Amp modellers look like spaceship controls

Clockwork Creep

Power User
Hi.
Had an interesting brain biscuit:
Did you notice how people tend to listen with their eyes? When they see a device, the looks of it really affects the way they perceive the sound of and how they feel playing it.
That being said - I believe people like real tube amps partially because of how they look. Shining orange tubes, big vintage knobs, leather finishes and so on are inspiring.
Not all of us by far, but many guitarists are extremely conservative with guitar gear. In many cases, the words "Vintage" and "Analog" makes them already have a presupposition that it's better.
Most amp modelers look like controls of a spaceship, with all the bleeps and bloops, lights and whistles, colored screens and so on. And that doesn't help. The Axe FX looks ok, but maybe it's a good idea for future Fractal products to aim for something that looks more like a classic guitar amp?
I think the Positive grid BIAS units have done some great design choices:
Screenshot-2015-09-15-21.07.43-1024x610.png

Another example. The Matrix GT1000FX has some orange LED's in it. There is no reason for them to be there, except to imitate on how tubes shine. And I find that cool.
matrix-guitar-amplification-gt1000fx-2u-1037582.jpg


Check this Rob Chapman video. This is what it feels like when you see a nice looking Zilla cab and have no idea what the amp is.
 
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Good post!
I don't care about knobs or lights... I always been a multifx and a rack guy, so I prefer the sound than the look.
I dont like very much the BIAS unit look because it donesn't have a screen with parameters :). But this is my opinion.
For live gigs I usually connect my laptop and control everything with axe editor.
I think if someone wants knobs inthe front of the rig, he can buy RAC12. Avery good compromise between digital and analog.
:D:D:D
 
You know, that might work the opposite way too.
I much prefer the "spaceship" look that a plain standard vintag-y thing as control panel.

I mean, the TC2290 looks like the child of the Falcon and the Enterprise, super futuristic looking (still today), but people still consider it vintage.
 
I have the original line6 vetta combo, and an extension cab. Other than the LCD screens it looks pretty vintage. I fired it up again a while back because i was debating what to take to a buddies house for a friendly jam..

The vetta combo actually sounds pretty good, but I will take the black box with the green screen any day. I could paint it pink, replace the knob with a girl scout cookie, and the buttons with marshmallows, its still going to sound superior.
 
I think my Axe-FX looks really damn cool. The green glowing screen, the input LEDs, the big-ass value knob. Love it. I also REALLY loved the look of the Eleven Rack, but I had free VST's that sounded as good or better so that thing had to go.
 
You know, that might work the opposite way too.
I much prefer the "spaceship" look that a plain standard vintag-y thing as control panel.

I mean, the TC2290 looks like the child of the Falcon and the Enterprise, super futuristic looking (still today), but people still consider it vintage.
I googled for the TC2290. First impression: Looks like a panel ripped from the "Back to the future" time machine car.
 
So how would you adjust 1800 parameters of the AxeFx with a Bias-like design ?
BIAS amp uses the computer to adjust all complex things and porting presets, and leaves only the knobs you need for live application on the unit itself.
While that might look "better", do we want that? I would actually kind of like that... Others - Probably not. Debatable. Anyway - Removing the screen is not necessary.
Check this out:
MarshallCode2.jpg
 
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I googled for the TC2290. First impression: Looks like a panel ripped from the "Back to the future" time machine car.

Oh Yeah, I actually wanted to write just that "It looks like the Time Circuits from BTTF.
If I'm right, they started making the 2290 in 1986, so some sort of "influence" was taken from BTTF (probably just a coincidence)

Don't forget this digital beauty!

korg_sdd3000_dec82p55key.jpg

Hell Yeah!
I pictured that Korg delay too.
 
BIAS amp uses the computer to adjust all complex things and porting presets, and leaves only the knobs you need for live application on the unit itself.
The Bias amp is gimped compared to something like the AxeFX. It has NO FX whatsoever. It's functionality is so minimal that some of the deep editing controls are directly on the front of the unit. Comparing it to the AxeFx as if the Axe could be usable in such a configuration is pure nonsense.

The Marshall is slightly more in-line, and I like their look a lot, but those are low end modeling amps not super high end processors; so to me, they are only a really tenuous analogy in terms of interface for like the AFX which have a ridiculous level of capability and configurability.

Saying you MUST hook the thing to a second device just to edit presets is a little questionable, IMHO, too, if that were the route that were took... I think a lot of people would rather deal with a spacecraft interface.

Don't get me wrong, I love aesthetics too; and having something look cool, not to mention provide a great interface, is an excellent goal... I put my AFX in a case and set it up so it would look as much like a head/cab rig as possible, for example. But in the end, function > form. Example: People raved about the MP-1, which I personally owned and used for years and that thing had a wretched McDonald's membrane keyboard interface in late-80's-blue and a multi-segment LED display; but it was deeply loved and widely used because it sounded amazeballs and provided programmability that just wasn't available widely prior.

I'd rather see something aligned with what Line 6 is doing with the Helix series, I do think they have set the bar in the interface and industrial design area for deep units.
 
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I get what you're saying. There are plenty of manufacturers who'll accomodate this desire. The one that comes to mind most directly (based upon my experiences) is Vox: They put an orange LED behind a 12AX7 to spackle over the fact that they don't run enough current through the heater to make it glow. You may well ask what use is a tube that's not operating anywhere close to spec; I did... :\

Personally, I prefer the utilitarian appearance of MFX processors. I'd really hate to see Fractal disappear down the "form over function" rabbit hole... Leave that to the vendors who are driven by marketing desires rather than engineering excellence.

FWIW, it's pretty easy to make something like the AFX look different, if that's what you want. Think about things that you can do without modding the unit, like putting some LEDs behind a perforated filler panel in your rack

I suppose you could even print a vinyl skin for the front panel, find some alternative knobs, and cover the LCD... :)
 
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