Amazing video as always! I think the way you guys exposed the “Feeling” is the best explanation about what it really means. As we earn more level and experience as guitarists, the sound itself is not the only thing that matters when it comes down to tone. Digital can’t replicate it, is just that simple.
Interesting. That's where this missed for me, it really shines for digital interfaces whereas I still want to plug it into a speaker cab. So I still had to have some type of amp.
Just received my Simplifier X... this is a dream come true... fantastic "pedal"... amazing organic sound! Can't agree more with The Captain and Pete!!!
I bought this after watching a review as I was looking for a minimal practice and recording setup. I'm really impressed by the sound quality. I've been searching for a way to practice and record quietly. While the positive spark mini and pro were good, I couldn't connect the spark to my computer to record sound without experiencing latency and loss of quality. So, I tried using an interface with monitors and a tube amp head with a reactive loader box, but the setup was bulky and didn't feel right. Then I see the video of this product and how good Pete sounds, ordered it, and set it up yesterday. I'm amazed by the sound quality. There's no latency at all, and I can hear every note and nuance of my guitar through the monitors-it feels great. The clean and overdriven tones are incredibly rich. I don't have experience with really expensive amps, but playing with this gives me an idea of how they might feel. This device is perfect for my setup and keeps my desk space tidy. This a well-designed product. If it helps my setup up is Gibson es 339 -> Simplifier X -> UA Volt 2 -> KRK G5 monitors
5 місяців тому
Hi , just ordered this from Sweetwater. I plan on using my volt 2. . Do u just plug it with a clean of some other configuration. So glad to be done with apps and stuff. Thanks
I took the A/B outputs of the simplified to both of Volt's input. I switch between the channels using the foot switch. I then use Mainstage on a clean setting (without amps and effects) to control the output volumes from my laptop. Hope that helps.
5 місяців тому+1
@@zabilcm thanks, really excited to try. Have a good one
I somehow knew the guys work early on back in 2007. I was a part of a guitar forum where these guys were sharing their designs. DSM started doing a cab simulator (called condor). and it was built a lot back in the day. Im glad to see their progress along with darkglass electronics (as they also began sharing/working around the same year and shared their views on the same forums). The pedal takes boosters like an amp. The dynamic response is very usable and musical sounding. Congrats to DSM for this awesome pedal
Pete has really been killing the intro riffs and shorts riffs lately. Lot of darker tones and soulful blues underlying. This has an almost outlaw country/older Texas blues vibe to start. Midway through sounds like somebody contemporary who listened to a bunch of ZZ Top and a bunch of grunge then tried to mash it up.
Danish Pete's rant between 24:00 and 29:00 needs to be cut and shared all over the world. Hornes get to blow, Bass gets to thump, drums get the thrash, but God forbid the guitar player is too loud. Even for pros who don't turn up too loud with bad tone, you'll get yelled at to turn down as if the whole of the stage volume is all your fault. It's wild. I really appreciated the passion there and felt seen by another guitar player.
‘But my toooone’ - and that’s an instant no repeat booking. If you can’t get a good tone at a ‘every one happy’ volume, we don’t wanna hear your tone loud.
The thing I like the most about this is the fx loop. I love the dual fx loop option, but my favorite part is the ability to run both amps into the same loop.
I completely agree with you guys about the feel. I have only used digital modelers and plugins for more than 5 years when I began playing the guitar. When I bought my first tube amp, I felt this strong “connection” to my guitar like never before. Today’s plugins, profilers and modelers are great, they are really fantastic. Especially if someone wants to change something in their recordings afterwards, but they still can’t replace that feeling when I plug in to my AFD100 and just play like a madman. Keep up the good work and keep rockin’ ! 🤘🎩
Ordered the Simplifier X after this video. Couldn’t get the 1/4 outputs to work and got loads of noise from the xlr connections. No response from DSM.. Andertons said it was a known problem. Really wanted it to work but with only a 1 year warranty and a lot of people experiencing glitches out the box.. opted to return. Hope they can sort it out. Great concept.
Love how conscientious Lee is to get the information on every product EXACTLY right. I own the DLX. The only differences between the DSM-H Simplifier DLX and the 'X' is a) two separate effects loops, b) colored knobs in left & right side arrangement, c) Celestion black/blue/green speaker emulation, d) overdrive and distortion settings are added, e)Tube type choices are shown on the DLX, while the 'X' has 'Pre Type'. Will visit Andertons to buy a guitar or two.
Being able to easily cover so many playing styles makes Pete the perfect "product demo" guitar player! Whenever he's in the video I just know the demo aspect will be great!
As someone who toured extensively with the Simplifier Deluxe into an IEM system, i can say with impunity that even trained ears thought i had a big tube amp behind me. I cant wait to get ahold of one of these. #analogwillneverdie
I love the analog vs digital rant. I'm admittedly not a tube amp guy. I've always loved using solid state amps for some odd reason. But products like this are incredible. As soon as I have the cash, I'll be buying this. I'm dying to have it.
The Simplifier’s preamp signals were connected to the UA (digital) pedals. The UA pedals were applying A/D and D/A conversion to the signals before sending it back to the Simplifier’s power amp. So the sounds Lee and Pete heard in the room were indeed going through an A/D and then D/A conversion, albeit probably one of the better ones.
@@SavageBrewer I understand that. But unless I missed something, they had the delay pedal ON when they were playing and making all the comments about analog vs digital, feel, etc.
I mean Pete sure did get fired up there 😂 The reverb in the pedal is digital but not sure how they accomplished cab emulation without doing something there digitally as well.
I leave my amp at home now when I gig. Using an Orange Terror Stamp with a 1X12 Orange cab. Using the effects loop for my time based effects. Such a compact setup! Sounds amazing and way easier to cart around than my 60 lbs. 2X12 Orange CR120. SIMPLIFIER sounds great!
I have tried the Helix LT, Headrush, Hotone Ampero Stomp II... And I never got around to be 'happy' with the sound, and I agree that I enjoyed amps so much, that the digital thing kills the feeling. I had the DSM Deluxe and I think I will give this one a try. Thanks for this demo.
This looks amazing! Knob perfuction is where it's at - these are looking more like synths and that is a good thing. I just pray the Marshall stack and the wall of noise never goes away. Cheers for these vids and discussions!
I use the Simplifier mk 2. With the power and preamp basically cranked you get full use of your guitar volume knob and harmonically rich, thick tone. Crystal clean to 3, perfect breakup at 4-5, and roaring at 10.
Kudos to Pete on speaking for the masses. What guitar players are experiencing with digital is what keyboard players went through with early keyboards. The actual player benefits from velocity sensitivity. Early keyboards just had 3 sensitivity layers soft medium hard. The Dynamics were seriously compromised. Its gotten far better. But enter digital recording units and now you have latency. So yes “feel” can be enhanced by an unaffected dynamic range and zero latency. Immediacy of touch and response is king regardless of the medium or platform. Awesome content as always!!
My best advice is to find gear that you like and spend your time practicing and playing rather than continuing to spend all your time looking at new products.
Ignore the hype and just play your guitar with what you have. An amp and a guitar that you can stand to play. Like $2000 max. Could do it for less if pressed.
I'm a sound guy and I love cranked amps on the stage. It's the rest of the musicians who will tend to have problems because of how difficult monitoring becomes. The best option is to have the amp under the stage pointing at the opposite direction of the PA, mic it and send to monitors. BTW that simplifier sounds great.
With regard to the rant about "digital versus analog", I will say only this: you two guys need to go back and watch the videos again that you both did on the Fender ToneMaster amps, and how enthusiastic you both were that you couldn't tell the difference between those digital amplifiers and their valve-powered siblings. 😛 In other words, it's all just in your minds. 😝
You’re a missing a very, very, very important fact about those amps: They have a poweramp inside (even if it’s a digital one, it’s converting zeros and ones to actual electrical power). Even if them recorded it directly, the feel on this amps is far from a regular digital device to go direct.
I'm not sure what pedal builders have figured out lately, but this and pedals like the Sinvertek MGAT series sounds and feel like a tube pre-amp. Things like the Kemper and Quad Cortex do feel very close and sound identical once recorded, but at a much higher price and with some loss of enjoyment (for myself). Something like this has just the right amount of options without causing option paralysis. Edit: Playing devil's advocate here, all this talk about the feel and inspiration of analog vs digital, I think it's time for another blind A/B of amp vs Kemper/Cortex.
The price of the Sinvertek pedals, especially the MGAT is ridiculously high now on the used market. I'd like one if it were reasonably priced, but you see them listed as "mint" or "excellent" and they clearly have been through hell. Sat on a floor somewhere collecting dust and coffee spills, getting scraped up and scratched up, or the ridiculous dual lock that people use because they're afraid their pedal might grow wings and fly away from their home studio.
I LOVE my Simplifier Mk2 and learned about the X a few days ago. Im sad I did not get an order in for the first Sweetwater shipment because I INSTANTLY ordered one. Cant wait to get a dry/wet setup going.
@@kasparsonnemans4359 What is a normal cab? This is an amplifier pedal, not a mini amplifier. It does not put out any amount of "Watts" of power like a powered amplifier/speaker.
Hence why I was asking, so you mean you run it through two v22 combo amps using it as a preamp pedal more than the full amp setup. I would have been surprised if the simplifier had enough output to actually run the cabs is why.
@@kasparsonnemans4359 Yes, exactly. It is an amp emulation pedal of sorts. I like it as I can modify my tone very easily. It is also at the end of my pedal chain and the tone from the headphones is pretty much what I get out of my amps when they are set "clean". BTW, those amps are really nice. The stock speakers sound much like my G12M-65 Creamback. Very, very similar. (though the Celestions are in smallish cabs and lack on the low end. I fully expected to want to swap out the stock speakers, but I have been pleasantly surprised. Happy with my setup, but the longer I go on, I question needing the stereo setup. Do not utilize it often. Oh well.
Oh Pete! Excellent Rant!. You've been reading my mail. Why does the sound man think his problem should be mine? You're the sound man, you figure it out and I'll do my thing.
I've been playing for over 50 years. I currently use a UAFX Dream 65 for my amp, set clean, and then use pedals for drive. The response from the Dream is great. Put a drive pedal in front of it and it responds like a real amp. I had the Iridium and didn't get the same feel, even though I've now found out that the Iridium has a bit less latency, I still prefer the Dream. But now I want one of these!! 😂
I'm a huge fan of Pete's- and that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Just because Pete likes something literally means no more than me or you or anyone else liking something.
I had to test this whole digital latency thing, after that discussion. I have the original Ampli-Firebox and I split my signal going into two inputs on my interface, one was guitar to splitter pedal and straight in, other went from the splitter to the Ampli-Firebox before it went into the interface and the latency was... 3.9 millieseconds. I really struggle to believe that we could perceptibly feel that short of a time, unless you were in lab conditions listening to carefully prepared sound samples. When you are performing music and thinking about playing your part correctly, and with other musicians etc. I cannot see anyone having issues with that short of a time latency. I think it's confirmation bias, talking about how instantaneous the sound is with analogue.
I have the original DLX as well as a quad cortex. The difference between them I think comes down to this. A digital modeler gives you the sound of an amp that in theory is in the other room with a microphone hooked up, and you are hearing the microphone. The DLX gives you the sound as it would be at the source.
I’m a guitar player. and now more than a musician, I’m a sound guy who works mainly in a House of Worship environment. Man, we don’t have anything against anyone but the volume on stage that we need to bring down quite a lot if we want to have a 92db at FOH. so yeah, we will fight to bring down sound on stage. wether from a guitar or bass amp or from floor monitors or from drums by shielding them. at the end of the day, even out of that context, it’s about offering a good experience to the audience. and everybody doing everything to achieve that.
Lee saying playing through in ears is worse than through floor monitors definitely illustrates a massive difference in generation and experience haha. Having to play live only being able to hear the amp itself or through floor wedges is an absolute nightmare. I would take in ears over both any day of the week without question. I basically grew up playing live with in ears - when I was like 14 maybe. So it’s definitely an age thing
You need to do a blind test, with this, a pod go, a cheap Valeton, a real amp miked, etc. You will also need large to play it through large high quality speakers. Otherwise it's all placebo effect.
.... i do share your emotions regarding this knobby little box This is top notch analog engineering producing the most versatile range of - really really great - sounds me has ever come across out of 5 the nice guys at DSM really know their stuff ... i'm addicted to this analog feel too and i love the all analog approach. It does affect me so much that i always use a good analog booster or drive in front of the digital stuff ... which eases up the "digital" quite a bit but i do prefer my all analog stuff in front of the DAW Thanks a lot for sharing this "emotional" demo .... great stuff, great tones, great display
This thing sounded amazing. As a guy who rents a room in somebody else's house, this is perfect for getting great tone without bothering others. I wonder if it can replicate the sound of a small combo amp on the edge of breakup. All of the tones played today were gigantic sounding because Lee ALWAYS USES TOO MUCH REVERB. It probably would make any decent amp sound good by bypassing the preamp using the auxiliary input or effects return.
The thing is amazing. I was considering to buy one for my new "fly rig" and in the end decided to go with a ToneX - if money wasn't an issue I'd get a Simplifier X as well.
Can't "feel" be dialed in via a variable impedence input? So basically you can get "feel" and touch sensitivity with digital products to your liking as long as you have this as a feature- like in the Helix or the Z-tone feature on IK Multimedia interfaces, for example. Also- who cares if it's "1s and 0s"- once a sound wave is converted into electric oscillations, it is then a transformed representation of sound- the same of which occurs in intergrated circuits.
I was initially listening only, and Lee kept saying that the controls are mirror images of each other. I was thinking who on earth would want it that way, really confusing. Then I looked at my screen, turns out they’re not mirror images of each other at all. They are exact replicas, which is much better.
No. It's exactly like having a mirror in the middle. Exact replica. A mirror image is a replica reversed isn't it. Look at your face in a mirror to help you understand better if that hasn't cleared it up for you.
Looks rads, a few questions if i understood well : - Can I use it as a bi-amp and turn off 1 or both cabs if I want to use my cabs on stage ? - Can I use my cabs + send the sound to the sound guy (so I have my stage sound with cabs + always the same sound in front) ? - Can we use the footswitch to turn ON and OFF one the 2 amps from time to time ? Thanks!
Help me out here…. So, I’m looking for an upgrade to my Joyo AMS to go direct to my PA. I’m happy with one or two amp models in the pedal and reverb would be nice. Thought about an Iridium. I like the idea of one amp that’s adjustable and analog is nice. I don’t need stereo and I’d run it on my pedalboard with my own drives and effects. I hear Simplifier makes an even simpler version of this.
I have no experience with the DSM Simplifier X, but it seems like one of those pieces of gear that can produce amazing tones if you know what you're doing, yet might be challenging for someone new to gear. Even EytschPi42 initially had a hard time dialing in the Simplifier.
Hello Andertones! I like your love for this product! It is very contagious...however i am a Fuzz player...and not only a Fuzz Face kinda but a Tone Bender or a real raspy Fuzz Tone. Do yo know how this device react to ?
I think a lot of what people don't like about playing digital modelers is actually the sound of playing through an IR. The simplifier uses an analog speaker simulation and thus doesn't have the tone of a microphone baked into the tone. IRs emulate the tone of the speaker cabinet, microphone, and microphone preamp. If you've ever tried a digital modeler into an analog speaker sim or have skipped the IR and used a multi band EQ to filter the output instead you would know that they feel / sound much more direct when used in that manner. Another way to get a more direct feel from a digital modeler is to use a power amp and a traditional guitar cabinet with no IRs.
Amazing video and great commentary! Does anyone know how this takes Fuzz? I had the original Simplifier and it wasn't amazing with fuzz, but I know the team at DSM & Humboldt have put a ton of work into their products.
My first all tube amp was a Laney Cub 10. Just making that small jump from similarly priced solid state amps to that small Cub 10 was a revelation regarding tube amp response. It was like my entire world opened up after playing guitar from 1984 to 2014. It took 30 years (and an end to child support payments LOL) before I caved, and it should've been much sooner. I did some "valvestate" Peavey and Marshall for a long time beforehand and even went digital into circa 2004 Line6 style amp modeling before I jumped to tubes. Tubes... Ahhh Yes.....They're more expensive to purchase and maintain. They do require a good attenuator to push the power tubes to saturation and to get that spongy feel and natural compression that translates to additional sustain if you can't crank it up on a regular basis at home for practice and want it to sound it's best. Thats what makes the Simplifier X a great tool for many cases. Playing direct and having that feel still at tolerable volumes is fantastic. I like how Pete goes off on sound guys in his rant. LOL. "The Dane" pedal sounds stellar into this Simplifier.
I love this thing. I wanted the smaller first Simplifier when it came out years ago. Yet I went for a Line6 Pod Go, because of all the extra features, even though I preferred the sound of the Simplifier. I played through it once, never used it again and I sold it. Because I’ve always used AC30 amps I decided to buy the UA Ruby. Tried it once, didn’t like it. It’s time to do what I should’ve done. I’m going to sell the Ruby and buy the Simplifier X. It’s the sound. It feels like I’m listening to a real amp instead of a digital approximation of an amp. ❤
Sounds great, as most things do through your hands. Was surprised by your conversation around feel though. You’ve shown time and again in blindfold tests (ahem, Kemper) that you can’t feel the difference between digital, no discernible lag at all I believe you concluded. Nonetheless great rundown of a lovely product.
I'd love to see a blind test of a few of these kind of products. I feel like you guys are predisposed to like analog gear (I am as well!), and it's hard to overcome unconscious biases. How about a line up of this (or the normal Mk2), the Iridium, the Walrus ACS1, the Tonex, a Helix, a Quad Cortex, and some of the true valve ampless gear (like the Victory or Milkman pedal amps), with Pete, Rabea and Digital John and see which comes out on top? I'd love to know if some of the high end digital modelling gear can actually emulate that "feel", as well as whether the more digital leaning guys agree with what sounds and feels best
These things all look great, but they are not really a complete rig are they? I would still need something to amplify the sound wouldn’t I.. I like the idea, but am struggling to see how I could move from physical amp to this
Yes, I bought the earlier version and yes if you want to run through a cab I believe you had to have some type of amplifier, which altered the sound. I think it is best for someone playing directly into the PA system 4 into a computer digital interface.
Thanks for this great review. Now, how does it compare vs the UAFX Dream 65 from a "feel" perspective? Does the analog nature of the product make it a more "organic" playing experience... I currently use a multi effect and I am looking at getting this more "organic" sound from my set-up.
Can I use the simplifier (1st generation) together with the tonex one? I mean, beside of using the tonex in the stomp-mode as an effect, for example as an Overdrive. Thank U for supporting the guys from Chile. I‘m exactly the guy who likes an amp in a small box, but gets confused by all this digital stuff 😜
The "feel" discussion is needed. As a teacher, over the years, I've noticed that people who have learned on latency rich digital kit tend to lose the tempo when they first play a decent analogue amp.
@@morganghetti What you say is true on the latest generation of kit. I have been teaching since before the Spider 1 and, through the years, cheaper digital kit aimed at beginners has interfered with some students timing. The manufacturers used to "get away with it" by quoting the lowest latency on a non-processor heavy patch. add an amp sim, comp, reverb, mod and delay and the pocket becomes harder to find. New stuff is mostly nice to play and "we've never 'ad it so good" which is kinda what I was trying to say!
Please let me know what tele is it and where to buy ? It just great guitar ! I like the Danish Pete's feeling description x digital ! I bought "low latency digital" and I was just not able to play with it ! Simplifier X ordered just now !
Not sure if this was covered or maybe I missed this: You are running this straight into your interface, so for live performances or in rehearsals does this have to be plugged into a power amplifier that is connected to a speaker cabinet, or is the power amp built in? "Zero watt" is printed on the front of the unit, so that would seem to indicate that you still need an amp and speaker cabinet, right?
And a quick PS; If you watch Jim Lill's video about where an amp's 'sound' comes from....this pedal makes perfect sense. I was going to try and build the tackle box amp, but here, they've done it for me.
That tone through the Tele towards the end... so good!
Amazing video as always! I think the way you guys exposed the “Feeling” is the best explanation about what it really means. As we earn more level and experience as guitarists, the sound itself is not the only thing that matters when it comes down to tone. Digital can’t replicate it, is just that simple.
Bluguitar Amp1 is similar but has 100w power amp built in. AmpX will be interesting if released this year.
Interesting. That's where this missed for me, it really shines for digital interfaces whereas I still want to plug it into a speaker cab. So I still had to have some type of amp.
Just received my Simplifier X... this is a dream come true... fantastic "pedal"... amazing organic sound! Can't agree more with The Captain and Pete!!!
I bought this after watching a review as I was looking for a minimal practice and recording setup. I'm really impressed by the sound quality.
I've been searching for a way to practice and record quietly. While the positive spark mini and pro were good, I couldn't connect the spark to my computer to record sound without experiencing latency and loss of quality.
So, I tried using an interface with monitors and a tube amp head with a reactive loader box, but the setup was bulky and didn't feel right. Then I see the video of this product and how good Pete sounds, ordered it, and set it up yesterday. I'm amazed by the sound quality. There's no latency at all, and I can hear every note and nuance of my guitar through the monitors-it feels great. The clean and overdriven tones are incredibly rich. I don't have experience with really expensive amps, but playing with this gives me an idea of how they might feel. This device is perfect for my setup and keeps my desk space tidy. This a well-designed product.
If it helps my setup up is Gibson es 339 -> Simplifier X -> UA Volt 2 -> KRK G5 monitors
Hi , just ordered this from Sweetwater. I plan on using my volt 2. . Do u just plug it with a clean of some other configuration. So glad to be done with apps and stuff. Thanks
I took the A/B outputs of the simplified to both of Volt's input. I switch between the channels using the foot switch.
I then use Mainstage on a clean setting (without amps and effects) to control the output volumes from my laptop.
Hope that helps.
@@zabilcm thanks, really excited to try. Have a good one
I somehow knew the guys work early on back in 2007. I was a part of a guitar forum where these guys were sharing their designs. DSM started doing a cab simulator (called condor). and it was built a lot back in the day. Im glad to see their progress along with darkglass electronics (as they also began sharing/working around the same year and shared their views on the same forums). The pedal takes boosters like an amp. The dynamic response is very usable and musical sounding. Congrats to DSM for this awesome pedal
Even for Pete's standards, that intro was amazing, some beautiful chords.
Pete has really been killing the intro riffs and shorts riffs lately. Lot of darker tones and soulful blues underlying. This has an almost outlaw country/older Texas blues vibe to start. Midway through sounds like somebody contemporary who listened to a bunch of ZZ Top and a bunch of grunge then tried to mash it up.
An Ariel Posen vibe I thought 👍
💜💜
@@andy.robinsondefinitely!
Danish Pete's rant between 24:00 and 29:00 needs to be cut and shared all over the world. Hornes get to blow, Bass gets to thump, drums get the thrash, but God forbid the guitar player is too loud. Even for pros who don't turn up too loud with bad tone, you'll get yelled at to turn down as if the whole of the stage volume is all your fault. It's wild.
I really appreciated the passion there and felt seen by another guitar player.
There's an Allen Hinds rant online of similar feeling although he tells the sound man, "you're the sound man and that's your problem".
As a fellow guitar player I mostly agree, but I still kinda read this as “boohoo I play guitar and I’m in the minority” 😂
‘But my toooone’ - and that’s an instant no repeat booking. If you can’t get a good tone at a ‘every one happy’ volume, we don’t wanna hear your tone loud.
Man, Pete really grew there! 🙏🏻🎸
The thing I like the most about this is the fx loop. I love the dual fx loop option, but my favorite part is the ability to run both amps into the same loop.
I completely agree with you guys about the feel. I have only used digital modelers and plugins for more than 5 years when I began playing the guitar. When I bought my first tube amp, I felt this strong “connection” to my guitar like never before.
Today’s plugins, profilers and modelers are great, they are really fantastic. Especially if someone wants to change something in their recordings afterwards, but they still can’t replace that feeling when I plug in to my AFD100 and just play like a madman.
Keep up the good work and keep rockin’ ! 🤘🎩
LOL
Ordered the Simplifier X after this video. Couldn’t get the 1/4 outputs to work and got loads of noise from the xlr connections. No response from DSM.. Andertons said it was a known problem. Really wanted it to work but with only a 1 year warranty and a lot of people experiencing glitches out the box.. opted to return. Hope they can sort it out. Great concept.
My GOD - that jam at the beginning was sooooooo damn GOOD!!!
PETE, YOU ARE JUST SUBLIME
Love how conscientious Lee is to get the information on every product EXACTLY right. I own the DLX. The only differences between the DSM-H Simplifier DLX and the 'X' is a) two separate effects loops, b) colored knobs in left & right side arrangement, c) Celestion black/blue/green speaker emulation, d) overdrive and distortion settings are added, e)Tube type choices are shown on the DLX, while the 'X' has 'Pre Type'. Will visit Andertons to buy a guitar or two.
Lee "Isn't it [the falsely-advertised Blackstar HT Venue series of hybrid amps] valve enough?" Anderton
Being able to easily cover so many playing styles makes Pete the perfect "product demo" guitar player! Whenever he's in the video I just know the demo aspect will be great!
As someone who toured extensively with the Simplifier Deluxe into an IEM system, i can say with impunity that even trained ears thought i had a big tube amp behind me. I cant wait to get ahold of one of these. #analogwillneverdie
The Captain sounded amazing.
Sounds so good! Ordered. Cannot wait to try.
I love the analog vs digital rant. I'm admittedly not a tube amp guy. I've always loved using solid state amps for some odd reason. But products like this are incredible. As soon as I have the cash, I'll be buying this. I'm dying to have it.
The Simplifier’s preamp signals were connected to the UA (digital) pedals. The UA pedals were applying A/D and D/A conversion to the signals before sending it back to the Simplifier’s power amp. So the sounds Lee and Pete heard in the room were indeed going through an A/D and then D/A conversion, albeit probably one of the better ones.
Those pedals ship in true bypass mode, you can enable buffered bypass.
@@SavageBrewer I understand that. But unless I missed something, they had the delay pedal ON when they were playing and making all the comments about analog vs digital, feel, etc.
UA pedals have analog dry thru meaning the uneffected portion of the signal is not digitally converted.
@@vondoom2876ah, yes. That would negate the point I was making.
I mean Pete sure did get fired up there 😂
The reverb in the pedal is digital but not sure how they accomplished cab emulation without doing something there digitally as well.
Had mine for a week and I'm totally digging it - sounds, ease of use and output flexibility
I leave my amp at home now when I gig. Using an Orange Terror Stamp with a 1X12 Orange cab. Using the effects loop for my time based effects. Such a compact setup! Sounds amazing and way easier to cart around than my 60 lbs. 2X12 Orange CR120. SIMPLIFIER sounds great!
I have tried the Helix LT, Headrush, Hotone Ampero Stomp II... And I never got around to be 'happy' with the sound, and I agree that I enjoyed amps so much, that the digital thing kills the feeling. I had the DSM Deluxe and I think I will give this one a try. Thanks for this demo.
This looks amazing! Knob perfuction is where it's at - these are looking more like synths and that is a good thing. I just pray the Marshall stack and the wall of noise never goes away. Cheers for these vids and discussions!
Great video, guys! Cheers!
I use the Simplifier mk 2. With the power and preamp basically cranked you get full use of your guitar volume knob and harmonically rich, thick tone. Crystal clean to 3, perfect breakup at 4-5, and roaring at 10.
Kudos to Pete on speaking for the masses. What guitar players are experiencing with digital is what keyboard players went through with early keyboards. The actual player benefits from velocity sensitivity. Early keyboards just had 3 sensitivity layers soft medium hard. The Dynamics were seriously compromised. Its gotten far better. But enter digital recording units and now you have latency. So yes “feel” can be enhanced by an unaffected dynamic range and zero latency. Immediacy of touch and response is king regardless of the medium or platform. Awesome content as always!!
What a great pedal and CABSIM 🤣 The Lore in this episode of Andertons TV is amazing- You guys should put Pete into more demos \m/
Thats amazing! It's so much fun to hear and see you play. The Simplifier X is great.
Mind blowing how should I manage all those devices pop up here and there, this is a lifetime journey
“Consumerism”
You don't have to. ;)
My best advice is to find gear that you like and spend your time practicing and playing rather than continuing to spend all your time looking at new products.
Ignore the hype and just play your guitar with what you have. An amp and a guitar that you can stand to play. Like $2000 max. Could do it for less if pressed.
Thank you for making these videos with Pete! Could not agree more what Pete was preaching about analog vs digital 🙏🏻
I'm a sound guy and I love cranked amps on the stage. It's the rest of the musicians who will tend to have problems because of how difficult monitoring becomes. The best option is to have the amp under the stage pointing at the opposite direction of the PA, mic it and send to monitors. BTW that simplifier sounds great.
Pete digital vs analog blind test when?
Yeah that's what I wanna see let's see his you have to be a good player with loads of experience to feel it
How about this one? ua-cam.com/video/kpY12eLvrn0/v-deo.htmlsi=p62HyG_ZwaA2oF4g
The boomer bend is the weapon of the analog Jedi!
Holy hell that thing sounds good. And it's played by an absolute guitar wizard to boot.
Joey Landreth endorses everything so not sure how much that sways me anymore 😂
With regard to the rant about "digital versus analog", I will say only this: you two guys need to go back and watch the videos again that you both did on the Fender ToneMaster amps, and how enthusiastic you both were that you couldn't tell the difference between those digital amplifiers and their valve-powered siblings. 😛
In other words, it's all just in your minds. 😝
You’re a missing a very, very, very important fact about those amps:
They have a poweramp inside (even if it’s a digital one, it’s converting zeros and ones to actual electrical power). Even if them recorded it directly, the feel on this amps is far from a regular digital device to go direct.
@@dsmhumboldt, have you ever heard like zero or 1 sounds ? DAC is always making electricity before you hear notes, OK with this?
All of you are missing the point that these guys are here to move gear. Doesn't matter if it's digital or analog.
@@stuartangel8212BINGO !
They rave about everything because it's sales. They're salesmen.
Great demo, awesome tones and playing! Really like the look of it too. Cheers
Gotta say the tones in this were crazy good
I'm not sure what pedal builders have figured out lately, but this and pedals like the Sinvertek MGAT series sounds and feel like a tube pre-amp. Things like the Kemper and Quad Cortex do feel very close and sound identical once recorded, but at a much higher price and with some loss of enjoyment (for myself). Something like this has just the right amount of options without causing option paralysis.
Edit: Playing devil's advocate here, all this talk about the feel and inspiration of analog vs digital, I think it's time for another blind A/B of amp vs Kemper/Cortex.
The price of the Sinvertek pedals, especially the MGAT is ridiculously high now on the used market. I'd like one if it were reasonably priced, but you see them listed as "mint" or "excellent" and they clearly have been through hell. Sat on a floor somewhere collecting dust and coffee spills, getting scraped up and scratched up, or the ridiculous dual lock that people use because they're afraid their pedal might grow wings and fly away from their home studio.
this was a great "podcast" for me while I worked on a guitar kit lol you guys are the best, rock on!
I really dig the intro logo work. Super cool...
That really sounds good. Perfect for the studio.
I LOVE my Simplifier Mk2 and learned about the X a few days ago. Im sad I did not get an order in for the first Sweetwater shipment because I INSTANTLY ordered one. Cant wait to get a dry/wet setup going.
Joey! That’s a big endorsement. I love my simplifier - I travel with it almost exclusively now when I just want to jam on the road.
I use my MKII in front of two Bugera V22 cabs for a stereo rig. What a reasonably priced, flexible and awesome sounding rig.
Does the simplifier output enough to work through normal cabs?
@@kasparsonnemans4359 What is a normal cab? This is an amplifier pedal, not a mini amplifier. It does not put out any amount of "Watts" of power like a powered amplifier/speaker.
Hence why I was asking, so you mean you run it through two v22 combo amps using it as a preamp pedal more than the full amp setup. I would have been surprised if the simplifier had enough output to actually run the cabs is why.
@@kasparsonnemans4359 Yes, exactly. It is an amp emulation pedal of sorts. I like it as I can modify my tone very easily. It is also at the end of my pedal chain and the tone from the headphones is pretty much what I get out of my amps when they are set "clean". BTW, those amps are really nice. The stock speakers sound much like my G12M-65 Creamback. Very, very similar. (though the Celestions are in smallish cabs and lack on the low end. I fully expected to want to swap out the stock speakers, but I have been pleasantly surprised. Happy with my setup, but the longer I go on, I question needing the stereo setup. Do not utilize it often. Oh well.
Oh Pete! Excellent Rant!. You've been reading my mail. Why does the sound man think his problem should be mine? You're the sound man, you figure it out and I'll do my thing.
Getting towards the end of the Video I totally agree with Pete about the sound and feel of analog gear and sound guys.
I've been playing for over 50 years. I currently use a UAFX Dream 65 for my amp, set clean, and then use pedals for drive. The response from the Dream is great. Put a drive pedal in front of it and it responds like a real amp. I had the Iridium and didn't get the same feel, even though I've now found out that the Iridium has a bit less latency, I still prefer the Dream. But now I want one of these!! 😂
When Pete gets that excited about a product... Buy it !
I'm a huge fan of Pete's- and that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Just because Pete likes something literally means no more than me or you or anyone else liking something.
@@stoneysdead689 you're kidding...really? Jesus buddy, lighten up lol
when is he not excited?
@Paolo4002 Pete's passion and playing showed the potential and so I ordered one
You can tell when he's excited because he laughs like Basil Brush. lol
I had to test this whole digital latency thing, after that discussion. I have the original Ampli-Firebox and I split my signal going into two inputs on my interface, one was guitar to splitter pedal and straight in, other went from the splitter to the Ampli-Firebox before it went into the interface and the latency was... 3.9 millieseconds. I really struggle to believe that we could perceptibly feel that short of a time, unless you were in lab conditions listening to carefully prepared sound samples. When you are performing music and thinking about playing your part correctly, and with other musicians etc. I cannot see anyone having issues with that short of a time latency. I think it's confirmation bias, talking about how instantaneous the sound is with analogue.
I have the original DLX as well as a quad cortex. The difference between them I think comes down to this. A digital modeler gives you the sound of an amp that in theory is in the other room with a microphone hooked up, and you are hearing the microphone. The DLX gives you the sound as it would be at the source.
I’m a guitar player. and now more than a musician, I’m a sound guy who works mainly in a House of Worship environment. Man, we don’t have anything against anyone but the volume on stage that we need to bring down quite a lot if we want to have a 92db at FOH. so yeah, we will fight to bring down sound on stage. wether from a guitar or bass amp or from floor monitors or from drums by shielding them. at the end of the day, even out of that context, it’s about offering a good experience to the audience. and everybody doing everything to achieve that.
Orgulloso del DSM Humboldt 🐧🇨🇱, tengo mk2 y le amo
Sounds great but how are we supposed to make a judgement if other pedals are also plugged in, would prefer to hear this item in isolation
Lee saying playing through in ears is worse than through floor monitors definitely illustrates a massive difference in generation and experience haha. Having to play live only being able to hear the amp itself or through floor wedges is an absolute nightmare.
I would take in ears over both any day of the week without question. I basically grew up playing live with in ears - when I was like 14 maybe.
So it’s definitely an age thing
Monday, baby! Very excited. Nice demo.
So many choices now. I bought the Line 6 Pod Express - but I'll buy more for sure!
I wish every company did that swich on the aux in to route it headphones only or to main outs! finally! great thinking
You need to do a blind test, with this, a pod go, a cheap Valeton, a real amp miked, etc. You will also need large to play it through large high quality speakers.
Otherwise it's all placebo effect.
How does this compete with the likes of the IK Multimedia ToneX pedal?
This is sooo me! My mate got a Kemper and it took him a week sitting on the floor with the manual to set it up. Me I want simple and this is Perfect!
Pretty good tone there Pete for a non-purple guitar. Nice guys!!
.... i do share your emotions regarding this knobby little box
This is top notch analog engineering producing the most versatile range of - really really great - sounds me has ever come across out of 5 the nice guys at DSM really know their stuff ... i'm addicted to this analog feel too and i love the all analog approach. It does affect me so much that i always use a good analog booster or drive in front of the digital stuff ... which eases up the "digital" quite a bit but i do prefer my all analog stuff in front of the DAW
Thanks a lot for sharing this "emotional" demo .... great stuff, great tones, great display
This thing sounded amazing. As a guy who rents a room in somebody else's house, this is perfect for getting great tone without bothering others. I wonder if it can replicate the sound of a small combo amp on the edge of breakup. All of the tones played today were gigantic sounding because Lee ALWAYS USES TOO MUCH REVERB. It probably would make any decent amp sound good by bypassing the preamp using the auxiliary input or effects return.
Glad you did this demo. I was worried the 'Simp'lifier would turn me into an obsequious dweeb
The thing is amazing. I was considering to buy one for my new "fly rig" and in the end decided to go with a ToneX - if money wasn't an issue I'd get a Simplifier X as well.
You can't use that word, Pete! But we got it haha love the passion. Great playing btw, Pete and Capn, love it!
Well said Pete - good rant, heartfelt.
I’d be real interested in you doing a comparison between this product and Universal Audio products
Yes, please tell us how the feel compares to playing thru UA Lion or Dream
Sounds really awesome for slightly overdriven sounds, which is where pure digital stuff usually falls apart for me.
Can't "feel" be dialed in via a variable impedence input? So basically you can get "feel" and touch sensitivity with digital products to your liking as long as you have this as a feature- like in the Helix or the Z-tone feature on IK Multimedia interfaces, for example. Also- who cares if it's "1s and 0s"- once a sound wave is converted into electric oscillations, it is then a transformed representation of sound- the same of which occurs in intergrated circuits.
Great playing Craig!!
I was initially listening only, and Lee kept saying that the controls are mirror images of each other. I was thinking who on earth would want it that way, really confusing. Then I looked at my screen, turns out they’re not mirror images of each other at all. They are exact replicas, which is much better.
No. It's exactly like having a mirror in the middle. Exact replica. A mirror image is a replica reversed isn't it. Look at your face in a mirror to help you understand better if that hasn't cleared it up for you.
Duplicate is the word you're looking for.
The whole intro feels like a badass "Roadhouse" vibe to it
Amazing, work of art, a nerdy guy's heaven.
Looks rads, a few questions if i understood well :
- Can I use it as a bi-amp and turn off 1 or both cabs if I want to use my cabs on stage ?
- Can I use my cabs + send the sound to the sound guy (so I have my stage sound with cabs + always the same sound in front) ?
- Can we use the footswitch to turn ON and OFF one the 2 amps from time to time ?
Thanks!
Help me out here…. So, I’m looking for an upgrade to my Joyo AMS to go direct to my PA. I’m happy with one or two amp models in the pedal and reverb would be nice. Thought about an Iridium. I like the idea of one amp that’s adjustable and analog is nice. I don’t need stereo and I’d run it on my pedalboard with my own drives and effects. I hear Simplifier makes an even simpler version of this.
I have no experience with the DSM Simplifier X, but it seems like one of those pieces of gear that can produce amazing tones if you know what you're doing, yet might be challenging for someone new to gear. Even EytschPi42 initially had a hard time dialing in the Simplifier.
Hello Andertones! I like your love for this product! It is very contagious...however i am a Fuzz player...and not only a Fuzz Face kinda but a Tone Bender or a real raspy Fuzz Tone. Do yo know how this device react to ?
I think a lot of what people don't like about playing digital modelers is actually the sound of playing through an IR. The simplifier uses an analog speaker simulation and thus doesn't have the tone of a microphone baked into the tone. IRs emulate the tone of the speaker cabinet, microphone, and microphone preamp. If you've ever tried a digital modeler into an analog speaker sim or have skipped the IR and used a multi band EQ to filter the output instead you would know that they feel / sound much more direct when used in that manner. Another way to get a more direct feel from a digital modeler is to use a power amp and a traditional guitar cabinet with no IRs.
Amazing video and great commentary! Does anyone know how this takes Fuzz? I had the original Simplifier and it wasn't amazing with fuzz, but I know the team at DSM & Humboldt have put a ton of work into their products.
I remember when Mick and Dan tried the Iridium for the first time they remarked it was like hearing back a recorded amp
My first all tube amp was a Laney Cub 10. Just making that small jump from similarly priced solid state amps to that small Cub 10 was a revelation regarding tube amp response. It was like my entire world opened up after playing guitar from 1984 to 2014. It took 30 years (and an end to child support payments LOL) before I caved, and it should've been much sooner. I did some "valvestate" Peavey and Marshall for a long time beforehand and even went digital into circa 2004 Line6 style amp modeling before I jumped to tubes.
Tubes... Ahhh Yes.....They're more expensive to purchase and maintain. They do require a good attenuator to push the power tubes to saturation and to get that spongy feel and natural compression that translates to additional sustain if you can't crank it up on a regular basis at home for practice and want it to sound it's best.
Thats what makes the Simplifier X a great tool for many cases. Playing direct and having that feel still at tolerable volumes is fantastic.
I like how Pete goes off on sound guys in his rant. LOL. "The Dane" pedal sounds stellar into this Simplifier.
I love this thing. I wanted the smaller first Simplifier when it came out years ago. Yet I went for a Line6 Pod Go, because of all the extra features, even though I preferred the sound of the Simplifier. I played through it once, never used it again and I sold it. Because I’ve always used AC30 amps I decided to buy the UA Ruby. Tried it once, didn’t like it. It’s time to do what I should’ve done. I’m going to sell the Ruby and buy the Simplifier X. It’s the sound. It feels like I’m listening to a real amp instead of a digital approximation of an amp. ❤
I like the sound of the DSM Simplifier X... how does it sound in front of an FRFR amp like the Tonemaster FRFR 12 ?
I'd be really interested to see your guys opinion on the Tech 21 flyrig / character series / PSA 2.0 kind of stuff 🙂
I wonder how this compares to the Quilter Superblock analog amp sim?
Sounds great, as most things do through your hands. Was surprised by your conversation around feel though. You’ve shown time and again in blindfold tests (ahem, Kemper) that you can’t feel the difference between digital, no discernible lag at all I believe you concluded. Nonetheless great rundown of a lovely product.
I'd love to see a blind test of a few of these kind of products. I feel like you guys are predisposed to like analog gear (I am as well!), and it's hard to overcome unconscious biases. How about a line up of this (or the normal Mk2), the Iridium, the Walrus ACS1, the Tonex, a Helix, a Quad Cortex, and some of the true valve ampless gear (like the Victory or Milkman pedal amps), with Pete, Rabea and Digital John and see which comes out on top? I'd love to know if some of the high end digital modelling gear can actually emulate that "feel", as well as whether the more digital leaning guys agree with what sounds and feels best
These things all look great, but they are not really a complete rig are they? I would still need something to amplify the sound wouldn’t I.. I like the idea, but am struggling to see how I could move from physical amp to this
Take a look a quilter super block - all analog similar size and is actually a 25watt amp so happily powers a cab - and is £200 cheaper than this
I think if you were playing live you would run it through the PA system, run it into the mixer with the XLR outs. Or practice with the headphone out.
Yes, I bought the earlier version and yes if you want to run through a cab I believe you had to have some type of amplifier, which altered the sound.
I think it is best for someone playing directly into the PA system 4 into a computer digital interface.
Thanks for this great review. Now, how does it compare vs the UAFX Dream 65 from a "feel" perspective? Does the analog nature of the product make it a more "organic" playing experience... I currently use a multi effect and I am looking at getting this more "organic" sound from my set-up.
Can I use the simplifier (1st generation) together with the tonex one? I mean, beside of using the tonex in the stomp-mode as an effect, for example as an Overdrive. Thank U for supporting the guys from Chile. I‘m exactly the guy who likes an amp in a small box, but gets confused by all this digital stuff 😜
The "feel" discussion is needed. As a teacher, over the years, I've noticed that people who have learned on latency rich digital kit tend to lose the tempo when they first play a decent analogue amp.
The latency is imperceptible. Maybe it's because they are students.
@@morganghetti What you say is true on the latest generation of kit. I have been teaching since before the Spider 1 and, through the years, cheaper digital kit aimed at beginners has interfered with some students timing. The manufacturers used to "get away with it" by quoting the lowest latency on a non-processor heavy patch. add an amp sim, comp, reverb, mod and delay and the pocket becomes harder to find. New stuff is mostly nice to play and "we've never 'ad it so good" which is kinda what I was trying to say!
Please let me know what tele is it and where to buy ? It just great guitar ! I like the Danish Pete's feeling description x digital !
I bought "low latency digital" and I was just not able to play with it ! Simplifier X ordered just now !
This is awesome. Serious question, why would you buy this over a Blackstar amped 3?
Not sure if this was covered or maybe I missed this: You are running this straight into your interface, so for live performances or in rehearsals does this have to be plugged into a power amplifier that is connected to a speaker cabinet, or is the power amp built in? "Zero watt" is printed on the front of the unit, so that would seem to indicate that you still need an amp and speaker cabinet, right?
No, justo into front of house or a PA.
And a quick PS; If you watch Jim Lill's video about where an amp's 'sound' comes from....this pedal makes perfect sense. I was going to try and build the tackle box amp, but here, they've done it for me.
I wonder if you blindfold Rob would he tell the difference between this and an amp?
Make this and the IR-X fight!
always watching from philipines..!