My grid template is ready and effects are dialed in.
Onwards we go to Amps and Cabs...
I've read reviews, I've seen a couple of users selling their IIs, I've read Jay's posts, I've seen words like "evolutionary, not revolutionary"...
Well, I am more than happy. Sure, I'm in my honeymoon period, but I get GREAT results.
Organic: check.
Feel: check.
Easier to dial: check check check check!
I selected the Shiva Ld, adjusted Drive (6.5) and Master (4), selected a Bogner or Mesa cab, and the tone just rrrrrrrroars from my studio monitors. Turned the monitors off, disabled the cab sim, routed it to my Matrix and EVM: same here, full bodied tone with all nuances.
I hear serious improvements "out of the box", even though can't really describe them precisely.
Thought I'd never said it, but yes, everything has become even more real. And in particular much more clear. In fact so much more clear that a couple of factory presets sound harsh now.
Love the added OwnHammer and Red Wirez IRs. The way I'm running now is Out1 for direct tone, using factory OH or RW cabs, and Out2 to poweramp and speaker cabinets, no cab sims.
And, like Smilefan does, it's also very possible to add cab sims to the Out2 signal to my EVM speakers, using TC30 versions of Ownhammer and Red Wirez IRs. Things stay very clear.
Whoops, don't have your studio monitors turned up loud when switching to factory preset 236 (JCM 900), you'll blow them up!!