Digital Amp Modeling vs. Real Amps

Are amps dead?

I recently got my hands on a new electric guitar.

Now, I’ve been playing guitar for quite some time now (roughly since I was 11ish years old). However, I’ve never had a proper electric guitar setup as I have mostly played acoustic guitar in my journey. Lately I’ve been doing a lot of research on how I can build a setup that will do my wonderful new shell pink strat some justice and my conclusions shocked me.

Amps are… dead?

Okay okay hear me out. I know there are many amp users out there who get amazing sounds with their cranked tube amps that will borderline rage at my seemingly preposterous proposition, but I urge even these readers to consider how far digital amp and cab modeling has come. Also, I am writing this article in the perspective of a bedroom musician who is picky on their tone but also happens to need to play through an in-house PA system every week at church and desires easy recording capabilities via computer.

Taking a look at the Line6 Hx stomp and the Strymon Iridium were the main sources of reference in my findings, where I noticed just how many people are insanely in love with such products. There are arguments online that favor the Hx stomp as on par if not better than any mic + amp set up in a professional setting. Although I found this hard to believe at first since I have always seen videos of awesome guitar players using cool tube amps and loads of effects pedals, I realized that for people who aim to practice in their bedrooms, record things through their computer, and play directly through in-house PA systems, getting a pricey amp doesn’t make nearly as much sense as just getting something like the Hx stomp or Strymon Iridium and a few pedals to go along with it.

Amps in this sense are dead. For most people it just doesn’t make sense to crank their tube amps at home and rip amazing riffs for the entire neighborhood to hear. Sure that sound is amazing and has been unmatched for decades, however I am convinced that amp + cab modelers like the Hx stomp and Strymon Iridium are able to get those sounds but without the cost of angry neighbors. The digital age is upon us, so we ought to take advantage of it.