Best overdrive i've ever purchased (friedman)

[LLL]

Nah, Later Valvetates I've used are a much better attempt.

Their early attempts just sound so "Empty"

That was a straight-faced joke ("what a tube snob"). Difficult to pull off on an internet forum.

I'm a tube snob myself. But I do use digital stuff that gets real close.

 

[NegativeEase]

That was a straight-faced joke ("what a tube snob"). Difficult to pull off on an internet forum.

I'm a tube snob myself. But I do use digital stuff that gets real close.

Ha I figured it was, but those early Valvestates are the SS amp that a really didn't like.

 

[Gtrjunior]

i think what you want out of your "marshall" makes a huge difference. i want a jtm45 or superbass, if you want a hot rodded plexi, then yeah friedman might make a "better marshall" than marshall. my favorite "marshall" ive played recently was a friends blankenship, looked like a plexi but hes not a gearhead so couldnt tell me much about it

Definitely. There’s a flavor for everyone.

 

[Gtrjunior]

That was a straight-faced joke ("what a tube snob"). Difficult to pull off on an internet forum.

I'm a tube snob myself. But I do use digital stuff that gets real close.

I’ve always been a tube snob too. But my Kemper really has me second guessing today’s technology capabilities.
I honestly don’t think I could tell it apart in a blind test.

 

[jeremy]

soundwise, i dont know if i could either once i got things dialed in. there is a feel difference that they havent quite got nailed down. granted im playing nmv amps, usually straight in so its a very tactile thing

 

[Gtrjunior]

soundwise, i dont know if i could either once i got things dialed in. there is a feel difference that they havent quite got nailed down. granted im playing nmv amps, usually straight in so its a very tactile thing

I run mine through a real guitar cabinet with a tube power amp. Trust me, you couldn’t tell.
I’d be shocked if you could.

 

[Bogner]

Often times our mental blocks supersede our ears...

 

[Bogner]

If Friedman made a bad pedal, none of use would likely consider it bad.

Wrong. A $hit pedal is a $hit pedal no matter who makes it.

 

[NegativeEase]

Wrong. A $hit pedal is a $hit pedal no matter who makes it.

I have no doubt that people would have no trouble not preferring it, and taking a position of it being not up to par - but emotional attachment would keep the "Bad" label off a lauded manufacturer.

 

[jeremy]

i have no emotional attachment to anything but a pre 1968 fender amp as far as gear goes.

as far as the kemper through the tube power amp into guitar cab, maybe? ive tried that before and i could tell. the clean tones were nice but the slightly dirty tones didnt feel right. there wasnt the weight of the note coming off the string like im used to

 

[Gtrjunior]

A lot of people would either let their ears be fooled by their eyes, or find a way to rationalize it.

Wrong. A $hit pedal is a $hit pedal no matter who makes it.

Years ago I played in a band with another guitar player that did this.
He would set his amp dials to what he “thought” the knobs should be on. And then he would turn to me and say “why can’t I get more bass (or mids or whatever) out of this amp. When I looked at his amp the bass was on 4.
I told him to quit dialing in his amp with his eyes and start dialing it in with his ears.

 

[Gtrjunior]

i have no emotional attachment to anything but a pre 1968 fender amp as far as gear goes.

as far as the kemper through the tube power amp into guitar cab, maybe? ive tried that before and i could tell. the clean tones were nice but the slightly dirty tones didnt feel right. there wasnt the weight of the note coming off the string like im used to

That’s why I said I would be surprised if you could tell. I know I couldn’t. But I don’t want to speak for you. Your ear very well could be more developed than mine.
I never had any luck with processors and modelers until the Kemper. I LOVE IT. It’s an amazing piece of gear.

 

[Bogner]

A lot of people would either let their ears be fooled by their eyes, or find a way to rationalize it.

Those people are n00bs, idiots or both.

 

[Bogner]

as far as the kemper through the tube power amp into guitar cab, maybe? ive tried that before and i could tell. the clean tones were nice but the slightly dirty tones didnt feel right. there wasnt the weight of the note coming off the string like im used to

I can understand this. What you hear and what you feel can be different. With the KEMPER unit it is a snap shot of the amp. I doubt a good capture (there are good and bad captures) run through FOH will have a guitar geek in the audience say that is a Kemper. In a blind test, I doubt they would ever know aside from a lucky guess if the Kemper is set up right and dialed right etc.

Where modelers (the Kemper isn't a modeler) especially in the past have failed was on the pick attack (IMO) and the response was not the same as an amp. In some cases, very different. The Kemper is a game changer and a whole different philosophy than any other piece of gear. I could get long winded on it but I don't want to put you guys to sleep..lol.

 

[Bogner]

Yet they have been, are, and will be part of the market. Their money spends just like that from any other source. And the units shipped count the same.

So what's your point?

Are we talking about moving units or knowing how to dial things in here?

Back to the n00bs, their self imposed deception and the access to an internet connection...Their internet opinions are plentiful and way off (frequently) because of it. Carry on...

 

[Demanic]

I can understand this. What you hear and what you feel can be different. With the KEMPER unit it is a snap shot of the amp. I doubt a good capture (there are good and bad captures) run through FOH will have a guitar geek in the audience say that is a Kemper. In a blind test, I doubt they would ever know aside from a lucky guess if the Kemper is set up right and dialed right etc.

Where modelers (the Kemper isn't a modeler) especially in the past have failed was on the pick attack (IMO) and the response was not the same as an amp. In some cases, very different. The Kemper is a game changer and a whole different philosophy than any other piece of gear. I could get long winded on it but I don't want to put you guys to sleep..lol.

This is what I would think. There is a certain latency that the older processors have. With an analog tube amp, or even solid state you have the immediacy of a loop response.
But as the processing power has increased over the years, I think that it makes it harder and harder to tell . Especially in a live setting.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

 

[Gtrjunior]

This is what I would think. There is a certain latency that the older processors have. With an analog tube amp, or even solid state you have the immediacy of a loop response.
But as the processing power has increased over the years, I think that it makes it harder and harder to tell . Especially in a live setting.

Sent from my SM-A115A using Tapatalk

With the Kemper there is zero latency. It’s as responsive as any of my tube amps.

 

[Bogner]

With the Kemper there is zero latency. It’s as responsive as any of my tube amps.

Correct! And this is where people are confused and this is where Kemper is different than another "non traditional amp". The Kemper isn't a modeler!

Look at it like this. You are taking a photograph of a person. You are real. The camera is real. The photo taken is real. You captured the visual of the photo in its entirety as is at that particular time. Thee is nothing fake. Nothing processed, no latency, etc.

Now go to your computer and try to model or mirror that photograph from scratch. There is a BIG difference there.

I am not saying modelers don't sound good. They sound very fantastic! so this isn't about one being better than another or anything like that. What I am referring to is process, philosophy and approach to have the end sound is achieved. They are very different.

 

[Bogner]

Point is, what do you do about it? When you dont know the person on the other end of their review, you have to assume this could be the issue. Verified Buyer doesnt help, and there is little motivation in the industry to weed them out. A happy customer who loves your pedal and likes talking about it is a land in the win column, even though that person might have a tin ear, a hearing anomaly (imagine that), or other issue and may be unintentionally misleading others about the sound of the product.

Talking about both. Maybe that unpleasant buzzy kazoo tone of the DS-1 is what some players have had in their heads, and when they find a pedal that gives it to them, they think it cant be beat.

You ask what do you do about it?

Here is what you do. You watch pedal release day. You watch classified ads and see how much things are turning over and how fast. You watch mark downs and specials. Through experience you learn to discern what is right/wrong/good/bad/ for you as your own tone (if you will) develops. You can tell fairly quickly if something is in your camp or not simply by being aware. That comes from experience, turning knobs and knowing what you like. It never comes from asking people what their settings are and what to expect because they bought such and such a thing. YMMV

 

[NegativeEase]

With the Kemper there is zero latency. It’s as responsive as any of my tube amps.

Tube amps have power latency. So if anything you would add latency to a Kemper to get tube feel.