Looking for the equivalent of . . .

Mr ProgFreak wrote: The wah is simply an ideal pedal to use externally because it can be combined with any amp setting, and it automatically deactivates when you're not using it (at least my Morley does). If for example you were using an external tube screamer stomp box with the X3, you would always have to switch it off/on when switching to/from clean/distorted settings in the X3. Which is something you'll want to avoid ... one of the nice things about integrated solutions like the X3 is that when you want to switch to another sound you only have to press one button.

Actually, there are some guys that permanently leave their external Tube Screamer on, even when changing between clean and distortion. Provided your pickups are low enough output and you set the TS right, you can actually get a completely clean sound with no breakup on a clean setting and TS simply acts as a pedal that adds a touch of warmth to the sound. Plenty of guys I've spoken to love this set up and swear by it. For my personal uses though, since I don't have the money to splash out on a TS anyway (they are about 200 dollars in Australia, which is not cheap for an overdrive pedal over here......considering I got my Boss DS-1 for free, although that's technically speaking, a distortion and not an overdrive pedal), but hey, when I do get my X3 Live later this year, I may try out an external wah on it.

^ you're very welcome!

^^ of course you can also use the tube screamer stomp box in the X3 ... . But generally I'd recommend to try using as few effects as possible, especially when it comes to distortion and compression.


Edited by Mr ProgFreak - February 12 2009 at 10:48

As always, more than welcome to help those who ask the right questions.

On your point about you thinking selling your amp is risky, let me add my 2 cents to that.
I haven't used a guitar amp for my own rig in months and months and I'm not the only one.
The tone you heard in the videos of me playing, is not a guitar amp, but in fact amp simulations being run through a hi fi system. I use my hi fi system for practicing alone and when playing with a band, I use 2x 75 watt speakers, one on the left, one the right.

The reason why I ditched the guitar amp, I will explain.
Basically, you cannot use cabinet simulations with a guitar amp and guitar speakers and get good results.
Guitar speakers, typically have a frequency range of 70-80Hz at the lowest point, going up to 5-6KHz at the highest point, and within that frequency range, certain frequency points are emphasized and de-emphasized.
This is the reason why a guitar speaker sounds the way it does basically, because the frequencies aren't flat across the range unlike a PA system or a home Hi Fi system.
Play a CD through a guitar amp and then a Hi Fi system and you'll hear what I mean, the CD will sound somewhat muffled and some frequencies might not sound right through the guitar amp.
Just as if you were to play a guitar through a full frequency range, flat response speaker set, it would sound muddy and scratchy compared to guitar speakers, because of the extra frequencies.

And with cabinet simulations, because cabinets have varying frequency ranges and varying frequency boosts and cuts along the frequency range, if you try to use a guitar speaker with cab simulations turned on, the result is this weird, overly digital and not particularly pleasing sound, very fake sounding.

And when you have a Full Range Flat Response speaker set or something that is at least with a wider frequency range than a guitar amp and at least as flat as possible (such as a keyboard amp, hi fi system, studio monitors etc) you can then use the cabinet simulations without the speakers coloring the sound, because all the actual guitar speaker and cabinet sound is coming from the simulation.
This is why the keyboard amp suggestion is good, because not only is it much cheaper than a guitar amp in the first place, but it allows you to take full advantage of the cab simulations it has to offer.

For those on a much greater budget, some guys use a proper, expensive guitar cabinet with their X3 Live and turn the amp simulations off to achieve their tone, and provided they don't need anymore than that single cabinet sound, they are going to be happy with it.

And with the X3 Live you not only get the flexibility of amp/cabinet simulation, you even get the Dual Tone feature which essentially allows you to use two completely independent presets at the same time (for example one panned left, the other one right). 

^ well, so far I've found two types of approaches:

a) pan the two tones (one left, the other right)
b) layer the two tones (both tones at center)

I think that with the panned approach you'll try to use similar amps, because if their frequency spectrum is totally different it won't sound right. With the layered approach however, even really unusual sounds can be interesting.