Just trying out a new process here… Tonex is IK Multimedia’s new guitar amp capturing software.
… so I modelled my favourite guitar amp signal path which is Vox Big Ben Overdrive > Mesa/Boogie Lonestar Special Amp (channel 2) > Marshall 1966A 2x2 cab with Celestion “Greenback” 25 watt speakers > Sure SM57 > UA Apollo Twin X interface.
Here are the results, level-matched. Which do you think is real and which do you think is the capture?..
Sample A
or Sample B?
Can’t I just have both? Ok well I have no idea but B seems like it might have a little live edge, not sure what that means.
A small tweek on an eq and they would sound the same.
I’m going with what Ingo said; B is the real sample.
They are both really good. In my personal experience having worked with Fractal as well as other “matching” software is the matched tone is always a little brighter. A little eq and you can get them so close, no one will know hut you.
If I had to guess based on my experience above, I’d have to go with the first one as being the matched tone and B as the original since it’s a little warmer sounding and “tubey” to me.
Ha - Featuring a low distortion level distortion pedal.
In the context of a mix or a band (in live situation), very few general listeners would be able to tell the difference with a lot of the newer technologies and software. There are a couple indicators (as @Danny_Danzi mentioned), the brightness, but also there is something that I still hear in software and hardware modeling, tone capturing, etc. There is a certain (and I’m not sure what the best descriptor is) sort of ‘sponginess’ to an amp as you’re hitting it dynamically or with effects, drive, etc. I’m not really talking about sag. It’s more like a natural compression that happens as you hit it. Even clean. It’s really more of a thing you feel as the player. Most modeling hasn’t had that in my experience. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I just haven’t had the luxury of trying some of the higher end stuff, lol.
Anyway, the real difference here (in my opinion) is how it feels as you’re playing. And that’s my question for you @ColdRoomStudio. Did it respond realistically? Better than expected? What did you notice as you stacked pedals, etc?
I suppose I should have done a poll, shouldn’t I?.. Anyhow great answers and observations everyone… keep 'em coming!
Of course! That’s what I have!
Yes, this is the conclusion that I came to as well. I think I could even use a match-eq type plugin to accomplish this - I haven’t tried that yet.
The thing is, I’m not comparing Tonex to a real amp. I’m comparing it to me playing my my miked up amp, going through a signal chain and coming back through my studio monitors. That is a completely different sensation to just playing a real amp in the room with you anyway, even when you’re miking up the real thing. In that respect, Tonex feels good to me.
I think where a lot of people get confused and this argument gets conflated because of latency. If you’re not playing through a plugin or emulator at the lowest latency possible, (sub 64 samples) it’s never going to be responsive enough.
Ok, so it looks like this has outlived it’s use-by date in terms of interest…
Thank you to all who took a listen and responded. Here are the answers:
Sample A: Tonex
Sample B: Real Amp.
They really do sound nearly identical. Good stuff! Makes me miss my Lonestar
just saw this post here, though I think I responded on amc first. I had a feeling B had more natural sound ‘dampening’ and that was my guess as the real Amp.
The sound dampening on A was sort of rigid and static, as if programmatically generated. I could not hear the natural modulation of harmonics in A and they weren’t decaying naturally (felt more of a linear-ish curve to my ear).
The difference is subtle, though If I really listen, I could hear past the matched eq 4 out of 5 times in a blind test because I know what I would be listening for now, but doubt the difference would be apparent out there in the jungle of sounds. Handy little plugin @ikmultimedia got there!
Yup you picked the Amp correctly, Michelle. Exceptional analysis, especially considering you’re not a guitar player.
I think if I didn’t know the answer myself I probably would also have chosen Sample A as the amp… Based on my past experience with emulations/models… But your way of listening for the release characteristics is very enlightening.
That’s very perceptive; I sure never noticed that although maybe without realizing what it was.
I see on the Tonex website that they have a free version with less available amp models but also including user models that have been shared by other users. So is it possible for you to then share your model with us? 
Of course you’ve put in a lot of time, effort and $ there so I can certainly understand you might not want to just put it out there.
I already have shared it - that’s what Tone.net is for! Here it is: ToneNET- AmpliTube presets sharing community
@ColdRoomStudio, I started digging into that ToneNET site. I really hope it takes off and sticks around a while. Your sample sounded great to me!
They both sound great… and in a mix I doubt I could tell. I thought that sample B had a little more ‘girth’ detected on the palm muted notes… a tiny bit more ‘chug’… but honestly wasn’t sure if that was a sign of the real thing or the model. I planned on guessing that B was the real deal. Then I saw the reveal, felt satisfied that I guessed correctly - but in all honesty it was just that… a guess!
Sample B has a very noticeable deep, low end on it. You can especially hear that on the chugging and the low notes. I wonder if sample A would sound better in the context of a full band mix. Often times that low stuff would be tempered or chopped off anyway, so that stuff may be unnecessary.