Ackhctually, if you (or any one of us commoners) had Eric Johnson’s amp collection you would experience the same kind of option paralysis that modellers are prone to give us, because none of us has the lifelong high-level tone-hound experience of Eric Johnson. If I suddenly owned Eric’s world-class collection of perfectly kept and tweaked amps I would be virtually paralised from the torso up to my eyes
@@Herfinnur This is all mitigated by sitting down, finding what sounds good and then carry on making music. See, the problem with the guitar community at-large is this OBSESSION with tone. Yes, you wanna have good tone, but there is a point of diminishing returns. You sit there trying to acquire the next piece of "game changer" gear that gets advertised to you via GearTubers, and forget completely that you still gotta make MUSIC with it. If your focus is completely using technology merely as a means to an end, you'll be fine. Unfortunately, most people wont be. They are gear collectors above being a music maker. A guy like Eric is a music maker FIRST and a gear collector last. They are just tool to him.
@@yaniv-nos-tubes Yeah, if you’re Eric Johnson. If you’re just a dude, even a great player like our boy Cordy, you’d be like: “Is this how I’m supposed to use this amp? Sounds good, but I’m sure I’m missing out on why Eric chose this one. What settings would Eric Johnson use on this amp? Is this the right guitar for this amp? How lots should it be? Maybe I’m in the wrong room to get the best ton e out of it? Am I having fun? I sold penalty try one of the other ones instas, but which one? Should I try Terri at the same time? Which ones? I wonder which of these cabs this head is supposed to go with?
I can understand that other people may have this issue, but there are times I want to just play and there are times that I want to explore what kinds of tones I can come up with and there are times where I just want to practice. I don't understand the option paralysis thing and I have a lot of options, including plugging straight into a Tweed Deluxe reissue with no pedals and just ripping as loud as the amp will go. Sometimes I'm in the mood for that and sometimes I'm in the mood to to come up with some super processed sound. Sometimes I just want to dial in presets on my Stomp. I think people overthink this stuff like crazy.
Guitarists are famously neurotic: people arguing over tone wood, which Klon clones sound better at high gain vs. boost levels, which chip was in which MXR phaser from which years, the TS-9 from Maxon is different than Ibanez, unless you buy an Ibanez from before X date... It's ridiculous. Most of the time I sit in my office with my QC and play whatever tones I want. I have a few go to presets for practicing, or tones which sound like the songs for songs I like to play through. I have "my" sound in my set up for jamming which is a pedal board and an orange amp. I've also made captures and programmed similar devices for "my" setup on my QC, so I can have that sound too in my office. I have half a mind to sell all the analog pedals, and just buy a back up QC. Hating on having cheap options for players is dumb. I spent a lot of time when I was a kid on having one sound which wasn't very good, and no time/ modulation effects. I got good, but I didn't have as much fun as when (and then practiced a lot more when) I got my first modeler which I could program effects in.
uh, man, I really love your playing, it is a stripped down version of Eric Johnson's style but even so - it's impactful, powerful, haunting, wish Icould play like that...
I totally agree! with your modeller opinions. I've been a Helix user since 2015 and have now moved to Fractal. I'll never go back to amps as I can literally have any tone I desire with these units. It is a great way to dial in ones own tone!
@@ChidOkiI went Helix to Fractal, there is a slight, but very definite improvement in 'feel'...hard to explain, but the Fractal stuff responds just better enough, that it's noticeably closer to a real amp. That said, they are also a complete pain to programme and I still find myself using my HX Stomp more regularly because it's easy to adjust on the fly. I actually think the Quad Cortex would have been a smarter move for me but it was under-developed at the point I got my FM3, and didn't necessarily seem like it would make the leaps it has...(sorry, rambling slightly!). But to answer your question, the Fractal stuff is mind bendingly good
I went from amp to Helix to Quad Cortex to FM9. I'm very pleased with the FM9. I know a lot about amplifiers and like to tinker with them. With FM9, I can do that, making a lot of different amps do what I want them to do with the Ideal parameters. The effects are also stellar. But a big thing for me what the footswitch layouts which finally gave the flexibility I needed to support my gigging workflow. The all sound great. You can't go wrong with any of them. I just like the deep editing capability of the FM9.
So loved the intro-"When the Sun meets the sky" is one of my very favorite EJ tracks, and you captured the feel perfectly! Looking forward to that backing track on Patreon. -Tom
Modelling has let me nail down what I actually want in a pedalboard. I put together a real pedalboard to replicate my digital one. It has also shown me that I am really not fussy about amps, so long as they are real and moving air.
@@scottanderson6807 Most of the pedals are really close. The drive pedals I use are tube screamer, OCD and Octafuzz.. The TS is pretty dynamic like the real thing and the other 2 I only use for full bore moments. I came to realise that Univibe is the only modulation I don’t find annoying and a regular dotted delay into a straight pitch delay is better than big reverb for extreme ambience. I kept trying to make new boards but they always ended up basically the same. So I guess that’s my thing.
We don't NEED all these things, we just WANT them... Personally I would love to have some gear I don't have nor can afford so I am happy, and grateful to have what I have and make as best use of it all as I am able to.
For the first time in years, I played at church without a pedalboard. I used a Boss Super Overdrive, and an amp. It was a revelation to me that for years I had a certain amount of distraction with running the board that I could have used in focusing on parts and my playing. It was incredibly fun and freeing.
Lately, I've been sticking with the same preset and only having a swell, light, and heavy distortion snapshot. I applaud you, with the way some of my worship sets go I couldn't imagine giving that up.
@@jacobjenkins5038 I do admit I was nervous going into it, but I realized no one noticed that I didn't use any other effects, and I got compliments on my tone. I think I'm going to add a Boss Dm2 and a Trem, and that'll be it.
The anxiety with amps pick ups cables, and even the electric cable that goes out of the electric socket is also very real. It’s everything, because Art is badass
EJ can do whatever inspires him. I'll do what inspires me. JNC, your playing and tone are very inspirational. Whatever moves you, let yourself be moved.
Though I have many "dialed in" Presets on my HX Stomp, there are several that I always find the most inspiring and fun to play: clean, ambient, crunchy, overdriven, and extreme. It takes a while to learn how to quickly dial in tones on a Modeler, given there are so many options and parameters. But, once you do, the option paralysis starts to go away, and you can get back to making music, instead of constantly hurting for the best tones.
It seems to me that the only time that option anxiety is a problem is when someone should be practicing rather than spending time fiddling with all of the variety of sounds they can get out of the pedals or modelers at their disposal.
Everything has the anxiety in the UK to cover up the abilities to cope with it. My favourite is maths anxiety if someone is simple minded like a stick and cannot or lazy to learn the basics they are all put in this bracket and job done 😊
And it's the people's fault, not the gears fault. When I want to just practice, I just plug into my Helix, and just load up a single amp block and practice away. Option anxiety and the idea that modelers interfeer with practicing are just excuses made up by modeler haters.
I have what most people would consider a lot of gear but I've been accumulating it since I started playing guitar as a teenager, nearly 30 years ago. Most of it is very modest- bought by my parents, who weren't wealthy but could afford to buy me a beginner guitar and practice amp and an upgrade when I got a little older. Some of it was bought when I was in my 20s and broke from buying too much beer haha but some good pedals and a Fender Princeton. Now that I have a decent paying job I bought myself the white Strat I always wanted, just like the one from the cover of a well-read and tattered book my parents bought me as a kid. It was a gift to myself for enduring a lot of adversity over the last year. The rest of it is budget-friendly gear and stuff I bought used. I've only bought myself a couple of high-end pieces of gear when the affordable options didn't fulfill my needs. I love to research my options, get good deals on Reverb or find the hidden gems among the affordable options - finding a $50 delay or a $30 overdrive that can proudly sit on my pedal board is a beautiful thing. I read a comment yesterday from someone who said seeing other people's gear made them "want to throw a blanket over my board." There's no reason for that self-consciousness. I can afford more expensive gear but I'm proud to show my board, which is 2/3 Caline, Behringer and Joyo. Nobody has ever accused me of having bad tone and I've even been told my board is "ridiculously nice." Look at what you have. You probably have the best gear you've ever had and you should feel fortunate and proud of it.
I think the point about the modelers is that once you have one, you have almost limitless choices, which leads to option paralysis. Whereas in the analog world, your choices are limited by the pedals and amps you physically possess. Modelers give you more ways to change a single parameter (cabinet size, for example) than most people have pedals period.
For the average person not having access to everything is a good way to waste money on pedals and such. Eric is rich though so it doesn’t matter for him.
I get the overwhelmed by options argument, but I mostly agree with you. There can certainly be a tendency when you first get a modeler or a new modeler platform to go too far down that whole, but it’s ultimately a matter of how you are viewing it. I like to describe a modeler as having a big music shop that has most of everything you need and you get to build whatever rig you want. Then you just need to figure out what you ACTUALLY need for it. I found early on I had song patches that had an unnecessary amount of things on that I have over time completely stripped back. If a song only needs a “plug straight into the amp” patch, that’s on me to create the preset that way.
Interesting subject. I’ve been a Headrush user, pretty much since the day it dropped and I love it! Over the years I have gone from building a different rig for every song I play to using just a few rigs and now, I pretty much just use one! I used to play an AC30 when I was using real amps and I’ve found that I’ve pretty much just settled on a rig based around that amp for live gigs. Where the options are great is when I’m recording. Sometimes you just want that Triplr Rec sound with loads of distortion and you can have that without the expense 🤟🤟😎
Here is a summary of the key points from the video in bullet points: - The guitarist Eric Johnson plans to go back to his blues influences and record a more straightforward album without lots of effects and gear. This sparked a discussion about "option anxiety" with gear. - The video discusses how option anxiety can be an issue when choosing digital modeling gear like the Helix, Fractal, and Quad Cortex due to the large number of options. - Growing up, the RU-vidr was happy with budget gear but eventually got drawn into chasing expensive boutique gear. - Modeling gear allows experimenting without expensive gear purchases, like replicating Eric Johnson's tones. However, there can still be option paralysis. - The RU-vidr has found core tones using presets like the Line 6 Litigator and Plexi that provide a starting point each session. - Stripping back presets or using just an amp can help address option anxiety digitally or with real gear. - For the RU-vidr, modeling offers the most opportunity by allowing a focus on playing without worrying about gear setup. Does this help summarize the main points discussed in the video? Let me know if you have any other questions!
As a musician, and playing fest-type shows, I'm not given the time or the will to lug a heavy real amp/cab from a van to the stage. It has become a challenge, however I love to hear and feel a real amp/cab cranking behind me, nothing like it! My back is not forgiving when moving the good stuff around, and so modeling is a savior at some level, and playing via IEM on stage works just fine! Not to mention, can't crank a real amp living in an apartment either... modeling through an interface into my DAW and listening via headphones works out well, and no one can complain. Agreed!
I love my modelers but Eric is right. He's probably my favorite guitarist too and I've seen him 3 times. The reality of it is two of the times I saw him he was using all of his amps and pedals and the sound was really washed out. This was at two different venues. The third time I saw him he was at the Grammy Museum in Downtown Los Angeles. He had two of his Maton guitars and two AER Compact 60's. His tone and playing were just stellar (his playing is always stellar.) I think as you said the best thing to do with modelers is less is best. What you said about getting something that mimics an artist that you like and learning to use it that way is then you can do your own thing. This is a way to relieve the option anxiety. Now when I use my modelers I only have Amp, Cab, Reverb and Delay (sparingly) and sometimes a drive pedal. For me, I'm most happy with this and about 80% of the time I use a Fender Princeton Reverb as my go to Amp block. With modelers you don't have to worry about them distorting.
I've been using 2 amps for the entirety of my 21 years as a guitarist. Always wanted to buy a modeller but either didnt like the amp modelling (Boss GT era) or couldnt afford the expensive modellers that sounded great (Kemper, Helix etc). Really does seem like modelling has now hit a plateau, where it all sounds great but still different to an amp in the room. I'm actually looking at picking up a used Helix and am quite excited to get into the options!
> Really does seem like modeling has hit a plateau A.I. enters the chat. The biggest names in modeling are still, for the most part, doing modeling by-the-numbers and using the science of sound and acoustics, and simulated electronics to get as close of a recreation to actual hardware they can. This includes Neural DSP. And sometimes they get damn close. And even when it's 99% vs. 100% it can still sound fantastic and pleasing to the ears, which I think could be argued is more important than 100% accuracy. McRocklin's suite is unique in that it does eschew that approach and doesn't profess to model any specific gear (although it does a fantastic job at those saturated '80's Rockman tones a lot of players still like). And although A.I. has been around for a while now, it hasn't really been used to model amps in the way many might expect, but that's coming inevitably I think. It will take a bit for input sound to get processed with mostly A.I. techniques (current methods are largely mathematical and A.I. goes beyond "just" math and algorithms) in real-time at low latency still. But I guess my point is that I don't think modeling has plateaued just yet, given that there is still a lot of room for improvement. No matter what happens, I firmly believe traditional physical amps will ALWAYS be a thing. And I also firmly believe that no matter how accurate modeling gets, including in the "feel" dept., that there will always be players that claim they can hear and/or "feel" a difference, even when we're at a point where there's none, and I do think there'll be a time when we reach that point. "Never" is a long time and lots and lots of "Never"s throughout history have become reality. Cheers.
I like amps and I like digital. But when you only play digital you forget what it's like to have that interaction. A lot of young kids are so used to heavy compression and hall reverb that they can't just plug into a Marshall and rip.
I get options paralysis when I have a single pedal with 5+ knobs and switches. Or when there are multiple modes to choose from. I've found that I like simple amps, and 2-4 knob pedals.
Great video, mate, and I completely agree! And with regard to EJ's point, I suppose that's great for him if it inspires him at the time. We're always all in different places in our development and in our lives, and our tastes should always dictate how we need to approach our sound. I've used several different modelers over the years, and my Kemper has been the one that seems to suit me best. I was fortunate in that I bought mine shortly before the pandemic, so I was lucky enough to be able to create my tracks remotely, being that going to work in studios was no longer the done thing. In my experience, whether working remotely or going into a studio session, engineers tend to love getting clean, solid signals at pro-audio levels. Plus, they appreciate our being able to change patches at a button tap or knob twiddle, rather than wasting a lot of expensive studio time. I totally get guys who feel they can only get 'their' sound from a particular (physical) amp, but in my case, even after decades of playing, I never felt I'd found 'my' sound until I started deep-diving into the world of modelers. As you no doubt know, there's nothing like picking up your guitar knowing the sound you're about to make will give you an indescribable thrill and inspire you to play something you'd never played before. (You yourself are such a tasteful player, and I can tell that they way you'll play a particular line or whatever is largely inspired by your sound at that time. It's truly a pleasure to watch and listen to you.) That's magic, innit. Cheers!
I don’t have it. I use STL tone hub and the stock sounds are amazing without all the add ons. Fender clean, Vox Clean, Marshally mid gain and a high gain. What else do you need? If you wanted to go the amp route, Hughes and Kettner does a great imitation of all of these except the Vox. If you put a graphic EQ in the effects loop, you pretty much have every amp or close enough. It’s speaker choice that has the most influence on a guitar sound.
Patience with the modeller is a must. Even though I got good tones from the GX100 really quickly, It has taken me 6 months of experimenting and tweaking (especially changing dual amps) to get sounds that are really starting to push all my buttons, BUT I nearly sold it after a month as I was a bit meh about it. Not any more….
John, I just see this subject as just personal preference I like both and I use both I have a Line 6 helix and I use real amps Vox, Fender etc. both in the studio and live applications if you can play it's gonna sound good either way and on smaller venues it's so much easier to take my helix than bringing my amps out.anyway John your playing is always on point so thanks for all the great video's and content!
Nah it's easy to say that with access to studios stocked full of boutique amps, mics, and studio gear, and the luxury of being able to afford a team of people to move all that gear around for you to use it live. The reality is most people can't afford a million dollar studios worth of nice amps, and the modelers are so beyond viable it's disgusting. Definitely hard to call it option anxiety/paralysis when you rationally compare the two. Besides how much easier it is, dialing in a tone on a quad cortex is no different to setting up and dialing in amps, pedals, and mics. I run my quad cortex through the return on the effects loop of a Dark terror going into an Orange PPC412-C but even if I'm just going directly into the interface I don't feel like I have to make any compromise to any aspect of my tone. Good on legends for having legendary gear and still making use of it, but in this economy get the modeler of your choice and call it a day. If I could only have the QC or my tube amps I'm going QC all day
If you live in an apartment or in a city with close neighbours, everyone can appreciate modelers. You get to play through headphones, don't need to own giant amps/cabs and a load box, and your neighbours don't have to hear you practice the same part over and over and over and over and over. Practicing isn't always performing...
Modelers save me from buying, or wasting time obsessing about other gear…. Whatever tone I’m chasing, there’s a great chance that the tone is in there. Most of the time, I use the same preset, but over time, I’ve dialed in a bunch of good ones. If the preset today isn’t inspiring, just turn the dial…Like shooting fish in a barrel.
I think there is still option anxiety with my digital modeling - it comes as you start building and experimenting - there are so many choices and combinations available, for equipment models, along with the ability to change things like output volume, sag, etc... until you have spent enough time to know what something is going to sound like, the time needed to invest can be a bit overwhelming. I decided to approach it starting with what I know - a bunch of Fender based sounds that get what I have been used to in the non-digital world and then start building gradually with other models. But trying to find specific tones that match something in real life - or from one digital environment to another (ie. a sound I get from a Spark and trying to replicate on the Helix) can be a bit of a frustrating game. In a way, we can have, within the digital modeling world, the same dilemma that Eric has. A banquet of riches - and as you pointed out, sometimes we need to strip back to basics and go after something more basic and remember what we fell in love with, about a guitar into an amp, that transparency to just play. - we also have to recognize how privileged we are to have this problem.
I agree with you and glad to hear your input on this one. I’m not into the big money- been living comfortably under the poverty level but using common sense which has been a saving grace. The Vox 5 watt modeling amp still sounds great after 15 years of ownership and the Line 6 smallest modeler is also really good. Fender 20 watt each stereo side lt40 st or something like that is also very good modeling tones for not too much dough. Thanks for sharing your good info and advice. 🎸👍🙏
I saw Eric last week at the Blues Fest. He played a very different set with a lot of SG. His tone was amazing. It seemed like a stripped back set up, but I cannot say for sure. Maybe a Twin and a single Marshall. Not a ton of gear like last year.
it works for me. I thought it was my lack of being willing to learn a new way to program stuff and endless tweaking. Plugging straight in to a nice valve amp with a few pedals is just so inspiring and very little changes need to be made from practice to gigs. to tap a delay, or to switch amp etc with foot is simple and becomes automatic without breaking your focus on the song and listening to the rest of the band.
My approach is to combine simplicity with a set of consistent effect options in a single (somewhat complex) patch. I have roughly the same patch in Helix, Quad Cortex, FM9, and a pedalboard into a very nice Hot Rod Deluxe and '68 Fender Showman. There's a lot of options for tone, but it starts out very basic, amp, cab, reverb, with some edge of breakup coming from the amp's power amp. There's lots of effect options (wah, phasor, flanger, delay, chorus, Leslie, tremolo, etc.). But that's simplicity because of a consistent signal path that I've used for years.
I saw Eric in Kent OH this past weekend and for one song he played through a Tonemaster Pro rig that was setup separate from his main board. It looked like it was going into a Tonemaster Bassman and also a Marshall half stack. It sounded awesome in the house. I never had a thought that his tone was inferior to the rest of the set on his traditional multi amp setup. If anything his clean tone sounded clearer to me in the audience.
I think what Mr Johnson says comes from a place of privilege of someone who has space, time and money to play loud amp, to haul them and maintain them. "Option anxiety" is more a matter of lack of imagination/inspiration than having to much choices. I get the whole limitation thing... but maybe because I had to deal with tons of limitations all my life; "option anxiety" ,when it comes to gear, really gives me the chuckles.
What's funny to me is how Eric himself was a main driver of a certain kind of guitar gear mania in the 80's and 90's. He was super particular about every guitar, every pedal, every amp, and he talked about it all in interviews, sending the guitar community into a spin of disussion and gear acquisition. Exactly which Fuzz Face he likes or doesn't like, what brand battery actually sounds best to his ears, George L's cables, which year vintage Marshall and Fender amps are best, what tubes to use, original Echoplexes, which version Tube Driver sounds best, which wah wah is best. The list goes on! lol I guess he wore himself out over the years! Haha To be fair, I did notice in more recent years he relaxed A LOT over all of that stuff. But he was kinda nuts for it in the early years!
Over a career of decades, I've used everything from a cord from guitar to amplifier, to small refrigerator sized rack, to modeling. My current rig is an HX effects for stompboxes and midi control, paired with a Tonex pedal for amps live. 90 percent of the time I'm playing with one virtual pedalboard into one amp, OD, delay, wah, and the occasional modulation. And i have a few "stunt" songs in terms of a completely different tone or crazy effect. I constantly get guitarists checking out my pedalboard, asking how I get sounds etc. Technically, other than the stunts I would be doing the same things with a combo, OD, Delay, and maybe a wah and chorus on a small board. And I can and have done my set with just a cord into an amp that I can get a good clean/pushed and a dirty sustained sound from. My point being that for weight, size, tone, and having that extra "wow" factor in reserve, it's the best rig for an older dude with a mostly blues oriented set. Most people say "sounds great" and the ones that listen with their eyes say "how do you get that sound with/without blah blah blah."
For most normal people I think digital modelers are the best option available. Probably not the perfect solution for every touring musician especially those who claim to be purests. But for myself all I have is a FrFr PA and my quad cortex, I can use as many or as few effects as I wish. Often times I make very simple presets, which emulate just going into the front of my favorite amplifiers, while only making small changes like what impulse response I use when I'm trying to emulate a certain cabinets tonal quality. If we compare digital solutions from today versus 20 years ago it's pretty much night and day, think of how many albums are produced simply using digital solutions versus actual amps that are mic'd up!
i sat in last night. the rig was a deluxe reverb, tuner, bb preamp, dd3. it was nice to play without my usual 8 pedals. don't want to do it every night.
I'd never toss out my Helix. It's the most powerful and usefull piece of gear I've ever own. That said - I also have old 80s Peavey Bandit 65 and a bunch of pedals in case I need 1. some reference with new guitar (with Helix everything sounds nice, with Bandit not so much ;)) 2. some good ol' wind in my hair (or amp in the room feel, as they say it in the helix world). To have options but also some limitations is a very nice thing.
Eddie Van Halen said - 'The hell with the rules. If it sounds right, then it is.' Nowadays thanks to technology you can do combinations impossible only a decade ago, unless you were Bonamassa and have a huge collection of expensive gear. Not only in the field of guitar, today the information and possibilities are so enormous that it is natural to feel overwhelmed, but far from being a disadvantage, it is something that must be taken advantage of.
Undoubtedly, playing at home as an amateur, digital amp sims (of good quality) are a great step forward than analog gears. From the following points of view: comfort and practicality (they're light and they do not need a lot of space), quietness (you cannot disturb your neighbourhood, you can play with headphones), consistency (the tone is always the same). I admit that if I was a professional, I had enough space, money, and a dedicated room I would surely play also with analog amplifiers. A professional cannot be limited, must use what he thinks is best for him, and cannot waste time in philosophical discussions about analog vs digital. Without any doubt, it is possible to get awesome tones from both, without the absurd idea that a digital device should play like an analog device, they are two different instruments, with different characteristics but both allows a musician to get a good tone.
I think most players flip between very simple rigs and fairly complex rigs, depending on what they want to sound like at the time, and how long they have to get those sounds. I reverted to 'simple' after hearing some players with simple, but well chosen rigs, to suit that music style. It was a better sound to my ears than I was getting, but it didn't suit everything, so I went for a better basic sound, but kept the options of adding fx as required. I think Dan Steinhardt of TPS pursuit of improved fx signal paths helped with the fx'd sounds, where some of the fx, even when off, were degrading the basic sounds.
Love when JNC talks EJ!!! I call Eric the MASTER of the STRATOCASTER. If ERIC does a Classics style Throwback Album LOOK OUT. just wish John Nathan Cordy WAS on IT!!! Really nice opening JOHN. Favorited this video!!!! Love that last Chord RAKE. Nice Touch through out. I BET JOHN would FAINT if ERIC called him and Asked him to play on his NEW RECORD, the THROWBACK ALBUM!!!
I still love the Helix. I use the same pedals I would on a pedal and amp rig. I use one amp model into 2 cabs panned stereo. Sounds great. Sometimes I will try a different amp but otherwise it stays the same.
I think it's always and only matter of "taste". Like we don't drive in the same cars, use the same phones, play the same guitar - the same with gear. Me personaly, I don't like digital at all just because of the fact of clicking the mouse or going through the menus to get the sound. I just WANT those knobs and tubes gloving and all of that. But as I said this whole topic is absolutelly personal and preference - need focused. Peace to all :)
I started over 35 years ago, so I prefer to use a bunch of pedals into a valve amp. However, for "bedroom playing" i have a DSL1 into a Two Notes Torpedo into my Focusrite. For gigs and band practise I used a Beringher BDI with an amp as the drummer refused to wear in-ears. I'm hoping to use a modeller in my next band (possibly NUX Amp Academy) as it's hard enough humping gear with arthritis without having to carry head and cab as well!
I do prefer an analog rig but a modeler for gigs is unbeatable. It allows me to take public transportation, and setup and breakdown only take 5-10 minutes. I still get paid the same, and no one in the crowd notices unless they’re a musician or guitar player.
Used to be an analog "purist" not snob. Todays digital gear is so much more flexible and affordable (even pocketable) than tubes and digital used to be. I will always like and probably own a tube amp (even my hifi amp is a tube amp). Yet digital came a long (and bouncy 😅) way. It used to be sheer ease of use (presets) but nowadays it offers a serious sound spectrum that in the analog realm is very difficult if not impossible to match (we're not even talking cost). The only gripe with modelling (or mimincking) is on how true it sounds and behaves to the original... If you can let go of this and let digital just be digital it is quite a new experience 😅
Whilst it’s thought provoking, nobody has driven the obsession over gear more than EJ, and after decades of mild indifference to this I think he’s right about zinc carbon 9 volts in fuzz faces and probably other things. In a way we’ve all benefited from his obsession over detail.
I don’t view modelers and effects as muddying the proverbial tone water. I’ve always seen them as enhancing spice where the key to their use is to exhibit a sense of moderation. It’s never given me anxiety of any kind. In fact, I’m more inclined to vary guitars than amps and effects.
I like the convenience of having a Pod Go with presets and a Headrush. This setup is much lighter and saves my back. But I miss the power and tone of a real amp. As my Pod Go foot pedal was having problems at my last gig out in the hot sun I was thinking of selling it and going back to an amp and my old pedalboard.
I think really it boils down to what the individual situation is. EJ has valid points, and playing through an amp is my absolute preference - but it doesn't always pan out that it's the best tool for the job.
I think the problem with options is that a beginner is probably more likely to keep changing the option, instead of learning to dial in a good sound with one set of equipment. It’s kind of boring to learn to barely tweak a knob to see what it does and to fine tune a guitar tone, and way more fun to just pick different combinations of amps and effects I found that as I’ve learned to dial in a tone I find I’m not as interested with messing with the setting on my pedals and just enjoy playing a nice sounding rig Someone with option paralysis probably just needs more discipline in their practice, or needs to admit they’re just playing with their toys and commit to enjoying their toys
I have a Fender Mustang 111 V.2 that of course has the paralysis of analysis feature :) after trying many things I always go back to the Princeton Reverb model with the same settings ....its my platform for all guitars as everything sounds right with it. BTW the Fender models are very good the other stuff ok. I think a good testing platform.
Yes...huge point.....I have an Ampero IIstomp which has limitations....but provides mes with so many Amp & stomp box options I would otherwise have never had the chance to experience.....That being said....have I found my sound yet.?.......ehhh.?......option paralysis?....it's areal thing.....buut it's fun....I wouldn't trade it for anything....& I can always plug my Les Paul into my Mesa Mark I& go.....😁
Last weekend I was in a hyped mood ready to play to thousands of my fans in my bedroom, and instead spent 6 hours fooling around with an eq as my modeler sounds flat af. Although some innovations are fantastic I think they are stunting progress by making option paralysis more prevalent
off course eric johnson has a point, he is preforming live with 2 1963 twins with celestions and 2 1967 super leads ,and a dumble or two rock as well. he knows about tone more than any of us. i don't know why so many youtubers address this debate without saying it like it is: real amps sound and feel a lot better than modelers. it's sad that young guitar players only get to play and hear themselves through tiny plastic monitors. you should all learn from players like eric johnson,steve morse and joe bonamassa that improved their tone through the decades and didn't sell out, they are not here to please the sound guy they are here to please the audience and themselves..you all think that the audience wouldn't notice because your so clever with your fancy computers...i work on live gigs and the audience notices that the guitar tone is empty you hear only the effects and not the source even though it sounded great in your room. modelers are a compromise on tone with too many bad options, stay strong in the rabbit hole sardines! maybe a new update will come and save you from losing your mind.
I’ve had a POD XT live for years I used to play through headphones, and I’ve tried to play through an interface but I lose so much time faffing with options on heads and cabs and mikes etc. I’ve also got a Boss Nextone which sounds great - and has lots of options to dial in a few sounds and then leave alone. It’s not got that thing a good valve amp like my Cornell, but it’s good. But I’m lucky that when I’m home alone I can get an amp going a little bit (c90db)
As much as I would love an FM3 (and will likely get one someday soon), I decided to go for a Victory Kraken V4 amp pedal as I want the American high gain tones without the Mesa Boogie price tags. Petrucci’s been my guy for as long as I can remember and in recent years Rabea has started shaping my inspiration. I got the Kraken for £350 - so can’t complain about the value. But I do love the Fractal world so will pull the trigger on that at some point.
I think modeling gives less anxiety because there is less of a investment/commitment when trying something new as opposed to spending months watching videos about overdrive pedals, shelling out hundreds of dollars, then realizing you made a mistake.
A lot of artists have their signature tone that they’ve been playing through for many years so switching to digital would obviously be a bit of a stretch, especially if they are not of the current, younger generation that is growing up on everything digital. I love having tons of options but really only utilize the few amps and effects that I’ve settled on and I’m sure that’s the same for the majority of users. To me, a great sound is a great sound and I think that one can be achieved by either means, analog or digital. I’ve owned and used almost every popular modeler and currently use the QC through a Powerstage 200 and Mesa 2x12 and love it, in particular for the portability. Does it sound exactly like its analog counterpart? No, but it sounds real good and I get compliments from other musicians who still play through amps. In a live gig, your audience doesn’t really care as much about your tone as we the artists do. They want good songs and a good show. No one has ever come up to me and said, “that doesn’t sound like a real Mesa (or fill in the blank) amp.
It’s at Luddite phase atm. People have been hearing a digital representation of an Amp since the CD and Dire Straights. Spx 90s digital reverb. And more. I have two amps btw. They are great they move air. That’s the only difference these days. Double blind tests is the answer not bias either way.
For sure we can all get into gear overload. However I don’t care if a player has 2 pedals and amp or like the star ship enterprise size pedalboard of Steve Lukather. If they have incredible tone and incredible skills, like EJ it’s a pleasure to hear them.
I kinda think wherever people naturally fall on the spectrum they owe it to themselves to try the opposite. If you always use a modeler with convolution reverbs and specifically programmed delays, imo you owe it to yourself to play at least one whole gig straight into the amp with only your volume knob. If you're a blues player who only goes Strat - TS9 - Super Reverb, I think we could be missing out on a whole new dimension of sound because those players haven't tried it yet.
I just think that band sessions are so much easier with real amps, and that’s where I have my fun. Gigs are for the punters, practice is for me and I just want to play.
It's funny how I can't seem to get an ideal sound from my Eric Johnson guitar at all with my go-to amp. As soon as I just played my main Strat using my normal stuff, I can seem to get a much closer sound to Johnson (not that I really particularly like that sound). How interesting that we can do so much more with what we know well than having all the gears in the world that we don't normally play with. That said, I wont be selling any guitars or amps soon even though I dont play with them. I mean, we all have to have at least 8 Strats and a few of each major guitar types right? Maybe a dozen of amps? Few hundred pedals along with a cabs and attenuators. LOL.
It's kind of a silly discussion really, because it all comes down to what kind of a player you are (or aspire to be). Most jazz or blues players, for example, would need a lot fewer options than, say, someone playing in a covers band, or working as a session musician.
All these famous guitarists always make the same mistake when they compare digital to their tube amps. Their opinion of digital is always based on the digital "Modeller" or Profiler going direct to the PA and how they miss the feeling of a cabinet and speakers on stage. They never mention the digital Modeller going into a Poweramp and cabinet on stage just like their rube amp on stage. Mike up a tube amp in an isolation room and listen and play in the control room through studio monitors. Now compare that to your digital modeller side by side and it's close enough to identical.
I guess as you get mileage you learn your way around your gear.. I do not identify with the preset mindset though.. I love my analog pedal board and I love you can never get the exact same tone once you star to mess with it.. feels like more opportunity to dial in and fine tune the tone for the occasion... everyday is a different day..
Options vs discipline...just because you can use 12 different digial amp models during the course of a gig doesn't mean you should. I have begun using just a single amp model or maybe at most two. FX are another story though. Hendrix tunes need a Univibe. Buffalo Springfield tunes need a tremolo. Many 80's pop/rock songs need a chorus of some sort. So, I do need several fx. But since I believe in the old saying that less-is-more, I do ensure that I limit the use of these fx to only where they are really needed. Of course a single real amp wou;d be wonderful, but I can't deal with the weight or the level issues that real amps suffer from (too loud or not loud enough to hit the sweet spots tonally). I will stick to digital for the foreseeable future. Then again, I am no Eric Johnson. :)
Not crazy about Eric Johnson's live tone ..It usually doesn't cut through the mix.. I love Allen Hinds, Joe Bonamassa and Allan Holdsworth's tone which for some reason I don't hear a lot of players talk about .. Eric is a phenomenal player and his tone is great in the studio but I hear countless live posts where I can barely hear him... I've seen Eric live a couple times as well !
This is why I like the vid me90. It's really tempting to have something with infinite possibility, but it's unnecessary for me. The me90 is far more relaxing
