Why Do Many Guitarists Prefer Analog Over Digital? Can the Makers of DSM Humboldt Explain Why?

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👆 Daniel Schwartz & Jano Acevedo from DSM & Humboldt stopped by Andertons to chat with Lee about their amazing analogue powered Simplifier Amp & Cab Sim Pedals as well as their NEW Silver Linings Overdrive & Preamp Pedal! | tinyurl.com/y5ad565z
» DSM & Humboldt Silver Linings Overdrive & Preamp Pedal | tinyurl.com/y4lsg7jv
» DSM & Humboldt Simplifier Stereo Amp & Cab Sim Pedal | tinyurl.com/y69ynz5w
» DSM & Humboldt Simplifier Amp & Cab Sim Pedal | tinyurl.com/y3c2x39y
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⏰ Timestamps ⏰
» 0:00 Intro Jam
» 0:37 Who Are We Meeting?
» 0:53 About the Simplifier!
» 2:20 How Did DSM Humboldt Get Started?
» 4:50 What Is It About Analogue That Feels Different?
» 7:34 Why Is Digital Different?
» 11:40 More About the Simplifier & Simplifier Deluxe
» 16:08 A Clean Tone From the Simplifier
» 20:45 Simplifier's Marshall Inspired Tone
» 23:31 Trying Out the Silver Linings OD & Preamp
» 26:39 Silver Linings at Low Gain with Soft Clipping
» 28:02 Not Just an Overdrive?
» 29:40 Great Tones at Low Volumes!
» 32:29 Different Ways to Use the Silver Linings
» 35:03 Clipping Modes
» 36:40 Silver Linings into the Victory DP40
» 43:58 A Generous Gift for Lee
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#Andertons #DSM&Humboldt #Simplifier

[@bbrotherton6345]

I am 74. I have been playing guitar for 67 years. I have owned 4 '59 Bassman amps. I worked for DOD/Digitech designing PCBs until 1989. Now, having attempted to qualify myself to speak...... I have been chasing the sounds of the 'Silver Linings" since 1969. Michael Bloomfield with a Les Paul and a cranked Twin Reverb! Your pedal will become known as one of the best in musical history, surpassing the KLON!

[@dsmhumboldt]

OMG! Thanks for sharing this, I’m almost crying. I know that sooner or later, this will gonna happen. We are truly devoted on design and obsessed with details. The journey of designing a drive pedal from scratch nowadays is quite unfair sometimes since mostly people out there is looking from clones of other pedals, what it means in terms of “marketing” way harder to outstanding. It demands the right amount of patience yet vision. Thanks for your sharing. Respect.

[@dudditzdaddidaz]

@@dsmhumboldt now you need to make other amps, modern amps. like mesa boogie mark 5, Victory Kraken, Engl Fireball, something like that

[@thevoxxtv]

@@dsmhumboldt Seeing you guys has helped me to choose the bass Simplifier over the many other products available. I love the passion you put into these! And can't wait to play with it. Thank you!

[@Dwightpower88]

@@dsmhumboldt Can I ask a stupid question? Can I run this into a SS amp? I've done that with the tech 21 sans amp stuff and it sounds great. I would LOVE to buy one but I don't want to have to buy a separate power amp

[@TarenLeitzke]

@@Dwightpower88 You mean the Silver Linings pedal? It's an overdrive so can be run into the front of an amp with no problem. It does have a preamp mode which lets it act as a proper preamp directly into a power amp or FX return if you want (I have a Code 50 currently and emulate an FX return by turning the preamp modeling off, and the preamp mode sounds really good into this while other drives sound too dull and quiet). On the other modes, though, it works just like a standard overdrive.

[@rexsolomon6325]

Kudos to Lee for the 'Meet the Maker' series, and this challenging one especially. Lee is a very generous and 'pro-level' interviewer. I bought the DSM Humboldt Simplifier DLX and I can say that it was the very best guitar-related purchase I've ever made - is it simply an astoundingly accurate and super-versatile amplifier modeler. Its analog nature really sets it apart from all the rest - all response is natural and instantaneous. Amazing engineering by these guys from Chile. Bravo! I hope Anderton's does a collab with DSM Humboldt - any result would be fantastic!

[@danmorris9899]

I went on a deep dive of amp sims a few months ago and the analog characteristics of the Simplifier DLX really set it apart from its competitors. I bought it and have been so impressed with it. It’s incredibly versatile, flexible, and reliable. My tube amps are great, but to take my board and go stereo, or go wet/dry, or go two channel (choosing Vox, Fender, or Marshall amps) with just the Simplifier DLX on my pedalboard is incredible. I just flip some switches and get to playing - no menu scrolling. I am so happy I went with the Simplifier DLX!

[@chrisforsythe1605]

The way Lee articulates the slight difference in feel between digital and analogue gear in the ‘Why is digital different?’ is probably the best description of that very slight difference I’ve ever heard. Great video, thanks!!

[@bobbywilliams4655]

These guys are great and you can tell they love what they do.

[@dsmnoisemaker101]

Oh yes i love my job!!!

[@PulinRecords]

Somos el mejor país de Chile

[@BISHAMONT3N]

The main selling point for me on my Simplifier was the headphone out... it produces a really great, clean, noise-free headphone signal.. and you can tweak it just right with all the parameters. It's a nice step up from a Fender Mustang Micro for headphone playing.

[@CecilCeceRobert]

I've had my Simplifier for about two years now and still love it.

[@randomstranger2472]

Protip: a compressor in the effects loop can take away the "DI sound" and add that "tube compression and feel"

[@javiacustico]

i was thinking the same thing.. but i experienced it was good on the input too, mainly for clean sounds

[@rmannlefty1]

I bought a Simplifier about 18 months ago to use live. My trusty Princeton has been relegated to home use only since then. Some 150 gigs later, the Simplifier is still on my board, going strong. My only regret is that I didn't wait a little longer and get a Simplifier DLX. This is one of the two best gear purchases I've made in the last 20 years (the other being a G&L S500 guitar...).

[@hoboroadie4623]

One of my favorite childhood memories is playing stereo vinyl Sgt. Pepper's through a pair of Marshall Stacks. The Seventies were a magical time. 🤘

[@MrBeauChat]

Omg thats a hell of a memory!! Thank you for sharing

[@ZappaBlues]

I am 71 and I just ordered a Boss GX-100. Each to their own.

[@happygolukky]

Reading my mind - literally been debating on picking up a Simplifier

[@CraigFlowersMusic]

I have tube amps AND a digital/solid-state amp (Fargen Blackbird 30, Fender 68 Custom Vibro Champ Reverb, Boss Katana Artist MK2), and I can tell you the way to hear if you're playing a real, all-tube amp or not. My Katana has just enough latency to hear my pick on the strings when I strum, but the tube amps are so fast the string sound gets drowned out. That's the foolproof way to tell, every time, without fail.

[@YesItsReallyKeith]

deluxe version is a great sounding piece of kit... not cheap but well worth it !!

[@Zeinzu2]

I am SOOOOO interested in the new product now!!! That was a great demo and you can tell they ABSOLUTELY thought threw these pedals. Great job guys.

[@jeddak]

It is a thrill to virtually meet the Chilean magicians behind the Simplifier and to hear their story!

[@erajad]

I'm fascinated by this (these!) device(s), but was getting frustrated by the over-abundant wash of reverb - so I'm grateful for the Cap'n's dialling it back at 21:25! Thank you!

[@zettepix2009]

I parked the Simplifier because I did mot devote enough time to it and thought it lacked something but got playing it again and addes a compressor before and a steto reverb and oh my god. This sounds great. It needs tweaking but when you get it, it sounds fantastic.

[@TONVS77]

Silver lining sounds incredible!!!!!!!!

[@DanielHatadi]

I foresee a point where a similar product exists with digitally controlled analog circuits allows you to save presets. Maybe even a hybrid device with a full effects suite that uses this same analog tech for the core tones.

[@tibi1687]

Great stuff from this guys. just love them analog designs. As a bass player I am still waiting for the "bass simplifier dlx".

[@facemonger66]

Awesome interview and great tones as usual!

[@TarenLeitzke]

I bought the Silver Linings earlier this year after hearing Anderton's video on it and I love it! I enjoyed hearing more about the creators in this video. My dream amp is a Silver Jubilee and I've felt the Silver Linings gets the darker, fuzzier overdrive like the Jubilee down really well (while having its own sound in it, too), so it was interesting hearing them talk more about going for an over-driven JCM800 with the pedal. It probably explains why it sounds so much like a Jubilee, since I think the Jubilee is basically Marshall's own take on a hot-rodded JCM800. I haven't played a Simplifier in person (though I would love to!), but here and in other videos I like that the Marshall amps on it seem to lean towards the fuzzier tones of Marshall amps. Other Marshall pedals I've heard lean towards the flatter and brighter Marshall tones like the Plexi. I look forward to hearing about their upcoming pedal! I would love it if they eventually made a pedal with a power amp attached, sort of like an analog solid state version of the Victory V4s.

[@nayaleezy]

it's super useful, fx loop, thru, xlr out, and all the tone knobs make it great

[@naturalrestingface1884]

Excellent video. I love my simplifier with pedals straight into my interface! No need for Bias Amp/FX which just don't rock my world.

[@EdsonOchoa]

So awesome! Kind of regret going for the Strymon Iridium and trying one of these first! In the house band at work, we've been playing mostly with IEM, so makes total sense to use a pedal amp such as the Simplifier or Iridium, related to what the Captain is saying about listening to through studio monitors etc. Thinking perhaps that the normal one is enough with my current setup.

[@GraniteSoundtrack]

Wow, sounded great!

[@TONVS77]

great!!!!!!!! Greetings Daniel!

[@kentishmale1969]

I love the fluorescent orange on the guitar !!!

[@Widdy5150]

Coming back to this video for the silver lining! I've got the DLX to use with my Helix & its totally brought the Helix to life!! Now I'm considering the Silver Lining to add to the chain.....Well Done DSM 👏👏👏👏

[@MarlonUrdelas]

I love my Simplifier! Feel is the key! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻 DLX soon once it’s on stock! 😉

[@Santiago.Ortiz.H]

Great job guys, keep them coming!

[@mitchellroman634]

Viva Chile!!

[@alvaroneira4241]

Weeeeeena cabros!

[@edwardjons8684]

Very cool pedals, and cool guys too. I’m sold.

[@omen3766]

love my DLX, just wish they made power amp pedal..big fan!!

[@coffeedudeguy]

I love that my Simplifier Classic amp runs off the same power as my pedals! XLR stereo out and FX Loop, if I also add the DLX I can play around with wet/dry/wet shenanigans

[@billyhollister7864]

Mr Anderton just completely got digital mod ,and asked the question that no one had the bottle too ask ,and was an is completely right , and why he is the retail guitar Guvner ,hands down .amp tubes for me and I've tried to get on with digital as have two line 6 products both now not supported,but must say work as well as the day purchased .

[@mariodriessen9740]

It's not just a feel thing. I've seen many comparison video's of the Simplifier vs digital stuff and every single time I thought the Simplifier just sounded more natural, warmer and better to my ears. I wanted to follow my heart, but I decided to buy the POD Go instead, because it could do so much more. I still regret that decision. And I still want that Simplifier (Deluxe). The drive pedal sounds amazing as well and it's so cleverly build, I just want all of it. I'm genuinely impressed by the wonderful sounds of their stuff. ❤️❤️❤️

[@LaDrouille64]

I was in the same situation pod go/simplifier and I purchased the opposite of yours. Waiting for it ! Just wish that the high gains will be good cause WE cannot see any high gain vid or boosted tone with it... Know that for all the other stuff it IS phenomenal !

[@anthonyward8587]

Brilliant, love those pedals, great sounds.. Winner.

[@sub-jec-tiv]

I love these dudes, their level of care about the sound shows in the final result. I wouldn’t say Simplifier is going to always be the right tone for every recording, but it seems an excellent tool to help get diverse and organic tone quickly in the studio. As a person heavily into layering, i really enjoy layering multiple types of amps. Like a real tube amp layered with an old Rockman. Or a DSP setup. It gives you something that goes beyond the sum of the parts. Now i think i need to buy the DLX! 😂

[@joshuavega6427]

Que orgullo 🇨🇱💪🏼

[@stoneysdead689]

The only thing that bothered me trying to use the smaller unit was that when I would go from a clean tone to a driven tone- I would have to adjust the power amp parameter, or it would sound washed out and overly distorted. Not a big deal- unless you're trying to change on the fly in the middle of a song. Having two channels, or amps in this case I guess- is a much better idea, I think. Should eliminate the issue I'm referring to. Still- I have to admit- the Lion 68 is so good man; I'm seriously leaning that way even with this issue resolved. I have no idea if the Lion actually sounds like a 68 Plexi- but I do know it sounds unbelievably good and feels almost like an analogue amp. Cose enough you have to really nit-pick to find any short comings. And for once- the presets are actually good- really good. Instead of basing them on songs or famous tones they just let artists make presets they would use- and of course of a few of them did iconic tones like Hendrix or SRV but- most of them are just good sounds anyone could use. LOL- I sound lie a UAAFX add- I'm talking this over with myself if you hadn't noticed- trying to decide which to get. I think the Lion has it- sorry guys, this thing is amazing though- and I'm sure tons of ppl will go this route.

[@rekindle]

The designer’s description of digital amp simulation made sense to me

[@sadul]

I think a large part of the "feel" is lack of latency. I think that is the biggest thing in analog stuff. To me it is not a big deal. I listen to the sound. I don´t care what it "feels" like, but some players do.

[@benlogan430]

With the tube/valve issues of the now I’ve gone for the tried and true SS amps. Peavey’s, the Yamaha G-100 and others sound great and last forever. With the digital products I see em in the corner or closet with my Atari and Commador 64 in the future while my SS gear will live on. My bandit is from the 80’s and still rocks. Also those pedals/amps (Simplifier etc) all sound great! Dang…

[@BluesRockAcademy]

Marshall Mosfet amps are the Kings of SS amps.

[@ChaosEnigma1978]

Would I be able to use the simplifier dlx into a jazz chorus front stereo inputs and get a good result? Currently using a Boss Me80 which I like but I find I don't really use much apart from preamp, boost and reverb/delay and I'd rather a better base sound than a lot of effects

[@johncoles3521]

Maybe it’s from playing full size cabs in my past, but compliment it with a simple PA speaker and that fear of studio monitors may be freed. Have you walked up to those monitors and gotten feedback? It’s amazing!

[@alexjohnson4759]

Si po

[@mattbalmer713]

We have to thank Leeds United for sacking Marcelo Bielsa so he could focus on designing these amazing sounding circuits lol

[@steved1099]

can't unsee this now 🤣🤣

[@frodobaggins1505]

Hey Lee, Upload your vids to Rumble! It'd be great to have you available there too.

[@CarlosMartinez-xp9ol]

grande chile lpm

[@gypsycat619]

The human brain and electrical system of the body is analogue… The mammalian brain, comprised of neuronal networks, functions as an analog device and has given rise to artificial neural networks that are implemented as digital algorithms but function as analog models would

[@shorerocks]

Someone knows what he is doing. Nice.

[@danielr8932]

At approximately 20:30, I’m wondering if Daniel actually explains what underlies the feeling the Captain gets that which underlies digital devices; i.e. that digital adds serious compression and changes the attack of notes played on the guitar.

[@MartinVazChannel]

Does anyone know if it takes drives well? Like to use my own boxes.

[@l8sk8r86]

Sound waves are entirely analog, no matter the source. The mind is playing tricks on you if you think you can tell the difference, depending upon the source, either pre-recorded or live. Which means to say, live music is the way!

[@Dwightpower88]

Plug a guitar directly into a tube or solid state amp and play it. The "latency" is imperceptible. Digital is getting closer. We're not talking about listening, we're talking about playing.

[@dedhepyoga5732]

can it be just overdrive or bypass?

[@rebelandthehearts]

Does the simplifier take distortion Pedals well? High Gain stuff?

[@AxisChemicals]

It's the eternal question and something we all would love to get ! Most of people will say NO : it's just a physical thing... NOTHING will replace an amp for that. but others have a totally opposite feeling so... To me, if someday you can have any type of dirty pedals in front of an "amp pedal" and sound and feel as good as in front of the real thing, well, that's kind of the end of guitar amps ! They know how to replicate rhe sound of real clean/cranked/overdriven amps/ they can now emulate every stages of amps and more but never heard anything that can accept distortion pedals as good as an amp will physically and magically do... To me, it's just quite impossible and that's "maybe" a good thing finally 😅

[@Hoodrio]

What is that gold guitar on the wall behind Lee?

[@andertons]

It’s a Harmony silhouette - more info on our site 👍

[@Hoodrio]

@@andertons Gorgeous axe, thanks!

[@BeesWaxMinder]

I would really love there to be a “how to“ with the SIMPLIFIER because, although it’s tiny, it’s difficult to get my head around! I mean it seems to have two effects loops with no way of level mixing either of them into the signal (I’m assuming effects loop puts pedals between the PreAmp section the PowerAmp section?) Also how to bypass the PreAmp & just use the power amp and speaker effect..?

[@tubingforever]

Omg that red strat!!! What giitar is it!?!

[@nedim_guitar]

I had the original Simplifier. It was fun, but sounded a bit DI. Reverb helped. My main problem with it was that it takes gain pedals really bad. Regardless if I use little gain or a lot, my overdrive, distortion and fuzz pedals sound like farts through it, nowhere near how these pedals REALLY sound. The only passable setting for me was the AC Brit emulation with a 1x12 cab simulation. Only then did my overdrive sound okay, but only on very low gain settings. So if you use the Simplifier for dirt and pedals for modulation, delay and reverb, you'll be fine. So what they need to do, if they'll build a new version, is to make sure that gain pedals don't sound like shit through it.

[@randomstranger2472]

A compressor into the effects loop would solve the "DI" sound, which is lack of compression. The lack of compression and high headroom is probably what you didnt like about the sound of dirt pedals going through the simplifier too, which would also be solved by a compressor.

[@SergeiVlassov]

Actually, in this very video I hear the same problem. Silver pedal sounded very dull and boring for me, very flat and lifeless, until they let it into real amp. Then immediately it sounded great! Night and day difference. But then back to simplifier and all the fun in tone was gone for me, immediately very uninspiring :( Sad, because I love the idea of simplifier. Maybe they had to tweak it, I dont know. I have and impression that simplifier is great for cleans and cleanish tones.

[@MrBeauChat]

I use my Jazzmaster thru a fuzz factory & tube screamer. My distorted tones have never sounded better, tighter. Like i just added a supercharger to my wildly distorted tone. love what the simplifier does to distortions!!

[@andrewmaher8409]

@@randomstranger2472 May I ask please, do you put the compressor first in the effect loop signal line, or last? Thank you.

[@juan_de_laura3041]

😍😍😍

[@andyjane7223]

What's the guitar?

[@martinclayton7260]

Stop bloody showing me new stuff! My wife is going to kill me if I buy anymore stuff from Andertons!

[@TheRythmGuitarGuy]

Viva Chile ktm

[@RubyDimasStudio]

who made that neck ? Ibanez ?

Its a Schecter

[@EvilBlakey]

Wooow, great interview. I can't decide if my favourite part was the pointless guitarwanking, or when they failed to mention that 1. DSM&H also have products for bass guitar, and 2. It was mainly because of the TalkBass community that DSM even got off the ground with the Omnicabsim!

[@ledhendrix5054]

Roll off and on guitar volume?

[@joshuacanfield93]

Microscopic millisecond .. (nano second?)

[@SergeiVlassov]

In reality it is still milliseconds

[@ricarcorpse]

Sácheíiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!

Chi

[@teknomanning]

First

[@KRAZEEIZATION]

When I switch on a digital effect it changes the tone making it brittle.

[@uelude]

Cheap trick to drown it in reverb. You don't need any pedal if you have massive reverb. Just use a reverb unit. People want to know if the unit sounds good, not what reverb sounds like. Cheap sales trick. Always demo with little or no reverb before buying to avoid disappointment.

[@MrBeauChat]

But what does the reverb on it sound like? 🤔

[@MrBeauChat]

Update: the stereo reverb built in is so freaking good i sold my meris Mercury 7 😬

[@branco6355]

Where....is....Buckethead???!...

[@Cluless02]

F-ithead!!

[@Whos-That-Guy]

This is awkward to watch.

[@Quinceps]

How?

[@luna3723]

Viva Chile!!!