Re: [Harp-L] modeling vs tubes

[Richard Hunter <turtlehill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"scooter" wrote:
I'll be honest here, I know VERY little about modeling amps. I had a
couple of 
effects pedals that seemed to require a degree to operate so I gave up
on the 
overly technical gear years ago. If the modeling amps emulate a tube amp
well, 
that's a step in the right direction. I am curious though, do they have
the ability 
to play warm and drive hard when played hard ?  that's one thing that I
love about 
a good tube amp. It can sound real nice and warm and you 
can bite in to it when you want and drive the hell out of it.

 
Modeling amps -- or amp modelers plugged into a PA or some other amp --
sound good.  Yes, 
they can emulate a good tube amp.  That means, among other things, that
they can react
the way a good tube amp reacts to a given input.  They are much more
than a simple 
distortion device -- they use a computer circuit to "model," or
reproduce, the response
of a tube amp, including the speaker cabinet.

Will an amp modeler sound exactly like a given tube amp?  No, but two
tube amps of the 
same make and model generally won't sound exactly the same either. A
good amp modeler
sounds good.  It will in fact make a lot of different, good sounds.  It
may not replace your
favorite tube amp, but it will give you a lot of good sounds at a very
low price. 

If you want to hear a range of sounds that I've programmed into my amp
modeler pedal, a 
Digitech RP200, go to http://hunterharp.com/DigitechRP/ and listen to
the samples I put 
there.  If you want to hear one of those sounds in action, go to
Broadjam.com and check
out my recording of "Paris Boogie."  If you want to hear some of the
sounds Peter Ruth 
has programmed into his Peavey Transformer 112 modeling amp, pick up a
copy of his new 
Ukelele and Harmonica Project CD. I'm sure various members of this list
can chime in here 
with pointers to recordings they've made with Line6 PODs, or Digitech RP
pedals, or
whatever.

I like stuff that sounds good, especially if it doesn't cost a whole lot
or require two 
big guys and a truck to move it.  Amp modelers fit the bill.  I own a
nice tube amp too, 
and I'm not selling it anytime soon, but the thing I bring to my gigs
lately is the
amp modeler.  I don't carry it around because it sounds exactly like my
tube amp.  I bring it to the
gig because it sounds good.  My audiences, including the musicians I
play with, like it for 
the same reason.

Regards, Richard Hunter
hunterharp.com