Real amps vs modelling and plugin amps

[guitarzan]

I’ve been reading up on NAM and it seems like there are special ways to train it that result in even the standard size captures having significantly reduced aliasing to the point where they rival the best commercial algorithm based modelers, so I’m going to give it a go again.

There is a stripped down iOS NAM player called NAM XT that I will install soon to give it a shot. It’s only $10 and there are supposed to be some great free profiles available that highlight this anti-aliasing approach (Slammin Mofo seems to be the choice of the day).

I hate to start over because I doubt I’ll find a 5E3 profile that has the well-worn dynamics of the one that comes on the standard ToneX, and that one took a lot of time to tweak, but if NAM proves to be better aliasing-wise I can maybe figure out how to use NAM to capture my favorite tweaked tweed Deluxe ToneX profile with all the added pedals and stuff I used to get the range I needed out of it.

I think I’ll install NAM XT this weekend.

[CapnLockheed]

I use one of Aspen Pitman designed Spacestations for FRFR with modelers and profiler/capture hardware and software. Mine's not the current V3 but I believe
it was released shortly after Aspen sold the GrooveTubes brand. Sounds fantastic
and got it cheap as chips on fleabay.....seller didn't know what he had. I find it's a little lacking on low end tho so I'll often pair it with a Carvin AG100D or just crank it thru the PA.
As I recall, Aspen licensed this tech to Fender for their Acoustasonic SFX amps.

[stoopicus]

SWR had a tiny amp called the LA 10 that theoretically would make a great FRFR. Imagine putting a stereo pair of these wide across a stage:

That's cool!

For bass, these days I think I am done with amps. If I ever need to play live again (which I have no desire to but my friend and old bandmate still might) I think I would just get a pair of Yamaha DBR-12s or something and run everything in to a mixer/interface, with my buddy's guitar and my bass going in to a Quad Cortex first or something. Then just run outs to FOH as well.

Big cabs and amps are great fun when you're either young or have roadies/groupies/etc. These days... nah

[glokraw]

Leon's ME-90 videos:

[Naillerz78]

Never heard of that one , I thought only went to ME-80. Must check it.. I do prefer to fiddle with knobs. Had an Me-50 , it wasn’t bad, but a bit of a tone sucker .

It's the most recent model, replacing the ME-80 I guess. I was thinking of getting an ME-90, I got the Line 6 multieffect pedal first though and was dissapointed with it as all the overdrives and distortions sounded the same, and then the GX-700 with analogue overdrives and distortions turned up, and I got that instead. If you guys think the COSM digital modelling of dirt pedals is good now, I might reconsider getting an ME-90 though

Well the tip I got was re the boss COSM fuzz .
And the videos of the GT-1 by Josh Munday I posted earlier sound very acceptable re fuzz/distortion. Tbh I’d kill to get that Hendrix Voodoo Chile tone in the room .

Probably need to split the unit out stereo into 2 small combos to get it sounding similar .. that’s doable on my budget. love a stereo setup

[Naillerz78]

Lolz of the day

IMG_6977.jpeg

[YnJ]

Hehe. Were did the Turbo Overdrive go btw? Did it go out of production? I can only find it second hand. I apparently have the turbo setting on the GX-700, I guess I could use that, I would have liked having the pedal though. Especially if the non-turbo setting was the same as the first Overdrive

Well the tip I got was re the boss COSM fuzz
And the videos of the GT-1 by Josh Munday I posted earlier sound very acceptable re fuzz/distortion

The GT-1 is from 2016 and the ME-90 from 2023 I think, so the modelling is hopefully somewhat improved. It also got knobs for everything and is only 80 quid more, so if I'm getting a pedalboard multieffect I guess the ME-90 is what I would go for

[YnJ]

What had Boss released as Metal distortions up until 1996 btw? I have a distortion just called Metal on the GX-700. It is not a HM-2 or Metal Zone

[stoopicus]

There's also the GT-1000. But at that point just get the new Helix instead.

[Naillerz78]

Hehe. Were did the Turbo Overdrive go btw? Did it go out of production? I can only find it second hand. I apparently have the turbo setting on the GX-700, I guess I could use that, I would have liked having the pedal though. Especially if the non-turbo setting was the same as the first Overdrive

Well the tip I got was re the boss COSM fuzz
And the videos of the GT-1 by Josh Munday I posted earlier sound very acceptable re fuzz/distortion

The GT-1 is from 2016 and the ME-90 from 2023 I think, so the modelling is hopefully somewhat improved. It also got knobs for everything and is only 80 quid more, so if I'm getting a pedalboard multieffect I guess the ME-90 is what I would go for

This is a good review of the pros and cons. Overdrives at 15:47.
Very lush sounding FX. The overdrives remind me of the ME-50. Hmm not sure.

[zerocrossing]

There's also the GT-1000. But at that point just get the new Helix instead.

It's interesting that Line6, Kemper and Fractal came along and took this business away from Roland, when they were on the forefront of it. I used to have a mini-rig for small shows that was just a Vox Tonelab SE and a Boss VF-1, and it sounded great, but the Boss's amp models and distortions sounded horrible.

[YnJ]

This is a good review of the pros and cons. Overdrives at 15:47.
Very lush sounding FX. The overdrives remind me of the ME-50. Hmm not sure

I don't know, it's hard to tell not knowing what they're plugged into. I have dirt pedals which sounds awful when plugged into a clean channel, sounding amazing when used on the crunch channel with a tad gain from the amp as well. I don't think he did a very good demonstration with the overdrives neither. At least the ME-90 is something I can try for myself. Shops around here, selling guitars, amps and effects are not much to get excited about, apparently some actually have the ME-90 in their inventory though

I have an old GT-6 pedalboard on the way anyway. I was looking for a power supply for the GX-700 as it looked very worn. It works, I thought I should get another just in case anyway. I had the coice of spending 40 quid on a power supply, or 60 quid on a power supply included with a GT-6 which uses the same power supply, so I thought that was a better deal. I'm not going to use the overdrives or amp models anyway, and it has a few effects I don't have in other units. Unless the overdrives in the ME-90 turns out to be really good, I'm not really interested. Apart from overdrives and distortions I'm not really that much into effects

[Uncle E]

What had Boss released as Metal distortions up until 1996 btw? I have a distortion just called Metal on the GX-700. It is not a HM-2 or Metal Zone

Metal Zone was released in 1991. DS-1 and DS-2 are de facto metal pedals.

[Uncle E]

Very lush sounding FX. The overdrives remind me of the ME-50. Hmm not sure.

Check out the TC Nova Systems. Lush effects are what TC is known for and the overdrives are analog, with two modes equivalent to a Tube Screamer and a Rat.

[YnJ]

What had Boss released as Metal distortions up until 1996 btw? I have a distortion just called Metal on the GX-700. It is not a HM-2 or Metal Zone

Metal Zone was released in 1991. DS-1 and DS-2 are de facto metal pedals.

I got both the DS-1 and DS-2 in the GX-700, so it's not any of them. And it's not a Metal Zone