pod xt? amplitube? guitar rig? i need advice quickly :)

[bduffy]

Oh yeah, that's a great free option.

[guitarzan]

just incase i wish to use vst effects can you tell em which are the best for the following.

delay

reverb

flanger

(anything like the EH big muff)

and booster (like the lpb-1 for example)


also any other plugin that you use at the end of your signal chain with your j-station that generally improves tone

would LOVE to hear what i should look for here.

cant wait to get it and mess aroudn with it.

thanks a lot guys.

Well, there are a few good fuzz (FuzzPlus2, Buz) and OD (TSS, SimulAnalog Tube Screamer) VSTs, but you won't want to use them after your J-Station. Maybe Boogex to load some speaker cab IR's (might want to disable the J-Stations onboard cab if possible).

Get the free digitalfishphones fish filets set - great compressor and noisegate!! Also, the whole Kjaerhus Classics set is great (and free). You get a good delay, reverb, auto filter and compressor and a pretty good flanger and chorus there (I don't really use chorus and stuff much though).

[idrisguitar]

cheers for the suggestions i will definetly chekc them out if i feel the some of the effects on the j-station aren;t giving me what i want, but im sure they will eb good enough for starters.

i know this may sound stupid, since i have been asking about them but what to compressors actually do and how do you use them, I have had a play around with them on ammplitude, but i end up always making the tone horrible so i think i need to understand it more before i can use it effectively.

[james0tucson]

My dream would be to have a amp sim module with a great chorus. The POD choruses stink.

I think the choruses on the xt are pretty good...but tbh I'm not a fan of chorus on my guitars so I really only mess with them from time to time, I rarely use them.

Yeah, I'm a chorus freak and damn picky about them, so I have a tough time finding any I like. I find the POD 2.0 ones kind of "flangey".

I like the chorus on my Roto-Vibe.

[bduffy]

Never tried it. I think the mda Vibe is supposed to emulate that.

[heeb]

I really like ReValver MKII and FreeAmp2 - but there is one that deserves attention and has recieved almost none, and that is CrunchDude!

Wow, that is a very nice thing to say! I (the creator of CrunchDude) didn't read this before. Thanks a million!!!

I disable the onboard cab sim and use Boogex with cab impulses. With a ton of other cool free fx the whole deal still uses less than half the CPU of most of the other amp sims and I have it tweaked for a very hi-fi BF Fender tone.

What would my amp sim's onboard cab sim need, so you would use it? Can you somehow describe in words what it lacks?

Right now, I've started thinking about CrunchDude 1.0 ... which is not gonna be a SynthEdit thing, but a native dll (programmed in Delphi). Concept will be along the same lines: an amp sim that doesn't try to imitate a gazillion existing real amps out there, but will be a creation in its own right, with its own sound.

Regards,

Heeb.

[Hink]

wow Heeb, finally someone sees the light...I'm looking forward to it, I'm tired of this name dropping...you rock

[james0tucson]

My thinking was: as I like to distort drums and bass, kicks and strong EBM moogish bass lines in particular as well as vocals, that Bass-POD would be better.

What's the difference really? EQ curve?

[guitarzan]

What would my amp sim's onboard cab sim need, so you would use it? Can you somehow describe in words what it lacks?

Hey, nice to hear from you!! I knew you were around here somewhere!! It really would be hard to describe in words - have you used cab IRs much? There is a lot more than just filtering going on...with some IRs you can actually get a sense of the room they were recorded in - some ambience, phase relationship...I don't really know but there is just a sense of real studio space. Also, you have the signature of the entire setup used to make the IR...mic, mic preamp, etc. It would be very hard to model it all.

At first I didn't even like IRs, but that was only because I wasn't used tracking while monitoring through a mic so it kind of threw me off and I was trying to create the sound of a raw amp in the room in front of me instead. Speaker modeling is good for that, but then at some point you need to find a way to make it sound like a mic'ed amp and that is where cab IRs work great! If you can't add the ability to load IRs in CrunchDude, then just having the ability to bypass the speaker section is really a pretty good option.

Right now, I've started thinking about CrunchDude 1.0 ... which is not gonna be a SynthEdit thing, but a native dll (programmed in Delphi). Concept will be along the same lines: an amp sim that doesn't try to imitate a gazillion existing real amps out there, but will be a creation in its own right, with its own sound.

Well, I can't wait!! I like how just adjusting the input section low cut filter can make an entirely different beast out of CrunchDude!! CrunchDude is unique, and the more unique amps sims the better!! There are never too many amps, and never too many amp sims...each one is a new voice to explore! Thanks for all your effort!!

[heeb]

What would my amp sim's onboard cab sim need, so you would use it? Can you somehow describe in words what it lacks?

Hey, nice to hear from you!!

I never went away, really. I was just quietly following KVR discussions (and posting some rubbish once in a while, mainly in this dopey http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=50312 thread... I don't know which is the better hoax, that one or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Ned_S ... insula_War ), not doing much on the CrunchDude front, mainly due to a severe lack of time (I have a real family now! This little treasure: http://www.radioparadise.com/content.ph ... y&jid=8100 is our now 15 month-old daughter Naomi!!! She's adorable and amazing in every way, and time-consuming - as she should be), but also because I hadn't received much comments on CrunchDude, either negative or positive. There were some (all positive), but, not many.

But then some days ago I received this email (the writer gave me full permission to quote him, by the way):

I just wanted to drop you a note about your CrunchDude Amp. Just so you know, I don't just write to people or companies like this unless I have a very compelling reason (and they're usually emails to bitch and complain about something that pissed me off), but I was so impressed with CrunchDude I had to tell you all about it. I have alot of guitar related apps like Cubase SX, Cakewalk Pro Audio 9, Audacity, Slow Gold, etc. But what I use the most are my virtual amps. I like to run them through a VST Host Wrapper cause I love to play my guitar and I don't like to have to stop and fiddle with a huge complicated host program. I use Toby Bear exclusively. As for amps I have 29 of them. Like Amplitube, Nomad Rock Legends, GreenMachine2, Voxengo, Warp, and a grip of others. They all seem to work pretty good. At least that's what I thought until yesterday when I found yours on the Hitsquad website. When I fired it up and started playing I was blown away! Finally, a virtual amp that actually sounds, and reacts, like the real thing. Maybe even BETTER than the real deal. Just awesome my friend. It seriously blows away ALL the others. Of course I'll keep some of them around just in case I need em for something, but CrunchDude is going to be my main amplifier from now on. What I'm getting out of it is the exact sound I could hear in my head whenever I imagined MY vision of the perfect sounding amp. It perfectly fits my style of playing. I've been looking for this amp starting since the day I discovered VST programs and plugins. I am just so jazzed about this. In fact, I started playing last night around 10 pm and it is now almost 6 am and I just put the guitar down to write this. I couldn't (or wouldn't) stop playing all night. I really hope to see more apps from you in the future. OK I'll quit rambling on now. But one more time before I go I have to say again, THANKS FOR THE BEST DAMN VIRTUAL GUITAR AMPLIFIER EVER WRITTEN FOR THE PC. YOU ARE TRULY AN ARTIST WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING SOFTWARE. I gotta now go cause I think my guitar and CrunchDude are wanting to play some more!

Your Newest Fan For Life, Russell Jackson

Well, I guess you can understand how this one got me inspired to start looking into good old CrunchDude again (more than 2 years old now!)!!!

I just need to, somehow, find the time. Or: *make* the time...

I knew you were around here somewhere!!

Yep, silently, in the background.

It really would be hard to describe in words - have you used cab IRs much?

Not really. Loaded some in SIR (version 1) some time ago. And yep, they sound like cabs alright! Some good, some bad, some ugly.

There is a lot more than just filtering going on...with some IRs you can actually get a sense of the room they were recorded in - some ambience, phase relationship...I don't really know but there is just a sense of real studio space.

I am contemplating a number of improvements for CrunchDude, one of them indeed being a kind of "room ambiance". But I don't think I want to go the IR route, for the following reasons:

1. One thing CrunchDude never was, and never will be, is an imitation of something already out there. That's not my philosophy, and never will be. I'll never add presets meant for you to guess that it's an imitation of a Vox AC-30, a Fender Bassman, or a Marshall Plexi. I want to create a *new* type of amp (including the cab section), just as if I were an original real amp designer/builder buiding real tube amps according to my own philosophy and design (or solid state for that matter: Blue Tone Amps (solid state FET technology) did sound pretty awesome!!! Too bad they went out of production...)

2. IR tends to be rather CPU demanding. I want CrunchDude to be as CPU-friendly as possible!

3. Too tired to think of more reasons... I need coffee...

Also, you have the signature of the entire setup used to make the IR...mic, mic preamp, etc. It would be very hard to model it all.

To model something that exists already, yes. But what if I could come up with something that sounds awesome in its own right without trying to imitate a specific cab with a specific mike? I guess I want to explore new grounds, rather than coming up with yet-another-Marshall-4x12-Celestion imitation. There are numerous amp sims out there that do that already, that give you all the presets imitating existing gear. I want to explore "new gear" rather than "existing gear".

At first I didn't even like IRs, but that was only because I wasn't used tracking while monitoring through a mic so it kind of threw me off and I was trying to create the sound of a raw amp in the room in front of me instead.

Which can sound very good, BTW, depending on room acoustics etc...

Speaker modeling is good for that, but then at some point you need to find a way to make it sound like a mic'ed amp and that is where cab IRs work great! If you can't add the ability to load IRs in CrunchDude, then just having the ability to bypass the speaker section is really a pretty good option.

Yep, that will always remain bypassable. In fact, I strive to make *all* discrete sections bypassable.

Right now, I've started thinking about CrunchDude 1.0 ... which is not gonna be a SynthEdit thing, but a native dll (programmed in Delphi). Concept will be along the same lines: an amp sim that doesn't try to imitate a gazillion existing real amps out there, but will be a creation in its own right, with its own sound.

Well, I can't wait!! I like how just adjusting the input section low cut filter can make an entirely different beast out of CrunchDude!! CrunchDude is unique, ...

Well, that certainly is music to my ears...

...and the more unique amps sims the better!! There are never too many amps, and never too many amp sims...each one is a new voice to explore! Thanks for all your effort!!

You're welcome!!!





Heeb.

[guitarzan]

Heeb, I just remembered something that might be a good feature for the next CrunchDude.

When I first got CrunchDude tweaked for the clean[ish] sound that I wanted I was trying out all the overdrive VSTs I could find looking for a way to easily go into a grittier mode but I gave up because it sounded way better just to turn CrunchDude's input low cut filter a couple notches CCW. The tone produced by allowing more lows in is similar to some of the TubeScreamer based plugs (I tried them all), but much better, richer/more complex sounding IMO. Some way to do that quickly with one button press would be great!! Not sure how that would work though....two low cut filters and a toggle?

[heeb]

Heeb, I just remembered something that might be a good feature for the next CrunchDude.

Hi guitarzan!

When I first got CrunchDude tweaked for the clean[ish] sound that I wanted I was trying out all the overdrive VSTs I could find looking for a way to easily go into a grittier mode but I gave up because it sounded way better just to turn CrunchDude's input low cut filter a couple notches CCW. The tone produced by allowing more lows in is similar to some of the TubeScreamer based plugs (I tried them all), but much better, richer/more complex sounding IMO. Some way to do that quickly with one button press would be great!! Not sure how that would work though....two low cut filters and a toggle?

Well, on the one hand, it's a thought... but on the other hand, it would - IMHO - be a bit strange to have such an option on a VST plugin... It would clutter the interface a bit, and I doubt many people will use the option.

Maybe it would be better to have a *separate* 6 dB/octave low-cut filter VST plug-in that one can just switch on and off, and put it in front of CrunchDude? That should (hopefully) sound exactly the same, since no wave shaping etc. has taken place yet in the input section, it's all still the clean signal that goes into the low-cut filter.

Creating a 6 dB/octave low-cut filter VST plug-in is a breeze in SynthEdit; or maybe there's already a simple filter plug-in out there that does the job?

Let me know!

Thx for the idea though! Maybe I'll still find a good way to include such an option in the next version. I'll keep it in mind (or rather on my "new ideas for CrunchDude"-list)!

[guitarzan]

I don't understand, how would another low cut filter in front of CrunchDude get more lows past CrunchDude's input low cut filter?

To be honest it's been a while since I checked it out , but basically what I was saying is that turning the input low cut filter from, say, 7 to 5 or so was a lot like putting an OD pedal in front of CrunchDude - only better...tonewise and CPU-wise.

[heeb]

I don't understand, how would another low cut filter in front of CrunchDude get more lows past CrunchDude's input low cut filter?

No, what I meant was the other way around: tweak CrunchDude to the *fat* sound you want, and then use an extra low-cut filter in front of CrunchDude to cut those low frequencies for the *less* fat sound.

To be honest it's been a while since I checked it out , but basically what I was saying is that turning the input low cut filter from, say, 7 to 5 or so was a lot like putting an OD pedal in front of CrunchDude - only better...tonewise and CPU-wise.

So that would mean: set CrunchDude's low-cut to "5" (the fatter of the two sounds) and tweak an extra low-cut-filter so that it sounds like the "7" setting.

[guitarzan]

Oh, OK - that makes sense. I'll keep an eye out for a filter like that, thanks!