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Modeling amplifiers are changing live music (forever)
As a kid growing up in the ’90s, solid-state amplifiers were everywhere I looked. I used to sit with my own tried and trusted Line 6 Spider III and dial in the most ludicrous-sounding effects for hours. As a novice guitarist, I loved solid-state amps for affording more creativity and flexibility than tube amplifiers which were dominant in the ’60s and ’70s. However, like many guitarists, I have grown to understand the appeal of tube amps. After all, there is nothing like cranking the gain to create a warm, pleasing, and characteristic distortion. At least, that was the case until I tried modeling amplifiers. These generally combine analog and digital circuits to emulate famous amplifier types. What surprises me most, however, is that more professional musicians are beginning to use modeling amplifiers for live performances.
Sound just like your role model(ing)s
Modeling amplifiers have become more prevalent as more specialized manufacturers have entered the market. For example, Kemper, Fractal Audio Systems, and Neural DSP are renowned for their state-of-the-art digital signal processing. With this, guitarists can achieve the desirable nuances of classic tube amps within compact and lightweight builds. It also opens the possibility to create, edit, and share famous guitar tones with the internet.
Fender’s GTX-series modeling amplifiers work seamlessly with the company’s Fender Tone app. Here, fans can browse and customize genre-specific presets in real time. Fender’s website also allows you to browse and share sounds with the rest of the company’s modeling amplifier community. There is even a section dedicated to artist-specific presets, which provide actual sounds from the studio and stage created by the artists. So if you want to shred like Joe Bonamassa, you need only navigate to the Fender Artist Preset webpage and install the relevant preset onto your amp.
Modeling amplifiers offer much greater customization than their tube amplifier equivalents.
Fender isn’t the only player in this field though. For example, Kemper’s Rig Manager app brings a list of flagship features to Windows, Android, and iOS fans. Connecting via WiFi, guitarists can preview and manage a library of over 15,000 free profiles. You can also tag content with keywords to find them quickly and assemble performances by dragging and dropping them in order. Like Fender, Kemper has a repertoire of community-built presets and free rig packs created by famous artists. Rig Manager also owns a comprehensive editor for adjusting your amp’s parameters on the fly.
Neural DSP’s Cortex Cloud app (Android/iOS) is equally extensive, providing community presets and featured artist picks. It also uses the company’s biomimetic AI technology, “Neural Captures,” to learn and replicate the sonic characteristics of any physical amplifier you throw at it. This is handy for taking your specific amplifier sound on the road without burdening yourself with an actual amp. It also means you can create a multi-channel amplifier setup from a single-channel amp. Neural DSP’s Capture library is community-driven, and fan-made and custom Impulse Responses (IRs) add an extra layer of customization.
Amping up the pressure
Contrary to historical norms, digital modeling amplifiers dominate the guitar amp market. Trusted used-and-new instrument retailer, Reverb, unveiled its best-selling amplifiers of 2023. The data speaks volumes about the changing landscape and seemingly irreversible shift to digital. Based on its report, Reverb’s three top-selling amplifiers are all digital modeling amplifiers. Additionally, modeling amps take up eight of the top 20 spots. The ascendancy of modeling amps is now irrefutable, it seems.
It is clear from Reverb’s statement that convenience and size are at the top of buyers’ shopping lists. There is also an apparent desire for intuitive controls, tonal versatility, and pleasing amp reproduction. Like me, fans want more expansive digital editing from included software, smart practice features, and comprehensive digital recording options. All this is evident in sales of portable, lightweight, and sound-packed options outselling bulkier tube amp rivals.
Modeling amplifiers continue to outsell their tube amp counterparts.
Fender, Yamaha, Boss, and Positive Grid successfully edged out older, more traditional full-sized amplifiers. This is especially surprising for Positive Grid, considering it was only founded in 2013. Its Spark 40W amplifier ($239 at Amazon) consistently tops sales charts and, consequently, can claim the title of the world’s most popular amp. Nevertheless, Fender is still among Reverb’s top 20 list, albeit not for its tube amps. Instead, its Tone Master Deluxe Reverb ($1049.99 at Amazon) and Rumble series bass amps take most of the lion’s share. By comparison, the once-popular Fender Blues Junior III ($749.99 at Manufacturer site) tube amp scored low at number 16.
Reverb also states that the Fender Tone Master Deluxe Reverb — the full-sized digital emulation of the original Deluxe Reverb tube amp — outsold its analog counterpart for the third consecutive year. That marks every year since the Tone Master came to market. The ’65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue shares a similar fate, having missed out on entering the top 20 list entirely. This is despite its proud history of being one of Fender’s most popular amps throughout Reverb’s 10-year lifespan. Vox also made no placement, and Marshall enjoyed its Studio Vintage SV20H MKII placing at just number 17. Orange faired better, with five entries among Reverb’s top 20 list. However, recent sales data illustrates a clear and seismic shift toward digital modeling amplifiers.
Gaining momentum on the live circuit
The emergence of excellent-sounding and versatile modeling guitar amplifiers has shifted the dial for professional musicians. For example, it used to be normal to lug a 14600g Marshall JTM45 2245 amp up venue stairs. Nowadays though, musicians can achieve virtually the same sound with a lighter and smaller modeling amp like the Fractal FM3 II Turbo. Comparatively, this weighs just 3220g and has a substantially smaller form factor.
The same can be said for Kemper and its implementation of gig-friendly features. For example, the Kemper Profiler can store up to five individual Rigs that work seamlessly with the company’s Rig Exchange app. Rig Manager also makes creating and editing Performances a breeze, even allowing you to set effects to specific BPMs to match the speed of your songs. All those hours spent honing a unique-sounding profile can now be taken on stage to replicate the same sound live. The tranche of controls like mic positioning, sag controls, before/after-amp effects, and isolating your preamp sound make the Kemper Profiler an excellent tool for touring musicians.
Tube amplifiers are often more expensive than modeling amps.
Neural DSP’s Quad Cortex is extremely compact, measuring just 290 x 191 x 48 mm and weighing 1980g. It also has double the processing power of other modeling amplifiers like the Fractal FM3. It is especially effective at dual-amping, whereby you can assign one amp for lower-frequency sounds and a second for mid-to-high frequencies. The Quad Cortext also enjoys some of the most pleasing and realistic amp emulations on the market. The only caveat is that the QC’s switching functionality is primitive compared to other modeling amplifiers on the market. This makes it more difficult to flick between scenes and stomp switches from the same floorboard.
The Line 6 Helix modeling amplifier range is infamous among touring musicians. It has an expansive sound library that excels at emulating famous amplifiers and microphone positions. For example, the Helix LT owns very pleasing effects and the assignable pedal can alter expression, wah, volume, and boost. The footswitch can also select snapshots that conveniently change multiple effects and settings instantaneously. The Helix ecosystem has one of the best user interfaces on the market, with intuitive controls, menus, and colorful displays. Line 6 also caters its Helix brand to multiple budgets, from the Line 6 Helix HX Effects ($599.99 at Amazon) to the Line 6 Helix Floor.
But what do you think? Do old guard tube amplifiers still have a place in the live music circuit, or does the rise of modeling amplifiers spell disaster for analog vintage tones? Let us know in the poll below.