Amp sims

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Benjamin_M
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Re: Amp sims

Post by Benjamin_M » Tue Mar 22, 2022 11:19 am

sessylU wrote:
Thu Mar 17, 2022 2:24 am
I have my dream amp, but I record using Amplitube. The sounds available are much, much better than what I could manage with my cheap mics in my living room in the middle of a city.

One warning (not really a warning, just something to note) is that most sims will be trying to simulate the sound of the amp once it's been recorded. This is different to the sound of that amp in the room with you. I think a lot of people get turned off because they might choose a familiar amp in a sim and it doesn't match their experience of being in the room with the real thing. That's not the intended use.
One hundred percent. I tried a Strymon Iridium for a couple of days and just couldn't get used to hearing that kind of polished guitar sound coming out of studio monitors. It sounded and felt particularly unnatural at low volume, which is kind of the only use I could fathom for it - though admittedly it did feel better through headphones. Hearing that sound through speakers but without any of the feedback is particularly distressing I think. Kind of like its own silent war on volume.

To your point, they're not digital guitar amps. More like an Argos catalogue of recorded guitar tones.

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Larry Mal
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Re: Amp sims

Post by Larry Mal » Tue Mar 22, 2022 12:56 pm

Benjamin_M wrote:
Tue Mar 22, 2022 11:19 am


One hundred percent. I tried a Strymon Iridium for a couple of days and just couldn't get used to hearing that kind of polished guitar sound coming out of studio monitors. It sounded and felt particularly unnatural at low volume, which is kind of the only use I could fathom for it - though admittedly it did feel better through headphones. Hearing that sound through speakers but without any of the feedback is particularly distressing I think. Kind of like its own silent war on volume.

I found the Iridium to be completely uninspiring. I spent a month, month and a half thinking of ways that I could get a decent sound out of it, and it all revolved around adding extra pedals and such to the chain, after a while I realized that Guitar Rig and Amplitube were just better products that allowed me to dial in a sound I could tolerate almost immediately.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.

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Re: Amp sims

Post by Benjamin_M » Wed Mar 23, 2022 9:56 am

Larry Mal wrote:
Tue Mar 22, 2022 12:56 pm

I found the Iridium to be completely uninspiring. I spent a month, month and a half thinking of ways that I could get a decent sound out of it, and it all revolved around adding extra pedals and such to the chain, after a while I realized that Guitar Rig and Amplitube were just better products that allowed me to dial in a sound I could tolerate almost immediately.

Totally. I got rid of it when I realised it sounded better turned off.

I’ve had better luck (before and after) with my 24v Hudson Broadcast into a stereo reverb and then out to headphones or an interface with a £6.95 2:1 headphone cable.

It lacks the IR bit but honestly can’t say I’ve been that impressed by any of them? Even the Two Notes programme I think is a bit shit. Obviously I’m not the target market for this technology as I’m sure some of probably sounds and feels great.

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Re: Amp sims

Post by garyfanclub » Thu Mar 24, 2022 2:42 pm

I'm with the rest of the NYC crew here - recording with a tube amp at home is a rare luxury, and 99% infeasible without SERIOUSLY pissing off your neighbors.

For me, at least 99% of the time, it's guitar > HP1 Clone > Big Box DMM > Focusrite > Garageband. Honestly? It's great, and I feel way less self conscious about pissing people off playing the same part OVER and OVER to get a good take. Once you get used to the "feel" of basically going "straight in" or DI, you can make it feel like "your sound" and get busy making songs.

I save the mics for recording acoustic guitars or voice, and spare myself the headaches of micing amps that are simply too quiet to get a good take with the mics I have at my disposal.

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Re: Amp sims

Post by postboredom » Tue Mar 29, 2022 10:40 am

I say go with the Amp sim, any flaws with sims get buried in the mix.

If the song is good, the tone of the guitar wont matter too much.

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Re: Amp sims

Post by burpgun » Mon Apr 25, 2022 9:37 am

I fired up my LIne 6 Native a couple of days ago to give the amps a second look and man was I disappointed. They were all so dark and the Deluxe reverb sim sounds nothing like the real thing. My Tech21 Blonde is so much more useful on the sim front.

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Re: Amp sims

Post by morgancolgrave » Fri Jul 15, 2022 2:35 pm

It’s all about the finished product. Listen to a track recorded with amp sims. Usually it’s going to sound better than if you mic’d it yourself.

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Re: Amp sims

Post by marqueemoon » Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:36 pm

“Better” is extremely subjective when it comes to electric guitar sounds. Often objectively worse is better.

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Re: Amp sims

Post by cpeck » Sun Jul 24, 2022 1:27 pm

Having good luck with the HX Stomp on some of the overdubs for this record — we start mixing in a month with John Agnello, so I’ll be sure to report back with how the “fake” guitars hold up with the “real” guitars.

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Re: Amp sims

Post by shoegaze_head » Thu Aug 04, 2022 6:13 pm

I used to think that an amp was the only way to go but honestly borrowing my buddy's hx stomp made me change my mind. It was insanely tweakable and if something didn't sound 100% right, normally there was something I can do to get it sounding better. Do I still prefer playing through my Hot Rod Deluxe? Yes but thats more for the experience and how it fills up the room. For recording I think the flexibility of the amp sims is better, and I can play it into the night without bothering anyone.

For bass the tech 21 Sansamp Bass Driver DI gives me a sound I just adore, and recording it is as plug and play as it gets. I'm more of a bass player by necessity than because its my instrument of choice, but I want to sound my best with whatever instrument I play.

I think that a lot of amp sim criticism is people just needing time to adapt to the new tech, sorta like how we have some really nice solid state amps out now that people will not give a chance just because they had some bad experiences with solid states in the past. They're only improving from here on out

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Re: Amp sims

Post by cpeck » Wed Aug 31, 2022 2:05 pm

cpeck wrote:
Sun Jul 24, 2022 1:27 pm
Having good luck with the HX Stomp on some of the overdubs for this record — we start mixing in a month with John Agnello, so I’ll be sure to report back with how the “fake” guitars hold up with the “real” guitars.
For those who have been anxiously awaiting the outcome (I jest) -- the "fake" guitars stood up fine in the mixing session. No complaints. Less "vibe" recording, but who cares?

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Re: Amp sims

Post by øøøøøøø » Wed Aug 31, 2022 3:18 pm

I pretty much live by the saying "whatever works."

I'm at the point where I'll literally use whatever is already plugged in, unless I have a specific objective in mind. It's going to sound like something, and that something will contain possibilities (or occasionally it's terrible, then you change it).

Recently on a session I did there was a plastic Wandre laying around. I plugged it in DI (no sim) and did the whole day on it. It was different than anything I usually use, which gave me different ideas. That's good sometimes.

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Re: Amp sims

Post by marqueemoon » Wed Aug 31, 2022 3:34 pm

^ I’m not surprised.

Whenever the hell we’re able to coordinate schedules to do the next Laughing Group EP I’m planning to mic an amp, but mainly because I want a lot of room sound in this one and to rely less on doubling parts, etc… and also just to get the damned thing done. Bash it out as live as possible, do a few overdubs just to sweeten things a little, and call it good.

Shifting gears though has anyone used a Walrus Audio 385 to record direct either with in-the-box IRs or hardware cab emulation?

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Re: Amp sims

Post by GuitarsnGravel » Thu Sep 01, 2022 5:11 pm

cpeck wrote:
Wed Aug 31, 2022 2:05 pm
For those who have been anxiously awaiting the outcome (I jest) -- the "fake" guitars stood up fine in the mixing session. No complaints. Less "vibe" recording, but who cares?
That is a great description. Modelers sound great, but the 'vibe' intensity is lower than a loud tube amp.

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Re: Amp sims

Post by rhythmjones » Sun Oct 02, 2022 11:27 am

Anyone messing around with Tonex? I'm having a lot of fun capturing my amps. Way less of an investment than a Kemper or such.
- Mitch

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