Going all digital

[Rollin Hand]

So lately I have been thinking hard about selling all my amps (save for the Peavey Classic 20, of course) and going all dogital.

Nowadays if I play, i am doing so though either my HX Stomp XL or my 11 Rack, and I can easily hook both up to my monitors if I want to move some air. Even if I jam, it's using e-drums and a TC Helicon Blender.

The problem is, my amps and my glorious Mesa 2x12 are sitting and not being used. And I don't really miss them.

So now I wonder, do I nab a couple of Headrush FRFRs and just 95% give up on amps? I really never thought I would get to this place. And it's weird!

[BatUtilityBelt]

I hear you, but I'm not in the same boat. Thanks to modeling, my tube amps don't get any use for noodling/practice/writing anymore, but they stick around for recording. My ears don't care about the differences, but bounced mixes seem to still show nuanced aspects. But that's not the main reason for me to keep my analog gear around. The fact is analog remains serviceable. If tubes go bad or a short appears or some such, it's not toast because I can fix it or a good tech can. But my keyboard experience tells me after a decade or two, those expensive digital devices stop getting supported, so when the wrong part goes bad, they're just anchors. I've had $3000 keyboards become parts junk in a moment. I fear the same for DAW models. Things get antiquated in that realm too, and suddenly a driver is no longer supported, or an OS upgrade causes clicks or timing glitches and to correct means upgrading to a new platform that no longer supports the particular interface you need for a seldom used but cherished piece of gear. I have plenty of digital gear, but so far I have yet to see an old guitar or an old amp become unserviceable. To me, that's the difference that matters if I need to recreate a feel years later.

[tonebender]

Like Joe Walsh, I am an analog man. I did sell my Ampeg Reverberocket yesterday. It was expendable since purchasing the Gibson Goldtone. I mentioned that I would let it go to a fella that comes around here periodically in his official capacity with a government agency. We have often talked guitars and gear. Last week we discussed amps and I told him my stories about amps and discovering how wonderful the Ampeg re-issue series sounded. He popped by yesterday and said he researched Ampeg amps and wanted mine if it really was for sale. I let it go. I am glad it happened that way, every time I thought about listing it I would talk my self out of it.

[littlebadboy]

That is what I did!

I used to have a basement play studio, but we moved to a new home where I only have a closet in the laundry room for my playing. I sold all amps and even my mfx modelers.



I play through studio monitors using plugins. I am currently enjoying Neural's Archetype Gojira and Abasi. I don't gig anymore, but if I need to, I saved one FRFR cab. The Archetype can also be standalone which I will control with my Behringer MIDI pedal.

I jam with EZDrummer 3 and Eurobass 2 on my DAW. I am enjoying this rig so far.

[Rollin Hand]

I hear you, but I'm not in the same boat. Thanks to modeling, my tube amps don't get any use for noodling/practice/writing anymore, but they stick around for recording. My ears don't care about the differences, but bounced mixes seem to still show nuanced aspects. But that's not the main reason for me to keep my analog gear around. The fact is analog remains serviceable. If tubes go bad or a short appears or some such, it's not toast because I can fix it or a good tech can. But my keyboard experience tells me after a decade or two, those expensive digital devices stop getting supported, so when the wrong part goes bad, they're just anchors. I've had $3000 keyboards become parts junk in a moment. I fear the same for DAW models. Things get antiquated in that realm too, and suddenly a driver is no longer supported, or an OS upgrade causes clicks or timing glitches and to correct means upgrading to a new platform that no longer supports the particular interface you need for a seldom used but cherished piece of gear. I have plenty of digital gear, but so far I have yet to see an old guitar or an old amp become unserviceable. To me, that's the difference that matters if I need to recreate a feel years later.

I don't record, and if I did, it would be digitally because...well, you can do it for free.

As noted, I still have my 11 Rack, and it still sounds good. I bought it used 10 years or so ago. One of my favourite tones I ever got was that through my monitors, and I can get it to sound good quickly, as opposed to the Stomp, which is a source of near endless tweaking. I have been pondering selling the HX Stomp XL to go Headrush MX5 to get the 11 Rack tones in a more portable and higher powered format.

I really thought that Mesa 2x12 was a lifetime cab. Now I am not so sure.