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

[JTurbide]

I would have added the quilter interblock to the discussion but if you really want to go direct, it is not the best. Sounds great through a cab thought. Maybe if you buy a cab sim like the neunaber ?

Does Milkman's The Amp have direct out ? I think so, you might want to consider it.

Also remember that something like the humbold simplifier does not have a power amp. So if you want to play through a cab you'll need one. Might be the same for the strymon ?
For a cheap power amp, I really like the interblock (which is also a preamp and has an fx loop, so you can bypass it and go straight to the power amp)

[goroth]

Skully has an Iconoclast and is digging it iirc.

Can someone someone them?

[JTurbide]

Also, maybe look into two notes ? The CAB M+ looks so good

[coldbrightsunlight]

[Dowi]

Aaah, last year i've been on the same quest for a while, but then decided to wait and give priority to other things.

The Shift Line Twin ticks all the boxes:
https://shift-line.com/twin

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

[Dowi]

And if you want to go full Instagram-sensation, Walrus Audio just put out their take on the pre/cabsim thing.

[MaxMaps]

I have been using the Darkglass element

https://www.darkglass.com/creations/element/

It checks all the boxes with the execption that its only a cab sim at the moment but they did add some basic head sim adjustments you can fuck with as well

[PeterBregman]

I've got the simplifier. I think it's the best. It has my seal of awesome.

[MechaGodzilla]

simplifier looks p great, would like to try. everything else just seems limited by comparison.

[voerking]

the Joyo American Sound pedal is a very cheap & surprisingly good sounding option. i've recorded with it quite a bit.

[DOSS BS-1]

Great post. Lots of options these days. I've been doing direct recording for a while. Previously I used most of the "in the box" programs - Native Instruments Guitar Rig, Positive Grid BIAS, Waves GTR, & IK Multimedia Amplitube are a few of the better ones. Even though they've come a LONG way in the last 10 years, most have the same two problems:

1) Sound quality is good but not totally realistic
2) LATENCY - makes it nearly impossible to nail the part without nudging the audio in post.

Then at the beginning of the pandemic Two Notes was giving away the their basic Torpedo software package. The sound quality was ON POINT but I still had to deal with latency.

I tried the direct out of my Quilter Reverb but it still didn't sound right, especially with a lot of dirt in front of it. I tried a few other cab sims (CabDryVR, Tech21, etc). They still didn't sound right, usually muddy. It wasn't until I picked up the Two Notes CAB that everything locked in. The sound, the features and the versatility are AMAZING. Total game changer. Over 100 amps in the box and they're all tweakable. Now I've got a realistic sound that I'm totally happy with that has no latency at all when recording.

I use the Effectrode Blackbird as my main preamp but you can go straight into the Two Notes and you'll be fine.

**I haven't tried the Strymon Iridium or that new Walrus. Both look great and I'm sure they'll do the job well. Both companies have stellar reputations. But they're considerably more expensive and I think the the Walrus only has a few amp/cab options, but maybe you don't need a lot of options? It's also the smallest of the bunch if space is a major concern for you. I also haven't tried the Terror Stamp but I saw a demo that sounded great so if the "Orange tone" is your thing maybe look into it a bit more.

Of course in the end all that matters is the getting the tones that YOU want in a fast, convenient way.

[MechaGodzilla]

the Joyo American Sound pedal is a very cheap & surprisingly good sounding option. i've recorded with it quite a bit.

yeah tbh if it had a headphone out i would probably play 50% more guitar lol

[gila_crisis]

I use since year an AMT SS20 valve preamp!

[CSCD]

I've been using the Shift Line Olympic MkIIIS (the bass version of the Twin) for over a year now on bass, guitar and synths, and it's been working like a charm. It takes dirt pedals very well and also has some gain of its own. Haven't tried the other options mentioned but can recommend this one.

[Dowi]

Good to know, Shift Line would have been my first choice but never got the chance to speak with somebody who actually had it. I know with bass is a different thing, but the overall structure of the pedal is the same. How's it speaking of headroom and compression when pushed with loud signals?