Monday, September 5, 2022

AMP MODELER- NUX Amp Academy ...the sound rivals the very best!!!

NUX AMP ACADEMY AMP MODELER 

$200.00 USD
I will not get into it's layers of applications and how to's.
It is enough to say that what you get are 2 channels, 6 amps & 18 ir's or in plain English speaker cabs to choose. You can download other ir's.
It does not supply FX other than reverb and Tube Screamer for boosting.
You can kill the ir's if you use it as an ordinary OD to your amp. the XLR 
out can send a balance signal for recording or going out the a sound reinforcement system.
THE SOUND ?
For amp sound it rivals any modeler in the under a thousand category. Nux have a good rep for both sound and reliability especially with digital gear as they got into that 8 years ago.
CONCLUSION
I will not get into the Modeller, Solid State or Tube debate.
For recording a pro sound this unit will be indistinguishable from the best in a finished recording with all else being equal. As a practice rig it is exceptional. Other companies offer more features but NOT better sound. In fact debatably many are not a good as this. Keep in mind classics like the Line 6 still use the same tech on all their modellers and it is 15 years old. Line6 is like a 15 year old iPhone tech wise, simply really out of date. Even so a Line 6 ends up every day on a recording that gets a million downloads. My point being the the listeners will judge a performance made with it but not the sound of it.
As It has nailed the right feature set/price balance. If you are primarily a tube guy it could be the perfect addition for money making or even career applications. If you find it's not in any way your thing thing than it will be an easy sell. If indeed it becomes the 'new you' you should buy the best in the future. 
With modelers second best doesn't cut it for big time applications where lots of choice and all the secondary functions like effects and processors are in one box. Most guys with a AXE FX III need a tune done in a few hours not a few days. With the NUX you are likely the guy with a few days anyway. The bottom line is the end product will be the same. Acceptable to same clients.
This is a nobrainer choice. Many things to gain and F. all to lose. Although modest it is Pro not a toy! So, at $200 it's a steal!
NOTE:
I picked the video from Brett Kingman  because above being a great reviewer he is a product specialist for 
Fractal Audio AXE FX III. So he knows what 'the best' should sound like when reviewing a modeler.
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the fine print
No one but I ..would call this pedal a game changer. It will force others to up their game with lower price alternatives. It will allow thousands with very modest studios to enter the market of commercial music. 
I once made a living making infomercials for heavy industry. Music to sell the latest Railway Box Cars is the perfect example. So when I say commercial music I am not talking about consumer products or the endless offshoots of Hollywood.
It was a cool gig. It let me carry on with my original music things. It was invisible to my fan base, as small as it was any vibe of 'sell out' can really hurt it. Like showing up as the music for a Walmart opening on a local radio station.

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