I agree totally. If emotion didn't come into it I don't think anyone would play a musical instrument in the first place. Since I got into Fractal I've just been playing/writing/recording at home through my studio monitors. I find playing through monitors less forgiving and hence better practice. The day is going to come where I get a valve (I'm British ) power amp (probably a Fryette) and I think I'll have the greatest guitar rig known to mankind. If Steve was to bypass the Synergy modules and put an amp block with the current firmware into the power amp on that stage I would be fascinated to hear his opinion.I think what Joe is hinting at is there is more to inspiration than sound. There's an emotional element as well. Plugging into a tube amp may sound exactly the same as modeler, but knowing I'm connected to something that glows and has a rich history makes me feel different about the experience of playing, and I'll play different because of that emotional response. Similarly, I'll play different if the studio is lit by candle light. Playing through a tube amp has the same kind of effect. I think we're at the point where the gap between digital and tubes can't be closed by technology, because the difference is emotional.
Respectfully, it's condescending to write this sort of thing from across the internet about someone with Vai's experience - particularly without knowing additional context. Not only is Vai a very long time Fractal user (the Fractal Legato model is his personal amp for crying out loud!), a recent rig rundown mentioned that they run Fractal modeling for the Hydra guitar seen in Teeth of the Hydra. So as a matter of fact he has used it very recently and while you and I may disagree with his opinions, the accusation of ignorance is a bit much. This is someone who quite recently rebuilt his live rig completely from scratch with new amps and a new Axe Fx III. He is absolutely not using some decades old legacy (ha!) setup.I wonder when Mr Vai last tried Fractal's amp models?
i'll try to be very vague here on purpose, but i was at a high profile show and a guitarist using the axe3 traded out their FRFR onstage monitor for a real cab. they sound checked and he said it sounded weird, the tech was like ohhhh you'd have to disable the cab modeling. it was close to show time and they didn't have time to fix it, they're on ears anyway, so it gave the "oomph" he wanted while playing. but yeah everyone needs to learn about different configurations the same way.I think people, even these GOATs, still mistakingly base their opinions on the comparison "modeler >> FRFR" versus "amp >> cab".
No mate, I carefully used language to not be condescending because I am in no position to question Mr Vai. This forum is in fact the only form of social media I have ever used because I have the self awareness to realise the internet is full of unqualified opinions and doesn't need my input too. Hence I said things like "I wonder" and "it would be..." and I do wonder about these thing. I was posing a question, not a pronouncement, about the additional context.Respectfully, it's condescending to write this sort of thing from across the internet about someone with Vai's experience - particularly without knowing additional context. Not only is Vai a very long time Fractal user (the Fractal Legato model is his personal amp for crying out loud!), a recent rig rundown mentioned that they run Fractal modeling for the Hydra guitar seen in Teeth of the Hydra. So as a matter of fact he has used it very recently and while you and I may disagree with his opinions, the accusation of ignorance is a bit much. This is someone who quite recently rebuilt his live rig completely from scratch with new amps and a new Axe Fx III. He is absolutely not using some decades old legacy (ha!) setup.
i'll try to be very vague here on purpose, but i was at a high profile show and a guitarist using the axe3 traded out their FRFR onstage monitor for a real cab. they sound checked and he said it sounded weird, the tech was like ohhhh you'd have to disable the cab modeling. it was close to show time and they didn't have time to fix it, they're on ears anyway, so it gave the "oomph" he wanted while playing. but yeah everyone needs to learn about different configurations the same way.
if they have an amazing rig already, why would they spend hours trying to make "some new thing" work for them? maybe guthrie for example had the need to create a smaller rig, so he did spend that time making it work. the same time we would all have to spend to learn any new product or gear.
imagine playing 200 shows a year on the same rig for 40 years, then trying something else out - anything - and not immediately getting the response you want. you might say "this new thing doesn't do it for me."
I don't see that being said here at all. I see a difference of opinions or maybe comparisons but I have read nothing saying that these guys have got it all wrong.Nothing funnier than message boarders insisting decades-long guitar masters are the ones who have it all wrong.