IK has announced AI Machine Modelling

[Heath Row]

[Byron Dickens]

54 minutes ago, Brian Walton said:

He was well known and is credited as one of the starts of the boutique amp community.

He didn't only make 4 amps.  He only made a few of that particular model before he passed away way earlier than he should have.

It is documented he made aroud 100 amps in total (across 3 models....the Rocket he only made 5 of) they were all hand build by him selecting each and every part including transformers (most of which he rejected) and that creates a very limited work stream.

His amps were so valuable and saught after even during his lifetime (they sky rocketed after) that he even offered a triple your money back guarantee and not a single person took him up on it.  And his amps due to the nature of the custom builds were not exaclty on the cheap end of the specturm, but they were fairly priced for the skill and labor.

Billy Gibbons, Eric Johnson, Mark Knophler (still uses), Eddie Van Halen all placed orders while he was alive among a number of others.  

Brad Paisley, Warren Haynees, Keith Urban, Trey Anastasio and Joe Bonnamassa were also other notable owners that paid a premium for them.  

Not a bad list of buyers/owners for a company that made about 100 amps before the boutique amp craze was even a thing and a number of players bought a few of them.   Most of the amps are owned by people you have never heard of but won't sell them becuase they like them too much even though they are worth tens of thousands of dollars even for the least desirable examples.  

Jim Marshall would call him asking for advice amoung many others. 

And other amp builders (including Howard Dumble) would actually request to be in booths at Trade shows away from Ken Fischer for fear it would hurt their own amp sales if heard in proximity.  

He was a highly regarded contributer at Vintage Guitar Magazine characterized by actual in depth technical knowledge not just the fluf that magazines have turned into.  He also helped put the Klon on the map by simply giving it a somewhat favorable review and Klon even had this article on the website as a badge of honor (even though he critized the use of goop on the circut)

The Komet brand was launched to use some of his design concepts but with components that did not need as much tweaking and hand selection.  The Dr Z "Wreck" was also a colaboration around a similar idea.  His design concepts but adapted for mass production.  

 

Unlike most amps on the market, to really get into the ball park of an actual trainwreck takes both the makers skill and a set of ears to select the specific components, not just a "capacitor of this value in this position." 

He could even diagnose amp problems and what to fix by hearing them played over the telephone (think about how terrible phone quality was).  There are many stories of him telling a guitar player where to put the amp and to play and he would make recomendations to fix it and with what components.  

When you only make 100 amps, there is only going to be so many players that even get the opporutnity to hear one, let alone play it.  The Express which is his most well known model was also one he didn't even like by the end of it.  It just grew out of players wanting higher gain and a more "EVH" type of tone.

 He shared his knowledge freely and created quite a legacy for a very short life span with his own company.   He was a legend and not becuase he created gooped circuits and a closed door policy (which is a claim to fame of other builders).   It is unfortnaute so few people get to experience them.  

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[Byron Dickens]

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Edited August 4, 2022 by bdickens

[Brian Walton]

On 8/1/2022 at 4:53 PM, Peter - IK Multimedia said:

And someone doesn't know what we have or don't have, we haven't released everything yet... And of course we don't have YOUR holy grail which is why I hope I said some holy grail gear because there are multiple and we have some.  We already bought and modeled a holy grail mastering EQ, we have the rare 1953 Bassman from the video and that's not even what I was talking about, and some one-of-a-kind gear that nobody else has (one of our T-RackS models is one, but that's not the only one-of-a-kind item we have).

I'm glad you're happy with what you have and consider the holy grail for your needs and who you know etc but I was just saying that you don't know what we have and got a bit abrasive about it which I thought was a bit much.  Sorry, but I'm known to speak openly here and I'm sure you're a great person and obviously knowledgeable but you came at me a bit hard there, no?

Anyway, I can't wait to release more of the great gear from our private amp vault.

Edit - lo and behold I did say "some holy grail gear"... I'm sorry that seemed offensive, I wasn't trying to one-up what you your friend has.

I own almost everything IKM released (outside of some released this year), so I appreciate virtual gear too.  It wasn't intended as a contest, but I will say that when I got everything in Amplitube 5 (which most would say is a TON of gear), the thing about the amps that are in there - it always seemed to lack the "boutique" stuff.  I've long been a proponent and fan of the fact you have a couple Dr. Zs and a few more rare vintage pieces in the lineup to get out of that box.  But I also know that if IKM had Dumbles, Trainwrecks and things of that sort, I'm sure there would be an unbranded version in the package somewhere already.  

There are tons of ways to get great tone, with far "less valuable" gear.  But vintage marshalls, fenders, etc while fairly valuable are also much more on the obtainable spectrum as there are more of them, sold more frequently, and don't cost as much as a house.  

My point was that with this Tech...if put in the hands of those that do actually have access to the most rare stuff on earth...that sound could make it into the hands of the masses, which you would think people might be grateful for.  Then again, many don't have the experience to know what they are missing out on by not having played through such gear.  

My first comments were around IKM doesn't have amps that are better than what some of us have access to.  Again, I'm sure you guys have awesome stuff and I look forward to the digital version of it, but also not a company that is out dropping $250K on a single amp head either and I wouldn't expect you to.  Some of us could help you with that is all I'm suggesting.  

[Heath Row]

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Edited August 4, 2022 by heath row

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

3 hours ago, heath row said:

Once again very nice ?

I guess you can't expand on how soon is soon? ?

Thank you.  I'd love to and I'm tempted but then I look in the mirror to check how many bite marks I have on my ***** for stating dates and I cannot.

[Last Call]

They changed the logo? Wow

[user 905133]

2 minutes ago, Last Call said:

They changed the logo? Wow

That's not all they changed!

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

Hopefully the site is more navigable and performs better, I quite like the changes.

[user 905133]

I had trouble getting used to it yesterday, but that's mainly because some things are not where they used to be.  I am sure I will eventually get used to it. BTW, the new logo looks very retro to me--like something out of the '40s (give or take a decade or two!)