What would you recommend for amp modeling and recording guitar?

[Mannas]

So, I'm getting back into guitar after a long time and am looking for a good option to record good guitar tones with good fx and amp modeling. What I'm considering are:

Amplitube 3
POD HD Pro
Studio Devil
???

I've got Amplitube 2 and Guitar Rig 5 and don't have much use for GR5. Amplitube is good for clean sounds but the distorted sounds to me are a bit too fuzzy. It's like it seems too digital. Dont know if it's the software or me. I have yet to try the new POD HD series but have heard good things. What would you recommend for good quality amps and fx especially with higher gain? I don't play too distorted, closer to classic rock and overdrive with more definition not the metal side of things. Are the PODs any good? Is the upgrade to Amplitube 3 a better idea?

[Tuco B]

check out some of the awesome freeware sims out there by TSE, Lepou, Ignite amps etc

TheSerinaExperiment.net • View topic - TSE X50 Public Beta (13.04.2011)

TSEX50 is killer for high gain... run it into an IR loader such as poulins lecab2 with some decent impulses (catharsis fredman style are decent) and your good to go
out of the commercial sims, softube vintage&metal amp rooms get my vote..
but there are some outstanding freewares out there!!!!

[nedorama]

Eleven LE if you're running Pro Tools.

[rack gear]

this:

Fractal Audio Systems Axe-Fx II Guitar Processor, Preamp, effects processor, amp modeler, guitar effects



http://www.fractalaudio.com/download...Manual-102.pdf

[Mannas]

Originally Posted by rack gear

Yeah, that would be the obvious choice if I could afford it.

[wxyz]

Revalver 5150

[lightfire]

If you want to go hardware route, there are some inexpensive options to try.

The Fender Mustang III with Fuse software I just purchased. I am blown away at the possibilities. The fender 65 reverb model alone justifies, to me, the price of the amp. The effects are not the greatest spec but we should remember that the recorded sound from a 12" speaker is always distorted from pure audio so it is the combined sound we are looking for. I think this is gonna be great but I have not yet recorded with it.

Another inexpensive hardware route is the Zoom G3. I ordered one to try with my mopho synth and will also see what type of combinations I can get with the Mustang III.

[cinealta]

I've had good results with Amplitube 3 but it is resource-intensive and requires a fast CPU and plenty of RAM.

A mic'd Vox AC15C1 would also be a good sounding economical choice.

I was one of the first people in the world to have an Axe-FX II and I would not recommend it. You can find my review here:

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/6835995-post18.html

in this thread:

Two Notes Torpedo or Axe-FX II!?

[lifesglorydead]

I've never really been satisfied with software-based sims, with the exception of Line 6 Amp Farm...I've heard good things about Eleven though. If you can afford a hardware POD HD I think that would be the way to go... miles ahead of GR or Amplitube in my humble opinion.

[Ree Fungorio]

Originally Posted by Mannas

I've got Amplitube 2 and Guitar Rig 5 and don't have much use for GR5.

That's a really good example of individual tastes being important. I use GR4 and I really like it but I can't stand Amplitube! I don't use any presets and honestly I'm not trying to replicate anything in particular and often use GR4 in ways that it's not intended, but I guess the GUI and the ability to easily sync time effects does it for me.

If you are trying to make it sound like you plugged into an AC30 or JCM800 sorry I just don't think it's there yet and I've dicked around with many different modelers. They don't FEEL right, the one time I tried a POD HD floor unit live I ended up using my amp instead. Recording, it may be a different story.

Good luck finding something that works for you!

-Ree

[Fisticuffs]

This seems to be the new hotness. Not modeling, profiling:
Kemper PROFILING AMP Guitar preamplifier | Full Compass

[simesf]

I have Amplitube & Guitar Rig but I record with a Pod HD (the bean one.) I just find the sound to be more satisfying. If you want to get extravagant you can always make patches without the speaker cabs and then run the signal through Recabinet.

[nedorama]

Have Amplitube 3, Izotope Trash, Sansamp, McDSP Chrome LE and Eleven LE.

Amplitube has a dizzying amount of options, sounds good, but their complex chains of 2 amps, stereo, etc. don't sit in mixes as well.

Trash is fun and quirky and is more an effects filter that works well on guitar.

Sansamp is great for high gain crunchy guitar, not as great for clean.

Chrome - not for me.

Eleven is really great for clean, dirt and crunch. I don't need pedals in software as if I really want pedals, I'll reamp with my Radial Xamp through my pedalboard into an amp.

If I were starting over, I'd buy Eleven and Sansamp only, but I'm also on Pro Tools. What software are you using, and what style of music, as both will make a difference.

[trashman]

I just went through a bunch of high gain simulators to try to find something to crank out ideas late at night.

So far:
amplitude
revalver
guitar rig
th1
pod 2.0
gs suite

Working with Th2 now.

Of all of them, GS suite is the easy winner. They all have fizz but this one has less of it. It has a very forward and Present sound.

[trashman]

th2 is as good if not slightly better maybe than gs suite. th2 is better than th1

get them both put one on the left and the other on the right

Pretty amazing quality plugins.

These two absolutely smoke the other ones on my list.

[thepilgrimsdream]

check out a real tube amp....haha

I'm the troll today

[jinksdingo]

I gotta say, I have Amplitude 2 and Revalver II. I like them both. Revalver is slightly better in the upper strings where some I've tried including Amplitude go a bit thin up top.

But what I wanted to say was I been using a Roland 20 watt cube with the power squeeze button. I was running it thru a mixer as a pad and some EQing on the way in, which handled the noise of going straight in on my old Lynx One.

But since I got my Motu 2408 MkIII I am going straight in with it without noise.

Anyway, I am liking it and often don't have anything simulated except a cabinet or Amplitude2 in default mode.

For a lead take, I dial in a mild distortion amp selection and change its EQ. For more gain I might put Revalver or Ampl2 on with gain, and usually tame it down on mix or remove them altogether.

I picked up the cube for $100 used for my son as a gift last Birthday and couldn't let it go so had to get him another.

The power squeeze button is just right and did I mention the Direct out/ headphone out is stereo which just makes the whole thing way more interesting.

[cortisol]

You could buy Blackstar HT1-R. It's an affordable low watt tube amp with a speaker sim output. You can play through it's speaker sim out without hearing the actual speaker in the room and it has tonnes of tones in it. And with a nice built in reverb too. It sounds better than any amp sim out there and the tones fit into the mix very well.

[kevbrowne]

Have a serious look at the Blackstar HT1

[trashman]

Originally Posted by thepilgrimsdream

check out a real tube amp....haha

I'm the troll today

Hehe definitely trolling.

I live in NYC bro and will not drag from studio and then crank up my Mesa combo (50 cal+) or Ampeg Ba210 at midnight in my crib.

I need a decent sounding scratch pad and writing tool.

The TH2 and guitar suite are pretty amazing for what they are... High gain tones.

For recording I always mic up the amps: Peluso ribbon and sm7 on the guitar and an re20 with direct on the bass.

Ymmv

[cortisol]

@Trashman the SM7 + ribbon mic combination is my favourite too. I've also gotten into room mics with this combination too. Very Nice

I also like the RE20 on guitar cabs and combo amps too. Worth trying out to see if it works for you.

[trashman]

Originally Posted by cortisol

@Trashman the SM7 + ribbon mic combination is my favourite too. I've also gotten into room mics with this combination too. Very Nice

I also like the RE20 on guitar cabs and combo amps too. Worth trying out to see if it works for you.

Yeah, the re20 is such a great mic on so many sources. I use it on vocals and kicks too.

Maybe some recommendations for some sleeper simulators can be mentioned on this thread?

For me only the TH1 + 2 and GS Suite do the high gain somewhat realistically. Still some of that nasty high end fizz which I'm trying to filter out with UAD plugs and/or SSL duende. I think these simulators need a good quality analog model plug after. I just haven't found the combination yet. Some sort of transformer or tube saturation plug that can shave off the fizz frequencies whilst still retaining the body of the tone.

All of the plugs that I like have nice attack and clarity on palm muting for metalcore etc They also have some girth in the midrange with clarity. They are pretty damn good.

Ymmv

[rogerbrain]

Roger Linn Adrenalinn III - the amp models are VERY good .. the plexi and JTM45 Hiwatt and SVT are spot on ( I have or have had the real amps)

if you have not tried it you must

[trashman]

Originally Posted by rogerbrain

Roger Linn Adrenalinn III - the amp models are VERY good .. the plexi and JTM45 Hiwatt and SVT are spot on ( I have or have had the real amps)

if you have not tried it you must

Just listened to the demo .... I still hear a lot of fizz

If you havent heard the th2 or GS suite, I recommend. The TH2 ($179) is substantially cheaper than the adrenalinn ($399) and to my ears sounds substantially better.

The GS suite is free. Incredible bargain.

I've read about some other oddly named amp software over the last few months ... Now that I'm shopping I cannot find the posts.