real tubes, not just for show....
I just hammered down some sloppy leads over a random backing track with a preset i set up on the fly, see/hear attached. Took me some time to get re-accustomed to the UI and the controls of the 2120....hell, it's been 23 years since I programmed one of these for the last time.
I used Tube Voicing #4 („Saturated Tube“) with gain @ 50%, a bit of Quad Chorus and 250ms Delay on the 2120 and an IR (Boogie 4x12 w/ 70W Celestion V30, mic'd with SM57 and KSM313) from the AxeFX II.
Signal Path was Guitar (Ibby Swamp Ash RGR with CrunchLab and Air Norton) > 2120 > AxeFX II (IR only) > MacBook Pro.
The amount of gain/distortion/saturation I can get with this baby is more than enough for my tastes...might be lacking for them folks who put a Boss Metal Zone in front of a Triple Rectifier.
The FX loop is (unfortunately) located in front of the Tube/Analog preamp (right after Comp and Wah), but if you slave in a Preamp with enough moxy (MP-1/-2; Triaxis; Engl; Rockmaster;....) you're more than good to go.
The FX section leaves nothing to be desired and blows any other Multi-FX from that era (Quadraverb, Intellifex,....) outta the water hands down....Lexicon and Eventide might be competitors though.
*edit* Tinkering some more with it with fresh ears this morning I can get some real in-the-ballpark Engl Savage 120 sounds outta this box. Saturated Tube, Gain 50%, front panel eq (B/M/T) flat at noon and just some preamp 10band graphic eq settings (goes -15 / +15):
80Hz 5
140Hz 3
250Hz 2
450Hz -3
800Hz -5
1.5kHz -2
2.5kHz 5
4.5kHz 6
8kHz 5
15kHz -15
This is THE Savage 120 w/6550s tone spot-on.
As of now, that thingy is a keeper
I also attached the schematics for you thechies