I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Lets hear your sound clips...

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I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by rickenbackerkid »

and was surprised by how close they sounded in the mix of a rock'n'roll tune:





Really makes me think - how much of our tone chasing is really making our tone better?

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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by Single coil »

I duno about “better” as much as “different”.
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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by null_pointer »

I thought they both sounded the business, and dare I say the Sansamp cut better in the mix. You’ll never convince me modellers ‘feel better’, but in the mix...

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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by rickenbackerkid »

null_pointer wrote:I thought they both sounded the business, and dare I say the Sansamp cut better in the mix. You’ll never convince me modellers ‘feel better’, but in the mix...
100% agree, the Sansamp has a little more 'cut' to the sound. I could have probably added a little bite to the amp sound with EQ, or used a different mic maybe. But amazing how close they are in the mix.

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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by Slowy »

bbrunskill wrote:and was surprised by how close they sounded in the mix of a rock'n'roll tune:





Really makes me think - how much of our tone chasing is really making our tone better?
If I was playing at home, would I want a Tube Amp?
FUCK YEAH!!!!!

If I was playing with the band?
It'd be a relief not to need tubes at all.
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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by slash-ed »

I think the question of whether a modeller can sound good in a mix has kind of been answered long ago - amp modellers have been used on records since the first POD. And live? It matters even less, I've gone between tube to digital to hybrid and back and forth so many times and honestly no one can tell the difference or really cares as long as your tone sounds more or less right.

The area that modelling didn't use to really cut it for me was the feel. A SansAmp Blonde for example - long hailed as one of the litte miracle boxes of compact good tone, but to me, the playing feel is just flat and 2D, I just can't dig it.

But these days there are so many legit great sounding AND feeling options, and some of them are just VSTs! I'm pretty happy being 100% digital right now, and as long as I'm singing and playing in a band I don't think I'll be going back to tube - having all my vocals and guitars just going through my foldback without needing a separate head or cab is just so much easier.
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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by telefiend »

Totally, in a mix I doubt anyone could tell the difference. That's what I noticed with the Katana when I had it. Recorded with other tracks it sounded great, but to my ears when I was playing solo it lacked warmth and fullness when I back and forthed it with my little tube amp.

Edit: though a Katana isn't a modeller, so really I have no input to add :lol:
Last edited by telefiend on Fri Jan 19, 2018 7:48 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by Delayman »

Long time sansamp user here. (Did I sell you the British? I lose track)

Always been pretty happy with the amp emulations (currently have a fly rig and the blonde). One issue I’ve come across is that they don’t always play nicely with every od/dist pedal.

Btw did you have the British before your delays or at the end of your chain?

Cool video thanks.
They keep telling me tone is in the fingers, but I have yet to see a "look at my fingers" thread.
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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by rickenbackerkid »

Delayman wrote:Long time sansamp user here. (Did I sell you the British? I lose track)

Btw did you have the British before your delays or at the end of your chain?
Probably, I'm pretty sure I got it here on NZG. It's got some sort of satanic logo scratched into the bottom of it.

Signal chain was Hotcake / Tuner / Tremolo / Memory Man / Boss Reverb/Delay and then stereo out to the Amp and Sansamp. (but the mix only uses one at a time, so it's not stereo) I used headphones to listen to both and dial them in as close as I could.
slash-ed wrote:I think the question of whether a modeller can sound good in a mix has kind of been answered long ago - amp modellers have been used on records since the first POD. And live? It matters even less, I've gone between tube to digital to hybrid and back and forth so many times and honestly no one can tell the difference or really cares as long as your tone sounds more or less right.

The area that modelling didn't use to really cut it for me was the feel. A SansAmp Blonde for example - long hailed as one of the litte miracle boxes of compact good tone, but to me, the playing feel is just flat and 2D, I just can't dig it.
It has indeed. The cool thing about doing it for myself is that I know that it's not lazy or lame to record something direct, rather than get mics and stands and cables out and do it 'properly'

Agreed 100% about the Tech21 Blonde, I had one and it was a steaming heap of turd. So dull and dry in the top end and no matter how I set it, the mids were weird. The British is a hundred times better, I bet the Kemper and Helix, etc, etc are probably incredible.

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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by griff »

Always wondered how a Kemper feels under the fingers compared to a tube amp. Cause the tone is pretty much there.

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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by SimpleSi »

griff7628 wrote:Always wondered how a Kemper feels under the fingers compared to a tube amp. Cause the tone is pretty much there.
A/B with the Kemper, if you're using a good profile.

You can't tell.

It's that good, long time Kemper user here.
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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by Delayman »

bbrunskill wrote:
Delayman wrote:Long time sansamp user here. (Did I sell you the British? I lose track)

Btw did you have the British before your delays or at the end of your chain?
Probably, I'm pretty sure I got it here on NZG. It's got some sort of satanic logo scratched into the bottom of it.


Agreed 100% about the Tech21 Blonde, I had one and it was a steaming heap of turd. So dull and dry in the top end and no matter how I set it, the mids were weird. The British is a hundred times better, I bet the Kemper and Helix, etc, etc are probably incredible.

Hahahaha now I remember, I swapped you that British with the scratching (previous owner) for your pile of turd Blonde! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
They keep telling me tone is in the fingers, but I have yet to see a "look at my fingers" thread.
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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by SimonHirst »

Nice video Ben! I used the Tech21 Liverpool for most of a year-long covers residency gig we had a few years ago. Personally, I'll always be a tube-amp guy, but that pedal was brilliant in my mind for the purpose I needed at that gig. Would 100% go that path again if I was having to do a similar type gig.
There is/was a youtube video of a guy comparing a 60s AC30, an AC15 and the Liverpool pedal which sold me on trying it.

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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by rickenbackerkid »

Delayman wrote:
Hahahaha now I remember, I swapped you that British with the scratching (previous owner) for your pile of turd Blonde! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

yeah . . . um... :mental: sorry about that !

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Re: I made a video comparing an amp modeller to a real amp . . .

Post by Bg »

I had both and I preferred the blonde, speaking as a gentleman.

The whole point of modelling, imho, is flexibility. Whether or not it feels like the real deal is moot as that can be sacrificed for the flexibility brought from having a single box of tricks.

I've been a modelling advocate since Pod 2.0, and to my mind if you're playing at anything less than a volume where the amp is pumping, you may as well be playing a modeller as you don't get the 'feel' at anything less than a reasonable volume.

Most modelling solutions I've tried in the last few years have been close enough to make me not really care if there's a tube in there or not. And IMO the Katana cooks at a decent volume level as well :)

And for recording you'd be daft not to record at least one clean guitar track you can digitally reamp.
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