As Converge’s in-house gear nerd and owner of God City Studios, Kurt Ballou knows his gear. As such, he never settles for second best, and he’s adopted digital gear into his live rig for one main reason.
Converge have had a busy 2026, having released two studio albums in just four months. While appearing on Chris Garza’s podcast recently, Ballou has underscored why amp modelers have usurped tube amps for touring.
“I kind of love it when people show up expecting me to have JMPs, V4s and other vintage stuff, or boutique amps,” he explains. “I played Bad Cat for a long time. I still play the cabinets. I love that company.”
Yet, when Ballou looks down on tour these days, he doesn’t see a Marshall amp footswitch; he sees Line 6’s Helix Stadium floor modeler. He isn’t letting his reputation precede him.
“There’s something about disappointing the gear heads with using this modeler, “ he chuckles. “I don’t necessarily want to disappoint them, but I think this thing sounds sick. It lets me focus on the song.”
He admits that having “all the gear in the world” is an appealing prospect. But as someone who owns a lot of gear and understands the rigors and the nuances of touring, he sees things from a different angle.
“How many times have you gone to see a band and watched them set up their full stacks and massive pedalboards, and then they just suck?” he asks. “Or everything is breaking all the time, and it’s detracting from the show?
“Let’s just get to the songs, because that’s the thing that I really care about. This lets me do that.”
The Helix Stadium, which also boasts some powerful, gig-minded features, is an ideal one-stop shop.
Recording in the studio, though, is an altogether different matter. Speaking to Guitar World as Converge released their first album of 2026, Love is Not Enough, in February, Ballou noted he saw analog sounds making a comeback.
“People want real experiences,” said Ballou. “Young people ask about recording on tape way more than older people. There’s definitely a backlash to this era of digitally perfect music, and I appreciate it.”
Still, the value of modelers in the modern age is now being embraced by the most ardent amp supporters, with Joe Bonamassa a high profile recent convert to the digital amp world.
