How long is a piece of string, I know...
But it is something I've thought about. I thought about putting this in the FX section but if anything I think FX might do ok for a long while yet just given how cheap and modular building an FX setup can be vs an amp rig.
I'm just wondering at what point going for a digital setup starts to be the norm for the average guitarist, and what impact that will have on traditional gear. I'm not talking about people who play massive shows and have their own sound engineers, or producers who make their living out of recording bands. I'm talking about regular guitarists who play in amateur - semi pro bands, or those who maybe have an interest in recording at an amateur level.
Lets imagine the next round of Line 6/Boss/Digitech/Zoom gear sounds about as good as an Axe FX/Kemper but for budget/mid range prices - I don't expect this but lets work with that scenario. At that point, would you still lust after a high priced valve amp/cab rig given the cost, size, and weight of such a rig? Lets assume the unit is easy to use - would you still see yourself wanting to learn how to mic an amp if you can get results as good without needing to invest the time/money to learn how to do so?
Will this eventually de-value traditional amps? An interesting thing to consider - will it devalue some amps more than others? I've often thought that less versatile and non collectable amps will be affected most - e.g. mid range high gain amps with poor clean channels. But then again I could imagine all high end amps being devalued if a highly featured modeller could cop the tone plus more. I guess this could already be measured by surveying the 'high end' amp users who would now tend to use an Axe/Kemper instead of more traditional expensive setups.
Any thoughts?
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And certainly not with current modelling pfaff levels.
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I doubt it will have any impact on vintage and boutique amps. They will always be desirable to collectors, wealthier home players and recording musicians.
It will probably have a serious impact on modern 'Swiss Army Knife' valve amps though - ie channel switchers which do many things quite well, but none outstandingly. In my opinion they're a bit of an 'evolutionary dead end' already. I could see that sort of valve amp - especially at the more 'consumer' end of the price range - disappearing in not very much more than the next few years.
And yes, I do use a valve channel switcher! Although I like to think it does sound so good that it's a classic in its own right anyway. (And many famous artists agree.)
Cameras are another good analogy. High-end and vintage film cameras are still used by artists and enthusiasts, but consumer film cameras are effectively extinct. The changeover happened so rapidly that it even caught a huge corporation like Kodak off guard.
"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
I just like amps I like the sound of, don't care if theyre modelled on a classic marshall/ fender, currently my main amp is a laney vc30, but I rehearse with a peavey bandit and a laney cub12 all of which im happy to gig with. im 52 so these may or may see out my playing days, if not I dont mind replacing them with a solid state or digital. when the time comes I will try them out and buy what I like best and can afford. tbh I cant tell all these subtleties I hear about or people demoing stuff on youtube..
my only bugbear is overcomplicated controls and submenus etc, give me a simple volume, gain and tone and im happy. I watch the technology with interest but really I should practise more.
Or they simply underestimated the speed it would change - which demand for technology does, once it reaches the tipping point. Where are CRT monitors now either? Little more than ten years ago graphics pros wouldn't use anything else.
I've said this before, but I can see the same happening with valves - not for a certainty, but if it does happen it could be fast. Maybe to the point that it becomes a domino effect, once valve production falls and they get more expensive.
"We're all doomed... doomed I tell you!"
"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
I don't really care about the axefx and think that's the same for most players. If I got given one I would no doubt enjoy playing around with it but I wouldn't buy one.
Maybe.
I genuinely don't want to spend anything until I've been around Europe in the summer, but if I saw one cheap, I'd get it and put it through a hb cab.
I'm the same - it's too much arsing about, I don't mind tinkering (it took me ages to be proper happy with my Duncan power grid pedal) but that's balancing a few knobs, not menus and settings.
But if you can persevere, I've no doubt it's worth it. I'm still trying to work out how to use a cab sim ir thing on ableton!
Don't have to eat all the sweets in the shop if you're happy with fizzy cola bottles. But all modelling options tempt you with that and there will always be a market for people that just want one amp (or fizzy cola bottles)
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