Korg USA’s family of brands, which encompasses well-respected names that the company manufactures and those that it distributes, is enviable throughout the music products industry. Even among this bevy of beloved brands, though, VOX stands out for its innovation, product quality and price-to-performance ratio. And that’s why, this month, The Retailer’s shining a spotlight on VOX’s VX I and VX II Modeling Guitar Amplifiers: brand new products that, although not yet released as of this writing, have already generated incredible buzz in the market and a groundswell of excitement and enthusiasm. To learn more about the company’s latest creations, we spoke to Brian Piccolo, Brand Manager for VOX, and John Stippell, Product Manager – Guitar Brands. Their abundant enthusiasm was evident.
VOX has been exploring digital modeling technology for nearly 15 years, Stippell explained, and it has had great success in the category over the years with its various Valvetronix models. The VX series differs from what the company has done in the past, however, representing a new approach to modeling technology for VOX. “Rather than basing the amp models off of the sound-specific amplifiers that we have in our collection, as we’ve done in the past,” Stippell explained, “we’ve developed a new approach that models the actual circuits and electrical components of an amplifier.” VOX calls this new method VET: Virtual Element Technology. We’ll soon explore that technology.
For his part, Piccolo surveyed the broad landscape of the amp category and zeroed in on great sound, a full feature set and aggressive pricing—all wrapped in the security derived from a trusted and recognizable brand—as the most critical factors in earning consumers’ business. Judged on all the metrics above, he said, VOX’s VX I and VX II Modeling Guitar Amplifiers win plaudits. According to Piccolo, “These products represent our desire to evolve the typical practice amplifier, as well as the conventional modeling amplifier.” He continued, “Oftentimes, with small practice amps, the sound quality suffers and it results in a less-than-inspiring playing experience. With the VX series, we wanted to make durable practice amplifiers that sound just like your favorite old tube amp…but that are a fraction of the weight and cost.”
In a moment, we’ll go back to the VX I and VX II’s most indispensible distinguishing characteristic, Virtual Element Technology, which merits an in-depth discussion; first, though, let’s provide some background about modeling. “It’s referred to as ‘modeling’ because it’s based on the existence of an original amplifier,” Piccolo stated. “And, in the case of rare, vintage amps, it’s not unusual for individual units of the same model to sound different, owing to the passage of time and the varying environments in which they’ve been used.” He continued, “For these reasons, the selection of the original amp substantially influences the accuracy and sound quality of a modeling amp.” Because the modeling analysis centers on the output sound, the condition of the amp is also highly influential; the unavoidable reliance on the human ear has an effect that is yet greater. “These factors make it difficult to say that the modeling accuracy extends to the tonal changes arising from the interaction between the tone controls, the volume and the various components,” Piccolo added.
To resolve those issues, VOX’s R&D team, in creating the VX I and VX II, completely rethought previous methods of modeling. This led to the development of VET, which models the actual circuit of the original amp. “An enormous amount of information about the vacuum tubes and each individual component was carefully analyzed in order to accurately reproduce the characteristics of the desired amplifier, as it was originally intended,” Piccolo affirmed. “We feel it is, by far, the most accurate and realistic amp modeling we’ve done to date,” he added. It’s probably no surprise, then, that countless days and weeks of toil went into devising the VX I and VX II and their signature VET technology. “We wanted to do it properly,” Piccolo stressed. “From concept to production, this specific series took about two years to create.” Delivering such a robust feature set at a budget-minded price is just the cherry on top.
To obtain a more authentic sound and to produce sound more efficiently, VOX has employed a uniquely designed bass-reflex structure in conjunction with a sealed, one-piece speaker enclosure. “While providing an external appearance appropriate for a guitar amp,” Piccolo began, “the cabinet’s shape, the curvature of the front and back surfaces, and the internal-reinforcement ribs have all been carefully designed to optimize the resonance.” VOX chose a conventional wooden baffle to retain the projection and tone of a classic guitar amp, whereas the cabinet’s construction from lightweight and durable ABS material is similar to that of professional, high-end audio systems. “The combination of these two materials yields a superior acoustical property that sounds superb, yet retains easy portability,” Piccolo declared. “These unique elements all work together to deliver a level of sound quality that was previously unattainable with an amp in this class.”
The VX series features 11 classic amp models and eight distinct effects, and it allows for 22 unique user presets. The amp models cover a lot of ground, ranging from classic American and British amplifiers of the 1950s and 1960s, to the coveted sounds of the classic VOX AC30, to some modern, high-gain tone monsters. “Complementing these great amp sounds are eight classic effects,” Stippell said, “which include chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, tape-style delay, analog-style delay and two types of reverb: spring and hall.” He continued, “We like to include amp models and effects that we find fun and inspiring, and that offer players a lot of versatility.”
Rounding out the robust feature set packed into the VX series, we turn to a new, FET-based analog power amp that was designed for the VX I and VX II to accurately reproduce the characteristics of a tube amp. “This FET-equipped power amp brings forth a level of responsiveness, dynamic overdrive and overall sound quality that would otherwise be unachievable in a digital modeling amplifier,” Stippell enthused. And, as if all that weren’t enough, the VX II comes equipped with a USB port for simple integration with a PC or Mac, and it comes bundled with JamVOX III modeling software. ASIO driver support is provided, as well.
“We truly feel that the VX series will appeal to all types of customers: from beginners all the way to seasoned pros,” Stippell remarked. “The sound quality of these amplifiers is truly remarkable, and this, combined with a host of easy-to-use features and a lightweight construction, makes these the ideal practice amps.”
The VX I and VX II hit the market late last month, carrying street prices of $99.99 and $149.99, respectively.