I wish more people realized that what they miss with modelers is the amp feel in the room moving air, not so much the “tone.” If you use in ears and have amps off stage it sounds so close that like 99% of people couldn’t tell…
I still prefer tube amps but I have toured before and modeling is just a lot more convenient, more reliable and less expensive. I think for me it is hard for me to part with my twin because I have such a deep connection to it and I bought mine from the guy who composed the score to Justice League and Mad Max. lol
agree here, nothing wrong with liking real amps they’re awesome but the sound in the room argument is a bit gatekeepy of good tone if you’re only playing for your own enjoyment you’ll probably like the amp in the room assuming you can actually do it. if you record modeling is massive
Ignorant question here but "moving the aor in the room" sounds like you need to be blasting serious volume. If just a home player will anyone ever get that level anyway
I chatted to Dallas under the stage at a U2 gig in Manchester Arena October 2018. He was a really lovely guy - we have a mutual friend. The setup was a bit mind-blowing down there to be honest. Like a secret military command centre 😊 Edge’s setup was soooo complex, Dallas was full-time selecting his sounds throughout the show. I saw that padded room with all the amps and some truly beautiful guitars. There was redundancy built-in also the Edge had some footswitches that were all duplicated under the stage and he had a little Fender combo mic’d at the back of the stage, I guess as the ultimate fail-safe? I don’t know. Anyway very cool, never seen anything like. All started with a guitar, a Vox and an echo pedal
Absolutely… Not only has Edge had his amps under the stage for years now, They’ve been using in-ears since the early 90s, they’re playing in a room that is affectively surround sound so if you add any extra directional sound, you start causing problems with phase coherency in the room. In fact I started using modelling live with in-ears in 2004/2005 because I’d been touring with my amps baffled off stage and one of the biggest comments I would get is “your guitar sounds so forward and punchy” it’s only years later I realised that it was because I didn’t have any phase cancellation between my amps on stage and the the PA system. Also I’ve never bought the whole “you get no interaction between guitar and amp” thing…because if you are on a big enough stage there is plenty of guitar coming through the pa to feed back onto itself…you just have to figure out where to stand on any given night to get your guitar to take off! 😊
I played with U2 for a few gigs 20 odd years ago. He was using Line 6 rack mounted amp sims back then. There was an AC30 on stage, but it was purely aesthetic. Dallas took me under the stage to where at least some of the magic happens, and lo and behold...not only was Dallas playing the extra guitar parts (as he had been doing since the 80s), he also had 2 foot controllers, one for him, the other for the Edge when he was out on the heart shaped gangway and couldn't change his FX. I played with a few big Arena acts back then and some of them were running Line 6 gear even then . Getting used to a stage with no backline and just relying on side fills and wedges, and IEMs of course, takes a bit of getting used to.
As an old gigging guitarist, I now use a Tech 21 Fly Rig 2 into a PA and use IEMs- I love the sound. I use a Roland Blues Cube Stage where I feel I need an amp. I haven't used valve amps for a few years now. I'm comfortable with this way of doing things.
Thanks for sharing that! I switched to IEMs a couple of years ago and am very happy with my sound now. I’m a keys player and can finally hear myself properly onstage. My tech recommended using the largest ear buds for my Shure SE425s and to squash them up so they expand to create a really tight seal. The bass response is way better that way. I can also control my mix through an app on the phone, as there always seems to be some difference with the mix after soundcheck and I really like the slightly detached feel I get on stage as I can’t really hear the crowd, so I can control the adrenaline better! Many of my guitar playing friends still prefer a wedge and the power of the amp and I get that, as the guitar mix through the IEMs doesn’t have the same punch and tone. When you worked with U2 was Dave Lewis still teching with them? He’s an old friend of mine. All the best!
@@stevep1941 same here. I have a gen 1 FlyRig and it's fantastic. I use it mostly as my 'amp head' on a small (and portable) pedal board with a wah, trem, and verb going into an FRFR (Headrush 108) which I can line out to the mix if I have to. Sounds great, super portable, and reliable...no maintenance required. Ever. Cheap too! I've been an amp tech for years, but I'm out of the tube scene now. There's no reason or point anymore, and I'm getting too old for those big DC shocks..hehehe
If it sounds good I'll do it. I got used to IEM very quickly and I love them. If I get to choose it's two half-stacks and two 100w tube heads but if it sounds good I'll take it. I have a Boss GT-1000 that can do pretty much everything if I can't bring the stacks. I'd rather use a modeler for recording than real amps. Feedback effects are the only thing you really need amps for but who does that anymore. I do!
I agree completely with everything you say. When I finally switched to modellers it also happened when I would spend a significant amount of the gear setup time to find a place, I could put my amp, where it would not mess up the sound in front of the stage or the stage sound in general. On in-ears with the amp out of the way, I could never tell the differrence. My modeler setup (AxeFX III) is so much more convenient and much more powerful in terms of sounds than any amp and pedal board I ever owned.
If you're sitting in a room by yourself playing, a tube amp sounds better, more 3 dimensional. If you're playing to a loud crowd in a band mix you probably can't tell much difference. It's like drinking a fine wine at home or having a beer at a party while staying and talking. Different uses.
If you consider the amp as “just another effect” it makes total sense. Would anyone even attempt to bring a reverb cavern on stage when there is a digital box that can do it and it fits in a gig bag?
Hi John. I just wanted to thank you for introducing me the TrueFire. It has been a tremendous resource for learning and improving. Love the content you provide, I may not always agree with you on gear but it’s always good to listen to your thoughts. Cheers.
This isnt necessarily about modelers vs amps but John your playing is so inspiring to me. I’ve been wanting to give music a solid go for awhile now and it’s hard to not get discouraged from time to time. Listening to your videos and your playing always makes me want to pick up my guitar and play. So thank you and keep it up 👍🏻
I recently started doing a monthly 80’s show with a couple of more delay heavy U2 tunes in. I used the Dream ‘65 for the first couple and it’s the best tones I’ve gotten on the U2 tunes (including using amps, Helix etc). Am using ToneX and midi now, but that Dream 65 sounded incredible on those U2 tunes with modulated delays. Will say this too - the Dream 65 coming through a stage monitor feels like an amp to me.
Hey I've got a question; do you ever play gigs in bars? I recently bought the UA lion68 and I think it's absolutely awesome. I just played my first rehearsal with it and it sounded great, I would say even better, more present. We're gonna play a bar soon and I wonder if it's comfortable there too
@@glennjanssens8326 hey Glenn - I’ve used the Dream 65 only (will definitely try the Ruby and Lion at some point). I’ve either taken a small active speaker with it and pedals to smaller gigs, or for bigger club venues / theatres I’ve ran straight into the PA and they’ve sent me signal to a stage monitor. With the Dream I’d say it’s voiced fairly toppy for more vintage strats and telecasters etc, so I was turning down the treble a fair enough to get it where I liked it (I’ve owned and gigged an actual Deluxe Reverb a lot, so am going for that ballpark). With a Les Paul I didn’t have to touch the EQ on the Dream, was running fairly flat. Charlie Hunter uses one live and mostly runs it into whatever guitar amp is in a venue already (run plugs into the pedal, then runs it into the effects return of an amp - so you end up bypassing the sound of the amps own preamp, but using its speaker and power amp). Have tried this before and it sounded a lot better than when I just plugged my pedalboard into the venues amp. Hope that helps!
Make a fair point, I've noticed with my Boss multifx it adds back any missing magic taking an fx loop send and putting into a fx return of a small amp. It's useful for sanity check when choosing models as with a known speaker it's easier to gauge whether you like the amp model or just the IR.
The sound system engineering at the Sphere is mind boggling basically delivering hifi audio to individual seats. This approach makes perfect sense to me. I would think Signal to noise and sonic spectrum would be much easier to work with.
I have FM3, had just about every other modeler and have great tube amps. Of course in perfect circumstances tube amps sound the best. However, what doesn’t sound good is ground hum, noise and other hassles that come from amps on stage (eg stage volume, balance). You can get a better, cleaner sound with the right tool and we are lucky as now we have a choice of many wonderful, creative tools that help us capture that sound we chase in our heads. Real amps and continuing improvements in technology play nice together.
I saw their October 25th show. Perfect seats. The sound mix was among the best I ever heard. You could hear individual instruments well. However, the Edge's guitar sounded muddy. It seemed to be missing high end/chime/sparkle. Also the delays seemed almost coarse. For instance, if he had a song with a dotted eighth and a quarter note delay all you heard was a quarter note delay. Almost like he was simplifying parts. I had no idea he used modelers. Holy crap-if there ever was a gig where you could use real amps, this is it. They own this arena for 5 months or so. Park your amps there! To summarize, the Edge almost sounded like a caricature of his own sound. About me: super fan of the Edge. I spend great time and effort to emulate his sound. While I don't know all his secrets, I know many of them. His guitar sound was disappointing at best. Maybe I was expecting too much.
I'd echo this too. I've seen them live on every tour including the sphere and Edge's guitar tone seems to lack 'balls' in the last three or four tours.
Most of us that have been gear nuts nearly as long as The Edge tend to experiment with this and that. He’s integrated UAD into existing Fractal and other gear. This whole thing feels like a UAD marketing push to me. But hey, yay for competition. Cheers JC, all, Daniel
Hmm. I was speaking of UAD marketing, not anything going on with Edge or JC. A few pedals right now don’t really rock the boat relative to what Edge has been doing for half a century.
UA actually didn't know until there was a rumor flying around from a grainy picture of his rig at the Sphere. Edge bought the UA pedals himself UA didn't even know till after the fact.
The Fractal site has a thread on this. Amp pedals solved his Sphere needs. They don’t add anything to my workflow. Get the pedals; have fun. The war is not interesting to me. Cheers.
It's like this... The Edge is playing for his bank balance. Average Joe is playing for his ego. U2's audience want to hear the songs sound vaguely like the record and 99% can't tell the difference. The venue's happy, the audience is happy, U2 are happy. Average Joe's audience want to hear songs played reasonably well, 100% of the audience can tell when they get it wrong and don't give a sh*t about Average Joe's "tone". The venue is probably irritated, the audience is probably not that impressed, but at least Average Joe is happy. Only surprise is that with him being an FMIC board member, you'd have thought he'd use the new Fender modeller.
The Axe-FX are still there. "For various reasons at the Sphere I decided to switch from amplifiers to digital amp emulators. I'm using UA Ruby, Dream and Woodrow amp pedals with some Fractal Axe-Fx units handling additional amp emulation and FX. "
Heck Metallica has switched to Fractals as well. When I saw them in September I couldn’t tell the difference in a 70,000 seat stadium. I’ll always love my amps and won’t get rid of my Mesa Mark V. But I use the HX Stomp every weekend live and it works. The audience most certainly wouldn’t be able to tell. I can only tell in an isolated environment at home.
My amp wasn't with Sheila and Dave - but I did regularly play a venue (this was 10-15 years ago) where I put my Rivera R55-12 out in a corridor behind where the stage was, and only got my sound through the monitors. It actually sounded decent, and made everyone happier. I guess if you can replicate the sound you're after *without* the amp ... why not?!
I had the UA Ruby for a hot minute but returned it because the thing doesn't have XLR out. I didn't want to fuss with having to use a DI etc. I just wanted everything on the small board to send to the house. The TS cables were noisy and I couldn't handle it in my IEM.
I think your thoughts are right in many ways. What I find is people still saying “the crowd cant here the diffrence”. After gigging moddellers in many years, I have gone back to playing 2 boutique amps with analog pedals. Now I play so that I have a great experience for my self, and I think that translates to the ordiance as well. If anything else makes you happy, then you are happy and thats perfect.
I actually agree with this. Gear is for the musician, not the audience. They can’t tell the difference, less care. If having vintage gear makes you happier, more inspired and play better, that will lead to a better audience experience. There is no right or wrong here. I’m firmly in the modelling camp for convenience but I see both arguments.
I've been to shows where I could hear the amps directly from stage. It can make a difference for the audience as well, at least in the front row. I remember 20 years ago when bands started using the Line 6 amps or the pod. They mostly did this, because they could easily switch sounds and because it was so much easier to tour with this equipment. Often times bands had to stay within a certain budget for their tours. Ditching heavy and unreliable tube rigs can safe quite a lot money. Today it's becoming really convenient, because now it sounds good, too.
Excellent playing. I really enjoyed it. I have the Ruby and it sounds like an AC30.. I can't tell if it is a model or not. In the time where monitors are common even in the smallest clubs. Churches too.
Interesting. I also think it isn't surprising. The Edge has always been a tech fan and the convenience is always a thing for those acts and their crew. I also agree about the mic'd sound from an amp close to the cloth is similar to the modelers but the change is in the room and also when you get a couple of room mics in a recording situation, the amp just has more life and character than a modeler for me. Out of interest what sound and setup were you using fir the intro demo bit?
nah, this is the edge just getting older and prioritizing convenience and reliability over tone. just listening to the live sphere concerts and even the JT rehash tour... his sound has gone way downhill. totally loss of warmth.
I saw The Edge play the intro of "Streets have no name" with that setup on the David Letterman interview (that you can find on Disney Plus). It sounds great.
The UA pedals are really good. I agree that running IEMs with amps off stage makes it harder to tell if you're playing a real amp or a modeler. Depends on the modeler though. Pretty much every modeler in my experience has a sound. Kemper has a compression thing, QC is super hifi, these UA pedals are super honest in that they show the good, bad, and ugly of the real amps, and the helix just sounds.. least accurate imo.
The Sphere is in Las Vegas, and the Edge chose to go with UA for this particualr show due to the space limitations, and also electrical interference to to the complexity of the multimedia show at the Sphere - The building itself is one big LED screen. He has used smaller rigs, including FA units for smaller TV appearences, for years. Edge also had a lot of issues with his rig the fiist couple of weeks of the Spehere show. I just can't understand how he felt he couldn't dial in a convincing tone on the FA units, as all the Edge cover band guys and U2 copycats that have websites and groups dedicated to this stuff have been using FA units for years and have some pretty convincing tones.
I feel like the UA pedals can sort of be plugged into the existing vast rig in a way that the Fractal units can't - as they're already part of the monster rig? So I don't feel like they'd have even tried with the Fractal units, as agreed, I think the Fractal stuff is definitely on par (at least) with UA units?
Info @5:05 is pure gold. I would ad that no one can tell the difference on a blind test in a room between a real tube amp and a modeler (if the modeler is plugged into a power amp + cab). What's even more mind boggling to me, is the fact that small bands are still playing in small clubs using half stacks tube amps and legendary bands playing stadiums for years now using modelers. And this fact doesn't ring any bell to "wannabe" guitarists.
watch (listen) to "where the streets have no name" rattle and hum version vs. any of the latest sphere shows for the same tune. vintage vox vs computer box. night and day. stop with this "can't tell the difference on a blind test" nonsense.. if you can't tell, you're deaf.
@@kenichi407 have you ever participated in double blind test which was set up by someone else? Or, do you know what albums from well known artists that you've probably heard already, are recorded with modelers or plugins? Or ....do you know what bands are using modelers onstage today, for live shows that you probably attended already and you didn't even realize they are using them?
John I think of all the RUclips guitarists that do gear talk and more specifically modeling, you describe the real amp versus modeling difference better than anybody. I am not surprised the high end modelors are now becoming accepted by the "big pros".
Bryan Adams and Keith Scott also switched to Fractal Axe-FX for live use and they have been vintage amp users since the beginning. I honestly think it’s the way of the future. Tube amps are getting more and more expensive, tubes can be hard to find, they can break down, they are often too loud and heavy and units like the Iridium and UAFX have gotten so close that it’s kind of an easier decision to ditch the amps.
Let me correct you on your points: 1. Tube amps are getting more and more expensive. Yes. So are cars, and groceries, and clothes, and amusement parks and yes, are guitars and amps and effects of all types. 2. Tubes can be hard to find I have never not been able to re-tube an amp or have to wait to re-tube an amp because I couldn’t find tubes. And no, I don’t live next to a tube manufacturing plant. 3. They can break down Anything can break down. Tube amps are actually very reliable, and are relatively simple to repair, compared to some digital computer modeling gear. 4. They are often too loud and heavy They are ALWAYS too loud and heavy. That’s what earplugs and groupies are for. 5. Units like Iridium and UAFX have gotten so close A Corvette is getting close to Ferrari in performance. (Even surpassing Ferrari in some respects.) It’s still not a Ferrari. There are many alternatives to “the real thing” in just about everything in life now. Fake hamburgers. Blow up dolls. We’ve had “mock” apple pie for 100 years. I’ll eat fake burgers and apple pie and women and even drive a Corvette. But I’m not ditching my tube amps.
@@scottmoreau5630 I don’t think you upset anybody with your post. Most people probably agree with you. (Well, most of the people who watch Jonathan Cordy videos, anyway.) And although it’s mostly subjective, consider this: what big-name players forged their way to the top of the guitar world using modelers and little solid state preamps? Yes, maybe Bryan Adam’s is using Fractal now, but he’s already made his mark on the music world, and at this point in his career, gear choices are probably made with practicality as being the top consideration. If he were to go back into a recording studio, I’d bet tube amps would be miked up for the guitar sounds. I’m not tryna be a jag. I’m just a diehard tube amp guy, and I was tryna inject a little humor into the subject. It’s all good bro.
I also noticed this switch with Keith Scott, and was able to meet him for the first time this year! I've seen Bryan Adams many times and I thought the guitars sounded better than ever in the live show with the modelers this year.
The way I understand it (feel free to correct me) is that the UA pedals are NOT amp modlers. Yes they have digital modeling aspects such as the cab/microphone sims, but not so the amp section. This section is supposed to be an exact recreation of the original circuit with the tubes replaced by other analogue means. I use the Ruby as a replacement for my AC15 and I love it! I am one of those who refuses to use certain modlers (cough cough Helix) because the Vox simulation sucks balls... My buddy uses a Kemper on stage with me and his sounds are AMAZING! Yet, again, the way Kemper has been explained to me, is it really a digital modeling device or more of an audio snapshot device?
Good points about when the amp is not is the same room with the guitar. Not being on it as much, is this for all stuff he is doing or just for live? Thanks again.
I don’t care what the Edge is doing. To me my amps still sound/FEEL better (I have Iridium, HX Stomp, had Kemper, played UAs) even through IEMs. If you think differently I’m all for your “choice” to use whatever you want, but if I can control my tube amps (offstage, or below stage volume, or using Cabs - OxBox/SuhrIR) there’s no reason I shouldn’t lose my “choice” to play them. That’s where modeling frustrates me most, because it’s now common for audio guys to try to tell players what gear they can use. I think modeling sounds darn good, but don’t take my “choice” away to play what I want - not talking 100watt Marshalls, I’m ok with using amps silent or mic’d offstage.
With all the lights/screens/interference etc at the Sphere or any large venue, it absolutely makes sense to use modellers as many touring professionals have already stated. Not surprising at all. Seemingly Fractal has been chosen by Edge/Dallas too.
@@davedraws76For larger venues modelling amps/effects are simply more consistent and reliable than real amps which is why so many bands have switched. Some artists have amps for show but they are not actually in use during the gig. Many die hard tube amp users have had to switch to modellers for international tours due to ground/electrical interference problems causing venue and rig inconsistency issues eg Metallica are Fractal users now.
This a residency in a climate controlled environment. Their equipment is there for 5 months. Bring your 5 amps over and mic them. Don't phone it in with crappy amp modelers. I am sure they are each making more than a million per show. This isn't a wedding gig or lip syncing the Grammy awards. Give us the best.
@@ordinalkirkHave you seen the interviews with U2/Metallica and even Pinks guitarist about this subject. All these guitarists are tube amp enthusiasts but their amp rigs dont work properly for them for all the reasons they have already provided. Neil Young however probably will never give up his tube amps. Different needs for tours/venues etc. The Sphere must be a difficult work a progress for many reasons.
The one thing and one thing only that made me stop using valve amps was the weight. Knocking on as I am, getting the amp out of car was just getting harder and harder. Really grateful there are so many fantastically accurate modelling devices available at pretty reasonable prices, given the technology. I play in a tribute band and we use a silent stage setup which makes life so much easier for everyone.
Yep! Being able to take public transit or an Uber to a gig in a bigger city has changed everything for me. Love my tube amps but they stay home nowadays
I don’t care what anyone says, there’s something about a great amp that you don’t get with modellers. I’m a live engineer, a studio guy and have played guitar for over 30 years. I am rarely pleasantly surprised by modellers performance in a live setting. I am not afraid to tell bands that their guitars are hard to work with compared to their former rigs and they all admit it’s convenience that led them to switch. I honestly don’t many people seem have sophisticated ears to hear the difference but that isn’t enough a reason for me. Then you get into the aesthetics and how amps react in such a way that informs your playing. Those dynamic characteristics just aren’t present in modellers. Not yet anyways.
So John...what would say you lead tone is based in. It seems to matter not what amp/modeler you play, you tone is always the same. I run a Meas Mark V:25, but rarely use the drive channel. My NUX Cerberus supplies the lead/crunch tones well enough as they are based on the Angry Charlie and Morning Glory. Same was true when I had an Express 5:25 Express Plus and ran a JHS AT and a Tone City Dry Martini. Note, I am about to switch to the NUX Trident.
The thing that surprised me the most is that he actually feels "late to the party". From all the classic guitarists out there the Edge has always been the less purist as far as sounds go, and that rig rundown you mentioned was an example of how nightmarish the whole thing was at that point. Considering that it's hard to find a pure non effected sound in his arsenal, going digital seemed quite logical and almost necessary since tucking away amps and cabs essentially kills the "feel" aspect of it, and adding a ton of fx on top of anything just keeps adding to this. Honestly the only thing I understand from all this hype comes for UA rightfully touting it's technology, which is great. As for the gasping at how a classic guitarist left amps for sims in a live setting...I'll hold my breath for when someone like say Slash does it
Anyone against modelers should play one running through a mic pre or channel strip. It sounds like a record, ready to go. It's awesome and amazingly portable and inexpensive.
You have to understand mains electricity supply in the US. We don’t have perfect power supply even when a facility has been wired correctly. The UK, Western Europe, Australia and many other parts of the world hold utilities to higher standards than the US. My voltage fluctuates on a minute to minute basis and I’m in NYC. Lenny Kravitz gave up on recording in NY because he couldn’t deal with noise levels, dirty electric. So many players are using modelers or just DC powered rigs because of noise problems.
Loved your playing at the beginning. Very Eric Johnson vibes for me. I very curious about the UAFX Ruby. So far I’ve only seen positive reviews out there and with The Edge’s adoption it will lend even more credibility to the pedal.
You won't be surprised if you understand... Edge has always been open to new guitar tech. He plays massive venues and does not get the benefit of hearing his live amps. You will be surprised if you think... Edge is known for good town, how can he possibly switch to modelling? I thought amp models were bad and insuficient for pro use?
The Screaming Singing Legato Boy. JNC !!!! The Edge is he not the Father of the Modern Worship guitar style?? Most churches, larger ones have all gone that Silent Stage Route, so it is not surprising. The Gretsch Guitar almost Rules the worship scene too. I can see that Filtertron and Super Filtetron pickups are a between pickup, between single coil and Gibson style Humbucker. They give you like the best of both. I will never forget the night MTV debuted BB KING with U2, Love come to town.
John I like your plaing. Can you show how you play some standard, how your frasing fits the standard chord progressions, not only polychords. Just interesting, thanks
The Dream 65 is the first modeler ive been able to connect with. I have the Ruby 63 as well, but dont use it much. Ive got the Dream a month after it released and been using it since. I still find myself longing to play a real amp though. For recorded tones the Dream is awesome and love the direct option for my fairly big pedalboard, but theres something with a tube amp in a room that i miss. To my understanding and experience the amp in the room experience is more about depth or more 3d sound that comes apparent in the mid range versus a modeler or even micing a real amp and hearing it out of monitors. Theres something in the midrange that pops out at u. Idk how to explain it. thats what i miss when using modelers, but i still LOVE using the Dream 65 for a direct option. UA did a wonderful job with their amp modelers and i would definitely recommend them. I know a lot of people complain about the lack of midi and headphone out which I completely understand and are valid complaints in todays standards, but the point of these pedals are giving u a simple, authentic, vintage amp in a pedal format which UA nailed. And for people wishing for new releases, just remember the theme is vintage. The 55 Tweed Deluxe, 63 Vox AC30, 65 Deluxe Reverb, and now the Lion which is 3 vintage Marshall Plexi's. Staying within the Vintage theme i highly doubt they will come out with a high gain amp like a JCM800, Dual Rectifier, 5150, etc. maybe a Soldano SLO 100, but probably not.
I’d also imagine it takes a lot of precision to control the acoustics in front of a giant wall that curves in toward the audience, so removing as much acoustical information as possible (i.e. cabinets) could have a significant impact. Just a guess though.
Not surprised. Realistically he could do what he needs with one AxeFX. That old rig rundown looks like he was using the Bradshaw and just plugging in the new stuff he'd get to that. Metallica, Megadeth, Def Leppard and a bunch of others all do this.
I have several JMI AC30 amps and they all sound different from each other. I got the Ruby and it compares very well so I agree. I also like the Marshall 4-12 like tones from the Iridium.
Who could ever hate your playing, Cordy! If I recall correctly, Axe-FXs only introduced gapless patch changing recently. Maybe that has something to do with the multiple Axe-FXs?
I have a dream 65 hooked up to 2 studio monitors, Yamaha hs5. Is this a bad way to use this pedal? Should I have it hooked up to something else to maximize quality of sound?
I’ve heard that for best results they should be hooked up to an FR FR speaker (full range flat response I think it stands for). I think Laney, Headrush and Line 6 have their own line of them. But I’m just some jabroni on the internet so 🤷♂️
If you have a really good FOH engineer that you trust I think using these live is a no brainer. Unfortunately when you’re playing small clubs that have a revolving door of sound people I prefer being in control of my volume / tone myself with a real amp.
With a residency gig in Vegas, lots of artists just need a plug-and-play rig that's super reliable. Also, as you shared, the Edge has been running through modelers for years. At this point, removing an amp is indeed like a tree falling in the forest for the Edge. 🌭
Concernant The Edge, il me semble que son choix de ne plus utiliser d'ampli ne concerne que les concerts à la Sphère de Las Vegas afin d'avoir un son constant chaque soir en raison de la chaleur et de l'humidité de l'endroit qui pourraient mettre à mal n'importe quel ampli vieux de plusieurs décennies. De plus, la scène de la Sphère de par sa taille et sa forme n'est pas propice à l'utilisation de beaucoup de matériel même si les amplis de The Edge ne sont plus avec lui sur scène depuis plusieurs années maintenant mais relégués backstage avec son guitare tech Dallas Shoo. Mais bon, si The Edge a fait le choix désormais de ne plus utiliser d'ampli et si on a droit à un prochain album bien plus rock que les deux précédents, peu importe qu'il préfère désormais ces pédales Universal audio à ses ampli Vox ou Fender.
Well, when you think about the edges sound, I don’t really think it makes a difference for him, he’s always going for these you know, clean Twinkie sounds
Please let us know when you have your next dodgy bar gig! Personally, I think Edge (+ego) created a monster. I bet he's glad to get rid of all that junk.
Here's the backing track for anyone looking!
www.patreon.com/posts/bt-for-this-one-92742701?Link&
I have these three pedals. They’re awesome. So it sounds like I just need my own Sphere to play in and I’ll be good to go!
Vision Pro.
You just need some Holoplot speakers. 😊
Most importantly for his tone you also need the Blue Herdim pick and play it backwards as that is a big part of his overall sound.
There’s an old sphere down I35 near Waco. I think it’s abandoned.
@@guitarplayer1969Yep. That blue herdim pick is the secret sauce for that tone.
I wish more people realized that what they miss with modelers is the amp feel in the room moving air, not so much the “tone.” If you use in ears and have amps off stage it sounds so close that like 99% of people couldn’t tell…
100%. This is so often missed in conversations and shootout videos.
Agreed. Especially these modelers. They actually simulate shit at the same or maybe even better level than axe fx
I still prefer tube amps but I have toured before and modeling is just a lot more convenient, more reliable and less expensive.
I think for me it is hard for me to part with my twin because I have such a deep connection to it and I bought mine from the guy who composed the score to Justice League and Mad Max. lol
agree here, nothing wrong with liking real amps they’re awesome but the sound in the room argument is a bit gatekeepy of good tone
if you’re only playing for your own enjoyment you’ll probably like the amp in the room assuming you can actually do it. if you record modeling is massive
Ignorant question here but "moving the aor in the room" sounds like you need to be blasting serious volume. If just a home player will anyone ever get that level anyway
I chatted to Dallas under the stage at a U2 gig in Manchester Arena October 2018. He was a really lovely guy - we have a mutual friend. The setup was a bit mind-blowing down there to be honest. Like a secret military command centre 😊 Edge’s setup was soooo complex, Dallas was full-time selecting his sounds throughout the show. I saw that padded room with all the amps and some truly beautiful guitars. There was redundancy built-in also the Edge had some footswitches that were all duplicated under the stage and he had a little Fender combo mic’d at the back of the stage, I guess as the ultimate fail-safe? I don’t know. Anyway very cool, never seen anything like. All started with a guitar, a Vox and an echo pedal
Absolutely… Not only has Edge had his amps under the stage for years now, They’ve been using in-ears since the early 90s, they’re playing in a room that is affectively surround sound so if you add any extra directional sound, you start causing problems with phase coherency in the room. In fact I started using modelling live with in-ears in 2004/2005 because I’d been touring with my amps baffled off stage and one of the biggest comments I would get is “your guitar sounds so forward and punchy” it’s only years later I realised that it was because I didn’t have any phase cancellation between my amps on stage and the the PA system. Also I’ve never bought the whole “you get no interaction between guitar and amp” thing…because if you are on a big enough stage there is plenty of guitar coming through the pa to feed back onto itself…you just have to figure out where to stand on any given night to get your guitar to take off! 😊
I played with U2 for a few gigs 20 odd years ago. He was using Line 6 rack mounted amp sims back then. There was an AC30 on stage, but it was purely aesthetic. Dallas took me under the stage to where at least some of the magic happens, and lo and behold...not only was Dallas playing the extra guitar parts (as he had been doing since the 80s), he also had 2 foot controllers, one for him, the other for the Edge when he was out on the heart shaped gangway and couldn't change his FX. I played with a few big Arena acts back then and some of them were running Line 6 gear even then . Getting used to a stage with no backline and just relying on side fills and wedges, and IEMs of course, takes a bit of getting used to.
As an old gigging guitarist, I now use a Tech 21 Fly Rig 2 into a PA and use IEMs- I love the sound. I use a Roland Blues Cube Stage where I feel I need an amp. I haven't used valve amps for a few years now. I'm comfortable with this way of doing things.
Thanks for sharing that! I switched to IEMs a couple of years ago and am very happy with my sound now. I’m a keys player and can finally hear myself properly onstage. My tech recommended using the largest ear buds for my Shure SE425s and to squash them up so they expand to create a really tight seal. The bass response is way better that way. I can also control my mix through an app on the phone, as there always seems to be some difference with the mix after soundcheck and I really like the slightly detached feel I get on stage as I can’t really hear the crowd, so I can control the adrenaline better! Many of my guitar playing friends still prefer a wedge and the power of the amp and I get that, as the guitar mix through the IEMs doesn’t have the same punch and tone.
When you worked with U2 was Dave Lewis still teching with them? He’s an old friend of mine. All the best!
@@stevep1941 same here. I have a gen 1 FlyRig and it's fantastic. I use it mostly as my 'amp head' on a small (and portable) pedal board with a wah, trem, and verb going into an FRFR (Headrush 108) which I can line out to the mix if I have to. Sounds great, super portable, and reliable...no maintenance required. Ever. Cheap too! I've been an amp tech for years, but I'm out of the tube scene now. There's no reason or point anymore, and I'm getting too old for those big DC shocks..hehehe
If it sounds good I'll do it. I got used to IEM very quickly and I love them. If I get to choose it's two half-stacks and two 100w tube heads but if it sounds good I'll take it. I have a Boss GT-1000 that can do pretty much everything if I can't bring the stacks. I'd rather use a modeler for recording than real amps. Feedback effects are the only thing you really need amps for but who does that anymore. I do!
sorry, but you can't get some of his tones from a line 6. sorry, not possible. it was the old jmi ac30.
I agree completely with everything you say. When I finally switched to modellers it also happened when I would spend a significant amount of the gear setup time to find a place, I could put my amp, where it would not mess up the sound in front of the stage or the stage sound in general. On in-ears with the amp out of the way, I could never tell the differrence. My modeler setup (AxeFX III) is so much more convenient and much more powerful in terms of sounds than any amp and pedal board I ever owned.
Your guitar playing is incredible!!! You’re one of my favorites
If you're sitting in a room by yourself playing, a tube amp sounds better, more 3 dimensional. If you're playing to a loud crowd in a band mix you probably can't tell much difference. It's like drinking a fine wine at home or having a beer at a party while staying and talking. Different uses.
Nice to hear the Revstar John, great playing as always!
Very tasteful intro playing!!! Really enjoyed that. Good video.
If you consider the amp as “just another effect” it makes total sense. Would anyone even attempt to bring a reverb cavern on stage when there is a digital box that can do it and it fits in a gig bag?
Hi John. I just wanted to thank you for introducing me the TrueFire. It has been a tremendous resource for learning and improving. Love the content you provide, I may not always agree with you on gear but it’s always good to listen to your thoughts. Cheers.
This isnt necessarily about modelers vs amps but John your playing is so inspiring to me. I’ve been wanting to give music a solid go for awhile now and it’s hard to not get discouraged from time to time. Listening to your videos and your playing always makes me want to pick up my guitar and play. So thank you and keep it up 👍🏻
You can do it man.. Just keep at it, 👍🏾
@@cyberdidi thanks! I will 👍🏻
I recently started doing a monthly 80’s show with a couple of more delay heavy U2 tunes in. I used the Dream ‘65 for the first couple and it’s the best tones I’ve gotten on the U2 tunes (including using amps, Helix etc). Am using ToneX and midi now, but that Dream 65 sounded incredible on those U2 tunes with modulated delays.
Will say this too - the Dream 65 coming through a stage monitor feels like an amp to me.
Hey I've got a question; do you ever play gigs in bars? I recently bought the UA lion68 and I think it's absolutely awesome. I just played my first rehearsal with it and it sounded great, I would say even better, more present. We're gonna play a bar soon and I wonder if it's comfortable there too
@@glennjanssens8326 hey Glenn - I’ve used the Dream 65 only (will definitely try the Ruby and Lion at some point). I’ve either taken a small active speaker with it and pedals to smaller gigs, or for bigger club venues / theatres I’ve ran straight into the PA and they’ve sent me signal to a stage monitor.
With the Dream I’d say it’s voiced fairly toppy for more vintage strats and telecasters etc, so I was turning down the treble a fair enough to get it where I liked it (I’ve owned and gigged an actual Deluxe Reverb a lot, so am going for that ballpark). With a Les Paul I didn’t have to touch the EQ on the Dream, was running fairly flat.
Charlie Hunter uses one live and mostly runs it into whatever guitar amp is in a venue already (run plugs into the pedal, then runs it into the effects return of an amp - so you end up bypassing the sound of the amps own preamp, but using its speaker and power amp). Have tried this before and it sounded a lot better than when I just plugged my pedalboard into the venues amp.
Hope that helps!
Make a fair point, I've noticed with my Boss multifx it adds back any missing magic taking an fx loop send and putting into a fx return of a small amp. It's useful for sanity check when choosing models as with a known speaker it's easier to gauge whether you like the amp model or just the IR.
The sound system engineering at the Sphere is mind boggling basically delivering hifi audio to individual seats. This approach makes perfect sense to me. I would think Signal to noise and sonic spectrum would be much easier to work with.
I have FM3, had just about every other modeler and have great tube amps. Of course in perfect circumstances tube amps sound the best. However, what doesn’t sound good is ground hum, noise and other hassles that come from amps on stage (eg stage volume, balance). You can get a better, cleaner sound with the right tool and we are lucky as now we have a choice of many wonderful, creative tools that help us capture that sound we chase in our heads. Real amps and continuing improvements in technology play nice together.
I saw their October 25th show. Perfect seats. The sound mix was among the best I ever heard. You could hear individual instruments well. However, the Edge's guitar sounded muddy. It seemed to be missing high end/chime/sparkle. Also the delays seemed almost coarse. For instance, if he had a song with a dotted eighth and a quarter note delay all you heard was a quarter note delay. Almost like he was simplifying parts. I had no idea he used modelers. Holy crap-if there ever was a gig where you could use real amps, this is it. They own this arena for 5 months or so. Park your amps there! To summarize, the Edge almost sounded like a caricature of his own sound.
About me: super fan of the Edge. I spend great time and effort to emulate his sound. While I don't know all his secrets, I know many of them. His guitar sound was disappointing at best. Maybe I was expecting too much.
That's super interesting to hear from a fan who has been in amongst it!!
couldn't agree more. his tone has suffered in the past years.
I'd echo this too. I've seen them live on every tour including the sphere and Edge's guitar tone seems to lack 'balls' in the last three or four tours.
This doesn’t surprise me. How anyone thinks a few UAD pedals could replace the charm of those fender and vox amps is borderline insulting to me! 😂
Most of us that have been gear nuts nearly as long as The Edge tend to experiment with this and that. He’s integrated UAD into existing Fractal and other gear. This whole thing feels like a UAD marketing push to me. But hey, yay for competition. Cheers JC, all, Daniel
Yeah I dont buy for a second that the freaking Edge would go full on modeling
Did you see the pedals being tossed around this video? It’s just a commentary based on evidence provided by many. Things move forward.
Hmm. I was speaking of UAD marketing, not anything going on with Edge or JC. A few pedals right now don’t really rock the boat relative to what Edge has been doing for half a century.
UA actually didn't know until there was a rumor flying around from a grainy picture of his rig at the Sphere. Edge bought the UA pedals himself UA didn't even know till after the fact.
The Fractal site has a thread on this. Amp pedals solved his Sphere needs. They don’t add anything to my workflow. Get the pedals; have fun. The war is not interesting to me. Cheers.
Absolutely incredible opening !! and I don't care what equipment anyone uses as long as it sounds good.
It's like this... The Edge is playing for his bank balance. Average Joe is playing for his ego.
U2's audience want to hear the songs sound vaguely like the record and 99% can't tell the difference. The venue's happy, the audience is happy, U2 are happy.
Average Joe's audience want to hear songs played reasonably well, 100% of the audience can tell when they get it wrong and don't give a sh*t about Average Joe's "tone". The venue is probably irritated, the audience is probably not that impressed, but at least Average Joe is happy.
Only surprise is that with him being an FMIC board member, you'd have thought he'd use the new Fender modeller.
The Axe-FX are still there.
"For various reasons at the Sphere I decided to switch from amplifiers to digital amp emulators. I'm using UA Ruby, Dream and Woodrow amp pedals with some Fractal Axe-Fx units handling additional amp emulation and FX. "
"If you hate my playing " cmon man, I'm here mostly for the playing 🤟
Heck Metallica has switched to Fractals as well. When I saw them in September I couldn’t tell the difference in a 70,000 seat stadium. I’ll always love my amps and won’t get rid of my Mesa Mark V. But I use the HX Stomp every weekend live and it works. The audience most certainly wouldn’t be able to tell. I can only tell in an isolated environment at home.
My amp wasn't with Sheila and Dave - but I did regularly play a venue (this was 10-15 years ago) where I put my Rivera R55-12 out in a corridor behind where the stage was, and only got my sound through the monitors. It actually sounded decent, and made everyone happier. I guess if you can replicate the sound you're after *without* the amp ... why not?!
I had the UA Ruby for a hot minute but returned it because the thing doesn't have XLR out. I didn't want to fuss with having to use a DI etc. I just wanted everything on the small board to send to the house. The TS cables were noisy and I couldn't handle it in my IEM.
I think your thoughts are right in many ways. What I find is people still saying “the crowd cant here the diffrence”. After gigging moddellers in many years, I have gone back to playing 2 boutique amps with analog pedals. Now I play so that I have a great experience for my self, and I think that translates to the ordiance as well.
If anything else makes you happy, then you are happy and thats perfect.
I actually agree with this. Gear is for the musician, not the audience. They can’t tell the difference, less care. If having vintage gear makes you happier, more inspired and play better, that will lead to a better audience experience. There is no right or wrong here. I’m firmly in the modelling camp for convenience but I see both arguments.
I've been to shows where I could hear the amps directly from stage. It can make a difference for the audience as well, at least in the front row.
I remember 20 years ago when bands started using the Line 6 amps or the pod. They mostly did this, because they could easily switch sounds and because it was so much easier to tour with this equipment. Often times bands had to stay within a certain budget for their tours. Ditching heavy and unreliable tube rigs can safe quite a lot money. Today it's becoming really convenient, because now it sounds good, too.
Excellent playing. I really enjoyed it. I have the Ruby and it sounds like an AC30.. I can't tell if it is a model or not. In the time where monitors are common even in the smallest clubs. Churches too.
I am here for…”if a tree falls in a forest, does it hit a sausage” 😂
Wonderful playing and really informative video. Many thanks!
Interesting. I also think it isn't surprising. The Edge has always been a tech fan and the convenience is always a thing for those acts and their crew. I also agree about the mic'd sound from an amp close to the cloth is similar to the modelers but the change is in the room and also when you get a couple of room mics in a recording situation, the amp just has more life and character than a modeler for me. Out of interest what sound and setup were you using fir the intro demo bit?
nah, this is the edge just getting older and prioritizing convenience and reliability over tone. just listening to the live sphere concerts and even the JT rehash tour... his sound has gone way downhill. totally loss of warmth.
Love your playing!!
Great intro tune! Love your melodic playing. This is the vibe I aspire to!
Hi! I totally agree with you, no surprise at all
Beautiful playing in the beginning. Any idea what scale it's loosely based on?
U2 are still going?
I saw The Edge play the intro of "Streets have no name" with that setup on the David Letterman interview (that you can find on Disney Plus). It sounds great.
Great playing, John!!
The UA pedals are really good. I agree that running IEMs with amps off stage makes it harder to tell if you're playing a real amp or a modeler. Depends on the modeler though. Pretty much every modeler in my experience has a sound. Kemper has a compression thing, QC is super hifi, these UA pedals are super honest in that they show the good, bad, and ugly of the real amps, and the helix just sounds.. least accurate imo.
The Sphere is in Las Vegas, and the Edge chose to go with UA for this particualr show due to the space limitations, and also electrical interference to to the complexity of the multimedia show at the Sphere - The building itself is one big LED screen. He has used smaller rigs, including FA units for smaller TV appearences, for years. Edge also had a lot of issues with his rig the fiist couple of weeks of the Spehere show. I just can't understand how he felt he couldn't dial in a convincing tone on the FA units, as all the Edge cover band guys and U2 copycats that have websites and groups dedicated to this stuff have been using FA units for years and have some pretty convincing tones.
I feel like the UA pedals can sort of be plugged into the existing vast rig in a way that the Fractal units can't - as they're already part of the monster rig? So I don't feel like they'd have even tried with the Fractal units, as agreed, I think the Fractal stuff is definitely on par (at least) with UA units?
Info @5:05 is pure gold.
I would ad that no one can tell the difference on a blind test in a room between a real tube amp and a modeler (if the modeler is plugged into a power amp + cab).
What's even more mind boggling to me, is the fact that small bands are still playing in small clubs using half stacks tube amps and legendary bands playing
stadiums for years now using modelers.
And this fact doesn't ring any bell to "wannabe" guitarists.
watch (listen) to "where the streets have no name" rattle and hum version vs. any of the latest sphere shows for the same tune. vintage vox vs computer box. night and day. stop with this "can't tell the difference on a blind test" nonsense.. if you can't tell, you're deaf.
@@kenichi407 have you ever participated in double blind test which was set up by someone else? Or, do you know what albums from well known artists that you've probably heard already, are recorded with modelers or plugins?
Or ....do you know what bands are using modelers onstage today, for live shows that you probably attended already and you didn't even realize they are using them?
The wind fan industry will have a new boom with all these modellers... because "moving air" is the thing that's missing.
John I think of all the RUclips guitarists that do gear talk and more specifically modeling, you describe the real amp versus modeling difference better than anybody. I am not surprised the high end modelors are now becoming accepted by the "big pros".
Bryan Adams and Keith Scott also switched to Fractal Axe-FX for live use and they have been vintage amp users since the beginning. I honestly think it’s the way of the future. Tube amps are getting more and more expensive, tubes can be hard to find, they can break down, they are often too loud and heavy and units like the Iridium and UAFX have gotten so close that it’s kind of an easier decision to ditch the amps.
Let me correct you on your points:
1. Tube amps are getting more and more expensive.
Yes. So are cars, and groceries, and clothes, and amusement parks and yes, are guitars and amps and effects of all types.
2. Tubes can be hard to find
I have never not been able to re-tube an amp or have to wait to re-tube an amp because I couldn’t find tubes. And no, I don’t live next to a tube manufacturing plant.
3. They can break down
Anything can break down. Tube amps are actually very reliable, and are relatively simple to repair, compared to some digital computer modeling gear.
4. They are often too loud and heavy
They are ALWAYS too loud and heavy. That’s what earplugs and groupies are for.
5. Units like Iridium and UAFX have gotten so close
A Corvette is getting close to Ferrari in performance. (Even surpassing Ferrari in some respects.) It’s still not a Ferrari.
There are many alternatives to “the real thing” in just about everything in life now. Fake hamburgers. Blow up dolls. We’ve had “mock” apple pie for 100 years.
I’ll eat fake burgers and apple pie and women and even drive a Corvette.
But I’m not ditching my tube amps.
@@zenlandzipline My post wasn’t meant to upset people. It’s also all subjective. My points are all still valid whether you like them or not.
@@scottmoreau5630 I don’t think you upset anybody with your post. Most people probably agree with you. (Well, most of the people who watch Jonathan Cordy videos, anyway.) And although it’s mostly subjective, consider this: what big-name players forged their way to the top of the guitar world using modelers and little solid state preamps? Yes, maybe Bryan Adam’s is using Fractal now, but he’s already made his mark on the music world, and at this point in his career, gear choices are probably made with practicality as being the top consideration. If he were to go back into a recording studio, I’d bet tube amps would be miked up for the guitar sounds.
I’m not tryna be a jag. I’m just a diehard tube amp guy, and I was tryna inject a little humor into the subject.
It’s all good bro.
I also noticed this switch with Keith Scott, and was able to meet him for the first time this year! I've seen Bryan Adams many times and I thought the guitars sounded better than ever in the live show with the modelers this year.
I didn’t know this about the Edge.
Btw the using windows comments made me smile
Your guitar style is good. Very good.👍
Well off topic here but where did you get that hoodie from? 👀
Great to see you on the Revstar II The P90s on these are magnificent!
The way I understand it (feel free to correct me) is that the UA pedals are NOT amp modlers. Yes they have digital modeling aspects such as the cab/microphone sims, but not so the amp section. This section is supposed to be an exact recreation of the original circuit with the tubes replaced by other analogue means. I use the Ruby as a replacement for my AC15 and I love it! I am one of those who refuses to use certain modlers (cough cough Helix) because the Vox simulation sucks balls... My buddy uses a Kemper on stage with me and his sounds are AMAZING! Yet, again, the way Kemper has been explained to me, is it really a digital modeling device or more of an audio snapshot device?
good for him....not me... play whatever inspires you...I can't believe we made music in the 70's without all this tech...play on!
Good points about when the amp is not is the same room with the guitar. Not being on it as much, is this for all stuff he is doing or just for live? Thanks again.
My buddy is a tech for Eric Johnson and he said for Europe he is using a quad cortex, when someone like him is adopting it says a lot.
I don’t care what the Edge is doing. To me my amps still sound/FEEL better (I have Iridium, HX Stomp, had Kemper, played UAs) even through IEMs. If you think differently I’m all for your “choice” to use whatever you want, but if I can control my tube amps (offstage, or below stage volume, or using Cabs - OxBox/SuhrIR) there’s no reason I shouldn’t lose my “choice” to play them. That’s where modeling frustrates me most, because it’s now common for audio guys to try to tell players what gear they can use. I think modeling sounds darn good, but don’t take my “choice” away to play what I want - not talking 100watt Marshalls, I’m ok with using amps silent or mic’d offstage.
great video.... im very interested (of all thing) about where you got your hoodie! its ace! 😅
With all the lights/screens/interference etc at the Sphere or any large venue, it absolutely makes sense to use modellers as many touring professionals have already stated. Not surprising at all. Seemingly Fractal has been chosen by Edge/Dallas too.
What’s the logic here? I’m trying to understand. Lights, monitors = amp modelers. Why?
@@davedraws76For larger venues modelling amps/effects are simply more consistent and reliable than real amps which is why so many bands have switched. Some artists have amps for show but they are not actually in use during the gig. Many die hard tube amp users have had to switch to modellers for international tours due to ground/electrical interference problems causing venue and rig inconsistency issues eg Metallica are Fractal users now.
This a residency in a climate controlled environment. Their equipment is there for 5 months. Bring your 5 amps over and mic them. Don't phone it in with crappy amp modelers. I am sure they are each making more than a million per show. This isn't a wedding gig or lip syncing the Grammy awards. Give us the best.
@@davedraws76Totally agree. Not logical at all.
@@ordinalkirkHave you seen the interviews with U2/Metallica and even Pinks guitarist about this subject. All these guitarists are tube amp enthusiasts but their amp rigs dont work properly for them for all the reasons they have already provided. Neil Young however probably will never give up his tube amps. Different needs for tours/venues etc. The Sphere must be a difficult work a progress for many reasons.
The one thing and one thing only that made me stop using valve amps was the weight. Knocking on as I am, getting the amp out of car was just getting harder and harder.
Really grateful there are so many fantastically accurate modelling devices available at pretty reasonable prices, given the technology. I play in a tribute band and we use a silent stage setup which makes life so much easier for everyone.
Yep! Being able to take public transit or an Uber to a gig in a bigger city has changed everything for me. Love my tube amps but they stay home nowadays
Fair play Sheila and Dave.
I don’t care what anyone says, there’s something about a great amp that you don’t get with modellers. I’m a live engineer, a studio guy and have played guitar for over 30 years. I am rarely pleasantly surprised by modellers performance in a live setting. I am not afraid to tell bands that their guitars are hard to work with compared to their former rigs and they all admit it’s convenience that led them to switch.
I honestly don’t many people seem have sophisticated ears to hear the difference but that isn’t enough a reason for me.
Then you get into the aesthetics and how amps react in such a way that informs your playing. Those dynamic characteristics just aren’t present in modellers. Not yet anyways.
So John...what would say you lead tone is based in. It seems to matter not what amp/modeler you play, you tone is always the same. I run a Meas Mark V:25, but rarely use the drive channel. My NUX Cerberus supplies the lead/crunch tones well enough as they are based on the Angry Charlie and Morning Glory. Same was true when I had an Express 5:25 Express Plus and ran a JHS AT and a Tone City Dry Martini. Note, I am about to switch to the NUX Trident.
The thing that surprised me the most is that he actually feels "late to the party". From all the classic guitarists out there the Edge has always been the less purist as far as sounds go, and that rig rundown you mentioned was an example of how nightmarish the whole thing was at that point. Considering that it's hard to find a pure non effected sound in his arsenal, going digital seemed quite logical and almost necessary since tucking away amps and cabs essentially kills the "feel" aspect of it, and adding a ton of fx on top of anything just keeps adding to this. Honestly the only thing I understand from all this hype comes for UA rightfully touting it's technology, which is great. As for the gasping at how a classic guitarist left amps for sims in a live setting...I'll hold my breath for when someone like say Slash does it
Anyone against modelers should play one running through a mic pre or channel strip. It sounds like a record, ready to go. It's awesome and amazingly portable and inexpensive.
Great video!
This news gives me the confidence to pull the trigger on one of these, just need to pick which one.
You have to understand mains electricity supply in the US. We don’t have perfect power supply even when a facility has been wired correctly. The UK, Western Europe, Australia and many other parts of the world hold utilities to higher standards than the US. My voltage fluctuates on a minute to minute basis and I’m in NYC. Lenny Kravitz gave up on recording in NY because he couldn’t deal with noise levels, dirty electric. So many players are using modelers or just DC powered rigs because of noise problems.
Loved your playing at the beginning. Very Eric Johnson vibes for me. I very curious about the UAFX Ruby. So far I’ve only seen positive reviews out there and with The Edge’s adoption it will lend even more credibility to the pedal.
You won't be surprised if you understand...
Edge has always been open to new guitar tech. He plays massive venues and does not get the benefit of hearing his live amps.
You will be surprised if you think...
Edge is known for good town, how can he possibly switch to modelling? I thought amp models were bad and insuficient for pro use?
The Screaming Singing Legato Boy. JNC !!!! The Edge is he not the Father of the Modern Worship guitar style?? Most churches, larger ones have all gone that Silent Stage Route, so it is not surprising. The Gretsch Guitar almost Rules the worship scene too. I can see that Filtertron and Super Filtetron pickups are a between pickup, between single coil and Gibson style Humbucker. They give you like the best of both. I will never forget the night MTV debuted BB KING with U2, Love come to town.
I support minimalist lean setups that sound the same as massive rigs. The Edge, or anyone, will always sound like themselves anyway.
John I like your plaing. Can you show how you play some standard, how your frasing fits the standard chord progressions, not only polychords. Just interesting, thanks
The Dream 65 is the first modeler ive been able to connect with. I have the Ruby 63 as well, but dont use it much. Ive got the Dream a month after it released and been using it since. I still find myself longing to play a real amp though. For recorded tones the Dream is awesome and love the direct option for my fairly big pedalboard, but theres something with a tube amp in a room that i miss. To my understanding and experience the amp in the room experience is more about depth or more 3d sound that comes apparent in the mid range versus a modeler or even micing a real amp and hearing it out of monitors. Theres something in the midrange that pops out at u. Idk how to explain it. thats what i miss when using modelers, but i still LOVE using the Dream 65 for a direct option. UA did a wonderful job with their amp modelers and i would definitely recommend them. I know a lot of people complain about the lack of midi and headphone out which I completely understand and are valid complaints in todays standards, but the point of these pedals are giving u a simple, authentic, vintage amp in a pedal format which UA nailed. And for people wishing for new releases, just remember the theme is vintage. The 55 Tweed Deluxe, 63 Vox AC30, 65 Deluxe Reverb, and now the Lion which is 3 vintage Marshall Plexi's. Staying within the Vintage theme i highly doubt they will come out with a high gain amp like a JCM800, Dual Rectifier, 5150, etc. maybe a Soldano SLO 100, but probably not.
It's not surprising when any touring act switches from amps to modelers.
He’s on record saying it’s not even close to the real thing, but good enough in certain situations.
I’d also imagine it takes a lot of precision to control the acoustics in front of a giant wall that curves in toward the audience, so removing as much acoustical information as possible (i.e. cabinets) could have a significant impact. Just a guess though.
Absolutely awesome
Will they ever give us a uad all in one floorboard?
Not surprised. Realistically he could do what he needs with one AxeFX. That old rig rundown looks like he was using the Bradshaw and just plugging in the new stuff he'd get to that. Metallica, Megadeth, Def Leppard and a bunch of others all do this.
Sheesh, this rig it is for a specific gig. Whether Edge uses it beyond the Vegas residency remains to be seen.
I have several JMI AC30 amps and they all sound different from each other. I got the Ruby and it compares very well so I agree. I also like the Marshall 4-12 like tones from the Iridium.
Who could ever hate your playing, Cordy!
If I recall correctly, Axe-FXs only introduced gapless patch changing recently. Maybe that has something to do with the multiple Axe-FXs?
Not surprised at all. I don't know why it took him so long to go all digital. I'm sure it sounds awesome!
I have a dream 65 hooked up to 2 studio monitors, Yamaha hs5. Is this a bad way to use this pedal? Should I have it hooked up to something else to maximize quality of sound?
I’ve heard that for best results they should be hooked up to an FR FR speaker (full range flat response I think it stands for). I think Laney, Headrush and Line 6 have their own line of them. But I’m just some jabroni on the internet so 🤷♂️
@@snooootch really appreciate the comment!
If you have a really good FOH engineer that you trust I think using these live is a no brainer. Unfortunately when you’re playing small clubs that have a revolving door of sound people I prefer being in control of my volume / tone myself with a real amp.
With a residency gig in Vegas, lots of artists just need a plug-and-play rig that's super reliable. Also, as you shared, the Edge has been running through modelers for years. At this point, removing an amp is indeed like a tree falling in the forest for the Edge. 🌭
Concernant The Edge, il me semble que son choix de ne plus utiliser d'ampli ne concerne que les concerts à la Sphère de Las Vegas afin d'avoir un son constant chaque soir en raison de la chaleur et de l'humidité de l'endroit qui pourraient mettre à mal n'importe quel ampli vieux de plusieurs décennies. De plus, la scène de la Sphère de par sa taille et sa forme n'est pas propice à l'utilisation de beaucoup de matériel même si les amplis de The Edge ne sont plus avec lui sur scène depuis plusieurs années maintenant mais relégués backstage avec son guitare tech Dallas Shoo. Mais bon, si The Edge a fait le choix désormais de ne plus utiliser d'ampli et si on a droit à un prochain album bien plus rock que les deux précédents, peu importe qu'il préfère désormais ces pédales Universal audio à ses ampli Vox ou Fender.
Sheila and Dave in the toilet getting groovy to the amp experience!
Someone should take an empty 4x12 and install 4 fans, and you put it behind you while you play your Helix, 😂
Pushed air 🎉
“Behemoth” - nice.
I’ve been all for modeling since the Line 6 POD XT came out. Since then using amps didn’t make sense
If a tree falls in the forest does it hit a sausage. That definitely made me chuckle 😂
What's the edge?
Makes sense!
I did wonder why he didn’t have amps when I saw them at the sphere
Edge has had his amp line below the stage for years, so you might not have seen them either way. Look up the rig rundown @johnnathancordy mentions.
Well, when you think about the edges sound, I don’t really think it makes a difference for him, he’s always going for these you know, clean Twinkie sounds
More AC30's in the wild in case Brian May needs em! Lol
I’m surprised that he has 4 x axe fx iii’s and doesn’t use them for modelling…
so still runs two 6 foot racks but switched to these pedals for his amp sims? makes perfect sense.
you're right !
Please let us know when you have your next dodgy bar gig! Personally, I think Edge (+ego) created a monster. I bet he's glad to get rid of all that junk.
Man, what if you play the bar gig or wedding gig, you and your band uses in-ears.
Amp or UA modelers?