Can the Axe Do This?

[Phostenix]

Can the Axe Do This? (Ampeg V2)

There's a thread on TGP that I found interesting. Wait, hear me out!

The OP is not having any success getting the KPA to profile his Ampeg V2 at extreme distortion settings (or a fully cranked Hiwatt DR103, either). My guess, based on discussions here over the past couple of years, is that what he's trying to capture is an amp generating crossover distortion or blocking distortion (or both). So, my question is: Can the Axe replicate the sounds he's trying to get from a modeler/profiler? We don't have an Ampeg V2 model, but I'm wondering if the Axe could get the sound he's trying to profile.

Original Thread here:
The Kemper and "Non-Standard Distortion" - Anyone have any luck with an Ampeg? - The Gear Page

 

[electronpirate]

Since there's no clip or anything, sort of tough to judge.

Don't know much about Ampeg's, but would a Hiwatt be close?

With a tone match, I would think this would be a snap off of any higher quality clip out there.

 

[Phostenix]

I think the issue is that tone matches or profiles don't capture the character of the distortion. IOW, I don't think it's an EQ thing. It's more (I'm guessing) of a waveform change thing.

I cranked the gain & master of our Hiwatt models (Brilliant & Jumpered) and turned on the Boost, as well, but couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary. (In fact, I thought they sounded great & will revisit them later. ) I'm guessing what he's getting is that "spitting" or "splatting" type distortion.

 

[jimfist]

I think the OP is talking about really, ungodly nasty sounds that you wouldn't typically think are very useful, but in certain context, layered, can add a nice flavor to a guitar mix. Stuff like dime-ing all the knobs, ear-splitting loud and raunchy, with the output tubes on the verge of blowing up...that kind of stuff. Without audio clips, it is difficult to tell exactly what sounds the OP is trying to match, but I'd be surprised if even the SV Bass model, with certain parameter tweaks, couldn't come close, especially with some tone matching involved. The OP's claim is that none of the digital technology is really designed to get those awful, nasty sounds that he likes, but rather, more "polite" clean & distorted sounds.

Personally, I'm not sure I agree with his claim, but it's tough to say without something concrete to go on.

 

[iaresee]

Without clips, it's hard to say what kind of sounds he's after but:

It is the nasty, farty, muddy, overly-percussive, full-of-character things that the V2 does when cranked and tweaked in certain ways that make me love the amp, and it is those "oddball" tones that I really want to get profiled, as the sheer volume that thing kicks out is just plain brutal - and that's without getting into profiling my V4 or VT-22, which I'd love to do as well...

You can definitely make an amp model that normal farts out under extreme settings fart out on the Axe-Fx II. One of the reasons I love the AFII is BECAUSE it does this. I don't know anything about that Ampeg V2 model, but the Fender models in the AFII behave very much like the Fenders I've owned (and sold because the AFII did what it did without having to put ear plugs in).

The Bassman is very good at farting out at extreme settings. This is from an older FW release, circa 6.01, it's gotten even better:



Here's a similar things from circa 8.00 that's ridiculously on the money with a real, cranked Tweed Deluxe: