Anything new in the world of amp sim pedals?

JamesSGBrown · August 2023

So I bought a Boss IR200 around a year ago, and I've popped some York Audio IRs in to try and replicate the sound of my own Twin Reverb. It's... fine. Does the job but doesn't sound good enough for me to turn it on unless I absolutely have to. I've had an Iridium too, and that was okay, but I thought the Boss would suit me more as it actually has a Twin Reverb model rather than a 6V6 Deluxe (I used my TR as a pedal platform).

But I know technology moves fast, so are there any newer decent, IR-loadable amp sims on the market?
OR am I best off going for a pre-amp pedal like the Revival Drive alongside a Cab Sim pedal? That gets expensive quick...

JohnCordy · August 2023

The Dream 65 is pretty great and has about the best sounding digital spring reverb I've encountered

JamesSGBrown · August 2023

JohnCordy said:

The Dream 65 is pretty great and has about the best sounding digital spring reverb I've encountered

Being a big UA fan I was interested in this, but it's a little to faithful for me to a DR- the lack of a mid control primarily. A lot of money for little functionality, even if it does sound stellar.

TheBigDipper · August 2023

Have a look at the latest Simplifier Mk II. It's a big improvement over the Mk I and the DLX that preceded it (IMHO) and I've moved over to one for my "go direct" solution and recording - including for ampless gigs when needed. It really does feel like an amp (because it sort of is, apart from not actually amplifying) and the cab emulations are nicer to my ears than any IR I've ever used.

I'm using it with a pedalboard and (for band use) dialling in a clean-but-not sterile or insipid Fender tone as a clean pedal platform. It's great, and when I goose the input stage from the pedalboard it doesn't crap out or have any headroom issues.

I've owned too many modellers - including the Iridium - trying to get that "amp" experience and, for me, they just don't hack it from the players perspective. This does, as does the Quilter SuperBlock US that I'm now selling because the Simplifier is a better choice for me.

blobb · August 2023

Beebo is due amp sims in the next update. It can already load IR's.

Sledgammer to crack a nut? maybe. But it's developing into an all in one audio playground, adding amp sims is only going to increase it's uses. So far, sound quality has not been an issue so interested to see how a 'free update' amp sim compares to the more established stuff out there.

blobb · August 2023

Image: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53109125096_f0c7f75fca_c.jpg

kennedydream1980 · August 2023

Tonex Pedal

fretmeister · August 2023

The Tonex is definitely the new thing.

Ultimately - nothing sounds exactly like a valve amp in the room, at least not at the moment.

But for live use with all the other stuff going on, that really just isn't important. The audience can't hear the difference and they are not close enough to the amp anyway - they get the effect of the choice of microphone and the PA / FOH dude.

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Anything new in the world of amp sim pedals?

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