No. I didn't say it was positive or negative...just highlighting that this is how each amp differs from the other. Both are valid approaches, for different uses.
Except in my 3-4 real amps, I have a TON of usable tones. The Road King has four channels, each with three sub-"flavors" (clean, tweed, heavy), plus it uses both 6L6 and EL34 tubes that can be combined in any combination. The MOD50 has the ability to swap modules created from the original amp's circuits. I have numerous modules, each with two channels. The amp can easily swap tube types from 6L6 to EL34 as well. I have multiple cabs that I can use as well. The Rebel-30 has the option to mix 6V6 and EL84 tubes at will. So those 3-4 amps have hundreds of usable sounds. Being able to capture each of them and replicate my existing rig as close as possible is appealing.
Whether I want to take the time to do that for each tonal variation, OTOH, is another question entirely.
Exactly!
So either you're missing my point that a single Axe amp sim can have its virtual knobs set in all sorts of configurations that very closely mimic the sound of the same knob positions on the real amp or you're looking at this from a different perspective that I have yet to grok.
I don't believe an actual Road King has been modeled yet by Cliff.
But I do think I've seen him say that the RK clean channel is basically a bf type of circuit and there are all sorts of bf preamps represented on the Axe's amp sims, including some from Mesa.
I don't know that much about the RK gainy sounds but are they really all that disimilar from those found in a MKII C+ or a MKIV or a Rectifier or a Triaxis, all of which currently do reside inside the Axe?
And if you really need to do things like change the default power tubes within an amp sim the Axe has ways of doing that too.
Not to mention mimicking a Variac and all sorts of other power amp mods.
So again, if you really need to come that close to 100% replicating each individual sound you use with that particular rig then the Kemper might be your best option.
But that's going to involve many many hours of you profiling those tones yourself.
As for me, I'm lazy.
I let Cliff design my amps for me.
I just turn the knobs until they sound the way I need them to.
There's only one of the Advanced amp Parameters that I ever touch routinely and that's the Low freq Resonance which I set to match the real cabs I'm using across all the amp sims I use.
I wish there was a Global LF Res parameter on the Global Pages and then I wouldn't even have to do that.
The point being that I'm able to get whatever I need just by adjusting the Gain/Vol/MV and Tone/Pres controls, just like I'd do on a real amp.
If I ever need a tone that can't be gotten that way then I do have the tools within the Axe to do that too.
The Axe's amp sims, as close as they are to real world amps, can be treated as just starting points from which you can pretty much do anything that can be done with guitar amplification.
Usually I don't have time for any of that shit though.
I just need 5 basic amp tones (set as Global Amps) for what *I* usually find myself doing: Clean Bright, Med-Gain, Hi-Gain, Bluesy-Gain, Dark Clean (for jazz).
I actually have 10 Global Amps though because I have those 5 amp tones dialed in both for my Strat and for my humbucker equipped guitars.
If you're a session heavy-weight and you're paid huge bucks to replicate this or that classic well-known tone then you're pretty much obligated to own all those real amps and to pay cartage to get them to the sessions.
But for the rest of us working stiffs who just have to sound good, and/or like ourselves, the Axe does just fine.
