AT2/Ampeg SVX in Sweetwater Catalog

[Funkybot]

Just a heads up, clearly these two still aren't out, but the new sweetwater catalog has listings for Amplitube 2 and Ampeg SVT. Surprisingly the latter is quite a bit more expensive (I won't quote prices just out of respect to Squids and his wonderful forum here). I really hope these live up to the hype, but on the other hand, I wouldn't know which to get first. I probably need a good bass amp sim more than a guitar amp sim right now, but I'd also probably use AT2 more. Here's to hoping we get to play with them both soon...

[Squids]

I know what you mean. The two go hand in hand. Everyone has been very patient and I think that when it is out in not too long it will be something that will have been totally worth the wait. To me these two products are really what the virtual studio needs. In hardware what is appreciated often is the craftmenship. In software development there is also a different kind of craftmanship. A combination of science, love, musicality and a good set of engineering ears. You can bet that if it has taken longer that this is because care is being taken to make it phenominal. I respect this greatly. Too often a company can be lazy in "modeling" a particular effect thinking that maybe people wouldn't know the difference. I would! A lot of you guys would too. When you know what a Tube Screamer or a Fuzzface or a Dynacomp or a Twin or an AC30 is supposed to sound like (or the music that has been made with these things is) then you WANT more work to be done going back and forth tweaking for it to have that special character that is so important to production. It is to me. So I am excited for the release and patient for the final product too.

[Mr. Tunes]

yo Bot O' Funkyness! I havent heard much talk about Ampeg in a while. The prototype at the january namm was phat ass funky. I wonder if the two products will come out at exactly the same time? my best friend in toronto is this superb bass player, i'm trying to remember what bass he has but anyways i think this plugin will probably be the one that will get him to finally invest in a computer/vst setup.

ooop just remembered he has a Warwick and a great amp/cabinet thing going on. those basses pack a lot of punch i think the pickups are active

me on the other hand i have an ashbory. it sounds great in amplitube 1, can only imagine how it will sound in ampeg. too bad someone needs to teach that thing a bit or two about intonation.

[Trojan Badger]

I have no doubt Ampeg SVX will be a great product, but for me it misses the point a little bit about what a virtual studio needs. I'll explain. I've been a bass player for nearly 20 years and I've never once played through an Ampeg amp. Trace Elliot's in the 80s and 90s, Carlsbros at some point I'm sure, and now I use a 1973 Fender Bassman through a Marshall 4x12 - lovely. I'm talking about variety. I'm frankly surprised that while IK have invested stacks in getting the various amp tones right for Amplitube that they've tied up with just one manufacturer for their Bass amp sim - to me it just doesn't shout "value" in the same way.

Unless of course someone says "Hey, Badger, you've got ST2XL, SS1 and 2, the full Amplitube and the upgrade to 2, have this one too for a very small upgrade fee". Then of course I'll be all over it.

[sirbellog]

I as well was a little puzzled/disapointed by this one-way I.K's choice for their bass amp sim.
While I know that Ampeg is considered by many the "Rolls Royce" of bass amps, I never played bass on one of these either, and many other bass amps are very enjoyable too.
So yes, I personnaly question this "narrow path" and would have widely prefered a more open solution, offering an hi quality anthology of bass amping à la Line6.
--
I suppose that this plug is mainly targeted to studios which may want to offer their most demanding clients the "ampeg sound", and can afford a variety of other sims and real amps at the same time to cover all needs.
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As for myself, given the price tag, I will probably stick to my good old external Bod XT (unless the demo -when available in 2007-2008 actually reveals a to-die-for sound of course )

[Trojan Badger]

Never heard of it as the "Rolls Royce" of amps to be honest - but I do see a LOT of people using Ashdowns at the moment. Is it a regional thing? Like is Ampeg what they use in the US (or Italy!)

[Funkybot]

At first as I was kind of with Badger, in that I wondered why they were just concetrating on doing amps from one manafacturer when even Vox with their Tonelab series decided to model amps that weren't just from their own company, but the more I thought about it, the more I just hoped that the affiliation with Ampeg will just in the end, mean better modeling. I mean seriously, I'd rather have a lot of good Ampeg models to choose from, instead of a bunch of mediocre ones from different companies, especially when it comes to bass (an instrument where if the low end is off, will throw off an entire track, or cause you to spend a lot more time mixing the instrument in the track than you'd normally want to). Besides, they may not be the Rolls Royce of bass amps, but they're certainly the 65 Mustang's of them, in that they were widely manafactured and everyone who plays rock bass wants one. I'd certainly like an SVT head and cab of my own, but as I don't play bass enough to justify the price. My big question about this, is will SVX justify the price? $350 for a software Bass sim is a lot when I could just buy a Bass Pod XT for the same price. At least with Amplitube I know I'd use it on sources other than guitar (distorted vocals, keys, etc) but I can't think of why I'd want to use a bass amp on these same sources on a regular enough basis to justify the purchase. It is an exciting product though, and I'll hold out for the demo to really pass judgement. It's pricy after all, but the quality could make it worth it.

[sirbellog]

I mean seriously, I'd rather have a lot of good Ampeg models to choose from, instead of a bunch of mediocre ones from different companies

In fact, for now, as far as I know, there is no bass-dedicated bass plugin.
So what you say seems to imply that Bass Pod is mediocre, what it is not IMO.
In fact, the only disadvantage I can find to the B. Pod is that it is external, and so, less easy to apply after the fact (and takes too much space on my table, needs power supply and extra cables, cannot be tweaked with a mouse click, etc..).
What I would have liked is something as good as Bod, in pure software.

[Trojan Badger]

What I would have liked is something as good as Bod, in pure software.

...and NI may be the ones to do it, guitar rig was a surprise to most, and if GR2 (which is almost inevitably in the works) has some bass-specific heads, cabs and effects then that provides a more comprehensive solution.

Just seems like a lost opportunity really, which makes me sad because I like IK. I'd rather go IK, I just don't trust myself to be settled and happy with something perceived to be narrow.

[IK Support]

Hey guys, I wouldn't worry about it being to narrow. There are so many different flavors of amps, efx, cabs in there that you can get just about any sound you want out of it. Its not going to sound limited like you might thing it would. You can sculpt your bass tone to just about anything you would ever want.

[sirbellog]

Hey guys, I wouldn't worry about it being to narrow. There are so many different flavors of amps, efx, cabs in there that you can get just about any sound you want out of it. Its not going to sound limited like you might thing it would. You can sculpt your bass tone to just about anything you would ever want.

Hi jason,
and thanks for your input. We are of course willing to believe you....
Anyway, we'll need more concrete information ! Because for now, this plug seems to me verrry far away from completion (AT2, which was supposed to ship way before it, is not yet officially announced for release)

[Funkybot]

So what you say seems to imply that Bass Pod is mediocre, what it is not IMO.

I never said that, and didn't even mean to imply that. What I meant is that with Ampeg's help, I believe IK may have been able to create better more accurate models than they otherwise may have, even if they're only models of Ampeg amps/cabs (i.e. they probably had better access to the original amps/cabs, along with help from designers, and extra sets of trained ears to comment on the sound). In fact, I later said that SVX had better be considerably better than even I'm expecting in order for me to even think about buying SVX over a Bass Pod XT, when both retail for about the same price (I prefer being able to touch knobs, and the XT allows for reamping and has a clean output as well). But again, this may just be the case, we won't know until the demo is available though.

I think the oddest thing about this is that SVX will retail at about $50 more than AT2, when AT already has a broader appeal, i.e. more guitar players than bass players in the world, more people wanting to add distortion to keys and vocals, etc, and thus a broader range of uses. This may partly be because of the Ampeg affiliation, or it could be IK looking to recoup their development money by charging more, but it would make more sense for me to sell it for cheaper than AT2 in the hopes of selling more, just because it doesn't have the same level of mass appeal, even if it is the only Bass amp modeling plug-in. And if you don't believe me look at the amount of discussion here about AT2 vs SVX, clearly AT2 has been more talked about and they were announced at the same time.

[t-willy]

I think the oddest thing about this is that SVX will retail at about $50 more than AT2, when AT already has a broader appeal, i.e. more guitar players than bass players in the world, more people wanting to add distortion to keys and vocals, etc, and thus a broader range of uses. This may partly be because of the Ampeg affiliation, or it could be IK looking to recoup their development money by charging more, but it would make more sense for me to sell it for cheaper than AT2 in the hopes of selling more, just because it doesn't have the same level of mass appeal, even if it is the only Bass amp modeling plug-in. And if you don't believe me look at the amount of discussion here about AT2 vs SVX, clearly AT2 has been more talked about and they were announced at the same time.

i have to agree with you there. especially since AT does have some bass modeling built in. i for one love my bass sound in AT1 and use it on every track. if AT2 is going to have good bass modeling as well, then what would the appeal be to spend more to get the Ampeg plug over AT2? guess the demos will tell all.

lates

t-willy

[Funkybot]

Does AT have bass modelling built in, and will AT2? I don't remember Amplitube having any,except maybe for some presets, and there's a huge difference between between a bass cab and a guitar cab to the point where for modern bass tones even a good bassman wouldn't have enough low end to cut it by itself. If AT2 would have even one or two bass amps though, that would make it a lot more appealing.

[IK Support]

AT 1 had bass presets but no actual bass oriented amps, etc. It was basically taking guitar stuff making it work for bass.

Ampeg sounds great so far.. the guys at Ampeg are A/Bing to there real amps etc and so far they are blown away by it.