What's the next 'big thing' in FX/Modellers?

EricTheWeary

monquixote said:

I don't think the quad cortex was underwhelming so much as amp modelling has been basically solved now other than the physical experience in the room which you aren't going to solve with any FRFR solution because of physics.

Given people can't tell the difference between a kemper and the real thing there wasn't really much better to get.

I imagine the future is more things like the Tone Master DR and IR DIs being standard on most amps.

Grumpyrocker said:

I wonder if form factor is also something worth looking at. A modeller in a traditional amp head is at an ideal height for fiddling with - rather than one on the floor. I guess we already have racks and the like, but I'd quite something that looked like a head with a separate footswitch. But maybe that's due to my aching back and poor eyesight. 

 I think the ‘things that don’t look like modellers’ market may not be the next big thing but it is a thing. There are people who prefer knobs and boxes in their gear but who may be less worried about what’s under the skin. I know that people who love their modellers don’t get the point - why pay as much for a tone trick pony - but the Tone Master DR might be an example of one way forward. 

Snags

Multi-FX with demo/factory presets that aren't totally unusable garbage.

Not a technical advance, but would definitely be an industry one. Probably a complete fantasy, but it still amazes me that most (all?) units ship with the majority of the presets being either rubbish or bonkers, rather than genuine attempts at usable sounds.

AntonHunter

Grumpyrocker said:

I seem to remember a "blank slate" pedal being a thing a few years ago. I can't remember who made it - perhaps Mooer or Joyo. And you could set what the pedal did via your phone. 

Edit: It was the Hotone Xtomp

http://xtomp.com/

Also this a few years ago, more aimed at coders I think.https://www.rebeltech.org/product/owl-pedal/ ;

sweepy

As mentioned earlier, Mac’s PC”s are easily powerful enough to run something along the lines of a Fractal Neural system tied into a performance interface so it can be used live with midi 

digitalscream

sweepy said:

As mentioned earlier, Mac’s PC”s are easily powerful enough to run something along the lines of a Fractal Neural system tied into a performance interface so it can be used live with midi 

Hell, most phones can do a pretty good job of it these days. Even the Raspberry Pi isn't far behind in terms of raw computational ability.

lysander

Jonathanthomas83 said:

lysander said:

For me the future already exits : SpeakerMix Pro by Celestion, which does non linear cab simulation, is a huge improvement on the usual IR stuff. 

Shame it’s a bit buggy. But I really hope modellers start implementing similar tech.
I understand the UA Ox Box has something similar but I haven’t tested it.
As others have said, amp modelling is a solved problem, and IMO speaker sim is the remaining weak link in many cases.

In what way is it an improvement, please?

More punch, more dynamic and responsive, feels more like an amp in the room and less sterile.

Jonathanthomas83

Interesting regarding running this stuff on PC/Mac. I've been doing just that with Gig Performer 4 over the past few months on my Mac Mini M1. It's superb and stuggles with nothing, runs all the heavy hitter plugins. I recommend it to anyone.

https://gigperformer.com/

shuikit

What I think would be pretty good is if there was a 'standard' way of moving your signal between different devices in a digital form so it doesn't have to go through multiple ad / da conversions.

eg
guitar -> wireless -> digital connection -> fx pedal -> digital connection -> amp sim -> analog out to somewhere

monquixote

AntonHunter said:

Grumpyrocker said:

I seem to remember a "blank slate" pedal being a thing a few years ago. I can't remember who made it - perhaps Mooer or Joyo. And you could set what the pedal did via your phone. 

Edit: It was the Hotone Xtomp

http://xtomp.com/

Also this a few years ago, more aimed at coders I think.https://www.rebeltech.org/product/owl-pedal/ ;

Line 6 did it back in 2008 

https://l6c-acdn2.line6.net/data/6/0a06434c149ca520beb4c09cdc/application/pdf/TCDDK Hardware Guide (%20Rev%20A%20).pdf

It's one of those things that everyone says they want, but doesn't actually work in reality.

It's like the 3DO console. If it's not being properly pushed by one brand it doesn't go anywhere.

Yorkie

monquixote said:
It's like the 3DO console. If it's not being properly pushed by one brand it doesn't go anywhere.

What a lovely if age-revealing analogy.

Jon

darthed1981

Katana Mk 3... Surely?

PolarityMan

monquixote said:

AntonHunter said:

Grumpyrocker said:

I seem to remember a "blank slate" pedal being a thing a few years ago. I can't remember who made it - perhaps Mooer or Joyo. And you could set what the pedal did via your phone. 

Edit: It was the Hotone Xtomp

http://xtomp.com/

Also this a few years ago, more aimed at coders I think.https://www.rebeltech.org/product/owl-pedal/ ;

Line 6 did it back in 2008 

https://l6c-acdn2.line6.net/data/6/0a06434c149ca520beb4c09cdc/application/pdf/TCDDK Hardware Guide (%20Rev%20A%20).pdf

It's one of those things that everyone says they want, but doesn't actually work in reality.

It's like the 3DO console. If it's not being properly pushed by one brand it doesn't go anywhere.

I think its also to a certain extent a non-issue. AD/DA is good enough these days that no one is going to detect it running into an analog amp anyway. Prob makes less difference than a couple of feet of cable / the weather. 

JohnCordy

@Jonathanthomas83 I actually made this video with some of your suggestions in mind like the Chase Bliss Mood and Strymon Night Sky, which I think you can basically achieve in the Helix with the shuffling looper and asheville pattern...

maharg101

Not really a FX/modelling thing per se, but given that modelling has increasingly led to the so-called silent stage, it made me think of a silent gig, with the entire audience wearing IEMs. How weird would that be ?  kind of like a silent disco but with a mosh pit !

RocknRollDave

maharg101 said:

Not really a FX/modelling thing per se, but given that modelling has increasingly led to the so-called silent stage, it made me think of a silent gig, with the entire audience wearing IEMs. How weird would that be ?  kind of like a silent disco but with a mosh pit !

Already been done. Google "Metallica Antarctica"

maharg101

RocknRollDave said:

maharg101 said:

Not really a FX/modelling thing per se, but given that modelling has increasingly led to the so-called silent stage, it made me think of a silent gig, with the entire audience wearing IEMs. How weird would that be ?  kind of like a silent disco but with a mosh pit !

Already been done. Google "Metallica Antarctica"

Brilliant !!! 

allen

menamestom said:

I'd like to see some high quality blank slate processors from the likes of Eventide, Strymon, UA etc.

Multi FX with say 5 slots where you can load 5 of their algo's to taste.

I don't need 300 average quality effects or amps, I want high quality ones that I choose, with physical knobs for each.

These units exist as only single pedals atm, 1 box DSP pedals with high quality effects, but I'd like more in the 1 unit.

80% of this already exists in the TC Plethora. I agree though, more dedicated knobs are needed.

Jonathanthomas83

JohnCordy said:

@Jonathanthomas83 I actually made this video with some of your suggestions in mind like the Chase Bliss Mood and Strymon Night Sky, which I think you can basically achieve in the Helix with the shuffling looper and asheville pattern...

Thank you, John, that's really kind of you to do that and to give me a shout to watch it. As I've said a couple of times, you can do no wrong in my eyes, mate, your tones are always spot on and your playing exemplary. You've nailed the brief with that. You've done some amazing things...all it takes is a creative mind to tease those features out and use them in a musical way, doesn't it :-) Thanks again!

hollywoodrox

Ok  here’s something  totally sci-fi 
  

Using Lidar and  inbuilt microphones (or 2 external ping pong ball size pods connected by Bluetooth and facing outwards into the room)   And lasers , The unit will analyse the room  and compare it 
to snapshots of famous artists /equipment playing live  in ideal conditions  and an algorithm will adjust a patch  to match  the room you are playing in  to get the equivalent sound .

this would probably have to be done when the room is full to account for crowd absorption but this may be able to be simulated with another algorithm which would calculate square footage reflections ,absorption etc .

ideally the artist would then be able to turn up even when the venue is empty , play some rhythm 
lead , clean etc  and the unit would calculate the perfect settings for the gig . A few strums , chugs, waddles and you are set up for perfect sound .

hollywoodrox

AntonHunter said:

Grumpyrocker said:

I seem to remember a "blank slate" pedal being a thing a few years ago. I can't remember who made it - perhaps Mooer or Joyo. And you could set what the pedal did via your phone. 

Edit: It was the Hotone Xtomp

http://xtomp.com/

Also this a few years ago, more aimed at coders I think.https://www.rebeltech.org/product/owl-pedal/ ;

Didn’t digitech do one like this