RDeraz
Experienced
mortega76 said:First up was the Carvin TS100... my Axe-fx (with my current distortion setting and output 1 maxed)
DAMN SON!how hard were you hitting the front end of that amp? :shock: :lol:
mortega76 said:First up was the Carvin TS100... my Axe-fx (with my current distortion setting and output 1 maxed)
mortega76 said:DieSchmalle: Well, the problem with the "'muffled" sound being too much mids should have been null since I A/B'd the two power amps using the same patch side by side within the same cab (Marshall 1960 stereo cab) and at equal volumes. The tone was clearly different...
FractalAudio said:I put the amp being modeled into one side of a stereo 4x12 and the Axe-Fx through a SS power amp into the other side. I then use an A/B switch to select between the two. I use this as a final verification of the model's accuracy.
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It really doesn't matter. As long as you are not driving an ss power amp into clipping or self-limiting, it will make no audible contribution of its own. I know how much superstitious resistance there is to this fact among guitar players, but it is a fact nonetheless. There is a huge difference between guitar-specific tube power amps - which intentionally create coloration - and general-purpose ss ones, which are specifically engineered - quite successfuly these days - to be free of all coloration.paulmapp8306 said:Which SS Power amp would that be cliff
I noticed beginning with 9.0 that I needed to reduce MV settings substantially. Even when the sim represents a non-MV amp, I have reduced the setting quite a bit from where it was pre-9.0.ang said:ever since the power amp sim upgrades i too have been using lower master volumes
This is an offhand description of a comparison that can only be done reliably under extremely well-controlled conditions.paulmapp8306 said:however I a/b'd
Art SLA-1 bridged
Alesis RA300
QSC GX3
Lab Gruppen fp2200
Crown (cant remember the model)
Along with 2 valve power amps. While I prefered the valve power amps - which may well be due to there non linearity, ALL the SS amps sounded different.
As you present it in the form of a broad, absolute generalization, this could not be more incorrect. If you're relying on the Axe-Fx to produce the desired nonlinearities, then you want no additional contribution from the power amp. If you feel the Axe-Fx can't provide all those on its own, you may choose to use a tube power amp to add its own nonlinearities and colorations. If I found that necessary, the primary reason I own an Axe-Fx would cease to exist.At the end of the day it doesnt matter is an amp is linear or not
Jay Mitchell said:This is an offhand description of a comparison that can only be done reliably under extremely well-controlled conditions.paulmapp8306 said:however I a/b'd
Art SLA-1 bridged
Alesis RA300
QSC GX3
Lab Gruppen fp2200
Crown (cant remember the model)
Along with 2 valve power amps. While I prefered the valve power amps - which may well be due to there non linearity, ALL the SS amps sounded different.
To what lengths did you go to match loudness levels among the different amps when you compared them? Unless you're within less than 1dB, you will perceive a tonal difference. Most people will describe the louder amp as "more present," "brighter," etc., even when listening to the same amp at slightly different levels. Stereo salesmen have known this trick for decades: when giving you a demo, they will bump the volume of the speaker/amp/whatever they would prefer you buy (i.e., the one for which they will get the highest commission). Works like a charm, and the unsuspecting buyer never knows he's been had....
As you present it in the form of a broad, absolute generalization, this could not be more incorrect. If you're relying on the Axe-Fx to produce the desired nonlinearities, then you want no additional contribution from the power amp. If you feel the Axe-Fx can't provide all those on its own, you may choose to use a tube power amp to add its own nonlinearities and colorations. If I found that necessary, the primary reason I own an Axe-Fx would cease to exist.At the end of the day it doesnt matter is an amp is linear or not
paulmapp8306 said:Jay Mitchell said:This is an offhand description of a comparison that can only be done reliably under extremely well-controlled conditions.paulmapp8306 said:however I a/b'd
Art SLA-1 bridged
Alesis RA300
QSC GX3
Lab Gruppen fp2200
Crown (cant remember the model)
Along with 2 valve power amps. While I prefered the valve power amps - which may well be due to there non linearity, ALL the SS amps sounded different.
To what lengths did you go to match loudness levels among the different amps when you compared them? Unless you're within less than 1dB, you will perceive a tonal difference. Most people will describe the louder amp as "more present," "brighter," etc., even when listening to the same amp at slightly different levels. Stereo salesmen have known this trick for decades: when giving you a demo, they will bump the volume of the speaker/amp/whatever they would prefer you buy (i.e., the one for which they will get the highest commission). Works like a charm, and the unsuspecting buyer never knows he's been had....
As you present it in the form of a broad, absolute generalization, this could not be more incorrect. If you're relying on the Axe-Fx to produce the desired nonlinearities, then you want no additional contribution from the power amp. If you feel the Axe-Fx can't provide all those on its own, you may choose to use a tube power amp to add its own nonlinearities and colorations. If I found that necessary, the primary reason I own an Axe-Fx would cease to exist.At the end of the day it doesnt matter is an amp is linear or not
Umm. I tried all amps at several different volumes actually. I get where your comming from, but the differences wernt slight, they were - in some cases - HUGH. The Aleses was fizzy - at all volume levels with all patches compared to the other amps. The Lab was by quite a way more transparent in the mids, the rest (appart from the Alesis) were very thick sounding by comparrison. I know it shouldnt make a difference - but it did.
As for the non linearity not mattering - I didnt mean that from a tech point of view, I just meant if an amp that is obviously non linear - like a valve power amp - SOUNDS better to YOU, then it is the best amp for YOU regardless of that non-linearity. This may be because you are designing bad patches, or dont know how to get real sounds from the axe. it might be because you have crap ears and dont know a good sound from a bad one. That doesnt matter either. If the combination of the Axe, your own programming skills, and ANY amp sounds the best to you - that amp is the BEST for YOU.
The thing is that it's a very easy mistake to make with digital units like the Axe. Master to a lot of people just seems like a knob that can be twisted to ten without taking any damage while doing so. A lot of the MV amps we're talking about here are 100watters. Go into a guitar store and crank a Rectifier up to ten and see what happens :lol: . And then put a mic infront of that airplane volume and see how that sounds !FractalAudio said:For modern, high-gain, MV amps you typically want the Master below 5. I've stated this numerous times.