You heard right. Amp simulation software is not just for guitars. Amp simulators are generally loaded with effects, amps, and cabinets (translation: really cool distortion, EQ, and filtering), the occasional useful utility, and mucho MIDI control.
In fact, an amp simulator might be the most cost-effective package of effects you’ll find anywhere. It doesn’t matter if you play keyboards, sing, use drum machines, or for that matter, also play guitar; amp sims are one of the better-kept secrets for keyboard players. Read this article, and it won’t be a secret any more.
KEYBOARDS ♥ GUITAR AMPS
If you think you’re getting an amp simulator (or sim) just for when your guitar player comes over and wants to lay down some tracks, think again. A lot of guitarists are happy only with their particular setup; they might be able to cope if the only way you’re going to get down tracks is to use a sim — due to noise issues with your neighbors or unavailability of an amp, for example. Frankly, though, this article has less to do with using these packages exclusively with guitar, and more to do with giving you new sonic dimensions.
I double on guitar and keyboards, and my guitar side is thrilled be able to process my guitar in new ways. The part of me that loves synths gets a real kick out of putting them through the equivalent of guitar pedals and cabinets — those of you who’ve run a Minimoog through a Marshall stack know exactly what I’m talking about. Those of you who haven’t are about to discover a whole new array of sounds.
INITIAL PITFALLS AND HOW TO AVOID THEM
Guitar amps are extremely complex signal processors, so emulating them requires some pretty CPU-hungry software. The faster your computer is, the happier you’ll be. Second, there’s latency. Guitarists are very critical of any latency, because they’re used to hitting strings and hearing sounds immediately. But ever since digitally-scanned keyboards (how pretty much all keyboards work these days), we keyboardists have gotten used to hearing notes a millisecond or two after we play them. Fortunately, thanks to ever-more-powerful computers, within the past few years it’s become possible to play amp sims without feeling any disconnect.
Finally, you’ll need to tweak presets. This isn’t just because you’re playing keyboard instead of guitar; even guitarists need to tweak presets, because a given preset might have been developed using a different type of guitar, with a different type of pickup, than the current user is playing. There may be compression you don’t need, put there to help guitarists achieve the sustain that keyboards do inherently. The gain may be set to drive the software with a guitar, which is a lot higher than you’ll need for a synth. So, you may have to “keyboardize” some presets.
Here are some suggested tweaks:
- Pull down the drive or gain control a bit.
- Bypass any compression in the signal path unless you really need it. Limiting at the output, however, may be useful for controlling peaks.
- Guitars tend to be midrange-y, so if you need deeper bass, use cabinet models with more and bigger speakers — say, one with four 12" speakers instead of one 10". Closed-back cabinets also give more bass than open-back types.
- Many presets for guitar add brightness so the sound will “cut” more. However, synths produce plenty of high frequencies unless you’ve pulled the lowpass filter cutoff down. If an amp has a “bright” switch (often found on emulations of Fender amps) or a Presence control (common with Marshall emulations), turn the switch off or the control down a bit.
- If you’re using amp sims to get more realistic tone from a sampled or synthesized guitar sound, use a simple preset on the synth end (e.g., a clean electric) and let the amp sim do the hard work.
After you’ve read all the product profiles, be sure to check out my parting advice, Overall Conclusions, below..
IK MULTIMEDIA AMPLITUBE 2 (MAC, PC)
www.amplitube.com
IK’s AmpliTube was the first host-based guitar amp sim, yet there was nothing tentative about it — the sound, options, and the look of the interface staked a strong claim in the nascent world of virtual guitar processing. AmpliTube 2 (AT2 for short) builds on that experience to good advantage, offering more of everything: 14 preamp and 14 EQ models, seven power amp models, 16 cabinets, six mic models, 21 stompbox effects, and 11 studio-like “rack” effects. All this is wrapped in a gorgeous (albeit space-hungry) GUI that’s intuitive and looks very much like a physical guitar setup.
One of AT2’s outstanding features lets you choose from eight different signal routings. For example, you can have two complete rigs in parallel (with different stompbox setups, amps, and cabinets), a rig that goes through two stompbox setups (12 series stomps in all), an amp that splits into two cabinets then goes through one rack, splits into two parallel racks, etc. This is still simpler than à la carte patching — you can’t do exotic series/parallel stompbox routings, or tricks like splitting frequency bands — but AT2 pretty much covers what you need, as the routings are the ones you’d use most of the time anyway. However, like most other amp sim software (and for that matter, real guitar amp setups), the main signal path is mono; stereo happens only at the output from effects that create a stereo field (such as reverb) or from using parallel chains and panning them left and right.
Overall, AT2 is extremely friendly. It’s easy to dial in satisfying sounds, either via the presets, or by rolling your own. What’s more, AT2 nails that all-important “clean to dirty” transition. This is very important to guitarists, as they often feel they lose the responsiveness of a “real” amp when going through an amp sim; AT2 does a superb job of retaining the guitar’s nuances. When using other signal sources, this means that drums tend to retain their dynamic feel, and keyboards respond better with patches that use lots of velocity. Another quality is a kind of “warmth.” While that’s what tubes are supposed to do, sometimes models can sound more “brittle” than a physical amp. AmpliTube 2 is capable of creating very creamy sounds.
AmpliTube 2 is also quite easy to learn, foregoing complex patching and sound design plumbing in favor of a more compact set of extremely useful sounds. Most importantly, this sim gets high marks on “tone,” and is one of my favorite processors for drums because it doesn’t obscure the drums’ organic sound quality. Another useful touch is the inclusion of “rack” effects. These are the kind of processors you’d use in the studio to augment a recorded guitar’s tone, and are more surgical than AT2’s character-laden virtual stompboxes.
Note that AT2 is part of a family whose other members include AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix edition (which models Hendrix’s amp and pedal setup), Ampeg SVX (a sim of the famous bass amp brand), and the upcoming AmpliTube Metal. The important angle here is that they can all work under X-Gear, a new IK program that serves as a sort of shell for various “powered by AmpliTube” products. For example, when you call up an amp in X-Gear, it can be any amp from any AmpliTube-based product installed on your computer — ditto for stompboxes and cabinets. Furthermore, there’s the Stomp I/O hardware ($1,049), which takes the whole concept on stage via a rugged, full-function pedalboard with a built-in 24-bit audio interface; you can run your live performance from Stomp I/O without ever looking at the laptop on which AT2 is running.
What IK does best is extract the most important elements from a product genre, wrap them in gorgeous graphics, access them with a logical interface, and provide enough control and editing to satisfy tweakheads without burdening the less technical with unneeded complexities. AT2 is no exception.
DON’T GET HIGH!
Guitars don’t have a lot of high-frequency content, which is one reason guitarists like distortion so much: It generates a lot of harmonics, enriching the tone. However, synthesizers can have a lot of highs, and sending them through guitar-oriented distortion can sound like a swarm of bees. To feed distortion with a synth, pull back on your synth’s lowpass filter for a warmer, creamier tone.
Pros
Authentic, warm sound quality. Smooth “clean-to-distorted” transitions. Easy interface with useful routing options. “Rack processors” are a nice touch. Good preset management. Works under X-Gear in conjunction with other “powered by AmpliTube” products.
Cons
Mostly mono signal path. Takes up lots of screen space.
$399
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: Intel or Power PC processor 866MHz or faster, OS X 10.4.x or later (10.4.4 or later for Intel). PC: Pentium 1GHz or faster, Windows XP or Vista 32-bit. Both: 512MB RAM (1GB or more recommended).
PLUG-IN FORMATS
AU, RTAS, VST, standalone mode supports Windows ASIO or DirectSound, Mac CoreAudio.
COPY PROTECTION
Online activation.
NATIVE INSTRUMENTS GUITAR RIG 3 (Mac, PC)
www.native-instruments.com
Guitar Rig 3 offers, without a doubt, the most flexible routing of all amp sims, in large part due to its rack-based paradigm — sort of like “Reason for guitarists.” Modules like the splitter and crossover allow for parallel effects (e.g., multiband distortion setups) as well as provide the option to create parallel signal chain setups based on frequency splitting — for example, feeding only highs through a delay. It’s also the only amp sim with synth-like step sequencers and triggers, achieving sounds that are close to Roger Linn’s outstanding AdrenaLinn III hardware guitar processor. What’s more, you can add as many cabinets as you want, and place them anywhere in the stereo field; and some of the effects go beyond the norm, like the inclusion of the lowpass filter from their Pro-53 synth, the Jamman-like looper, and the “Psychedelay” backwards tape effect emulator.
There are two GR3 flavors: Software only, or software with the Rig Kontrol USB2.0 foot controller. The latter includes an expression pedal (with jacks for two more), eight footswitches, metering, an excellent audio interface, and super-tight integration with GR3 that makes it easy to tie parameters to particular control elements. This is most obvious in GR3’s “live view,” which is designed not for editing, but for live performance. It features a display of the Rig Kontrol that clearly shows associations with various buttons. Onstage, the controller greatly extends GR3’s operation.
The GUI is surprisingly easy to figure out for a program of this depth. Toward the right is a virtual rack. The left side is where you choose things: Presets, components to populate the rack, or options. Components includes tabs for Amps (14), Distortion (11 stompbox types), Modulation (11 options), EQ (ten types including wah), Volume (volume pedal, limiter, two compressors, two noise reducers), Reverb (two reverbs, four delays), Tools (looper, split, and crossover), and five modulation generators (LFO, envelope, step/trigger sequencer, analog sequencer, and input level). You drag these into the rack, and once dragged, re-arrange them as desired. Although the paradigm is a serial effects chain, you can split that into several parallel chains. Note that several of the modules have a little “+” button which, when clicked, reveals advanced controls. While not on the same level as ReValver MkIII, you can for example, adjust the Plexi amp’s sag, response, tube bias, and variac effect (changing the line voltage coming from the “wall”).
All amp sims have their own sound; I’d say Guitar Rig 3 is more on the “brash” than “smooth” side. You can get some really biting, “present” tones although they lose their mojo if you turn off Hi Q mode (turning this on doubles the CPU hit but gives a smoother, clearer distortion effect). I do hear a difference between the older amp models and the ones new to GR3: The latter have a richer sound, with a more realistic high end and more subtle clean-to-distorted transition characteristics.
GR3 is also well accessorized, with one “tape deck” module that plays back files and a second one that records what you play (it’s easy to loop, too, which is great for practicing), tuner, and metronome.
Overall, GR3 and Peavey’s ReValver MkIII (see page 41) are the two “tweaker’s delights” when it comes to amp sims, but for different reasons. GR3’s strength is in its routing and complement of modules, which brings modular synthesizer-style thinking to the world of amp modeling, and allows for exceptionally complex and interesting patches.
WATCH THAT GAIN!
Guitar pickups generate lower levels than the typical electronic keyboard. Furthermore, just about all amp sims have two level controls: A gain or drive that adjusts the signal going into the virtual preamp, and a master volume for post-preamp output. The gain/drive affects distortion, and is also used to bring up guitar. With keyboards, you’ll probably need to pull the gain down. Use gain for “crunch” and master volume for overall level. Turning up the master too high can also increase distortion by overloading the next stage in your signal chain.
Pros
Most flexible routing of any amp sim. Deep complement of amps and effects. Hidden “expert” controls keep the interface non-threatening, but provide much additional control. Live View is wonderful for onstage use. Rig Kontrol is a useful and reasonably-priced accessory.
Cons
Older amp models aren’t as responsive as the newer ones. High-quality mode gives better sound, but doubles the CPU hit.
$339; $559 with Rig Kontrol foot controller/ audio interface
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: Intel or PowerPC processor 1.GHz or faster, OS X 10.4.x or later.
PC: Pentium 3 or faster processor, Windows XP SP2 or Vista 32-bit.
Both: 512MB RAM, USB 2.0 compatible port for Rig Kontrol (USB hubs not supported).
PLUG-IN FORMATS
AU, RTAS, VST standalone mode supports Windows ASIO or DirectSound, Mac CoreAudio.
COPY PROTECTION
Online activation via Native Instruments Service Center app. Connection not required after activation.
DIGIDESIGN ELEVEN (Mac or PC with Pro Tools)
www.digidesign.com
Feature-wise, Eleven is one of the simpler amp sims: It’s mono, has no effects other than tremolo, lacks accessories such as a tuner, and of course, works only in Pro Tools. Yet there’s no denying that it has the right sound, and Pro Tools comes with enough plug-ins that you essentially have a bunch of effects anyway (try putting the Bomb Factory BF76 Peak Limiter ahead of Eleven in the signal chain — tasty).
Eleven’s user interface is divided into three parts. The strip along the top includes an input control, noise gate with threshold and release, an amp type selector (16 models), cabinet type selector (seven cabinets), and an output control. Although the noise gate is intended to keep noise under control with guitars, combining a high threshold with a short release (as low as 10ms) on drums gives a tight sound that’s quite cool. With keyboard sounds that have long decay, this can also chop the sound a bit so all you hear is the initial, highly distorted part rather than hearing the decay trail off. This can be very useful for percussive-oriented material, like dance tracks.
The middle section is the amp itself, with a complement of controls that, as expected, varies depending on the amp model; five have tremolos, while all have tone controls and some way to regulate level. Note that you can’t sync the tremolo to tempo — while that’s faithful to real guitar amps, it is 2008, and tremolos are allowed to sync to tempo. Although Digidesign clearly put a lot of effort into modeling particular vintage amps, I particularly like the two hybrid “custom” amps: DC Modern Overdrive and DC Vintage Crunch. They’re very versatile.
The presets are excellent, but if you venture beyond them, you’ll discover that a cabinet that might sound awful with one amp will sound incredible with another, or come to life if you use a different virtual mic or switch from on- to off-axis miking. Experiment, and you’ll be well-rewarded.
All the knobs and switches for all amp models are MIDI-controllable, either by choosing a particular controller from a list of common options or via the MIDI Learn function. This is a great feature for adding dynamic interest. For example, suppose you’re using Eleven to “soil” some drum sounds. By increasing the treble or presence parameter a tad, you can jack up the emphasis in appropriate sections. The amp section also has a bypass switch; we’ll discuss its significance in a moment.
The bottom strip is the cabinet, cut off at the bottom so the GUI doesn’t hog your entire screen. Here you’ll find a bypass switch, speaker breakup slider, mic type selector (eight options), and the switch for on-axis/off-axis miking. Speaker breakup can add an interesting bit of grit to the cabinet sound, although for most sounds I preferred turning it down.
Having bypass switches for both sections is very useful, as you can mix and match Eleven with other amps and cabinets. You could route Eleven’s amp output to a real cabinet, which you could then mic, or use a hardware tube preamp to drive an Eleven cabinet model. Or, combine Eleven with other software — interestingly, I found that stacking cabinets gave some outstanding results. In particular, following an Eleven cabinet with some NI Guitar Rig 3cabinets (see page 34) produced a very different sound compared to either cabinet type by itself. I wouldn’t say it was more realistic, but it was a complex, interesting, useful sound.
Overall, Digidesign has put their efforts into the core sounds, which have a strong, beefy, accurate quality. Eleven is pricier than the competition, especially considering that you can’t create stereo/multi-cabinet paths within the plug-in, and don’t get any kind of stompbox effects. This matters more to guitarists, as stomps tend to sound different than the plug-in effects you could stack up in Pro Tools; this is of less importance for using amp sims on keyboards. Overall, sound is the bottom line, and there’s no question that Eleven sounds excellent.
THESE GO TO ELEVEN, NIGEL
Why is Digidesign’s amp software named Eleven? Why is Universal Audio’s named Nigel? If you don’t know the answers to those questions, you haven’t seen Rob Reiner’s This is Spinal Tap. So do yourself a favor: Watch this essential movie that reveals more truth about being a rock band on the road than some of us would like to admit. . . .
Pros
Realistic and responsive amp models. Uniformly good presets. Reasonable CPU drain, although in native mode, slightly higher CPU drain than some competitors.
Cons
Kind of pricey, given that the only effect you get is tremolo and even that isn’t available for all amps.
LE (native), $395; TDM (card-based Pro Tools system), $595
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac or PC: Digidesign-qualified system running Mac OS 10.4.x or Windows XP, Digidesign HD or LE hardware or M-Audio M-Powered interface with Pro Tools 7.1 or later (7.3 or later recommended). Full details at www.digidesign.com.
PLUG-IN FORMATS
RTAS, AudioSuite, TDM.
COPY PROTECTION
iLok dongle (purchased separately).
LINE 6 GEARBOX GOLD (Mac, PC)
www.line6.com
As the company that basically invented amp modeling with its Amp Farm plug-in for the Pro Tools TDM platform, Line 6 has had time to get its act together. The PODxt hardware processor and Vetta II guitar amp have become near-iconic devices for guitar, and Line 6’s GearBox software is based on these third-generation algorithms. By the way, don’t let the list price scare you; the street price of GearBox Gold at the time of this writing is typically around $150.
The signal path is a serial chain of effects. This may appear limited at first, but dig a little deeper and you’ll find that the Volume Pedal, Modulation, Delay, and Reverb effects can be switched pre- or post-amp, although their positions relative to each other remain fixed (e.g., Modulation is always before Delay). You can’t do dual-cabinet routings within the plug-in, but you can always clone your track and instantiate two GearBox plug-ins.
GearBox Gold comes with a hardware audio interface, which serves as a “dongle that actually does something useful” because it lets you take advantage of Line 6’s ToneDirect monitoring. This reduces latency to almost nothing by bypassing the usual operating system layers (you can use any audio interface and operate the plug-ins conventionally if desired, but the hardware still needs to be connected because the plug-in authorization is “keyed” to it). This ultra-low latency — not to be confused with the more basic “zero-latency monitoring” — is extremely significant if you want a truly tight feel when playing through the plug-in in real time. The tradeoff: This records the processed sound, unlike with traditional plug-ins where you record the dry sound, then add plug-in effects as a further step. You can always record a dry track at the same time as a “safety net” and apply the GearBox plug-ins while mixing.
GearBox has a reputation for excelling at high-gain, super-crunched lead sounds, but being weaker for rhythm/chorded sounds. I think that’s just due to the included presets.
With a little tweaking (mostly gain and EQ), you can get exceptionally nuanced sounds, with gentle, smooth breakups when going from clean to distorted. Some of the clean sounds are outstanding, in fact; subtle chorusing and delay, coupled with a strong high-end EQ boost, can give you those glassy, almost supernaturally clean sounds associated with big-bucks L.A. studio sessions of the ’80s. Also, GearBox can access Line 6’s online tone library, giving you access to thousands of additional tones.
In addition to the 78 guitar amps and 24 guitar cabinets, there are 28 bass amps with 22 bass cabinets, 80 effects, and six mic preamps. I can’t tell you whether or not the vocal preamps accurately model the hardware pres they’re supposed to emulate, but I can tell you it’s possible to get some great vocal sounds out of GearBox . . . ditto for bass. A less expensive version, GearBox Silver, is similar but has a more limited selection of models. Also note that many other Line 6 products, such as the TonePort audio interfaces, include a goodly selection of GearBox models.
The GearBox presets vary from “why bother” to great, depending entirely on whether they’re a good match for your playing style or not. That brings up an interesting point: Of all the amp sims I’ve used, GearBox seems most receptive to having small parameter value changes make huge differences in the final tone; sometimes a preset can turn from ho-hum to downright magical with one tiny tweak of one knob. In any event, some of the very best sounds I’ve ever gotten through an amp sim have been courtesy of GearBox. The same goes for some of my best voice-over and bass synth sounds.
BASS IS THE PLACE
Although dedicated bass amp modelers such as IK’s Ampeg SVX are fabulous, NI Guitar Rig and Line 6 GearBox also include some fine bass amp/cabinet models. When you’re playing synth bass, clone the track — one dry, one through the bass amp sim. I use bass cabs all the time with synth bass, and they give it a muscular quality that’s impossible to duplicate with anything else.
Pros
ToneDirect monitoring is genius for realtime playing. Huge choice of models. Capable of very nuanced sounds. Straightforward interface. Superior high-gain sounds. “Learn” function filters out instrument hum. Line 6 Monkey program checks for compatibility and updates.
Cons
Relatively inflexible routing. Can’t create stereo cabinet effects within a single instantiation.
$699.99
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: Intel or PowerPC processor 1.5GHz or faster, OS X 10.4 or later.
PC: Pentium 4 or faster processor, Windows XP with SP2 or Vista. Both: 512MB RAM, USB1.1 or 2.0 port (USB hubs not supported).
PLUG-IN FORMATS
AU, RTAS, VST, standalone mode supports Windows ASIO and Mac CoreAudio.
COPY PROTECTION
Online activation. Online connection not required after activation. Included TonePort DI must be connected.
McDSP CHROME TONE (Mac or PC with Pro Tools)
www.mcdsp.com
Chrome Tone consists of the Chrome Amp (a single amp section), and the Chrome Stack, which includes the Amp model along with tabs for Wah, Tremolo, and Chorus. There are no specific attempts to emulate certain amps; the amp module includes Noise Gate, Compression, Distortion, Equalizer, and Reverb sections (with a single control for level), plus a low-cut switch. Distortion offers nine different EQ tone control types, and six options for amp character from clean to scream. There are 18 cabinet options.
Effects can respond to the input signal, a sidechain signal, or MIDI control. This is the only amp sim I’ve used that does sidechaining — good thinking. For example, you can drive the wah filter frequency, tremolo gain, or chorus initial delay with a drum loop or other rhythmic audio signal. The input goes through an envelope follower, allowing the desired effect to follow the audio in a very dynamic, musical way.
The wah is an overachiever, adding multiple filter types to the same sophisticated control and LFO options as the chorus. Even the tremolo goes beyond the conventional. So, what about the sound?
Frankly, Chrome Tone holds its own against anything out there — not because it’s a slavish emulation of a particular amp, or because it’s particularly tweakable, but because it sounds very sweet and round. The “fizziness” I’ve alluded to in various other sims isn’t really a factor here, although note that Chrome Tone doesn’t include multiple miking options (you can select “Room” or “Close” when choosing a cabinet). The upside is that you can’t pick combinations of things that go badly together.
Chrome Tone is not a “jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none.” What it does is very focused, and it’s gorgeous — almost like what a guitar amp should sound like instead of what it does sound like. The tones don’t have, say, particularly Vox or Fender traits; instead, they just sound like really good guitar amps. Chrome Tone has a unique, and extremely desirable, sound.
Pros
The sound quality is organic, sweet, and expressive. Sidechaining and MIDI control for crucial effect parameters. Innovative twists to otherwise conventional processing. Economical GUI.
Cons
Limited miking options.
Emerald Pack bundle, $1,395; Project Studio bundle, $495
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Pro Tools TDM, LE, or M-Powered. Mac: PowerPC or Intel processor, OS X 10.4 or later (OS 10.5 Leopard supported); PC: Pentium 4 or faster, Windows XP.
PLUG-IN FORMATS
TDM, RTAS, AudioSuite.
COPY PROTECTION
iLok dongle.
NOVATION NIO 2|4 (Mac, PC)
www.novationmusic.com
The Novation Nio 2|4 is a USB audio interface with mic in, instrument in, RCA stereo line ins, four RCA outs, two headphone outs, and MIDI in/out. You can also add effects to the input while recording, courtesy of the driver-level Nio FX rack. Note that these effects don’t work like conventional plug-ins; think of them as sitting between the Nio’s audio inputs and the output it sends to the computer. However, they’re also available as plug-ins (VST or AU) from Novation’s website. The FX rack uses a rack paradigm where you can freely add and remove modules. The rack isn’t resizable, so expect to scroll if you populate it with lots of modules.
The amp sims in the FX rack are from Overloud, and are related to their more comprehensive TH-1 amp modeling package — we saw a preliminary version back in January at the NAMM show, and it’s expected to ship sometime this summer. Included with Nio are four guitar amps and one bass amp with cabinets. There are four distortion stompboxes — crucial for crunch, as only two amps have drive controls.
The amp models, while not particularly flexible, sound good; however, when pushed hard with the with stompboxes, the low end can get muddy. Be careful with the Nio’s instrument input — even passive guitar pickups can overload it. With keyboards, you’ll use the line-level RCA inputs, so this won’t be an issue.
What really completes the package are the other effects from Novation and Focusrite. The Chorus expands the sound beautifully, and the Compressor is very handy. The Synth Filter can add serious character (especially when put pre-distortion), and the Delay and Reverb dress up the sound with ambience.
Sure, you don’t get the flexibility or sound options of costlier amp software. But if you’re looking mainly for a songwriter’s audio interface, the included amp models are a nice bonus. They’re useful on a variety of instruments or even vocals, and the price is right.
Pros
Useful complement of effects, not just amp sims. Essentially free with interface. No latency when monitoring. Lots of bundled software.
Cons
No MIDI control over sims/effects parameters. 44.1/48kHz only.
$299.99
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: G3 600MHz or faster, OS 10.3.9 or later (OS 10.5 Leopard supported). PC: Pentium III 500MHz or faster, Windows XP SP2 or Vista (32- or 64-bit).
PLUG-IN FORMATS
Effects are implemented while recording.
COPY PROTECTION
Connected Nio hardware required.
APPLE GUITAR AMP PRO (Mac with Logic)
www.apple.com
One of the cornerstones of Logic Pro 8 (reviewed Jan. ’08) is its vast amount of downright great plug-ins, and Guitar Amp Pro adds an amp sim to the roster. While it may seem it doesn’t use a rack paradigm and is “just an amp,” don’t forget that Logic Pro and Express include plug-ins for distortion, delay, filtering, dynamics control, and even a bass amp plug-in, so Logic itself provides a rack-type framework. So does Apple’s live performance app, MainStage.
Guitar Amp Pro offers 11 amp types, four types of EQ, and 14 cabinets, along with a cabinet-less option that emulates the direct recording output on some amp heads. You can link amps and speakers, as well as amps and EQ, so that calling up an amp calls up a preferred cabinet or EQ choice.
Knobs include pre-gain, four tone controls (bass, mid, treble, and presence), and master volume. An effects section offers temp-synced vibrato and tremolo, plus a fine spring reverb emulation. Virtual mic options are basic: Condenser or dynamic, center or off-center. Where’s the “air” or “distance” parameter? Well, in Logic Pro, insert Delay Designer for any kind of air you want.
Sonically, my impressions are highly favorable, with a smooth transition from clean to distorted. Listen a bit more critically, and the sound could use a little more of the feel that its virtual speakers are “pushing air.” Frankly, though, that probably makes more of a difference to the player than the listener because on playback, the sound sits very well in a mix.
I must say that the more I work with Logic, the more it continues to impress me. Guitar Amp Pro, while perhaps not the ultimate amp sim, provides dependable sound quality, ease of use, and editability. Throw in some other of included plug-ins on the same track, and you might be surprised at just how great a Logic channel strip can sound.
Pros
Bundled with Logic Studio and Express at no extra cost. Solid amp simulations, including very good “clean” models. Includes vibrato as well as tremolo. Sounds great when combined with other Logic plug-ins. Surprisingly versatile.
Cons
Limited virtual miking options. Lacks some of the organic quality of big-ticket amp sims.
Logic Studio (includes Logic Pro 8), $499; Logic Express, $199
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1.25GHz G4 or faster or Intel Core Duo processor, 1GB RAM, OS 10.4.9 or later, QuickTime 7.2.
PLUG-IN FORMATS
Plug-ins work only within Logic Studio and Logic Express.
COPY PROTECTION
Logic Studio/Express serial number entry.
DB AUDIOWARE FLYING HAGGIS
www.db-audioware.com
This budget sim proves that you don’t need a lot of bucks to get some great sounds. Were corners cut? Well, you get only one amp model (more on this later) and one mic model, although there are six cabinets and four mic positions. However, there’s also a fine array of series effects (in order: Noise gate, Auto Wah, Phaser, Tremolo, Echo, Chorus, and Reverb). You can’t change the order, but you can use MIDI to control all effects parameters and bypass switches, as well as all amp controls.
If you like to keep things simple, flicking the Controls/Presets switch to the Presets position replaces all amp/cabinet-related controls with preset selection boxes (although you can still edit the effects). This is also where you can create, store, and recall your own banks and presets.
Now, about that one amp model: It’s surprisingly versatile, whether you want clean tone, a little crunch, serious distortion, or modern high-gain sounds. And it sure sounds good. The cabinet emulations avoid the exaggerated filtering effects of some sims, and the combination of Drive and Distort controls are key to giving a full range of sounds.
The company says they didn’t really care about modeling a specific amp, but just kept tweaking until it sounded good. And it does. It even passes my “Rebel Rebel” test for guitar: Playing that first sequence of arpeggiated dominant seventh-to-tonic chords that open David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” off the Diamond Dogs album. To hear each note of each chord clearly, while sounding satisfyingly dirty and bright, is tough to pull off — but Flying Haggis does.
Sure, Flying Haggis isn’t as flexible as sims that cost hundreds more. But it completely succeeds at its mission: Inspiring sounds at a righteous price. Thumbs up.
PARALLEL LINES, PART 1
Because guitar amp cabinets have such a distinctive sound, they can have too much influence on an instrument’s tone. A simple solution is to run the processed sound in parallel with a dry track of the same content, so you can mix the two to taste. This is particularly applicable to processing drums.
Pros
Extremely cost-effective. Useful effects. Satisfying sound quality. Very good cabinets. Surprisingly versatile for a single amp model.
Cons
Not as responsive to playing dynamics as some other sims.
$99
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: PowerPC G5 or Intel Core Duo processor, OS 10.4.8 or later.
PC: Pentium or Celeron 1GHz or better, Windows XP or Vista 32-bit.
PLUG-IN FORMATS
AU, VST, standalone mode supports Windows MME, DirectX, and ASIO, Mac CoreAudio.
COPY PROTECTION
Online activation.
PEAVEY REVALVER MK III (Mac, PC)
www.peavey.com
If Peavey wanted to make a big impression with their entry into the world of guitar amp modeling, they’ve succeeded: The buzz about ReValver Mk III is huge, and with good reason.
ReValver uses a rack paradigm with 15 amps, 16 stompboxes, 10 effects, 12 preamps, nine power amps, a VST host module (for loading your favorite plug-ins into ReValver when it’s in standalone mode), and eight “utilities.” These include two tuners, a frequency analyzer, level adjusters, a signal splitter for creating parallel paths (this can be used once in a setup), a triode tube if you want to roll your own amp from scratch, and a simple tone stack. As to speaker cabinets, you have two very rich choices: A convolution-based speaker simulator with over 150 impulse options (you can load your own impulses as well), and a “Speaker Construction Set” where you can change the virtual cabinet’s width, height, and depth, choose from eight different speakers and 20 different virtual mics, and tweak the mic’s angle, axis, and distance from the cabinet. Additional cab controls are for lows, highs, distortion, and crunch. The amp/speaker combinations have the feel — not just the sound — of a tube amp, with undeniable authenticity.
There’s one more outstanding aspect: You can tweak your tone on a schematic level. Seriously. When you click an amp’s “tweak” button, you see the components that make up the amp — the tubes, output transformer, power supply, and more. Click on a tube, and you can change its type (Do you like a 6V6 better than a 6L6? I do!). You can also vary the tube’s plate voltage, transformer impedance, cathode resistor, class of operation, and much more. Having worked with tubes for a good portion of my life, I can say that changing these parameters makes the same sonic differences you’d get from pulling out a soldering iron and messing with physical parts. Amazing.
There is a downside, though: The deep tweaks (including speaker construction) aren’t editable in real time; you make a change, then hit “Apply.” I think few users will be familiar enough with tube amp design to say, “Hey, know what this amp needs? Change the preamp stage grid resistor from 38k to 220k!” Given the huge number of parameters, learning how each of them affects the sound is a time-consuming process — change, apply, listen, change, apply, listen. Given the current state of technology I don’t know how Peavey could get around this, but it just means you’re in for a learning curve if you want to take full advantage of ReValver’s incredible tweakability.
Normally this might scare some off, but the program comes with 12 banks of patches, each with around ten patches. While many of these are quite useable as is, you can call up amp presets within the patch that make a considerable difference to the sound. Overall, I’d say that the factory sonic character tends to be aggressive, but can be tamed fairly easily with the various options.
One of the big surprises was the quality of the clean sounds, as they add character while retaining an instrument’s natural quality. Putting some vintage keys-oriented soft synths through the clean amp sounds made them really stand out in a mix, and on electronic drums it was possible to really bring out some extra “snap.” I did find the highs on some speaker cabs to be a bit fizzy, but a little EQ with reduced gain solved that; I also suggest using the “hi-res” mode for the convolution speaker module. Note that there’s a 64-bit “mixdown” mode that uses four times the CPU power of the 32-bit version. Although this will bring many computers to their knees, if yours is powerful enough, it does improve the sound. As the name “mixdown” suggests, this is best used for bouncing down to a hard disk track after you have your sound sorted out.
Bottom line: Bravo, Peavey!
PARALLEL LINES, PART 2
Most guitars have mono outs, so many guitarists get a big stereo spread by splitting the output, running each line into a different cabinet, and panning the two cabinets left and right. Even though most keyboards have stereo outs, this is still a good trick. IK AmpliTube2 has routing specifically for running cabinets in stereo, and NI Guitar Rig’s modular approach lets you put as many cabinets as you want in parallel, panning them wherever you want. Even if your software doesn’t make it this easy, just clone your track, and process each one independently through two instances of the plug-in.
Pros
Responsive feel. Excellent choice of modules. Very cool cabinet options, from convolution to “roll your own.” Can save the resulting amp character as an impulse for loading into a convolution reverb. Unparalleled tweaking options.
Cons
Only one signal split allowed per program. Circuit-design tweaking is not realtime.
$299.99
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: PowerPC or Intel processer 1GHz or faster, OS 10.4.X.
PC: 1GHz or faster processor, Windows XP or Vista 32-bit. Both: 512MB RAM, minimum 1024 x 768 screen resolution.
PLUG-IN FORMATS
AU, VST, standalone mode supports Windows ASIO and WDM, Mac CoreAudio.
COPY PROTECTION
Online activation.
TC ELECTRONIC TUBIFEX, TC THIRTY, AND VINTAGE AMP ROOM (Mac, PC)
www.tcelectronic.com
You say you want amp sims, but don’t want to load down your CPU? TC Electronic’s PowerCore platform provides hardware DSP on a card that goes into your motherboard, or in a FireWire outboard unit, and offers three amp sim plug-ins of note: Tubifex comes bundled with PowerCore, while TC Thirty ($249) and Vintage Amp Room ($489) are optional. Of the three, Vintage Amp Room doesn’t require PowerCore, as it also has a native version ($429) and one that runs on Pro Tools HD and Venue systems ($799).
First up: TC Thirty. Released in March 2004, it’s showing its age. There’s some subtle modulation noise during decays, and a buzziness in the high end. However, the latter can be cut easily with a high shelf EQ. It sounds okay, but unless you’re jonesing for the Vox AC30 sound, you’re better off with Tubifex, which comes free with PowerCore anyway — or save up an extra $249, and get two additional models with Vintage Amp Room.
Tubifex is exceeded only by Peavey ReValver Mk III (see page 41) in its ability to “get inside the circuit” and customize internal parameters. Along with traditional amp head controls (gain, EQ, speaker simulator), there’s a section with three virtual tubes. Each can be enabled or disabled, and you can tweak each tube’s plate voltage and bias, both of which affect the tube’s linearity as it progresses from clean to overdriven. Three additional “body” controls (Size, Strength, and Brightness) further alter the sound of each tube stage.
The noise reduction isn’t a simple noise gate, but works like a big-bucks device — it “learns” the undesired sounds, then subtracts them from the signal. This controls noise better than any of the other amp sims in this roundup. You can get really high-gain sounds with virtually no hiss, and without the sometimes-annoying cutoff of a noise gate.
The one thing that Tubifex lacks is speaker cabinet options. The ever-popular 2 x 12" cabinet is included, but that’s it. For virtual miking, there are three axis positions (center, edge, and in between) and two choices for distance (right in front, or a little bit away). What’s included works well, but more variety would be cool.
Vintage Amp Room is on a whole other level. It’s a serious amp sim that specifically does not deliver a completely-produced sound, but simulates three essential amps really, really well — it’s up to you to add any distortion or other effects via separate plug-ins. To get you started, TC’s PowerCore packages all include studio-oriented EQ, dynamics, chorus, delay, reverb, and more.
The amps are based on Marshall, Fender, and Vox, and each has a mic that you can move continuously from off-axis to on-axis to distant. You can use only one amp at a time, which means you can’t put cabinets in stereo. The “Fender” model definitely incorporates that distinctive twang, the Vox nails its trademark pop sound, and the Marshall delivers the iconic crunch that’s synonymous with rock, especially if you hit the front end hard. The price isn’t cheap, but you get extremely realistic amps that break up smoothly, and feel like you’re playing the real thing.
For many recordists, the PowerCore platform is a boon, as it can provide hardware DSP assistance to overburdened CPUs, and TC has stepped up to the plate for amp modeling fans. My advice: Stick with Tubifex for a while and learn what it does before deciding you need something else. Then, download the demos of Vintage Amp Room and TC Thirty to see if they offer anything you need that you can’t get with Tubifex. I prefer Vintage Amp Room to TC Thirty, but I must say TC Thirty has its own distinctive sound and a certain appeal.
I HEAR VOICES
Many amp sims include effects like chorus, delay, harmonizers, and reverb, and can sound excellent on vocals — avoid the distortion and cabinets (unless, of course, you want your voice to be crunchy). Processing voice through amp sims can often lend a thick, warm sound that’s not possible to obtain with conventional, “clean” signal processors. Line 6 GearBox includes models of several mic preamps as well, which further tempts use on vocals.
Pros
Other, included PowerCore effects are cool, so even though there are no stompbox emulations, you get quite a package in addition to the amp sims. Tubifex is very flexible and offers novel sounds. Vintage Amp Room has stunningly accurate amp models.
Cons
RTAS wrapper (for use with Pro Tools) not included. TC Thirty is eclipsed by newer devices. No cabinet “mix and match” with any TC amp sims.
See text for pricing.
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: OS 10.4.x, PowerPC or Intel processor 733MHz or faster.
PC: Pentium 4 1.4GHz or faster, Windows XP. Both: 512MB RAM, TC PowerCore hardware (unless using native or TDM version of Vintage Amp Room).
PLUG-IN FORMATS
AU, VST. RTAS support via FXpansion RTAS wrapper (purchased separately).
COPY PROTECTION
Tubifex and TC Thirty require PowerCore to run. Vintage Amp Room also requires iLok dongle (purchased separately).
WAVES GTR3 (MAC, PC)
www.waves.com
GTR3 is a collaboration between Waves and renowned luthier/guitarist Paul Reed Smith, giving it one of the best pedigrees in the biz. The GTR3 package is actually two products: GTR ToolRack software, and a hardware audio interface. ToolRack houses six stompbox effects, two amps, and tuner; it’s possible to change the order of effects, and route them pre- or post-amp. When used with a host program, GTR3 provides a collection of “component” plug-ins including amps and various combinations of stompboxes. This component approach allows very flexible setups — for example, one amp followed by stomps followed by another amp. The roster of component modules includes 24 guitar amp models and six guitar cabinets, 7 bass amps and 6 bass cabinets, and 26 stompboxes.
The second element of the system is a special-purpose hardware audio interface, designed to transform a guitar’s high-impedance output into a low-impedance signal for feeding any kind of mixer or interface. If your audio interface has a “hi-Z” instrument input (most recent ones do), or if you’re using GTR3 on keyboards, this isn’t essential.
Sound-wise, GTR3’s strongest suit is that it pays attention to detail, and the sound quality has that sort of clarity for which Waves is famous. The models have no rough edges; even the dirty sounds have a precise, consistent quality. The high frequency comb-filtering artifacts found in much amp software (regardless of manufacturer) seem a bit smoother and more controlled, giving a sweet sound. If GTR3 were a presidential candidate, it’d never say anything the opposition could put a bad spin on, and be equally at home at a line dance in Dallas or a funk bar in Oakland. If I had to characterize the sound further, I’d say it reminds me of sitting in the control room of a big studio while the guitar player plays in the main tracking room.
The stompbox effects have the same kind of clarity, but that’s not too surprising given that they’re derived from the same algorithms as Waves’ well-known studio-oriented bundles. I don’t know if Waves will be too thrilled with me for pointing this out, but if you’ve always coveted Waves plug-ins but couldn’t afford them, GTR3 is a good way to get quite a bit of processing at a bargain price. For example, I’ve used GTR a lot for vocal processing, with outstanding results — even for synthesizing vocal harmonies.
There are quite a few presets, and they range from “Okay, I guess, but not something I’d use,” to “Press record now!” It can take a while to try out variations; for example, with some other programs you can open a drop-down menu, use the arrow up/down keys to choose different presets, and hear what they sound like. Not so here; you need to hit enter before the change takes effect. Although this is par for the course with amp sims, I’d like to see an easier process for auditioning parameter changes.
However, this is a minor issue compared to the fact that this is, for lack of a better term, a “hi-fi” amp sim with a focused, coherent sound. And if you’re bummed you can’t afford it, don’t be: The newly-released GTR Solo provides a sort of “Tool Rack’s greatest hits” for standalone or plug-in applications, and lists for $140. Although it has fewer amp options and fewer stompboxes, it retains the sound quality of its bigger brother.
NO, YOU DON’T NEED A BUFFER
One of the standout features of Waves GTR 3 is the hardware buffer module (designed in conjunction with Paul Reed Smith), which protects a guitar’s delicate output from suffering at the hands of typical audio inputs. But for synth, it doesn’t need buffering, and can forego using any kind of signal conditioner — plug right into your audio interface, and rock on.
Pros
Detailed, transparent sound. ToolRack optimized for standalone use is a welcome addition, as is its ability to be used as a plug-in. Component approach to plug-ins is versatile. Overall classy vibe.
Cons
Saving multiple components as a unified preset is not straightforward. GUI is unnecessarily large.
Native version with hardware interface, $500 (TDM, $600); native without interface, $380 (TDM, $480); interface only, $120.
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: Dual G5 2.5GHz or Intel Core Duo 1.8GHz or faster, 512MB RAM (1GB recommended), OS 10.4.9.
PC: Pentium 4 2.8GHz or Athlon XP 3400 or faster, 1GB RAM, Windows XP SP2.
PLUG-IN FORMATS
AU (doesn’t support Bias Peak on Intel Macs), AudioSuite, HDTM, RTAS, VST. Standalone mode supports Windows ASIO, Mac Core Audio.
COPY PROTECTION
iLok dongle (purchased separately).
STUDIO DEVIL VIRTUAL GUITAR AMP (Mac, PC)
www.studiodevil.com
What you can expect for $79? Quite a bit. Studio Devil Virtual Guitar Amp doesn’t offer all the competition’s options — it’s mono, includes no virtual stompboxes, and has a limited number of amp models — but produces some fine tones. In fact, for non-guitarists who just want a good amp sound to throw on keyboards, drum machines, and the like, Studio Devil may be all you need, saving enough bucks for a good sushi dinner, and caramel lattés for a month.
Virtual Guitar Amp has three preamp models (Modern, British, and Classic) and three “channels” (Lead, Crunch, and Clean). You can further adjust gain, switch on a boost, and alter the tone with bass, mids, treble, and presence knobs.
Cabinet options are few: Stack and Combo, with a drive control for the virtual power amp feeding the cabinet. There’s also a “D.I. Box” option suitable for feeding either a real miked amp from your audio interface, or Studio Devil’s virtual cabinet from other amp sim software. Finally, there’s a noise gate.
As to the sounds, it’s easy to flip a few switches, find some sounds that miss the mark, and figure “well, what do you want for $79?” But dig deeper: Certain combinations of controls produce outstanding results. For example, I didn’t like the Combo cabinet until I fed it with the Modern preamp, set to the Lead channel, with moderate gain and the Presence control all the way down. The result was an authentic open-back cabinet sound. Switching to Stack not only sounded great, but felt like speakers moving air — impressive!
The “Clean” channel is a bit of a misnomer. Using the British preamp with lots of gain, the boost on, the Stack cabinet, and fair amounts of mids, treble, and presence but no bass, gave good crunch. Of the included presets, “Rectify It” is a fine high-gain sound, and “Compressed Brit Lead” sounds like something off a Yardbirds album.
Virtual Guitar Amp isn’t about versatility, choosing instead to make the most out of a limited roster of sounds. But what it does, it does well, sometimes very well. This is a product, and a company, well worth watching.
Pros
Extremely cost-effective. Some of the sounds really feel like a speaker moving air. Good clean-to-distorted transition. Efficient GUI.
Cons
Limited options. No effects. Only two cabinet models.
$79
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: OS 10.4 or later.
PC: Windows XP or Vista 32-bit.
Both: 512MB RAM, 7MB hard disk space, follow processor requirements of host software; Studio Devil recommends 2GHz or faster.
PLUG-IN FORMATS
AU, RTAS, VST.
COPY PROTECTION
Online activation.
UNIVERSAL AUDIO NIGEL (Mac, PC)
www.uaudio.com
Nigel, which runs on Universal Audio’s Powered Plug-In DSP cards, places virtually no load on your computer’s CPU. Not content with being just an amp/cabinet emulation, Nigel includes several effects modules (Gate/Compressor, Phasor, Mod Filter, Tremolo/Mod, and Delay/Echo). These modules can be used as individual plug-ins to conserve DSP power — even DSP cards have limits. Note that the only way to change routing is to load individual modules into multiple host inserts.
Freed from the imperative to conserve CPU power, the effects sound strong and realistic. Nigel’s heart is the Preflex section, with two amp models that share a single cabinet option — the big deal here is that you can morph between one amp model and the other.
There are both pre- and post-preamp Low, Mid, and Hi controls, along with “Color” controls that modify several tone parameters at once; “Bent” does the same for gain. Several amp types are available, which change the function and range of the amp knobs.
There are 23 cabinets, with 12 basic types (some have multiple miking options: on-axis, off-axis, distant, and edge), and choices between open- and closed-back. The interface is fairly intuitive, except for the Color and Bent controls, which are not always predictable yet have a major effect on the sound — you can pull some fine sounds out of Nigel’s amp models, but you may not always be sure how you got there.
As to cost, Nigel is a part of the UAD Powered Plug-In family, which starts with the UAD-1 Project Pak ($499). If you’re buying it mostly for its studio-oriented effects, which are excellent, you’re essentially getting Nigel for free.
Pros
“Morphable” amp models give novel sounds. Effects can be used as individual modules, independently of the amp. No significant CPU load. No zipper noise. Other, non-amp-sim bundled effects are excellent.
Cons
Limited routing options. Nigel itself has seen no significant upgrades since its introduction in 2002.
$499 as part of larger bundle (see text).
VITAL STATS
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Mac: PowerPC G4/G5 or Intel processor, OS 10.4 or higher.
PC: Windows XP Home/Pro/x64 or Vista 32- or 64-bit (Vista required on notebook computers with UAD-Xpander).
Both: Computer with installed UAD-1, UAD-1e, or UAD-Xpander hardware.
PLUG-IN FORMATS
AU, VST, RTAS (via included wrapper).
COPY PROTECTION
Requires UAD hardware to run.
FIVE ESSENTIAL GUITAR TONES
Need to produce great guitar tones for your tracks, or someone else’s? Here are the five you can’t afford not to know about.
by Matt Blackett, Associate Editor, Guitar Player
Guitar tone is an enigmatic thing. It can be taught up to a point. Get the same gear as your favorite player and you can grab a little bit of their sonic magic. The thing is, most really great guitarists sound the same no matter what gear they use, which is beautiful and frustrating at the same time. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use amp simulator software to explore and dissect tone, and there’s no better place to start than with the players profiled here. This list doesn’t even scratch the surface of what’s out there in toneland, but it covers a variety of styles and is a great starter palette for your tonal canvas. These are the benchmarks of how great a six-string can sound, from squeaky clean to filthy-dirty. Enjoy.
WES MONTGOMERY
Montgomery owns the classic clean jazz tone. To get in his smooth ballpark, plug a hollow-body electric (on the neck pickup) into a warm-sounding Fender amp or simulation, set totally clean with not too much treble. Montgomery also used a solid-state Standel amp with a 15" speaker, so a model of that or a Polytone will do the trick as well. Check out “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face” for recorded evidence.
MARK KNOPFLER
“Sultans of Swing” by Dire Straits is the “clean Strat” tone by which all other clean Strat tones are measured. Knopfler played a Fender Stratocaster on the bridge and middle pickups into Fender Twin Reverb and a Roland JC-120 with the chorus off. He plucks with his fingers, but that setup will sound glorious no matter how you hit the strings.
STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN
Moving us into the “slightly dirty” realm is the late, great SRV. Another Strat cat, typically favoring the neck pickup, Stevie would plug into a host of amps: Fender Vibroverbs, Twins, and Super Reverbs, Marshall Super Leads and JCM-800s, and Dumble Steel String Singers. He favored 15" speakers in many of his cabs, but the key to his tone was having his amps just on the verge of breaking up, so if he hit his guitar hard the tone was dirty, but if he picked lightly, it was clean and bell-like. He’d use an Ibanez Tube Screamer effect, but set for more of a clean boost, with the gain low and the volume high. Anything he recorded has his amazing tone, but “Couldn’t Stand the Weather” is tough to beat.
EDWARD VAN HALEN
Still the king of humbucker-into-Marshall magic, Eddie took his homebuilt Strat-style guitar, put an old Gibson PAF pickup in the bridge position, and plugged into an old plexi Marshall. In so doing, he changed the world. The mistake most people make when chasing his tone is that they run way too much distortion based on preamp gain (the “drive” or “pre-gain” control to which Craig Anderton sometimes refers in this issue’s amp simulator roundup). Instead, Eddie Van Halen’s sound was predicated on power amp gain, which is what made it so dynamic and touch sensitive. Start with a simulation of the Marshall JCM-800, and keep its master volume higher than you might think so as not to sacrifice headroom and dynamics. If you want the swirl that accompanied Van Halen’s awesome tone on the first six records, use software that’s good at emulating the MXR Phase 90 stompbox.
JAMES HETFIELD
Metallica’s rhythm ace defined heavy, aggro-distorted tone in the post-Van Halen era. The tone he got on the heavy-as-hell song “Sad but True” is emblematic of his main rig, which became the de facto metal setup: a Gibson-style solid-body (in his case an ESP Explorer-style) loaded with EMG active pickups, into a Mesa/Boogie amp. He would notch out most of the midrange and hype the bass and treble frequencies for an even deadlier tone. Any amp modeler that has some version of the word “Rectifier” will get you most of the way there. To truly nail that tone, you’ll need a vicious right-hand attack, impeccable timing, and an attitude that’s just plain mean.
OVERALL CONCLUSIONS
So, what’s the best amp sim? Easy: It’s as tweakable as ReValver, has GearBox’s ToneDirect monitoring and mic preamp models, includes Guitar Rig’s synth-like modules and routing, offers AmpliTube’s tight integration with Stomp I/O, has GTR3’s level of sonic detail, is as cost-effective as Flying Haggis, boasts an interface as straightforward as Studio Devil, has Chrome Tone’s sidechaining, and features presets done by whoever did the presets for Eleven. It would come bundled with your favorite host (like Logic’s Guitar Amp), your interface (like the Nio), or run on separate DSP (like TC and Nigel) so there’s no CPU load.
Of course, no such product exists — just as all real amps have their own personalities, so do all simulators. I’d hate to choose just one; yet paradoxically, if only one of the sims in this roundup existed, I’d be able to do most of what I need. Even the least expensive models do a remarkably good job.
Fortunately, most have trial versions, so you can find out what works for you. Just remember: Tweak those presets!