RE: Stage monitors

[Mark@asisoftware.com (Mark Kata)]

Kim Corbet wrote:

...okay.  I just started learning guitar.  How accurate/flexible ARE 
these amp simulators...can they really achieve the variety I'm used to 
with a mesa boogie???

I've only used two amp simulators:  the SansAmp PSA-1 and the original 
Peavey ProFex.  Both are fine pieces of equipment, but I'm not really 
interested in re-creating the sound of a tube amp.  (I already have a Mesa 
Boogie Mark IIB and a Fender Vibrolux that are tremendous for what they 
do.)

I'm more interested in getting a personal sound.  That's why I switched 
from tube amps to transistor amps.  Also, I was tired of my Vibrolux 
breaking down on the gig for no apparent reason.

These are the best transistor amps I've ever owned:

- Gallien Krueger 112SC - Sort of a transistor Mesa Boogie with tremendous 
sustain and a neat "Contour" switch that boosted the highs and lows while 
cutting the mids.  (I wish I still had it.)

- Gallien Kreuger 250ML - Great clean sounds, especially with an Ovation 
acoustic/electric.  Average dirty sounds.  It's very loud and only the 
size of a shoe box.

- Peavey Special Wedge - It's shaped like a floor monitor and I prefer its 
tighter bottom end to my Mesa Boogie's somewhat floppy bottom end.

Getting back to your original question, "How accurate/flexible are the amp 
simulators?"

The SansAmp PSA-1 is very accurate and flexible.  A quick listen to the 
presets demonstrates this.

The Peavey ProFex is a somewhat different bird.  Its a hybrid 
preamp/multi-effects processor.  It's very easy to program and very 
flexible--you can place its effects modules in any order.  This is its 
single most important feature to me because it allows me to make "wrong" 
sounds.  For example, reverb into flange into distortion, instead of the 
usual distortion into flange into reverb.

If you are interested in programming your own sounds, you can really 
personalize your loops far beyond the notes you select to play.

The main difference that I've found between guitar amps and amp 
simulators, is that an amp consists of its own rainbow of sounds, while 
amp simulators consist of many different rainbows of sounds.  Granted, 
some of these "many different rainbows" don't appear to be useful, but 
somewhere down the road they may provide the exact color that you're 
looking for.

I hope this gives you a clearer picture of these two amp simulators.

Good luck,
Mark Kata
Mark@asisoftware.com