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The Djent tone is achievable with amps - you just need (potentially multiples of) EQ, Drive, Gate. It just is a lot easier to make it happen on a digital unit.
Sounded really pretty, and sounded like a valve amp! Maybe you were unlucky. I liked the clean sound from the 6l6 setting.
The crunch and lead sounds are great, too.
People definitely want the Axe, but from what I read a lot of people still dream of having a valve rig.
Yes I agree that over time it will change but my perception was that until recently it wasn't quite as widespread as you'd think. Webforums aren't always representative - in fact until recently a lot of my mates hadn't even heard of an Axe FX or a Kemper.
Now... I use my Diezel D-Moll every week at practice, and for all our gigs since February. Before that it was a series of amps; but basically always been playing valve amps live since the inception of the band. Some worked better than others.
I took the Axe FX into the rehearsal room and had it into the FX loop return. I could get decent sounds with a bit of work.
A few weeks back I profiled the preamp section of my Diezel D-Moll with the Kemper. Last week I took the Kemper into the rehearsal room and had that into the FX loop return. I got what basically sounded exactly the same as the amps valve preamp, going into the valve power section.
I'm convinced that for the tones I like, a valve power section is nigh on required. But the preamp section? Valve, digital, probably even solid-state. They'll all work as well as each other I suspect. But given that modern metal tones are predominantly preamp driven... this really does beg the question as to why the valve power section is so important? It is definitely superior to a solid state power section, for me. The speaker reacts a certain way, the tone of the power section has a big impact, and ultimately... for what I'm after it just sounds better.
So back to digital for a sec: I prefer the Kemper to the Axe. It's about speed, ease of use, how quickly I am up and running with the tones I want. It's not that I don't know how to use the Axe, it's that I honestly do not want to invest the time to get it up and running for me. I've had it since April, and still don't have a clearly defined set of patches that do the things I want. With the Kemper, I already have six profiles that nail tones I really like.
RE: The "future". There are only so many ways you can shape a guitar signal in a musically meaningful way. And why be so concerned with the future anyway? One of the hallmarks and strengths of guitar music is it's lineage, it's history, and how you connect to the epic tapestry that has been painted since the first electric guitar. That's how I feel anyway. I don't give a shit if my tone isn't unique. It's the music I care about.
I've also heard them going through 6505 heads, and that too was incredible. Which was better?
Well, tthe modelling kit means more profit per gig and less travel costs.
Bandcamp
Spotify, Apple et al
The same can be said when you compare real world grand pianos to 100mb AKAI sampler piano patches and Steinbergs The Grand.
http://www.godinguitars.com/johnmclaughlin_07.htm
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
Personally, I'm using my Axe FX like my old rig - I'm just using delay/eq/drive blocks. This is because I'm performing music I wrote using an oldschool setup.
Now that I've got the Axe, I could start writing music to take advantage of what it can do. I might not, but the option is there. So I think it is part technological capability but part creative desire... so far I've not even tried most of the effects blocks yet. You can control them in pretty cool ways though which aren't possible on traditional gear.
Yes, some players will occasionally break new ground, but their appeal will probably be limited to other guitar players.
Basically, we're biased, we have a highly specialized interest in the subject, but in general mainstream music production I think producers and writers will just use an "electric guitar sound" when they need one, in the same way they would currently call for a saxophone or piano.
The technology for guitars to make pretty well any noise you can imagine has already existed for decades, but most people don't care, they want itto sound like a guitar and to leave the experimental stuff to keyboards or studio software .
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein