Guitar Amp Simulators

[john]

Hey All

Do you have a favorite guitar amp simulator?

There are lots and lots on the market now, including several free ones. They use a variety of different technologies from rough approximations through to highly detailed impulse response models with every individual component modeled.

I've tried and tested many over the years but the Amplitube 3 modules still remain at the top of my personal top 10, and their fender models are superb. They can be pretty CPU heavy but even here Amplitube 3 allows you to set 3 detail levels allowing you to significantly alter cpu consumption.

Freeware wise TubeBaby is a pretty tasty generic tube amp sim and well worth checking out.

So what are your favorites? Extra cred for good explanations / justifications!

[adambhoy]

Hey John!

Great question. I use Guitar Rig quite a bit; started with 2 and now have 4. When I got my Mac I switched my DAW of preference to Logic Pro 9 from Pro Tools and Reaper. I like Logic for a variety of reasons, and one of them is for the "Amp Designer" plugin that is included. There are some great tones to be found, both in their amp emulations, and in the "pedalboard" function that's offered. You can basically choose an overall tone and it will load a preset "rig", or you can choose an amp head, then a cab, then various stomp boxes to come up with something unique.

That's pretty much what Guitar Rig can do as well obviously, and I like both. Between Logic's Amp Designer and Guitar Rig 4 I have just about every guitar tone simulation I have ever needed for my recordings (which are all basically for demo purposes). Both have really nice mic placement functions that allow you to change the type of mic, the position it's in, and even the angle to the speaker cone. I know Guitar Rig even lets you put it in or out of phase, which is neat. Neither let you do multiple mics, which would be pretty cool, but hey, not bad overall. You can still mic a second cab in a different place if you want.

My favorite of all the tones from each:

Guitar Rig: their "Tweedman" (Fender Bassman) amp, which sounds really great when pushed and maybe given a little Leslie treatment

Logic Amp Designer: their "Studio Amp" (Mesa/Boogie Mark III), which is just about as versatile as the actual Boogie head. Put a "ribbon mic" on that and add their Vintage Drive pedal and you're in heaven!

[bobbyearlray]

I love IK Multimedia Fender Amplitube. For country and Pop, all the sounds are there. ^4 bit capability too. Love It!!!!!!

[studiobee]

I've been using Guitar Rig for years, but never really felt I quite got the sound I was looking for.  I'm not a guitarist, so that's probably part of it.  But recently I bought Trash2, and it has given me the basic sound I have been looking for. It doesn't have the effects that Guitar Rig has, but as an amp sim, I think its excellent. I actually bought it on a whim after demo'ing it on drums - I just put this preset on a limp drum sound, and all of sudden, I was throwing money at the monitor.  It completely transformed my drums.  Guitars came after.  

 

 

R.