is this amp simulation any good?

[jah1234]

There's this new company (Softube) in my hometown. I learnt about it the other day. Their "patented technology allows [them] to make exact digital copies of existing analog systems, such as guitar tube amplifiers" (according to their homepage). Now that's quite a bold statement. They've put up some sound examples on their homepage:

http://softube.se/products.html#so

To me they sounds quite good, but then I'm no guitar freak. What do you think about 'em?

[k-bird]

To me they sounds quite good, but then I'm no guitar freak. What do you think about 'em?

Listening to the demos on Mackie monitors (albeit with a cold), the Blackface is missing a bit of its top which gives it just a little bit more breath and liveliness when compared with the simulation. Same goes for the JCM sim actually; there's less top end and the sound is duller. The character of the sound however is still very much intact.

Personally if i were feeling like a purist i'd just excite the simulated signal to get the extra top end instead of getting my knickers in a huge twist. Then again i'd probably be strumming something off Loveless instead of playing something so intricate and sculpting whatever i like out of the ensuing mess so it also depends on application.

[mondo tormento]

Impressive! Here's the startpage http://softube.se/. And a swedish developer too (from Linkoping). I agree with k-bird, the difference he refers too is also evident in the spectrogram at the bottom of their page. Where's the demo plug-in?

Until they have the decency to make a demo available I'll remain very skeptic. The mp3-demos of Nomadfactory's Rock Amp Legends sounded awesome too but the actual plug-in was horrible

[Stupid American Pig]

Then again i'd probably be strumming something off Loveless instead of playing something so intricate and sculpting whatever i like out of the ensuing mess so it also depends on application.

A great album to strum to...

I just wish it had alittle better sound quality, but still a genius work nonetheless

[mondo tormento]

Oh, I guess no demo will be coming - at least not from Softube. They're only interested in licensing their technology to other companies, too bad

[antti]

There's this new company (Softube) in my hometown. I learnt about it the other day. Their "patented technology allows [them] to make exact digital copies of existing analog systems, such as guitar tube amplifiers" (according to their homepage). Now that's quite a bold statement.

The text on their homepage is just standard marketing speak and has little if anything at all to do with real circuit modelling.

They've put up some sound examples on their homepage:
http://softube.se/products.html#so
To me they sounds quite good, but then I'm no guitar freak. What do you think about 'em?

For comparison, I used Saro on the same input sample. The result is here: http://www.acoustics.hut.fi/~ajhuovil/dist.mp3
I also ran it through a test version of Saro with one additional tube stage: http://www.acoustics.hut.fi/~ajhuovil/dist4.mp3

[mondo tormento]

More sound examples here: http://softube.se/sounds/

[shamann]

Antti's first sample sounds the best of the bunch to me.

This company is still in the development/capital-raising phase. It could be years before they make and release a stable product.

[snooky]

Is Antti involved in this to?

[mondo tormento]

Wow Antti! I downloaded your Saro and it sounds really good. I tried using it with the speaker simulations in Izotope Trash and it sounded and played really nice.

[wsaidah]

antti were is the new saro! mondo tormento try rokman its a sleeper

[crimsontider]

Nice attempt and great to see modular stuff.

When presenting those samples, I wonder if they find a great sound on a Marshall and
reproduce the sound with the software, like they lead you to believe OR get their software to sound something Marshallish and then find a setting on the Marshall to try to match the software.

I bet it's the latter and something to think about.

Some may say, what's the difference? It's a big diference if you want software that can emulate the better aspects of the desired gear. Those samples didn't sound like any sound setting I would use on a Marshall stack, very weak sounds with bad EQ. This leads me to believe they matched the amps to the software instead of visa versa.

[Bunnyboy]

I just wish it had alittle better sound quality, but still a genius work nonetheless

I take it thats a joke

[mondo tormento]

wsaidah: the rokman plug-in sounds like a synth in my ears. Saro actually sounds like a real guitar amp.