One of the big advantages to a system like the Quad Cortex, or similar setups (HX stuff, Valeton GP range etc) is that they are all-in-one solutions for multi-instrumentalists. With a decent digital system, you have a single unit that works for electric, acoustic, bass, upright bass, keys/synths or basically any instrument, and you can set up and save ideal patches for each just by downloading appropriate presets or IRs.
It's even better in the world of bass mate. I now own a bass rig with an 800 watt class D amp and a neodynium loaded 1x15 cab, and the whole rig weighs barely a ball hair more than my old rack power amp alone... It's mindblowing to think about. Those years of loading my gear in and out being a 2 man job (and still causing back pain) are looooong gone. and good bloody riddance :D
Or every few years selling everything and yo-yoing madly between old analogue stuff and cutting edge modelling stuff. That shock depreciation of modelling gear never gets old😅
I wanted to hate the digital setup.... but I just can't. They both sound great. I think the fundamental element is that whatever rig you use, it has to be something you actually like well enough to spend the time learning properly. If you're familiar with the kit and enjoy playing with it, you'll put more time in getting the tone dialled in properly.
60 years old here. Played them all from old amps, modellers and solid state. Gigged and at home. Settled back on tube/valve amps at gigs and digital at home via Two Notes. I still like the experience of gigging a valve rig and life is too short not to and it keeps me fit. Nothing wrong with the modellers especially for fly dates etc. sometimes hybrid rigs work really well. All depends on the gig and the job. All have their place. Still like to feel my trousers 👖 flap occasionally to make sure I’m alive. 🎉
Lee, do more vids with this young fella. Your raport is good, and and he is really on it when it comes to describing the gear and how to use it, great player too.. Top marks.
@@pauliusmscichauskas558 Yep, people always seem to miss that. You turn a modeller up with a decent Cab or FRFR up to the same level a tube amp is usually at, i.e moving air levels...the differentiation of the more modern modeller units is a much finer line.
@@marksvideochannel3592 The FRFR will never be the same as a real cab... It amplifies a simulated Mic'ed cab signal.. Listening to a cab directly, in the room, is a very different experience.
I'm late Gen-X (1980). I love both, but I haven't owned a guitar amp since 2003, and these days I'm 100% modeling for both guitar and bass. The convenience factor just can't be denied, and after years of pedal obsession and pedalboard rebuilds, going digital has allowed me some much needed peace of mind because I'm no longer obsessing about what pedal I want to replace next.
I agree born June of 1980 and I consider myself Gen-X. I’m in the states but over here we’re considered Gen-X until 1981 I think. But I’m buying a new amp… either some digital setup or a Mesa Boogie California Tweed. Haven’t played since 1996… when I paid $140 for a BOSS FX69 GRUNGE pedal to go with my 20w Marshall Tube amp and Fender squire setup I paid $300 all in from my brothers friend when I was 16. I’ve been playing the last 6/months and after buying a $170 LP-special ii and then a Fender Player Plus (SSS) I started a three piece band with the guys from work and I’m getting drowned out by our drummer with a Yamaha THR10II 😂… never played with a proper band and learned the hard way, what you’d think is obvious. So I need a new amp and was considering going digital but I’m lost on everything that’s out now… (btw… I’m not really a great player) should I stick with what I know?
Caotains criticism of the modeler is actually 100% right because that's what a modeler is doing. It is replicating a tone run through and "amp, cab and effects" then miced in a room. What is coming through the speaker is not the amp tone but the miced tone if you were listening in a studio. Once I realized that, I fell more in love with my Fractal Ace FX III, because I wasn't trying to make an "amp in the room tone" I'm making a great tone that translates well in a mix! And with the newest updates it's only better!! Analog is great! But a really good digital is so nice! And I have kids so I only play at night and I can use headphones to make tones that translate to a live environment!!
Gen X here with both types of gear, enjoy it all, digital for practice and analog for playing live, played my cloudburst out live this week for the first time. Andertons really brought joy this year while battling a health issue. Appreciate you guys!!
As a millenial who falls between the lines I've gone with a 100w Marshall, 4x12 and attenuator - because guitar music will always partially be a visual experience for the crowd (and I'm definitely not attractive enough to get on without a good looking backline)
Being older I used to always be an amp and pedal guy. But honestly, once you’re done setting up a good quality multi-effects unit, they are easy, they sound great, don’t have to worry about someone accidentally bumping a dial on one of your pedals, and are consistent every day. My amps seem to sound different from day to day. So I’m starting to drink the kool aid a bit. :)
Yup, I decided to place a premium on portability, reliability, and versatility. I sold all my tube amps (except my D20 which I adore) and build a board around an FM3 that can go from rock to country to ambient craziness at the click of a button. It sounds 90% as good as a tube amp (if you’re listening through a PA or headphones, which is the only sound that matters since that’s what audiences here), and the number of people who can tell the difference would fit in my car; only one of them would even care.
I can't say that I have any strong preference, just different tools for different situations and individuals. I have played multieffects and modelling amps, but as I get more specific in the sound I am looking for, I find myself moving to more analog gear. It is some of the best sounds I've ever had, but as soon as I get a fly gig, I'm buying a QC, profiling my amp, and programing my pedalboard into it!
This X'er loves his modeling rig. I cheat a bit, perhaps, because I still use traditional pedals and a modeling pedal that has traditional knobs. I love the versatility of modeling, though and will probably go down the route of something like the Neural some day. I've never had an issue with the in-the-room sound with my modeling rig. I play though a PA speaker. I think most of the complains are from those assuming a direct-to-DAW connection or headphones and a bit of confirmation bias.
It Truly is amazing how far digital processing has come along. But as a millennial i still love having actual tube amps and pedals. But just listening to video it was almost impossible to tell the two apart. Love the video
@@Cosmo__KramerI'm willing to bet my house if you were blindfolded and given a guitar going through both set ups were the modeler was really well set up you wouldn't be able to tell the difference at all. That is purely a placebo effect.
@@fighterx4133 naw..you would lose your house..I started playing modeling amps forever..I know how to set up an amp..I have Peavey..marshall..blackstar..line 6..kustom..and vox modeler's...the vox is great sounds so good....but it's not on the tube level..pretty close..like I said sounds great..modelers aren't there yet..pretty close but just not the same..I have also set them up and switched back and forth just to see how close...sorry you would lose
^ This answer is the only correct answer. It all a personal preference thing. In a live situation or on a album, no one would be able to tell the difference between analog and digital
My personal problem with the new digital stuff, tonex for example, is I spend too much time tinkering and on the computer tweaking patches. More time than actually playing. Last few years I've been using a "Simplifier" amp sim. It's all on board, and easy to use. Sounds like an amp, with no extra updating or logging on to the pc. Best of both worlds imo. I'd like to see more of the standalone amp sims, where the pedal amp only emulates one or two amps. Cuts down the paralysis.
The McRocklin suite is an amazing all in 1. They actually keep up with updates regularly so far and it's very light on CPU resource use compared to something like Neural. It's a more straight forward interface with more usable presets than any archetype suite I've tried. In the end though it's up to you to limit your time tinkering and find the four or five tones that work for the music you play and then just play. I don't spend much time at all messing with the tones.
@@Lalairu Oh for sure can do that, and it handles pedals well. I run my entire pedal board thru it. It's just not the best for extreme high gain, unless you have a chug pedal or some type of high gain distortion pedal.
Can't go wrong either way. I love pedals, like Lee I love the immediacy and visibility of just adjusting knobs on the fly, but I love digital solutions for all the problems they solve, too. How many times did I fight a sound guy about my stage volume until my tube amp had the life choked out of it, when I could've just run a digital modeler into a FRFR cab or wedge and got saturated, driven tones at coffeeshop volume...
One of the other advantages of digital (at least some of them, QC is an example) is that you also get the ability to have two different rigs at the same time for the cost of the one unit. For example, I am using my QC at the moment to run both guitar and bass for worship at church which reduces the amount of gear we need to move around while our building is being renovated as we can't just leave the stage set up.
GenXer here that loves the GenZ setups. One of the best decisions that I made was buying a Fender GTX 50 Amp. It saved me so much money and sounds so great.
I prefer an amp and pedals to digital stuff. I started out playing on digital modelers and they have their place. I think in my mind why I prefer the traditional stuff is because it's cooler. You will always look cooler with a Marshall(or whatever) stack behind you than a modeler at your feet that nobody can see. Music is about the visual as well.
Millennial here, my rig is a pedal board going into a gaming pc with all the lights & crap running a few amp sims in parallel. Monitors or headphones for the sound and endless folders of IR's to waste time with lol. My board is half drives & fuzz / pog & other trippy things. Then I take care of most reverb on the PC. Best of both worlds!
I’m right in the middle. Switched over to the helix which has been great for the simplicity of setup and packing. Especially playing mostly church settings, there’s so many patches out there that are built for specific songs that just like he said, at the press of a button you’re changed your tone. Yet on the guitar side, I still run classics like my 58 Murphy lab 😅
I like and use both but the way electric prices and the cost of living are going digital is going to win for home users a laptop + audio interface with plugins will get you a good enough sound to play along with all your favourite records and give you a tonal palette to create your own sounds. If I was doing it all over again starting now I would have saved myself a fortune lol
Watching pedal owners do the on your knees position chase the loose connection on their floorboard. Convinced me a long time ago that having a shop full of pedals at your feet is the way to go. Once had a bassist on the verge of calling off the gig because of his gigantic pedalboard. I pointed out to him he could just plug his bass straight into the amp. Seen Guitarists praying for that one pedal cable or battery to be bypassed too. Ardent Helix user.
Very early Gen Xer and moved to Helix a few years ago, sold my Princeton, sold my pedals. Never going back. Just so good! I did keep my Marshall and when I really want to blow it up, have the Helix into the Marshall 4CM. But most days, its the Helix into the Powercab and I have 15 or so presets at a button that covers classic rock to blues at a touch.
The best thing you can do is mix both. Don’t be so stuck in your ways to only like one when you could find a whole new world of sounds by reaching into the past or catching up with the present. Do what pushes you to be more creative and inspires you to play more
I’m 25. Born in 97. I’m on the oldschool side of things. Only for a very simple reason. If I drop my dod overdrive plus off a building, it’ll be fine. If I drop a multi effects unit like this one out of its case then it’s done and over with. Yeah sure setting up a full board is a bit of a pain but I know on the road they are more robust and sturdy and if there’s a problem, I just replace that one pedal not the entire thing My rig is a les Paul Peavey vk100 2x crate 4x12 cabs Pedal board consists of: Dod overdrive plus Dod extreme distortion Og crybaby wah Dunlop volume pedal (used for floor monitor) And a couple cheap o chorus, and delay pedals (don’t use them much. Short simple to the point
I find in my old age that I just like a clean amp and the me-80 in manual mode. Very similar to having stomp boxes with twiddly dials but also an all-in-one.
I still have my tube amps including a 100W Marshall full stack and Engl 100W half stack, I use them mostly at home though I do have a few 1x12 tube amp combos for grab and go. I had digital modeler hardware for years, now I'm building a software plugin computer rig, mostly PolyChrome DSP...just waiting for the MIDI control to be added and will use my KMI SoftStep2 + expression pedal. My current portable rig is a Mooer P1 Prime with F4 footswitch; using it for several months. Guitar wireless, and I have a silent stage and sound stage options. The entire rig fits in a small bag the size of a kids lunch box, except the powered cab.. Sounds huge stereo out to a PA which is how I use it at home. Sounds great, versatile and tiny. It's even smaller and easier to use than my planned computer based rig.
OMG! Got to be the funniest show at the start. Love the joking and playing. I'm Gen X and I prefer mostly analogue with some digital. Digital sometimes to me seems limiting and complicated, but am always open and willing to learn.
Digital: is ready for stage and mix, so for a production and live its good to go and super practical. Full analog rig: it just feels fun for me as an individual to have a real amp and cab. Less menu diving, less screentime
Millennial Rig: my iPad with bias fx 2 set on jimmy page live 73, ran into the effects loop of my Marshall mg100hdfx with two 4x12 in my room….or on stage plugged into my Monoprice stage right combo effects loop and my Gibson les Paul standard hp or my Baja telecaster… a nice mix of analog and digital… it’s just easier to have everything already preset I just press a button and have a new soundscape and tones without lugging a bunch of pedals and buying heavy amp heads and cabs… stage playing is so much easier and it all fits in my car and a backpack
5:25 This pretty much reflects where I sit with regard to digital modellers; it kind of blurs the experience of *playing* with a big, you-should-probably-have-ear-protection amp in the room and listening to music at a volume you could probably converse over. Kind of like gentrification.
Millennial here, I’ve had digital effects and amps but these days I prefer solid state amps without digital effects as well as an army of analogue pedals. Had multi effect pedals before but find them over complicated and I like being able to tweak the pedals quickly and easily. Also I find that there’s just too much choice when it comes to multi effects and I never used most of them. With individual pedals I’m limited in the sounds I can make and therefore more likely to explore the pedal in more depth.
Other millennial here, I kind of went the opposite direction. I felt limited in a bad way by just having one amp and a basic pedalboard, legit can't tell the difference in sound, and I'm more used to computer interfaces and seeing exact values for parameters - so I went digital and never looked back.
Lee's playing is a testament to his love for the instrument. he has so much to oversee and manage on a daily basis, yet his musical skills show he's being true to his love of tones and playing guitar. It's like watching Bob Ross paint. Pure Joy. 🙂 All Anderton's videos are fun and informative without being pushy sales gimmicks! Thanks everyone, music unites us all.
Gen X here I guess - '65. Since around '90 I got totally used to hearing guitar over stereo/hifi type speakers. Being a non-gigging hobbyist (who still buys loads pf stuff) that's been my preferred wy of going about it for years. I like the recall as well, and hearing something a few days later in a recording and examining which patch I like to listen to. It's usually one with much less gain that what I feel like I like playing through. But I can always recall a patch/preset and do a different take and have the recording be seamless. There's something I'd love to know more about. I have tons of friends who play and regularly buy gear, but almost none of us are in a band or even play regularly. But we talk abut gear and buy stuff almost as if we are gigging musicians. I'd love to know more about the market, and how many people who watch this channel and buy stuff are gigging musicians, and how many are hobbyists that just like to muck around.
As someone lives in a house with limited electrical outlets the MX5 and Headrush powered speaker sound great together for me. If I hook up my Vavleking 212 I get a good amount of white noise from the electrical wiring.
I'm early Gen X (I'm 56) and I love modern lightweight digital gear. I also love tube amps and 4x12 cabs. I see many of my contemporaries completely lost, as if they have never heard of things like the personal computer or the internet, let alone digital amps & effects. It pisses me off because my generation grew up in the age of the first personal computers, video games, MTV, cable TV, etc. Yet they all act like they were born in 1920. The one thing I'm so HAPPY to be rid of is a crowded analog pedal board with all of the hum, noise, connection issues, weight, and other PITA factors. I'm SO happy to do a gig with just my Helix, or a Katana with no additional outboard effects, or at the most, a tube amp with my GT1000 for effects.
I have to cover a wide range of songs and tones in my covers band and I’m 100% digital now. I’ve not switched on my valve amp in 10 months, my analogue board with Jam, Thorpy, keeley etc is in a wardrobe. I’m free to practice , perform without endless twiddling and tap dancing. A fraction of the price too. It’s option paralysis to begin with so I bought some pro patches to get me going best £20 ever spent to get past the endless menus
I have a board that consists of a dual channel MIAB pedal, a Univibe type, a tremolo, a fuzz, and multi delay, controlled by a MIDI loop switcher; I have an analog sound and digital presets. All I need outside is a clean amp, or I use Two Notes CAB M+ as a' clean pedal friendly amp' sim. While I can't get every kind of exact sound in the world, I can definitely cover the general idea of pretty much everything.
I've been playing for 45+ years and I went from tube amps and pedalboards to a Helix. My back thanks me. it's also more versatile, dependable and family friendly at home. I've dialed things in to the point which I think my Helix rig now sounds better than the analog stuff did. It gets better with every firmware update and it's exactly the same at every gig. Also, since most of us still seem to be making 1980s money at gigs, I feel much better about making one easy trip to and from the car for setting up and tearing down. I can also enjoy the drive to gigs in a sports sedan instead of a van or SUV now!
I'm gen x and i love my Boss GT1000. I usually have it plugged into one of my tube amps via 4 cable method. Occasionally, i take it and plug it directly to the PA at the venue with no amp. It's equally capable used both ways.
I'm an amp> fuzz> boost>delay boomer. The new gear is really really great. My resistance isn't the gear. It's me. i'm getting tired of working out how new stuff works- not just music gear but devices in general. When faced with a new washing machine, fridge, car, oven, mobile, a DAW I haven't used before, the new Windows, the company's new billing platform, etc. I get a sinking feeling of "here we go again". Guitar-cable-amp is just so direct, all I have to do is play. Lee, if you ever run a market research focus group, I'm up for it😀
I'm a solid Gen X-er. But I've always embraced new tech for guitar gear. By '89, I was using a rack mounted SS amp with a BOSS GL-100 preamp and an Alesis Quadraverb. My last live rig for over a decade was a BOSS GT-8 for all preamp tones and effects--first through a Classic 30, then through a Palmer PDI-09 direct to FOH. Nowadays, I'm totally modelling plugins for recording and a BOSS GX-100 direct to FOH (with an frfr for stage monitoring) for live. Couldn't be happier.
Millennial who uses a real pedalboard with amps at home for practice and a digital clone of that setup via Headrush Gigboard for live performance direct into a desk. Scenes are really awesome for really specific sounds in certain one off songs but I mostly end up just using two main base patches and toggle more or less delay or gain within those for 90% of songs. I like the flexibility to fiddle with knobs at home and then set and forget for performance.
Great video. Bottom line: ---------------------------------------- - versatility by adding components versus - versatility by using all versatile components
I’ve gone both ways - pedals and midi-controlled rack gear. Once one has the rack gear dialed-in the midi controller is so much simpler to use with less tweaking every time one sets up to play. The rack gear sounds great too. However, I’ve been in situations where the software would have a glitch and I was reduced to playing without effects and overdrive. That sucked. These days, since I don’t play out much anymore, I use a simple pedal board setup. Even though It sounds fine, I am forever twiddling with the knobs on the pedals because the board sounds different in each venue. I think the Gen-Zs have got it right. Once you get the rig programmed you have little to fuss with to get your rig sounding the way you want it.
As a Helix power user who has played at church once or twice a week now for close to 9 years, some of time of which I play at other rather larger churches where reliability and professionalism is critical.... my Helix has been far more reliable than any analog board ive built in 20 years. Ive had exactly ZERO problems in the first 5 years running HX Stomp with my analog board and then the last year with full blown Helix. I cant count how many times I spent rehearsals troubleshooting either my amp or my board. I bought a brand new AC15 and it blew on the first gig I took it took back about 6 years ago. At a certain point you just get tired of reliability issues when the digital rig sounds just as good. And i do mean JUST. AS. GOOD. If not better. I have templates I used depending on the situation but even I had to build a patch from scratch, I could do it in less than 5 minutes. This applies to all the major modelling units. They all have their quirks and strengths but once you learn it, theyre far superior in my opinion. When you recognize the drive you need for a lead on a specific song really needs the mid push TS thing, you just swap it instantly. I mean i could spend hours typing out all the useful benefits to ditching an analog board and amp. It all comes down to what your needs are, how you're using your rig, where you're playing and what you like.
As a Boomer, I do have the digital gadgetry for home studio but play live with pedals. I use a medium sized pedalboard (8 pedals and wireless receiver) or a smaller board (7 pedals, no wireless) I need to make instant changes while playing so pedals are the go!
Many years ago I had a rare Yamaha SB-100 pedalboard which although were individual pedals, all belonged to a professional pedalboard case. I've always hated wires all over the place and having to rely on batteries. From there I bought the Boss GT6, 10,100 and 1000. The last two I still have! Very reliable and so flexible with so many more effects, cab and amp simulations that can be programmed with sounds downloaded from tone studio. The idea of individual effects in stompboxes would cost a fortune and the board would be as big as a double bed!! With the cabling and power unit!!! Too much!!!
Gen X age 20: an old used Peavey amp, a handful of beat up Boss and budget (Danelectro, DOD) pedals. Gen X aged 45: vintage amp collection, massive board loaded with digital and analogue boutique pedals, plus a nice vintage MIJ Boss pedal on there for old time’s sake
I got completely fed up with my digital tech always being superseded by a new thing, then product support stops, or the lack of cpu in older units. Then there's the classic one power plug dies and its all over etc. I've spent so much money on digital stuff that is just not that great anymore but a fraction of that on pedals I'm still using decades later. I'm now using preamp/drive pedals and a solid state power amp to keep it portable.
I think I'll probably always be an LP through a pedal board to an amp type of guy and update and swap pedals along the way. There's something nostalgic and classic about it that I can't get away from.
Fantastic. Gen X here. 1969. Just sold my 70’s Marshall and other old heavy tube amps. Switched to the boss gx-100. I did keep my little (and light) 50’s gibson ga-20 just in case I want to go old school ever. And I use a fuzz pedal in the loop. Have not heard a proper modeled fuzz yet. But yeah. I’m done with the heavy loud vintage gear.
I love collecting pedals, and have a more "traditional" pedal board. In early 2000's when I wanted more FX and didn't have an endless budget to buy 20 different pedals, I got a BOSS GT-10. I couldn't wrap my head around how to use it. Not as simple as I'd like. But, I see the new stuff coming out like the Quad Cortex, Tone X, and Head Rush Prime, and I'm interested. Not going to give up my pedals, but if I ever play live, I'd love the portability of the new gear. Since you can model pedals, and amps now, I think I'd write songs?develop sounds on pedals, and copy them to a "Modler", then play that live. Allows you to not have the large cargo haul if you go on the road, but be creative at home.
As a full blown GEN Xer I somewhat live right in the middle of all this stuff. I really like "analog" pedals, especially for the "limits" they offer (and the touch and feel and look and stuff). Being physically limited to a certain amount of gear can be really relieving in a creative process. On the other Hand I really like the digital world for the endlessness of it's possibilities, the ease of traveling and the amount of money it can save you (being able to just try if a certain kind of effect really fits my needs without having to spend 300 bucks on a fancy delay pedal). So, as always the truth lies in the middle, I think (and in the personal preferences of each individual, of course).
Was at this pub and got chatting to this older couple, by coincidence we got started talking about guitars and turns out he's a bit of a collector with 29 guitars. He was an avid axe fx user, loves Marshall amps but doesn't want to carry them to gigs. The convenience of digital technology just cant be beat for gigging musician. Makes set up and tear down so much easier and you can guarantee your tone is gonna translate well to an audience which is more difficult when you gig with tube amps. Most stages I've played will want you to always be quieter and there are lots of variables with micing a cab.
The main issues that create problems with valve amps in venues is exactly the same with the PA as well. An amplifier is an amplifier and acoustic issues are not mitigated by one being intended for a guitar and another for full frequency range reproduction, 100dBSPL is 100dBSPL, regardless of what how it's produced. Watch footage of professional bands touring and you'll see a lot of valve amps on flight cases and tape to mark where the microphone should go. Go to smaller venues and you'll less of this because the professionals will be working with the bands and venues that can actually pay them, so you get more myths in small venues that imply certain types of equipment, instruments and workflows are capable of defying physics. A valve amp not 'translating' is user error quite simply and there is more potential for phase issues with mic'ing an amp through a PA and through a monitor than simply turning the amp up and not allowing it through the monitors because it's not needed, because you've then got 3+ sources (If you have a PA system with a set of speakers on the left & right of the stage, they each count as a source, have a look into pan laws to see the issues with two or more speakers) at different positions in the room all producing the same sound. With a digital modeller you'll have at least two sources. So its like running through a multi-tap delay with extremely short delay times and the closer the volume of each is to each other, the bigger the problem. However guitarists should use whatever works for them, that's ultimately more important. But the pseudoscience that often goes with any of these choices needs to stop.
Being in a small local band I've never met a sound guy that would let me just turn up my amp and not mic it up through the PA, sounds like it would be fun though lol. It's been my experience that we get consistently better mixes and a better monitoring experience using no amps on stage and in ears for monitoring but each to their own.
@@rand0mturk3y I’ve worked with plenty that do and allow it myself. There’s a difference between cranking up to 11 and allowing bands to sound their best and that often gets conflated. I have never experienced a guitarist turning up with a vintage Plexi and wanting to set everything to 11. What often happens is guitarists don’t set up their amps to properly hear them, they just dump them on the floor and stand over them, so what is heard FOH is often far too loud and hugely bright/muddy. Experienced and knowledgeable engineers will notice this and rectify it - one did it to me when I was 17. The difference is huge, no need for amps in monitors or any other nonsense and FOH can concern themselves with FOH. Amateur engineers get guitarists to turn down because they think all problems are solved through the desk, whereas literally changing the position of something can solve all sorts of problems. I once had to step in at a show a friend was performing because they couldn’t get an SM58 to stop feedbacking, the engineer had no clue about polar pattern and trying to crank a monitor when it’d be picked up by one. If a band wants to use IEMs, I’m all for it. If a band sounds great with amps turned up a bit, but it’s not a problem FOH, I’ll go with it, if a band turns up with QC’s or Kempers, I’ll go with it. What matters is the band. I can’t stop a bad sounding band from sounding bad, but to make a great band turn bad because of pseudoscience is bad engineering. I want to amplify a great sounding band, not make them follow what I want them to sound like.
@@rand0mturk3y Honestly it would give me less work, which'd be great! Modern FOH is the worst for stage volumes and FOH mixes it's ever been. No one is calling this out because shit engineers are allow to spew myths.
Analogue sound is so much better. The tones, sustain, and if in the room the feel of the burst through the tubes' sweet spot while playing. There are nuances the digital modelers can't do (yet). For home recording digital is easier.
I just don't want to carry too much stuff I don't use any effects either, maybe a compressor and reverb, but I just need a solid amp and cab sound, EQ and Boost to clean up or brighten stuff I don't really get the full use out of Analog or Digital considering how simple my rigs are, but I agree that Analog still sounds better AND digital is easier for home recording due to it's consistency and not needing a mic if you have the right IRs and no cab
If I wanted to do a Shoegaze rig, Analog will sound a lot better in terms of having your chorus and fuzz effects be as detailed as they are, but I MIGHT still prefer Digital because I can switch patches without having to set two amp channels for clean/distortion, and I don't need to step on 6 pedals to make it happen I hate the compromise, I want the quality of analog with the convenience of digital LOL
I love pedals, what guitar player doesn't? It adds alot of character and personality to you as a player. But it is so much of a hassle when you're gigging 200+ times a year. Just having a cable go out could take you over an hour of trouble shooting to figure out what went wrong. And there's nothing more frustrating when you're about to play a gig. Multi FX have come a long way. It sounds just as good to the average listener, unless you're a guitar snob. Definitely not as fun or cool. But more practical.
I used to play a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier with a 4x12 cab but I changed to digital. First I had the Axe Fx II and a power amp with a cab and later on I moved to the FM3 and the Quad Cortex with frfr speakers.
For someone just jamming in a bedroom or whatever, amp and pedals works fine. But for recording or playing live, there really is nothing like Axe-FX, QC, etc. Being able to record via USB, MIDI control everything, etc is an absolute game changer!!
While modeling is great for practice, recording and even gigging, I strongly believe every guitarist should have at least 1 traditional rig built to their "sound." its part of being a guitarist. Most traditional rigs today are hybrids to a degree anyway if you are using any modern equipment or pedals. But a real Mesa, Marshall or Vox in a room, cranked, playing out of a set of nice Celestians or Jenson speaker, with a real spring reverb..... there's just nothing like that pushed "real" tube breakup that hits you in the soul.
The Captain all the way! I’ve gone the digital route twice now and I’ve both times returned to guitar, cable, amp with maybe a modicum of pedals. It’s simpler, and I like simple…both me and the punters are there for the sound of music, not the way the sonic waves are sent.
Millennial here, and I've fallen into a sort of hybrid analog/digital setup. I tend to switch between a tube amp and amp sim depending on the gig, and while i still use a few analog pedals, the brain of my board is a Boss MS-3 (a switcher with multieffects built in), giving me the best both of the worlds.
Jim Lill had a great point about the whole "it sounds better in the room"-argument in one of his videos. Basically every single guitar tone you hear in your life is being picked up by a microphone (or an IR of a cab/mic combo) and sent to a different speaker. The only exception is when you plug into an amp in the rehearsal space. That's it. Every record and almost every live show, you're not really hearing or projecting the sound of the amp directly at the audience. Which is why it doesn't matter what it sounds like "in the room" because almost nobody will ever hear it that way!
I see and love both styles. Digital's BIGGEST advantage is space. Get a good digital amp and effects pedal and the every day player has all they need vs needing a big pedal board and a bunch of pedals and then learning where each should go in the loop and then dealing with the power to the pedals and the cables and so on... At the same time, the Pedal board has the advantage of "Something doesn't sound right" adjust on the fly vs digital needing the flip through the menu to get to find the effect you need to adjust then adjust and test. It's not too bad a difference but I think In a live setting If something needed adjustment, the Pedal board would lend better to individual pedals with nobs to adjust on the fly with no menu to riffle through in the heat of the moment. Basically, at home/studio, I would go with Digital. Live, I would go with Pedal board for speed adjustments since the nobs for ALL effects are right there ready for change. The biggest disadvantage to Pedal boards is likely the cost. How much for the pedal board, each pedal in the loop, the cables, the power, power draw? Now, how much for the digital effects, the cable to the pedal and to the cab...is there anything else? The power draw I don't see being as high as the pedal board.
Gen x here..i play both. The diffrence is Digital sounds good now. Buuuut it doesnt live n breath like tubes. ..digital sometimes..but tubes and pedals always for the feel
Older Millenial here (cusp of Gen-X). I definitely fit more on the Gen-X side here, though every day I'm tempted more and more by devices like the HX Stomp to help minimize.
Im Gen X, went digital for a while but have since gone 'hybrid' on my main board with some decent standalone pedals and an HX stomp. I also have an all analogue board.
![The Best Guitar Amp In The World [And Tips On Using Pedals With It]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6j0hOIu6LeM/mqdefault.jpg)
I use the Millenial rig. A mix of Digital and Analogue as that's what worked best at the time.
Just like capt Lee. From what I know Strymon does only digital things.
digital modelling unit through a valve power amp is absolutely the best of both worlds.
Same 😂
+1. Amp sim ( hx stomp ) + analog pedals into the FX loop.
except we suck at music , all we did was memes
"Any style?" "...obviously not" Lee's comedic timing really is damn good 😂
Took me a second.
Comedic timing? Or simply the truth? 😂
You don't know what comedy timing means do you...
"I don't need wifi, I just need $800 worth of patch cables and three days to build my $5,000 pedal board" 😄
And then i need to carry thousand pounds to the gig
Extra points if you can show soldering iron burns in lieu of calluses on your fingertips...
No you replace an $800 worth of patch cables with an $800 laptop that you’ll have to replace every 5 years
*im only picking no wrong answers imo
@@MothmanCold Very true, but who isn't replacing their laptop every 5 years anyway? ;)
@@scottwalsh52 Me simple. Me own no lapstops. Me have Marshall stack. Me happy.
One of the big advantages to a system like the Quad Cortex, or similar setups (HX stuff, Valeton GP range etc) is that they are all-in-one solutions for multi-instrumentalists. With a decent digital system, you have a single unit that works for electric, acoustic, bass, upright bass, keys/synths or basically any instrument, and you can set up and save ideal patches for each just by downloading appropriate presets or IRs.
I’m a GenX guitarist with a GenZ setup. It’s the future and my knackered GenX back appreciates it!
It's even better in the world of bass mate.
I now own a bass rig with an 800 watt class D amp and a neodynium loaded 1x15 cab, and the whole rig weighs barely a ball hair more than my old rack power amp alone... It's mindblowing to think about.
Those years of loading my gear in and out being a 2 man job (and still causing back pain) are looooong gone. and good bloody riddance :D
😂😂
@@Safetysealed i know what you mean. My bass, Helix, and two Headrush FRFR cabinets combined weigh less than just my old 4x10
Same. While I have owned valve amps, I've never seen them as the pinnacle, just another tool. I've been using digital for years.
Unfortunately, if you fall along the generational seams, you end up buying both. I don’t make the rules.
Ye, I play with a strat using flats and I have a pedalboard with pedals and a ampero mini for the modulation/amp stuff, best of both worlds
Very true😂
Or every few years selling everything and yo-yoing madly between old analogue stuff and cutting edge modelling stuff. That shock depreciation of modelling gear never gets old😅
It’s hard to find truth on the internet, but I found it with this comment.
Preach 😅
I wanted to hate the digital setup.... but I just can't. They both sound great. I think the fundamental element is that whatever rig you use, it has to be something you actually like well enough to spend the time learning properly. If you're familiar with the kit and enjoy playing with it, you'll put more time in getting the tone dialled in properly.
60 years old here. Played them all from old amps, modellers and solid state. Gigged and at home.
Settled back on tube/valve amps at gigs and digital at home via Two Notes.
I still like the experience of gigging a valve rig and life is too short not to and it keeps me fit. Nothing wrong with the modellers especially for fly dates etc. sometimes hybrid rigs work really well.
All depends on the gig and the job. All have their place.
Still like to feel my trousers 👖 flap occasionally to make sure I’m alive. 🎉
Digital John was updating his firmware at the beginning. That's why he was taking a while to start.
Are you talking about his rig or his own personal firmware?
@@mikeomatic9905 Personal firmware. Rig was fine.
Lee, do more vids with this young fella. Your raport is good, and and he is really on it when it comes to describing the gear and how to use it, great player too.. Top marks.
Gen X here that has both. Generally use digital for quiet practice, but when I want to have actual fun, nothing beats a tube amp. Nothing.
Have you tried playing your digital rig loud, through the cab?
@@pauliusmscichauskas558 Yep, people always seem to miss that. You turn a modeller up with a decent Cab or FRFR up to the same level a tube amp is usually at, i.e moving air levels...the differentiation of the more modern modeller units is a much finer line.
My all analog solid state Orange amp is just as much fun as any valve amp I've owned.
@@marksvideochannel3592 The FRFR will never be the same as a real cab... It amplifies a simulated Mic'ed cab signal.. Listening to a cab directly, in the room, is a very different experience.
I'm late Gen-X (1980). I love both, but I haven't owned a guitar amp since 2003, and these days I'm 100% modeling for both guitar and bass. The convenience factor just can't be denied, and after years of pedal obsession and pedalboard rebuilds, going digital has allowed me some much needed peace of mind because I'm no longer obsessing about what pedal I want to replace next.
In the end, if you are spending more time actually playing now, its a win in my books.
I agree born June of 1980 and I consider myself Gen-X. I’m in the states but over here we’re considered Gen-X until 1981 I think. But I’m buying a new amp… either some digital setup or a Mesa Boogie California Tweed. Haven’t played since 1996… when I paid $140 for a BOSS FX69 GRUNGE pedal to go with my 20w Marshall Tube amp and Fender squire setup I paid $300 all in from my brothers friend when I was 16. I’ve been playing the last 6/months and after buying a $170 LP-special ii and then a Fender Player Plus (SSS) I started a three piece band with the guys from work and I’m getting drowned out by our drummer with a Yamaha THR10II 😂… never played with a proper band and learned the hard way, what you’d think is obvious. So I need a new amp and was considering going digital but I’m lost on everything that’s out now… (btw… I’m not really a great player) should I stick with what I know?
Neural DSP really changed the game for me. I can get whatever tone I want all through my computer in just a few minutes.
Same here.
What plugin is your go to with Neural DSP?
Caotains criticism of the modeler is actually 100% right because that's what a modeler is doing. It is replicating a tone run through and "amp, cab and effects" then miced in a room. What is coming through the speaker is not the amp tone but the miced tone if you were listening in a studio.
Once I realized that, I fell more in love with my Fractal Ace FX III, because I wasn't trying to make an "amp in the room tone" I'm making a great tone that translates well in a mix! And with the newest updates it's only better!! Analog is great! But a really good digital is so nice! And I have kids so I only play at night and I can use headphones to make tones that translate to a live environment!!
Gen X here with both types of gear, enjoy it all, digital for practice and analog for playing live, played my cloudburst out live this week for the first time. Andertons really brought joy this year while battling a health issue. Appreciate you guys!!
Wishing you good health man. From 1 guitarist to another.
As a millenial who falls between the lines I've gone with a 100w Marshall, 4x12 and attenuator - because guitar music will always partially be a visual experience for the crowd (and I'm definitely not attractive enough to get on without a good looking backline)
Being older I used to always be an amp and pedal guy. But honestly, once you’re done setting up a good quality multi-effects unit, they are easy, they sound great, don’t have to worry about someone accidentally bumping a dial on one of your pedals, and are consistent every day. My amps seem to sound different from day to day. So I’m starting to drink the kool aid a bit. :)
It's that amp sounding different day to day bit that always bugged me with analog amps.
Although you do have to worry about someone spilling a drink on the digital unit 😂
@@markdonatelli5742 that is also a worry with amps and pedals, bro.
Yup, I decided to place a premium on portability, reliability, and versatility. I sold all my tube amps (except my D20 which I adore) and build a board around an FM3 that can go from rock to country to ambient craziness at the click of a button. It sounds 90% as good as a tube amp (if you’re listening through a PA or headphones, which is the only sound that matters since that’s what audiences here), and the number of people who can tell the difference would fit in my car; only one of them would even care.
I can't say that I have any strong preference, just different tools for different situations and individuals. I have played multieffects and modelling amps, but as I get more specific in the sound I am looking for, I find myself moving to more analog gear. It is some of the best sounds I've ever had, but as soon as I get a fly gig, I'm buying a QC, profiling my amp, and programing my pedalboard into it!
This X'er loves his modeling rig. I cheat a bit, perhaps, because I still use traditional pedals and a modeling pedal that has traditional knobs. I love the versatility of modeling, though and will probably go down the route of something like the Neural some day.
I've never had an issue with the in-the-room sound with my modeling rig. I play though a PA speaker. I think most of the complains are from those assuming a direct-to-DAW connection or headphones and a bit of confirmation bias.
It Truly is amazing how far digital processing has come along. But as a millennial i still love having actual tube amps and pedals. But just listening to video it was almost impossible to tell the two apart. Love the video
I have both. The difference is mainly in the feel of the guitar while playing. Pedals and tubes feel alive!
@@Cosmo__Kramerhow tf is a pedal gonna change how the guitar feels lmao
@@chikinonfrydai how does it? It just does..try playing an 808 it gives the guitar a smooth buttery feel..so yea..it does same way an amp fking does
@@Cosmo__KramerI'm willing to bet my house if you were blindfolded and given a guitar going through both set ups were the modeler was really well set up you wouldn't be able to tell the difference at all. That is purely a placebo effect.
@@fighterx4133 naw..you would lose your house..I started playing modeling amps forever..I know how to set up an amp..I have Peavey..marshall..blackstar..line 6..kustom..and vox modeler's...the vox is great sounds so good....but it's not on the tube level..pretty close..like I said sounds great..modelers aren't there yet..pretty close but just not the same..I have also set them up and switched back and forth just to see how close...sorry you would lose
Use the gear that inspires you to make music, whatever it may be, don’t get bogged down on who’s right or wrong, just play and have a good time.
^ This answer is the only correct answer. It all a personal preference thing. In a live situation or on a album, no one would be able to tell the difference between analog and digital
@@stoner255 : )
Thank you kindly, friend
My personal problem with the new digital stuff, tonex for example, is I spend too much time tinkering and on the computer tweaking patches. More time than actually playing. Last few years I've been using a "Simplifier" amp sim. It's all on board, and easy to use. Sounds like an amp, with no extra updating or logging on to the pc. Best of both worlds imo. I'd like to see more of the standalone amp sims, where the pedal amp only emulates one or two amps. Cuts down the paralysis.
I've been comnsidering a simplifier for a long time. You can use it just with headphones or even plug it into a cabinet right?
The McRocklin suite is an amazing all in 1. They actually keep up with updates regularly so far and it's very light on CPU resource use compared to something like Neural. It's a more straight forward interface with more usable presets than any archetype suite I've tried.
In the end though it's up to you to limit your time tinkering and find the four or five tones that work for the music you play and then just play. I don't spend much time at all messing with the tones.
@Lalairu yes yes, I can't recommend it enough. It's not for high gain tho, it's more classic fender and vox tone.
@@dabanjo mmm I see. Thanks for the fast response :) you couldn't play classic metal or grunge for instance?
@@Lalairu Oh for sure can do that, and it handles pedals well. I run my entire pedal board thru it. It's just not the best for extreme high gain, unless you have a chug pedal or some type of high gain distortion pedal.
Can't go wrong either way. I love pedals, like Lee I love the immediacy and visibility of just adjusting knobs on the fly, but I love digital solutions for all the problems they solve, too. How many times did I fight a sound guy about my stage volume until my tube amp had the life choked out of it, when I could've just run a digital modeler into a FRFR cab or wedge and got saturated, driven tones at coffeeshop volume...
KEMPER KABINET does "Amp/Cab in the room" simulation (i.e., no microphone)... This addresses Lee's criticism.
One of the other advantages of digital (at least some of them, QC is an example) is that you also get the ability to have two different rigs at the same time for the cost of the one unit. For example, I am using my QC at the moment to run both guitar and bass for worship at church which reduces the amount of gear we need to move around while our building is being renovated as we can't just leave the stage set up.
That’s a good point. On the flip side, if the QC goes down, multiple instruments go down. So there are pros and cons.
GenXer here that loves the GenZ setups. One of the best decisions that I made was buying a Fender GTX 50 Amp. It saved me so much money and sounds so great.
I prefer an amp and pedals to digital stuff. I started out playing on digital modelers and they have their place. I think in my mind why I prefer the traditional stuff is because it's cooler. You will always look cooler with a Marshall(or whatever) stack behind you than a modeler at your feet that nobody can see. Music is about the visual as well.
Just do what other bands adapted to doing and building walls of empty cabinets
Lee is in rare form today. This was a blast to watch.
Millennial here, my rig is a pedal board going into a gaming pc with all the lights & crap running a few amp sims in parallel. Monitors or headphones for the sound and endless folders of IR's to waste time with lol. My board is half drives & fuzz / pog & other trippy things. Then I take care of most reverb on the PC. Best of both worlds!
I’m right in the middle. Switched over to the helix which has been great for the simplicity of setup and packing. Especially playing mostly church settings, there’s so many patches out there that are built for specific songs that just like he said, at the press of a button you’re changed your tone. Yet on the guitar side, I still run classics like my 58 Murphy lab 😅
I like and use both but the way electric prices and the cost of living are going digital is going to win for home users a laptop + audio interface with plugins will get you a good enough sound to play along with all your favourite records and give you a tonal palette to create your own sounds. If I was doing it all over again starting now I would have saved myself a fortune lol
I’m 51 years old and I’m a digital guy. I use a quad cortex with a h90 and 2 expression pedals and a Powercab plus 2x12. Sounds fine in band setting.
Watching pedal owners do the on your knees position chase the loose connection on their floorboard. Convinced me a long time ago that having a shop full of pedals at your feet is the way to go.
Once had a bassist on the verge of calling off the gig because of his gigantic pedalboard. I pointed out to him he could just plug his bass straight into the amp. Seen Guitarists praying for that one pedal cable or battery to be bypassed too.
Ardent Helix user.
Both rigs sound great!
Very early Gen Xer and moved to Helix a few years ago, sold my Princeton, sold my pedals. Never going back. Just so good! I did keep my Marshall and when I really want to blow it up, have the Helix into the Marshall 4CM. But most days, its the Helix into the Powercab and I have 15 or so presets at a button that covers classic rock to blues at a touch.
Wow! Such a pair of cool players. The final section just so dreamy and so talented. More please.
The best thing you can do is mix both. Don’t be so stuck in your ways to only like one when you could find a whole new world of sounds by reaching into the past or catching up with the present. Do what pushes you to be more creative and inspires you to play more
I’m 25. Born in 97. I’m on the oldschool side of things. Only for a very simple reason. If I drop my dod overdrive plus off a building, it’ll be fine. If I drop a multi effects unit like this one out of its case then it’s done and over with. Yeah sure setting up a full board is a bit of a pain but I know on the road they are more robust and sturdy and if there’s a problem, I just replace that one pedal not the entire thing
My rig is a les Paul
Peavey vk100
2x crate 4x12 cabs
Pedal board consists of:
Dod overdrive plus
Dod extreme distortion
Og crybaby wah
Dunlop volume pedal (used for floor monitor)
And a couple cheap o chorus, and delay pedals (don’t use them much.
Short simple to the point
@Andertons I'd love a gen X walkthrough on what gear is needed for a fully digital setup please. 😊
My rig: Ibanez RG->Digitech Whammy->Dunlop Crybaby 95Q->bunch of Boss pedals->Egnater Tweaker 15 half stack.
I find in my old age that I just like a clean amp and the me-80 in manual mode. Very similar to having stomp boxes with twiddly dials but also an all-in-one.
I’m about the same age as Lee and I’ve always played superstrats and high gain amps before going digital in the mid 2000s.
I still have my tube amps including a 100W Marshall full stack and Engl 100W half stack, I use them mostly at home though I do have a few 1x12 tube amp combos for grab and go.
I had digital modeler hardware for years, now I'm building a software plugin computer rig, mostly PolyChrome DSP...just waiting for the MIDI control to be added and will use my KMI SoftStep2 + expression pedal.
My current portable rig is a Mooer P1 Prime with F4 footswitch; using it for several months.
Guitar wireless, and I have a silent stage and sound stage options. The entire rig fits in a small bag the size of a kids lunch box, except the powered cab.. Sounds huge stereo out to a PA which is how I use it at home. Sounds great, versatile and tiny.
It's even smaller and easier to use than my planned computer based rig.
John's comment about "you'd just go to THAT pedal and turn an knob - and the QC you just touch the icon and get all the parameters"
Now on the next episode, he should try and recreate your pedal board with as much accuracy as possible for reference.
OMG! Got to be the funniest show at the start. Love the joking and playing. I'm Gen X and I prefer mostly analogue with some digital. Digital sometimes to me seems limiting and complicated, but am always open and willing to learn.
Digital: is ready for stage and mix, so for a production and live its good to go and super practical.
Full analog rig: it just feels fun for me as an individual to have a real amp and cab. Less menu diving, less screentime
Amazing idea!!! Please make this into a series? “Metal rigs” of yore and now?
Millennial Rig: my iPad with bias fx 2 set on jimmy page live 73, ran into the effects loop of my Marshall mg100hdfx with two 4x12 in my room….or on stage plugged into my Monoprice stage right combo effects loop and my Gibson les Paul standard hp or my Baja telecaster… a nice mix of analog and digital… it’s just easier to have everything already preset I just press a button and have a new soundscape and tones without lugging a bunch of pedals and buying heavy amp heads and cabs… stage playing is so much easier and it all fits in my car and a backpack
I'm a gen-x who recently started playing guitar again after 20 years. I'm using digital modelling now rather than huge amps + cabs
5:25 This pretty much reflects where I sit with regard to digital modellers; it kind of blurs the experience of *playing* with a big, you-should-probably-have-ear-protection amp in the room and listening to music at a volume you could probably converse over. Kind of like gentrification.
Millennial here, I’ve had digital effects and amps but these days I prefer solid state amps without digital effects as well as an army of analogue pedals. Had multi effect pedals before but find them over complicated and I like being able to tweak the pedals quickly and easily.
Also I find that there’s just too much choice when it comes to multi effects and I never used most of them. With individual pedals I’m limited in the sounds I can make and therefore more likely to explore the pedal in more depth.
Other millennial here, I kind of went the opposite direction. I felt limited in a bad way by just having one amp and a basic pedalboard, legit can't tell the difference in sound, and I'm more used to computer interfaces and seeing exact values for parameters - so I went digital and never looked back.
John is well spoken and a great player and hes not joking about the Quad Cortex's stereo effect. I am listening on headphones and it sounds huge.
Lee's playing is a testament to his love for the instrument. he has so much to oversee and manage on a daily basis, yet his musical skills show he's being true to his love of tones and playing guitar. It's like watching Bob Ross paint. Pure Joy. 🙂 All Anderton's videos are fun and informative without being pushy sales gimmicks! Thanks everyone, music unites us all.
His lead playing has been getting better and better too
M
@@rvaguitarsagreed
Gen X here I guess - '65. Since around '90 I got totally used to hearing guitar over stereo/hifi type speakers. Being a non-gigging hobbyist (who still buys loads pf stuff) that's been my preferred wy of going about it for years. I like the recall as well, and hearing something a few days later in a recording and examining which patch I like to listen to. It's usually one with much less gain that what I feel like I like playing through. But I can always recall a patch/preset and do a different take and have the recording be seamless.
There's something I'd love to know more about. I have tons of friends who play and regularly buy gear, but almost none of us are in a band or even play regularly. But we talk abut gear and buy stuff almost as if we are gigging musicians. I'd love to know more about the market, and how many people who watch this channel and buy stuff are gigging musicians, and how many are hobbyists that just like to muck around.
As someone lives in a house with limited electrical outlets the MX5 and Headrush powered speaker sound great together for me. If I hook up my Vavleking 212 I get a good amount of white noise from the electrical wiring.
You do not get white noise from your house wiring...
I'm early Gen X (I'm 56) and I love modern lightweight digital gear. I also love tube amps and 4x12 cabs. I see many of my contemporaries completely lost, as if they have never heard of things like the personal computer or the internet, let alone digital amps & effects.
It pisses me off because my generation grew up in the age of the first personal computers, video games, MTV, cable TV, etc. Yet they all act like they were born in 1920.
The one thing I'm so HAPPY to be rid of is a crowded analog pedal board with all of the hum, noise, connection issues, weight, and other PITA factors. I'm SO happy to do a gig with just my Helix, or a Katana with no additional outboard effects, or at the most, a tube amp with my GT1000 for effects.
I have to cover a wide range of songs and tones in my covers band and I’m 100% digital now. I’ve not switched on my valve amp in 10 months, my analogue board with Jam, Thorpy, keeley etc is in a wardrobe. I’m free to practice , perform without endless twiddling and tap dancing. A fraction of the price too. It’s option paralysis to begin with so I bought some pro patches to get me going best £20 ever spent to get past the endless menus
Really enjoying all of your videos, especially when the captain is on it!
I have a board that consists of a dual channel MIAB pedal, a Univibe type, a tremolo, a fuzz, and multi delay, controlled by a MIDI loop switcher; I have an analog sound and digital presets. All I need outside is a clean amp, or I use Two Notes CAB M+ as a' clean pedal friendly amp' sim. While I can't get every kind of exact sound in the world, I can definitely cover the general idea of pretty much everything.
I've been playing for 45+ years and I went from tube amps and pedalboards to a Helix. My back thanks me. it's also more versatile, dependable and family friendly at home. I've dialed things in to the point which I think my Helix rig now sounds better than the analog stuff did. It gets better with every firmware update and it's exactly the same at every gig. Also, since most of us still seem to be making 1980s money at gigs, I feel much better about making one easy trip to and from the car for setting up and tearing down. I can also enjoy the drive to gigs in a sports sedan instead of a van or SUV now!
i just bought a blues junior pro 3 along with a helix stomp..... absolutley in love.
I'm gen x and i love my Boss GT1000. I usually have it plugged into one of my tube amps via 4 cable method. Occasionally, i take it and plug it directly to the PA at the venue with no amp. It's equally capable used both ways.
I'm an amp> fuzz> boost>delay boomer. The new gear is really really great. My resistance isn't the gear. It's me. i'm getting tired of working out how new stuff works- not just music gear but devices in general. When faced with a new washing machine, fridge, car, oven, mobile, a DAW I haven't used before, the new Windows, the company's new billing platform, etc. I get a sinking feeling of "here we go again". Guitar-cable-amp is just so direct, all I have to do is play. Lee, if you ever run a market research focus group, I'm up for it😀
"Did u just profile that Zoom G4?" 😂 That goes deep man!
I'm a solid Gen X-er. But I've always embraced new tech for guitar gear. By '89, I was using a rack mounted SS amp with a BOSS GL-100 preamp and an Alesis Quadraverb. My last live rig for over a decade was a BOSS GT-8 for all preamp tones and effects--first through a Classic 30, then through a Palmer PDI-09 direct to FOH. Nowadays, I'm totally modelling plugins for recording and a BOSS GX-100 direct to FOH (with an frfr for stage monitoring) for live. Couldn't be happier.
John’s a man of taste - Jazz Chorus as the blank slate to run effects into. However I’m Gen X so use pedals into a JC22
Millennial who uses a real pedalboard with amps at home for practice and a digital clone of that setup via Headrush Gigboard for live performance direct into a desk. Scenes are really awesome for really specific sounds in certain one off songs but I mostly end up just using two main base patches and toggle more or less delay or gain within those for 90% of songs. I like the flexibility to fiddle with knobs at home and then set and forget for performance.
Great video. Bottom line:
----------------------------------------
- versatility by adding components
versus
- versatility by using all versatile components
Currently I'm going: Tube amp -> UA OX box -> computer (with pedals mixed in).
I’ve gone both ways - pedals and midi-controlled rack gear. Once one has the rack gear dialed-in the midi controller is so much simpler to use with less tweaking every time one sets up to play. The rack gear sounds great too. However, I’ve been in situations where the software would have a glitch and I was reduced to playing without effects and overdrive. That sucked.
These days, since I don’t play out much anymore, I use a simple pedal board setup. Even though It sounds fine, I am forever twiddling with the knobs on the pedals because the board sounds different in each venue.
I think the Gen-Zs have got it right. Once you get the rig programmed you have little to fuss with to get your rig sounding the way you want it.
As a Helix power user who has played at church once or twice a week now for close to 9 years, some of time of which I play at other rather larger churches where reliability and professionalism is critical.... my Helix has been far more reliable than any analog board ive built in 20 years. Ive had exactly ZERO problems in the first 5 years running HX Stomp with my analog board and then the last year with full blown Helix. I cant count how many times I spent rehearsals troubleshooting either my amp or my board. I bought a brand new AC15 and it blew on the first gig I took it took back about 6 years ago. At a certain point you just get tired of reliability issues when the digital rig sounds just as good. And i do mean JUST. AS. GOOD. If not better. I have templates I used depending on the situation but even I had to build a patch from scratch, I could do it in less than 5 minutes. This applies to all the major modelling units. They all have their quirks and strengths but once you learn it, theyre far superior in my opinion. When you recognize the drive you need for a lead on a specific song really needs the mid push TS thing, you just swap it instantly. I mean i could spend hours typing out all the useful benefits to ditching an analog board and amp. It all comes down to what your needs are, how you're using your rig, where you're playing and what you like.
As a Boomer, I do have the digital gadgetry for home studio but play live with pedals. I use a medium sized pedalboard (8 pedals and wireless receiver) or a smaller board (7 pedals, no wireless) I need to make instant changes while playing so pedals are the go!
Many years ago I had a rare Yamaha SB-100 pedalboard which although were individual pedals, all belonged to a professional pedalboard case. I've always hated wires all over the place and having to rely on batteries. From there I bought the Boss GT6, 10,100 and 1000. The last two I still have! Very reliable and so flexible with so many more effects, cab and amp simulations that can be programmed with sounds downloaded from tone studio. The idea of individual effects in stompboxes would cost a fortune and the board would be as big as a double bed!! With the cabling and power unit!!! Too much!!!
Ozwald you did me well dirty with those cuts in the intro #Digital5eva
Lmfao should have asked him how much time it took him to make that pedal board xD
Edit: Of course 30 seconds of watching later you did derp
Roasted with love! You're the GOAT John
Gen X age 20: an old used Peavey amp, a handful of beat up Boss and budget (Danelectro, DOD) pedals.
Gen X aged 45: vintage amp collection, massive board loaded with digital and analogue boutique pedals, plus a nice vintage MIJ Boss pedal on there for old time’s sake
I got completely fed up with my digital tech always being superseded by a new thing, then product support stops, or the lack of cpu in older units. Then there's the classic one power plug dies and its all over etc. I've spent so much money on digital stuff that is just not that great anymore but a fraction of that on pedals I'm still using decades later. I'm now using preamp/drive pedals and a solid state power amp to keep it portable.
I think I'll probably always be an LP through a pedal board to an amp type of guy and update and swap pedals along the way. There's something nostalgic and classic about it that I can't get away from.
I'll take turning a few knobs on a pedal over scrolling thru menu after menu after sub menu to find an effect and then tweak it.
Fantastic. Gen X here. 1969. Just sold my 70’s Marshall and other old heavy tube amps. Switched to the boss gx-100. I did keep my little (and light) 50’s gibson ga-20 just in case I want to go old school ever. And I use a fuzz pedal in the loop. Have not heard a proper modeled fuzz yet. But yeah. I’m done with the heavy loud vintage gear.
I love collecting pedals, and have a more "traditional" pedal board. In early 2000's when I wanted more FX and didn't have an endless budget to buy 20 different pedals, I got a BOSS GT-10. I couldn't wrap my head around how to use it. Not as simple as I'd like. But, I see the new stuff coming out like the Quad Cortex, Tone X, and Head Rush Prime, and I'm interested. Not going to give up my pedals, but if I ever play live, I'd love the portability of the new gear. Since you can model pedals, and amps now, I think I'd write songs?develop sounds on pedals, and copy them to a "Modler", then play that live. Allows you to not have the large cargo haul if you go on the road, but be creative at home.
As a full blown GEN Xer I somewhat live right in the middle of all this stuff. I really like "analog" pedals, especially for the "limits" they offer (and the touch and feel and look and stuff). Being physically limited to a certain amount of gear can be really relieving in a creative process. On the other Hand I really like the digital world for the endlessness of it's possibilities, the ease of traveling and the amount of money it can save you (being able to just try if a certain kind of effect really fits my needs without having to spend 300 bucks on a fancy delay pedal).
So, as always the truth lies in the middle, I think (and in the personal preferences of each individual, of course).
Was at this pub and got chatting to this older couple, by coincidence we got started talking about guitars and turns out he's a bit of a collector with 29 guitars. He was an avid axe fx user, loves Marshall amps but doesn't want to carry them to gigs. The convenience of digital technology just cant be beat for gigging musician. Makes set up and tear down so much easier and you can guarantee your tone is gonna translate well to an audience which is more difficult when you gig with tube amps. Most stages I've played will want you to always be quieter and there are lots of variables with micing a cab.
The main issues that create problems with valve amps in venues is exactly the same with the PA as well. An amplifier is an amplifier and acoustic issues are not mitigated by one being intended for a guitar and another for full frequency range reproduction, 100dBSPL is 100dBSPL, regardless of what how it's produced.
Watch footage of professional bands touring and you'll see a lot of valve amps on flight cases and tape to mark where the microphone should go. Go to smaller venues and you'll less of this because the professionals will be working with the bands and venues that can actually pay them, so you get more myths in small venues that imply certain types of equipment, instruments and workflows are capable of defying physics.
A valve amp not 'translating' is user error quite simply and there is more potential for phase issues with mic'ing an amp through a PA and through a monitor than simply turning the amp up and not allowing it through the monitors because it's not needed, because you've then got 3+ sources (If you have a PA system with a set of speakers on the left & right of the stage, they each count as a source, have a look into pan laws to see the issues with two or more speakers) at different positions in the room all producing the same sound. With a digital modeller you'll have at least two sources. So its like running through a multi-tap delay with extremely short delay times and the closer the volume of each is to each other, the bigger the problem.
However guitarists should use whatever works for them, that's ultimately more important. But the pseudoscience that often goes with any of these choices needs to stop.
Being in a small local band I've never met a sound guy that would let me just turn up my amp and not mic it up through the PA, sounds like it would be fun though lol. It's been my experience that we get consistently better mixes and a better monitoring experience using no amps on stage and in ears for monitoring but each to their own.
@@rand0mturk3y I’ve worked with plenty that do and allow it myself. There’s a difference between cranking up to 11 and allowing bands to sound their best and that often gets conflated. I have never experienced a guitarist turning up with a vintage Plexi and wanting to set everything to 11. What often happens is guitarists don’t set up their amps to properly hear them, they just dump them on the floor and stand over them, so what is heard FOH is often far too loud and hugely bright/muddy. Experienced and knowledgeable engineers will notice this and rectify it - one did it to me when I was 17. The difference is huge, no need for amps in monitors or any other nonsense and FOH can concern themselves with FOH.
Amateur engineers get guitarists to turn down because they think all problems are solved through the desk, whereas literally changing the position of something can solve all sorts of problems. I once had to step in at a show a friend was performing because they couldn’t get an SM58 to stop feedbacking, the engineer had no clue about polar pattern and trying to crank a monitor when it’d be picked up by one.
If a band wants to use IEMs, I’m all for it. If a band sounds great with amps turned up a bit, but it’s not a problem FOH, I’ll go with it, if a band turns up with QC’s or Kempers, I’ll go with it. What matters is the band. I can’t stop a bad sounding band from sounding bad, but to make a great band turn bad because of pseudoscience is bad engineering. I want to amplify a great sounding band, not make them follow what I want them to sound like.
I agree 100% about pseudoscience if more musicians or sound guys understood their rigs more technically the world would be a better place ahaha.
@@rand0mturk3y Honestly it would give me less work, which'd be great!
Modern FOH is the worst for stage volumes and FOH mixes it's ever been. No one is calling this out because shit engineers are allow to spew myths.
Great solo by John at the end there !!
Analogue sound is so much better. The tones, sustain, and if in the room the feel of the burst through the tubes' sweet spot while playing. There are nuances the digital modelers can't do (yet). For home recording digital is easier.
I just don't want to carry too much stuff
I don't use any effects either, maybe a compressor and reverb, but I just need a solid amp and cab sound, EQ and Boost to clean up or brighten stuff
I don't really get the full use out of Analog or Digital considering how simple my rigs are, but I agree that Analog still sounds better AND digital is easier for home recording due to it's consistency and not needing a mic if you have the right IRs and no cab
If I wanted to do a Shoegaze rig, Analog will sound a lot better in terms of having your chorus and fuzz effects be as detailed as they are, but I MIGHT still prefer Digital because I can switch patches without having to set two amp channels for clean/distortion, and I don't need to step on 6 pedals to make it happen
I hate the compromise, I want the quality of analog with the convenience of digital LOL
Lee: alright, let's go then!
John: Right, any style then?
Lee: . . . obviously not; )
that cracked me up something fierce. thanks for the vid guys.
Lee - you Rock! Don't change, other than those disclosures but we love you brother 😎
I love pedals, what guitar player doesn't? It adds alot of character and personality to you as a player. But it is so much of a hassle when you're gigging 200+ times a year. Just having a cable go out could take you over an hour of trouble shooting to figure out what went wrong. And there's nothing more frustrating when you're about to play a gig. Multi FX have come a long way. It sounds just as good to the average listener, unless you're a guitar snob. Definitely not as fun or cool. But more practical.
I used to play a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier with a 4x12 cab but I changed to digital. First I had the Axe Fx II and a power amp with a cab and later on I moved to the FM3 and the Quad Cortex with frfr speakers.
For someone just jamming in a bedroom or whatever, amp and pedals works fine. But for recording or playing live, there really is nothing like Axe-FX, QC, etc. Being able to record via USB, MIDI control everything, etc is an absolute game changer!!
While modeling is great for practice, recording and even gigging, I strongly believe every guitarist should have at least 1 traditional rig built to their "sound." its part of being a guitarist. Most traditional rigs today are hybrids to a degree anyway if you are using any modern equipment or pedals. But a real Mesa, Marshall or Vox in a room, cranked, playing out of a set of nice Celestians or Jenson speaker, with a real spring reverb..... there's just nothing like that pushed "real" tube breakup that hits you in the soul.
The Captain all the way! I’ve gone the digital route twice now and I’ve both times returned to guitar, cable, amp with maybe a modicum of pedals. It’s simpler, and I like simple…both me and the punters are there for the sound of music, not the way the sonic waves are sent.
I use both, have a QC and a couple of nice hand wired tube amps. Love them all. That said, if I had to choose I’d keep the QC every time.
Same! I got Friedman smallbox and a Mesa mark v. Bunch of pedals. Love them all but the QC is brought to every gig.
I use mostly digital and it's really subjective but Lee's rig sounded crazy good to me
Millennial here, and I've fallen into a sort of hybrid analog/digital setup. I tend to switch between a tube amp and amp sim depending on the gig, and while i still use a few analog pedals, the brain of my board is a Boss MS-3 (a switcher with multieffects built in), giving me the best both of the worlds.
Jim Lill had a great point about the whole "it sounds better in the room"-argument in one of his videos. Basically every single guitar tone you hear in your life is being picked up by a microphone (or an IR of a cab/mic combo) and sent to a different speaker. The only exception is when you plug into an amp in the rehearsal space. That's it. Every record and almost every live show, you're not really hearing or projecting the sound of the amp directly at the audience.
Which is why it doesn't matter what it sounds like "in the room" because almost nobody will ever hear it that way!
I see and love both styles. Digital's BIGGEST advantage is space. Get a good digital amp and effects pedal and the every day player has all they need vs needing a big pedal board and a bunch of pedals and then learning where each should go in the loop and then dealing with the power to the pedals and the cables and so on... At the same time, the Pedal board has the advantage of "Something doesn't sound right" adjust on the fly vs digital needing the flip through the menu to get to find the effect you need to adjust then adjust and test. It's not too bad a difference but I think In a live setting If something needed adjustment, the Pedal board would lend better to individual pedals with nobs to adjust on the fly with no menu to riffle through in the heat of the moment.
Basically, at home/studio, I would go with Digital. Live, I would go with Pedal board for speed adjustments since the nobs for ALL effects are right there ready for change.
The biggest disadvantage to Pedal boards is likely the cost. How much for the pedal board, each pedal in the loop, the cables, the power, power draw?
Now, how much for the digital effects, the cable to the pedal and to the cab...is there anything else? The power draw I don't see being as high as the pedal board.
Gen x here..i play both. The diffrence is Digital sounds good now. Buuuut it doesnt live n breath like tubes. ..digital sometimes..but tubes and pedals always for the feel
Older Millenial here (cusp of Gen-X). I definitely fit more on the Gen-X side here, though every day I'm tempted more and more by devices like the HX Stomp to help minimize.
Im Gen X, went digital for a while but have since gone 'hybrid' on my main board with some decent standalone pedals and an HX stomp. I also have an all analogue board.