda close I guess.

I havent been following the L6 stuff closely enough to see if non-stadium Helix Floor and LT are planning to continue indefinitely or if they are going to be phased out. Seems like a Helix LT at $999 could’ve super viable for a looooooong time.

Or are bibboy digital devices just too much like iPhones, where even if a 13 is perfectly sane for most people, it’s always going to be a constantly fluctuating line of products to keep people interested?

Even if one platform crystallized over time that way, it'd be like the Ship of Theseus paradox.

Essentially, because the chips and components would all get EoLed during the life of the product, it would still have to continue to evolve (along with firmware development to accomodate the new hardware) to where it would be the "same" product only nominally.

That being said, there are some people who pick a digital product and pretty much stick with it for the duration. One of my favorite guitarists, Ron Jarzombek, still uses an ancient Johnson J-Station for all of his studio tones and a Digitech GSP1101 for his live rig. Been that way for decades now.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Even if one platform crystallized over time that way, it'd be like the Ship of Theseus paradox.

Essentially, because the chips and components would all get EoLed during the life of the product, it would still have to continue to evolve (along with firmware development to accomodate the new hardware) to where it would be the "same" product only nominally.

That being said, there are some people who pick a digital product and pretty much stick with it for the duration. One of my favorite guitarists, Ron Jarzombek, still uses an ancient Johnson J-Station for all of his studio tones and a Digitech GSP1101 for his live rig. Been that way for decades now.

See Kemper II for “chip going EOL is pretty transparent in terms of what the product looks like.”

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Any current gen Fractal product will absolutely last sonically. The latest releases from Line6 still don’t sound as good today.

Your username instantly makes me see everything you type as though Fred Durst in backward hat mode is speaking the words.

 

[dbfretz]

Your username instantly makes me see everything you type as though Fred Durst in backward hat mode is speaking the words.

That’s cool enjoy.

 

[dbfretz]

So, there's no sound quality difference between the first gen Axe FX, and the III? Meaning, there's no way Fractal can at this point, improve the sound of their devices?

lol, wut?

Fractal still sounds better than Line6. Simple.

 

[paisleywookiee]

These are purpose-built computers, and as such will continue to evolve. As long as manufacturers continue to think of new things to do with the additional performance, there will always be new generations. Except Kemper.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

okay. Do we get to a point where only the real fanboys can tell if someone is rocking the latest gen Helix vs the Helix 13?

I never buy a new phone anymore. I just get whatever version I can find for $150 or less at the time my phone breaks. The only thought I put into it is “while I prefer android phones, I more prefer phone/laptop integration and I ain’t using a PC so iPhone. And whatever the smallest one they have available for under $150; might go up close to $200 if I can shrink the size any by doing so.”

 

[newholland]

does it exist in any form for guitarists living in capitalism? are you some sort of pinko? GIMME MY CONSUMPTION!

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

does it exist in any form for guitarists living in capitalism? are you some sort of pinko? GIMME MY CONSUMPTION!

DRRI?