Software amp workflow | Realgearonline

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Software amp workflow Dec 7, 2016 2:37:42 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2016 2:37:42 GMT -6

Hey guys,

I'm always hearing of guys creating incredible tones with a slew of different stuff whether it's amplitube, Bias, UA, Scuffham etc. etc.

I can't for the life of me get the same sort of tones out of these seems, the distortion characteristics are never good, the bottom end is never right and after hearing so many great examples of these being used I figured I'd throw it up here and see what some of you guys are doing to get the best possible sound out of these. I have a copy of Bias, Amplitube and S-Gear and I'm generally taking a my guitars straight in through the Antelope Zen's Hi-Z inputs, I've thought maybe adding a dedicated DI would help but I can't imagine that's going to be a huge quality jump. I'm usually tracking my DI's to read about -18dbfs at the loudest spots leaving myself the headroom if I need it. Are you guys putting a lot of level into these plugins? are you tracking with drives and distortion pedals in front of the amp? Share your thoughts and experiences, I do have a decent collection of stuff I usually just resort to when I hit the wall with the sims but I am a slave to convenience and I don't have a Kemper anymore.

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Software amp workflow Dec 7, 2016 9:02:13 GMT -6 chasmanian likes this

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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2016 9:02:13 GMT -6

I use the best available DI input, which most of the time is simply the inbuilt DI of any decent and fairly clean standalone micpre. I do not see any real need to use a quality DI into the mic in, except the pre does not have a DI in of it's own. Sometimes it might add some nice color if it is all very high quality, say a Lundahl or Jensen transformered DI box before a really nice pre. Maybe.
I don't run a hot signal into the software amp, i use the plugins gain stages to shape the sound. Amp then going into a convolution speaker emulation. There are even some IRs out there, that not only emulate the speaker but shape the tone even further to achieve signature sounds all out of the same tube amp emulation. Done this with the TSE X30 free software amp and some freely available IRs and it sounds much better than i expected. Cool stuff. In this case, no additional distortion plugin before the amp.
Otherwise i do use a high quality distortion plug that emulates a real box, like the simulanalog stuff.
Other typical guitar effects just in the order i would use them in real world.
I.e. before the amp or inserted between amp and box emu, depends.
Although i also have the Overloud amp emulation chain stuff, i prefer the several high quality free amps on the net. I really like the tone many are able to give me. Especially in this area i find many free amp plugins to be very high quality and mostly not inferior to commercial suites. At least in sound, not always in handling....

Ward
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Software amp workflow Dec 7, 2016 9:27:39 GMT -6 chasmanian likes this

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Post by Ward on Dec 7, 2016 9:27:39 GMT -6

Using a small bit of compression on the way in can REALLY help results in the end, since you do not have the benefit of amplifier feedback or even sympathetic vibrational sustain.

I recommend a moderately clean pre with a little hair, like an API into an LA3a into your converter at nominal zero which should be calibrated to -18DBfS, or -12 if you wish to drive your plugins and software amps a little harder.

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Software amp workflow Dec 7, 2016 10:41:47 GMT -6

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Post by Deleted on Dec 7, 2016 10:41:47 GMT -6

Dec 7, 2016 9:27:39 GMT -6 Ward said:

Using a small bit of compression on the way in can REALLY help results in the end, since you do not have the benefit of amplifier feedback or even sympathetic vibrational sustain.

I recommend a moderately clean pre with a little hair, like an API into an LA3a into your converter at nominal zero which should be calibrated to -18DBfS, or -12 if you wish to drive your plugins and software amps a little harder.

I will definitely look into this, I really want to pickup one of the GAP hardware units of the 3a one of these days. Will check this out