Your favorite modeling for recording "amph"

[oldguy]

Gentlemen, for your consideration...
Take an amph, (my 65 Blackface Super, for instance)...
Add a modeler...
I don't want to destroy the sound of my vintage amph...
Turn the amph models off...add the effects you like..(dual chorus, TS808, Lexicon Reverb, instead of the Fender tank, some slight compression, maybe a hint of delay, either digital or analog modeled type...)...
Set the expression pedal to control the depth of the chorus, or the level of the distortion, or the regeneration of the delay, or whatever suits you...
Try this playing live, and I believe you have the best of both worlds.
Modelers have a great sound for direct recording, and can sound awesome live as well. However, if you are addicted (as I am) to the touch/feel of a tube amph cranked to the sweet spot of even order harmonics, bordering on a "WHUMPH!" of air pounding your chest ever not-so-slightly(make sense so far?) I believe if you take this taste-test live you will be hooked!
This is what I was talking to Tone about when we discussed starting this thread.

[Spudman***]

Modelers have a great sound for direct recording, and can sound awesome live as well. However, if you are addicted (as I am) to the touch/feel of a tube amph cranked to the sweet spot of even order harmonics, bordering on a "WHUMPH!" of air pounding your chest ever not-so-slightly(make sense so far?) I believe if you take this taste-test live you will be hooked!
This is what I was talking to Tone about when we discussed starting this thread.

So does anyone get this happening when playing a modeling amph live?

[Justaguyin_nc]

Gentlemen, for your consideration...
Take an amph, (my 65 Blackface Super, for instance)...
Add a modeler...
I don't want to destroy the sound of my vintage amph...
Turn the amph models off...add the effects you like.

When I started here a few years back, I went thru a few modellers and modelling amps, Vamp, J-station, zoom, cyber-champ, vox da-5 and they are all gone except the da-5 because its a battery amp. They are all neat, don't get me wrong.. they just don't sound as good as pedals to me.

Oldguy said it right imho... find the effects you like but turn off the amph models! I have since found sounds I like thru the pedals as they don't sound like it..it is it.. more expensive.. but its a sound you don't complain about .. you just use it...without dialing an hour to get it.

If you need the direct in to your computer due to not being able to make noise in da house..get a Weber mass.. set speakers off.. go lineout.. you now have a complete silent modelling setup..

With that said..Modelers helped me figure out which effects I like..
I do like a cheap (used about 30 bucks) Zoom 505-II which again Oldguy turned me on to.. I like using it for the Acoustic model and thats about it.. The effects are good on it.. just not pedals.. but at least I still have one..

[guitartist]

I have an original POD 1.0 and the Korg Ampworks. I like the Ampworks a little more than the POD, to my ears its tone is a little better, especially on the "Fender" and "Vox" type sounds (for the Marshall tones, I think the POD nails them better). I do a little 4-track recording with them but mostly just do a lot of late-night playing through headphones with them.

I also use the Ampworks as a pre-amp for my Pignose a lot, a set-up which sounds great played in stereo with my Vox DA-5 amp. Korg is owned by Vox, and for the Vox DA-5 amp, they more-or-less just simplified the Ampworks features some and built them into the amp...with the Ampworks modeling though, you have the options for different "head" sounds and different "cabinet" sounds, and that really makes a difference. Neither the Da-5 or the POD 1.0 gives you the option to switch "heads" and "cabs" and you can really get some nice different sounds that way.

I wish the modelers gave you more control over effects...many effects you cannot combine. With the Korg Ampworks, you can't combine reverb and trem for example, which is frustrating because you can get a pretty good fender tone and I like to play a lot of surf-type stuff. They corrected this on the DA-5, they have a combined reverb/trem setting but unforthunately the Fender tones aren't quite as "there" as they are on the Ampworks.

In general though I agree that pedals sound better than modellers, especially the higher-end pedals through a good amp - But modellers are sure convenient and give you a lot of bang for the buck.