Modelling amps - why have anything else?

[Vincent]

I have heard good things over time about modelling amps,Vox and Roland in particular. The question is-Why have anything else?
If they do a good impersonation of the amps you like,why have a single voice amp? I think the people who stick with one type or model have their own particular sound and style. 'The Edge' from U2 has based his guitar sound for many years on the Vox AC series. He once owned 30 Ac30s.

The alternative if you want a mix of Brit. and American voicings is 3 or 4 amps that ,depending on model and whether new or second hand, could cost thousands of pounds and then there is the question of where to put them and if you play on stage do you lug them all around?;and yet many people do just that- so maybe moddeling amps are not the end all and be all?

[ecca]

My experience is that they're great in the bedroom but on a gig, and LOUD they're not quite so impressive.
Give me my Marshall valve amp any time.

[Santoinetwo]

I have to agree totally to the previous posting on here. I use a Behringer pro rack unit, and yes at low volume it does sound good enough. However crank up the volume to say a gig level, and the whole tone structure of the sound changes. It's good enough for band rehearsal, and small gigs. If I was just playing instrumentals all night then one amp is perfect, But like most who play in a band, extra tones are often required. Hence rack number two ! All singing and dancing 'Mesa Boogie' Triaxis pre amp. Which is the heart of my sound, plus the flexibility of midi control. Of course someone has to lug it all about !!

[roger bayliss]

I have owned a Vox VT120 (I think it was ) modelling amp and a AC30 heritage these days. The Heritage for me although the old one was OK it did not quite have the finish on the sound for me.

[Iain Purdon]

I agree that modelling devices (whether amps or pods or pedals) have their limitations. I tried a piece of kit that made a wonderful authentic upright bass sound at bedroom level: I wanted it for old rock'n'roll stuff but on stage it just didn't cut it at all. Likewise we made some studio recordings and I used a pod that boasted excellent modelling: again, not quite the business.

[Bluesnote]

But surely if you get a brilliant sound as I do with my Valvetronix 15w in your bedroom, you must get a similar sound if you put it through a mixing desk on a PA system that the whole band is through?
I've had a notion for quite some time of using a mini PA sytem and mixing desk to put my VA15 and backing tracks through in the hope of getting a good live sound in small venues and hoping that this would be the case.
Does anyone in here do this successfully?
Hugh.

[noelford]

For a long time I used a Pod X3 Pro, modelling an AC15, into an all valve power amp. The sound was great at low and very high volumes. These days I still use the X3 Pro but recently got fed up carting heavy amps up and down stairs, so I bought a Bose L1 Compact system to plug the Pod, Quad GT and BT player into. The Bose replaces my guitar amp, the PA system I used for BTs and my monitor, and still sounds great at the volumes I play.

[Bluesnote]

I was thinking of the Yamaha Stagepass systems either 300,400 or 500 models. Easy to carry and set up by all accounts. I just wondered if my VT15 would still sound as good through it?

[RUSSET]

I use a Zoom G2 modelling pedal direct into a channel of my band's PA, & would never bother with anything else. Although, I agree that if you are being perfectionist about tone it is hard to beat yer proper valve combo. I play mainly Rhythm guitar in the band & use the Zoom's Acoustic simulation model for the majority of tunes/songs. I do get to play Lead guitar on two or three Shads instrumentals & have set up the appropriate modelled patches for them, which really do sound the business. The amp models are great & the echoes excellent, & work really well at gig volume. I won't be going back to a guitar combo for live work again the PA which all the band goes through is so good to balance all the instruments & mikes (even the drums), & I don't need to break my back lifting an amp.

Tony.

[RayL]

+1 for the Zoom G2 - but not specifically as an amp modeller, more as a way of being able to 'custom-build' the sounds that I want and then place them in the order that I want them so that 'most-wanted' sounds can be placed just a foot-tap away from each other.

Ray