New digital form factors

Octavio

One for fun really. The recent release of the Katana Go amp plug, Pod express, Boss IR-2, Hotone Pulze etc got me thinking. I've also always found the HX effects with scribble strips interesting.

Are there any digital form factors not being served that you'd like to see? Or to put it another way, something you'd like Line 6, Boss or Kemper to do?

I think a rack from factor for a modeller could be interesting. Or maybe 500 series for certain FX categories like Reverbs, Delays etc. Also a digital mini amp head could be useful around the house.

willo

I would like to see some form of extension unit which has a load of controllers/sliders/knobs for each part of your preset (so every pedal, your amp etc). My biggest miss of digital modellers is how I used to dial in my old amps - sit in front of them, let a chord ring, and change the EQ and pedals while it was ringing. Going into a program on the laptop is just not as intuitive or quick (although, it could be made more intuitive if you could bind a key on your laptop keyboard to a function like 'gain up' 'gain down').

Grumpyrocker

How about one for the typical modellers with foot switches where the switch section detaches and automatically retains a wireless connection with the rest of the unit. Either all the footswitches or perhaps the bottom row. So you can keep the unit on a desk/cab - bit the switches on the floor.

Or a head unit with a large Ampero like touchscreen on the front and wireless switches for the floor. 

Roland

willo said:

I would like to see some form of extension unit which has a load of controllers/sliders/knobs for each part of your preset (so every pedal, your amp etc). My biggest miss of digital modellers is how I used to dial in my old amps - sit in front of them, let a chord ring, and change the EQ and pedals while it was ringing. Going into a program on the laptop is just not as intuitive or quick (although, it could be made more intuitive if you could bind a key on your laptop keyboard to a function like 'gain up' 'gain down').

If your modeller contains a looper amongst its FX you can record a few bars and replay to your heart’s content whilst adjusting EQ, gain etc.

Octavio

willo said:

I would like to see some form of extension unit which has a load of controllers/sliders/knobs for each part of your preset (so every pedal, your amp etc). My biggest miss of digital modellers is how I used to dial in my old amps - sit in front of them, let a chord ring, and change the EQ and pedals while it was ringing. Going into a program on the laptop is just not as intuitive or quick (although, it could be made more intuitive if you could bind a key on your laptop keyboard to a function like 'gain up' 'gain down').

@Roland makes a good point. You'd have to of course set your looper to PRE on your modeller.

Generally though I think an extension unit for desktop plugins could be interesting. Yes you can connect an external footswitch controller via USB, but there's no tactile controls like knobs on traditional pedals or amps. EQ faders would be nice too with all assignable to MIDI CC. Perhaps the knobs could be a separate module so you could choose to put it on your desk or leave it on the floor.

Unless such a product already exists? 

PolarityMan

the helix floor but less wide so i can fit my weeping demon on the board too. 

AndyJP

This is what I think the future of modellers is going to be.. The days of proprietary hardware are numbered.  So we want a generic floor controller device, onto which you can load 3rd party modeller software. It will obvs have powerful hardware, sharc processors etc.

You aren't tied to a specific vendors modelling software.   The floor device will support a specific software standard, various vendors write software to meet that standard. So the likes of Fractal , Neural DSP, Line 6 will have to write new software that meets the standard.   So you can load the modelling software from a large number of suppliers. 

Maybe the size of the Quad Cortex, but with the build quality of a fractal.   This will definitely happen, so let's have it!

thecolourbox

I assume VST or similar would be a good starting point for that kind of thing?

On a more dull note, I'd like to see a removable touch screen for the modellers so like with the Nintendo Switch you can take it off the unit and adjust things on there without having to be plugged in and bending down to twiddle knobs at your feet

AndyJP

Maybe but doesn't have to be.  But there needs to be an agreed standard up front.  Then all the vendors can write the software that adheres to it.  

Guess we don't need to edit sounds via the unit.  So mobile/tablet software might be the norm for editing.

Danny1969

I imagined an amp head. Small and portable.
I knocked this up, it's a 50 watt a side class D stereo head with 2 stereo input paths. One feeds the amplifier directly, the other one gets routed to the DSP socket. Then a module gets inserted which contains the DSP and modelling software, 

The benefit of this approach is, as DPS becomes more powerful your investment becomes more powerful because the DSP is in the module. At the minute when a modeller becomes old everything gets replaced. Including the chassis, PSU and control surface. 
Lacking the ability to code any DSP I hacked the board out of a Nux MP2 and built it into the DSP module design. The module has BT, audio in, stereo audio out and power. 

I imagined a wireless floor controller switching channels programs which I can do but haven't done yet. 



This was a very quick knock up. MKII is on the way and features a lot of refinements inc an analog block ... there's no reason the DSP block has to be digital, it can be either as it interfaces at normal analog line level. 

It looks terrible at the moment as its a work in progress but I think the concept is sound and already it's a superb back up amp in case my Fender goes down. 

fretmeister

Octavio said:

One for fun really. The recent release of the Katana Go amp plug, Pod express, Boss IR-2, Hotone Pulze etc got me thinking. I've also always found the HX effects with scribble strips interesting.

Are there any digital form factors not being served that you'd like to see? Or to put it another way, something you'd like Line 6, Boss or Kemper to do?

I think a rack from factor for a modeller could be interesting. Or maybe 500 series for certain FX categories like Reverbs, Delays etc. Also a digital mini amp head could be useful around the house.

Helix is available as a rack. Axe-FX is a rack. The older Digitechs were all racks.

UnclePsychosis

AndyJP said:

This is what I think the future of modellers is going to be.. The days of proprietary hardware are numbered.  So we want a generic floor controller device, onto which you can load 3rd party modeller software. It will obvs have powerful hardware, sharc processors etc.

You just reinvented the (laptop + midi controller) combination. 

TTBZ

HX Stomp or a full dual DSP Helix in HXFX form factor would be nice with the scribble strips. Stomp XL isn't far off, just need to remember your footswitch colours!

thecolourbox

UnclePsychosis said:

AndyJP said:

This is what I think the future of modellers is going to be.. The days of proprietary hardware are numbered.  So we want a generic floor controller device, onto which you can load 3rd party modeller software. It will obvs have powerful hardware, sharc processors etc.

You just reinvented the (laptop + midi controller) combination. 

I'm not sure why but I'd never trust a laptop and controller, even though i'd happily use any of the main modellers. Laptop power supplies are fiddly (and noisy?), usb connections don't feel as reliable as a good old 1/4" jack plug, that kind of thing. My laptop sometimes has an absolute meltdown for no reason when opening MS Word though to be honest.

Grumpyrocker

I had Helix Native crash twice for me in Reaper today. There's no way I'd trust it in a live situation.

Octavio

fretmeister said:

Octavio said:

One for fun really. The recent release of the Katana Go amp plug, Pod express, Boss IR-2, Hotone Pulze etc got me thinking. I've also always found the HX effects with scribble strips interesting.

Are there any digital form factors not being served that you'd like to see? Or to put it another way, something you'd like Line 6, Boss or Kemper to do?

I think a rack from factor for a modeller could be interesting. Or maybe 500 series for certain FX categories like Reverbs, Delays etc. Also a digital mini amp head could be useful around the house.

Helix is available as a rack. Axe-FX is a rack. The older Digitechs were all racks.

My bad. In my head I was thinking a mini rack for 'just' a number of Delays, or for Delays & Reverbs in one. Orange pedal baby size comes to mind, reachable for tweaking. Sub £250. Again, this may already exist...

blobb

I want a helmet, with a drop down visor screen and eye tracking. When you look at your guitar it overlays the fret positions on a pass through grid corresponding to each guitar note. As you play it uses the finger positions to generate modulation patterns linked to a dynamic filter which you can minipulate by moving your eyeballs around like a joystick controller.

LionAquaLooper

I personally just want a fly rig format with a built in preamp stage between dirt and modulations that I can turn on/off. 

I love my Nux Cerberus because it's only got 1 OD type, 1 distortion type, and 3x modulations, delay, reverb to choose from.  It's compact, I don't have to mess about with choosing from hundreds of fx types, and it's all one unit meaning no patch cables and 1 power supply.  But I constantly have to plug an amp sim pedal in its send/return to make it sound good when connecting to a mixing desk. 

Lots of fly rigs out there, but they're all missing that built in preamp stage.  Happy to be corrected on this.

Grumpyrocker

BOSS ME-90 has preamps, though perhaps it would be stretching things a bit to suggest it's a small Fly Rig. 

dindude

I’ve never understood why more don’t use encoder knobs that display a light ring as to the actual position of that preset, either on things like reverb pedals or more fully functioned modellers. My biggest pet hate of preset based stuff is not knowing what the settings are without delving.

Grumpyrocker

I used to have a Peavey Vypyr amp that used light rings around knobs to show settings position. I really liked that approach.