All very cool. My gears are turning in various ways, now.
I was originally, just four years ago, only recording live instruments, but it just wasn't working out - I have dogs, a daughter with hearing loss (so the TV and such get loud, etc.) and just...neighbors...haha. Once back into a residence with acreage and a soundproof room (a shed if needs be, ha), then I will get back to doing so. But yeah, so came to be the reason for getting a modeler, and I researched it to death, as our brain types do so very well. Price range, connections, connectivity for Windows/PC use and such went into my hunt, and believe it or not, I settled upon the Headrush MX5. A lot of others do like it. A lot of folks despise it. I think that either way, it just comes down to ease of understanding but also realizing or not that the sound quality comes from if you can get the right IRs to use. I found what I like - it's very much the distorted guitars that get me the range of sounds like Helmet, Chevelle, Hum, etc....a 90's sound, basically....and then clean guitars with many shoegaze influences and effects going on. Bass amps and such are built into these modelers, as well, so that was even more reason to get one. Yeah, the new Headrush units can offer more / do more / have wifi connectivity and desktop editors (and I may well upgrade to the Headrush Flex Prime - it's the same controls and housing with the wifi / desktop upgrades), but for now, still, the MX5 is good enough for what I'm after.
Per audacity and recording - it's absolutely free / freeware / software / full-blown DAW - it works with about any plugin that I can think of, unless whatever plugin is tied to a certain company's DAW specifically, you know. There are still some like that because they can control their pricing / profits. Audacity was built to initially be like old school CakeWalk software, but I'm sure they are quite different all of this time later. Ease of use, ease of understanding, the fact that they work with other freeware outfits creating / emulating all popular plugin types have kept me with it, but probably more so, I like audacity because we are never "forced" to update it when they have them. If we prefer a certain build, we can keep it and/or we can always roll back to links they keep for all previous builds.
Drums for songs are always via what is probably the most technical thing that I have somehow understood, and that's EZdrummer 3. I can't even detail the whys and hows...I just understand it. My claim is that it must be dead simple, haha.
Okay. ALL of that said.....I will probably have to match your live setups / patch setups with what Headrush offers me. The MX5 didn't have "name" listed fx types, but I've learned what's equivalent to what. All of their upgraded units have name equipment and even the correct pictures of the units that appear on the touchscreens, now.
I'm also only using passive pickups per guitar and bass, so that's also cool to know per your findings. I really did try to use active pickups long ago, and I just hated how quickly the batteries wouldn't last. Be it because I'd forget and leave a cable plugged in, etc. The closest thing I have to boutique pickups at all are in my 7 string - bareknuckle aftermaths were standard in that one.
Oh, look...more word salad. Oops.
