Harry Klippton
Not Interested
Fair point
The Latest & Greatest Pedals!!!
- Thread starter music6000
- Start date
jeffwhitfield
Well-known member
I’m of the opinion that most pedals designed to emulate an amp are not good candidates for someone with an existing amp/cab. If you already have a Marshall, obviously you don’t need a Marshall-in-a-box. And I think you’d also have a hard time getting a solid Vox sound from a Marshall as well. Just two different beasts that don’t mix.
I think the best best candidate is someone using an amp/cab rig that is neutral and clean to begin with. That way you can get pretty much any sound you want with the right pedal combo. Seems to me that’s what I’d driving the popularity of these pedals.
I think the best best candidate is someone using an amp/cab rig that is neutral and clean to begin with. That way you can get pretty much any sound you want with the right pedal combo. Seems to me that’s what I’d driving the popularity of these pedals.
Doesn’t all amp/cab have its own tone. What amp/cab are known to be neutral ?
Paradox916
Well-known member
No amp=no fun
I was just thinking recently about how little fun it would be to play in a band with no amps on stage
jeffwhitfield
Well-known member
Mostly your FRFR kind of stuff. Line 6 and Headrush come to mind but Friedman also has an option. They‘re not traditional amps and cabs. I mean, its amplified sound…but with a different goal in mind.
That line is fuzzy and is only getting fuzzier.
Modeling combos like the Boss Katana and the Line 6 Catalyst do double duty - they’re (shockingly good) modeling amps already, but they have “Power Amp” inputs that basically turn them into serviceable FRFR monitors for modelers at very competitive prices.
But Helix users have even been known to tweak their patches to pass a “close enough” signal to a clean-ish amp like a Fender Twin or Roland JC - obviously those amps aren’t FRFR but that doesn’t mean the patch can’t be tweaked to sound “good” even not 100% “accurate”.
jeffwhitfield
Well-known member
like @manfesto said, it’s kind of blurred. If you’re talking about a Katana or Catalyst then the amp is digitally modeled in the unit itself. With powered speakers, you’re relying on another source to provide the amp tone. Could be a Helix…or it could be one of these new amp pedals.
The trend is to go ampless and run your guitar straight to the console. Beats having to mic up an amp every time. Even some high end guitarit’s are starting to do this.
Joe SatrianI just released an album where he recorded all his guitar parts using the SansAmp plugin. No amps. I’m sure he still uses amps on the road…but I half wonder if he might end up using a SanAmp hardware unit instead of a traditional amp and cab.
jeffwhitfield
Well-known member
Keep in mind that with an ampless rig, the only reason to use FRFR speakers is so you can hear your guitar in a room. Otherwise, all you need is some headphones or a monitor from the console.
I’m actually pleased to see these new analog amp pedals. Gives guitarists more options. Some guitarists don’t like the idea of going digital so these pedals offer an analog alternative.
I’m actually pleased to see these new analog amp pedals. Gives guitarists more options. Some guitarists don’t like the idea of going digital so these pedals offer an analog alternative.
spi
Well-known member
These are actually digital modelers. The description says:
"Built upon powerful dual‑processor engines and UA's proven analog modeling expertise, UAFX Guitar Pedals give you sonic authenticity far beyond other stompboxes."
Like @szukalski said, kind of annoying that they didn't put all the amp models in one box at that price.
Then they’d be competing more directly with the Strymon Iridium and Walrus Audio ACS1, which are exactly that - three amp models (a Fender, a Marshall, and a Vox) in one box.
UA clearly thinks there’s a market for a box that does one amp type but with additional mods; time will tell if they’re right.
I used to think that tone had to be heavy - and your idea of tone os the sound of a 1959SL Marshall through a quad then yeah, that's gonna be heavy. But I've been getting the best sounds of my life lately through little 1x12 combos. I'll use a boost and/or overdrive and sometimes some delay and reverb, and it sounds soooooooo much better than when I used to gig with a Twin Reverb II! Or any of those heavy amps I used to gig with.
A well built 1x12 tube combo can sound huge. If it's in a solid pine cab it can fill a stage with sound. I have a few, varying from 12W to around 35W and there's not a gig I couldn't do with what I have.
Trouble is it's taken me 40 years to work this all out!
A well built 1x12 tube combo can sound huge. If it's in a solid pine cab it can fill a stage with sound. I have a few, varying from 12W to around 35W and there's not a gig I couldn't do with what I have.
Trouble is it's taken me 40 years to work this all out!
andare
Well-known member
I have a hand-wired tube amp with a solid pine cab, 1x12, 30W. Master volume. It sounds amazing indeed. Does the solid pine make a difference? Tone wood?
Well as I make my own cabs these days I feel like I can add a little to the mix - solid pine does help your amp fill a stage. I have built similar cabs from solid pine and 18mm birch ply and it's fascinating how different they are. The ply gives a harder, dryer, 'more focused sound as you might expect. It's more directional because the cab itself isn't contributing as much to the sound. The solid pine cabs I build do tend to have thinner baffles too, because that's how tweeds were built back in the day. The pine, thin baffle, minimal connection points between baffle and cab, and relatively open construction helps a tweed style cab spread the love. In theory I guess it should sound loose and less defined but in practise I find I get all the clarity and definition I need.
What's your amp?
I have built similar cabs from solid pine and 18mm birch ply and it's fascinating how different they are. The ply gives a harder, dryer, 'more focused sound as you might expect. It's more directional because the cab itself isn't contributing as much to the sound. The solid pine cabs I build do tend to have thinner baffles too, because that's how tweeds were built back in the day. The pine, thin baffle, minimal connection points between baffle and cab, and relatively open construction helps a tweed style cab spread the love. In theory I guess it should sound loose and less defined but in practise I find I get all the clarity and definition I need.What's your amp?
andare
Well-known member
It's this one https://sites.google.com/op.pl/customguitaramps/classictone-brownWell as I make my own cabs these days I feel like I can add a little to the mix - solid pine does help your amp fill a stage.
What's your amp?
Hand Built by a local guy. Probably the deal of a lifetime.
That's cool! Really interesting to read how a fella on the other side of the world is going on a similar journey to me, but in different ways of course. You are in Poland? Plenty of Polish people here in Australia. Also interesting to hear what he thought of the 5E11 Vibrolux. That circuit is a bit of a favourite of mine. From how he describes his it sounds to me like he didn't quite have the bias dialled in. The 5E11 can break up in a beautiful way. Your amp looks great! Looking at the schematic it looks like he has gone for an AB763 kinda sound but with more focus and mids on tap.
Also interesting to hear what he thought of the 5E11 Vibrolux. That circuit is a bit of a favourite of mine. From how he describes his it sounds to me like he didn't quite have the bias dialled in. The 5E11 can break up in a beautiful way. Your amp looks great! Looking at the schematic it looks like he has gone for an AB763 kinda sound but with more focus and mids on tap.
jeffwhitfield
Well-known member
Yes, so that was my initial point exactly, I can see that with a modeler system that allows you to tweak your patch you can get a close enough results to compensate for the target amp. However in a pedal, you really need to use something very neutral (DAW, PA, Powered Speakers, etc.)
Katana and others that offers a power input and act as a FRFR is really 2 beast in a box... When I asked my question I was more thinking traditional guitar amp, not saying that Katana and other modeler or solid state amp are not guitar amp. But their purpose change a lot when you by-pass the tonal section (modeler) and use them as FRFR.
But reflecting back to the Sweetwater video, while I didn't watch it all (they have covered it in the part I skipped), I didn't get a feeling that they were promoting a pedal to connect to a DAW/PA/FRFR, they left me with the feeling that their pedals would work in any amp. Which after all this discussion, I understand would not be the case.
Thanks to all, another great learning experience for me
andare
Well-known member
Yes I'm in Krakow. I know nothing of amps. He told me it's based on a Princeton but with a Master volume. He brought it over, it sounded awesome, I bought it on the spot. I have no frame of reference but when I played a newish Deluxe Reverb and a Dr.Z Maz 18 I didn't feel they were better. Also my amp looks like my grandma's furniture. Bonus!That's cool! Really interesting to read how a fella on the other side of the world is going on a similar journey to me, but in different ways of course. You are in Poland? Plenty of Polish people here in Australia.
peccary
Well-known member
I read that goddam book front to back about a dozen times in grad school as it was a big part of my comp exams and I can tell you from experience that internalizing that book is not great for ones mental health
