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Hi,
Don't worry moderators! I am not looking to encourage anyone to break laws. I just want to know what people think about something.
Whilst I summon up courage to drill through my Crimson kit Telecaster body I wanted to post something that I have been mulling over for years now.
I’m not sure whether it needs to be in here or in the FX section but I’m sure it will be moved if I get it wrong!
It's probably not even not be relevant these days now that modelling and digital FX boxes are accepted almost universally.
Basically, I had the idea years ago of building a classic amp with all of the proper controls and dials, which fed into a modelling system on the inside. The difference being that the modelling only modeled the amp in question.
For example, consider a classic 1960’s Vox AC30 Top Boost.
The outside would look like that. A classic AC30 TB.
The inside would be a model of such an AC30 connected to a power amp and speaker. These would be flat frequency and response with the modeler adding the colour of the original AC30 power amp and Celestion Blue speaker.
It would model both the normal channel and the Top Boost channel, but with a more controllable master volume setup. Turning the dials would change the parameters, just like the olden days!
In short it looked and reacted like a 1960 AC30 with Blues in. It didn’t have any other amp models in there, so don’t go looking for a Fender or Marshall or anything else (even an AC15!!).
It would be cheaper than a proper AC30 TB and yet deliver the response. In my idea I would be able to produce the amps, but I suspect, in reality, the relevant amp companies like Vox would build them themselves or licence the design to a third-party company because obviously Vox own the rights to look like an AC30.
I’m just putting this out there because frankly I wonder if the time for such a product has now passed. That and the fact that – despite being an ex-Java developer, and current Systems Analyst – I have no idea how to create the modelling side of it. Nor do I want to learn now. Twenty-years ago I might, but not now. Added to the fact that the companies concerned might cause issues, I will leave it to others. In fact, if Vox produced such a thing I would probably buy one.
Does such a thing hold any merit for folks these days? Or are we now mature enough to realise that modelling need not be hidden away behind a fake mask?
If anyone out there wants to run with this, good luck! Just give me one of the first production models!
Base theme by DesignModo & ported to Powered by Vanilla by Chris Ireland, modified by the "theFB" team.
Comments
I think the main issue is that it's not much cheaper to produce and people will prefer the tube version if it's only a little bit more expensive.
I think it was an idea that might have had legs a decade ago, but not now. It feels like the right time to let it go. I just wanted to put it out there for comments, and if someone does want to take a punt - go for it.
https://www.electrosmash.com/pedal-pi Now this is just a pedal , image if it had amps as well ?
I doubt the Pi is quick enough to do amp modelling, DSPs aren't usually that fast but they don't have to run an OS at the same time.
Clean 1 - Vox style
Clean 2 - Fender Style
Crunch - Marshall on edge of breakup
Lead 1 - Marshall with higher gain and MV
Lead 2 - Boogie style drive
There are 2 effects loops, one for the Cleans and one for the Leads. It's completely valve based, with relay switching. It was too expensive to make a production pre-amp though. It's also pretty big and heavy!
And you could just replace the grill cloth for less money
soundcloud.com/thecolourbox-1
youtube.com/@TheColourboxMusic
The Marshall JMD-1 is a digital modelling-preamp, valve-power-amp hybrid, that only models Marshalls and also sounds pretty good, but I've heard of reliability issues with them (though not seen any myself). The Fender Super Champ XD is similar - digital preamp, valve power amp.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
it is irrelevant because it is an idea past its sell but date. But that was the original idea.
That does depend on buyers still wanting conventional guitar amps after that point though.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
But I was never able to run with it. If anyone can, good luck. Just give me a pick!
Would Ferrari want to supply a body shell for a VW ?( okay I know Bentley do )
Most of the big companies already make modellers alongside their valve amps - admittedly intentionally cheaper ranges.
For me one of the issues is exactly that - it’s rare to find a digital amp, or an analogue solid-state one, with the build quality of a good valve amp... because it would cost almost as much and then no-one would buy it.
But that will eventually change - there are already high-end solid-state and digital amps, both ones that model specific valve amps (Kemper) and ones that don’t (Quilter), and ones somewhere in the middle (Yamaha).
So it wouldn’t surprise me if one of the big companies does do this exact concept. Marshall came fairly close with the JMD, although still with a valve power amp.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
There are already a lot of younger players who have never used a valve amp, and probably quite a few who have never used an amp, only a computer set-up or headphones. Once IEMs and low stage volume becomes the norm, maybe the sound of a cranked AC30 will be simply irrelevant.
(Personally, I’ve never used IEMs and I hate playing through headphones...)
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein