Amp+Cab in a peddle! who be win, who be lose, we find out

[PeterBregman]

any comment on what's happening here?

I've never run into that. It is an analog unit, so gain-staging applies (as with all analog devices). Sounds like he need to turn the output of his reverb down

As far as it not being "chewy" enough, not sure what to say. I'm definitely not going for the kind of hyper-modern digital-sounding clean tones he seems to dig, so it might just come down to taste.

[manymanyhaha]

Been using Iridiums in place of tube amps for the last year or thereabouts and have been happy with them. Make for good pedal platforms.

For a little bit, I replaced the Iridiums with various vst amp sims (neural, amplitube) and I think I like the Iridiums better.

[Woolworm]

I was thinking of buying the Simplifier but do I need a preamp when recording in Hi-Z when the interface is also a preamp? Wouldn't that muddy it the way it does having a preamp going into an amp's preamp (i.e. the front end and not the fx loop)? Has anyone tried a guitar preamp used for microphones as well? Maybe for vocals or recording an amp.

Ofcourse live it is a godsend and would be a lot cheaper than buying an amp head.

[Warpsmasher]

I like to have a few channels/devices on hand for this because modular, so I've added a Mooer Radar. It's really good for low gain amp simming, haven't really tried much dirt stacking or amp tweaking, but it takes fuzz and overdrive pedals very well. Also use my Digitech Grunge mixer out for just cab sometimes, and RP360 for the really nice selection of amp and cab sims.

[Gone Fission]

Don't know how the preamp reacts to pedals tbh, but regarding the cab Sim part somebody here had the Shift Line cabzone and was super happy with it.
I think it was JonnyAngle probably

Definitely Jonny. And I’ve got one, too, thanks to him. IR loader with headphone out, very handy to plug a pedalboard into for silent practice. Some of the stock IRs capture a tube power section along with the speakers, others having been captured with a flat solid state power amp. Add a preamp-sounding pedal (Mini, Xotic SL Drive) and it will pass pretty well for an amp. I’ve skipped on that part and it doesn’t do bad for general fuzz and effects play.

[Warpsmasher]

I really liked the Tech 21 Tri-OD too. Don't know how much it differs from a regular sansamp, but it was really easy to dial in and sounded good direct, and going through big stereo delays and reverbs.
AMT pedals are nice, I had the E1 and California Sound. Both were fine at what they did and were nice and amp-like at good volumes, but at the end of the day, if it can't do a decent bassman I'm not gonna care about it that much.

[weebles]

I’ve got the iridium and it sounds really nice for most of what I like to do. I will say that the headphones-out can sometimes sound a little compressed and squishy when running certain effects like an echo dream. There’s going to be some artifacts missing compared to an amp.

I’ve also put a volume pedal right before the iridium when running headphones because it can mess with my tinnitus fairly easily.

Running direct out to monitors/input software is where it really shines IMO.

[MaxMaps]

https://tbsc.bandcamp.com/track/ms70cdr-test

Here is a scratch track of an idea I am working on - This was recorded directly from my Darkglass Element.

Signal Chain is ATM

TU3 - Seymour Duncan Bass Comp - MBD2 - Bitquest - Disaster Transport - MS70CDR - RC1 - Element

[le lambin]

Finally something I am qualified to comment on!

I have been using all sorts of direct guitar solutions for years in some attempt to make a silent rig for practicing/playing at home, since my walls are paper thin and I can’t turn any amp past 1/2 in this place.

I also like looping with drum machines/iPad apps and a guitar, so it’s been this journey to find a way to play all of these things silently together.

A year ago I got the Iridium and using it to go into an audio interface along with a drum machine and iPad, it’s pretty great.

The only thing that is really different or missing from a real amp is feedback; what I mean is not just the guitar feed backing from interacting with the amp, but the way pedals behave.

Examples: modulation effects usually need to have more depth and feedback to sound as intense when playing direct. Delays can have more repeats before oscillating. Filters and odd ducks like the zvex machine can be cranked to be more intense than you would probably do into a real amp.

Some people probably don’t like this, but I love it. I feel like I can push pedals harder or otherwise go further down rabbit holes than with an amp that will emphasize weird frequencies or fart out or other such undesirable amp behaviors.

I also like the simplicity of its user interface, and I think it’s vox model is the bees knees with humbuckers.

[vidret]

Finally something I am qualified to comment on!

Some people probably don’t like this, but I love it. I feel like I can push pedals harder or otherwise go further down rabbit holes than with an amp that will emphasize weird frequencies or fart out or other such undesirable amp behaviors.

sounds like a lot of peoples prefer the iridium. I saw that the simplifier didn't have a room emulation like some of the others, so iridium might be the one, even though i'd prefer to avoid strymon

welcome to ilovesynthesizersandsometimesweplaywithdirtpedalsandfuzz!

[coldbrightsunlight]

heck of a first post. welcome

[le lambin]

Thanks guyzzzzz

[breakdown]

Would the Mooer Radar have any place in this battle?

[coldbrightsunlight]

Hadn't heard of that but looks like maybe! I guess vidret would still want a preamp in front of it but I say

ADD IT TO YE LIST

[vidret]

I’m a sizeist, no room for mooer here.

On the real, it looks to have a bunch of features but it doesn’t feel like it’s in the same category.
Have you used it?