After having really awesome tube amps, I am a father to two young kids. I made the leap to digital and never looked back. It sounds good and I can play with headphones. Tube amps may come into my life later, but for now, digital works for ME.
I made the leap to OX Box and UA Apollo Twin. Still got my old amps and cabs, still got the real feel and dynamics while being able to play and record totally quiet with headphones or somewhat quiet with a cabinet thanks to OX Box. Digital is only great if you have to move your gear frequently for session recordings or gig a lot. I've also got a 3rd Power Kitchen Sink head and 2x12 cab. Thanks to hybrid master my OX Box is almost unnecessary as a load box!
@@edva3533 That's exactly what I did. Universal Audios OX is great for this task. Someone told me the Fryette Power Station is the better Power Attenuator and that may be the case - but that obviously not the same what the Ox is made for. So no need to compare them. But back to the topic: we all are lucky enough to have so many options. Everyone can choose and pick whatever will work for ones needs.
I played digital for years, and as many say, the listener, may not hear a difference, but after i switched to a setup with 2 boutique tube amps in mono, its such a joy to play, that i feel so much more happy to play. So now both the audience and myself is very happy. Cant imagine going back, but never say never.
This was a fun video! Honestly I absolutely love both amps and modelers. The amps of course have an unrivaled feel and authenticity. But with the modelers I can explore so so many tones I can’t afford to experience with the real thing. I just appreciate what each has to offer.
Amp guy here. I tried the modeler thing (Kemper, Bias, etc.) and quickly went back. Here is why: I find that amps sound more and more alike when going into distortion (square wave signal), and that is even more true with high-gain amps. The money is in the clean and crunch zone, and that is exactly where modelers fall apart: they cannot recreate the flexing tones and dynamics well. Try rolling your guitar volume down and they just don’t know what to do. Secondly, what is truly the biggest tone shaper is the transducer (the speaker). Finally, the old amp families remain relatively unchanged: Fender, HiWatt, Marshall, Vox. There aren’t many more flavors, just in-betweeners.
Have to admit I love my Fender Tonemaster because it does the same thing, it’s super light and I can use the inside of the amp for gear storage. And I wouldn’t want to go back to an amp with no power attenuator because it makes it a dream to use at the house.
Beautiful setup! Must be amazing to have all those tones right at your side. The best part is you know how to dial them to get iconic sounds, recognizable the second you hit the strings.
I beg to differ Thomas Blugs amp1 mercury edition is unbelievable it really is but there's something magical going on with his technology...but it's all analog, solid state and tubed to achieve the sound!
Now, that was 20 very well spent minutes - that looks like soooo much fun. Good for you Corey and thanks for sharing from behind the scenes - always wondered exactly how that worked! What a room.
Another option is a hybrid approach of using a digital front-end with an analog/amp backend-i.e., the power amp. Digital modeling covers all preamps and effects. I run into my audio interface, using a high-quality DI, and run one of the outputs into the effects return of my Bad Cat. Almost everything sounds great; Tonex, Overloud TH-U (the rig libraries with amp captures), Neural DSP, etc. With this approach, I have complete control over any digital effects inside my computer. The trick is to completely disable the cabinet or IRs in your computer or modeler. It’s every option I could ever dream of, and it sounds fantastic. Try it!
@@willgo7898 Any amp, amp head, or power amp with a decent effects loop should work well. It's critical to go into an effects return so you're bypassing the preamp-going into the front of an amp is not going to sound great. I prefer lower-wattage amps because I'm mainly in a small room. A cab with a single 12-inch Celestion V30 is a good all-arounder. Depending on your budget, there are too many options to list.
Your amp rig is not excessive, because you’re a Pro! Your playing is outstanding and you produce great videos. Almost every player that I know has GAS to some degree or other.
To me Corey a Modeler is basically a pedal board with everything you need in one unit. Nothing will replace a hot tube sound. Just my opinion. I'm 74 and still playing Blues and recording. My two amps are Fender all tube USA vintage. Deluxe and Blues Juniors sing Peace Los Angeles
Great video, this was me in 20's and 30's. As I got old, I collected a lot of tune amps. I'm a Blues player in the Chicago area and I play a lot at most of the top blues clubs around. At 71 years old, I can't carry these great amps, sometimes more than a block away, to the clubs. I'm not a fan of modeling amps, but I ran across a fender mustang amp and was quite surprised at the tone. It weighs 26lb and sounds great. Even Buddy Guy told me "that amp sounds bad ass". It still isn't a tube amp, but it's my go to amp now. I use my tube amps mostly for recording now. Just something to think about, will you still feel the same way when you're in your 70's. Not to worry, I still love your videos and I'm always learning from you. Thanks for what you do
I'm with you, amps are just cooler. Even if modelers do get to the point where they feel and sound completely identical to the best tube amps, they just are not at all inspiring to me to use. The act of turning knobs to dial in sounds and not dive through menus just makes tube amps the better choice for me. I've got the UA amp pedals for venues that require silent stages, but I play tube amps everywhere I can. I want to check out the ox box as that could eliminate my need for the UA amp pedals too. Also, the best tweed sounds in my opinion are when you jump the channels. So good!
I've been fairly impressed with the Spark, still haven't got to put it through some good speakers to get it moving air, but getting good tone is very instinctive and sounds good small scale in the house. My go to loud amp is a 100w Marshall Solid state, haven't had a tube amp since the Fender I had in the 90s, I just found that tubes don't take back of a van abuse very well.
I'm not a tone snob of any kind, and I mostly play guitar for fun at home in my office room. That said I cannot get rid of a tube amp, eventhough modelers sound great and are very convenient.
I love my tube amps and I will never get rid of them, but I really love all the tech available as well. Although I don't use or own a hardware modeler I am open to the idea and I've been using ampsims for a long time when working in the studio. I also use real amps with load box and IR Loader...thinking of getting the Ox stomp . Lots of great stuff available to us today. Great playing and nice toys you have!
I made the leap to modeling and also live use a Boss Katana with pedals instead. I owned 8 tube heads at one time but honestly I enjoy my tones better now.
I just borrowed a katana mk2 100, and it sounds ok, but its sounds very boxy or cardboard like to my ears. How do you get it to sound great? Not even close to my tube amps
@@mikkelclausen831 a 2x12 cab. Run it totally clean and I use a Ramble FX Marvel pedal. Sounds amazing. I’ve also used a Keeley El Rey Dorado as well. Pedals though a clean solid state sound great to my ears.
Absolutely brilliant! Top to bottom. Gonna steal that idea for a cabinet/housing! Now to find someone to help me build it...Best thing about it though, is what you create with it and the tone and touch in your hands! Definitely a dream set up!
That’s an amazing collection, Corey, and you know how to use each one to unlock its uniqueness. Well done! Couldn’t happen to a better man. Regarding modelers, they are great for silent stages and for saving my back. I’m done tearing down and lugging amps around, though I love playing them at home. Cheers, my friend!
I get so many compliments on my sound live and recorded. I have a silverline blackstar, not a lot of money. I'm satisfied with it. Plus, it sounds great at lower volumes, which I require.
Tube amps, or at least tube preamps, are all I intend to use for life. I will run my Synergy SYN-30 until 5881s become unavailable, at which point I will depend on my Synergy SYN-1 and use IRs (there might be a Two Notes Opus in my future) because I do not expect to outlive 12AX7 production. My "amp wall" is four Synergy modules: Synergy 800, Fryette Deliverance (you really should try a Deliverance, head or module), Synergy T/DLX (Silver Twin and pushed Black Deluxe), and Synergy OS (Dumble HRM Overdrive Special minus the phase-inverter magic). I also want to spread some love for the Blackheart Killer Ant, a Marshall circuit with just a volume knob: an internal tone stack dimed, an internal master volume fixed at 7, and 0.1W of power from half of a 12AX7 (which can be doubled via a 12DW7 such that the power is from half of a 12AU7).
Oh man, the amp switcher is a game changer for sure! Will keep it on my radar! And the fact that you can use it with the OX, is amazing. I am kinda tired to be switching cables at home depending on what I want to use... and the risks associated with that.
I got fed up with the silly prices for tubes here in the uk so looked at alternatives. Tried a few different set ups. Not keen on digital with endless menus (not saying anything wrong with sound just menus). Finally settled on a Humboldt Mk2 Simplifier. All analogue no lag issues and I can still use my pedals that I love. I play home only so it’s plugged into my audio interface. I can also set it to have a wet and dry track when recording which is very useful when recording or use it in stereo. I haven’t used an amp in a long time..
Very good and thought provoking video. The ox box amazes me with how realistic it sounds. Would love to see a video comparing the sound of the ox stomp with the ox box. From what I’ve seen the ox stomp sounds great and seems like it will be my way to get that ox box sound I couldn’t quite justify spending, for an affordable price tag ($399).
@@coreycongilio oh wow, somehow I missed that! I’ll go watch it now. And yeah, that’s exactly what I was hoping to hear, since I plan on using it all ITB for recording and don’t need the load box side, so very excited to add this to my collection. Thanks again as always Corey 🙏🙏
Congrats Corey - this is an awesome video and you are inspiration. I think tubes and modelers can both have their place. You deserve to have these classics and that custom cabinet. Thank you.
Dream rig for sure! I love amps. Modelers are convenient but a real amp in a room just hits me harder and makes me feel the sound. Thanks for this video. I need to hire a friend to build me an amp rack!
So cool! I’m an amp guy basically, but have a Line 6 HX Stomp which I use to practice at home with headphones. But for the local Blues jam, it’s either my Tweed Deluxe clone or a 1963 Princeton amp. Reverb pedal is the only addition to that killer rig!
Corey great video! I totally agree with you regarding tube amps, they won't go away. With a quality tube amp you can hear it breath as it pushes the tone, the best way I can describe it. In my 50 yrs of playing they are all different. Nothing wrong with modelers either, allowing players to experiment with a host of near classic tones. I'm no snob regarding gear, I've owned modelers and a number of great tube amps. As I get older I am cutting back on my amps. Segway...lol.... anyone interested in a great Mesa Boogie Mark V 90-Watt 3-Channel Tube Guitar Amplifier Head/Cab/Cases 2013 - Cream - ex shape (head/cab/cases) never gigged -at a fair price.
What a great time to be a guitar player. We have access to the best vintage amps, modern amps, and amazing new digital technology. They are all valuable and usable tools that all have their place in music production. The fact that I can create a perfect TONEX capture of an elaborate micing array on one of my vintage amps and not have to lug heavy equipment from studio to studio is great for my health.
Always been an amp guy since when I started playing in the early ‘80’s. After a couple cheap combos, my First real amp was a Peavey VTM 60 . Then the Boss GT series multi amps/effects boards came around and I started using them straight into the front of the amp (should’ve used the effects return but didn’t understand things back then). So slowly progressed into modeling, then using overdrive and distortion pedals into the clean channel. At this point about 15 or so years I got an opportunity to meet John Petrucci back stage and asked him what pedals he would recommend. He told me he didn’t like any pedals for the crunch and lead hi gain sounds: amp only. At this point I thought I might need to look into the tube amp gain after more than a dozen years of not messing around with it as the pedals were becoming un-inspiring. Boy am I glad I did. I now have a small collection of Mesa Boogies and a couple other Peaveys and use use the natural tube gain stages only. I use an Axe Fx in 4CM for effects even though the modeling, though better than it used to be is still frustrating. And honestly, I get a great kick at looking at the half stacks of M/B as I’m playing. I swear that alone generates a ton of motivation and inspiration rather than a little box plugged into a computer…imho…
Thanks Corey, great video! I made the jump to a Helix a few years back and I love it. After being a dyed-in-the-wool tube guy for years, I just got tired of lugging them around. Being honest, the only flak I ever got about tone (and it was mild) was from a few other guitar players and in those cases I think it was more them just being purists (which is totally fine! I'm very much a live and let live kind of guy). I play in mostly multi-genre cover situations, and there just isn't anything easier than having a ton of different tones in one package. 99.9% of the audiences wouldn't be able to tell the difference in tone between my presets and a tube amp (nor do I think they would care), so for me it just made sense. I still love the tone of a great tube amp, but you can get pretty darn close with a good modeler if you know how to use it, which is really the key.
I went from stacks of amps down to 1 Mesa mk3 I’ve had for 30yrs, Axe Fx 3 and Helix with a Friedman asc12…. Then enter the synergy stuff 🤦♂️😂. Sold my digital stuff and went back to pedals and w/d/w. Still use a syn2 with OD and SLO through the ASC12 FRFR. Waiting on my Fillmore 100. Digital has its pros and cons. I like to dial a pedal or amp instantly or be able to stack pedals instantly and no menu dive. I’ve had all the Fractual stuff from the first Axe fx to recent stuff, great effects and awesome for recording but I’m an analog guy. 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻
I'm a hybrid kind'o guy... I have a Kemper rack for practice and demo recordings at home. I brought it to rehearsal once and never again. Just as cumbersome as bringing one of my convenient tube, high-end combo amps (Suhr Hombre and Cornell Romany 12) that just sound better than the Kemper can replicate through a PA regardless. And since I only use one profile I've decided to give the Friedman IR-X a go... if that work to my satisfaction both at home and rehearsal it will replace the Kemper. So I use digital solutions if the convenience is just too much to ignore, but when it counts and when I'm home alone I use my tube amps... particularly I love letting my Friedman Twin Sister move some air...
I've had a UAFX Dream '65, but I switched back to an amp (Quilter SBUS). Although the Dream was very convenient and the sound was amazing, I still missed just plugging my guitar into an amp and playing some licks. The Dream always needs some kind of PA of FOH-system. The SBUS has a very good DI-out, so in that way it's a good replacement for the Dream.
I'm enough of an amp collector that I could rent out amp backlines to several bands at the same time but I don't want to risk getting them torn up or stolen in the process. I have modellers and real tube amps as well, and plan to get more of both. I considered my first Fractal modeller to be a gateway drug. Rather than get it and then start selling off amps, I've bought more real tube amps since getting the Fractal than I had before! It acted like a candy sampler! It showed me what real amps I want!
Addicted amp guy here for sure. Vintage Fenders: Princeton Rev BF and SF, Deluxe Rev, Vibrolux Rev, Super Rev, Fender Concert, VibroChamp Reverb (Modern), Tweed Deluxe (Mojotone), Mesa: Studio .22+, Lonestar Special. Glorious tones, irreplaceable. But I'm certainly not averse to modern tech: Boss WAZA TUBE AMP EXPANDER, IK Multimedia Amplitube. We live in a time of amazing options.
3 years ago, I had never tried anything other than tube amps and bought and loved the spark amp. Last December I tried NeuralDSP plug ins and it was all over. I love using these with York IRs and recording great sounding quick ideas. I have sold several tube heads and 4 12 cabs. I will never not have at least 2 cabs and 2 tube heads but they will be lighter lower power heads. My room is too small and these heads are far too heavy and far too loud !! This year I even bought the ToneX.
Bro, I used to think an amp was just a speaker with a volume knob, now I own 7 of them and would love 3 more but man that was the biggest goof of my guitar journey, not understanding and appreciating amps, and yeah I'm with you, tube amps all day, but sometimes solid state for the clean tones.
Without a cabinet in the room I don’t notice a massive tone difference between amps and digital, but an amp will be around 50 years from now and still be amazing. The lifespan alone makes buying amps much more fun and sustainable….plus there’s a mental edge to having the real thing IME.
Good on you. Clearly you are a talented artist and deserve all that you've worked for. We're not all in that position and to say something is "better" in music, which is completely subjective, is a stretch. For the average weekend warrior who can get a firmware update and get 7 amps for free with an update, I'll stick to digital.
I'm definitely in the "real amp is best" camp, no modeler has ever put quite the same smile on my face as a decent tube amp cranked up to reasonable volume. That said, of course the modeler can be a great tool and makes late night practice/recording possible/practicable. Your setup is an absolute playground Corey, glad to see you enjoying the (well deserved) fruits of your labors! As a quick aside, I also like that the brighter lighting in this video 🙂 Rock on!
@@kodykindhart5644 I actually have many times heard a difference even through youtube videos (with the inherent compression, quality reduction, etc). The more instruments put into the mix, the less obvious a difference for sure. It's not even arguable that many professionals use modelers only and put out albums that are held in high regard by fans and music critics alike. It really comes down to what the player enjoys using and shouldn't be a cause for argument about which is better.
I don't even have to watch the video to agree with you. And I've only got two amps which are rarely used. Primarily I use a couple of different modelers. For me as a hobbyist, they help me learn about different sounds, different combinations of effects, which of my guitars sound better with which amps, etc. What we REALLY should worry about is if guitars themselves become visual....
For a pro guitar player I completely get the whole racks of heads etc. But as an average Joe with limited space and budget The ability to download a plugin or simply have everything in an AxeFX is just amazing, it has never been better for Guitar players. Hell even Edge from U2 just moved over to the UAD Pedals and ditched all his amps. As studio's moved from analogue and tape to digital. Signal chains will do the same. You will still get the old die hard dudes waving there fists, that the insulation on the transformer wires in an amp is what makes up there tone etc. But I guarantee a blind hearing test with two signal chains one digital and one analogue properly mixed would be extremely difficult to differentiate. That being said there is a magic about playing live in front of a loud boomy amp. Those days are long gone for me... :) Great Video, Lovely tones...
I've seen people complaining on the Line 6 forum that they hear artifacts that they can't dial out, but then go back to their tube amp and notice the same thing for the very first time. There is a 3D quality to real amps that modelers just can't replicate. I've always said for years that modelers sound like the sound is pressed up against a plate of glass. It's like they do the 2D (x + y axis) really well, but there's a depth, or z axis component in real amps (not a lows, mids, and highs thing) with all of the layered artifacts that modelers can't replicate and as a result, just end up compressing those artifacts into the 2D spectrum. It actually has nothing to do with tubes vs solid state. It's the interaction between how the output transformer throws the notes and the interplay with the mechanical action of the speaker cone. That's where all the feel and openness comes from, not from EQ. Modelers will never replicate that, but can get kind of close. The concept in high-end audio is called soundstage. IRs try to replicate the feel with EQ, delays and ambience, but it's never going to feel the same. The sound will always have a fizzle or crackle to it with the modeled artifacts sounding pushed to the forefront.
Something that you didn't touch on - after the OX Box, are you pushing sound out to studio monitors or do you have an FRFR? Can't play without hearing yourself.....
Corey, I have a similar set up except I have all combo amps. I mic them for recording. I don't really like earpieces or headphones. On the shelf right now is a Super Champ, a Marshall, a Vox, a Pro-Reverb, a Princeton and a Rumble for bass. I can run one or 2 at a time with an ABY switch I use like a 1960's switchboard. I have more amps in the closet that come out when needed. I have way too many pedals but 5 or 6 are always on my board. That being said, I have a Helix Stomp in the chain and connected to my computer for most of all the effects that were ever made. I do use it for modeling amps/cabs I don't own. This works for me, and I don't have get out of my chair. Coupled with the 30 or so guitars and basses I have there aren't too many tones I can't cover. Keep it coming brother! Love the content.
I agree. I am very old school when it comes to tubes versus digital, tubes rule!! :) That said, I have a Strymon Iridium and a UA Ruby pedal that are amazing. I can hear the differences, but they are very subtle. None of the folks I give CD's to have ever noticed the difference. I am going to get the UA Lion pedal to round out the trifecta of the icon amps, but I am keeping my Deluxe Reverbs. :)
Well I'll say this I have two older Vox Valvtronix hybrid amps 2007 and 2009 both have Electro harmonix 12x7A gold pin tubes in them and they are both some of the most versatile Amps I have ever come across in my 51 years of playing..I would never part with them
I bet they have that Blue grill clothe? heard a local guy back then, he had one of the best live sounds going doing Covers, sounded just like Recordings.
I was thinking about getting the Kemper Player Profile. Upgrading from a 10W practice amp, bypassing tube amps... because I'm a strictly bedroom player.
I’m definitely a tube amp guy but I bought a Friedman IR-X when I have to go direct to FOH. It’s a great solution and you can get a great sound within 30 seconds.
Turn the mic channel up on the Tweed and it’ll clean up. Gives a lot more usable gain range. I’d also swap v1 to a 12ay7 from the 12ax7 that comes stock in the Edge 5e3’s.
I love all of your videos. You play flawlessly with great technique, clean sound and amazing phrases. I would like your indication in some lessons focus on phrasings and scales. If there is, please let me know. Thanks Corey, you Rock!!!
Went full headrush and frfr stereo cab set up gigged it heavily spent weeks dialling it all in really wanted it to work but alas it failed to deliver anything that i liked . Now use blackstar stjames 6l6 head and cab minimal pedals 1 boost 1 eq for solo boost and everywhere i play people comment on how awesome my tone is now
Corey, I've done a few sessions here and there and various kinds of gigs. Nothing major, just part time work. Anyhow, I got some advice from recording engineers and band leaders to invest in 1x12 cabs. They said the sound is more focused and sits better in the mix. Being on stage or cutting parts, I trust their judgment. I bought a closed back mesa and an open back from mojotone. Sorry for being longwinded here, but can you please sound off on this? PS, I love the Silver Jubilee for cleans and crunch. While I am an amp guy, I do use the Fender Tone Master Pro, too. Love the channel.
very cool setup for utilizing/comparing all your amps! i get confused at the end of the chain. i understand ox boxes model speakers, but then that modeled sound comes through two studio monitors? obviously wouldn't mic monitors so ox boxes simultaneously provide a line out to computer (or a digital audio interface i'd guess)?
Amps are better - sometimes! I say that cause any gig where I can only use my tweed deluxe on 1 sucks (theatre gigs, with string quartets, small orchestras etc). In that instance the fractal FM9 I use is way better, as I can get the sound of an amp in the sweet spot. Same thing with in ear gigs - might as well use a modeller in those situations. Any gig where I travel the modeller is better cause back line often sucks. But the amps do sound better if all things are ideal Eg 1) can turn it up to the sweet spot 2) the power coming into the amp is clean 3) the amp is functioning properly (no microphonic tubes etc). So for recording anything serious then an amp is the way to go but - I still use the FM9 for sessions when I need to work quick (which is often).
Rewatching this vid a few months later. Man i wish i could😅 build an amp wall like that with my ox box and a switcher. And your tone is frickin great as is your playing brother. 👌and great tshirt btw
I have very little experience with modellers. I once tried the Princeton Tonemaster with high hopes. Maybe the tone was close, but the feel and responsiveness was lacking. In my view it comes down to how it feels, and I just don’t think modellers can cut the mustard in this department.
Amps will never be replaced however when you're a local band playing small places where people complain about bands being too loud....high end roland electronic drums & a helix sure helps keep volume manageable & a good balanced sound....I recently got my helix and it's nowhere near my mesa boogie fillmore 50....but it's practical for gigging
I used a Kemper on the road and some records I recorded on, and they really are great. The thing is that even though their sound is mostly there, they don’t FEEL the same as an amp, and there is just something about sound hitting the diaphragm of a microphone that has some extra magic. I will say the Kemper was great for consistency, we didn’t even need to sound check most of the time, but an amp just does something to my ability to play that a modeler can’t quite hit.
Totally agree with you about the FEEL thing. Pickups react differently to a real amp and your playing dynamics are totally different. I also agree that for most performing guitarist, a modeler just makes more sense for so many of todays gigs.
if the player plays better with real tube amp feel, he will be more inspired and play better for the audience, so the audience wins too even if they cant feel the strings, it's all about if the player plays better, that is what is conveyed to an audience @@UmVtCg
Corey, love your stuff, been following you for over 15 years. My question on this video is how are you hearing your guitar sound in your studio there? You said you have cabinets in a bunker, but what does your audio come out of there in your studio?
Wow thx Mark! I actually said I don’t have cabinets but, I wish I did! I have all of the amps going through the ox boxes. That goes into my recording interface and from there I listen via studio monitors. It’s VERY similar to having amps miced up. I’m using my in ears in the video to block bleed into the camera/vocal mic. Hope that helps!
And “real” amps will never replace modeling amps!😎 I play several different guitars and a variety of music genres. I have a Fender GTX100 modeling amp. I can create profiles for acoustic and electric guitars and for blues, jazz, folk, etc. Light and easily portable, I can pack up and go easily. Nothing wrong with tube or SS amps, I just prefer modeling amps! Cheers!
I love my set up. A Mexican strat, a Mexican tele, and a peavey bandit usa red stripe with no pedals. I pickup a guitar and plug it into an amp then boom… instant music.
I am of the era 8 x 12 and 200 watt amp on stage, it moved glasses on tables! 5 years ago had wet dry wet rig in my house, recorded micd up with 6 mics. Switched to Axe FX 3, boom better recording and plug and go reliable workflow. More inspiring. I have a Katana 100 wet and Laney with greenback but rarely can use still too loud. Corey talking mega money compared with Fractal. Today big amps arent allowed live and are difficult recording wise so for me modellers arecthe way to go
@@coreycongilio Please see that I was emphasising BIG AMP configurations 4 x12 or 8 by 12. In UK and Thailand in my experience you are expected to use a monitor no more than 2 x 12 with front of house DI and preferably by some venues IEMs. Most manufacturers are making their money from 1 x 12 configurations. This even in pubs. So realistically every thing is going to front of house with little on stage. Edge for example uses 3 UA pedals at Sphere IEMs no monitors and no amps. I love your amps and like big amp configurations, except for celebs nearly everything has gone. Even Steve Vai is using Fractal on stage. You are a dieing breed.
@@coreycongilio I apologise, I have just seen you with Pete Thorn at Gear Fest doing the UA amp sims. I was kinda reacting to your question. I do think however, that as UA are doing and Fractal they are being meticulous in reproducing amps which will be hard to reproduce and the manufacturers will stop producing them except modelled like the Tonemaster is doing.
I think that amps and cabs are the right tools for stage performances, but at home my Boss Katana MK50-2 is my go-to equipment. I can get the sounds I want from it, and not get complaints from the neighbors (or, more importantly, from the Mrs. 😉). At night I like to practice with my Boss Waza Air Phones. I have my favorite tones saved as patches, and can practice to my heart's content without waking anybody up.
I love real amps, but i also enjoy certain modelers. Ive been using the UAFX Dream 65 since a month after its release and i love it. Do i find myself longing to play a real tube amp in the room? Yes, but i still really enjoy the Dream. Do modelers capture the amp in the room? No. They capture the sound of an amp being recorded with a mic. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, but i think modelers are a great option for people wanting a direct option or want to get a certain type of sound on a tight budget. Its much easier to afford a UAFX Dream 65 vs a Fender Deluxe Reverb and i think that is an amazing thing. Because of the modeler someone can obtain that type of amp tone without such a high price tag in most cases. Something like the AxeFX or Quad Quartex is pricey, but at the same time is much more affordable than buying all the amps and effects that are included in the unit. They are also a lightweight option for gigging in comparison to lugging around real amps and cabs. i think everyone should experience a real amp though. A real amp in your room is a magical experience.
If I was a studio/recording player, I would be totally on board with the real amp argument. For playing live, I will take my Fractal over any amp. The tone quality, consistency, flexibility and portability make it a no brainer.
I love my amps but the crowds i play for could care less what i play through so I've used a headrush for the last couple of years and nobody knows the difference. The sound man also loves it
YES totally agree with you Corey. Better than the OX Box is the Fryette Power Station imo. This keeps your signal analog and gives you an FX Loop. I also notice you don't have any amps that can do distortion. I think you need a Mesa Boogie Mark V or Mark VII :)
I run a pedal board into a 1964 Sears Silvertone 1482, through a Bugera PS1 back into the speaker cab, while siphoning the Line-Out into the front of my Pod Go, which I run the effects loop into my OrangeCrush, with its 4x12 cab-sim output back into my Pod Go (in stereo), through a Zoom MS70-CDR (all 6 blocks), and then fill up the rest of the blocks of the Pod Go, whose main-outs go, instrument level, through a DR600 reverb into my Mackie DFX-12 mixer, where I further adjust EQ and add a slight delay effect. Not either or, but all of the above. Chuckle. My latest video on my channel is one of those "what's on your pedalboard" videos, and I take my GoPro through the whole maize. Oh, I forgot, I use a Boss RC-50 loop station, routed from the DR600, in which the drum pattern is inserted (through an interim Eurorack 502 compact mixer)
I come from a keyboard and computer background, therefore I LOVE digital, it’s super practical and these days it sounds awesome, and I would even say if you want it for your recorded album, nobody would make the difference. However, when it comes down to having this “amp in the room tone & feeling”, then you definitely need air moving, and if you use digital you will have to get some powered speakers, or have amp and speakers, etc… even Class D amp of some kind. So at this point, you’re not saving much on weight or space. That’s why when it comes to guitar stuff, I’m still fan of the ‘50s technologies such Tubes and Speakers. I currently have a Two-Rock Studio Signature and a Dr Z EMS. That covers my cleans and “Marshall-ish” rock&roll tones. The next two ones will be a Diezel VHX and a Black Widow MGP-1A preamp… that should cover most of my needs for heavy/high-gain tones and all other tones I would need. And if I ever have enough money to add more amps, just like you I have a list of 8 amps I would want, from clean to mean to cover all generations of tones from the ‘50/60s to the 2000+. Currently in the amp list: Matchless HC30, Mesa California Tweed, Redplate AstroDustR, Achillies Argos 40, Two-Rock TS1, Soldano SLO30, Mesa Mark V:90, Bogner Uber Ultra. With the other amps I already own, that should pretty much cover any kind of tones a studio would need to cover pretty much any kind of music genre, from Vox AC30, to Fender Tweed and Blackface, to JTM to Plexi to HotRodded JCM, to super high-gain… that’s how I perceive amps if I look at generations ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, etc. I’m slowly building this setup, buying amps one after the other, but the good part is that they’re not loosing value over the years such digital with the new improved release every year… For instance I bought my Two-Rock for 2,800 Euros, and 18 months later with inflation and such, in the exact same store, it’s sold now for 3,900 Euros. I didn’t lost any money by purchasing this amp. That’s also why I tend to aim at special amps, hand made, point to point, boutique even… they will keep values and will still be playable when I will be long gone. That’s why I believe in real amps. Now having said that, I think the future path for real amps is something such the Diezel VHX that do use new digital technology to have preset, IR Cab, even onboard effects, and yet keep the signal path pure with only analog from the guitar to the amp, and with only 1 digital conversion for the post/loop effects, just like we would if we would use a Strymon or such in the Amp’s loop. I think it’s probably the best compromise. YMMV, My 2¢
I have a Kemper Profiler Rack and also an Axe-Fx III. Even with these I use guitar cabinets - FRFR does not get me - works great but it feels not like the real thing. I also have over 20 tube heads, eleven guitar cabinets and a collection of the finest guitar pedals - some of them are hard to find, but so much worth it. I am not a professional musician, but I love to have in reality, what profiling and modeling tries to capture. And over the time, I found out - even if it is heavy, expensive and whatever - that these real things are so much much more joy to play, but that is just my personal opinion. However some may think I am crazy, but it does not matter as long as I am happy with it. 😊
Nice video! Thought the tweed sounded best. I have an iridium in my pedalboard and have a switcher to go from real amps to my interface. I like both, but probably prefer the real amps.
Love it and for someone like you it makes perfect sense. I couldn’t agree more with you about real amps modelers are great and have their place but real amps just win. I “only” have three now but they cover the territory I need. 65 Band Master, fifty watt hand wired plexi and a very interesting amp that started life as a very early 1950s Carvin kind of a tweed Deluxe copy. It was literally decomposing inside just parts wired together, no turret board but all the main components were there to rebuild it into a great little amp. The transformer lets me select 4,8 or 16 ohms I can safely swap rectifier tubes to make it a 12 watt amp up to about 20 watts Pentode tubes and a tilt eq. An amp that I wish I never sold was an early 70s Traynor Bass Master a fifty watt Marshall/BASSMAN style circuit. Somewhat Marshall in character but more velvet and warmer. Always strong and composed the low end stayed together. All hand wired and they aren’t as expensive as old Marshall and Fender amps but every bit as good. That would be a good one for your collection.
Even as recently as 5 years ago I would have agreed in totality with the statement modelers can never be as good as the real McCoy. And in some instances it still holds true. But (you KNEW there was a but coming) my new rig is just about ready to kill that thought forever. Playing for 30 years now I have been thru the gambit of gear combos, used every pedal/board/plug-in that I could find. My new rig is a Helix going into a Thomas Blug Amp One Iridium Edition into a 2x12 EVH cab. The Amp One has the footprint of an EHX multi-effect pedal that is on the board and is a 100 Tube powered amp with all the features of a full size amp. The Helix is as fine of piece of kit that's studio grade and has more power than I will EVER need. Wireless Line 6 into the Helix, a patch cable to the Amp One, a speaker cable to the cab. That's it, my whole rig. And it's good enough to play any gig from a coffee shop to an arena. I mounted the cab on air filled casters so it rolls smooth. I use it as the "truck" and stack my guitar cases and board case on top and roll it right in. I am connected in 10 minutes, placing mics for the PA, 20 minutes from the moment I enter I am sound checking. But then I spend the rest of my time hauling in all the other guys crap because they still haven't seen the light. And of course the poor drummer. He always forgets a mounting bracket, a clamp, the tools to assemble it and he's half drunk already. But my part is about as painless as we can get.
Ive done modeling thing several times,they are great and getting better ,but I end up back at tube amps every time,the latency of the modeling is what it is ,they are definitely covering a lot of situations,but in the end for me,tone is heavy,and hard to carry,in the words of Bukovac,tubes just have a feel that at the moment can’t be replaced
