Why still a Drive pedal and so many Amp models? (it’s not about the nr of Amp or Drive models)

Semih Yanyali said:
1) I don’t need more than 2-3 amps. If you give a shot and use the same IR and Speaker setting, i think most will agree most amps sound almost the same. Like there are tens of Marshalls...100w Plexi can do all what others do in my opinion. I would only choose a modern version over it if the ghost notes/that vintage-dirty vibe was getting in the way.

2) Beside fuzzes and special sounds why a drive block?
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I currently use the same IR for everything and have all 4 amp channels on tap. It has been challenging at times to decide what to keep in my 4, but I currently have:
1) Fender Tweed
2) JTM45
3) Plexi
4 Dumble HRM

As you can see, 2-4 are all Marshall sounds, but rather than taking multiple that are doing the same thing, they are all at different points along the vintage to modern scale and with different gain staging, etc. Each one is doing something the others aren't. I'll agree there's not a lot of point in having multiple amps that are doing the same thing, so it's best to pick the one you like most in that specific category.

As far as the drive block... I've been finding it a lot more useful since FW 13 than in the past. Pre-FW13, I would have echoed the sentiment of using the drives just to shape EQ. I've currently got the Tone King on my drive block and when I throw that in front of my JTM45, I get a great tone that I can't get from boosting the JTM45 or switching to one of my higher gain marshals. It's hard to put my finger on it, but I feel like the drive block now does more than just EQ and some dirt.

I will also note that I don't use the Drive block with higher gain amp settings, just my lower gain / edge of breakup tones.
 
Semih Yanyali said:
Sure but you don’t need the drive block for it.
Amp boost selections gives you most of the pedal eq options and without the extra compression and distortion of the pedal.
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And who said I don't want those things?

Additionally, there are a limited number of boosts - not all of the drives are there.

And there's more EQ in a drive block than in a boost: the boost has no control over the EQ settings and no control over the amount of drive.

My favorite boost pedal is the RCB... No option for that as amp boost.

I'm not really here to argue or change your mind... Your opinion is just different than mine. That's ok ;)
 
unix-guy said:
And who said I don't want those things?

Additionally, there are a limited number of boosts - not all of the drives are there.

And there's more EQ in a drive block than in a boost: the boost has no control over the EQ settings and no control over the amount of drive.

My favorite boost pedal is the RCB... No option for that as amp boost.

I'm not really here to argue or change your mind... Your opinion is just different than mine. That's ok ;)
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no worries, i don’t feel like we are arguing...thx for sharing your thoughts.
 
giantslayer said:
I currently use the same IR for everything and have all 4 amp channels on tap. It has been challenging at times to decide what to keep in my 4, but I currently have:
1) Fender Tweed
2) JTM45
3) Plexi
4 Dumble HRM

As you can see, 2-4 are all Marshall sounds, but rather than taking multiple that are doing the same thing, they are all at different points along the vintage to modern scale and with different gain staging, etc. Each one is doing something the others aren't. I'll agree there's not a lot of point in having multiple amps that are doing the same thing, so it's best to pick the one you like most in that specific category.

As far as the drive block... I've been finding it a lot more useful since FW 13 than in the past. Pre-FW13, I would have echoed the sentiment of using the drives just to shape EQ. I've currently got the Tone King on my drive block and when I throw that in front of my JTM45, I get a great tone that I can't get from boosting the JTM45 or switching to one of my higher gain marshals. It's hard to put my finger on it, but I feel like the drive block now does more than just EQ and some dirt.

I will also note that I don't use the Drive block with higher gain amp settings, just my lower gain / edge of breakup tones.
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i can relate to it since i was using the drive block also mostly for edge of break up tones...Drives definitely got better and they sound just as good as a pedal. Still i think you should be able to get there just with the JTM45. That was the moment for me where i decided not to use the drive block. I was pushing matchless dc30 or hiwatt with drive block...than i programmed those edge of break up tones just with the amp, for my ears result was better and one less block/bunch of pedals to worry about. (too many options is really killing me sometimes)

edit: ...and in my opinion jtm45 and Plexi are 2 different beasts. I use 1 for more clean/edge of break up and the other for more saturated tones...though plexi clean can be also pretty usefull at times.
 
The Axe replaced rooms full of equipment and nightmares.... it's made for anything just about you can dream up... whether simple or complex!
Love it, babyyyy!!!
 
William Mims said:
Drive pedal also allows one button to change from the natural amp character to the pedal kicking amp magic!
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This! It takes less time to dial in the sweet spot of a drive pedal than that of an amp. Going from pristine clean to lead for example. Also a drive pedal just sounds different than a driven amp. Some people actually like the sound of drive pedals more than the drive of amps. Just like certain amps have a sound so do drive pedals.
 
I dont know... I've got my stuff down to a few amps I use for the situations Im in. I have maybe 4-6 presets which are all the same except the amp blocks. Cabs are the same for almost every preset 4 x 12 no matter clean or dirty.

I rarely use a drive pedal anymore because there is so much to be had in the amp models.

The great thing about the Axe III is that all that stuff is there even if you dont need it, use it or even want it.

Plenty o days I spend on a blank preset and use all different options I normally dont use just to see what happens.

Personally, Id prefer a doxen total cab slots and more preset space. If possible even less of that would be cool if the trade was more power for even larger presets.
 
Semih Yanyali said:
this is exactly the point where i don’t agree. In my experience/for my taste...that tube screamer infront of plexi (just as an example) is degrading the amps natural sound. I can almost always get better drive tones just using the amp and maybe the boost in amp block.

Try it, set your drive+amp combination. Than turn of the drive and try to get there again just with the amp block. Almost always when i do this and A/B, amp block alone wins. Especially in the studio/at recording sessions.
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You're not wrong. Neither are those who like how a pedal interacts with an amp. This is one of those discussions that is subjective and really cannot be proven one way or the other. I agree that with the Axe III it's much easier to get overdriven and distorted tones without using a drive pedal. That's not to say I don't like putting a drive in front of an amp to further shape the tone. Whether the amp still sounds "as intended" or "pure" doesn't really enter the equation for me.
 
I’m not super into drive pedals. At times I thought I should be, because of what I’d be reading about with other people’s setups. It was sort of a grass is always greener thought. But I’m not bothered by it now.

Having said that, I’ve found drive pedals fit best for me when I’m playing a single coil neck pickup into a Fender. I’ll kick in a drive like Ruckus for a smooth lead sound. The drive adds a character and gain that I can’t get from boosting lead on the amp. I’ve also found the Shimmer has an interesting character to a lead that I can’t get from boosting gain.

But like others have said, it’s all good.
 
I enjoy amp gain, drive pedals into a nearly clean amp, and drive pedals into a pretty crunchy amp.

But will say this, which no doubt means I have to hand in my license to Drive: I have never, not once, put a Tube Screamer in front of any amp and thought it improved anything.

Lately I've been digging the Jam Ray in front of a the Class A 15 TB, and the Hoodoo with the Dirty Shirley, and I've dug the OCD, and others. But no TS. Even if the pedals I do like are slight variants on a TS, the TS itself has just never worked out for me.
 
"most amps sound the same" takes the feel of those amps out of the discussion. The feel and sound of an amp will affect how and what we play through it, not the sound alone. A drive pedal in front of an amp will change the sound and feel, so it makes sense that a lot of players end up going this route.
 
The AxeFXIII attempts to recreate the highlights of 70 years of electric guitar amplification and it does it quite well. Not many guitar players are trying to play outside of a 10 year span of tones, and even less outside of a single genre. It makes perfect sense when some people don’t get certain features, tones or uses. It’s simply not the way YOU choose to use the Fractal. Do what you do and be happy.
 
To add to the “most amps sound the same” comment, yes. An amp in a certain category will sound the same. The IR has far more to do with the final sound than the amp does. This is also the case in the physical world. Recently saw a YouTube video where 2 heads were switched out using the same cabs and mics. the results were definitely in the same ballpark. Then they switched cabs with mic placements as close as possible to one another. The Difference was drastic.
 
Budda said:
"most amps sound the same" takes the feel of those amps out of the discussion. The feel and sound of an amp will affect how and what we play through it, not the sound alone. A drive pedal in front of an amp will change the sound and feel, so it makes sense that a lot of players end up going this route.
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what i mean is there 3-4 types of amps... ones in same category sound almost the same (with same IR and Speaker settings) like a JTM45 and Dirty Shirley or most fenders, class a amps etc. I did these comparisons for days at different times/years. In my case for example...matchless dc30 covers for me all the other amps (ac20, ac30, trainwreck rocket...) do, I dont feel like ac20 or ac30 offer anything more or really different than a dc30.
 
These posts where someone asks other people to justify theIr preferences Because they don’t “get” them, are goofy, IMHO. Not everyone has the same needs, tastes, or approach. I’ve seen enough “I only need 2-3 amps so everyone should only need or want that many too” threads to last a lifetime. LOL. If you think most amps sound and feel the same you might want to dig in and explore the subtleties many have to offer in dynamics, etc.
 
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Bruce Sokolovic said:
To add to the “most amps sound the same” comment, yes. An amp in a certain category will sound the same. The IR has far more to do with the final sound than the amp does. This is also the case in the physical world. Recently saw a YouTube video where 2 heads were switched out using the same cabs and mics. the results were definitely in the same ballpark. Then they switched cabs with mic placements as close as possible to one another. The Difference was drastic.
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totaly agree of IRs/Cabinets impact...i am one of those who say IRs are %51 of your tone.
 
Semih Yanyali said:
what i mean is there 3-4 types of amps... ones in same category sound almost the same (with same IR and Speaker settings) like a JTM45 and Dirty Shirley or most fenders, class a amps etc. I did these comparisons for days at different times/years. In my case for example...matchless dc30 covers for me all the other amps (ac20, ac30, trainwreck rocket...) do, I dont feel like ac20 or ac30 offer anything more or really different than a dc30.
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Again talking about sound and not feel though.
 
zenaxe said:
These posts where someone asks other people to justify theIr preferences are goofy because they don’t “get” it, IMHO. Not everyone has the same needs, tastes, or approach. I’ve seen enough I only need 2-3 amps so everyone should too threads to last a lifetime. LOL.
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read again maybe you will get what my post is about...no one is trying to justify anything. it is about ex-changing thoughts/experiences to make things easier for others or to learn new stuff from others.
 
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