Excellent video Mathew! Much needed info - great share... (just read an unnecessary negative comment and wanted to offer encouragement). Seriously good video and quality work. New Sub for sure!
Thanks a bunch! TH-cam is certainly not short on trolls, but there are always people that find value in my videos and enjoy my content. Thanks for the kind words and for the sub!
Great video talking about a topic that will make the eyes of many people glaze over. Well except those of us who are tone and tech junkies.❤ Oh and I love my FM3 and QSC K12.2’s. Thanks Mathew!👍
Thanks for all the great info. I’ve been using Fractal gear for about 7 years now and I’m still learning. Do you set your output levels to -10 or +4 when sending FOH? I hear both from Fractal players. I think the Fractal manual says +4 when running into a PA system. Thanks!
I use +4 in almost all applications. I’ve only needed to switch to -10 in a few specific cases like having too hot of a signal for a digital stage box (although I believe that this element of the PA system wasn’t correctly installed or utilized, but being flexible with your gear is good), and when going to an FX loop meant for -10.
I recently formed a Styx Tribute band and one of my goals was for the entire band to not use any backline and use IEMs as well. It took me a few months of experimenting with my Fractal MKll but I finally got the sounds dialed in. We've done a few gigs and the results have been great. We have a great sound team and my IEM mixes sound like a concert! I don't miss my amp and espcially don't miss lugging it around!
Hi, Matt New subscriber here. I use a QC into a Fender 12” Tone Master FR and perform in a Stone Temple Pilots tribute band - and one thing I still have not figured out how to do well is go from clean to dirty using the volume knob (think “Army Ants”) on my guitar. Is this even possible to do? Is it smarter to use an expression pedal to set up a clean to dirty tone from your amps gain settings? Or use the expression pedal to control an overdrive pedal? Any tips on this one? Thanks!
Thanks for the sub! Theoretically, yes, although you'll need to be very particular on amp choice, pedals, and gain settings. Different modelers handle this kind on thing differently as well and I don't have much into on the QC. But here's a few things to try. Early Marshalls are pretty good at this (JTM 45 or 100 watt Plexi), on my HX stomp here (dialing in a quick test tone) I found that the JTM 45 paired with a "Valve Driver" (BK butler Tube Driver) worked really well for doing the volume knob thing. I also used a studio compressor after the cab to level out the volume after all the gain differences (helps a lot!). You gotta find the sweet spot of the gain settings to go from clean to drive so play around with that. In this set up I was able to go from very clean (especially switching to a single coil mode) to very saturated with the volume. Had the volume pretty far down to achieve that but that's what the compressor after the amp and cab is good for.
Keep it up, Mathew! Really good job cutting through a lot of the more technical jargon people throw around all the time, but that really needs a bit of easily digestible explanations. For example, the whole Line Level thing....Great work and subbed!
There is sensitivity or delay like an offset in a daw monitor, the time it takes for the signal to travel and hit your ears after your pick hits the strings. When the modeled sound hits your ears it took too long. Thats what it feels like lol The new firmware update must be the answer i just know it.....
totally agree with cranking up the volume while adjusting/creating your patches...once you get a modeler going through a p.a., etc, you're going to notice a huge difference in the sound quality if you don't take this into account from the get-go (ie: set-up your patches for their "live environment" equivalent...)...
Another tip is be sure and set your hi/low pass filters on your cab blocks. Most amps have a frequency range of 80hz to around 4/5K. I usually run mine at 100/5100 depending on the amp. My $.02
Having trouble deciding between getting a Katana or a Seymour Duncan Powerstage. Both seem to do well with modelers but I suppose the Katana is more flexible. Plus the head is also a portable speaker!
As long as you're bringing your own cabinet and the drummer plays an acoustic kit, you're not saving anything compared to an amp even if you need a mic. Plus, the amp will sound better quicker.
That's how I see things in my situation. Playing small pub gigs with acoustic drums and no sound engineer. Might as well bring my 1x12 amp (it's a modeller but that's not important) and a small pedal board than faff with carrying more monitors and putting an expensive floor unit in the vicinity of the drunk dancers. Horses for courses, I think. I'm sure that if we were playing bigger venues, had our own sound engineer and used IEMs, it would be a different story.
All my guitar heroes play through real amps, even now. Nuno, Paisley, Timmons, Yngwie, Kotzen, Gilbert, Trapp and on and on and on. For me, that is very telling. PS - seriously great playing and very informative.
Great intro Matthew in all respects. Also, great content in the tutorial section. Gain staging, volume and working with FOH engineer to make sure they aren’t treating my signal like a microphone with preamp and messing with EQ. Etc. is really important. I’m running in a silent stage , in ears, as you know. So, I’m dealing with that. 👏👏 🎸😎
One problem not covered in this video is people trying to run 4-cable method between their modeler and an amp with Line-level Effects loop (like many Mesa Boogies). This will frequently run into the problem of level mismatch, because very very few devices out there (the only one I know of is Fractal FX8) allow you to set different levels for the same pair of Effects Loop (i.e., Instrument Level for FX Send, but Line Level for FX Return), yet this is what you will need to do since the amp's FX Send AND FX Return are both hard-coded to Line level.
I have never run into a level issue running 4cm…output 3 and 4 on the Axe FXIII are unity gain when the level knob is full up,which goes to the front of the amp,the inputs on all the Fractal are adjustable,and can match just about any FX loop on any amp…FM3 output 2 is unity gainl with knob full up..I run 4cm and a variation of 4cm all the time,integrating my amps and FX into the Fractal and have never had an issue with a level mismatch,almost all amps FX loops have more than enough headroom..between that and being able to adjust the in and out levels on all ins and outs on the Fractal makes integration of outboard gear very easy..it does it almost seamlessly..
For me it’s : Helix into an ISP Stealth stereo power amp into a stereo 4X12 Marshall cab. Sounds great. Also EQ your highs around 5 to 6K to eliminate the fizzy high end.
Great video Matt! Awesome insight into modelers. I just purchased a FM9 about a month ago and your videos definitely has made the transition easier. Keep up the great work!! 🤟🤟🤟
I've run modelers with a Marshall 9100 tube power amp into a 412 for years back in the day. That's the way to go. Tube amps enhance the amp models based on tube ampliers. The feel/tone is absolutely there. I never hear about the input section of these very pricey units. I love my 11 rack because I forget I'm not on my Mesa Tremoverb because of the way it feels and responds to my playing on different guitars and amp settings. Do the newer expensive units have this? If they do noone is talking about it. By the way great points mentioned in this video. People will be helped by the line level, instrument level knowledge. Most do not know they are actually different not just two terms for the same thing. Good stuff!
Thanks for watching! The Fractal and HX stuff do feature different impedance settings on the input (most can be set to auto to automatically “load-down” pickups when running into a fuzz model) and Fractal has what they call their “secret sauce” circuitry on input 1 for guitar purposes.
Wow.. what a useful video that was. Many thanks, Mathew! A question: Right now, I am using my HR prime into the return of a tube amp going into an Orange cab with Vintage 30 speaker, with disabling the cab sims or IRs. I was contemplating to get a Laney LFR-112. But then again, the Prime sounds great through the guitar cab. So my question is, am I missing out by not buying an FRFR speaker and being able to use cab sims or Its for different flavours?
I wouldn't say you are missing out on anything tonally, especially if you already love your tones. Do you usually play through a PA? If so, take a listen to your tones through the system. The only thing beneficial about adding the LFR-112 or a powered PA speaker to your set up would be to reference what you are sending to FOH with IRs.
@@mathew_dale so the takeaway from your response is that those FRFR speakers are beneficial for gigging guitarists only and I am not one of them. I just play at home. Many thanks for your response. This just saved me a lot of money.
@@wickedmetalhead Yup! If you like the sound of your cabs, an FRFR wouldn't really be a big enough upgrade to justify the price for a good unit for home studio use.
I think people really really underestimate how loud tube amps are. A tiny 1w DSL, or a 1w power att., can sound the same as a boombox or whatever at max volume (depends on speaker sens. and projection)
Thanks for clarifying line level - this older rocker didn't quite understand that - but I do now. I have a Quad Cortex and a Kemper and I'll be definitely reviewing this. Well done - great video. Liked, Subbed.
At the point you're using the guitar cabinet to "feel" the tone, there's no longer any benefit to using the modeler because you're now lugging an amp, which the modeler was supposed to eliminate the need for. You might just as well use the amp with effects. Get an attenuator to manage volume. If you're using the modeler direct to front of house and using in-ears to monitor like a lot of bands I've seen lately, then the modeler concept is the most efficient means to get what you need.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that. Even if you are using an amp and cab with a modeler you still have numerous amp types, effect types, flexible routing, overall rig consistency that modeling offers at your disposal. If you are the type of player that is only using 1 or 2 amp types and the same effects across a lot of your presets then I could see where this argument makes more sense. I do love not having to deal with tiny patch cables between pedals anymore too.
Really how they sound best is not mentioned here. It s via a Power Amp like an orange or seymour duncan connected to a real Cabinet. They all sound very good this way. Thx for the video mate :)
Volume is needed, but only with some minimum amount of Watts Speakers creat a clean and fluid tone. At least 20W power amp gets me on the spot for home practice. Still prefer some open back guitar cabs with full paper speakers as it fiters out some noise. FRFR in my eperience needs some heavy EQing especially if the cab simulation is not so great. 🎸
True, but most powered PA speakers don’t have an issue with clean headroom these days. Which is why I typically tell anyone looking for an FRFR to go the “good quality” powered PA speaker route where 1000W is pretty standard. Guitar cabs are great for personal stage monitoring but are not always appropriate for all situations. Most SS amps have plenty of W and headroom to cleanly drive these cabs.
Okay, what is it with people having RA-500s behind them? I own one, too, but I’ve seen multiple TH-camrs (Tim Pierce being another notable one in the guitar space) with these reverb units, too. I guess I need to move mine to my background and start making videos because it’s such a weirdly specific piece of vintage stereo gear. It was literally my first guitar reverb. I’d take little radio shack adapters and run my guitar into it and then that into my Gorilla amp (that had no reverb). I’m sure it sounded awful. But anyway, great tips. If you can’t make any modern modeler work for you, it’s probably because you’re not doing it right in some way. This is a great start to give you info to fix those issues.
Why does it have to be one or the other ? I run a Kemper on side A and a PRS MT-15 controlled by a helix on side B … you can use both 🥴 with great results
Matt. Very informative video! I also have the FM3 and QSC K10s. Amazing equipment for sure. Just curious how (height, in front/back of you, etc) you have your k10s positioned in your studio. Also curious which of the sound settings in the QSCs you prefer in your studio. Thanks in advance. Love your videos!
Thanks so much! I have my k10s in front of me at either side, about a foot and a half off the wall, and they are on the floor in wedge config. I have them set to "flat" on both switches, and I use a bit of GEQ on my mixer to dial out the rest of the boomy low end in my studio environment.
The best solution for me in a hard rock band setting is the power amp and can, but sending a do signal to the pa with an ir. Also making an ir of my own cab. The sound of stage wedges is not my favorite
This man is dropping nuggets! Amazing tips! In Todays age of digital Tone it’s very hard to get bad tone, but very easy to get lost in translation without the initial set ups and this info is a great start.
I have a Rivera and a Fender. Both are killer amps and no nonsense to use. With that said, I get why modelling amps are popular. They have a place and great if they fill that need for folks. I'm happy with my amps and see no need to change.
While I agree with most of what you're saying, some people think it's a volume/pushing air out of the speakers thing when it comes to "feel". Some even talk about how people got used to their speakers pointed at their legs, which drastically changes the perception of tone and feel. These things do make a difference and are true, to an extent. However, I believe there are plenty of people like myself that are talking more about how a certain tube amp responds to playing and it makes us play differently. (Combination of sag vs. stiff-feeling, pushing air, amp responsiveness to our playing in other ways (perhaps interaction between tubes, transformer, etc.), among other things. I am not an amp builder. If an amp makes me play differently due to how it responds, that is a make or break. A big frame of reference, for me, is a '93 Matchless Lightning. The transient sag combined with the bloom of notes is something modelers are not creating, but I haven't tried them all. I tend to "play" the amp if it responds well, and it makes me play more the way I want to play. Do some of them create the general tone of this style of amp well? For sure. Is the feel the same regardless of how I set everything and turn it up? Nope. Is this the fault of modeling companies or captures? I don't believe so. The interactions taking place are hard/impossible to recreate. Anyway, great video and thanks!
Exactly this. Yamaha THR, for the most part, manages to get the essence of it right. It's not the same, but it let's you "play the amp". And: 1. It does not sound like an "amp in a room". Not at all. They tried to recreate the "produced" guitar tone, so you can play along with the music you like and fit in the mix. 2. It has tiny speakers. Not much air moved at all. Regarding the tone, I do find that most modelers suffer from some harshness at the top end. If you EQ it out, they become muddy. I was never able to get rid of it, it's always there. It does not hurt too much the saturated tones and it's not a problem for cleans, but anything in between is ruined for me. For me, modelers are a very harsh compromise. They feel dead, like good notes do not come to you. They are not invited, or something... And they do not sound the way I want them to sound either. The only digital stuff which plays fine for me is this tiny Yamaha or a Kemper, but Yamaha lacks the features most gigs require, while Kemper is simply expensive.
Hello Mathew from Spain. You say in the video that you prefer like stage or live monitors PA system more than frfr guitar (Fender tone master, headrush, friedman, etc). I'm looking for a system to sound great with my FM3. Can you tell me some good PA system monitors quality/price and sound good to play guitar live??. Thanks
I love my QSC K10s, and would love to try out the QSC CP8. Others I've had good luck with would be JBL and Yamaha powered speakers. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
hi and what to do if you want a cab signal and a frfr signal separated is a pain for me cause i like to use my real cab with “solid state+power amp” but is obligated to use different signals cause one amp block for frfr and one amp block for ss + power amp i use all scenes too is there any way y could do this with same amp block without changing block channels
i would like to use 1 amp block for frfr and the other for solid state but i obviously cannot send the signal cause there are effects i use after cab and the only way is getting a signal behind the cab i cannot get the effects in front of cab
I think the biggest difference for moddelers are: 0: eq at the end or in the IR cut everything over 10k i got at about 8800 1an iR that u like , that u actually like ( i use ml sound ) 2learn to make a sound u like with your moddeler 3volume bonus 4:use compressor in front of the chain
I might also suggest a compressor after the amp and cab instead of early in the chain. Something like an LA-2A model works very well for studio-like compression without affecting playing dynamics. Pedal compressor types are great before an amp, but I prefer this studio style for a more natural sound. To each their own, though. Thanks for watching!
Ridiculous. Just get 2 full stacks, Grow your hair down to your waist, and be a rock star. Too many mediocre Nashville gear salesmen. Pedals are for little boys.
why nobody speaks about the elephant in the room? on live gigs when the mix is dense and you play a solo...nobody hears you! modelers just disappear since they lack presence is my guess.
That would mostly be a "tone creation" issue and nothing associated with modeling specifically. A good tip is to use a lead boost like a filter or graphic eq for an overall level boost (maybe 3db to start) and add a bit of a hump around 1K to 2.5K. This helps cut through.
I’ll stick to my marshal plexi with my Fryette Power Station PS and my 2/12 cab with greenbacks … digital is meant for me! Great vid though!
👍
Thank you! Great information, definetly appreciate it. 👍
This sounds like a money pit. Screw this. I'll stick to real amps
Excellent video Mathew! Much needed info - great share... (just read an unnecessary negative comment and wanted to offer encouragement). Seriously good video and quality work. New Sub for sure!
Thanks a bunch! TH-cam is certainly not short on trolls, but there are always people that find value in my videos and enjoy my content. Thanks for the kind words and for the sub!
Excellent channel. I'm STUNNED you only have 5.89K subscibers. This will change radically in short time, Lord willing. Keep up the great content.
Thank you so much!
Great video talking about a topic that will make the eyes of many people glaze over. Well except those of us who are tone and tech junkies.❤ Oh and I love my FM3 and QSC K12.2’s. Thanks Mathew!👍
Thanks for all the great info. I’ve been using Fractal gear for about 7 years now and I’m still learning. Do you set your output levels to -10 or +4 when sending FOH? I hear both from Fractal players. I think the Fractal manual says +4 when running into a PA system. Thanks!
I use +4 in almost all applications. I’ve only needed to switch to -10 in a few specific cases like having too hot of a signal for a digital stage box (although I believe that this element of the PA system wasn’t correctly installed or utilized, but being flexible with your gear is good), and when going to an FX loop meant for -10.
I recently formed a Styx Tribute band and one of my goals was for the entire band to not use any backline and use IEMs as well. It took me a few months of experimenting with my Fractal MKll but I finally got the sounds dialed in. We've done a few gigs and the results have been great. We have a great sound team and my IEM mixes sound like a concert! I don't miss my amp and espcially don't miss lugging it around!
Such a great case-use. I love doing set-ups like these. Next is MIDI sync with a click track for automated switching!
Part of the "feel" you get from listening to an amp at 104db, is the feel of permanent damage being done to your ears.
True! Wasn't playing that long but was surprised at how loud those peaks were when setting the amp a "moderate' volume
Hi, Matt
New subscriber here.
I use a QC into a Fender 12” Tone Master FR and perform in a Stone Temple Pilots tribute band - and one thing I still have not figured out how to do well is go from clean to dirty using the volume knob (think “Army Ants”) on my guitar. Is this even possible to do? Is it smarter to use an expression pedal to set up a clean to dirty tone from your amps gain settings? Or use the expression pedal to control an overdrive pedal?
Any tips on this one?
Thanks!
Thanks for the sub! Theoretically, yes, although you'll need to be very particular on amp choice, pedals, and gain settings. Different modelers handle this kind on thing differently as well and I don't have much into on the QC. But here's a few things to try. Early Marshalls are pretty good at this (JTM 45 or 100 watt Plexi), on my HX stomp here (dialing in a quick test tone) I found that the JTM 45 paired with a "Valve Driver" (BK butler Tube Driver) worked really well for doing the volume knob thing. I also used a studio compressor after the cab to level out the volume after all the gain differences (helps a lot!). You gotta find the sweet spot of the gain settings to go from clean to drive so play around with that. In this set up I was able to go from very clean (especially switching to a single coil mode) to very saturated with the volume. Had the volume pretty far down to achieve that but that's what the compressor after the amp and cab is good for.
Thanks, Mathew! I will give this a shot!
Keep it up, Mathew! Really good job cutting through a lot of the more technical jargon people throw around all the time, but that really needs a bit of easily digestible explanations. For example, the whole Line Level thing....Great work and subbed!
Thanks for the kind words and subscribing!
There is sensitivity or delay like an offset in a daw monitor, the time it takes for the signal to travel and hit your ears after your pick hits the strings. When the modeled sound hits your ears it took too long.
Thats what it feels like lol
The new firmware update must be the answer i just know it.....
Being able to use modeling is something you gotta just k ow about or get into.
Use all the tools. Make more music.
totally agree with cranking up the volume while adjusting/creating your patches...once you get a modeler going through a p.a., etc, you're going to notice a huge difference in the sound quality if you don't take this into account from the get-go (ie: set-up your patches for their "live environment" equivalent...)...
Absolutely!
Another tip is be sure and set your hi/low pass filters on your cab blocks. Most amps have a frequency range of 80hz to around 4/5K. I usually run mine at 100/5100 depending on the amp.
My $.02
Absolutely! Great tip
I use two boss katana heads as power amps. Their power amps sound and feel great. It’s also inexpensive and serve as great backups.
Having trouble deciding between getting a Katana or a Seymour Duncan Powerstage. Both seem to do well with modelers but I suppose the Katana is more flexible. Plus the head is also a portable speaker!
As long as you're bringing your own cabinet and the drummer plays an acoustic kit, you're not saving anything compared to an amp even if you need a mic. Plus, the amp will sound better quicker.
You clearly have ZERO idea of how things work. You’re a relic.
That's how I see things in my situation. Playing small pub gigs with acoustic drums and no sound engineer. Might as well bring my 1x12 amp (it's a modeller but that's not important) and a small pedal board than faff with carrying more monitors and putting an expensive floor unit in the vicinity of the drunk dancers. Horses for courses, I think. I'm sure that if we were playing bigger venues, had our own sound engineer and used IEMs, it would be a different story.
All my guitar heroes play through real amps, even now. Nuno, Paisley, Timmons, Yngwie, Kotzen, Gilbert, Trapp and on and on and on. For me, that is very telling. PS - seriously great playing and very informative.
Thanks! And thanks for watching!
Old
Habits die hard. They also have one sound they use and have top techs attending to it.
@@jaymills1720 not sure about the ‘one sound’ part (how many sounds do you need anyway?). I’d say it’s preference, not habit.
@@ajlsrv5490 pedals aren’t tubes and we love those. I think it’s psychological bias
@@jaymills1720 could be. But most of these guys use analog pedals, and IMO pedals sound so much better with tube amps.
One of the best discussions of this subject i’ve seen. Great intro song by the way.
Much appreciated!
Great intro Matthew in all respects. Also, great content in the tutorial section. Gain staging, volume and working with FOH engineer to make sure they aren’t treating my signal like a microphone with preamp and messing with EQ. Etc. is really important. I’m running in a silent stage , in ears, as you know. So, I’m dealing with that. 👏👏 🎸😎
One problem not covered in this video is people trying to run 4-cable method between their modeler and an amp with Line-level Effects loop (like many Mesa Boogies). This will frequently run into the problem of level mismatch, because very very few devices out there (the only one I know of is Fractal FX8) allow you to set different levels for the same pair of Effects Loop (i.e., Instrument Level for FX Send, but Line Level for FX Return), yet this is what you will need to do since the amp's FX Send AND FX Return are both hard-coded to Line level.
I have never run into a level issue running 4cm…output 3 and 4 on the Axe FXIII are unity gain when the level knob is full up,which goes to the front of the amp,the inputs on all the Fractal are adjustable,and can match just about any FX loop on any amp…FM3 output 2 is unity gainl with knob full up..I run 4cm and a variation of 4cm all the time,integrating my amps and FX into the Fractal and have never had an issue with a level mismatch,almost all amps FX loops have more than enough headroom..between that and being able to adjust the in and out levels on all ins and outs on the Fractal makes integration of outboard gear very easy..it does it almost seamlessly..
Headrush prime will allow line level volume changes in their fx loop.
For me it’s : Helix into an ISP Stealth stereo power amp into a stereo 4X12 Marshall cab. Sounds great. Also EQ your highs around 5 to 6K to eliminate the fizzy high end.
Great video Matt! Awesome insight into modelers. I just purchased a FM9 about a month ago and your videos definitely has made the transition easier. Keep up the great work!! 🤟🤟🤟
Thanks so much! Congrats on the FM9!
Them chords in the beginning are from Trial by fire by Journey.
I've run modelers with a Marshall 9100 tube power amp into a 412 for years back in the day. That's the way to go. Tube amps enhance the amp models based on tube ampliers. The feel/tone is absolutely there. I never hear about the input section of these very pricey units. I love my 11 rack because I forget I'm not on my Mesa Tremoverb because of the way it feels and responds to my playing on different guitars and amp settings. Do the newer expensive units have this? If they do noone is talking about it. By the way great points mentioned in this video. People will be helped by the line level, instrument level knowledge. Most do not know they are actually different not just two terms for the same thing. Good stuff!
Thanks for watching! The Fractal and HX stuff do feature different impedance settings on the input (most can be set to auto to automatically “load-down” pickups when running into a fuzz model) and Fractal has what they call their “secret sauce” circuitry on input 1 for guitar purposes.
Wow.. what a useful video that was. Many thanks, Mathew!
A question: Right now, I am using my HR prime into the return of a tube amp going into an Orange cab with Vintage 30 speaker, with disabling the cab sims or IRs. I was contemplating to get a Laney LFR-112. But then again, the Prime sounds great through the guitar cab. So my question is, am I missing out by not buying an FRFR speaker and being able to use cab sims or Its for different flavours?
I wouldn't say you are missing out on anything tonally, especially if you already love your tones. Do you usually play through a PA? If so, take a listen to your tones through the system. The only thing beneficial about adding the LFR-112 or a powered PA speaker to your set up would be to reference what you are sending to FOH with IRs.
@@mathew_dale so the takeaway from your response is that those FRFR speakers are beneficial for gigging guitarists only and I am not one of them. I just play at home. Many thanks for your response. This just saved me a lot of money.
@@wickedmetalhead Yup! If you like the sound of your cabs, an FRFR wouldn't really be a big enough upgrade to justify the price for a good unit for home studio use.
@@mathew_dale Many thanks, Mathew! You have been extremely helpful. Love your channel. Cheers!
I think people really really underestimate how loud tube amps are. A tiny 1w DSL, or a 1w power att., can sound the same as a boombox or whatever at max volume (depends on speaker sens. and projection)
Very true
Thanks for clarifying line level - this older rocker didn't quite understand that - but I do now. I have a Quad Cortex and a Kemper and I'll be definitely reviewing this. Well done - great video. Liked, Subbed.
Thanks a bunch!
At the point you're using the guitar cabinet to "feel" the tone, there's no longer any benefit to using the modeler because you're now lugging an amp, which the modeler was supposed to eliminate the need for. You might just as well use the amp with effects. Get an attenuator to manage volume. If you're using the modeler direct to front of house and using in-ears to monitor like a lot of bands I've seen lately, then the modeler concept is the most efficient means to get what you need.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that. Even if you are using an amp and cab with a modeler you still have numerous amp types, effect types, flexible routing, overall rig consistency that modeling offers at your disposal. If you are the type of player that is only using 1 or 2 amp types and the same effects across a lot of your presets then I could see where this argument makes more sense. I do love not having to deal with tiny patch cables between pedals anymore too.
Just use an amp. Modeler problem fixed 😂
Really how they sound best is not mentioned here. It s via a Power Amp like an orange or seymour duncan connected to a real Cabinet. They all sound very good this way. Thx for the video mate :)
Good point!
@@mathew_dale Yes, Thank you. Took me some time to discover it after some years. Take care :)
Volume is needed, but only with some minimum amount of Watts Speakers creat a clean and fluid tone. At least 20W power amp gets me on the spot for home practice. Still prefer some open back guitar cabs with full paper speakers as it fiters out some noise. FRFR in my eperience needs some heavy EQing especially if the cab simulation is not so great. 🎸
True, but most powered PA speakers don’t have an issue with clean headroom these days. Which is why I typically tell anyone looking for an FRFR to go the “good quality” powered PA speaker route where 1000W is pretty standard. Guitar cabs are great for personal stage monitoring but are not always appropriate for all situations. Most SS amps have plenty of W and headroom to cleanly drive these cabs.
Thanks for the input setting advice. I use a Boss GT-1000 and love it. I can't wait to experiment with the settings per your suggestion.
Okay, what is it with people having RA-500s behind them? I own one, too, but I’ve seen multiple TH-camrs (Tim Pierce being another notable one in the guitar space) with these reverb units, too. I guess I need to move mine to my background and start making videos because it’s such a weirdly specific piece of vintage stereo gear. It was literally my first guitar reverb. I’d take little radio shack adapters and run my guitar into it and then that into my Gorilla amp (that had no reverb). I’m sure it sounded awful.
But anyway, great tips. If you can’t make any modern modeler work for you, it’s probably because you’re not doing it right in some way. This is a great start to give you info to fix those issues.
Ha that’s hilarious! I got mine from a relative getting rid of stuff and have only used it for decoration lol. Thanks for watching!
Modelers are great except that nobody hears anything unless the modeled sound is pushed by some type of amplifier and speaker.
True, and depending on the type and quality of amps or speakers results can change dramatically.
Why does it have to be one or the other ? I run a Kemper on side A and a PRS MT-15 controlled by a helix on side B … you can use both 🥴 with great results
Defiantly doesn't need to be! Hybrid is a great way to get best of both!
Cool video! Very informative, I learned some new things!! Thanks!!
Matt. Very informative video! I also have the FM3 and QSC K10s. Amazing equipment for sure. Just curious how (height, in front/back of you, etc) you have your k10s positioned in your studio. Also curious which of the sound settings in the QSCs you prefer in your studio. Thanks in advance. Love your videos!
Thanks so much! I have my k10s in front of me at either side, about a foot and a half off the wall, and they are on the floor in wedge config. I have them set to "flat" on both switches, and I use a bit of GEQ on my mixer to dial out the rest of the boomy low end in my studio environment.
The best solution for me in a hard rock band setting is the power amp and can, but sending a do signal to the pa with an ir. Also making an ir of my own cab. The sound of stage wedges is not my favorite
Definitely a "best of both worlds" rig set up!
This man is dropping nuggets! Amazing tips! In Todays age of digital Tone it’s very hard to get bad tone, but very easy to get lost in translation without the initial set ups and this info is a great start.
Happy to help!
No. I love using modelers.
I love my gx 100 through seymour duncan power stage stereo amp into two 2x12's!
Love it! Been thinking about buying the Power Stage Stereo for a bit.
You’re too smart! Thank you for your videos!
This so good at explaining it... thanks for the info
I just use a regular amp. Flick a switch and that's me good to go. The end.
Agreed. I've purchased three modellers and found they are way more work to get a passable sound compared to simply plugging in to a decent amp.
@@nobrakes3765 ease of use should be a priority, playing is the main focus!
I have a Rivera and a Fender. Both are killer amps and no nonsense to use.
With that said, I get why modelling amps are popular. They have a place and great if they fill that need for folks.
I'm happy with my amps and see no need to change.
Always great advice. Thank you.
While I agree with most of what you're saying, some people think it's a volume/pushing air out of the speakers thing when it comes to "feel". Some even talk about how people got used to their speakers pointed at their legs, which drastically changes the perception of tone and feel. These things do make a difference and are true, to an extent.
However, I believe there are plenty of people like myself that are talking more about how a certain tube amp responds to playing and it makes us play differently. (Combination of sag vs. stiff-feeling, pushing air, amp responsiveness to our playing in other ways (perhaps interaction between tubes, transformer, etc.), among other things. I am not an amp builder.
If an amp makes me play differently due to how it responds, that is a make or break. A big frame of reference, for me, is a '93 Matchless Lightning. The transient sag combined with the bloom of notes is something modelers are not creating, but I haven't tried them all. I tend to "play" the amp if it responds well, and it makes me play more the way I want to play.
Do some of them create the general tone of this style of amp well? For sure. Is the feel the same regardless of how I set everything and turn it up? Nope. Is this the fault of modeling companies or captures? I don't believe so. The interactions taking place are hard/impossible to recreate.
Anyway, great video and thanks!
Good points! Thanks for watching!
Exactly this. Yamaha THR, for the most part, manages to get the essence of it right. It's not the same, but it let's you "play the amp".
And:
1. It does not sound like an "amp in a room". Not at all. They tried to recreate the "produced" guitar tone, so you can play along with the music you like and fit in the mix.
2. It has tiny speakers. Not much air moved at all.
Regarding the tone, I do find that most modelers suffer from some harshness at the top end. If you EQ it out, they become muddy. I was never able to get rid of it, it's always there. It does not hurt too much the saturated tones and it's not a problem for cleans, but anything in between is ruined for me.
For me, modelers are a very harsh compromise. They feel dead, like good notes do not come to you. They are not invited, or something... And they do not sound the way I want them to sound either. The only digital stuff which plays fine for me is this tiny Yamaha or a Kemper, but Yamaha lacks the features most gigs require, while Kemper is simply expensive.
Hello Mathew from Spain. You say in the video that you prefer like stage or live monitors PA system more than frfr guitar (Fender tone master, headrush, friedman, etc). I'm looking for a system to sound great with my FM3. Can you tell me some good PA system monitors quality/price and sound good to play guitar live??. Thanks
I love my QSC K10s, and would love to try out the QSC CP8. Others I've had good luck with would be JBL and Yamaha powered speakers. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching!
Turn the amp modeling off and run it into a tube amp...
Always great info Matt....cheers
Thanks Great info!
Thanks Man this was very helpful!
Glad you thought so! Thanks!
hi and what to do if you want a cab signal and a frfr signal separated is a pain for me cause i like to use my real cab with “solid state+power amp” but is obligated to use different signals cause one amp block for frfr and one amp block for ss + power amp i use all scenes too is there any way y could do this with same amp block without changing block channels
i would like to use 1 amp block for frfr and the other for solid state but i obviously cannot send the signal cause there are effects i use after cab and the only way is getting a signal behind the cab i cannot get the effects in front of cab
Yep, there are a few ways to do this. What unit are you using specifically. I think I'll make a video on this set-up
@@mathew_dale axe fx 3
@@mathew_dale i use axe fx 3
Cool! I made a recent video on this topic here…
th-cam.com/video/QUmwhcT8c_w/w-d-xo.htmlsi=7oAwu-hPLE9JJB8Y
beautiful playing!!!
Thank you!
This saved me a lot of time researching answers to all of my questions on modelers. Thanks 🤘
Glad it helped!
extra pre amp valves negate the volume issue on tube amps. and tube amps are so cheap right now.
Yes good time to pick up a used tube amp and they may even get cheaper yet.
I think the biggest difference for moddelers are:
0: eq at the end or in the IR cut everything over 10k i got at about 8800
1an iR that u like , that u actually like ( i use ml sound )
2learn to make a sound u like with your moddeler
3volume
bonus 4:use compressor in front of the chain
I might also suggest a compressor after the amp and cab instead of early in the chain. Something like an LA-2A model works very well for studio-like compression without affecting playing dynamics. Pedal compressor types are great before an amp, but I prefer this studio style for a more natural sound. To each their own, though. Thanks for watching!
@@mathew_dale Gonna try a bit the post compressor too , appreciate it ;D
Just gonna put this out there. Feel free to send me any of the moderlers you hate. Ill enjoy it.
This begs the question when u setting up a patch which spkrs do u use ? the studio monistor or the guitar amp or the powered monitors??
Generally speaking, I use the powered monitors since I'm playing out through PA systems mostly.
Great content!
👎👎👎and boring 😴
Thanks for watching anyway.
Thank you, you’ve said nothing
Ridiculous. Just get 2 full stacks, Grow your hair down to your waist, and be a rock star. Too many mediocre Nashville gear salesmen. Pedals are for little boys.
Lol, that is definitely a method!
@@mathew_dale all you people playing guitar through headphones, and pedals. Move some air molecules.
why nobody speaks about the elephant in the room? on live gigs when the mix is dense and you play a solo...nobody hears you! modelers just disappear since they lack presence is my guess.
Because it's not a thing? Do you know how many professional touring acts use these things?
That would mostly be a "tone creation" issue and nothing associated with modeling specifically. A good tip is to use a lead boost like a filter or graphic eq for an overall level boost (maybe 3db to start) and add a bit of a hump around 1K to 2.5K. This helps cut through.
Or the sound man doesn’t know how to mix your modeler.