Is this a Bad Sign for the Amp Industry?

[@JohnSmith-is8nq]

I'm 48 and spent an ungodly amount of cash on amps until 2009 when I found a Traynor YGM-3 in the trash. Yeah, it was in the trash. One of the cables of the reverb tank was faulty, that's it. I tried it, pulled out my milk crate of pedals from the closet... realized it was what I needed all that time. I got my forever-amp for free. Everything else was just wasted time and money. It's weird how life works.

[@derrickmickle5491]

Do you know how McDonalds maintains its dominance in the fast food industry decade after decade? It hooks its customers while they are kids with Happy Meals and being a family friendly place parents want to go to. Amp manufacturers are finally getting hip to the fact that most younger players these days are digital natives and more comfortable interacting with their guitars via a computer/phone/tablet than an amp, at least at first. By publishing a digital model of its most versatile amp, Two-Rock is meeting its future customers where they are at, broadening the number of people who know about the brand, and giving more people a chance to experience the Two-Rock sound first hand. Smart move.

[@kswannie]

That's an insightful point. Very strategic.

[@myguitarsandme]

I would add that there are two types of customers for their products. 1) The gigging musician that wants the interaction between player, guitar and amp when they're on stage. 2) The recording musician that as you say are digital native. So I agree that it's smart to offer products to both customers. Certainly, the plugin is more affordable/attainable. So this widens their customer base.

[@TLMuse]

It's interesting to think about the relatively high price point in the context of your argument. It's as if they are targeting a pre-premium market-those not yet buying amps, but willing to pay a premium for a plug-in. Maybe those folks are just the ones most likely to pay a premium for an amp later.

[@TheBurdenOfHope]

Spot on

[@dirk1211]

I actually sold my tube amp after watching your videos. I bought a pair of Yamaha HS5 speakers, and now I only play with plugins from Neural DSP. I am really happy, I only play in my apartment and I think it did not make any sense to own a real tube amp if I am not doing gigs. Something that I love about plugins is that I have the presets I like saved, so it becomes "plug and play" and I feel that I can focus more on doing what I love which is making music. Thanks for your videos John, keep the great work! :)

[@89digits59]

People need to understand the difference between "sound" and "feel", sound can be easily recreated - it's the feel under the fingers that you cannot replicate, apart from that explanation - I'm all in for plug in's - I want a Marshall Silver Jubilee plug in 🙂

[@SlyRyFry]

If you got an interface you probably got one of those Marshall silver jubilee plugins bundled into the software

[@RobertFisher1969]

Tube amps will continue to become luxury items that a few people will buy and most of them will only use them at home with other solutions for gigging. Part is that is the convenience and continued improvement of simulations, but another part is that more-and-more of us aren't caring about the same-old-sounds and are happier with something "good enough" or actually different. This is only bad for the "amp industry" if they don't adapt to the changing market. Just like with any industry, you have to adapt to the times. If you want a tube amp, this likely means that the prices will go up as the economies of scale decrease. Although the flip-side is that overall quality will increase.

[@jonseyrocks3226]

Amplitube has various plugin licenses for Fender, Mesa, Orange, SVT, THD, Engl, Carvin, Dr Z, as well as a number of pedal companies/models. They also held the license for the SLO100 before it went to NeuralDSP (they also have some specific Mesa models). I doubt that these have prevented anyone who actually wants (and could realistically afford) the physical amp from buying them. They're just aimed towards a different market, one that likely wouldn't consider these amps normally due to financial or practical reasons (no point in getting a 100w plexi if you mostly play in a small apartment). Now, Two Rock can go after people who might not be able to afford the physical amps, but consider a sub-$200 plugin is much more reasonable. Besides, the existence of countless Klon clones hasn't diminished the desire for the OG pedals, has it? Not even the made-by-the-same-guy KTR.

[@Mr_Woodchuck]

For those of us who are in the market for boutique amps modelers and plugins are a great way to demo before buying. It's hard to find some amps in person to demo at a store. I have bought multiple boutique amps after I enjoyed using it on my fractal.

[@yikelu]

From economic theory, having more price tiers typically benefits suppliers as they reach a wider audience. I think plugins cannibalize amp sales a lot less than floor modelers and modeler pedals. You don't want to bring your laptop and an audio interface to a gig, but you will stick a UA Dream or HX Stomp on your board to replace your amp.

[@martinreid1740]

An interesting video, I'm still old school my plug in is my strat into my pedal board into my amp. Thanks for posting.

[@jordanguthmann7841]

Two Rock could either release a plugin and get $$$ or let others capture their amps and then sell those captures across every platform without Two Rock getting a penny. It's the amp industry's Napster moment.

[@Herfinnur]

That is an excellent way to put it, Mr. Hetfield

[@thedatabody]

The pedal models inside the L6 Helix LT turned me on to what physical pedals would work with my specific tube amps. I’m not sure if others go out and get the physical pedals, but for me, I prefer to use less complicated gear on stage and for the most part that means grabbing an overdrive or two and some staple effects. This has just helped me find what will work with amps what I have.

[@ssiowi]

With you JNC and thanks for raising this topic; i.e., the viability of the digital alongside the analog world. Equally noteworthy and adjacent: ÷13 and Two Rock now operate within one holding company. I'm eager to know more about the owners' plans for these coveted brands. As always; thanks Sir and carry on!

[@TLMuse]

I tend not to be a fan of bright tones, and your Bloomfield tones here are brighter than I am typically drawn to, but I really dig them! Something in this plug-in adds a kind of creaminess to them that makes them work. -Tom

[@matejnovotny]

Nice to meet you, I work for one of ExxonMobil's distributor in Europe.

[@adamcogan211]

I never would have discovered Morgan, Fortin or Omega amps if it wasn’t for plugins. Growing up, everything was controlled and ominated by Marshall, Peavey (the legacy brands etc). It’s been refreshing discovering all these brands and amps

[@hawedehre]

The intro jam was the best part of the video. There is nothing wrong with having guitar amps. That’s why it is called electric guitar. I can play a plug in grand piano over monitor boxes or spend a lot of money for a real piano, that you can’t take to a gig. That’s the extreme example.

[@mattc1176]

I think digital is great and amps are great. They have different use cases. I feel very lucky to live in an age where we have both. Owning a Two Rock plugin would be unconnected to a decision on owning a Two Rock amp.

[@bluesky6361]

I'm a home player, retired after working for 40+ years for US DOD and Intelligence Community. I have built all of my own amps (5F6A Bassman clone, Trainwreck Express clone, 5E8A Tweed Twin clone, 5F1 Champ clone, Champion 600 reissue modified, as well as other amps I have modified and sold/traded. I will never plug my guitar into a computer for as long as I live (I'm almost 71 now).

[@thesmr]

war criminal refuses to get on board with the future, shocking

[@dasczwo]

well life choices… most dont own a property they can crank an amp in.. cities… neighbours… so headphones and digital it is. nothing can replace playing loud. bad technique and erorrs hurt. you get better. my hx stomp has 4 outputs: i could run your clone collection in quadraphonic panning. not all bad the new stuff. did that once in a large machineshoo. cheers!

[@journeytree]

stay in the past old head😂

[@STORMBREAKER_250]

Based

[@peejay6930]

I think Segovia had similar views 😊

[@ajsrhodes]

Very thought provoking. I actually see several sides to this. First off, I’m a tube amp user, but I have to admit that the sounds that the digital world is able to create is amazing. I can see the owners of Two Rock use a Two Rock plug in, it’s a sound they’re familiar with, probably have their pedalboards voiced for, so yes, I think it’s a good idea. More and more venues are becoming silent stages here in the US and modelers are becoming the norm. Another great video

[@TLMuse]

Glad to hear the S-Gear shoutout. I just wish I had a way to take it to a gig. I suppose I could try to capture some favorite tones and put them into my ToneX-a capture of a modeler. There's a tone I really like on my old Eleven Rack that I've yet to duplicate anywhere else. Maybe I do need to invest in ToneX Capture, even though I don't have a real amp! -Tom

[@mkds1109]

I’m a hardcore tube amp enthusiast but I’m needing something that sounds inspiring that I can use with headphones at home. I’m not opposed to getting a frfr cab with it to play live either. I’ve gone down the digital rabbit hole and I’m overwhelmed by the digital market. I don’t know which one to buy that won’t be pushed out of the market by new tech in 5 years and I have an issue spending $1500 on something with the potential of being irrelevant soon.

[@BOSSenjoyer]

Katana is a real amp that does those things. Class AB power and guitar loudspeaker included.

[@mkds1109]

@@BOSSenjoyer nah, looking for something professional. The katana is a beginners amp.

[@BOSSenjoyer]

@@mkds1109 Then go spend $1500 on a fully digital simulation and be pro lolololol

[@kengoodman7719]

It's actually an excellent idea for marketing amps. By buying and using the plugins, it can actually lead a lot of players to deciding on future purchases, or at least narrowing it down to a couple for further testing. From that perspective I would think each amp manufacturer would jump on the opportunity to create "official" plugins - cannot lose. God Bless!

[@lenwhatever4187]

I don't think modelers are a cause so much as a response. Stage real estate costs, people like to talk while listening, tube amps use more power, etc. There are lots of forces against amps on stage. Even at home, more people are living in each others pockets, either apartments or townhouses or just larger families. FOH sound systems have gotten more powerful and full range, they are designed for a fuller frequency range. So yeah, amps are going away even if it makes performances less good. It's funny, in days of old, a vocal mic might get plugged into a guitar amp, then the singer got their own amp, now the guitar gets plugged into the singer's amp.... just wish we could get the singer to buy, setup and run their own amp ;)

[@pdenton]

Sort of adjacent to this is Wampler's series of DSP pedals - the Metaverse/Terraform/Catacombs line. They all have plugins that are identical to the pedal and you get them free if you buy the pedal. The only one I have is the Terraform, but it's fantastic. I get that the development process for a DSP pedal duplicates basically all the work of a plugin and that's not the case with an amp, so this is obviously different but a very cool model as DSP increases its foothold in the pedalverse.

[@NavneetKash]

I have played Plugins, Modeler, Processors, what not but tubes have a different feel. I will continue to use Plugins and get more tube amps if my budget allows.

[@ultimatescalerc7151]

Traditional amps will never go away, I think the shift from traditional amps to modeller tech has been on going and we are entering time where its viable for gigging and far better than the practice amps we had back in the day. As for trying an amp model enticing you to buy the real thing. Depends on the user but I think most are going to be happy with the free modeller version. At least on the better higher tier modellers. Low end modellers those will drive away from the real thing. They will be like Oh god that sounds aweful!! I aint never buying one of those amps. lol. I think the legacy companies should find a newer company to work with rather than push a completely new product thru development that will more than likely fall short. Like my IR-2 with the Celestrion IR's I had zero reason to replace those IR's I use that IR-2 as the benchmark to compare all other modellers too. Nothing has the feel or the dynamics of the IR-2 if you cant get that sound good. You are either deaf or you are doing something very wrong in your set up. HeadRush really just changed the game with Flex Prime, the massive update, Desktop wireless editor and the insane super cloning tech that is pretty much going to destroy all other capture tech devices currently on market right now.

[@jonathanwapner6262]

In record sales, it used to be that you could buy the physical media and get the download for free. Now you can pre-order the download and get the physical media for free.

[@torino1138]

Your playing here is exceptional sir. Jfc.

[@BeachJazzMusic]

The thing that I wonder about is the availability of tubes in the future. Even though there are a lot of guitar players and audiophiles, it's nothing in the world of electronics. Tubes are so difficult to make and in many countries they are a hazard to the environment. We use to spend $2:75 (US) for 6L6 tubes and preamp tubes were even cheaper. Now those tubes I've seen going for hundreds of dollars from tube sellers on the internet. Getting a boutique amp fixed is another matter all together. Most builders want you to send the amp back to them to get any work done and that is expensive to ship and then you run the risk of your amp getting broken or stolen. I'm wondering if pedals are going to go the same route. The modelers and plugins are getting so close that it's really hard to tell the difference. The new Fractal VP4 has so many pedals in it and they all sound great. Most people don't play for a living but want all of these products but either don't have the money or the room to put it all in.

[@BeefNEggs057]

Tubes are a hazard? Hold my Tesla ~ Lithium battery mining

[@SAIBOT64]

I’m after the tone, the touch the feel the moving in the air and the visual aesthetic if people stop buying physical amps and they go the way of the dodo I will still continue to build my amp collection because it stuff I’ve dreamed of since I was a little kid, and I have the means to be able to have it now

[@amontero79]

Plugins make a lot of business sense. They expose many more customers to the main product and give them access to something they can't afford. Your total addressable market suddenly becomes ALL guitar players instead of the very few tone nerds who can afford the real amp and will buy it anyway. If you prefer the plugin, then you are definitely not the target customer for the real amp. But instead of making 0 dollars, Two-Rock made $150.

[@Adventuresingearland]

It would be nice to think that the delight of a plugin of this quality would induce digital players to ask the logical question: if this product sounds and FEELS so good, I wonder what the real thing is like? Fingers crossed, said a yet-to-be-converted valve-loving, air-moving dinosaur. 🤘🎸👍

[@on3orafter]

I have used plugins to a limited extent but you still need to listen via speakers or headphones. I like the sound in the round so that would mean i need speaker so may as well have an amp so i can use it live.

[@adaire451]

When STL Tones added the Revv G20 to their Amphub, it prompted me to buy the Revv G3 and G4 pedals (I may even buy the G2 to round out the set). Eventually, I can see myself buying a Generator 120. This came from an amp sim. I'm proof Revv has made money off of their product being in an amp sim. So I absolutely believe it boosts interest. If nothing else, it at least helps in determining what amp is right for the player, especially if they're enabled to use amp models they wouldn't normally be able to use. Everyone's heard of Marshall. Not everyone's heard of BadCat (just as an example).

[@richardtoft5238]

I don't think real amps will disappear, it's all about the right tool for the job, amp plugins are great for home recording and practice, but I still prefer to play through an amp whether it's transistor, tube or modelling for rehearsals or gigs.

[@steveliberty]

I don't use plug-ins, because I don't use a DAW for the most part. I have purchased a fair amount of ToneX captures though. They typically cost around $15-$99 per set. If I bought a capture set that was for an amp I had never played, it might spark some interest in the real amp. But ESPECIALLY if crediting me for the capture when I buy the real amp (of course that assumes that the capture came from the amp builder, and not a 3rd party).

[@rickgreen2760]

Interesting subject,PRS have made plugins with waves.

[@charlespeters7220]

Perhaps the release of a plugin simultaneously with an amplifier is simply a method of having absolute control over a signature sound.

[@BOSSenjoyer]

The last piece of gear I bought was a used Hot Rod DeVille 410 blonde/oxblood. Can't think of an exclusive boutique amp I'd rather have or modeler/plugin that I'd use the same way as this amp.

[@zoomzoom3950]

I have Softube's Marshall amp room complete - but I have several real Marshall tube amps. I have Architype Petrucci (and Plini, Tim Henson) and Mesa Mark iiC+ Suite and have a JP-2C tube amp. great amps, great plugins. Also have a Helix Floor and Fractal FM9. All tools in the toolbox. IMO

[@maplechill75]

There would be less of a market for the digital version if the physical versions weren’t astronomically expensive, especially in the case of Two Rock.

[@SerpentsBane1995]

The kings of Classic Rock, Marshall, already did this years ago with their licensed amp models with SoftTube, both the well-regarded plugins and the ill-fated CODE series amps. Fender have been releasing digital modeling amps for years (anyone remember the old Mustang editor?) , Line 6 has the official Revv amp models, Neural DSP with Soldano, and Ignite Amps, BlackStar and others have their own in-house plugins. The signs were there for a long time, don't know how this passed you by. Anyhow, keep on Rocking everyone! \m/

[@ThePlanarchist]

Interesting, as usual. I'd certainly not ever considered a Dumble until I got the Helix version......now I might go as far as considering the UAD pedal of it? But speaking of UAD I was considering the UAD Ruby until the plugin version came out and a quick trial suggested it wasn't better than anything I already had in either HX or Tonex. As for marshall, I think they've left it far too late, the more logical thing for them would be to licence it to someone...and get back to aming amps (particularly the Marshall Mercury Combo from the '70's so I could more easily get mine serviced!).

[@Mraknz]

I use a Kraken Mk2 with the Jack preamp pedal and a couple of minor pedals live nowadays, covers a fair bit of ground

[@Glensully]

I will use plug ins when at home and recording and making music. It’s the perfect way. I can’t mic up 50-100w amps at home cranked, with different effects and late at night. If you listen to my recordings you will never know.

[@martoneill]

Tone King Imperial plug-in nearly got me to buy a really expensive amp I didn’t need. Arguably good marketing

[@tonedowne]

My mate who has a seriously formidable collection of classic amps, said the Tone King Sky King has become the default go to amp. I've played it and it is pretty special.

[@mogwix]

I've been chatting with some new or younger players recently and I've discovered that there are a lot of players nowadays who have never used a real amp. I've always been a big fan of the modeling amps and plugins and was really impressed when they got to the point where you could actually use them live and in the studio. Nowadays though, people are so used to hearing their guitar through a pair of headphones that they actually don't like how a real amp sounds. This was super weird to me because, shouldn't the amp models emulate the real thing? Seems like the world of modeling has become its own thing and the real amps are getting left behind. When you think about it though, you've never heard any of your favorite guitar tones in the room they were recorded in, only the mics and signal chain that captured them and the device that's playing it back. In the live sound world I meet a lot of techs who think guitar players shouldn't use an amp on stage, they see it not as a part of the instrument but as a problem that needs to be solved. Personally I don't like mixing bands without a real backline but there are a lot of practical benefits as you know, I'll be going ampless once we build out our IEM kit, but still it seems kind of wild to me that guitar sounds have moved away from the emotional experience of standing in front of a guitar amp towards a purely practical exercise. At what point do we put on a CD and leave the musicians at home? Either way though, it's great that players can access all of these different sounds. It's pretty cool if it encourages players to seek out the real thing, but it's also cool if players decide they don't need to waste a ton of money on outdated tech. Time marches on.

[@MrBlank0907]

The tonex one has replaced my amp

[@strumminronin]

IMO it's a bit of both as well as something else. In all honesty tube availability is a longer term concern. But so is lead free solder and modern electronics. At least with a hand wired "relic" (pun not intended!) the odds for repairs are better.

[@Indiegaze]

Since you are what one might consider; a stellar legato player - I'm very curious what you think about Tom Quayle's new solid state amp Laney pedal, since he is a fellow, British, legato aficionado. He plays a similar style to you; and he seems to be very pleased with a $500 solid state pedal. He doesn't seem to need an extravagant Dumble clone to sound amazing.

[@MutantBoy8888.b]

The Delays in Tonex are waaaay better than HX Stomp...

[@KozmykJ]

I've got the Laney IRT Studio 15 and the Aurora DSP Ironheart plugin. The plugin is very close to the hardware in sound character. Then there's yer TONEX, affordable profiling ...

[@samizdat113]

I think it's a good thing for the amp builders and the people who can't afford high end amps or maybe just don't have the space.

[@budgetguitarist]

I own two tube amps and they're collecting dust. My HX Stomp gets 95% of my guitar signal these days, and Helix Native gets the remaining 5%. The next amp-type device I buy will probably be whatever Line 6 comes out with to replace the Helix line several years from now. The thing about modeling is that I could never go back to just one or two amp sounds - I like a wide variety, based on whatever track I'm recording. Would I ever record one of my tube amps for a track in the future? Honestly, yeah, I probably would, for the fun of it. I hope amps stick around, but I'm not likely to buy one.

[@areallyboredguy5825]

When I am working on songs I tend to use 2-3 different amps for different guitars and basses. It would be so ridiculously expensive inconvenient to buy the amps I am using. I love my ACS1 and the sounds I’m getting.

[@Paul_Lenard_Ewing]

I think many players will think not that the plugin is not accurate but that it is. A potential buyer of the amp may think if that what the amp sounds like they do not want one.

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

I have a Helix...I don't buy amps anymore...thankfully...nice playing by the way...very measured and considered...

[@michaelschneider7590]

Curious if this logic (hardware and software makers would both benefit, and items should be available as plugins to a wide audience at lower cost) also applies to emulating boutique pickups (Seymour Duncan, Fishman Fluence, etc) and other real-world guitar mods. Change your resonance to a maple neck…?

[@iamstan_rimp]

The digital versions of amps are getting very close lol! I myself is leaning towards digital. I think the modelers in recent years have gotten distortion/breakup tones really good. I was a guy that would never use modeling overdrive but here I am…lol! I own a tonex one and it’s been great! Using it as a two channel amp with a boss SD-1 and a Joyo D-Seed II.

[@TungstenAmp]

Tube amps are dead. Long live the tube amp.

[@picksalot1]

I prefer a well-designed physical UI, and great sounding Software.

[@Chris_Nouvelli]

I don’t think amps as a whole are at any risk. You’ve only got to look at the Katana and Spark success. But boutique amps I can see being a luxury item where to survive they’ll need to have either a more affordable product in the lineup or, more likely, a plugin version. Luddites like me who still can’t effectively set interfaces/speakers correctly to make plugins sound in any way decent will continue to love amps. But it’s a really exciting landscape for young musicians. I can only imagine how I would’ve felt as a teen to have this kind of opportunity to find good tone so simply and cost-effectively.

[@whiteroom2773]

I commented on this on your other video recently about this plugin. I believe that collaborating with plugin design companies is the only way amp manufacturers will survive over the next decade or so. Digital is quite obviously here to stay, and in the future fewer and fewer people will buy real amps. Eventually the only people buying real amps will be studios, high profile groups and connoisseurs with deep pockets. It's a shame, I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think so. At least by having a high quality digital product line that is as faithful to the original amp as possible, these great old companies will hopefully be able to survive and continue to manufacture physical amps for those few that still buy them.

[@charliemcgrain]

Have you checked out the "Origin Deluxe55 tweed pedal? It's an analogue pedal that simulates/clones a Tweed amp. It sounds amazing and it's 300 bucks!!!! And then there are the NAM type free plug ins. I would be really worried if I was an amp builder right now.

[@willgoodfellow3144]

Love this backing track. Very JM stop this train in its vibe

[@StratTones]

I bought a Bloomfield 100 head and was shocked how harsh it sounded after dialing it in…. Got sent back. I want to love them, but it sounded broke

[@andrewchristie6483]

It’s a good thing. I think. The sound of a great amp, the real deal, being copied and sold for less. Chinese industry introduced this concept decades ago and look how their economy has grown.

[@CrazyLazyDave]

I think things like this might actually help sell amps. My Walrus ACS1 made me really badly want a Deluxe Reverb. PS: I am far from ever buying a Two Rock. But maybe one day I'd use their plug in. And i bet it would raise my desire to one day own a Two Rock. I currently would never spend Two Rock money on an amp. But that doesn't mean i never could and never would.

[@musiccreation1198]

I think these plugins are a good thing ... for guitar players. Thomas Brunkard just posted a topic related video...The Future of Guitar Rigs.

[@TheArtofBlues]

Make tube amps great again.

[@IvorThomas]

I’m curious what PRS is doing with allowing paired models with their amps. I just played a DGT 15 with a Tele and it was just soooo much better than any of my digital stuff (Stomp, UA Dumble) cthrough a Fender FR amp. I think amp makers should focus on amps and partner with companies that can develop the best digital technologies. Win-win-win.

[@Thunderwolf2099]

With the neural dsp I thought this was the case too. So many people can just buy an amp blueprint it and then return it. If you keep 5k on hand this will become the new thing. There are some old school cats out there still but it will most definitely take a hit on the tube amp market. And like all businesses, they will cater to the buyers. I already know a couple people who have sold all their amps but maybe one or two. They just use a tube power amp and run it to a modeler. Is what it is I guess. The real people who will lose are the used market people. With the prices of some of these amps and the way the economy is I can’t blame them. If modelers become so good then what do you expect. If I was a company I would make them pay substantially for the models. Or how long before companies make it illegal to blueprint amps tone cause of copy write infringement.

[@bagazheful]

As a couch guitarist I love my Nux mighty amps for my apartment. Don't care about anything involving PC, DAW etc. Too lazy for all that even if sound is exact two rock

[@iosifsimon]

Next, they will come up with pedals that have plugins like these inside, to place them on your pedalboard.

[@steverolfeca]

Yes, the plug-in gives me the urge to pick up the real amp. But only in a vague, "if I ever win the lottery" sort of way. This is also why I don't resent boutique amp prices. These guys are mostly only selling to serious pros or well-heeled dentists. The rest of us will simply settle for the plug-in or model, and that's OK. Everyone gets to take part, at the level that they can affod!

[@metalmover]

I own a lot of amps, and I do prefer them to digital. I have captured them all though and at times I use those captures when playing quietly. I do think it is the OBLIGATION of any musician who plays shows to take the time and effort to bring as much analog to an audience as possible. In this world, musicians are the only people that can give this musical waveform to a crowd, who for the most part don't know really. I feel it charges your soul. Concerning expensive amps...here's my beef...these days the tubes and components are all from overseas for the most part, leave a lot of room for cheap companies (from overseas) to copy copy copy...since there truly is no difference anymore.

[@mitchanthony835]

I thinks amps might become a novelty. I know tons of young players now that have never even plugged into or owned a real amp. I still have one but that’s just for me. My workflow is all around plugins now. And to be honest, a modeler with a power amp and a cab in the room does get like 97% there with the amp in the room vibe.

[@TheRCAirMarshall]

I don't really think this is a bad thing... I feel like if amp manufacturers start releasing plugins it takes away some of that "what if" factor when you get a plugin from a software developer that may not exactly capture the sound as the amp makers intended. To have the actual amp makers (Your Bogner, Two Rock, Fender, Marshall, Magnatone, PRS, Suhr etc) involved in the process takes some of that apprehension away. And once the work is done, the actual manufacturers get the profits instead of just a licensing fee. This would potentially keep some of the more Boutique amp makers in business, or perhaps make them even MORE profitable, kind of in the same vein where many players WANT a PRS Core, but can only afford an SE, if that makes sense. I don't ever think the physical amp can be replaced because demanding players will ALWAYS prefer tube feel and saturation over a plugin every day of the week, but for the layman home guitarist, this could be a huge boom in business. I like it! Good job on Two Rock for taking that leap, I hope the plugin sells well! I also hope they do some cross platform stuff and don't get pulled into exclusivity arrangements with a single platform. How cool would it be if this profile were created by Two Rock for Kemper, Headrush, Line 6, etc? They could make a killing - IF - they can find a way to prevent piracy...

[@MichaelBassVideos]

Once the modelers matched the tone and feel of amps... amps stopped making sense. One sound that's always too loud for $3000 or 100s of sounds for half that price... again NO compromise on tone or feel.

[@kisschicken]

I think KZbinrs could help the amp industry by creating more content that encourages people to play with other people IRL.

[@Rummy73]

Exaclty. You guys with big rooms of gear but do not know how to jam.

[@nobodyimportant76467]

Tube amps are expensive. Aside from that I’ve spoken to players in the younger generation and there seem to be a number of people that would rather have a modeling solution because they feel like they get more for their money. I’ve tried to tell them that owning a tube amp is an experience and that they should own at least one good one. Some listen and some don’t Things go in cycles, and right now things are leaning towards digital. At some point I expect the pendulum to swing the other way

[@BOSSenjoyer]

For that $300 Kemper upgrade you can get a handwired Champ clone lol

[@zoomzoom3950]

Well, Mesa being owned by Gibson now, of course they'll exploit Mesa for $.

[@ericp8256]

Here's why amp plugins (for me) don't work for me: I have pedals that I love to use and very rarely go direct to amp anyway...

[@SlimeyGuitarStrings]

On every one of these videos I have to think that the answer is of course Tube Amps will fall out of favor. They're expensive and it's as simple as that. I don't think Tube amps will completely go away though. I think they'll become luxury items. People still buy expensive cars, purses, or whatever. I think they just don't make sense from a cost perspective.

[@monsirto]

I haven't bought an amp in over 10 years and tbh I can see myself selling my 50 year old 80 watt handwired Maton.

[@STORMBREAKER_250]

I heard Dr. Z say something to the effect that his 1st party Kemper patches increased physical amp sales by 30%.

[@STORMBREAKER_250]

@AdamFontenet-g3f IDK. Probably saw a short-term spike in sales after he released the pack.

[@PelicanIslandLabs]

It's not good or bad..................... 'it is what it is'.

[@GenXtra65]

Some time spent with a plug in would most assuredly influence my decision to invest hundreds in the real thing.

[@marctamtonthat]

Modelers + FRFR cannot be compared to Tube amp. FRFR are often class D and they cannot reproduce the power transients of a tube amp. Class D lacks punch/thump/attack.

[@johnnathancordy]

Isn't that a comparison you just made?

[@BobbyCulpepper.srv3fender]

I dont understand why people go crazy for amp plugins. You have to use them with a daw, not a standalone program. Then they use so much system resources that recording becomes a miserable lag fest.

[@randallbezuidenhout1505]

I’ve used the Two Rock Bloomfield plugin on my MacBook Pro as a stand alone program and it works fine and sounds great 👍 too lazy to turn on my valve amp in my bedroom.

[@denverwalker9078]

I have never had a single issue with lag and I’ve used hundreds of apps plug ins maybe buy a decent computer

[@martydibergi5228]

sounds like a lot of various pedals?

[@old_man_fran]

I don't think the plug-in will cannibalise the amp market. People will get the plug-in because the can't afford the amp, or already don't use amps. I see the sale of the plug-in as an addition to the company's revenue from a customer they probably would not have reached

[@kevindaniels676]

Please keep letting us know about your ever ending career choice .

[@thomaschilds8781]

Whats wrong with just getting an amp, playing an amp and having fun? Sure, digital isn't all that complicated, but it is more complicated, and isnt always cheaper.

[@tonedowne]

Plugins have to drive real amp sales. If you really take to a particular amp as a plugin, it's going to push you towards owning the real thing. Modellers not so much because you can gig them.

[@Johnny-oy9fh]

I tried a Two Rock once....didn't like it. Very stiff and unforgiving...lol

[@larriveeman]

No need to spend a lot of money to sound good, with a toned you can sound great, the amp industry is pricing themselves out or non rich folks buying their stuff

[@LukeGeis-ww4ru]

The thing that worries me about plug-ins, is that there is no way to easily verify that you are getting a legit model. What is to stop a company from simply copying and pasting an algorithm, putting their name on it, and selling it to you for a premium? Plug-ins are intabgible. I also feel that the price of a plug-in should be pretty much the same regardless of the model. It takes the same work to get any given model. You are not buying an amp, you are buying a digital replica. I just don't see it. Real amps or bust.

[@LilOlFunnyBoy]

You can't copy and paste an algorithm and some software is more expensive to develop than other software, just like physical products

[@LukeGeis-ww4ru]

@@LilOlFunnyBoy What I am saying is that Nueral, or Fractal, or whoever sells a " Model " can copy an algorithm, slap a different name on it, and call it a day. Regardless of whether that is truth or not, isn't really relevent. The fact of teh matter is, you are paying for an intangible replication of something else. It is coffee creamer that is only available if you have coffee to go with it.

[@LilOlFunnyBoy]

@@LukeGeis-ww4ru I guess I don't understand what your "worry" is. What is a "legit" model? If it sounds good it's legit, right? If you've got an exact "illegit" digital copy of another brand's model (which you can't) it's exactly the same, so who cares? And digital products DO take time and skill to produce. The process isn't free. Do you expect television programmes to be free just because they're transmitted through the ether as ones and zeros? How is a box full of digital electronics less tangible than a box full of analogue electronics? How are the soundwaves produced by the latter more tangible than the former?

[@LukeGeis-ww4ru]

@@LilOlFunnyBoy You buy a Kemper profile, then you sell it to Mr. X for $10, then he sells the same profile to Mr. Y for $15. Except when Mr. X sells it, he says it is a different amp than it actually was. That sort of scenario. Now let's look at a plug-in. Two Rock releases a " plug-in ", we assume it is a digital recreation of a real amp. How did they do it? Or is it just a tweaked model of some other amp? We don't know, it isn't quantifiable. For all we know, all the amps available from many of the vendors are just tweaks of one model? I am not saying that is what it is, I'm just saying you and I cannot quantify it. Whether it sounds good or not is irrelevent. You paid for something that is not tangible. You MUST have a computer to run the plug-in, and you must have a Kemper to run a Kemper profile. In all cases of modeling etc., you need a complimentary device. You cannot have one without the other.

[@LilOlFunnyBoy]

@@LukeGeis-ww4ru and many pedals are tweaks of existing designs. A marshall is a copy of Fender's designs. Modern amp manufacturers tweak a few component values of mid-century designs and call it a new amp... No difference in my opinion.

[@christopher.hallissy]

I’ve never seen a Two-Rock in the wild; who’s actually playing these things? Pretty telling when the average person doesn’t even want to spend $129 on a digital version of one either, haha.

[@garethde-witt6433]

Nothing worse than digital anything, I found that out the hard way when my laptop died and I wasn’t able to play except though a PA. Real Amps have it all over digital.