Is it just me, or...

[TS808]

Does anyone else think that digital modeling has come a long way? I'm reading more and more on several different music forums that many tube purists are really digging modeling amps and are quite surprised at the tone they are getting from digital. I think for some time, alot of guitarists just wouldn't touch modeling amps because they were missing one thing...tubes.

Just seeing some of the new products coming out, whether 100% digital, analog, or digital with tubes has me planning my next amp purchase :

Between the Spider Valve, the new Valvetronix Black Diamond, and the Peavey Vypyr, there are some pretty good choices out there now. I'm finding that I like the versatility and different tones from my Valvetronix, and am actually playing that amp more than my tube amps lately.

[hubberjub***]

To me, modeling amps do very clean and very distorted well. It's the middle ground that never sounds right. I like my clean tone with a little bit of grit. The modeling amps just can't do it. If I were in a cover band I would grab one in a heartbeat. They are very versatile. For my needs I like what my Boogie and Soldano do. That's just my opinion though.

[Katastrophe]

I like my clean tone with a little bit of grit. The modeling amps just can't do it.

It's that type of sound that I've been wanting to get for a while now, and it's impossible to get with my SS amp, too.

However, I've played on some fantastic modelers and loved the versatility as well. I can't wait to see where the technology leads.

Remember, Robert's Vox Valvetronix and his playing of same are responsible for a large number of the membership to the forum! Great tones there.

[Ch0jin]

Well, I'm officially a hypocrite I suppose because I LOVE my pocket POD. I've had it since December and I'm still regularly blown away by the sounds I coax out of it..........into my Sennheiser cans.

When I can play headphone free though I am 100% analogue into tube amps. I just love the old stuff. I look at my gear and can be 100% confident that nobody is using the exact same setup as me (rare cab, hand built amp and FX and quite a rare guitar too) and I think that gives my sound a very distinct personality. It might sound like garbage, but it's MY garbage

All that said, that suits me as a back room hack. If I was a pro musician I'd likely have quite a different rig, and if i was a pro covers muso then I'd be very seriously considering a modelling amp.

[scgmhawk]

I really like my Vox and the variety of tones that it provides. That being said, I am planning to jump on the 5 watt tube amp bandwagon very soon just to see what all the fuss is about!

[hubberjub***]

Well, I'm officially a hypocrite I suppose because I LOVE my pocket POD.

I don't think that the modelers are bad for all occasions. I always use Amplitube to cut demos on. It's just easier than setting up a microphone. All of the studio stuff on my bands Myspace page was cut using digital modeling. Even the drums are electronic. It just doesn't work live or in a real studio for me. If you want to check it out its at www.myspace.com/thesecondclasscitizens.

[Ch0jin]

...It's just easier than setting up a microphone....

Ha and you don't get the sound of a jet flying overheard in the middle of your recording like my last youtube vid haha

[Jimi75]

I have the impression that it is vice versa. A lot of my friends that bought modeling amps love the diversitiy but they all want to go back to tube amps. It depends on your budget and your musical situation often times, which choice of equipment you make. Also if you see some famous players on stage with modeling amps, it is only few and most of them come back to the "real" thing pretty quick.

I plan on buying a tube amp again.

[TS808]

I own a modeling amp, a solid state, and two tube amps. Besides the versatility, what I like about digital is that you can control the volume better without having to add an attenuator...sounds good at every volume. My Bluesbreaker clone and Vibrolux sound awesome, but tubes always sound best when cranked, and I often stick pedals in front of them anyway to get more distortion.

I'm curious to try some of the new and "yet to be released" amps from Peavey and Vox...I have a feeling I'll be purchasing one in the near future.

[Lev]

Well when you have a renowned gear snob such as Eric Johnson signing the praises of a modelling amp then you need to take the technology seriously. If you watch the video he still has his signature sound but at a fraction of the cost of his live rig.

http://www.fender.com/artists/index.php?id=29

Some of the best tones that I get at the moment are with my G-Dec Junior.

[SuperSwede]

To me, modeling amps do very clean and very distorted well. It's the middle ground that never sounds right. I like my clean tone with a little bit of grit. The modeling amps just can't do it.

The analog sansamp technology does a great job of catching that sought after breakup sound.

Much better than most modelers to my ears, check out:

http://www.tech21nyc.com

[marnold***]

Well when you have a renowned gear snob such as Eric Johnson signing the praises of a modelling amp then you need to take the technology seriously. If you watch the video he still has his signature sound but at a fraction of the cost of his live rig.

Umm, wow. Yeah, I don't think there's any bigger tone Nazi out there than him. I mean, this is a guy who says that one of his pedals sounds better with one screw on the bottom loosened.

While the cool factor of a tube amph is undeniable, I like to play with Fenderish cleans and overdrive and then go to Marshall/Soldano/Mesa ueber distortion territory. There's just no amph that can do all of those things except a modeler. If you are new to guitar and really don't know what you like, a modeler is a no-brainer because you can learn what you like. If you want to get a specialized amph after that, you can.

I suppose if I ever got another amph, I'd probably look into something like a Blackheart, but I'd also need to get some kind of metal distortion pedal.

And now that I see SS's post, a SansAmp would be a good idea too.

[Jimi75]

I mean, this is a guy who says that one of his pedals sounds better with one screw on the bottom loosened.

This is what came to my mind straight away when I read the name Eric Johnson.

[jpfeifer]

For me, the digital modeling technology has crossed the threshold of quality to the point that the flexibility offered by the modeling more than makes up for any noticable differences in tone to the real tube amps.

Modeling amps are still not perfected but they are getting closer all the time.

I love being able access Marshall, Fender, and Vox sound-alikes all from one amp. It's also great to never have to rebias the amp or mess with replacing tubes on a regular basis. This was the biggest reason that I stopped using tube amps, just getting tired of having to keep spare tubes in my bag in order to keep my amp running reliably. I experienced tube failures so many times during the middle of a gig, and had to make emergency tube replacements right in the middle of a set. I finally got frustrated with having to hassel with that and made the switch, and never looked back.

-- Jim

[wingsdad]

The analog sansamp technology does a great job of catching that sought after breakup sound.

Much better than most modelers to my ears, check out:

http://www.tech21nyc.com

+1. Once I latched onto my T21 Trademark 60 1x12, and really figured out working it's interactive gain & tone circuitry, it's done everything and more some great Fender (Deluxe Reverb, Bandmaster, Super Reverb 4x10) & Peavey (Mace 2x12)tube amps I used to have could do. At low volumes or high.

And the SansAmp DI 'picks up' the Celestion Seventy80's 'flavor' like an SM57 aimed at the cone...without waking my wife or granchildren in the dead of night, because I use headphones or face the firing squad.

This is an analog 'modeling' amp, not digital. There are no 'preset' amp types like my Boss MicroCube (great little amp for what it does) or Behringer Bass V-amp. You 'dial-in' a sound by mixing the various interactive parameters. when you find 'it', you make yourself a diagram of the settings, and that's that. The manual comes with a boatload of settings to get some 'signature' sounds, but in the end, it will all depend on which guitar you're using, and your hand, how a particular setting combination delivers.