Ehh, c’mon, we all know the answer to this advertisement.
I disagree that this is just an advertisement. It would make much more sense for Sweetwater (or any other retailer) to discredit the 'digital modellers'. Why spend a little on a complete rig when they should be spending a LOT on separate Pedals with lots of patch cables, a universal power supply, a way to switch pedals on/off in loops etc etc, an expensive Amp head or 3 as well as multiple different cabs and mics for different sized gigs, wet/dry set ups etc etc. It makes much more sense for retailers to discredit a 'one for all' digital modeller that costs less than an Amp head, let alone everything else a Helix, Headrush etc can replace.
For someone who is 'touring', all they need is their guitar and Helix (for example) that can go straight to the PA and instantly have all your sounds, even if they are vastly different from one song to the next all with a simple push of a footswitch to change to a different patch set-up. You can even have your Wet/Dry sound too without needing multiple amps. Its much cheaper to travel with, not having to take amps, cabs and mics on tour with you.
It may not be as 'romantic' as playing live with a Marshall stack booming on the backline but you don't have to perform a tap dance to switch on several pedals and switch off others mid song. Maybe it doesn't 'suit' everyone who takes there 20/50w Combo and pedal board with 4-6 pedals to the same local pub to play the same basic songs week in week out. Needing an Amp to be heard to play alongside your mates Bass and drum kits maybe a real combo is all that you really need. Recording tracks in a studio maybe better to use a real amp and cab mic'd a certain way to add a layer into the track.
Not everyone is the same, I know. Why buy a £4k guitar when your audience can't hear the difference between that and the one that costs 20-25% the price? The same thing applies here too - Why buy a £4k back line (Amp, Cab, mic) maybe more if you have a wet/dry set up, and have at least £2k of pedals (not inc cables etc) in front of you when an £800 Helix can sound the same to the audience - even if its not quite the same to the musician? Why lug all of that out to various different places, all with different acoustics so it has to be set-up and sound checked every time and at the end of the night pack it all away, lug it back to van night after night - well that depends on the person - whether all that effort is worth it or prefer the convenience of an 'all-in-one' solution for something your audience can't differentiate between.
I am not saying that 'digital' is the 'right' solution for everyone regardless but it certainly has its pro's and the digital solution is being favoured more and more by gigging musicians. I don't believe it will signal the end of Amps - not at all. It may become like 'vinyl' records, something people prefer at home but then happily make do with digital when out of the house because its more convenient and can fit more records on one digital device.
