Overloud TH-U

ragan seems to really love it. Well a couple years ago at least. I just sold another axefx lol and bought another Dream 65 and I couldn’t be happier. Absolutely nothing wrong with the Axe - but just learning myself more, the simplicity is a good thing for me. Plus, there’s a visceral thing with these pedals that is missing in the axe. As good as it is. I’m really considering getting the Ruby again too. It’s amazing…but I can probably do everything I need to do with one amp and a bunch of pedals.
To answer the question - I think things like th-u and even the new thing from IK ToneX…which is basically the Kemper in software - is pretty great.

you don't need the full version just one of the lesser ones so that you can load amp rigs

the lesser versions are on sale at JRRshop for $49 right now
I got the "metal" version and added a couple of individual amp rig packs which can be had for $19 each

I can't say if it's going to be more useful than what you already have you'd just have to mess with it some to see if you like it. I think it sounds good but most of the time I play through a real amp rather than going through the whole rigamarole of bringing up amp sims on the computer.

I do still like TH-U. It’s the best ITB option I’ve heard/used. I don’t typically use it in my final tracks, but my workflow is kind of weird there anyway. I typically will use either the Suhr RL (I don’t use/need the IR version because I have the Iridium to host IRs) or mic my amps. Lately, I’m just into doing the ‘real’ stuff. I’ve gone back to recording live drums and I think for the record I’m working on right now it’ll be mostly mic’d amps. I am just finding more joy and inspiration doing it that way. BUT, I can’t track loud amps very often. With my job and the fam, I don’t have a lot of time for music and it’s almost all late at night when I do. So for getting takes silently, I’ll use either the Suhr, the Iridium, or TH-U. Which of those I use depends on my whim in the moment and what is already hooked up/handy. I just always take a DI, no matter what I’m doing. Then, when I’ve got a bunch of keeper takes and there’s a time when I can be loud for a few hours, I’ll mic up my amps up and re-amp the keeper takes.
So, I use TH-U, along with Suhr and Iridium, to help me make music, but I don’t typically use it in final tracks. Though I have several times. I think it’s great. I also use it all the time when I’m traveling. I’m learning lap steel and that’s something small I can bring with me when we’re on the road somewhere. I got a little Scarlett interface and I’ll bring the lap steel and play through TH-U a lot. When my pedal steel gets here this year I’ll do the same thing with that.

Have you demo’d it? Do they even do demos? I can’t remember. I first tried it as part of the Slate bundle, then picked it up in holiday sales when I ditched the Slate sub. I’ve got a few rig packs. They’re cool, but I also just like the ‘regular’ TH-U amps. I probably use those more often.

In straight up sonics, I prefer the Suhr. I posted a blind comparison here between the Suhr, Iridium, TH-U, and mic’d amps and I think most of us picked the Suhr.

Man, I must just be an idiot or something. I find this TH-U stuff incredibly confusing. Even right on the product page for the "TH-U 60s Pack," it says two things that seem to be contradictory to someone who doesn't know or own the system:

FREE-STANDING PACK
The pack does not require a pre-existing TH-U installation. It is a self-contained product that includes all of the TH-U editing features, including the Rig Player, the Amp Tweaks, the Tuner and the Looper.

Then, the next section says this:

ADD-ON FOR OWNERS OF TH-U FULL
In addition, this pack contains new amp models and effects that are not found in TH-U Full, so if you are a TH-U Full owners, you can upgrade to this pack for a discount and get all of the new models.

IMPORTANT—The Add-On can only be used if you own TH-U Full.

(emphasis theirs, not mine)

So does one need the "TH-U Full" or not? I'm taking from what you guys have said that you don't actually need the "Full," but if that's true, what does it mean that you can only use this "Add-On" if you own the "Full"?

And to my mind, calling the "Full" product "full," it implies that you're getting everything, when it actually appears that you're not, because there are all these other "Add-On" packs and Rig Libraries, etc. Calling it "TH-U Full" sounds like a bit of a misnomer.

Anyway, sorry if it sounds like I'm being pedantic. I'm just honestly confused by this product, and I can't understand why a plugin company wouldn't want to make everything crystal clear and straightforward.

Maybe it's a translation thing? I often find myself confused by IK Multimedia and Acustica, which are two other Italian companies. All three of these companies make some wonderful sounding stuff, I just have trouble understanding various bits about the purchasing, licensing, downloading, IK's points system, Acustica's arcane everything, etc. It seems like they all need streamlining.

Though of course, it could all just be me. Seriously, I could be the dumbass here, and I'm fully aware of that, and I apologize if that's what's happening.

(My 6yo son has been an absolute nightmare all day today, so I also apologize if I'm taking that out on plugin companies.)

Hey Mark. That does sound clunky. I haven’t looked at their site recently, but the general thing, the way I remember it, is that any of the TH-U products will get you the Rig Player, and beyond that it’s a matter of how many non-Rig Player amp/effect/cab models you get. And there are tons. I never cared about it because it tends to be a bunch of esoteric, high gain stuff I’m just uninterested in. When I use TH-U, I use like 3-4 of the amp models (Fender, Vox, Marshall), or a handful of the Rig Player profiles I’ve bought along the way. I really like the pedals/effects too. I sometimes use them on, non-guitar other stuff. Like putting a chorus or Univibe on a BGV aux or something. I’d say whatever the cheapest way into TH-U that has the basic Fender, Vox, etc stuff is what you would probably want. You can add Rig Player profile packs whenever you want.