KVR Audio

Squids · Post by **Squids** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:15 pm

Hink wrote:
Squids who lives under the sea wrote:By the way, I am almost ready with those chips for you guys.
wouldn't it be easier for you to grab the fish and we'll bring the chips?

Actually, when I am in your area I would gladly trade the presets for some fish n' chips or a beer.

We'll either make the presets something that can also be purchased on its own or perhaps give them away with another esoundz purchase un-related. We have good prices on esoundz and good service but one of the things we're doing as a store to give added value is additional sounds and presets for the software we sell (even after you've bought it, especially because some things take some time to do). So, even the Arturia software we sell will have some extra presets made by us that you can't get anywhere else. Just one of our things we're working on.

So, for AT2 we'll probably do a lot of preset creation because we like it so much. There's just so many different possibilities. Honestly, I like AmpliTube 1. But, AmpliTube 2 is much cooler in so many ways that it is really where it's at for me. Reminds me of when I liked SampleTank 1 but then SampleTank 2 came along...

A3ntar · Post by **A3ntar** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:38 pm

The March date was the date given to me by IKMM reps as the date that AT2 will be available in stores, not the actual "shipping" date of the product to the retailers. AFAIK, the product shipping date is still somewhere near the end of february.

So I'm guessing that realistic cleans will be A2's forte.

Yes, the cleans are very good on the sound samples of AT2. But they are good in most the amp sims anyways. The tricky part is the high gain sounds. AT2 does some high gain sounds not bad, but most are so-so IMHO. At least in the demo sound samples.

Btw, there WILL be a demo, but using a dongle. Personaly, if I am thinking of investing 300$ in a software, yes, I would pay 20$ to buy a dongle to run the demo on. What else can you do? I think most software store won't let you return an opened software box anyways. But I hope that if I do pay the 20$ for the dongle, and I do decide to "activate" or keep the software, then these 20$ will be credited toward my purchase.

Stupid American Pig · Wed Feb 22, 2006 12:09 am

This is just coz I want to see the thread hit 200 before the ship date.

1991lespaul · Post by **1991lespaul** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 12:49 am

I'm still wondering if i will be able to obtain the StompIO on its own, and exactly how much it will cost me?
I feel that Squids idea of giving the customer a "little extra" goes a long way as far as customer loyalty is concerned. The esoundz presets are a good idea.

1991lespaul · Post by **1991lespaul** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:04 am

I just picked up the BBE Stomp Pedal. How would I use this with AT? I'm using GuitarPort as my ASIO soundcard. Would It go guitar>BBE>GuitarPort>computer?

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:21 am

What is it, an exciter? How was it originally intended to work? Guitar to BBE/pedalboard, to amp? If so, the way you described is the way to do it.

retroz: Neither TonePort nor GuitarPort feature onboard DSP. PODxt (and xtLive) have Sharc chips onboard for processing. TonePort can load GuitarPort patches, and for PODxt patches will suggest substitute models if you don't have the PowerPack installed.

Greg

1991lespaul · Post by **1991lespaul** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 1:25 am

Hey thanks Greg. It is the BBE Sonic Maximizer in stomp box form. I guess it could be called an exciter?

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:58 am

It's weird to me that they'd do it in pedal form, since a sonic maximizer is often put at the END of a signal chain. However, "exciter" pedals in general have been used in front of amps many times in the past and with success, so I don't see why you couldn't do that here!

Greg

retroz · Post by **retroz** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:01 am

Lunch Money wrote:What is it, an exciter? How was it originally intended to work? Guitar to BBE/pedalboard, to amp? If so, the way you described is the way to do it.

retroz: Neither TonePort nor GuitarPort feature onboard DSP. PODxt (and xtLive) have Sharc chips onboard for processing. TonePort can load GuitarPort patches, and for PODxt patches will suggest substitute models if you don't have the PowerPack installed.

Greg

Thanks for the reply/shout!

Anyway, that's what I thought. So, since I have Guitar Port, would I see any upgrade in going to XT live besides the obvious of the DSP on board vs CPU usage? In addition, would I be able to use the XT live with many settings that I have with GuitarPort? Lastly, for now, does XTlive ship with more sounds than Guitar Port? They sound the same though right? (GuitarPort/vs XTLive etc)?

There is also spectrals amp and AMP2, but so far I am unimpressed with the other amp sims.

SJ_Digriz · Post by **SJ_Digriz** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 12:22 pm

A3ntar wrote: Yes, the cleans are very good on the sound samples of AT2. But they are good in most the amp sims anyways. The tricky part is the high gain sounds. AT2 does some high gain sounds not bad, but most are so-so IMHO. At least in the demo sound samples.

Weird, I see it the other way round. I haven't heard a single clean sound that is worth a damn from any amp sim. They all sound hollow and they sustain wrong. They also lack any kind of response to attack.

I always find the high gain to be the only part that is even close to actual amps. Yes, they are fizzy...but the more you reduce the gain, the less like an amp it sounds. Just my take on it.

Of course I'm not a real fan of "modern" high gain sound anyhow, so maybe I just don't hear the details of it. On most records that stuff is quadrillatracked to the point of indistinction anyhow.

If you are calling the stuff by Vai or a solo player like that "high gain", most of the solos are not really played with ultra-high gain.

robogone · Post by **robogone** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:47 pm

200 pages here we come!

Beardedone · Post by **Beardedone** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:56 pm

A3ntar wrote:

Yes, the cleans are very good on the sound samples of AT2. But they are good in most the amp sims anyways. The tricky part is the high gain sounds. AT2 does some high gain sounds not bad, but most are so-so IMHO. At least in the demo sound samples.

Weird, I see it the other way round. I haven't heard a single clean sound that is worth a damn from any amp sim. They all sound hollow and they sustain wrong. They also lack any kind of response to attack.

I always find the high gain to be the only part that is even close to actual amps. Yes, they are fizzy...but the more you reduce the gain, the less like an amp it sounds. Just my take on it.

Of course I'm not a real fan of "modern" high gain sound anyhow, so maybe I just don't hear the details of it. On most records that stuff is quadrillatracked to the point of indistinction anyhow.

If you are calling the stuff by Vai or a solo player like that "high gain", most of the solos are not really played with ultra-high gain.

I would have to agree. In AT1 the clean sounds are mostly washed out with too much reverb and or delay. TAke away these effects and it's falt. I have yet to find a warm staright ahead jazz tone in AT1. The GR2 demo had some which are pretty good. Let's hopt AT2 is much better than AT1 in this department.

Gordon

A3ntar · Post by **A3ntar** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:12 pm

Well, I didn't say that the cleans were perfect on most sims, they are just good. I mean, I never listened to a clean sound so far from any commercial or non commercial sim and went "oh, this sounds really bad". With AT2, they cleans are very good, probably the best I heard so far in an ampsim.

On the other hand, good high gains sounds on most ampsims are much less convincing to my ears. Most sound too muddy with a lot less "clarity" and resolution than they're hardware counterparts.

I sampled the GR2 demo, and the cleans were pretty good, not AT2 good, but were a notch above the rest. GR2 does some pretty convining high gains as well. But then I got myself an XTLive, and this unit does everyuthing quite good. Cleans are bright and sharp, distortion and high gains are loud and clear.

I am still curious about AT2 though,and CSR as well, although I never used a reverb before, I think sooner or later I will need such a plugin. The first reports seem to be very positive. I always though of IKMM products as an "average quality" audio software, with the excpetion of T-Racks that I sampled a while ago. I guess these guys are set to change the general perception/image of the company.

Damn, I am getting excited about AT2 again...One of my left palm hair has just got a piloerection!

1991lespaul · Post by **1991lespaul** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:40 pm

Hey A3ntar,
So you reallty like your PODXTL? I am torn on purchasing one. I have GuitarPort, but would like something I can play through an amp with. It seems like every other week the "FIZZ" debate rages on the Line6 forum. With the gain not dimed out in GuitarPort, I have yet to hear the dreaded fizz. I will wait to see what AT2 will offer, but possibly instead of purchasing the StompIO (if I can without purchasing the software again) I may just purchase the PODXTL.

Lunch Money · Post by **Lunch Money** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 3:53 pm

retroz wrote:Anyway, that's what I thought. So, since I have Guitar Port, would I see any upgrade in going to XT live besides the obvious of the DSP on board vs CPU usage? In addition, would I be able to use the XT live with many settings that I have with GuitarPort? Lastly, for now, does XTlive ship with more sounds than Guitar Port? They sound the same though right? (GuitarPort/vs XTLive etc)?

There is also spectrals amp and AMP2, but so far I am unimpressed with the other amp sims.

I think if you have the money, the XTlive is still their best product. It acts as a recording device, has footswitches and expression pedals (wah!), and has the onboard processing. However, it's much, MUCH more money!! I'll answer your specific questions so that you can evaluate your needs further:

1. You would not notice an improvement in the sound of the amp simulations strictly by comparing the GuitarPort to the XT, using the same speakers, etc.

2. You can export your GuitarPort patches and use them in the XT. No problem.

3. GuitarPort ships with fewer sounds; 15 amps/cabs (For some reason, TonePort is listed as 16, though I thought they were the same) as opposed to 36. If you buy the PowerPack for the GuitarPort, it's upgraded to exactly the sounds of the XT.

A few other things the XTLive has going for it:

- ships with the FX junkie pack right out of the box (other products mentioned need it purchased)
- features a VDI (Variax Digital Input?) for noise-free connection of a Variax guitar
- Reasonably rugged construction

---

All in all, I wouldn't say that the POD is a "necessary" purchase if you're happy with GuitarPort... however if you have the money, it's still the top of their line, for all the obvious reasons.

Amplitube 2 Jimi Hendrix RELEASED this month!!!