In praise of the HD147

[Shawn]

Let me say , off the bat, that I absolutely HATE the pod. Sounds like hell to me, but everybody else seems to like it. To each his own. On the other hand, I cannot state enough just how cool my HD147 is, of course, at 4 times the cost.

Especially with the flexibility of the deep editing through midi. This thing roars, but the amazing thing to me, is the unbelievable level of control I have over this amp, from across the room, all laid out across my 21" monitor.

I run it through my 1960A cab, and at any volume, I have amazing tone, and a plethora amps, all at my fingertips.

I looked all wekend this past weekend at tube amps, and I do still want some type of Marshall because I really like the Marshall clean with a hint of reverb. The HD's cleans are nice, particularly the Fenders, but they are not tube chimey clean. But for distortion? Dual Rec? Got it. 5150? Got it. Bomber? Got it. Blackface? Got it. All nailed IMHO.

I really was killing myself trying to find what I wanted...Mission accomplished.

For what I do (playing at home, at levels that arent "bedroom", but not Stage either), this, in my opinion, is the ultimate toy.


Shawn

[jgcable]

Re: In praise of the HD147

How do you rate the HD147's ability to mix different amps together? I was thinking a cool thing to do would be to use the Uber for chords and the Uber+Soldano for lead. Can you double the same amp model(like a double Mesa or a double Marshall Plexi)?
I use a 1st gen Flextone HD and I couldn't be happier with it. It does everything I need from my practice studio to the recording studio to rehearsal to live and the tone is extremely consistant at any volume. It REALLY cuts through the mix more than any amp I have ever owned at the reasonable volumes I play live (pretty loud). Congratz and thanks for the review!!

[DerekB]

Re: In praise of the HD147

I also have an HD147 and think it's a great amp too!!I think it really does it's own thing regardless of what the model's are called and IMO doesnt nail the tones of the amp's it's said to model.However the tones that are in it are tremendous and I really like the way it record's when it's mic'd rather than direct. Follow this link and you can check out a couple of the clip's I have done with it a couple months back.

www.musicv2.com/artist/rocksolidamps


Derek

[Shawn]

Re: In praise of the HD147

The ability to "morph" two different amps is really not there, as it would be in the Digitech GNX that I have, but you have SO many cab sim choices, your options are damn near endless.


The effects are spectacular as well.


Shawn.

[Shawn]

Re: In praise of the HD147

Yeah Derek, maybe you are right about not nailing them, but the Line 6 amps, or the criminal(5150) or the Dualplate (dual rec) are alll killer nasty.

I usually dont use any cab sim, just the sound of my marshall cab.

Have you ever used the clean setting, and turn up the drive all the way? It is REAL close to a blooming note tube amp, at a non arena level.

[Twisteramps]

Re: In praise of the HD147

Originally posted by Shawn:
The ability to "morph" two different amps is really not there, as it would be in the Digitech GNX that I have, but you have SO many cab sim choices, your options are damn near endless.


The effects are spectacular as well.


Shawn.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You have to get a Vetta to run two amps at once. A few neat tricks I've come across with mine:

1) run your cleans to an open back 2x12, overdrives to a 4x12. It adds some of the chime and feel of a clean combo amp.

2) You can use the volume pedal to fade between two amps also - kinda like at the end of the solo on Vai's tender surrender.

Also the vetta allows you to run different fx on each amp. You get three stomp boxes which can be anything... want three tube screamers? you got em! But Each pedal can either go to one amp or the other, or both... and then you can feed different levels of the two amps into the post preamp fx section... and control the external fx loop to just say run BBE or whatever on one side or the other... the Vetta can get soooo deep with your options it's almost mind-numbing.

Pete

[Shawn]

Re: In praise of the HD147

Pete, I looked at both, but I personally, for my situation, found the HD147 to be the better choice. Mostly for the reasons you stated, just too much going on for a guy playing to his wife, kids, and dog.

Also, I really like the way the front of the HD is setup essentially like any other amp. The Vetta II looks like a freakin Shuttle cockpit.


The Vetta II is more, no doubt, but to me, less was more.

As far as stompboxes, along the same line of thought, I could not believe how well pedals work with the HD also.

[Twisteramps]

Re: In praise of the HD147

Yep. I love how the HD looks - the Vetta is like a buick by comparison. ;0 They both have similar sounds, it just depends on if you want to tweak tweak tweak or just spin a few dials and get a great tone easily.

Does the HD147 include the Vetta Juice compressor? That's the key to getting a really good pushed tone with even a 'clean' amp. You might want to experiment wth different compressors... that's how I get a more tube feel from my Vetta. Also the tube driver pedal emulation can get a cool feel also.

Pete

Originally posted by Shawn:
Pete, I looked at both, but I personally, for my situation, found the HD147 to be the better choice. Mostly for the reasons you stated, just too much going on for a guy playing to his wife, kids, and dog.

Also, I really like the way the front of the HD is setup essentially like any other amp. The Vetta II looks like a freakin Shuttle cockpit.


The Vetta II is more, no doubt, but to me, less was more.

As far as stompboxes, along the same line of thought, I could not believe how well pedals work with the HD also.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">

[quiksilver]

Re: In praise of the HD147

I like the relative simplicity of the HD147, too (Vetta II looks a bit daunting). How’s the flanger on the HD147? And can the Pod XT Pro get all the sounds the HD147 can get?

I have very simple desires, to wit:

Amp sounds I want:
1. Variac Plexi “brown sound”
2. Zakk Wylde huge sound
3. Spacious acoustic simulation
4. SRV “Pride & Joy” sound

Effects sounds I want:
1. MXR Flanger (a la “Unchained”)
2. Stereo Chorus – spacious and lush sounding
3. Reverb/Echo
4. Enhancer of some kind (i.e., Sonic Maximizer, Aural Exciter, 3D Spatializer, etc.)

Right now, I’m using a Soloist with EMGs (85/81) into a Behringer V-Amp Pro into a Behringer Ultrafex and Marshall Valvestate power amp, into a Marshall 1960A 4x12. I like the amp sims, but the effects could be better, and I’m always looking for the Holy Grail of amps. I would love to have the whole amp/effects package in one simple looking head, like the HD147, instead of a rack, IF the HD147 has really kickass sounds, so I wouldn’t have to add anything to it.

[Shawn]

Re: In praise of the HD147

Hey Pete,

Yeah, it does have an onboard compressor that works really well.

And the noise suppressor is as close to perfection as I have ever used (WOW, thats saying alot huh? in all of my two years of playing).

LOL


Shawn

[Shawn]

Re: In praise of the HD147

Man, I tell you what, you cant even put the Pod in the same solar system as the HD soundwise. The pod sounds like it has a flannel blanket over it, the HD is just unreal, imo.

I dig, (and have owned) the V-amp, but once again, different beasts.

Maybe its the headroom, dont know, but the gain channels on the HD are balls. and, dont forget, its a stereo head, so through your stereo marshall cab, it sounds like buttah.

I just cant imagine, once you have it set up, and you run a midi cable to your pc, and have the editor software opened, and every time you roll a knob on the head, it rolls on your pc, you start playin....

Big smiles.


Shawn

[quiksilver]

Re: In praise of the HD147

I agree with the Pod flannel blanket comment. I've always thought the same thing. (On the other hand, I like the V-Amp with the cab sims ON, even through my 4x12).

The deep editing sounds cool, but I wonder if it would work with a Mac. That's what I have.

[Shawn]

Re: In praise of the HD147

Apparently yes, with os x and os 9.


Now you have no excuse! And as far as the V-amp, I would take 1 versus 10 Pods.

I used to have a V-amp that I would run through my M-audiophile sound card and out to a set of Powered B-8 monitors, and it was awesome.


Shawn

[Tetsuo]

Re: In praise of the HD147

I love my Vetta... I think Derek B nailed it they are great tones althogh not perfect recreations.

The Vetta Juice is the best effect on there!

Dog it all you wnat but to me My Vetta rocks... It isn't like I had to settle for a vetta it is what I choose

[quiksilver]

Re: In praise of the HD147

Does the HD147 offer flanger or chorus effects? If so, what are those effect models based on (e.g., MXR Flanger, etc.)?