Re: RME Firewire 800 and Guitar Amp Sim

[Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com>]

On 27 aug 2007, at 22.50, Doug Cox wrote:

> Hi Per!
>
> I'm primarily a clean tube amp lover, with a little crunch when I  
> really dig in.  I love Fenderish and Voxish tones in that respect.   
> If I want classic "distortion", I use a stompbox or two.
>
> I have a lot of guitars, but most are single coil Strat-like  
> things.  Although I do have a semi-hollow Epi Dot I love, and an  
> HSS Godin electric.
>
> In the end, I can get close to the tone I want with my boxes -  
> including the clean-to-crunch preamp tones.  What becomes a pain is  
> creating that last tone shaping step (power amp and speakers).  A  
> VST solution would be perfect because it eliminates more outboard  
> gear schlepping.
>
> I see in a previous reply you mentioned going direct and then  
> putting an EQ VST first in the chain.  Interesting.  I realize that  
> most (all?) amp simulators are basically fancy EQs, but I'm not  
> sure I'd know where to start in trying to emulate a guitar amp's  
> power amp and speakers.

Direct line-in with software EQ won't give you the sound you're  
describing above.

> For what it's worth, right now I'm being lazy and just running my  
> GT-8 into my Echo Indigo.  I love the GT-8, but it's big and heavy  
> and no fun to transport, and it's also way more device than I need  
> when I'm going directly into the laptop.
>
> I'd like to find a (light CPU, hopefully free or low-cost) VST  
> solution for this before I get to Santa Cruz. :)
>
> Ideas?


The NI Guitar Combos. Especially the "AC Box Combo". Once you could  
buy only one of those three. IMHO the AC (vox simulation) is the only  
one worth having. I seem to like the same guitar sound as you when  
not doing jazz or fretless ("clean tube amp lover, with a little  
crunch when I really dig in").

The AmpliTube 2 (I have the Jimi Henrix edition) is also good.  
Especially if you like to play dynamically. AT2 excels in having the  
crunchiness follow the varying dynamics of your string attack. But it  
sound like a huger combo. The NI AC Box Combo sound like a small one,  
a mini vox (those awesome practice amps they did around 1980) or a  
maybe a Fender Super Reverb.  I own a (physical) Gallien Krueger -  
with two 10" speakers and being a solid state amp its premier  
characteristic is the distinct and snappy sound. The crunch is  
happening rather high up in the frequency register, which is why I  
still like this box although it does hiss like a vacuum cleaner and  
stops working now and then. Bottom line is that I'm finding a similar  
feel in the NI AC Box Combo.

Also, the Guitar Amp Pro of Logic has a good "power amp" schwung, but  
that's only of interest for Logic users since it's part of the  
application and unfortunately can't be used elsewhere.

Greetings from Sweden

Per Boysen
www.boysen.se (Swedish)
www.looproom.com (international)