Do modeling amps get "lost in the mix"

[Chuck H]

A large part of the modeling craze can be answered with a question.

How many people under 30 have ever heard a completely analog recording?

+10

The good new is that I hear plenty of young artists (likely using mostly digital equipment) making some good music anyway. It's just a new generation with new and different tools. But you can't stop the base instinct to communicate musically, and often aggressively. Rock lives. Pop lives (and pop is not a derogative term here). Pop is just a youthful expression of a new generation stating their mind on the way things are. What else has rock and pop ever been. I know there's a new "pop" label that has a bunch of teen girls bouncing around. But that has always been the case too, but there are other aspects. My point is that the cause recreates itself with every generation. This one is using awful digital gear, but it's getting it done anyway for the most part Me? I'll keep to my tube amps. Thank you. These kids don't know what they're missing Which is sad because they're the ones with the physical resilience to lug this crap around.

[glebert]

I trust none of you curmudgeons have a digital delay on your pedal boards

FWIW, this guy was basically how I started using the AX2 amp. I bought the one in this video from him for $25 (after he broke it) because I wanted to build a 212 cabinet and was going to junk the chassis. Ended up being an easy fix and I ended up kind of liking it. I thought his tone was pretty passable here especially considering this isn't a great audio recording. I think he had changed the speakers out to something like V30s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcGDBWjI3Yw

[olddawg]

The “compression factor” is really obvious if you share the stage using traditional gear with someone using a modeling amp. In general they have 2 modes imhe. Either burying you with 200 Watts on tap or not. Unless they set up a “boost” patch their leads usually don’t “pop” and are at the level of their rhythm setting. Plus there is too much temptation for trail echos, noise, gates, and tons of other crap that mud up everything.

[Justin Thomas]

I trust none of you curmudgeons have a digital delay on your pedal boards

Nope. Sold my DD5 over a decade ago & never looked back. I did pick up a cheesy Danelectro slapback thingy for $5, but never used it out. Actually I've never used a delay of any kind since. I just hit the note twice.

Jusrin

[Randall]

"I trust none of you curmudgeons have a digital delay on your pedal boards"

That's not even close to what this is about. I had a Boss D-delay om my board, FWIW.

[Chuck H]

I used a BOSS digital delay when I gigged (still have it, it's dusty). Also a digital reverb and a Whammy pedal. As noted, not the same thing as having your main, dry signal be a "replicant". Digital effects get a pass from me. Gotta draw the line somewhere I suppose if only for convenience. Which is the same for the digital amps. They can be convenient. When they're not getting drowned out of the mix anyway. I imagine it like junk food. I prefer to eat better but burger joints can be valid when you're hungry and don't want to drive further or spend more. I'll make such dietary concessions that detriment my health, but not those concessions that detriment my tone and art. I think something has to be held to a high standard if only to avoid having your whole life become a Big Mac.

[Justin Thomas]

Fekking brilliant with that one, Chuck!

Justin & Jusrin

[g1]

I've never used a delay of any kind since. I just hit the note twice.

That's beautiful. Do you use a 'straight-in' pedal too?

[Justin Thomas]

I wish I could send pictures from my phone. (I probably could figure it out if I took the time). I did rig up a cardboard box once with a jack in each side, wired straight across. I scribbled "EFFECTS BOX" on the front & played a church gig with it. I just played with my Arion SCH-1 & Sparkle Drive on the whole time, out of sight. Then straight into my 62 Concert.

Justin

[Chuck H]

I wish I could send pictures from my phone. (I probably could figure it out if I took the time). I did rig up a cardboard box once with a jack in each side, wired straight across. I scribbled "EFFECTS BOX" on the front & played a church gig with it. I just played with my Arion SCH-1 & Sparkle Drive on the whole time, out of sight. Then straight into my 62 Concert.

Justin

When I gigged it was easy to identify the guitarists in any club. They're the ones that walk up and inspect your rig. Sometimes when it was appropriate I would leave the pedal board at home and plug my Warmoth strat straight into my Marshall. Now, my strat is modded with series and phase options that allow me to get huge tones. And the Marshall was stealth modded with a channel stack and my own tweaks, but done in a way to keep it stock looking. Guys would come up to look at my amp settings and ask me "How do you get that killer tone?" My answer was always "I dunno. It's just a strat plugged into a Marshall."

[nosaj]

When I gigged it was easy to identify the guitarists in any club. They're the ones that walk up and inspect your rig. Sometimes when it was appropriate I would leave the pedal board at home and plug my Warmoth strat straight into my Marshall. Now, my strat is modded with series and phase options that allow me to get huge tones. And the Marshall was stealth modded with a channel stack and my own tweaks, but done in a way to keep it stock looking. Guys would come up to look at my amp settings and ask me "How do you get that killer tone?" My answer was always "I dunno. It's just a strat plugged into a Marshall."

Shouldve told them you always keep your audio cord in the freezer until it's time to play. So the electrons can rest abit.
nosaj

[Justin Thomas]

Why I wanna build something into a Gorilla Tube Cruncher...

Jusrin

[HaroldBrooks]

"I trust none of you curmudgeons have a digital delay on your pedal boards"

That's not even close to what this is about. I had a Boss D-delay om my board, FWIW.

I agree. Comparing a Digital Delay to a tube or solid state modeling amp is like comparing your Lawnmower to you car. Both run gas engines, but are quite different in their function. You wouldn't evaluate your lawnmower on the basis of 0-60mph or if it lacked A/C ?

[glebert]

It was a joke guys.

[HaroldBrooks]

It was a joke guys.

Ok, LOL, I tend to have a quick trigger when talking about modeling, that has been established on other boards.

I used to own and gig with an early 70's Marshall Plexi, and about a Dozen or more other great vintage amps years ago in a rotation (and a couple today still !), and it makes me laugh, bristle, and a bit sad when I catch a kid talking about the latest "Plexi Pedal" or modeling amp with an "Exact" copy of a Marshall Plexi, and asking why would anyone need anything else ?

I am in a 12 step program to stop trying to convince the young crowd that there's a difference between a real tube amp and the fake kind.

99.5% of them have never been within 20 ft of an actual vintage Marshall, much less had the opportunity to play one dimed in a live gig setting, for the whole night !

Oh well, times they are a changin'.
https://www.google.com/search?source...31.wx4TmkyGMR4


This is definitely NOT a modeling amp, Enjoy !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZBlqcbpmxY