4/15/2024 0 Comments Amplitube 4 vs bias amp 2![]() ![]() At $500 I can justify the POD, and it makes a reasonable audio/MIDI device into a computer too. This is the challenge for me regarding Helix. Is all this more convenient and reliable than a real amp and complex pedal board? Maybe not, but it might be getting there. And you have to run a seperate app to convert Bluetooth to MIDI. ![]() Positivegird may have something better, but its still only 4 switches and Bluetooth which can have connectivity problems. It would likely never hold up in a gig situation, its too small, light, battery powered and only has 4 switches, not nearly enough. That needs to be attached to the stand too to prevent anything from pulling on the iPad connector. The audio output is a little more challenging - I use an adapter and a long-ish TRS insert cable to get stereo to my FRFR amp. An Apogee Jam HD is pretty solid and can be velcro'd to the back of the iPad stand or something. The issue though is getting sound into and out of the iPad, and getting MIDI control of the effects. Many of us who don't play out that often need them for lyrics and arrangement reminters too - but there's no excuse for not knowing the songs you're getting paid to play. an iPad is a pretty solid device, can be placed in a stand or case to harden it and is small and quick to pack away. Rd2rk, very well said, and I completely agree. To sum it up, the laws of physics bow to the laws of economics and the practical realities of performance take precedence over the virtual reality of the studio/bedroom. Crank it up and kick a$$! The POD is MORE than sufficient to that task! Live gigs (for most of us) are a brute force affair. And all of that sonic subtlety that the the computer sims are capable of? WASTED in that awful acoustic space on a gyrating crowd of drunks. ![]() Computers are fragile (think of the drunken biker who wants to dance on the stage with a full pitcher in his hand.), fickle (how good is the wiring in YOUR local bar), and expensive (the stage mgr is shouting "Hurry up and get off! the next act goes on in 13 seconds!" Oh damn, where'd my computer get to?).My POD, on the other hand is one single, dependable, practically indestructible and relatively inexpensive piece of gear. But would I take that rig to a live show? Not if I'm being paid, and not without my POD for a backup. When I'm listening thru headphones, or mixing with a DAW, the computer amp sims sound SOOO much better than the POD, and there are so many more very affordable options available for fine tuning the sound. And it costs, what, 5 times what a POD costs? Yet, I'll bet that BIAS or S-Gear could give it a run for the money and, combined with Amplitube and TH2 for pre/post fx, and the cost of a quality computer, still be cheaper.Ģ) Intended purpose. It's fanboys'll tell ya it's the holy grail of guitar sound. I'm guessing that there's a lot more ipads out there than PODS, and that they cost lots less to produce. So why isn't the HD500X more powerful? two main reasons:ġ) development/production cost vs profit per unit sold x # of units sold. I wonder how BIAS FX and something like S-Gear compares to Helix both in therms of tone and flexibility.Ĭruisinon2 - Exactly the point! If the designed to do a million things board were optimized to do one thing only, it seems to me that there's plenty of space in that big old HD500X case to put that ipad board. BIAS will run both amps and all these effects at the same time without a glitch on an iPad Air! How is it that an iPad has so much more computing power than an HD500X DSP?Īnd what does this mean for Helix? I like the idea of a good hardware device, but I'm thinking a good audio/MIDI interface, similar to an Apogee GiO into an iPad would be an interesting configuration, something that hardens up the connections. I designed my own amplifier, based on some circuits I built years ago in typical Fender mods, and added all the effects I would ever want to use: noise gate, Wah, compressor, octavier, overdrive, distortion, phasor, UniVibe, dual amps with different cabinets, tremelo, chorus, two delays, one short and one long, reverb and global EQ. Then I decided to see how far BIAS FX could go. I used an BlueBoard to get MIDI control through Bluetooth. The UI is very nice, easy to use and accessible. I have to say BIAS FX sounds pretty fantastic and is pretty convenient. I used a similar amp and effects setup, same speaker and mic, etc. I tried BIAS FX today using an Apogee Jam HD into the same FRFR I use with my HD500X. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |