TSE X50 vs. 5150: Can you tell Which is Which?

[JakeAC5253]

When testing a riff recently, I decided to do a side-by-side between Onqels' current X50 build and a real 5150 into the same IR. What I did was take a guitar and OD DI and then process it once using X50 with the power amp bypassed, and once using my actual 5150 preamp signal, then both go into the same IR and get the same HP/LP filtering. That's it, and both the amp and sim are using the exact same settings. Can you tell which is which?

 

[DarkSkar]

They sound really close.
I´d say... 1st X50 and 2nd 5150.
Nice tone man (the impulses are your metalcore A and B blended?)

 

[Chainsaw Calligraphy]

My guess would also be that the second one is the real 5150. The first one seems to have more of that scratchy mid range that amp sims always seem to have. If I'm wrong my 6505 is going on eBay though haha.

 

[infectdsniper]

i would say a sounds like the real deal but not a huge difference. either one would work fine. but i would be interested in how the x50 sounds through a real cab.

never mind i just played with x50 again and i think A is the x50

 

[PD-Baraka]

i dont care which is which tbo, i just like number 2 for the thump!

 

[viralz]

A) X50
B) 5150

To me those tones sound nothing alike.

 

[Habsburgs]

A) X50
B) 5150

 

[ArthurD]

Almost impossible... So close...
I would go with B.
It doesn't matter if A or B is the plugin for me. They all sound good. =)

 

[JakeAC5253]

Nice tone man (the impulses are your metalcore A and B blended?)

No, I did a similar tone test using that combo, but for this one, I am using an IR from my Minotaur IR pack.

 

[Aceshighhhh]

I definitely prefer the first one. It's a lot tighter and has much more pronounced mids, although I can't really say which is the real amp 0.o

 

[ballstix]

Going with B being real. It's squishier.

 

[Max Morton]

Sweet tones! I personally love the A more.
Speaking of choosing which one is the real thing... The same as my colleagues above, I think that the second clip sounds more "live", but first of all because it has more gain, which leads to more dirt between the mutes, less punchy low end, and more harmonics. This is the main difference between two clips and in my opinion this difference could be diminished by balancing the gain amounts.

UPD: oh, the B also has some upper midrange harmonic "dirt" or oversaturation, and a tad less 300-400 hz. I remember doing a comparison between AMT P1 and 5150, both into 5150 poweramp. It was the same back then. The real 5150 pre had that dirt and was just a tiny bit thinner. So I believe that B is 5150 pre. It's still not crucial and can be easily matched IMHO.

 

[XxSicRokerxX]

A is cleaner and B is dirtier. Sometimes, when I use a bad IR and amp sim it can sound dirty like test B so at first I was going to say B is the sim, but hence someone says their 5150 pre sounds dirty then I'm going to say B is 5150 also sometimes I have trouble making my Amp Sim sound dirty in the low-mids area and B tends to have it a bit more, so yeah, B is 5150.

 

[cartoonhead]

"A" have a nice attack and transients, and "B" looks smear and also have a lot of unpleasant harsh.

So, I guess A is the real amp, B is x50.

 

[Mutant]

How about comparing them in a full mix ?

IDK and IDC which is which because they sound close enough to not make any meaningful difference.

 

[deLuther]

A) X50
B) 5150

 

[Sethis]

B is more saturated in general and more "all over the place". A is more sharp, dry, also a bit darker. They're definitely different. I think I'll say that B=5150, A=TSE.

 

[PVDHP]

A is real, in my opinion it sounds better and more dyamically

 

[nezvers]

i like A more because it's more defined and B is saturates in way it lose definition
But If I remember my latest test with X50 I think it is B.

 

[Clark Kent]

The middle parts in both clips have the most realistic low end to me so I prefer those.

The second clip sounded really thin and digital through-out.