Amp Modeling Sansamp

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Member Since: Sep 02, 2004

(inspired from the POD thread)

I tried everything over the recent years, POD-XT, VAMP-PRO, GT-6, Digitech RP400, Zoom and Sansamps. It was all good, even the cheaper Zoom stuff was pretty amazing for the money. Finally, partially for sake of spending more time on guitar and less on gear hording and partly for the sound, I settled on Sansamp and have not felt an inkling to try another widget since.

Ive have the foot switch TRI-AC, the rackmout PSA-1 and the 60W amp Tech21. Amazing tube tones and amazing tonal nuances. I provides all the wonderfull overtones (harmonics) of a tube with all the dynanmics achieved from string attack et all that digital processing has a hard time to replicate. Likely becuase these are all analog units they retain some of the tube mystic.

Being all analog, using FETs (Field Effect Transistor or high impedance transistors) you somehow still feel connected to the sound. Somehow when guitar out gets digitized and processed I feel a bit of a disconnect and with a lack of control.

I mainly use the PSA-1 as it has 49 presets and ability to save 49 more and select with MIDI. Interestingly, and probably a side effect of the inordinate time I have spent playing with widgets, I generally have settled on only 4 amp setting of my own make that cover me well.

Interesting for me, working in high tech, to a huge industry applying the latest technology and no-how, to recreate the effects you get from obsolete tube technology. In the 70's the US capture a Russiam MIG and became amazed at the miniature tube technology they were imploying since they lacked our semiconductor technology. I can see why they are today big providers of tubes for music industry...SOVTEK.


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Hello!
Member
Since: Jan 12, 2004


May 06, 2005 04:19 pm

Funny - after all my own banging on aboot the love of my VAMP, I come home yesterday lunch time and had 30 mins to spare.

So, I cranked up the Marshall (I have an old Valvestate 8080 - sweet), fire in the Les Paul and just ROCKED OOT...man, I now see why I wont part with my amp.

I love my VAMP to bits...but, ye canny beat a cranked Marshall with a Les Paul..a marriage made in heaven for sure.

That said, I would NOT be without my VAMP...tis also great. Aye - ye canny whack progress man.

Coco.

Answer:On a good day, lipstick.
Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004


May 06, 2005 04:35 pm

I have the Tech21 Tri-AC for guitars, and a Bass Driver DI for my bass. I love 'em. The Tri-AC doesn't have very good presets, but tweaking them produces monster tone. Not a full Marshall cooked stack, but close enough for me.

Hello!
Member
Since: Jan 12, 2004


May 06, 2005 04:38 pm

Ahhhhhhhh (Drools) Marshall Stack, the one thing I always WANTED to own, COUDLVE owned and now NEVER WILL til the kids grow up!!! Darn it, I wish ma hoose was bigger!!

Coco.

I am not a crook's head
Member
Since: Mar 14, 2003


May 06, 2005 05:15 pm

I dunno, I think that a stack of any sort is one of the least useful pieces of gear around. To get the great power tube breakup, you have to crank up a tube amp, and anything that drives 8 12" speakers has so much power that you couldn't stand to be in the same room with it, much less the same house, club, arena, or zip code.

I bought an 80w tube amp not because of the wattage, but because it had features not available on the smaller amps in the series. But 80 tube watts is INCREDIBLY FREAKING LOUD.

My next amp will be a 15W-30W tube amp that I can crank and not liquify my intestines with it.

I've heard good things about the SansAmp. How about the Vox Tonelab? Its got that preamp tube in it too.

I'm not at all sold on using only a preamp tube to try to emulate the tube sound. The tube sound doesn't come from the preamp tubes...it comes from the power tubes. I'd bet that only the most discriminating ears could tell the difference between transistor and tube preamp distortion.

Dub head
Member
Since: May 03, 2004


May 10, 2005 12:25 pm

I've been using Guitar Rig for a few monthes now and it's really great. However, one thing that I have found is that I can not replacate my Peavy classic 30 tube amp. When I try to lay down clean reggae rhythm guitar, it sounds way too thin. When I up the bass or volume, it starts to distort. It just lacks the low end and little subtile tones that my tube amp makes when I play it clean.

I do like it for distored guitar parts as well as I use the effects a lot. The emulated spring reverb is actaully really freakin' good. My vintage premier 90 spring reverb box has been actaully collecting dust since I got Guitar Rig. But yeah, I'm still not 100% sold on modeled amps and effects but I'm getting closer. Nothing right now beats my analog effects and amp.

Hello!
Member
Since: Jan 12, 2004


May 10, 2005 01:03 pm

I agree - modellers are not there yet and I love mine...but, given time ( a few years outa do it ) and they will be...then, it'll be modellers all the way!!!

Aye, ye canny whack it.

Coco.

edit0r
Member
Since: Aug 17, 2004


May 11, 2005 03:39 am

har har har, amps are king

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