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Post subject: The future of analog amps
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 10:41 am
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Today, I found out two pieces of news that disturbed me a little:

Marshall has released a digital Plexi amp simulation plugin.

Orange has released a stomp box with digital PPC412 cab simulation.

I thought those two companies would never go the emu route.
Is this the beginning of the end for analog amps?


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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 11:31 am
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There are customers for both .


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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 11:48 am
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stratele52 wrote:
There are customers for both .

Right now, there are, for certain.
But when companies like the Marshall and Orange step into the digital emulation waters, it feels a bit like when BMW released front wheel drive cars with electric steering - foreboding about the future.

I hope there will still be more than a niche market for the real deal, and that future players won't have to mortgage their house to get a real amp because everybody have gone digital emulation and no-one makes them anymore.


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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 2:18 pm
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arth1 wrote:
it feels a bit like when BMW released front wheel drive cars with electric steering - foreboding about the future.

OT: That's only the 2 series van. I think it's safe to say that the percentage of van drivers who would appreciate rear wheel drive is pretty slim.

Quote:
future players won't have to mortgage their house to get a real amp because everybody have gone digital emulation and no-one makes them anymore.

Worst case we'll have to build them ourselves from DIY kits.


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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 2:29 pm
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ChrisH1 wrote:
Worst case we'll have to build them ourselves from DIY kits.


Time to warm up the soldering station and have my Simpson 260 calibrated.

:wink:

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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 5:26 am
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It will always have tubes clone or boutique amps available.


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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 12:30 pm
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stratele52 wrote:
It will always have tubes clone or boutique amps available.


+1

Even a properly maintained vintage amplifier will outlive anyone from the next generation.


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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 2:56 pm
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Every time someone starts nailing the coffin shut on tube amps, a whole new slew come forward and gain acceptance, accolades and acclaim.

I've seen the "Death" of tube amps proclaimed at least four times in the 25+ years I've been playing...and there are still major market manufacturers (Fender, Vox, Marshall, etc.) and boutique makers bringing out new amps for every price and power level.

...and I'm still using a 23-year-old amp based on a 52-year-old design (a 1992 Fender '63 reissue Vibroverb).

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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 5:42 pm
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ChrisH1 wrote:
Worst case we'll have to build them ourselves from DIY kits.


I'd consider this a best case scenario considering the current state of affairs. :shock:

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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 7:02 pm
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Screamin Armadillo wrote:
I've seen the "Death" of tube amps proclaimed at least four times in the 25+ years I've been playing...and there are still major market manufacturers (Fender, Vox, Marshall, etc.) and boutique makers bringing out new amps for every price and power level.


INDEED!

I'll be a tube junkie until the day my wife utters a few appropriate words and tosses a handful of dirt on my casket.

:wink:

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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 7:15 pm
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As long as people keep buying tubes and tube amps, someone will manufacture them. I remember when the first solid state amps became popular back in the day (some 50 years ago or so) the same kind of fear hit the tube amp lovers back then, so far the only thing that happened to tube amps since then is they got even better and more popular in many cases.

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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 7:21 pm
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desertbluesman wrote:
As long as people keep buying tubes and tube amps, someone will manufacture them. I remember when the first solid state amps became popular back in the day (some 50 years ago or so) the same kind of fear hit the tube amp lovers back then, so far the only thing that happened to tube amps since then is they got even better and more popular in many cases.


Exactly! No beef against SS amps either but, many of us love our tube amps.


Last edited by JACSTRAT on Sat May 16, 2015 12:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 7:42 pm
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JACSTRAT wrote:
desertbluesman wrote:
As long as people keep buying tubes and tube amps, someone will manufacture them. I remember when the first solid state amps became popular back in the day (some 50 years ago or so) the same kind of fear hit the tube amp lovers back then, so far the only thing that happened to tube amps since then is they got even better and more popular in many cases.
b

Exactly! No beef against SS amps either but, many of us love over tube amps.


I only use tube amps, but I have had solid state and hybrid amps. The best of the SS amps I had (and just sold) was a Gallien Kruegar ML250 Micro lead. It was as close as a SS amp could get to a good tube tone (as far as my experience goes, I have not played them all)

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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 11:09 pm
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Screamin Armadillo wrote:
...and I'm still using a 23-year-old amp based on a 52-year-old design (a 1992 Fender '63 reissue Vibroverb).


With 110-year-old technology inside. :lol:

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Post subject: Re: The future of analog amps
Posted: Sat Apr 18, 2015 8:39 am
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shimmilou wrote:
Screamin Armadillo wrote:
...and I'm still using a 23-year-old amp based on a 52-year-old design (a 1992 Fender '63 reissue Vibroverb).


With 110-year-old technology inside. :lol:


I still play an instrument using strings - that's old tech! And I still drive on round wheels on an axle.

Sometimes technologies survive, especially if fundamental enough. And sometimes they become extinct or nearly so. Sometimes replaced with something better, and sometimes something worse.

For music, the progress has not always been improvements quality-wise. Convenience often wins over quality.
Are MP3s an improvement over vinyl?
Is a reverb pedal an improvement over playing in a stone cathedral?
Is loudness compression an improvement over hitting the strings/drum harder?
Is Antares Autotune an improvement over practicing to hit the notes?
Convenience wins.

Even things like twelve-tone equal temperament which most use today is a thing of convenience, trading being on key for being able to transpose. But a 5:4 third still sounds far better than the 1.259921:1 equal temperament ratio.

Yeah, digital cab modelling is probably the future, unless the whole amped guitar sound goes the way of harpsichords. But I don't have to like it, or the speed at which it is arriving, or how my old champions are now embracing it.
I guess I'm an old fogey.


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