AX8 into Powerstage 170 or Tube Amp or Fryette PS2

Ok, guys I'm sold. I am a few steps away from leaving the digital realm completely, but I don't want to give up just yet.
My Tele plugged straight into my Friedman Dirty Shirley Mini into my Marshall 2x12 sounds and feels light years better than anything digital.
BUT... it's super limiting without any pedals. My only options for pedals are the AX8 but for some reason it's noisy as hell into the DSM.
Other option is Zoom G3X and that is quiet as a mouse and sounds good, but the built in overdrives kind of suck! Plus, I don't want to be sending that to FOH.
I spent quite a bit of time running the AX8 into the FX return of the DSM and it's just "ok". Even when I heavily tweak my patches specifically for this task (not even considering sending an extra out with cab to FOH) when I just compare guitar to amp, it's simply no where near as good.
Last night I gigged the DSM + Marshall and used AX8 into the FX return of the amp with cab sims ON... I know, crazy but honestly it was passable onstage tone and I didn't need to mess with my FOH patches.
I'm convinced now that a real speaker cab is what I want to hear and feel onstage (and at home at moderate volumes).
I also know I need the versatility of the AX8, even for FX and even with very limited patches.
Finally, I know I need (and want) FOH support, even at small gigs. I sort of use IEM support a bit (on tunes I sing).
If this doesn't work I'm doing a full reset and looking at a channel switching amp, some choice pedals and a Suhr RL-IR.
OR... waiting for the Suhr PT15-IR amp that is coming out.

I'll report back!
 
Gasp100 said:
Ok, guys I'm sold. I am a few steps away from leaving the digital realm completely
Click to expand...

That's making me nervous :eek:
I am about to do the opposite... ditching my tube amp and go for the fm3->ps-170->real cab that I have. Or maybe the fryette. I also wonder if a FRFR cab would would be better with a PS-170 than a guitar cab.

But it has to give me the amp in the room sound and tube feel... :confused: confused!
 
NaN said:
That's making me nervous :eek:
I am about to do the opposite... ditching my tube amp and go for the fm3->ps-170->real cab that I have. Or maybe the fryette. I also wonder if a FRFR cab would would be better with a PS-170 than a guitar cab.

But it has to give me the amp in the room sound and tube feel... :confused: confused!
Click to expand...
FRFRs are often not used with external power amps, most of the ones recommended here are active.

Also the FRFR sound is very different than the sound coming from a guitar cab. If you want that, then you need the guitar cab.
 
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Atte said:
With that setup the SS poweramp is better than a tube poweramp, since you want to have the poweramp modelling turned on for the FRFR, and it's a global parameter.

You also gain the benefit of modeling different poweramps, as opposed to using just the one you happen to own.

There was a good comparison video on the subject floating around somewhere here, maybe by Leon Todd? You might wanna try and dig that up.
Click to expand...

Just so we don’t get other readers off track, power amp modeling can be enabled/disabled in each preset (by setting sag to zero) or globally.
Also, though the OP has one and so not pertinent to the thread, I believe the Fryette is considered ‘flat’ and allows you to enable power amp modeling as well. It is supposed to deliver tube feel but not color, and many respected names here rave that it does just that.

Now back to your regular scheduled programming...
 
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It is supposed to deliver tube feel but not color

I don't understand this. What exactly does a "flat" tube amp have that makes it "better" than a flat SS amp when using a cab modeler. If you are using cab modeling, then whatever it adds (feel, for example) is color. If you are not using cab modeling and it is flat, then how can it sound different than a flat SS amp. Flat is flat. The point of modeling and FRFR or flat amp response is that the AX8 is delivering the tone AND feel of the amp. Someone please correct my understanding, if I am mistaken. So I don't get when people say that a flat tube amp sounds better and has a better feel, but doesn't add anything, as compared to SS amp--all other things being equal. Not saying that it isn't the sound some prefer, but if it sounds different then it is adding color on top of the amp modeling.

I know there are limitless degrees of minutiae in the tone argument about tubes and other amp considerations. But I do not understand how two flat amps can be compared and one be considered noticeably better without adding something.
 
WahooNC said:
It is supposed to deliver tube feel but not color

I don't understand this. What exactly does a "flat" tube amp have that makes it "better" than a flat SS amp when using a cab modeler. If you are using cab modeling, then whatever it adds (feel, for example) is color. If you are not using cab modeling and it is flat, then how can it sound different than a flat SS amp. Flat is flat. The point of modeling and FRFR or flat amp response is that the AX8 is delivering the tone AND feel of the amp. Someone please correct my understanding, if I am mistaken. So I don't get when people say that a flat tube amp sounds better and has a better feel, but doesn't add anything, as compared to SS amp--all other things being equal. Not saying that it isn't the sound some prefer, but if it sounds different then it is adding color on top of the amp modeling.

I know there are limitless degrees of minutiae in the tone argument about tubes and other amp considerations. But I do not understand how two flat amps can be compared and one be considered noticeably better without adding something.
Click to expand...

We are not talking about cab modeling, we’re talking about amp modeling...

Many many many threads on the subject. I could never get my Matrix to sound, feel, thump, and cut like a tube amp. Years back a few old timers here got together and tried and tried and got other ‘trusted advisors’ involved and could not make it happen. At the end of the day you might have to try for yourself. Keep receipts...
 
My bad, I said cab when I meant amp. If the AX8 is modeling amps--please substitute for cab in previous post and that is what I intended. Apologies for the confusion.

I'm happy with my setup: FRFR on the left and PS170 with 2x12 on the right channel. I use one, both, or the other depending.
 
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