Modelers and analog pedals… do they really gel?

[hamerfan]

Asking for a friend and client. He changed from a Marshall amp to a Blackstar Amped3. Good sounds, works well in rehersal situations and recording. He uses the power out to drive a monitor box and the xlr to the mixing console.

But he had weird artefacts in live situation. The sound sometimes seem to get a synth like tone, one time he had cut outs coming and going. Our first thought was the volume of the pedals was to high and overloads the Digital converters to create that synth sound. The cutouts only happend in very crowded and hot situation. Maybe the Amped3 was not up to these temperatures.
Both artefacts could not reproduced in normal conditions. Anyone with similar experiences? What could be a remedy? Limiters, Fans?

 

[giovanni]

That seems strange. Digital electronics are less affected by temperature than analog. And usually they just stop working if they get too hot. The fact that you can’t reproduce in a controlled environment tells me it’s probably not the converters. I wonder if it could be a power issue? Like the venue’s power not being able to handle the load and thus the device being current starved? In that situation it could still work but incorrectly. Debugging this stuff is really tricky because digital devices are such black boxes.

 

[Paradox916]

I have heard of similar issues with other digital modelers like the a quad cortex rebooting in the middle of a song because of shitty venue power, it’s definitely something that happens with the newer digital stuff especially at the kind of old small venues most of us have probably played at. So I wouldn’t be surprised if that turned out to be the case, I wonder if a good power conditioner/regulator could cut down on this sort of thing.

 

[KreoPensas]

Hmmm. Without knowing more about the device, I would guess that the power supply ( for the stage ) is the culprit.

Regarding the idea in the thread title, yes they do, but only according to how well provisioned the digital inputs are.
If I were *designing* a circuit, I'd give it 10vpp input headroom so eurorack users can plug right into it.

 

[swelchy]

I've been playing live with modelers for years now.... Haven't played an amp live in almost 6 years... Which is crazy but it honestly is the best for what I do. I've used several different types as well.. My current pedalboard has line 6 stomp and a fullsize tonex. I still use some amp setups on the stomp but most of my current settings are on tonex patches.. I have my pedalboard setup just like a normal chain of effects.. my Guitar>fuzzes>overdives>modulation>HX stomp>Tonex>delays>Reverbs> pinstripe pedals Diso/line isolator for XLR out to F.O.H.
Obviously I play with in ear mix for monitors and let me tell you... for where I play it sounds incredible in the house and my ears. I'm never going back to lugging amps.. ever. My hx stomp and the tonex take pedals great.. they even respond like an amp.. the dynamics are there as well. I can't count how many times people ask me what amps I'm running..lol

 

[swelchy]

oh.. and silent practicing is awesome with my pedalboard at my feet at home with headphones on rocking out and disturbing no one.

 

[CheapSuitG]

Interesting to hear.

I have been searching for amp sim plugins for ages that get anywhere near my Egnater tweaker with zero luck. Missing a lot and doesn't react/interact well with pedals. The exceptions to this are recording bass direct with the Drebbel or Pork Loin.

If I could get 90% there I would be happy.

Granted, I don't play out and would 10000% use a modeler if I did.

I've been playing live with modelers for years now.... Haven't played an amp live in almost 6 years... Which is crazy but it honestly is the best for what I do. I've used several different types as well.. My current pedalboard has line 6 stomp and a fullsize tonex. I still use some amp setups on the stomp but most of my current settings are on tonex patches.. I have my pedalboard setup just like a normal chain of effects.. my Guitar>fuzzes>overdives>modulation>HX stomp>Tonex>delays>Reverbs> pinstripe pedals Diso/line isolator for XLR out to F.O.H.
Obviously I play with in ear mix for monitors and let me tell you... for where I play it sounds incredible in the house and my ears. I'm never going back to lugging amps.. ever. My hx stomp and the tonex take pedals great.. they even respond like an amp.. the dynamics are there as well. I can't count how many times people ask me what amps I'm running..lol

 

[lcipher3]

I have a Fender Deluxe Reverb and Tweed 5E3 that I never use anymore. Just too loud with people in the house.
My Boss Core GT1000 is super "touch" responsive and I can dial in what I want and experiment - using either headphones (which I kinda hate) or FR monitors at super low volume.

But its funny. For just practicing I have an old Peavy Blazer (the one with reverb) and its so simple a lot of times I just use that and the guitar.

I tried running "in the box" with Cubase etc and Amplitube, BlueCat, etc and just KILLS my creativity. Just seems like a different mindset / rabbit hole that winds up taking away from it all in terms of fun.

 

[hamerfan]

Yeah, loudness is a big concern in smaller venues, even for the musicians. We had an guitarist who quit playing with a band because of his hearing. He did wear protections all the time but his doc promised him to get deaf when he is older.