Amplitube 2's Hi-Gain sounds..

[Shane Sanders]

I look forward to the demo becoming available so I can dial in something myself and feel/hear it. I think so far the metal clips coming out of AT2 have more saturation than a player would actually use to get what I consider a heavy sound.

Do you all agree that a truly tingling-up-and-down-your-spine heavy sound starts with the distortion being just barely over the cusp of saturation on the lighter hits and just slightly more saturated as the picking gets harder. Compression then evens that out somewhat and allows the rich harmonics to intermingle on sustained power chords. Then the cabinet comes into play a lot on the palm mutes because a whalloping/brutal punch has a lot to do with the cone recovering with its own characteristic release envelope (so it has a bit of ooomph as it returns to a neutral state).

On a related note: If I have a Boss GT-8 and a Vox Tonelab, is there any practical reason to buy a dedicated direct box? I'm thinking the Tonelab would be essentially the same thing, only capable of more if need be.

[pthuriot]

so, first impressions i have with at2 (since downloading it the first day available)...for what we'll call metal tones*...podxt (with model packs) is FAR superior. pod = tighter, cleaner, better tone. amplitube has a lot of noise in the models, and the gate, i'm finding, is really poor (pops when it comes on most of the time for super dist tones so if you're doing lots of "staccato chugs," you'll hear it).

amplitube 1 to 2...no comparision...2 is the way to go. if you're using at1 and don't have a pod...run to the store and buy at2! --just do it.

but if you had to make a choice currently for 1 option for metal recording tones: buy a podxt and metal model pack. only downside is depending on which pod you get (the bean is the one i have), you'll have to be a bit inventive in the recording phase so you can reamp it later. (i just have a a/b/y splitter to send both dirty and clean channels to get tracked then send the clean out for reamping later).

that being said...amplitube 2 has way better effects options than the pod...so, if that's your thing, you know what to do. but if you're recording on your computer, you most likely have tons of effects options already.

hopefully i'll sit and tweak at2 to death and come up with some tight, comparible tones to the ones i use in the pod (or better yet: someone else comes up with some awesome tones and posts them for us all)!

* metal tones that i refer to are band tones like: meshuggah, in flames, any "nu- metal" band, killswitch engage, etc. you get the idea. chuggy/ full/ tight/ ...heavy....

[Sickle]

It would be cool if an amp sim like A2 was able to 'sample' a loaded wave and do a spectral capture like some of the EQ/Filter plugins out there, then imitate the sound with the amplitube modules..For example, load up a snippet of Van Halen's 'Eruption', hit a 'clone' button, and *whala*.

The technology to do this already exists for the most part.

[Funkybot]

Apart from the Plexi Head samples, everything just doesn't seem to work well in a mix indeed, just as A3ntar said. Might be impressive through headphones and in solo-mode, but in an actual tune, things will be way too muddy/bassy or whatever.

Isn't that what EQ is for though? I always filter out the low end on electric guitars be they mic'd or modelled.

[Shane Sanders]

It would be cool if an amp sim like A2 was able to 'sample' a loaded wave and do a spectral capture like some of the EQ/Filter plugins out there, then imitate the sound with the amplitube modules..For example, load up a snippet of Van Halen's 'Eruption', hit a 'clone' button, and *whala*.

The technology to do this already exists for the most part.

I haven't used it yet, but Voxengo has a plug that does cabinet sim using impulses with 1.2ms latency. The trick being getting good impulses. One could track with something else and re-amp using the Voxengo if its not real-time enough. Worth looking in to.

http://www.voxengo.com/product/boogex/

[Sickle]

It would be cool if an amp sim like A2 was able to 'sample' a loaded wave and do a spectral capture like some of the EQ/Filter plugins out there, then imitate the sound with the amplitube modules..For example, load up a snippet of Van Halen's 'Eruption', hit a 'clone' button, and *whala*.

The technology to do this already exists for the most part.

I haven't used it yet, but Voxengo has a plug that does cabinet sim using impulses with 1.2ms latency. The trick being getting good impulses. One could track with something else and re-amp using the Voxengo if its not real-time enough. Worth looking in to.

I use Boogex all the time, and I've got some great impulses collected. Lemme know when you want em.

[Shane Sanders]

I use Boogex all the time, and I've got some great impulses collected. Lemme know when you want em.

Yeah! Thanks and send 'em along whenever. I think you can FTP anonymously to ftp.samplesquad.com

If that doesn't work, my usual email addy can handle up to 10 megs per email.

-S

[brand0n1]

Isn't that what EQ is for though? I always filter out the low end on electric guitars be they mic'd or modelled.

You cant EQ out buzzy/loose saturation from a tone.

[Sascha Franck]

You cant EQ out buzzy/loose saturation from a tone.

What he said...

Admittedly, sometimes a bit of pre-EQing helps to get the muddyness in the tone sorted out (lows usually just don't distort too well...), with some further post-EQing to give you back what you might've lost, etc.
But that's just where the problem lies. Too much fuzz to get a useful tone.
I may or may not agree on the comments of the POD XT being the best thing yet - but it's surely easier to dial in a useful tone.

Personally, I'm quite happy with GR2, but I'm not sure whether I'd use it for anything heavy. Most likely I won't. And so far it doesn't look as if I'd use AT2 either.

[Plexi Head]

OK KIDS! here we go:
An AT2 demo from Plexi Head

http://www.andras-shimon.com/TEMP/Dange ... litude.mp3

Thank you Plexi Head
Sounds good!

This sounds much more crisp & articulate than the other AT2 demos I heard so far!

I'm wondering what you use for preamp/DI?

I used an LA-610, but I have found a real key to getting amp sims sounding
crisp is active pickups which I used on that tune. There is no EQ, reverb or anything on the tracks, all
dry. I added a touch of tape delay to the lead sound.

Amplitude 2 really excites me, I think it is a great leap forward.

Thanks once again Andrew.

[Cyprus]

First I want to thank all of those that posted demos to showcase the AT2 sound.

BUT, I've got to say, I'm disappointed. Not that I had the highest expectations, I was hoping for something at least as a good as a POD, but from what I've heard so far it may be the best software amp emulator out there but that's not saying much.

It all sounds like there is a pillow over the speaker, just really muddy and muffled.

[AndrewSimon]

OK KIDS! here we go:
An AT2 demo from Plexi Head

http://www.andras-shimon.com/TEMP/Dange ... litude.mp3

Thank you Plexi Head
Sounds good!

This sounds much more crisp & articulate than the other AT2 demos I heard so far!

I'm wondering what you use for preamp/DI?

I used an LA-610, but I have found a real key to getting amp sims sounding
crisp is active pickups which I used on that tune. There is no EQ, reverb or anything on the tracks, all
dry. I added a touch of tape delay to the lead sound.

Amplitude 2 really excites me, I think it is a great leap forward.

Thanks once again Andrew.

Hmm.... just a few questions:

1 What is your overall impression of LA-610 used with guitars?
2 Do you find yourself using the T4 compressor a lot? (on guitars)
3 How does it compare to similar products like Groove Tubes "The Brick"
http://www.groovetubes.com/product.cfm?Product_ID=2084
or Avalon Design U5
http://www.avalondesign.com/instrudi.html
(again only when it comes to guitars)

Now about active pickups:
1 On high gain setups, how much background noise reduction can I expect?

[voidar]

Coincidentally, the dry clip, however uninteresting it was, that I posted was DI'ed using a GT "The Brick".

I sometimes wonder if it is "good" to colour the DI'ed signal with such pres when using it for reamping or ampsims.

[Mutant]

Coincidentally, the dry clip, however uninteresting it was, that I posted was DI'ed using a GT "The Brick".

I sometimes wonder if it is "good" to colour the DI'ed signal with such pres when using it for reamping or ampsims.

I like the brutal tone that i got from your clip through my hardware.

It doesn't even need a bass just some good drum samples and a cookie monster vocal.

I'm still waiting for a convincing high gain AT2 clip that sounds like my clip.

Come on AT2 owners i dare you !
Post something good or admit that your AT2 can't do a proper high gain !

[Mutant]

Click for a clip.

Even if a bit muddy perhaps, this sounds quite more like it.

Right

What do you mean by "custom built", btw?

I don't know - electronics = black magic to me - i guess my friend made it not 100% true to real recto schematic.