New Line 6 amp....

[jdurso]

So Line 6 finally unveiled their big secret with the Spider Valve.... teaming up with Bogner to make a full valve amp that has digital modelling fused with the preamp section..... i played a Vetta for a few years and was always happy for the amp i got for my money (payed 600 for a 2x12 combo).... what made me come back to mesa was me making more money to afford a $2000 amp and the fact that there's just something about tubes that modellers can't get to.... maybe until now.... but here's what im sceptical about.....

1. The preamp section uses 2 12ax7s.... BUT..... the 2nd 12ax7 doesn't add any tone stack to the preamp section... instead thats where the modeller is integrated... so basically all of the tone stacking is done via 1s and 0s.... which is the key for them being able to try and replicate 12 different amps..... now what if i wanted a hotter 12ax7 for a little higher distortion? would one have to buy tubes just from L6? makes me think its a nice attempt but for the tube junkies they're taking all the fun out of tube swapping

2. same arguement as above for the power amp section.... it uses 6l6s but would one be able to switch out the stock ones for different types? could you try and swap out for 6v6s, k77s, or el34s to try and go for different flavors?

3. this is a basic attempt in my eyes to fill that gap that has plagued modellers from the beginning... being able to replicate the feel of a tube amp... since this is basically a tube amp with a modelling section in it how will it stack up to the real things? ok so you'll never being able to nail a recto 100% unless you have a recto but with the preamp being digitally modelled will all this work i still have my doubts about getting the full feel of a tube amp because nothing digitally can model an organic reacting tube... atleast not with the processing power out there..... these maybe great for recording and a crowd may not hear a difference, but for me its about how the amp feels

4. it seems like they completely forgot about the library of effects of the vetta line which i thought were pretty **** good.... if you have an amp that can bank 300+ presets why would they skimp out on the effects and make this thing an all in one machione? i can understand they wanted to keep the price down and started with the spider line but i hope they rebuilt the vetta on this platform... if they dont thats sad

any thoughts?

 

[Charlie]

I'd really like to try one of these out.

This thing would probably make a really awesome practice amp.

 

[Rocky]

You can't use anything but 6L6 power tubes in the Spider Valve.

I tried one and was impressed. THe insane channels are based on Rectifiers and get very close. The Combo I got to use was WAY more than just a practice amp.....it was LOUD AS HELL.

 

[jdurso]

You can't use anything but 6L6 power tubes in the Spider Valve.

I tried one and was impressed. THe insane channels are based on Rectifiers and get very close. The Combo I got to use was WAY more than just a practice amp.....it was LOUD AS HELL.

how would you compare it to a vetta in terms of tone..... the spider line can't compare to the editing power of the vetta line, but my gripe with my vetta was always the lack of tube character..... i always the the tones were good but there was always something keeping it from being great..... the one good thing was the consistancy..... my roadster has its days where it just sound ok and other days where it sounds amazing..... i'm very curious to test drive one... but i'm almost timid to do it because it might make me feel like **** if it comes close to my new $2000 amp..... i wish i had the financial flexibility to just buy what stuff and not risk regretting the purchase

 

[Rocky]

I always thought the whole editing thing was stupid..you can't edit a tube amp.


Th Spider Valve is a really versatile tube amp. It doesnt have all the silly gimics or models that REALLY dont sound like the amp they are based off. It is what it is. You turn the knobs til you get a sound you like....just like a regular amp.

 

[jdurso]

I always thought the whole editing thing was stupid..you can't edit a tube amp.


Th Spider Valve is a really versatile tube amp. It doesnt have all the silly gimics or models that REALLY dont sound like the amp they are based off. It is what it is. You turn the knobs til you get a sound you like....just like a regular amp.

What i meant by editing is the fx ..... i agree unless i'm working with an eventide unit the less editing the better... but i think effects need some sort of editibility (is that a word???)

 

[cant play pool with a rop]

I played one today, I liked the high gain modes but not the clean at all. This is a great practice at home amp though.

 

[Rocky]

That is more than a practice amp. Te one I played was more than loud enough to play in a band setting....unless the band is one of those "if you can't be good be loud" type of acts.

 

[ytse_jam]

You can't use anything but 6L6 power tubes in the Spider Valve.

I tried one and was impressed. THe insane channels are based on Rectifiers and get very close. The Combo I got to use was WAY more than just a practice amp.....it was LOUD AS HELL.

Have you ever played one of the fully digital old spiders? Would you say the spidervalve is a completely different thing or that it in some way enhances and add tubes' warmth to the old base-tone they had?

 

[disassembled]

I thought the AXE FX is taking over the modeling industry. I was reading a thread over on the Line6 board where some supporters of the AXE FX were throwing up some realistic sounding tones that surprised a lot of people.

The AXE FX is taking a different approach to modeling and it seems to make a difference tonally. I don't know if this is just the next wave of gimmicks but I might have to order one just to check it out.


The spider valve is a POD coupled to a tube amp.....this has been done before so I don't see it as a great achievement on Line6's part. The Bogner name on the amp is more of an achievement than anything else.


Greg

 

[MusicManJP6]

I'd really like to try one of these out.

This thing would probably make a really awesome practice amp.

That's what I'm thinking...

 

[Rocky]

You can't use anything but 6L6 power tubes in the Spider Valve.

I tried one and was impressed. THe insane channels are based on Rectifiers and get very close. The Combo I got to use was WAY more than just a practice amp.....it was LOUD AS HELL.

Have you ever played one of the fully digital old spiders? Would you say the spidervalve is a completely different thing or that it in some way enhances and add tubes' warmth to the old base-tone they had?

owned a flextone....the spidervalve feels different and sounds more like a tube amp.

 

[ytse_jam]

I'm a huge U2 fan and this guy at Youtube is nailing all of Edge's tone with just Axe FX.

I read The Edge actually uses a line6 pod for some clean tones

 

[jamme61]

video clip of spider valve
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Hbw52uqi-e0
I'm all for it if it sounds good.

 

[Charlie]

Sounds pretty good!

Hard to tell because of the recording quality though.

 

[JamesD]

yeah, i am hoping to get down to gc next week to give one a go, just for the hell of it. Didn't sound bad though in the clips

 

[jamme61]

New clip

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1250624321/bclid1260648856/bctid1258439350

 

[Charlie]

I'd like to check this thing out sometime. I still wonder how it would hold up in a band situation but it would *definitely* make an awesome practice amp.

 

[nomad100hd]

you could use different tubes than the stock tubes pretubes. More than likely the amp only uses one tube for the preamp. Most tube power amps use two triodes (1 12ax7) for the phase splitter.

It probably goes 1 triode digital stuff then another triode and that triode is probably distorting. At least from what I gathered from the video on the line6 site. He contradicted himself a couple times. I'd like to try one out though. If the PA only use 1 triode for the inverter than there could be 2 tube stages clipping which would sound a lot better. More natural compression and sustain.

 

[JamesD]

Went to GC To give one a whirl, but they were out of stock. I am just curious to play one and see if they have improved. They told me to give em a call Friday and they should have some in stock again. Ticked me off cuz i drove 2 hours to GC for nothing.