TUBE AMP vs LAPTOP | 3500$ vs 59$ | Surprising Tone Insight!!

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Guitar:
Fender CS Cunetto Relic '97

Amp:
Tone King Imperial

Pedals:
Klon KTR
T-Rex Mudhoney
Boss RV5

Software:

Interface:

Mics:

[fandlpetroleum]

I think one problem with musicians (myself being one) is that they listen to music too much as a musician and not as the audience. The audience doesn't give two shits about the minor differences between this VS that or that VS this in terms of the tech being used...they grade the song based on the song...and grade the performance based on the performance.

[panhandlegeardemos]

Both sound good to me. Amazing how far digital modeling has come

[Macsking]

The tube amps sounds better just not $3441 better.

[cabbycabby]

You should have switched them... let people comment about how they can hear all the pixies floating around in the tubes... and then revealed your ruse.

[pooterpatty]

I've been playing guitar for 30 years. It used to be easy to tell the difference between a real amp and a modeled sound. Not anymore. Sure, there's a difference in feel. That's why when I play live, it's a tube amp. When I record, it's always with modeled VSTs. Why? Flexibility. Record a guitar line with a VST and you can go back weeks, months, years later and tweak the sound. If you try to do that with a real tube amp, you'll need the exact amp you used the first time, with the knobs set exactly like they were, in the same room, using the same mic set in exactly the same spot. That's fine if you know you'll record all your guitar lines in a single day and won't have the desire to go back and change your tone later. Me personally, I like the flexibility that modeling offers, especially since there's no real difference in the sound. If you know what good tone is, you can achieve it with a good tube amp or VSTs.

[BenK.]

I use that RHCP riff as an exercise... goddamn thats clean playing at that tempo...and it´s so hard to play x) well done

[jcrio]

One key advantages of the VST, is that you can change the sound post tracking. Playing in isolation a sound may sound perfect, but not so perhaps when the rest of the band are in the mix.

[tensevo]

You should do a video trolling the rig purists and switch the sounds round.

[themikeaustin]

One of the best non-famous guitarists I've ever seen (a childhood friend and band-mate) initially played a Kay guitar with 3 microphonic pickups through a Silverone amp with a bass knob that would turn forever. He then graduated to a Fender Mustang and Sunn Solaris. The only effect I ever saw him use was an EHX LPB-1 power booster. His playing was jaw-dropping (for the time) but what set him apart was that he was the absolute master of his equipment.

[LadyCroMag]

You should spend more time training for your rematch with Mayweather instead of playing guitar...

[MCHOLY]

I think that how good a guitar sounds through a laptop depends on the amp simulation and vst plugins you use how you process it. If you use a Di box to clean up and brighten the tone before it goes into the audio interface you can achieve much nicer sounds aswell. Like all tools a guitar recorded through a laptop in the right hands can rival that of a tube amp. Their is so much things to consider when recording both ways that can drastically change how good it sounds. Consider that a tube amp is only as good as the microphone and room acoustics of where you record it and how you position the microphones. It's way way more expensive for a bit of a nicer tone good for a professional studio where all that matters in sound quiltly and you have the £1000s to invest. A laptop however if used right with a Di and a good vst like guitar rig ( and a few others ) good playing and fresh strings you can achieve results so close the average listener will not notice and you could spend less than £400. On your whole set up. And take it anywhere. You can record in a room full of people talking and shouting and it doesn't matter becuase it's direct line input. In my opinion for most people laptop is the best choice if you don't wanna spend £1000 plus and acoustically treating your room and just so much more stuff that can break. I'm mean don't get me wrong in the right hands a great tube amp and great mic positioned well on a good guitar with new strings and a good recording room will have better pure tone with more depth however is it worth it for the average musician? I think both are great but the average listener who isn't a guitarist or producer or obessed with "the perfect guitar tone " won't notice a difference unless you point it out if you use the laptop vst way right. You also can consider how good your mix is in the first place

[backspin]

Nice playing Paul. I can hardly hear the difference. To me it's more the feeling than the sound. Started to play in the early 80's. I could only dream of a quality amp and a good guitar. And today, you can get stellar sound, and good quality instruments for no money. It's really fun to be an hobbymusician today. Remember in 87 is was talking with my brother about "Think, if we could have it all in the computer, that would be cool" Now, we are there.

[IbervilleMusic]

I think the main advantage of real amps is how great they sound and feel in person. Also, they are still the best way to monitor your playing with a band in rehearsal or at a show. I've done a few gigs where I had to plug direct and I hated to be at the mercy of sound guys for my guitar sound on stage, I've had unwanted changes in gain/volume levels during performance, ridiculously rolled off highs, etc...  A great amp provides a constant, something you can count on and control to have a good sonic experience on stage.

[timidater]

I think they both sound great!!!the tube purists are never happy!! Modeling today is so advanced! I love it!!!!

[zachrowe]

I love how much clearer the chords are on the laptop. They're so well defined

[FrankDoorhof]

It's so cool when you hear what digital can do. You have every single sound you would ever want instead of buying every amp and pedal.

Just make your main sound with real gear and the rest digital.

I still own a vg88 which made that possible but when I know plug in to a laptop im blown away actually.

[Magmoormaster]

Bias FX for the WIN!!!! Sounds absolutely brilliant. The tone you're using sounds so much more sparkly and alive than the actual amp.

I've been using Bias FX for the last couple years now. I mostly use a Randall Satan tone match I found on the cloud, along with the default Marshall JCM 800 for a more blues tone. Being able to do both as efficiently as Bias FX is freakin fantastic.

[gambooyt]

I think it really depends on the context and what you're trying to achieve. VST plug-ins are great if you want to tweak your sound and avoid the hassle of having to mic your amp when recording. Also, you don't have to be loud, which enables you to play or record stuff late at night without annoying the neighbors or your partner. And in a full mix, if you do it well, it will fit in the song and nobody will be able to really tell that you used a piece of software instead of an amp. So yes, VST plug-ins are very usable and often pretty convincing these days.

But then there is the organic pleasure of playing through a high-quality tube amp. Music is more than sound. With a good amp, the stuff you play has a different vibration to it and inspires you to play different stuff and spend more time on your instrument, either practicing or creating.

I've used plug-ins for a while and I've enjoyed their usefulness, reliability and flexibility. But a real tube amp will make you love your guitar a thousand times more. It's a totally different experience. You'll get the sound, and more importantly, you'll get the soul of your guitar.

[robertzorromansby]

Love your videos, one unsexy video I'd really like you to do is, "How I go about learning a new song". Keep up the great work!

[brianjigins]

I´ve seen a lot of videos and discussions about solid-state vs tubes vs software, I used all of them depending the situation, but tube are, for me, the greatest, is not about the resulting sound that you can achieve, it´s about the feel, the dynamic range, when you push the amp off limits and when you play hard or soft, I think that feeling in your fingers trough the amp is what makes tubes so great.