Best High Gain Modelers

[G&Legacy]

Which modelers do you think have the best High Gain Hard rock and Metal tones? I am talking any kind of modelers: amps, PODs, Sansamps, etc.

Many modelers seem to take most attention to clean and bluesy/AC30 sounds. But I am looking for good cleans and awesome high gain tones.

 

[Reload in 5]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

Honestly my cheap digitech rp200 did that well. It would not do a mid gain tone worth snot and that is why I started looking for other things (like the Twin Tube classic). I would definatley look at the higher end digitech stuff for metal tones.
The new vox modelers (valvetronic XL) look very promising, as the originals seemed to have a very good metal tone, and these are even more geared toward that.
And of course you can get the Pod with the metal pack.

 

[sosomething]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

PODxt has some good metal sounds in it, but you've really got to tweak to get them to sound right.

I don't think there's a single true metal guy working anywhere at Line6, because it's obvious that they have the impression that all metal tones have huge bass, no mids, and the gain maxed out. They don't have a clue.

The jumped Plexi model can sound great w/ a pedal in front. So can the Treadplate Dual and SLO models. The Diezel, Bogner, and ENGL models are all huge disappointments.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

The Vox AD100VTH has a very nice Soldano tone, when played through the right speakers -- in my case, 2x12 Celestion V30s. I also dig the boutique OD tone (Dumble, maybe?).

- Keith

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

I'd wait and try the Valvetronix XL for sure before purchasing anything. The normal valvetronix amps are pretty darned good as is, so this should be pretty decent if they do their homework correctly.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

I agree w/Gr8Scott. The latest is supposed to have heavy emphasis on the high-gain area.

- Keith

 

[lex666]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

I don't think there's a single true metal guy working anywhere at Line6, because it's obvious that they have the impression that all metal tones have huge bass, no mids, and the gain maxed out. They don't have a clue.

+1

I never understood Line 6's high gain stuff. Some of their sounds are just completely useless. Talk about a swarm of angry bees...

Anyways, another +1 for Vox. The regular Valvetronix line is great, I'm hoping the XT line is even better. They should be out in stores now. I'm seriously considering getting an XT too.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

PODxt has some good metal sounds in it, but you've really got to tweak to get them to sound right.

I don't think there's a single true metal guy working anywhere at Line6, because it's obvious that they have the impression that all metal tones have huge bass, no mids, and the gain maxed out. They don't have a clue.

The jumped Plexi model can sound great w/ a pedal in front. So can the Treadplate Dual and SLO models. The Diezel, Bogner, and ENGL models are all huge disappointments.

I like the SLO model, but I can't seem to ever get that fat and chunky rhythm tone I hear from real SLO amps.

My fav high gain model is the Plexi Variac. It nails the Weezer-type stuff, and of course Van Halen.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

Sam Ash has the XL amps in stock. Guitar Center doesn't.

 

[Dr.Mavashi]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

Get Marshall Major and forget about it.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

Before you can't find them anymore, grab a used Vox Valvetronix AD60 or 120 head, and put it on whatever cab you use with tube amps.

To pinpoint good gain tones, learn to use the onboard OD models in conjunction with the amp models. It also has an onboard noise gate, to kill the hiss on superhighgain tones.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

I can get rather heavy with my old Line 6 AX2/212's. They're what I've always used to record my crap. They're discontinued now, but they can be found now in the $300 or so range. I get rather heavy tones using the modeled Marshall JCM 800. I keep it at a low gain and a rather low gain on the modeled tubescreamer in front of it as well.

Here's a couple of examples of the modeled JCM 800 with the modeled tubescreamer;

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=158146&songID=2110576

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=158146&songID=2338098


These two are the modeled mesa rectifier in one channel and a modeled Soldano SLO in the other;

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=158146&songID=2110600

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=158146&songID=2110502

All the leads in all of the songs are the modeled Mesa Mark IIc++...it's what I use for all my lead tones 95% of the time.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

the boss GT8/Pro does that well, but honestly thats an easy sound to model correctly. its harder to model the semi-distorted/clean-with-the-volume-knob-rolled-down tones- this is where most of them fail.

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

its harder to model the semi-distorted/clean-with-the-volume-knob-rolled-down tones- this is where most of them fail.

And once again Mincer hits the nail on the head. However, that is one thing I love about my AX2/212's. I can set the volume pedal either pre or post gain. That way the volume pedal is exactly like using the volume knob on one's guitar just like thru a tube amp.....hopefully that made sense.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

The Fractal Audio Axe FX is getting RAVE reviews as being THE next step in setting a modelling standard!!!

http://www.fractalaudio.com/

:beerchug:

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

The Fractal Audio Axe FX is getting RAVE reviews as being THE next step in setting a modelling standard!!!

http://www.fractalaudio.com/

:beerchug:

Cool link. For $1,800 it had better be friggin' spectacular. I'd definitely enjoy giving one a try if I saw it anywhere. This is the first time I've seen a modelling device builder talk about real relevant specs (CPU power, DA converters, etc.)

 

[baritone]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

I like the Vox ToneLab. I usually keep it on Manual mode, so I can just tweak the knobs like a regular amp.

 

[PUCKBOY99]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

Cool link. For $1,800 it had better be friggin' spectacular. I'd definitely enjoy giving one a try if I saw it anywhere. This is the first time I've seen a modelling device builder talk about real relevant specs (CPU power, DA converters, etc.)

Yeah man, it ain't cheap....the ULTRA model is $2200!!!!....

The dude was like a nuclear physics engineer or some crap in the Navy & is also a guitar player, so........you do the math !

Move over Tom Scholz....there's a new genius in town !!!!

 

[3th3r]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

This is the best High-Gain "modeler" I've tried:


It's not really a modeler, per se ('cause it really doesn't model anything), but a tube distortion pedal with DI out, so you can record direct to your sound card or console. But it does Saturated high gain like no modeler I've tried.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: Best High Gain Modelers

Since I already own a AD120VTH with a wave cab loaded with vintage 30's I decided that I wanted to check out the little 30 watt AD30VT-XL. Problem is that only one set of stores in NC had any and they were both 2-2-1/2 hours away from me. Not good, but curiosity got the best of me. So I left work early to make the drive and check these puppies out. I called in advance to make sure they had some in stock and then made the drive.

When I walked into the store, I expected to see nothing but chrome faced amps, but I was happily suprised to find two or three of the new XL combos ready to play on the shelves. I was interested in the 30 watt version with the 12" speaker and the clerk was nice enough to set me up with one and a les paul to check it out with. At first the sound was thin and terrible. I was massively let down because nothing I tried seemed to bring the amp around. It just sounded thin and flat. Lots of cool high gain amps on tap, but no bass and raspy mids. I had almost made up my mind that my trip was wasted, but I noticed one little detail that just barely caught my attention. The speaker looked like a 10" speaker. It was tagged as a 30 watt amp, but it wasn't. It was a 15 watt amp and the 15 watt XL's come equipped with the same dreaded 10" speaker that the 30 watt chrome amps come with and those speakers suck balls. I point this out to the clerk and he acknowledges that the amp was mis-marked and unplugs me from it and plugs me into the 30 watt amp sitting beside and slightly below it (that was why I couldn't tell if there was a difference between the two size wise as they were sitting on different levels and far enough apart that it was tough to tell).

So now I plug into the 30 watt amp and I'm fully expecting it to sound just as bad as the 15 watt XL did. I'm very glad to say that my low expectations were blown clean out of the water. This amp rocks. It has all the high gain models with the right EQ for them (the AD120VTH has a poor eq for these amps). All of the amps had more balls and more depth than the AD120 I have. Much MUCH better tone IMHO. It was so good that I picked it up and took it home with me. I was that impressed.