Modeler Stress Test

FractalAudio

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Fractal Audio Systems
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A great "stress test" of a modeler is how well it performs at extremes. How accurate is the modeling when the amp is pushed to the limits? Amps do crazy things when their virtual power amps and power supplies are pushed to extremes.

In this test I've compared the Axe-Fx III (with our new "Ares" modeling), another product and a real amp. The amp used is the Vibrato channel of a Deluxe Reverb with Volume, Bass and Treble all at 10. The equivalent model was chosen on the III and the other product and the respective controls also set to 10.

Can you guess which is which?

www.fractalaudio.com/tmp/stress_test.mp3
 
Unfortunately, I have only had a chance to listen on my phone, so I'm hessatant to make an assessment of which is which, I will say that on my phone, it sounds like the middle one moves into the full gain push much faster. I'm not sure if that's good or bad, or just a matter of how the device in question handled the input, or something else.
 
A great "stress test" of a modeler is how well it performs at extremes. How accurate is the modeling when the amp is pushed to the limits? Amps do crazy things when their virtual power amps and power supplies are pushed to extremes.

In this test I've compared the Axe-Fx III (with our new "Ares" modeling), another product and a real amp. The amp used is the Vibrato channel of a Deluxe Reverb with Volume, Bass and Treble all at 10. The equivalent model was chosen on the III and the other product and the respective controls also set to 10.

Can you guess which is which?

www.fractalaudio.com/tmp/stress_test.mp3

first the amp, the Axe III and finally the other product
The third one sound really bad, the first and the second seems the same, except for the reverb?
 
From my system it would seem the third time falls of the, Cliff,,,, Does not hold up at all. first two sound the same with two passes of the clips.
 
1 and 2 are quite similar but not indistinguishable (a little bit more of upper mids in the second one?).
3 is just bad and a lot quieter than the other two (but I assume you've normalized it for the sake of this comparison).

A comparison with reamped tracks would have been better IMHO but this one has been helpful to prove your point: one modeler is clearly better than the other audio wise.

It also seems that the modeling technology is not totally there yet.
Really REALLY close though...

P.S. Ares... cool name
 
1- Competition
2- Real thing
3- Axe Fx

Idk why everyone is hating #3 it sounds more realistic and natural being pushed to the limit
 
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