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The DOWNSIDE of modellers – What most modellers get wrong!
Introduction
A lot of people say that modellers don’t sound good or that they don’t sound right; however, the thing they say is wrong is always the sound. I don’t think this is the reason! Personally, I can see why people use and enjoy modellers. However, after using some for a while, I have found out the actual downside of modellers. I have discovered what they get wrong!
In this article, I am going to go through one of the biggest reasons I believe people don’t like the sound of modellers! I will give my explanations and reasoning for this. I have played both traditional amplifiers and modellers in various formats for a while and have cracked it! So let us dive into the actual downside of modellers!
The Downside of Modellers!
So what do I think is the downside of modellers? For me, the thing that always lets modellers down is the cab sim. I always have always thought that we nailed the pre-amp simulation a long time ago; however, the cab sim is always the thing lacking! The reason this came around is that I have a Line 6 POD from the 00s. I noticed that the pre-amp and amp models were fine! Perfect, in fact (there is a review coming); however, the thing that lets that unit down is the cab sim.
Now that was released back in the 00s, surely they have improved since then? Kind of! They have got better! I will admit that, but I still think it is the weakest point of a modeller! If you have a look around at all the capturing methods, they all focus on the amp. Cab simulation technology hasn’t really progressed much.
More Modeller downsides!
Why can I say this? Well, I have used various different modellers in various different ways. Running into amps, straight to the desk, and a mixture of them both! This means that I have experienced a lot of modellers and also have a good amount of times playing with them!
Recently, I took my Nano Cortex and ran it into an FX return of an amp. Even though it was a budget digital amp, it still sounded amazing! A proper guitar cab! Something about a guitar cab speaker pushing sound and air around improves a sound greatly!
The Fixes
Time, editing, and patience! If you are running a “straight to desk” solution, then you are going to have to run cab simulations! What can you do? You will need to spend time. Edit the master EQ of the unit and really play around with the cab simulations to finally tune it. It takes time, but if you put the time in, it will vastly improve the sound.
A lot of stock IR’s in modellers are not the best; the sound can vastly be improved if you import some of your own. Many websites have them for sale for a very good price! If you are using the Two Note gear, they provide amazing captures; however, have a good one, and you will find some amazing captures. If you are using the Boss IR-2, I would highly recommend swapping out the IR’s!
I don’t even think FRFR cabs are the way to go as you are projecting a cab simulation! I honestly think an FX return would be the best way to get a good sound out of your modeller! You could buy a cheap second-hand combo amp with an FX return and use that! It will give you a huge sound increase! Plug it in, and it will free up a block in your modeller! So more effects! Check out the image on the right for an example of the signal path.
Worth Noting
I am also well aware that sound through IEMs and sound in a room is very different (another issue with modellers that I have). However, I don’t think that when you compare and listen, the difference is fairly clear!
Final Thoughts
Worth noting that I am not hating on modellers. I use my Neural Nano Cortex (Review Here) as my main “amp” for most of my gigs. I have also used the Boss IR-2 (Review Here) for a long time. So I don’t hate modellers. I believe they have their place and when used correctly are amazing and sometimes a better choice than an amp!
However, I do plug into an amp and crank it, and it is a whole other experience. You realise that difference is still huge! Check out my article on capturing with the Nano Cortex (Article Here). If I use the same Cab Simulation, the real amp and the capture sound identical. However, the moment you plug into the internal speaker, it all changes.
Conclusion
Do you agree that this is a huge downside of modellers? I know that some guitarists were brought up on modellers and digital amps (including plugins). So they might not know the difference as much as some people. However, I still think there is still a huge gap and work to be done for cab simulation.
As I said at the start, most modellers have the amp sound down! Even something like the Sonicake Pocket Master (Review Here) has smashed the amp sounds and the captures, just needs work on the cabinet simulation. I am very interested to see how the technology progresses for cab sim technology! I think someone will come up with a solution. Now that I think of it, Boss were close with their Waza Headphones. They improved the feeling of playing massively! Let me know your thoughts!
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