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< Music Gear ~ Tube Vs Solid State Vs Digital Amp Modelling? |
| connorputrefy |
 Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 7:24 pm |
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 2563
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Whats your preference? Why?
I think each definitely has its place. I dont regard one better than the other. Just different. My main amp is solid state. Its loud,heavy ,light weight, is green and glows red and smokes the hell outta most tube amps. Think similar to ampeg vh140c, the amp that effigy of the forgetten was recorded with Ive owned a few line6s( i can hear the grumbles already) each one was class, particularly the spider valve. I wish they made a swankier version of it to be honest, id have it with bells on. Ive also own a peavey xxx which is class in its own right, tonally different than the above but when ya find that sweet spot its sounds the bomb. I bought it outta my admiration for suffocation. Oh and passive pickups into tubes is a must for me. EMG sound rubbish in tubes i think, but thats just me. Tubes for me at lower tunings dont hold a candle to the tightness of solid state. Digital modelling is superb for the low tuning what with all the djent bands tuned to Z these days, they keep things super tight. Now ive just picked up an orange dark terror which i think sounds fantastic,cheers wizard, and it seems to sound great with low tunings. any preferences, experiences, horror stories with amps youd like to share on the topic? |
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| skadk666 |
| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 8:15 pm |
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Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 2723
Location: Ah hayer, leave it bleedin ouh!
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Personally I dont have a preference cause I would use all 3 in different ways. My main amp is a Bugera 6262, modeled off some well known Peavey and Soldano amps. Absolutely brutal amp with tone and gain to beat the band. I use this for band practice and gigs. Its super versatile as I now play in a range of tunings and it can deffinately handle drop Z ! haha!
For practice at home I have an old 80w Marshall solid state. Fantastic amp, been through the wars with me and was actually my gigging amp when I was just starting out. Its had pints spilled on it, dropped down stairs and its even been on fire a couple of times and its still going! It was actually my first proper amp I bought. I love it and cant think of ever parting with it!
For home recording I use VST's and Cab Impulses. These are super handy and super easy to use and you can some decent sounds from them. And the more I use them the better they sound! |
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| Juggz |
| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 9:55 pm |
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Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 1252
Location: Under A Lesbian Moon
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Don't have a preference. As above, I use all three at different points. I had a beautiful Fryette valve head which I got for gigging, can't say anything bad about it and you'll hear Lar play it in TTOW for years to come. It's a work of valve art. I still have my old Ampeg VH140c combo, solid state, which I've had for many, many years. I used it for a few gigs and everyone was a smartarse right up until they heard it  I only bought the Fryette because it's about 40kg and just too fucking much to carry. It's got an amazing distorted tone and is only amp on the Acrid Nebula demo. Digital is perfect for home recording of rough demos and, with a bit of work, finished mixes too. A pod is unbelievably handy to have around the house. |
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| xspudx |
| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:43 pm |
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Joined: 29 Sep 2005
Posts: 1527
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Juggz wrote: It's got an amazing distorted tone and is only amp on the Acrid Nebula demo.
Was that the same amp used at the Acrid Nebula EP launch in The Stables two years ago? There was some serious fuckin low end boom outta that yoke. Was it a Pittbull by any chance? |
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| Cod Deboned |
| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:57 pm |
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Joined: 23 Nov 2011
Posts: 64
Location: Hell's Kitchen
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Everything I record now is through a software amp, usually Amplitube, Guitar Rig, Kuassa or Overloud. If you want a heavy sound you have to spend some time playing with things to get it right but for a regular rock or black metal sound they're pretty easy to set up.
You get a fuckton of effect with software amps too. Effects like step filters which I would never get dedicated pedal for but are fun to play around with.
Massive selection of amps too. Amplitube has modelled Orange, Ampeg, Fender and a few other amps. Guitar Rig has the same but not officially licensed so you get things like Citrus amps. |
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| Emphyrio |
| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:00 pm |
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Joined: 23 May 2011
Posts: 1197
Location: Limerick
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I had a solid state Randall coupla years ago and thought it was pretty filthy sounding. UNTIL i got a bugera 6260. So much more life in that in comparison. So just by that (admittedly small) comparison I'd defo lean towards tube. Recorded rough album trax thru Guitar Rig and everything sounds pristine. Too much so if I'm honest. Certainly wouldn't record the album proper like that.
Haven't used digi modellers in any sort of live fashion. Again, I think there's more soul or something in a tube amp. Of course this is only 1 person's opinion. Bought a 2nd hand Triple Recto but waiting on a PCB board for the thing. Am hoping this is my personal tone mecca. Fingers crossed!
Conor, gimme more details on the Dark Terror. Worth the purchase? Kinda want one of those "lunchbox" amps just for messin about |
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| Juggz |
| Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 11:49 pm |
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Joined: 01 Nov 2011
Posts: 1252
Location: Under A Lesbian Moon
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xspudx wrote: Juggz wrote: It's got an amazing distorted tone and is only amp on the Acrid Nebula demo.
Was that the same amp used at the Acrid Nebula EP launch in The Stables two years ago? There was some serious fuckin low end boom outta that yoke. Was it a Pittbull by any chance?
No, that was a Fryette Deliverance 60W. I used that for the EP but really didn't do it justice in the recording. Great amp though, really beautiful sound out of it. I think the Pitbull has a similar enough sound but has features too. In truth, though, the lack of features is what drew me to the Deliverance. One channel is all I ever needed once it was a good channel. |
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| Dave G. |
| Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 2:11 am |
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Joined: 05 Jul 2010
Posts: 83
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I think each has its own benefit too. For recording at home in a bedroom nothing can beat digital modelling. Its practical for demos and sounds grand for that sort of thing.
Live however i think solid state amps can get lost in the mix a bit more than tubes. I know that all depends on the EQ of them etc...but in my experience this is generally true. They just dont seem to move as much air imo as the tube amps do.
For proper recording I think tube amps are really the only way to go (again imo). To my ears nothing sounds as good as a cranked tube amp. Even the low wattage ones sound great cranked! Ive hear nothing but good things about the dark terror, especially with the Volume and Gain just above half way. |
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| deadmaker |
| Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:27 am |
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Joined: 17 Feb 2006
Posts: 357
Location: Derry/Belfast
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| after working with all three on regular occasions there are definatly benefits and downsides, i invested in podfarm 2.5 (my personal favourite amp sims outside of the free VST stuff by lepou at http://lepouplugins.blogspot.co.uk/) a few days ago for home writing and recording, and with tweaks and cabinet impulses it can sound pretty good, but id go to the studio for reamping if said recordings got serious, pushing the power section of tube amps seem to make the tone for me, but again every one prefers differant things |
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| if6was9 |
| Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:45 am |
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Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 1178
Location: Limerick
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They all have their place.
Solid state for convenience and reliablity. Digital for versatility and options. Tube for tone. I use all of them at different times, mainly for convenience and weight and they can all sound pretty good.
It is very hard to beat a well made tube amp for tone when it matters though. I've recorded many bands where we DI'd the guitar and track it through amp sims and thought it sounded OK as is and it ALWAYS sounds better once it's gone through a tube amp and cab miced up. Always. Indie, alt rock, doom metal, death metal, tube always wins out.
If you need to use alot of different sounds then digital is fantastic.Then solid state stuff lasts forever. I have a some SS gear that has been abused and thrown around the place and I know that when I need to use it that it will work. I can not say the same for tube gear!
So if I was going on tour and needed to travel light and compact I'd probably bring something SS or digital depending on whether I need a lot of sounds or not. If I was recording I's use a tube amp. Ideal gig situation would involve a nice tube amp. |
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| xspudx |
| Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 11:33 am |
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Joined: 29 Sep 2005
Posts: 1527
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Juggz wrote: xspudx wrote: Juggz wrote: It's got an amazing distorted tone and is only amp on the Acrid Nebula demo.
Was that the same amp used at the Acrid Nebula EP launch in The Stables two years ago? There was some serious fuckin low end boom outta that yoke. Was it a Pittbull by any chance?
No, that was a Fryette Deliverance 60W. I used that for the EP but really didn't do it justice in the recording. Great amp though, really beautiful sound out of it. I think the Pitbull has a similar enough sound but has features too. In truth, though, the lack of features is what drew me to the Deliverance. One channel is all I ever needed once it was a good channel.
Ah yeah it was a Deliverance. I was actually on the lookout for a Fryette after hearing that. Ended up getting an Engl Powerball, 100W tube amp, which I'm fairly happy with.
As far as digital modelling goes, I use Peavey's Revalver from time to time and I think it pisses all over amplitube. I was pretty surprised with the tone quality.
I used to have a Digitech GNX4 multi effects pedal. It cost a bomb at the time and had various amp sims on, but I hated the sound out of it. Really flat sounding. I haven't really bothered with multi effects since. |
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| Leather Mike |
| Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 3:06 pm |
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Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 2755
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Emphyrio wrote: I had a solid state Randall coupla years ago and thought it was pretty filthy sounding. UNTIL i got a bugera 6260. So much more life in that in comparison. So just by that (admittedly small) comparison I'd defo lean towards tube. Recorded rough album trax thru Guitar Rig and everything sounds pristine. Too much so if I'm honest. Certainly wouldn't record the album proper like that.
Haven't used digi modellers in any sort of live fashion. Again, I think there's more soul or something in a tube amp. Of course this is only 1 person's opinion. Bought a 2nd hand Triple Recto but waiting on a PCB board for the thing. Am hoping this is my personal tone mecca. Fingers crossed!
Conor, gimme more details on the Dark Terror. Worth the purchase? Kinda want one of those "lunchbox" amps just for messin about
tone-wise Mesa are the dog's danglies but they're loud, (too loud) and they're noisy. you'll have to do some serious tweaking to hit the sweet spot, but when you do it'll knock the cock off you.
As far as my personal preference goes, i'm a hybrid sort of dude. In my estimate they're ideal - you get a good does of valve tone (with some teaking) but the reliability of solid-stage. My weapon of choice is a Marshall AVT head, 150w tube with pre-amp, solid pwerstage. sounds plenty good. Anyone that says the AVT series aren't proper Marshalls is quite frankly talking bollocks.
That said, the nicest amp tone i've ever heard came from an all-tube amp, an older than God JCM900 SL-X |
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| Shardens Whimpets |
| Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:38 pm |
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Joined: 06 Oct 2006
Posts: 203
Location: Belfast
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I kinda agree with you Mike re the AVT series that they are not really taken seriously as part of (all be it a redundant part of) the Marshall family but when I A/B'd my old AVT 50h with my 50watt Sound City all tube head (not 60s one but much more recent and cheaper Chinese made Mark 6 re-issue) the difference was night and day. Both went through the same cab (Marshall 1922 2x12) and the SC had a much greater clean head room before the signal broke up than the AVT and there was much more scope across the gain stage with the SC from light bite to full on grunt. It also seems to take pedals much better.
I've also noticed much more note clarity from the SC tube head when recorded over the AVT.
I loved the portability and reliability of the AVT and it was LOUD at gigs but I'm glad I shifted to all tube as my DAM Meathead clone fuzz doesn't seem to respond too well being put into a solid state or hybrid amp although it did take ages to find the sweet spot on the tube pre-amp clean volume to make it just right.
I certainly would not write off solid state amplification based on my limited experience with the AVT just a case that I've never had to opportunity to fire the pedal board into a quality example of one to see if it would work or not.
As far as digital goes I'm completely sold where the occasion calls for it, and amplitube is a god send! Was really tempted to go down the route of all tube 100watt PA head with something like a line 6 or equivalent due to the massive range of quality sounds available. It also makes overdubbing on recordings bliss where studio time is not an option. |
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| connorputrefy |
| Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:52 pm |
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Joined: 08 Jun 2005
Posts: 2563
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| Some interesting mentions. A chap i know had a vht pitbull, it werent too bad at all. It was very loud but didnt have a terrible amount of beef. Line6 flextones/vettas anyone? our guitarist aaron was for near shelling out 1.6k for one, i had to reason with him on the case is that one sound near enough would be used and thats that. Interestingly enough we deleved deeper into amps etc. Does it ever make anyone laugh in how guitar compnaies market the shite outta players ie dime,zakk etc etc when realistically the tone used wasnt achieved by any of the sold gear. For example, the randall rg100es, the dime amp which gave that "vulgar" tone. Man that can be bought for about £200-£250 on us ebay-customs is another post for another time. But this amp is badass! Also i saw an ampeg vh140c head for $350 and the dude wouldnt ship. Gutted. however what made me oppose is that it could end up very similar to what ive got so hence i opted for orange dark terror for a change- it arrives tomorrow so i cant really impart any info on it mate but if you ask a dude on this forum "wizardinblack" , he pointed me in the direction and is a current owner of one so perhaps give him a holler! Axefx anyone??? i want,i want,i want!!! who needs an amp when you got that!! |
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| Leather Mike |
| Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2012 4:55 pm |
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Joined: 18 Sep 2008
Posts: 2755
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Shardens Whimpets wrote: I kinda agree with you Mike re the AVT series that they are not really taken seriously as part of (all be it a redundant part of) the Marshall family but when I A/B'd my old AVT 50h with my 50watt Sound City all tube head (not 60s one but much more recent and cheaper Chinese made Mark 6 re-issue) the difference was night and day. Both went through the same cab (Marshall 1922 2x12) and the SC had a much greater clean head room before the signal broke up than the AVT and there was much more scope across the gain stage with the SC from light bite to full on grunt. It also seems to take pedals much better.
I've also noticed much more note clarity from the SC tube head when recorded over the AVT.
I loved the portability and reliability of the AVT and it was LOUD at gigs but I'm glad I shifted to all tube as my DAM Meathead clone fuzz doesn't seem to respond too well being put into a solid state or hybrid amp although it did take ages to find the sweet spot on the tube pre-amp clean volume to make it just right.
I certainly would not write off solid state amplification based on my limited experience with the AVT just a case that I've never had to opportunity to fire the pedal board into a quality example of one to see if it would work or not.
As far as digital goes I'm completely sold where the occasion calls for it, and amplitube is a god send! Was really tempted to go down the route of all tube 100watt PA head with something like a line 6 or equivalent due to the massive range of quality sounds available. It also makes overdubbing on recordings bliss where studio time is not an option.
In fairness though, a 50w hybrid against a 50w all-tube is hardly a fair fight. Any 50w tube head will blow a 50w hybrid away. the 50w all-tube would be more akin to my 150w hybrid. Obviously the all-tube head will still sound sweeter, but I just favour my hybrid because it's bullet-proof reliable, and should (god forbid) anything go wrong with it, it wont cost me a kidney to replace/repair. That said, a large part of my devotion to my AVT is that it was my first proper grown-up amp, so of course i'm gonna say it's the tits. That, plus the fact that like the Line6 I had before it (which I adored too) I know exactly how to get my tone from it.
I'd agree with you that the AVT doesn't deal well with boards though. Although for my part that's a moot concern as the only pedals I ever use are a tuner, a wah and a boost. Not because I'm a traditionalist or purist, simply because I'm too easily confused to use a big rig
The rest of your post however I am in complete agreement with. |
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