Will an indefinitely relevant/sold modeling platform ever exist?

[Chocol8]

and model vs model (vs capture/profiles too)…. the reigning champion.

Yeah no.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Anyone that in 2026 is still churning through modelers as a race to see which one sounds "the best" in a way that is any different than they way one may churn through overdrive pedals to land on one that works best for them has a very tedious and expensive hobby on their hands. Beating a dead horse would be more humane.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Anyone that in 2026 is still churning through modelers as a race to see which one sounds "the best" in a way that is any different than they way one may churn through overdrive pedals to land on one that works best for them has a very tedious and expensive hobby on their hands. Beating a dead horse would be more humane.

 

[ian_dissonance]

I’ll make em all sound like shit so I want the one the one that doesn’t require me to add extra shit to my pedalboard and mostly stays out of the way.

 

[GuitarBilly74]

Things keep changing but at some point the technology is fully developed and there is no need to upgrade anymore.
For example, if you need a digital rack delay, and you have a Lexicon PCM80 from the 90s, you're good to go. All that changed after it is, they got smaller, cheaper, easier to program etc... but in terms of tone, it won't be beaten. So modeling should get there at some point. Not quite there yet (IMHO) but it will get there.

 

[Jarick]

Without reading through the thread it’s going to be imo something super basic with minimal computer interface. Think Strymon iridium or UAFX pedals or something like that.

 

[Enchilada Jones]

Only if you ignore captures. NAM, Tonex, and QC captures all beat Fractal modeling "sonically" IMHO.

Let’s assume most people agree. How many of them still agree after deciding they want to make a sonic change by switching to a different cab/speaker combination or some other tweak as we guitarists often do?

The Fractal user can take his model of the amp to all manner of sonic possibilities in real time, like hold that chord/note with one hand as it rings out and with the other hand make the exact change they want knowing it is the same amp with the new speaker, tube type, bright cap value, etc etc. all in a moment. Intuitively. Hell you could do it spontaneously on stage if you want.
Where as the capture user not only has to start searching for and download thousands of other captures that feature the specific change they want audition but also has to hope the additional captures they do find are of the same quality, input gain settings etc etc as the one that got them interested in making that change! Total buzzkill.
That’s where modeling beats the crap out of NAM and any other capture.

 

[AlbertA]

The nice thing is that in the next gen Fractal, you will have both - to a lesser extent (since its not as configurable) in the Stadium too once Proxy arrives.

 

[Chocol8]

Let’s assume most people agree. How many of them still agree after deciding they want to make a sonic change by switching to a different cab/speaker combination or some other tweak as we guitarists often do?

The Fractal user can take his model of the amp to all manner of sonic possibilities in real time, like hold that chord/note with one hand as it rings out and with the other hand make the exact change they want knowing it is the same amp with the new speaker, tube type, bright cap value, etc etc. all in a moment. Intuitively. Hell you could do it spontaneously on stage if you want.
Where as the capture user not only has to start searching for and download thousands of other captures that feature the specific change they want audition but also has to hope the additional captures they do find are of the same quality, input gain settings etc etc as the one that got them interested in making that change! Total buzzkill.
That’s where modeling beats the crap out of NAM and any other capture.

Move the goalposts much? Sonically means sound, not user experience. That said...

Tell me you have never actually used a capture device without telling me. If I want to change a cab or mic position, I can change IR's, or move mic's in a VIR just like on any modeler. If I want to adjust the EQ or effects, I can.

Anyone downloading thousands of captures is just plain nuts, or has no idea how to use the tool they selected. No one is really doing that except the people who try to argue against captures. If I know what I want, I can generally find a capture and setup a preset in about the same time it takes me to find an amp model, dial it in and setup a preset. If you don't know what you are looking for, you can get just as lost trying amp models and deep diving into editing as you can searching aimlessly for captures. Neither is the fault of the technology.

 

[Dez]

Anyone that in 2026 is still churning through modelers as a race to see which one sounds "the best" in a way that is any different than they way one may churn through overdrive pedals to land on one that works best for them has a very tedious and expensive hobby on their hands. Beating a dead horse would be more humane.

Everything I touch ends up sounding like me anyway these days.

 

[ragingplatypi]

Without reading through the thread it’s going to be imo something super basic with minimal computer interface. Think Strymon iridium or UAFX pedals or something like that.

This is on the lines of my first thought which is that the Sansamp and Rockman have been around for decades.

What complicates this thought experiment is trying to consider a flagship modeler with tons of effects and routing options.

 

[ragingplatypi]

On another note, nobody really gives a flying fuck that your Fractal sounds better than everything else. We all know that. And we’re going to buy what we buy anyway. It doesn’t need to be re-litigated.

 

[JiveTurkey]

your Fractal sounds better than everything else

 

[Dez]

On another note, nobody really gives a flying fuck that your Fractal sounds better than everything else. We all know that. And we’re going to buy what we buy anyway. It doesn’t need to be re-litigated.

I have never played a fractal amp model, but their effects were excellent. I also think the QC effects are excellent. Fractal has a lot of parameters I’ll never bother to give a shit about. That’s the difference for me personally and I doubt that Fractal models would smoke the capture experience I have with the QC (and it’s probably on par with the models I jive with like the JP2C). I’ll “find out” when they release the Petaluma Icon whatever