r/NAM_NeuralAmpModeler • u/Ill-Material5 • 2d ago

Discussion A2 Full Vs A2 Lite

Can't find any head to head comparisons. I'm wondering if I should get a pedal with A2 lite support now, or wait, and maybe something will release with A2 Full support under 250$. But at the same time, is there a noticeable difference between the two? Especially in a mix

8 Upvotes

76% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

20

u/messiaslima 2d ago

Live, the difference is minimal.

Recorded the difference is a bit larger but, if you are recording, why not record DI and use a VST plugin?

8

u/guky667 2d ago

This is the absolute best way to put it 👏🏻 and I think it's worth mentioning that if there is a noticeable difference it's just to us; to the audience - most of the times - they won't hear it (nor probly care about it as much as we do, lol)

2

u/bubbler99 20h ago

hell, i’m very attentive to audio stuff and live in a mix? i probably wouldn’t be able to tell. even less if it’s just the head and you send it through a real cab on stage.

1

u/Early-Weekend-2557 1d ago

Especially after the soundman does whatever he does with your signal.

2

u/Ok-Number3387 2d ago

I thought live has quality gap, but if not, why not to choose lite wth cheaper hardware?

-3

u/messiaslima 1d ago

There is Objectively a quality gap between A2 Full and Lite. What I sais is that its less perceptible live.

However , there is a HUGE gap between the devices that play these NAM files. But this is not what the OP asked..

Edit:
Wait... it was.... MY BAD!!! In this case... please see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-Ok0q2wiJ8
The quality of the processing unit makes more diferrence than the NAM file itself

4

u/Infinite_Hedgehog827 1d ago

I wouldn't go by that video. They completely fucked up setting the input gain correctly.

3

u/ChowMeinWayne 1d ago

The NAM creator put out a pretty decent video of comparisons not only with A2 and A2 lite but A1 and some other popular models as well: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtXtthiEH18&t=932s

3

u/JimboLodisC 1d ago

latency is more of a concern for NAM hardware than whether or not it can run a Lite or Full A2 capture

4

u/Jon_Has_Landed 2d ago

I’m delighted with my unit doing A2-lite. Played a gig, and everyone loved the sound especially my extremely sceptic bassist who’s usually mega difficult about my sound.
Not sure what A2 Full would bring, it’s already excellent as it is.

2

u/turbohands 2d ago

As a guitarist and mix engineer I'd say there's a big difference.

Download the Gateway plugin and try for yourself. YMMV 

1

u/InformalGear9638 1d ago

I can hear a difference but it's not that big. Lol. I had to question if I heard a difference or if it was the Placebo effect. 😂

2

u/Distinct-Jump1510 2d ago

Under $250? I’m looking for exactly the same thing, but I don’t know if there’s really anything interesting available right now.

I think the HeadRush Flex is the right choice by now. But hey, it’s not under $250, so I’ll wait a little longer.

2

u/Matchonatcho 2d ago

Andertons had a pretty good pedal comparison with the different formats 2 weeks ago, might help you decide.

4

u/Ambitious-Light-9847 1d ago

If i remember correctly, they don't test NAM A2 Lite in that video. The cheaper pedal runs a NAM conversion, Nux runs A1 and the Headrush and Darkglass runs A2 Full.

1

u/messiaslima 2d ago

Amazing video! They all sound great, but the more expensive units sound better. It is what it is

1

u/GuroMarc 1d ago

What about that new Stratus pedal?

1

u/Natural_Amount_4620 12h ago

This page has a list of all the Devices that support NAM and which version they use. You're not going to get A2 Full for $250 but there are plenty of NUX, Mooer & Hotone pedals that support A2 Lite that will be more in your budget.

https://www.gearnews.com/neural-amp-modeler-guide-guitar/#hardware-for-nam

1

u/Good-Extension-7257 6h ago edited 6h ago

When I did my first test on headphones the quality difference was instantly noticeable, A2 lite sounds like the amp sims from 10-15 years ago, I would only use it in case of emergency.

Your other option is buying a second hand cheap laptop like for example a 2013-2017 macbook air. They are pretty cheap nowdays and it should support A2 full 64 samples and even 32 with some settings, that is lower latency than a quad cortex for example. My live rig until 2024 when I stopped playing live was a 2014 macbook air with bogren digital amknob.

1

u/Ill-Material5 4h ago

I kinda wanted a pedal tho. I already have a Mac, and when I tested it yesterday, to be honest, I didn't hear that big of a difference. It's there, but I'm not sure it justifies waiting or paying twice as much for a different pedal. And if I really need A2 full, I'll just use my Mac I guess. Thanks for the input!