Chris11

How about some old Richie Sambora stuff? Thank you in advance

Yes Jeffbyos that is true. :) In many cases things on their racks are just backup systems or using them for a specific effect for example and in some cases it's just for marketing purposes. As far as I've seen from gear rundowns on Youtube the last 2-3 years, many of them run now a hybrid system blending tube amps, modelling and digital effects and get the best of both worlds with no compromises in sound. And of course as you said they have the luxury and brand name to have all of these "toys" at their disposal. :) Guitar tone is an ever evolving journey for all of us. I am thankful that we live in an age where we don't have to spend an insane amount of money to get a good guitar, amp, effects and generally gear. The choices we have now at our disposal are so many and so much better compared to what was available a decade ago. That's why I try to keep an open mind, try whatever I can and inform fellow musicians of all the options that I know of and are available today. When it comes to gear you never know what might work for you and that's part of the fun. :)

As I said a modeller doesn't have to go through a power amp. You can go direct to FoH. I'm trying to justify me owning a Helix, and my friends and all those high profile musicians like Metallica owning and using modellers from Fractal and Kemper lol :D Because the internet as always knows better than Metallica, Vai, Petrucci, Satriani, Schon, The Edge and all the other professional guitarists that have hundreds of gigs around the world. Sorry but I don't have to justify any purchase or choice of mine to anyone. I liked it, I bought it, end of story. If I want something else down the line that I like better I just sell it and buy that one, it's that simple. IRL I've already shown you how many big names use them already. And if you followed the trends this last year many "guitarists in forums" and IRL are starting to move from analog to modellers, or keep their analog setup and complement it with a modeller of their choice since they have gone down in price. This way they have the best of both worlds. Have you seen the Gear Page Helix thread for example? It's the biggest one in the whole forum. If it's working for you as I said before it's fine. That doesn't mean that a tube based solution is superior just because you like it more. Or that a digital solution is better because it suits me. It's a matter of having choices. I only made a suggestion and tried to explain what these new modellers can and can't do, not turn this thread in a modeller vs tube amps debate. As I said I'm also against Line 6 amps. Not worth the money in my opinion and he will be better off buying or renting one of the amps everyone suggested. I just threw in the mix the option of modellers like a Line 6 Helix or a Fractal AX8, because they are the best alternative in his price point and he can have more choices. Just because it works for me or it doesn't work for you doesn't mean that it won't work for the OP. It's up to him to try any of the new modellers and amps at his price range and decide what he likes best. It's his money and choice not mine.

No I have no affiliation to Line 6. I am a Helix owner so I speak from personal experience. I've also used a Kemper and an Axe Fx that friends have and they are also great as I said. I haven't tried the new AX8 though. :) This isn't 2007. It's 2016. Metallica rigs have changed, they are using Axe FX since Antartica 2014. You can do a google search if you wish and you will find many info and pictures of their current Axe Fx rigs. :) Also modellers don't have watts, therefore no limitations. They are limited only by the power and quality of the PA system, not by the tubes, mics, placements, watts, cabs and any other technical aspect. Don't forget that if you want you can connect your modeller with a power amp to your favourite cab and use a mic the traditional way. But direct is easier and far more consistent night after night. We are not talking here about plugins like BIAS FX. They are good but not at the same level as a Helix, AX8, Kemper or Axe Fx currently. There are many examples of crystal clear cleans from all these modellers. Vinai Trinateepakdee has some nice clean demos on youtube. Pete Thorn has a nice in depth demo with some cleans and in a song mix situation. In fact Kemper can even profile the same amp that you use and love. :) Helix and AX8 with IR's can make an electric guitar sound even as an acoustic or classical. Glenn Delaune has a demo of that up on Youtube with his acoustic and classical presets. :) And no I'm not affiliated with him either, I reference him as an example because he has nice demos. These are new products, sure in the previous generation there were sound limitations but now the gap is so small it doesn't even matter only a few can hear such small difference. :) And again don't get me wrong, I'm not against a traditional rig, I love amps and wish I could afford many of them. :) But times are changing, now we have options that work just as well and it's getting really hard to justify a traditional rig when at the same price you can get sound quality, faithful reproduction, quantity and consistent tone in the studio, home, or a live situation every time you play. :)

Actually Metallica use Axe Fx in their rigs :) You can google it and find info about that. The list goes on from big bands to smaller. Nightwish on their latest tour for example only took their Kempers, and played direct to the PA, no amps at all. Also I wouldn't dismiss transistor amps so easily, Hetfield uses a Roland JC-120 for years and that is a Solid State amp. :) If you want the most sound for a large gig then the best choice are high end modellers not tube amps. Their volume is louder than a high watt tube amp, their tone is consistent night after night, and the bands can replicate their studio sound perfectly. :) Don't get me wrong, tube amps are great and I love them, but their only advantage is their sound. And the new modellers are so close that it's becoming really hard to justify the cost, maintenance and weight of an amp and cab for live use. :) In the past the cost of a high end modeller was so high that it wasn't even a choice. For example an Axe Fx costs around 3000 dollars. But this year the Helix and AX8 came out and we are looking at a price point of 1500 dollars. With the helix you can run your guitar, your bass, even your mic and provide amp, cabs and effects for each one. I can go on but the feature list is way too long. As for build quality Helix is made of solid alunimum, it's built like a tank and only weights 6-7 kilos or 14.6 lbs. Even if you have an electronics problem, Line 6 has great customer support and the turnaround is fast. Having a Soldano, Matchless, Mesa Boogie, Marshall, Fender, Roland JC-120 and many other amp models, your favourite pedal effects and cabs with any mic with the sound quality being top notch for 1500 dollars is unbeatable. And of course you can download for free presets from Customtone or buy third party presets of artists etc. for a really low price. :) And let's not forget that if down the line you want to use a tube amp then the Helix can become the command centre of your whole rig. You can control the amp, you can use it as a guitar and vocal effects unit, you can use it to control any other external pedal and it goes on. DeadlyPower if you are interested check the official site http://line6.com/helix/ If you want more info join the Facebook Helix User Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/line6helixusergroup/ The members there are super friendly, some are from the Line 6 Helix product team, they will answer all your questions, they help with any problems users have with their presets, they can give you rig suggestions and how to get the best sound settings for a live gig situation. :)

Actually you'll be surprised by how many big bands and really good guitar players use an Axe Fx, Kemper and Helix as an amp, effects unit or both, on stage or for recording. :) Vai, Satriani, Petrucci, The Edge, Alex Lifeson and many more have an Axe Fx in their racks and use them one way or another. Helix is the new kid on the block and it is already finding it's way to big stages. Garbage is the latest band to adopt the rack unit, they are completely digital now with no amps and they use it live for guitars and bass. :) I agree with you a tube amp is a tube amp and it's the best sounding. But technology has advanced and the gap right now is so small that in a mix it's really hard to understand which is the tube amp and which is the modeller. :)

It's actually many things in one. It's a digital amp, cab, mic, effects modeller with many routing options and you can use it any way you want with or without an amp direct to the PA. You can get it as a pedalboard or as a rack unit. It has customisable scribble strips, you can assign any pedal you want, rename them, change the ring colours and you know where everything is with just a glance. If you have a pedal that you love you can connect it via the inputs, and use it from the Helix. You can even use it as a sound card for your PC/Mac and record direct to your DAW. There are way too many features to list them here you can check them out by visiting the official website. :) It used to be that digital modelling wasn't that good, but the new units like Line 6 Helix and Fractal AX8 can give tube amps a run for their money. They even react like the real ones when you play. For 1500 you will get an amp and cab that are good and you are right. :) But that's only what you get. And let's not forget the size and weight. With the Helix you get faithful reproduction of 48 Amps, 30 Cabs (and any IR you wish to load), 91 effects and 16 mics with different placement options for each cab. And they are adding more as time goes by. If you have the time or mood sometime check out Glenn DeLaune's Helix Presets on Youtube to get an idea. Although it's better to try one if you get a chance, because youtube compresses the sound, it sounds better in real life. Just don't try it with the default patches it's better to make a preset, it takes like 5 minutes from scratch. Yes it's that easy to use. It can be as simple or as complex as you like. You'll be surprised at how close you can get to the real thing. In a band or a recording situation you can't even hear that it's not a tube amp. :)

I have a different option for you. Have you considered a Line 6 Helix? :) I know it's not a traditional amp but the Helix floor model is around 1500 dollars and you can connect direct to the PA so no need to carry amps and cabs. With the new 2.00 Firmware Helix now has Mark IV amp channels, and Snapshots which is like Scenes that Fractal uses but better. The list of amps, effects, cabs, mics and routing options are too many to list here. And you can load any IR's you wish. :)