Amp Modeler?

Reo Clayton

Reo Clayton

New Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2020
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83
Location
Nebraska
Lately my wife is dropping hints that it's too loud in the house when I'm practicing, which has been much more frequently since I bought my DGT. I play through a Vox AC15 which needs to be pushed to get the tone I like. I use GarageBand as my DAW and have tried practicing with headphones using GB's amp models, but they just don't cut it in my opinion.

I've been looking into the Strymon Iridium as a solution because it could be used for recording, and it has a headphone output that would be great for practicing. I own two other Strymon pedals so I know the quality you get with a Strymon. I'm just leery about spending four hundo on the Iridium and not being pleased with the amp models.

Does anyone have experience with the Iridium? Any other solutions...other than divorce! After all she let me buy a DGT.
 
I use a Boss Katana 100 mkII combo for everything. Practice, jams, rehearsal, small gigs, outdoor gigs.

At home, it’s on 0.5 watts. Never used the 100 watt setting, 50 is plenty for most applications.

Great onboard fx, cleans up well with a rollback on the volume knob.

Cheap too, so it’s inline with my ability!
 
I feel your pain on the GB/Logic amp models, outside of a few of the clean models they're almost unusable. Good luck in finding a good modeler, I'd try as many as possible before making an investment.

If it's just for practice, whatever works for you, but for recording to your DAW, mic your amp and record in the middle of the day when she's out shopping or something. You'll save your marriage and your guitar tracks will be better off.
 
Longtime kemper guy here, I use a normal pair of studio monitors with my kemper Head. It sounds absolutely amazing and volume wise you can get a pushed amp tone at any volume. The kemper is great in that it still feels like a real amp being cranked even if the volume is set below bedroom level.
 
For cost-effectiveness and versatility/expandability, the HeadRush Gigboard w/ Expression pedal is a good option. Large touch-screen, with a wide range of amp/cab options. USB-enabled so as to download new cab and patch models from various websites, best used with a HeadRush FRFR powered speaker. Can be used with a 4 cable method and your combo or head's FX loop. FRFR108 or FRFR112 works best. USB connects directly to your computer and serves as a outboard device that does not require an audio interface.

I think my Gigboard/Expression pedal/FRFR108 topped out just about $1100 plus tax.

Check out the YT HeadRush FX tutorial videos for learning how to use the Gigboard, or download the manual and read. The learning curve, once you make it past the initial set-up/start-up, is relatively easy and if forgiving if you've done your research...
 
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If it's just for practicing around the house consider a Yamaha THR10. I expect the older model could be picked up quite reasonably now that a newer model is out. They are nice and portable, sound good at quiet volumes and can run on batteries for hours at a time. I spend a lot of summer evenings out on the patio with mine.

I have just bought myself a strymon Iridium. Its probably a bit early for me to have a firm opinion on it yet as I haven't really stretched it much. I'm running it into the THR in flat mode as a small FRFR and it is doing a passable job. I like the simplicity of the Iridium. And to be honest I probably only need the clean of the Fender model and the crunch of the Plexi, plus a few pedals, to be able to get all the sounds I want. I haven't been blown away by the headphone sounds of it. It's OK, and maybe my cheap headphones don't help - plus it doesn't have a full reverb by itself.

My best low volume sounds are from my Cornford Carerra. 6 to 8 watts of single ended cathode biased boutique goodness - but it is a full sized 1x12 solid pine cab and weights a tonne so it stays in the one place and doesn't get used so much
 
I’ve stolen my pops-in-laws Blackstar HT5, it gives some great tones and doesn’t break my back!

They can also be purchased used for not a huge amount of coin. Obviously my deal is sweeter!!

Our other guitarist just bought a HT20 for less than three Mullard EL34s (there’s currently four used ones for sale on FB marketplace for £250!).

So bargains can be had.
 
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