8,720
edits
Changes
m
→Modeling vs. Analog
== Modeling vs. Analog ==
Traditionally, amps have always been analog electrical devices, focusing both on signature tone-shaping (including adding distortion) as well powering a speaker cabinet. This meant that the amount of tonal control was limited by the complexity of the circuit - the more channels and options, the more expensive the amp would be. Early amps had 1 channel, limited EQ controls, and little or nothing else.
As the cost of electronic components became cheaper and more powerful and computer science developed sound research and methodologies for signal analysis, digital processors began to offer not simply effects, but algorithms that emulated the tone-shaping aspects of amplifiers and mic'ed cabs/speakers. This allowed players to avoid the power aspect of amplifiers altogether, sending their output into DAWs for recording or PAs and monitors for live sound.
Unlike analog amplifiers, modelers could change their tonal processing simply by loading different algorithms, using the same circuit. This allowed them great versatility. Lots of algorithms were made, many designed to emulate specific analog amp models. They could also have their speaker/cab/mic emulation turned off and be connected to the power sections of traditional amplifiers running into traditional guitar speaker cabinets.
The downside of modelers has always been the quality of the algorithms - early units could clearly be differentiated from the analog amps they attempted to emulate, often sounding "fake", failing to replicate certain aspects of analog amps, or displaying artifacts from the digital algorithms such as aliasing or "fizzy" (noisy) frequency ranges. Current generations for the most reputable brands, however, are very difficult to differentiate from their analog counterparts.
Other downsides for modelers are increased complexity and occasional needs for an additional power amplifier. On the other hand, they don't require maintenance or tube replacement like tube amplifiers.
== Tube vs. Solid State ==