GUITARISTS - what's your favorite amp sim?

rikhyray · Post by **rikhyray** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:16 pm

I dont like any emulators, actually I hate them ( it kills the idea of using guitar, would rather play a synth with some guitar like sound), if there is no real amp (and that means old Fender or Boogie) then at least hardware option- Pod or Adrenalinn.

register · Post by **register** » Mon Jan 22, 2007 11:47 pm

hmm... not familiar with the adrenalinn... I'll have to check it out.
I'd love to take a fender twin out gigging... the amp of my dreams, along with big muff pedals!!!!
Sadly real amps live isn't really an option for me. We're getting a lot of gigs here in london at the moment, none of us drive, we have to take everything everywhere via london public transport! - kinda sucks.
If someone gave me that fender twin, hell, I'd try and get it on the tube.
Anyone familiar with Korg's AX3000G? They've got it pretty cheap in a shop in town - could be an alternative option for live?

www.myspace.com/neogear

fdmusic · Post by **fdmusic** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:23 am

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/M ... -main.html

This one has my vote. It was developed by Roger Linn like the Adrenalinn too... Very cool beat synced effects. Great tones too.

register · Post by **register** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 12:57 am

ooo...
just been browsing at stuff... I've seen these around really cheap...

http://www.guitarplayer.com/story.asp?storyCode=10748

the above review tells me that that the output can emulate a 4 x 12 ... just wondering if it will technically stamp out my fake amp live problem... unfortunately I'd be forced to use the 4 x 12 sim live, as I a 4 x 12 doesn't go through the tube barriers!
So its a real amp, but no real cab... but this I could carry around by the looks of things.
anyone know much about these?

Hypomixolydian · Post by **Hypomixolydian** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 1:04 am

I use Guitar Rig 2 and Amplitube Version 1. I decided not to upgrade to version 2 as I don't want another f**king dongle. Within Sonar there is also a guitar amp sim (can't remember the name as I never use it) but I am not that impressed with it.

Guitar Rig 2 is good in my opinion but a bit CPU heavy. I tend to revert to Amplitube 1 more than Guitar Rig. It has a warmer sound to my ears and quite light on CPU. Though I guess with tweaking Guitar Rig can be made to be warmer.

But these days my favourite sim is actually a thing called Dynatube, but you need a Creamware card to run it (which I have). It is the most authentic sounding guitar sim of all. It acts like a "real" gutiar amp.

rikhyray · Post by **rikhyray** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:07 am

register wrote:hmm... not familiar with the adrenalinn... I'll have to check it out.
I'd love to take a fender twin out gigging... the amp of my dreams, along with big muff pedals!!!!
Sadly real amps live isn't really an option for me. We're getting a lot of gigs here in london at the moment, none of us drive, we have to take everything everywhere via london public transport! - kinda sucks.
If someone gave me that fender twin, hell, I'd try and get it on the tube.
Anyone familiar with Korg's AX3000G? They've got it pretty cheap in a shop in town - could be an alternative option for live?

www.myspace.com/neogear

Twin is definitely hell to move around. I doubt you would be able to find anyone willing to sell a real one but Fender Champ would be ideal. Before Boogies appeared they were loved by studio musicians. There must be some re issues or clones. It is small and light, easy to mic, lovely singing voice.
I like it better then rack type preamps but that would be another option (Boogie for example)

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:17 am

I like guitar rig, never liked Amplitube, or the others, but I'm comparing to a JMP-1.
Guitar Rig was the first one to get a decent amount of grunge in the distortion IMO. Of course you won't get a lot of punch with three different kinds of distortion/pres running, the sound will be compressed as hell, same with hardware.

forge · Post by **forge** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:48 am

I think you can get some good sounds out of guitar rig

interested to know the people who are saying it sounds flat what style/sound are you after? metal? blues? Jazz?

for some it may be fine, for others not

Nogi · Post by **Nogi** » Tue Jan 23, 2007 9:29 am

A Marshall JMP-1 would be brilliant in front of Guitar Rig. You have a believable preamp gain section (which I haven't heard in software yet) and then go crazy with the envelope and filter control. Amplitube 1.0 disappoints me every day (except on bass). It has a ridiculous amount of unusable sounds for guitar. I think the Twin and JCM900 sims from SimulAnalog's GSuite are much more developed.

xrayfish · Post by **xrayfish** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:38 am

I just bought a line6 guitarport on Ebay for less than 50 quid. With the free gearbox software its awesome - you can monitor what you're playing with full effects with ZERO latency (!), while at the same time recording the effected signal AND the clean guitar signal (or the effected signal without reverb/delay FX) on 2 different tracks simultaneously in Live. There's a plug-in version of Gearbox that costs another 100 quid which is too much for me, but if you wanted to go back and change the tone afterwards you always have the option of re-amping the clean recorded signal by re-routing the audio back into the guitarport and recording it through a different amp set-up, though I haven't tried this yet.

What's more you can use dummy clips to control the software while you play eg a midi clip sending an envelope to the guitarport on CC 4 will make the wah pedal move up and down. CPU hit seems to be small too. A great alternative to shelling out £350 for Guitar Rig

You may have an opinion how realistic the amp sims are, but for me this is the best thing ever.

sidownes · Post by **sidownes** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 2:26 pm

I used guitarport til a couple of years ago. can't remember why I sold it, got some great sounds out of it.
At the minute I'm using Guitar Rig 2. Some of the sounds are a bit disappointing but some are excellent. Especially like being able to automate amp and effect settings.

Novel · Post by **Novel** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 4:29 pm

Astral Fridge Magnet wrote:I use Guitar Rig 2 and Amplitube Version 1. I decided not to upgrade to version 2 as I don't want another f**king dongle.

Amplitube 2 doesn't have a dongle. I downloaded GR2 demo this past week to compare it to Amplitube 2. They sound different, to me.

Also, yeah, I use a Damage Control Womanizer Tube Pre and a Focusrite Penta on the front end. They definitely help shape the tone and I bring them in or out depending on the sound. The tube pre definitely adds something to the modellers.

Tone Deft · Post by **Tone Deft** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 5:31 pm

Good thread!

So what about pickups? I want to revamp my American Strat, new pickups, get the setup redone, all that. Given that I'll be playing into a laptop via Stealth Plug or my Edirol UA101 do the same standards apply to playing into a tube amp? Would some pickups play too hot for those pre-amps? Any suggestions on pickups? I'm thinking a humbucker or hot pickup at the bridge, nothing in the middle and maybe a single coil at the neck position, or nothing there either, I do like the 'less is more, shut up and play' approach. I'll get a Fender Blues amp sooner or later, but apartment living dictates I get the 'quiet studio' done first.

Thanks for any advice!!

edge100 · Post by **edge100** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 6:02 pm

Tone Deft wrote:Good thread!

So what about pickups? I want to revamp my American Strat, new pickups, get the setup redone, all that. Given that I'll be playing into a laptop via Stealth Plug or my Edirol UA101 do the same standards apply to playing into a tube amp? Would some pickups play too hot for those pre-amps? Any suggestions on pickups? I'm thinking a humbucker or hot pickup at the bridge, nothing in the middle and maybe a single coil at the neck position, or nothing there either, I do like the 'less is more, shut up and play' approach. I'll get a Fender Blues amp sooner or later, but apartment living dictates I get the 'quiet studio' done first.

Thanks for any advice!!

Kinman, hands down.

Not cheap, but awesome.

http://www.kinman.com/html/myProducts.htm

darkcatt · Post by **darkcatt** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 7:28 pm

Line 6 all the way.

Especially when you hook up the midi to the xt live. I use it to control sequences as well. The sounds are amazing and the forums will help you with any sound you are looking for.

Cheers!!!!!