Amp Modeling Plug In

[Jmmergens]

Hi all,

I'm a hobyiest that's looking to record other bands and not just myself. I live in an apartment so when I record myself I always do my guitars line in to avoid pissing off the neighbors. Furthermore, the audience I would be recording are just hobyiests as well and will not often have amps with a good sound, and the environments I will be recording in will have little to no acoustical prep work done. For those reasons line in can be very desirable for me. My issue is, I am to the point where I can mix and master at a level that exceeds the quality of my line in recordings. Right now I am just using a Line 6 Pocket POD and going directly into my interface. I know there are plug ins out there that are not only amp models, but also model mic position, room size, and other factors. I want to know first, if people think these kinds of plug ins are a waste of time and I should find a way to just record via mic, or if these plug ins can give a decent enough recording in a pinch. If there are any recommendations I would love to hear them, I do not do this professionally so cheep is good, but if there is one that costs a bit, but really stands out above the rest, I would be interested.

Thank you,

-Josh

[Darryl Ramm]

What DAW are you using now? or want to use? What guitars? What type of guitar playing/music are you into? How are you planning on tracking drums or are you using a VI for that?

I would encourage you to look at the Avid Eleven Rack, which gets you all this and more in an outboard box, and full copy of Pro Tools 10/11, available for not much more than $600 or so. http://www.avid.com/US/products/eleven-rack_2 You can even get the Eleven Plugin bundled with this, see the promos at http://www.avid.com/US/specialoffers/Get-Plug-ins-on-Us

The Fractal Axe-FX II can do more, but I suspect is out of your price range. http://www.fractalaudio.com/p-axe-fx...-processor.php. The Eleven Rack or Axe-FX II simulations and overall sound are dramatically better than your Pod. The cheap analog output stage of the Pod and having to go back into another interface is a big issue here. The Eleven Rack, Axe-FX II or higher-end Line 6 products can be used as an audio interface or keep the amp/guitar signal in the digital domain over S/PDIF etc. All these higher-end outboard products also allow you to reamp a prerecorded dry signal (as do obviously the amp sim plugins).

The corresponding (but less capable) amp-sim plugin from Avid is just called 'Eleven'. http://www.avid.com/US/products/Eleven There are many other amp sim plugins, many of us here are likely to refer to Eleven as a good set because we use the Eleven Rack (which the Eleven plugin formed the basis of some of the amp sims). If you want to keep up with latest technology and be running with Pro Tools 11 you need to make sure that whatever plugin you want are (or will be) available in AAX-native 64 bit format.

Some third party amp sims include Guitar Rig 5 Pro and IK Media Amplitube

The Eleven Rack also allows you to simultaneous record a dry and wet signal without needing any outboard splitter/DI box. And splitting hairs a lot, technically if you are just going into an interface with a guitar you are recording DI (direct input) aka instrument level signals not "line-input". If you did not have your Pod in the signal path you would want/need to use the "DI" (not line-level) input on your interface or use an external DI box (that impedance matches and converts up to line level to your interface). An Eleven Rack or Axe FX II or higher end Line 6 Pod box effectively provide that and allow you to record a dry DI input as well as the wet signal output with no additional boxes.

Darryl

[joesackic]

There is a few more popular ones out there too look at depending on your price range and set of features your looking for.

Waves makes a plugin called GTR 3, I played around with it a bit, seems to be pretty good. Although I didnt like the way it was laid out. Has great pre sets to get your started and covers most of the bases for guitar recording.

Kemper Profiling Amp, is a hardware unit like your pod but is at the very high end of the spectrum in quality and price. It is also unique in the way it funtions and allows you to model your own amps, download other peoples or buy professionally modelled packs. Too much to talk about with this one. Suggest doing some research on your own.

Line 6 Pod HD Series: Also a hardware/Software unit. I would say this one sits right in the middle as far as price and quality goes. Some amps on it sound great others are crap. Selection is satisfactory and the recording feature set is decent. No re-amping in the box though which is pretty weak IMO.

I recommend: In order

Plugin: Amplitube 3, Guitar Rig 5

Low too mid range hardware/software: Eleven Rack

High End Hardware: Kemper Profiling Amp, Axe Fx 2

[CME]

Here's a couple more options. I actually just starter using a palmer pdi-09 direct box on a guitar player's amp at church. It's sounds like his amp to me (and no bleed) :). Add a little reverb and it sounds even better.

I've also stumbled upon Two-Notes Torpedo products. They have a plug-in that emulates different cabs and mics. I've used the free version on the tracks I've recorded with the palmer to add some mic sim and room sound with good results.

And lastly I personally use a tech 21 character series sansamp, the British version, as the base of my live pedal board. They have several other flavors but I just need one. I've had modelers in the past and that's always been my biggest "problem". I tend to find one amp model and use it as the base for all my presets. So I finally just bought one amp model. And I tweak a lot less and worry about playing more. But that's just me. It's nice to have options, and as you can see there are plenty. :)

[crizdee]

Hi,

Audiffex amplion http://www.audiffex.com/EN/amplion/4...lion-free.html

the pro version is great! You can also get the free version!!

The G&K bass amp is also great


Chris

[Smurf43]

IMHO NOTHING beats a mic'd up amp....nothing...even at a low volume that movement of air is where it is at.

With that said, and with respect to 11 and all the others mentioned, Peavey ReValver is the best amp sim I have ever used, next in line is Magix's Vandal, and for cheap the old Green Machine with the Voxengo Boogex with the free lechatelet.de speaker IR's linked to from the Boogex page.

For Bass guitar, the Mark Bass 1 for the win, V2 seems a little "flat" compared to V1...

Yes, you will need to wrap them, but it is worth it, and I have NO problems in MP9 doing it this way...

And of course this is a YMMV, IMHO, yada yada type of post....