You Don't Need Amps To Gig 

As a musician who plays in small venues like you, I would say it totally depends on the situation. Sometimes you have a really good PA system and it would be super okay to go ampless. Sometimes it's barely holding up handling vocals, kick drums, and so on. My amp is my only way to guarantee my stage sound and tone are consistent from venue to venue (and in really small venues like pubs or small clubs, stage volume is basically the whole venue volume. So as an independent DIY touring band, we rely more on our own gear, so real amps are a must at least for me.

One thing about ampless is that you’re entirely at the mercy of the quality/power of the venue’s PA and you also require a sound tech that cares/knows what they’re doing. I’ve played venues with underpowered and/or antiquated sound systems. In those cases the less being put through the PA, the better. I’ve also worked with my share of completely ignorant or incompetent sound techs so that’s another huge concern.

Before the reveal I didn't know which setup was amped or ampless, but I did know which one sounded a lot better to me, and it turned out to be the one with actual amps. But given that the recordings were made in different venues, that may not mean anything at all.

Agree with the stage volume thing. That's massively important. I think though the key factor is "you don't need a heavy tube amp head anymore". I now just use a duncan powerstage and plug it to whatever cab they have on the venue, or bring like a 2x12 with me if they don't have one. All I use that for is stage volume anyways. It'll be cool when it becomes normal for bands to use sims so that venues can start placing speakers behind the stage too so we can finally do away with amps altogether.

I find using a floor modeler combined with a power amp and 2x12 cab is the best of all worlds for me. I can DI the modeler to FOH if I want to, but the cab can also provide stage volume, and it can be miked up. Certain gigs I have brought just the modeler signal sent to FOH from our rack with IEMs. Other gigs I've miked up the cab, and at smaller clubs, I've used just the cab itself, unmiked. You have a lot of options with this kind of setup.

I think it really boils down to what works for you as a musician. I think it is great that we have so many great options now with all this amazing gear. For me I will always have an amp on stage with me but I am an old school guy who still loves a good ol amp to play out of.

Thank you for this discussion! I could not tell the difference between the two clips! Just to note, BluGuitar Amp1 (either Iridium or Mercury), that you've mentioned another band using, are "real" amps using solid state (transistor) preamps and a nanotube+Class D power section. They are, however, designed in such a way that they can be played going direct through some sort of an IR loader. (And they sound great!)

Sure, if you want to compromise your tone. 80% of that comes from your power amp/speakers and the way they move actual air in an actual space. Solid state amps with monitors are not made to be guitar amps. You run through the monitors after you get your tone. I've never heard a modeler even get close to a pair of 6l6GCs driving a JBL/Fender D120 orange back, and I never will. Not because I quit listening, because physics.

I've been using Guitar Rig for years. I honestly don't care how it compares to other amp sims or actual amps. I love it for me. I bought a half stack and pedal assortment a while back because I joined a gigging band, but I was too used to Guitar Rig. So, I sold the pedals and bought a laptop to run Guitar Rig, then ran the output into the back of the amp! For shows I split the audio between my amp and the house PA. The Guitar Rig foot controller is also an audio interface. It works great!

personally i have a gig this 8th of december and i always seem to use a supermarket sausage and i plug into that directly with a ts jack, and straight away im melting faces with burning snags resonating every building i cook in, i mean *cough cough* perform in.

I enjoy my tube amps, but I use them mostly at home for own enjoyment; I have a 50W 1x12 combo that I can gig, and HX-Effects to cover all effects. I recently completed my computer / plugin rig, and it's working great for me; sounds great, reliable, easy to use at home, recording and live. That said, a computer rig isn't the best choice for dive bars, so I'm using an ISP Theta Pro Michael Sweet; I can run it into an amp/cab, direct out or both. It's built like a tank, but it's not a modeler, it's a preamp + effects with a very good eq, which takes time to learn...it reminds me of my old rack rigs but in a very small compact floor unit. Works great for me.

The trick is to use a dual output setup with a pedal-poweramp. I use, with some additional pedals, a ToneX into a Harley Benton GPA100. The signal is splitted and goes into a IR loader, that way I get a nice tone via IEM and then the second output goes to the PowerAmp and then that goes to the cab. Allows for the FOH having the regular setup and me getting a good IEM sound.

This is INCREDIBLE news KDH .Despite gigging with modellers for about 25 years I NEVER would have guessed ! I must have missed all the manufacturers claims,my friends and non-friends experiences and most importantly i left my earplugs in my ears for 2 decades plus.Doh silly old me!Thanks for this GROUNDBREAKING video😀

In poor eastern Europe countries this discussion with the same talking points has been happening since the early 2000s - local bands in bars, pubs and small stages have been doing it ever since. It's been a very popular and affordable approach. There have always been elitists who say it sucks, but the audience did not care 20 years ago and still doesn't care today - people love it when they love the songs. :) The only new thing is affordable IEMs - most people didn't have them before.

I absolutely agree about the front row. Too many times have I been watching a band using modellers, and 90% of the sound is drummer with the vague whisper of a Quad Cortex coming from the PA somewhere behind my head. So I personally find amps in small-to-mid sized venues are essential, especially to compensate for the beer-filled stage monitors being shit. I guess bringing a FRFR would do the same, but if I'm carrying something it might as well be an amp. I am glad that modellers do all pretty much sound good though, and that people *can* gig with them.

I have been at concert lately and both Bands did their Set Ampless. There was no compromise to my ears as a listener and the quallity of Sound was great.

In band practice we use the hybrid style. We all have amps, but we have the lead guitarist on PA system cause I play only half of the time. It mainly goes to our Drummers floor monitor. We've also used amps for stage volume and modellers for "crowd", so we don't have to hassle with mics and stuff.

The problem with running amp less on stage is it's very dependant on the monitor mix. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes the monitor mix just isn't where you need it to be or sometimes the in house monitors just sound terrible for one reason or another. Almost always a real cab will sound warmer and fuller than foldback through wedges... in fact even when using a real amp I'll almost always tell the monitor engineer to not put any guitar in my wedge. Also is just one more thing to get in the way of being able to hear my vocals clearly (as I'm also a singer). Every band that "goes digital" encounters the same problem... and for a lot of bands it goes something like... 1. Buy expensive modellers and cold turkey "all digital" on stage. 2. Realise the monitor issue I mentioned above and spend more money on FRFR speakers. 3. Realise you're at that point still lugging a ton of gear that still doesn't sound the same as a real amp. 4. Go back to real amps. If you're on in ears (which has it's own logistical issues) or if you are lugging your own PA and have your own control over monitor mix, then sure... it can make sense. But in my experience, if you need to rely on in house gear and staff for your core tone, that's almost always going to lead to issues.

My band played a show and I decided to borrow my drummer's line 6, and my bassist used a head and cab. I plugged direct into the mixer, but the sound guy wasn't too great at his job. My drummer's monitor was unplugged, so he couldn't follow the first song, and we had to restart the set. The guy also wasn't happy that I was using a solo boost, so he shut off my monitor mid performance. I swapped to using an amp for the next gig, and we played significantly better. I'd say modelers are very situational, and depend on the venue's PA

Both! We run sound to FoH through our modelers and then have cabs for venues that need it/backup if our IEM rig goes down. We also have power amps that’ll work with just about any cab, so we can go to a venue without our cabs and use whatever another band has brought. Then for IEM’s, we run our own mix, so all FoH needs are directs from us. We even have our drums programmed in our IEM’s in case the FoH engineer isn’t the best at mixing, but then have a room mic as well to hear our drummer/audience. What a time to be a musician! :)

Yes I do. Most of the gigs I play have poor PA support where only the kick drum and vocals are through the mains. I even played one without any monitors last week. An amp is fairly critical for people playing non-traditional venues.

great old news, thank you 😂🙈..in fact, real gear is on a comeback right now but i think we will end up with hybrid designs combining digital and analog (tube)technology like hughes&kettner doing it since ever, the grandmeister was one of the very first hybrid amps and it is still on the market and it has been a very popular amplifier for 10 years now.

I'm presently playing a room that seats 3,800 with a 250,000 watt pa...A guitar amp would only cause mix problems... Too loud near me...Not loud enough 100 feet from me...The Helix is great for this!

Just sold an Iridium and don't miss it (glad to see it go)....I've heard versions of this argument so many times. If you love your digital solution....good on ya!

It’s not only about needing a good pa to run amp modellers but you also need a good monitor system . Whether you run your own in ear monitors , take an frfr which means another cab to carry or each venue has to have enough monitors you can get the volume you need without annoying the band or not being able to to hear your playing or all the other string players

I'm using my HX Stomp since I started gigging never regretted it and for Live it's 100% good enough if not better bc you don't have to carry everything and you don't need to mic shit up

I was listening/watching a live band recently for possible guitar gig opening. They did not use amps on stage just direct… not bad until they played Sweet Chile of Mine.. then during the intro I really noticed the difference. The average listener could’ve cared less but I explained to the woman next to me. It’s like surfing a wave pool as compared to natural ocean waves..🎉🎉🎉❤🎸🎵🎶🎵🏄🏻‍♂️🏄🏻🏄🏼‍♀️

I've used my Blackstar Amped 3 for a few gigs now. I love it. I still run a cab onstage but I can di straight into the desk for the soundman. I recently played a gig with a singer from Nashville who was in Edinburgh for a few days. I had a few hours notice, so no time to learn anything or know what to take. I took the Amped 3 a 1x12 and a Wah. It handled the gig perfectly and I managed to bring everything into the venue in one trip.

i've been gigging ampless since 2018 and never looked back.some good in ears or a monitor and you're good to go.takes a bit of time to get used to but my back is very happy.

i havent used an amp in over 20 years, been using boss multi effects with amp sims since the me30 and gt5, i currently use a gt1000 which can do just about anything if you have the know how, it can even make your electric guitar into an acoustic guitar while you blend your electric signal in with the expression pedal having completely difference effects on both at the same time, it is insane!!

I've tried doing just the modeler thing live with no amp, and found that relying on some way other than your amp on stage to hear yourself means that you're just plain not going to hear yourself during many gigs. So then you start dragging along a powered FRFR speaker to solve that, but at that point, you're not saving any hassle with hauling gear and might as well just be using a small combo amp and some pedals. Sounds more fun to just not play live at all.

I went ampless a while back and have zero regrets. Bass player and singer both use quad cortex and I’m using an FM3. We DO use FRFR’s behind us for some stage sound but only just enough to match the drum sound. I didn’t quit using an amp cold turkey though. I had to transition to cab-less with a two note torpedo and it was immediately more apparent of how much more control over the sound I had JUST from that. It made leaving the amps at home easy. Just one pedal board case in one hand, EV ZLX in the other and a mono guitar bag on my shoulders. One trip to the car.

I've seen a few bands in small venues with really stupid loud backine, and they honestly sounded great. The guitars and bass were balanced from the stage, and the drums were reinforced where needed by the PA.

Aaaahh the sweet sound of the RP! My first pedal was the RP80, such good memories 🥹🥲

In my band we only use amp sims ( Axe fx, pod go, ) and it has been an absolute blessing. You dont need a Van to bring your whole setup and dont need to break your back carrying heavy cabs and amps. And they sound great. Also we use iems and they sound crystal clear combined with the amp sims.

I love tube amps, but modelers offer a level of convenience that's hard to deny. A lot of the bands in my area switched to modelers (or much smaller, "lunchbox" amps) because actual tube amps are heavy and lugging one around from gig to gig gets old, and God help you if you need to fly to a gig in another country. If I see a band still using tube amps, it's because they're rich enough to afford roadies and techs.

Question: was the bass player also running his set up through the same system as the guitars? If not, please give a rundown of what was going on with the bass in that live mix and what the signal was going through.

I used the bluguitar amp 1 pedel for gigging for 4 years, super small just throw it in a bag and you can connect it straight to the PA, we played a few outdoor festivals including donington race track no issues connect it to their PA system and use the stage monitors happy days tho i did have a back up cab with me just in case.

My band uses headrushes. We have 2 guitarists and a bass player and we all use headrush pedalboards into the headrush 1x12 frfr cabs for stage volume and we haven't looked back. The ability to swap entire "rigs" at a press of a button has such high value in of itself. I do strongly believe that amp sims and modelers are the future.

You are the first youtuber I know of that finally addresses the stage volume issue with modelers at small venues. I have been to many shows where the guitar is simply inaudible next to an acoustic kit and a loud bass amplifier. Its a bad situation to be in for music that is supposed to be heavy guitar driven. The sound guy and those with in ears being the only people that are able to hear guitars is not a good situation.

The difference is MUCH more apparent when there's a band using stacks and the next band goes direct. When you're comparing from memory it isn't the same. I saw the same comparison when I saw Dying Fetus at Saint Vitus and the opener [Stabbed] was using 2 6505+/Marshall full stacks and they were so much louder and heavier than Dying Fetus going direct it kinda bummed me out. Really just emphasized for me how important stacks are for the huge death metal tones. After the first 3-4 songs my brain kinda got used to the direct guitar tone and Dying Fetus sounded super tight... But the guitar was still much, much quieter than the opener. And the volume in the room showed it; I could actually talk to the bartender for a beer without having to yell like I did during Stabbed lol.

I’ve sold all my amps and use a Pod Go now. I haven’t gigged with it but rehearsals are simple and painless. I WILL SAY a rockin tube amp will ALWAYS feel better though!

You haven't lived until you've muscled a Fender Quad Reverb up a flight of stairs. The Quad Reverb was a 4x12" tube combo manufactured in the mid 70s.

Great video. I don't think I'll ever go the ampless route. I'm a 1x12 50 watt valve combo guy. It's not that big a deal getting it into gigs. It's heavy but I'm fit. We are all chasing tone in every way, it seems crazy to me to cut corners here. For me, there is a significant difference between both sounds. Im biased though. 😂

i’ve been using amp sims since i started touring, only using a real amp once, most venues will have a good enough pa system, for the ones that don’t, we usually try to find out about it beforehand so we can either bring a cab and a power amp or share it with another band on the bill. being brutally honest no one would ever know the difference in sound. i’ve had people coming up to me to see my board or asking what darkglass pedal i’m using and it’s always funny to just say: it’s a headrush mx5!

I’ve got a 3-piece PA system (including an 18” subwoofer) and an 8 channel rack mixer. Run a Helix for guitar, HX Stomp for Bass, and a Roland TD-27KV2 for drums. Super light, super loud, very Hi-Fi. Surprisingly it all costs less than comparable guitar amps and acoustic drums. People will always scoff at this until they hear it in practice and do a price tag check. If we want to run into a PA system of a bigger venue, we simply give them the full range outs from the subwoofer to run to the board and use our 12” speakers as monitors.

I gig with my Coolmusic busking amp. It has a DI and 4 channels and weighs only 7kg. Very useful.

I can honestly say that I prefered the first video, which happened to be with an amp. Clearer, punchier, more presence, and the solo was more noticeable.

I got a Boss GT-6 Flagship model about 20 years ago, and used it every day for about 18 years. Then the LCD started failing and the settings started randomly changing due to the sealed Potentiometers going bad. They are proprietary, and replacement through Boss wasn't worth it. I replaced Modeler with an HX Stomp, which I've been using every day for the last 3 years. I think the "weak link" in Modelers is likely to be the Pots. Just a couple months ago, I started noticing a little irregularity in the main Knob (connected to a Pot) used to scroll through the different Modes on the HX Stomp. When looking for replacement Pots for my GT-6, I found that they are rated in terms of "cycles" the amount of turns they are rated to last. If I remember right, cycles tended to range from around 2,000-6,000. Based on turning a knob 5 times a day, every day, a Pot should last about 3.3 years. YMMV

The point about ‘the front row’ is a good one. Doing smaller gig s; weddings, functions and especially pubs I’ve often felt the PA system should be used mainly for vocals and keyboards (if you use them) and then to otherwise ‘augment’ the bands stage sound. I.E Bass drum, smattering of other drums, touch of guitar etc. I do use a modeller but still feel the need for some speaker flap behind me. So use mine though a power amp and Zilla cab.

Noticed immediately #2 was ampless. The drummer's performance was obviously more passionate and had more energy in clip #1. I'd be willing to bet everyone's performance was more passionate and more energetic in gig #1. Gigs with silent stage feel sterile and lifeless much of the time. Musicians have a harder time feeding off one another certainly with in-ears, and even with heavy reliance on monitors. That's why graduating to bigger stages where everyone is further apart is always a challenge in developing bands. What translates phenomenally well in a small club or garage can suddenly lose magic on a larger stage with reliance on monitor mixes and not organically mixed stage sound. Energy in a blues, rock, or metal club performance is dependent upon amps. I think everyone who has tried both knows it.

I got my buddy the Fender Mustang Micro for practicing in his apartment for like $70 and when I tried it out myself it made me want one for myself despite having a space where I can play with my amps turned up. They're fun even if you don't gig

Still if you wanted an amp on stage you could still make your rig a whole lot lighter with a modeler. I know Kurt Ballou of converge does a helix floor modeler doing all his effects and preamps into 2 quilters as power amps into 4x12s for his rig. That's a lot of weight shaved off by having quilters and a modeler, instead of 2 tube heads and a full pedalboard.

As a local band level musician I prefer a live cab. I’ve used modelers like the helix, kemper, and axe fx and bass pre amp/di pedals including sans amps, Avalon u5, and darkglass stuff. It works for big touring bands playing big stages. IMO completely ampless doesn’t work for local bands playing smaller 200 capacity clubs where often the PA is something a Wedding DJ might use and the crowd is up close to you. There are ways to make modelers work. For example with the axe fx you can just turn off the cab IR and run it into a power amp and live cab. Hell you can can even setup your sounds with a signal split so one output has a cab IR and one doesn’t. So you can still run direct to front of house but have an out specifically to feed a power amp and cab. But nah no stage sound is a no go for the types of places I play. Seen too many good bands be embarrassed by other bands on the bill who had live amps.

I got a helix earlier this year. Absolutely love it. Besides a bunch of fx/amps I'd never be able to afford in a million years. I love being able to load in with maybe 2 or 3 trips, set up, and get my IEMs locked in. Maybe hang with the other bands/friends for a bit longer. Plus breaking down after a set is a breeze.

In my opinion, real rock n' rollers use real amps (and turn them up to 11). There are many different amps out there to have fun and experiment with. I wish people were less lazy. What will be next, AI pedals that you can switch on to play the right scale in a solo? That's not music. Some singers use pitch correction live which is...stupid. Great video again on an important topic we need to talk about.

I actually use the RP-150 for delay and reverb with my tube amp(when I'm not using my katana). For gigs a modeler or a katana or whatever is fine. Its a matter of preference, and I love my tube amps. When you play in small clubs that don't have good monitoring or poor house sound in general, thats where I find the weakness. Unless you have a cab and stage volume in those venues, you don't have volume in a lot of those places. I do think we're moving away from traditional tube amp and 4x12 setups, but in clubs we're going to be relying a lot on stage volume. I see a lot of modelers with power amps and cabs, also combo amps. I personally use a katana and a 2x12 with good speakers, and it fucking riiiiips. Love and respect, keep up the good work.

Great tones ~ and nice to get to hear you play a bit ... great chops, too!

Powercab 2x12 and you don't have any issues with stage volume. You can still use the DI for front of house and in-ear monitors but you get the benefit of the cabinet on stage.

I have been on the fence about this for a while. Our last gig was funnily enough in fibbers..😁 Playing fibbers yourself I'm sure you know its a nightmare to get parked. I had to lug my 100watt tube head to and from the car and just thought maybe its time to switch. Its the thought of starting all over again . I have seen some bands use them live and Ill be honest thought it sounded flat or dead if that makes sense but that could just be down to the soundman or pa. Stage volume is obviously a massive thing aswell, I always like the fact I can tweak volume without having to constantly ask the soundman to fiddle with monitors.

Some guitarists switch from tube amps to modelers, and others return to tube amps after trying modelers. Recently Dave Murray switched to Fractal, but Mark Tremonti, who tried Kemper on stage, got rid of it and returned to tube amps. Steve Vai only uses Fractal for bass on the Hydra. Other musicians use hybrid solutions such as modelers and poweramps, like Vivian Campbell, who always has a 9200 on his rack. Personally I have 15 tube amps, 4 tube power amps, a bunch of racks preamps and preamp pedals and finally an Hx Stomp XL that I only play on one of my powertubes (usually on my Fryette 2/90/2) and it's not bad for the price of the unit but I tried using it with headphones it was horrible, with an SS power amp it was too sterile and I'm not convinced by using an audio interface with monitor speakers. No monitoring speaker can give me the feeling of a real 4x12

I used to tour. Amplifier and pedalboard is just a hassle. I bought a Helix Stomp, and had consistently great tones, no complaints what so ever. It's such a dream when you're doing fly gigs as well. Which I did, a lot.

Being a tube-nut for years, I had to change my rig entirely when I started developing back/sciatica issues just before covid-19. Needing to cut down from a Friedman Dirty Shirley/Head and Cab (with a pedalboard and several guitars), I decided to go for the Line 6 Helix in the hopes it would be enough to gig with. It took a while before I was finally satisfied with my on stage sound, but I eventually learnt how to cut it live with a bit of EQ and trial/error with various FRFR monitor solutions. Honestly, going digital has been liberating for both recording and live performances as I just take a pedalboard and guitar to gigs now. If I find myself with a dubious back line, i've got a Laney FRFR 112 active cab (which are fantastic by the way) to fall back on as a monitor. Im also paying less in osteopathic bills now! :D

As a budget University student. I currently dont have the money to buy an amp modeller. On top of this, my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe IV saves me 2 pedal slots on my pedal board. saving me the need for a drive pedal and a reverb. god I love Spring Reverb in Fender Amps and I dont think I can part with that sound just yet

I just use my Tubemeister 40 deluxe and get the best of both worlds. I have the possibility of only running to straight to PA, or use a cab if the PA-system sucks bawls. It's also so small that I could throw it in a backpack.

My old band went the cab-less route about 12yrs ago or so using AxeFX and Line6 POD with self-contained in-ears, actually ended up bringing back power amps/cabs as I found that there's still this thunk you miss without a cab, even with wedges and in-ears. Feel the stage vibrate!

I've used ampless live for many years. Started with an older processor running into a small amp to monitor and when the Firehawk FX came out, I went full ampless. Switched to a POD Go recently and haven't looked back. I still like to have an FRFR at my feet for some bit of stage volume, but that's mainly so I'm hearing my unmodified tone. The PA is hit or miss and I tried no FRFR and just in-ears and hated it. But, like others have said, it's got a lot to do with your sound person. I actually thought the blue clip sounded a bit better, but both clips sounded great to me. God bless and rock on 😎🎸👍

I find that small indoor venues benefit from having some stage volume as they just get lost when you're near the front! however for me that just means I put my fractal through a duncan powerstage and a cab, rather than an actual amp!

I immediately knew that Clip 1 was amps because there's just a certain "body" even in the solo sound that tells me, this is what tubes do. You feel it through the spacial audio and that gave it away. If it was mic'd up, I would not tell the diference but as you said - you do not neccessarily hear the difference in playing, but you certainly feel it. And that may even make you play more motivated when hearing, thats the only real left over benefit for amps. They make you actually feel the rock.

As an old person, uneducated, unprofessional guitar player, I sold my last amp when the original POD came out (u guys do the math). Lately I've used the cube baby, plugins via laptop (Neural and BIAS), BIAS iOS, and the Helix (just trying to show the different price ranges) and the truth is that, in the mix? No one can tell what's being used. Anyone saying differently, I'd have to humbly call it a lie.

After over 25 years playing with amps I decided to give a chance to modellers. In my opinion, they sound amazing, they are easy to set up, and they reliable. You can use a FRFR speaker or a small -ish amp just for you reference on stage. I still think that they feel different than a real amp, but not bad and your audience will never get the difference (or care).

A lot of my gigging (been out of that game about 5 years now) was a hybrid approach with a Line 6 HD500 and a ZT lunchbox. I’d split the signal with modeling going to foh, and non-amp modeled (but still with effects) going to the little ZT lunchbox (not the junior but the LB02) for on stage monitoring/volume. Worked like a charm. Could have a double gig bag on my back, pedalboard in one hand, duffel bag with the ZT lunchbox/cables in the other hand and load in one trip.

I have a few low power watt amps. Specifically 2 oranges, a Rocker 15 Terror and a Micro Dark. I also have a 100watt PA amp with speaker jacks and bought a Sonicake Matribox. I primarily use the Matribox by itself, and will use the PA Amp if i am required to use a cab. I havent touched my Oranges in months. One of the main reasons why I dont like bringing amps to gigs in general, that is often overlooked, is that the smaller amps are MORE LIKELY to be stolen. Sure you can bring a Rockerverb to your gig, but... you would have to bring a rockerverb to your gig. My Oranges are light enough to easily be stolen. My Matribox and pedalboard is small enough to fit in my secret car compartment, and is light enough for me to carry on hand at all times.

Surprisingly I actually guessed right, but the venue difference may be more of a factor. I had a Digitech rack unit in the 90s which I ended up getting rid of because it was consistently eating expensive, proprietary foot controller cables. Replaced it with a Line 6 XT, which i gigged with for years. Used my amp as a monitor 😮. The last few years I’ve switched back to lunchbox amps with a 1x12 indoors and 2x12 outdoors. Plenty loud and run on low wattage settings they sing at lower volumes. Totally could see using one of the new modelers for convenience. We did an outdoor gig last summer, my co-guitar player had a modeler on the floor. It kept shutting down due to thermal issues (the direct sunlight was cooking it; takeaway is venue determines correct gear choice.

Great vid! I’d love to hear your take on FRFR cabs. When Ola Englund reviewed the new FRFR cab from Spark, he seemed underwhelmed- saying it sounded more like a large speaker than an amp. He also felt the low end was funny. I agree with that assessment based on the demos I’ve seen and heard. When I posted comments saying that I wished they had built in some sort of EQ into the cab like Bose has done with their FRFR so the tone would be more appealing, some people got all offended like I did t know what I was talking about. They said, “it’s a neutral tone so it’s going to sound like whatever the sim sounds like.” I disagree. I think an EQ would help, but I also have to assume that at its price point, the Spark is using speakers that are not built to handle the low end without flubs. The cab may be neutral leaning, but the hardware/materials they use for the cab shouldn’t sound flubby and like a giant Bluetooth speaker if it’s built with quality components/materials and some EQ knobs built in to tweak things a bit on the hardware side like Bose has accomplished. In fact, what you just said about using PA’s along with side monitors at a gig further illustrates my point that it’s not going to sound like a real amp no matter how good the modeled or simulated tones are - they’re great, but they won’t push air and feel like a roaring amps. Kind of like when people buy a surround sound system but then add a sub woofer. Anyway, I’d love for someone to tear down one of these Spark cabs to see how they’re designed and what makes them tick. Ola and others with experience in this area would never give something a “meh” rating if it wasn’t warranted. I meant a kid would love that Spark cab, but most adults with ears who play metal, hard rock, punk, and other genres that need a tight bottom end will most certainly hear the difference between the Spark FRFR and a Bose FRFR (or any higher quality brand). I would love for people to learn that each FRFR cab is going to be neutral to a degree and have individual sound characteristics/quality because neutrally tuned speakers from every brand still have slightly different FR’s and each FRFR uses different types/quality of speaker drivers, components, and materials - it’s not simply a matter of the modeled tones being pumped into an FRFR determining how the end result sounds. Wanna take on that debate/tear down project? 😂😅

This was a hard thing for me to switch to. But after joining a coverband that uses in ears I made the jump to go ampless. I decided to go with the Nux Amp Academy because of its Di out, fx loop, and 1/4 inch out withthe ability to turn on and off the ir with a switch. My first step was a fender tonemaster twin reverb, then the pedal on its own, and after bringing a powered speaker now use a orange pedal baby with a soundtown open back 212 cab for bit of stage volume and guitar feedback. Im a simple pedal platform guy so the Amp Academy stays on a dirty Dr. Z Maz 18 into a Bogner 212 ir. My pedals do the rest. Helix and all the rest are great, but I like my pedals and knobs and am able to with a tumnus deluxe, morning glory, and a boost, play everything from worship to pop punk. At the end of the day, find your sound and usable sounds for what your doing, and build the easiest rig for you that performs this task.

There is a problem in small venues with loud amps is if your say on a 4 foot high stage . With your amp on the ground at your feet then your cab is pointing directly at the front row. Who will be behind the pa most of the time as the pa is in front of the pa . And as most small venues don’t have Infill ( extra pa for people standing behind the pa at front ) then the front row get your full guitar tone over any vocals or anything else . We usually rectify this by turning guitar cabs side on to make the mix better for your paying crowd but then the rest of the band realises how loud your amp is when they get blasted by it . On tours we then resort to having to move amps facing the back of stage which by then you may as well have a amp sim , so it’s not as easy as it seems if you want a good sound for your band. Remember vocals has not speaker on stage like the gats and bass so I’d suggest anyone playing pubs and clubs walk off stage during your check and actually see if your cab is the one thing you hear in the front row .

Earlier this year I went to a concert of Belgian metal band Channel Zero. There was a wall of Marshall full stacks on the stage and then I saw someone putting a small black box on the stage and plugging in the cables. That was probably a quad cortex... So when the band started playing, the amps stayed all dark, no lights from the power switches. So to me it was crystal clear that the amps were there just for decoration, not for sound. Yep, completely ampless.

Omg blast from the past - i thought I was the only person who had the Digitech RP50! I'm that old that I got it for my birthday when it first came out! I remember the Periphery guys said the same about the stage volume for the first few rows too!

I'm a full time musician, doing 20+ gigs a week. I haven't gigged with an amp in 14 years. My backbone is very happy about that, and the only person who cares is a Gibson Les Paul fan at the back of the room

Hx Stomp user here, I don’t gig anymore and use it on my desktop, However I only gigged once this year and brought it with me, went directly to the PA, I totally missed a monitor since the FOH guy was making a lot of changes through the night, but it was ok since people didn’t even noticed, they had a good time which is the important thing.

This is why I switched to a fender Mustang gtx years ago, & modded it into a head unit. It sounds great, it’s got XLR for front of house sound, & you can run a speaker from it if you want/need to. Same with the Rumble for bass.

Not having to bring my amp to multiple rehearsals a week is a godsend. Will bring my amp out for shows where the band's using wedges so I can have stage sound, but definitely would recommend for rehearsals and shows without loud stage volumes.

I'll be honest with yall, one of the things I LOVE about big bands that ive seen live playing ampless is that I dont see myself needing ear protection and I feel I can hear every single note being played which makes me enjoyed the concerts more

Yep, sold my amp about 6 years ago, never felt the need to get another one. I gig twice a week, every week

This was a great video as always, I love modelers for recording but I guessed the modeler correctly when I heard it. I feel as though there is a bit of missing bass when it comes to the modelers. It felt a little stale and lifeless compared to the actual amplifier. Not talking sh*t on the Helix or modelers but I do hear a difference between the two, with that said, I've been playing for 25 years now and I feel I only notice the difference because of years of exposure; when it comes to beginners and nonmusicians, I don't believe they will notice the difference. Great work as always KDH, looking forward to the next video.

Hey dude, my band have been amp less for the passed 3years. We are a two piece edm metal band. We run a computer with tracks. My guitar runs through a daw. Signal chain is rat pedal and octiver. Clean not rat. The trick is use good ir's in the daw, stage monitors on with inears. We get the same sound every show. Before this set-up I was carrying 5150 head marshall quad box, effects board + two guitars. Now it's pelican case an two guitars.

It’s nowhere near the same as you guys who are out gigging but as someone who recently got back into VERY amateur guitar playing in my 40s, I’m finding my old Boss GT3 invaluable to give me different tones in a package that suits a busy family home.

To be fair the Bluguitar amps are real analog 100W (in reality about 150W clean headroom) amps with a tube in it and a class D power amp. But you can use them without a cab. They have a "record out" with a cab sim to go direct into a PA and the Iridium edition also has the option to turn off the cab sim and use your own IR loader. Rock solid amps, I'm using one for about 3 years and did an EU tour with an Amp1 Iridium recently. Sounds great at any volume, but we did bring two 2x12 cabs with us.

I only do a solo now with a Fish man PA. But, I loved my gigging in the past with bands and hauling my SVT head into two 8-10's, or my Marshall half stack to a gig. I felt that the audience had expectations and if I showed up with little boxes into the PA, they would be disappointed and I would miss the power behind me. Of course I can't hear for sh$t now and I had a serious back operation at 60😕. However, you didn't tell us about your sound reinforcement or backline consistency and how do you guarantee getting the support? Do you supply the ampless PA?

Hear me out: Could building an amazing one of a kind amp with no cost in mind and create amp sims of that amp be an option for the future? Would be better for the environment as well.

I could tell a difference but I've been gigging ampless for years. But I was surprised to learn that I had the clips backwards. I suspected the one with less low end rumble (clip 1) would have been the ampless clip.

I hate admitting it - because I love my Boogie Mark V - but I’ve accepted that going direct with a Helix works best for my needs today. I play solely in church these days and I couldn’t crank that Mesa/Boogie. And the amp models in the HX Stomp work well. In a band mix where I’m using in ear monitors I really can’t tell the difference. And I’m certain the folks listening to the music can’t tell.

I got this pedal sized amp, Quilter Superblock US, which is fantastic. It is an actual amp head, but at a fraction of the size & it sounds no different than the Fender amps that it's trying to copy. I can DI it, plug in headphones, plug it into a cab, and even attenuate it simply by plugging in a standard 9V pedal power supply. It's legitimately the perfect amp, in my opinion.

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.

I will echo the general sentiment that going ampless leaves you more at the whims of the venue's PA, which might not always work out great. That said, the middle ground of "Run an ampless rig, bring your own speaker as a backup" works out nicely for most small gigs.

I think the amp clip sounded better and was immediately noticeable

I have a little different position now. I am a gigging musician, have been for decades. Over the last 10 or 15 years, the stages have gotten very quiet with controlled sound and less and less amplifiers. I have been missing the years of good stage volume and moving air with an amp and having speakers feedback when you get near them. So I started a new band, bought me a Marshall stack and we are going to go put on a show! Yes I still play and make money with my other groups playing in wineries and bars and weddings and we have a quiet stage and great sound out front but it's definitely not rock and roll.

I don't know if you'd call it a modeller, but it has been possible to plug straight into the board and get great tone since the days of the Rockman, which is... 1982? Longer than either of us have been alive, in any case.

I got real lazy one night and all I brought to the gig was my guitar and an Amptweaker TMP-2. Ran it straight into the board from its XLR-out. It worked great and no one even noticed. My bassist did the same, just used a TC Electronic BAM200 and ran out the DI with no cab. It was easy as hell. Did it sound as good to ME? No, but the crowd didn't know/care in the least.