Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

[Red_Label]

I picked-up a Line 6 Helix LT about a month ago and my tube amps are now collecting dust. I swore that I'd never go over to the digital side after the Eleven Rack and Kemper Profiler that I had failed to satisfy me. But the Helix is different (for me at least). I sold my Friedman Dirty Shirley a while back, and my Fender DRRI FSR and Splawn Quick Rod just aren't getting played much any more. I'm running the Helix into a pair of Yamaha DXR10 powered PA cabs and it just sounds magnificent. VERY tubelike in tone and feel. I seriously hope this honeymoon continues, because I'd honestly LOVE being able to jettison tube amps once and for all (despite my tube purist past thus far).

 

[NeedForPower]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

I picked-up a Line 6 Helix LT about a month ago and my tube amps are now collecting dust. I swore that I'd never go over to the digital side after the Eleven Rack and Kemper Profiler that I had failed to satisfy me. But the Helix is different (for me at least). I sold my Friedman Dirty Shirley a while back, and my Fender DRRI FSR and Splawn Quick Rod just aren't getting played much any more. I'm running the Helix into a pair of Yamaha DXR10 powered PA cabs and it just sounds magnificent. VERY tubelike in tone and feel. I seriously hope this honeymoon continues, because I'd honestly LOVE being able to jettison tube amps once and for all (despite my tube purist past thus far).

Have you tried a blind AB with the Helix and something like a Fender Tweed Deluxe (this just because it seems the purist's purist tube amp)?

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

And the cycle continues.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

Coming from you, that is a HUGE endorsement.

:headbang:

It seriously is!!! Having owned nearly everything in the Fender/Marshall/boutique camp, as well as most of the digital stuff... I have never felt this way about something digital before.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

And the cycle continues.

What exactly is left to cycle throught? I've owned just about everything in tube amps (at least Marshall-flavored ones). I still own my Splawn after over two years, and I still like it. But I don't feel the need to power it up very often right now. And it's not like I'm going back to one of my previous amps (I can't say that I've ever re-purchased an exact same amp model later after having felt like I was done with it).

That's okay. Just because I've had some great amps that floated my boat for a time, doesn't make it an endless cycle. Shall I make predictions about your life based on some posts on a web forum? Make your snarky comment if it makes you feel smug. I matters not to me. ;-)

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

Have you tried a blind AB with the Helix and something like a Fender Tweed Deluxe (this just because it seems the purist's purist tube amp)?

Not a Tweed Deluxe... but sure compares well to my DRRI FSR. I am currently preferring the Marshall-based tones at the moment though. The vibe is get is VERY similar to the Friedman, Bogner, and Splawn amps that I've owned. Which is what really surprised me!

 

[Diego]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

That's crazy coming from you.

Frankly, I've had some pretty good experiences with cheap digital heads into quality cabinets.
My own Blackstar ID Core40 Head sounds alright when pushed loud, and it's the cheapest thing there is now.
So it doesn't surprise me that the top-shelf digital equipment is really doing it well these days.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

Thinking of getting one of those Power Stages. 170 watts of my guitar and pedals through a cab of my choice. Anywhere from 1x12 closed, 2x12 open or 4x12 closed.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[NeedForPower]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

Thinking of getting one of those Power Stages. 170 watts of my guitar and pedals through a cab of my choice. Anywhere from 1x12 closed, 2x12 open or 4x12 closed.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

Best get on a list, I've been on two for a couple of months and they still won't commit to selling me one out of their first shipment...must be a lot of people.waiting for these amps.

 

[DankStar]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

While you still have the splawn, maybe do a shootout of clips? Let the people decide!

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

That's crazy coming from you.

Frankly, I've had some pretty good experiences with cheap digital heads into quality cabinets.
My own Blackstar ID Core40 Head sounds alright when pushed loud, and it's the cheapest thing there is now.
So it doesn't surprise me that the top-shelf digital equipment is really doing it well these days.

For sure, but what really surprised me about the Helix is that it sounds awesome through my PA cabs direct. I was never able to get a satisfying tone using my 11R that way. Had to run it into a Rocktron Velocity 300 power amp and into a 1960B 4x12. And to be fair to the Kemper, I just hated it from the start, so I got fed up with tweaking immediately. I don't like tweaking gear. But the Helix is easy to dial in, and yet you can tweak endlessly if you want. I haven't even tried to load any IRs yet! So I still have a ton of tweaking to do if I want to get it even more close to the real thing. But so far I just haven't even cared because I like the handful of patches that I've created that much.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

While you still have the splawn, maybe do a shootout of clips? Let the people decide!

It may happen, but creating sound clips have never been my thing... because I get bogged down in trying to make what I'm hearing translate exactly into my DAW. A recording engineer I'm not. I do have a Sennheiser e906 and Shure SM57s into a Saffire Pro 40 interface though. But I'm a poor engineer/producer though, because I'd rather PLAY than piddle around on the DAW. I've always struggled with that issue since I began playing in the mid-80s. My brother was the techie who'd get recordings of me while I played. But he's got a wife and SIX daughters to run him ragged these days... LOL!!!

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

Thinking of getting one of those Power Stages. 170 watts of my guitar and pedals through a cab of my choice. Anywhere from 1x12 closed, 2x12 open or 4x12 closed.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

I've been looking at these as well. And I tried to get the Helix to sound great through my Tech 21 Power Engine 60 2x12 rig (like my old Vox Tonelab LE does), but so far I like the Helix best through the FRFR solution of my Yamaha PA cabs. That's why I've been so blown away by it.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

I picked-up a Line 6 Helix LT about a month ago and my tube amps are now collecting dust. I swore that I'd never go over to the digital side after the Eleven Rack and Kemper Profiler that I had failed to satisfy me. But the Helix is different (for me at least). I sold my Friedman Dirty Shirley a while back, and my Fender DRRI FSR and Splawn Quick Rod just aren't getting played much any more. I'm running the Helix into a pair of Yamaha DXR10 powered PA cabs and it just sounds magnificent. VERY tubelike in tone and feel. I seriously hope this honeymoon continues, because I'd honestly LOVE being able to jettison tube amps once and for all (despite my tube purist past thus far).

Blasphemy!!!

Just kidding, I wasn't super impressed with them but I'll admit that they are more tube like than most digital amplifiers...

 

[Mincer]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

I love my Fractal AX8. It does so many things so well. I don't know if I will sell my Boogie (it doesn't model that, ehem, model), but it sounds remarkable plugged into a PA system in stereo (or IEMs).

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

I love my Fractal AX8. It does so many things so well. I don't know if I will sell my Boogie (it doesn't model that, ehem, model), but it sounds remarkable plugged into a PA system in stereo (or IEMs).

I haven't tried the AX8, but was definitely interested in those before the Helix grabbed me.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

Blasphemy!!!

Just kidding, I wasn't super impressed with them but I'll admit that they are more tube like than most digital amplifiers...

It took me a few minutes to dial that digital tube distortion sound out, so it wasn't like plugging into a tube amp and having the tone be right there. That's always been one of my biggest gripes about modelers. But I told myself that I was going to give the Helix an honest shot before I first sat down with it and that I might have to be a bit patient to get what I was looking for. It ended-up coming a lot faster than I thought it would, and as I mentioned... I haven't even explored IRs yet. At some point I'll bite that bullet, but have been 100% satisfied with the tones that I'm getting for the past month.

One thing that has renewed my interest in modelers is the endless possibilities that are there for tones and FX. That used to put me off. I was always a wah --> OD --> reverb --> tube amp kind of guy. I liked it simple and effective. But with that simplicity comes a limited pallet of tones. And I've got a couple of pedalboards' worth of pedals that I'm tired of looking at. So at this point, the modeler (despite its endless possibilities for tweaking) was looking like the simpler setup. Especially running direct into a PA. So the time was right for me to finally accept it for what it is. I'm not going to say that it does tube modeling better than tubes do their thing. But when I just pick up my guitar and play, I am no longer distracted by digital sounding fakery... it's that close and I'm able to just lose myself playing and not worry about what I'm plugged into. I can't say that I've ever been fully able to do that with 1s and 0s before.

 

[richard parker]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

I never thought I'd see the day but my tube amps bit the dust after a got the Yamaha THR 100 Dual. I sold my lovely Cornford when I realised I hadn't gigged it or fired it up for over a year.

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

I never thought I'd see the day but my tube amps bit the dust after a got the Yamaha THR 100 Dual. I sold my lovely Cornford when I realised I hadn't gigged it or fired it up for over a year.

Dang! That's impressive that the THR was able to displace a Cornford. I tried a Dual out at my LGS and dug the Fendery tones, but wasn't able to get what I wanted out of the Marshally stuff in the short time that I had with it. But Yamaha/Line 6 makes great stuff and if your THR floats your boat, then rock on!

 

[Van Noord]

Re: Tube Amplifier Be Gone!!!

No doubt good tones are to be had with all the new software out their. I just don't like the tech side of it. No interest in computers, presets, patches, effects, firmware updates etc. Same reason I don't own a PC, gaming console etc. I'd get rid of my smartphone if I could. Now, I'm not a luddite...I respect the technology. I just have no interest in learning or utilizing it.