Introducing AmpliTube 3.5 Custom Shop

[glokraw]

^^^

That'll give me something to do later

from guitars to cats, to Stanley cup playoff talk, I love KVR.

Just don't bring up the 8th circuit court and the NFL

Still better than the 9th circuit, who would reduce it to flag football, with
equal playing time for cheerleaders, just to make things fair

[bishop666]

About beeing a resource hog:





Why not offer a "performance mode":


1. The user sets up a list with all the presets he wants to use at the moment.

2. AT scans through all the components of this "performance list" (amps, stomps, rack effects,...) and loads only this subset into the memory.

Sounds good, but I think the "hi/med/low" and all the oversampled options are what we'll have to live with

Exactly what I was going to point out. If AmpliTube is a bit too much for your system switching quality from hi/mid/eco you can lower the processing power and switch it back to the highest setting when you render.

BUT! These Hi/Mid/Eco-Settings effect CPU-use only. They don't touch the RAM use.

That's what the performance list would be about. Reduced memory use.

[Hink]

About beeing a resource hog:





Why not offer a "performance mode":


1. The user sets up a list with all the presets he wants to use at the moment.

2. AT scans through all the components of this "performance list" (amps, stomps, rack effects,...) and loads only this subset into the memory.

Sounds good, but I think the "hi/med/low" and all the oversampled options are what we'll have to live with

Exactly what I was going to point out. If AmpliTube is a bit too much for your system switching quality from hi/mid/eco you can lower the processing power and switch it back to the highest setting when you render.

here's the thing, it's not AT alone and it doesn't affect my system that much...though older now my core 2Duo E6700 is still a workhorse. It's how it affects my workflow but as I have said a zillion times that's okay because I do not expect companies to cater to me. Stand alone all sims are awesome, AT3 stand alone has no feel of latency to me at all. I can set my buffers low and go model surfing all day long...trust me that is a ball. Having spent many years of my playing a one amp, one guitar guy and no pedal kind of player I was seriusly limited so now being able to try out a zillion different tones hasgiven the guitar new life for me (much like when after about 25 years of playing I switched from just standard and dropped D tuning to using many tunings. Then the guitar neck was unexplored territory.)

But I write songs and pieces soley for the sake of playing the final guitar part (as it turns out not so much about recording the final part). Yeah I can use stems or even a final mixdown without that last guitar part, but in the back of my mind I am working on the final part which will get recorded...probably one day these songs all will get done and people will say "damn Hink, you must writing 24/7" However when I get to that part playing live through a sim does have noticeable issues, it's odd because this is really a good thing. It use to be that I was fine with my pod xt live for the 'fun' parts at the end, but now sims have come a long way and sound so much better than my old pod I would like to play those 'fun' parts through AT and others.

I'm not bashing anything when I say I wish that (in this case) I said I wish they would concentrate more on performance than adding models...I'm simply stating my desires which I have no right to expect a company to follow my wishes and I'm okay with that, but there is nothing wrong with expressing it in case there are others who feel the same (and there are). I do feel that many software companies are thinking that as computers get stronger there is less of a need to work on performance.

But it's all good because I am beefing up my real amps for the fun parts and foundation tracks are ten fold better being re-amped through my sims

[ObiWonder]

I can see that and yeah computers are getting faster and faster to the point where I could buy an off the shelf PC and an interface and be able to do a decent amount of work no sweat. We still try our best to keep resources low but at the same time AmpliTube needs that power to model the gear models correctly.

[susiwong]

We still try our best to keep resources low but at the same time AmpliTube needs that power to model the gear models correctly.

Please elaborate on that a bit more, as in fact it appears to be the exact opposite.
Correct me when I'm wrong ...

From a user's standpoint low resource consumption means two main areas :
1. low CPU
2. low RAM usage
So how does it make sense (for the user !) to use a constantly growing monolithic application, especially one of the "brute force" type, loading everything and the kitchen sink in one go when started, and then even sticking a completely redundant (for the user !) internet promotion machinery on top ?
This is groundbreaking, nobody has gone there before, for a simple reason :
It's not good (for the user !).

The best method (for the user !) would be individual plugins, no doubt.
Not only from a resource standpoint, even more so from a routing- and signal flow standpoint. The way it is you can not even use an IK stompbox after an IK cab without loading another AT complete for a simple phaser.
Hey, this is software, no technical level limitations like in hardware, digital 0 is digital 0.
Not even talking about combination with other products ...
Like most of us I'm used to putting a pedal from company X in front of an amp by company Y through a cab by company Z, in the real world.
This makes perfect sense (for the user !).
In software it's like "...err, that's not possible, we love our monolithic approach."
Why not at least make several partial applications, one for pedals, one for amps, one for cabs ?
I'm quite sure the pedal- and amp sections would be pretty slim, i.e. easy to combine with other components, and the cab section could really use "load on demand", making it manageable in terms of resources.
All this would not prevent you from offering an optional shell for those that can't live without all-in-one presets, or even (heaven forbid) continue with the all-you-can-eat current resource monster, but as an option.

Why not take some clues from intelligent, creative ideas that reduce unnecessary overhead in comparable applications ?
Take Toontrack Superior as an example :
- cached mode (only the velocities and articulations your track actually uses get loaded)
translated to AT : obvious, load on demand
Bye bye memory hog ...
- layer limits :
the user defines he's not planning to use e.g. velocities 0 to 30, the plugin doesn't load them.
translated to AT : e.g. I never use the Metalhead, the Randall and some of the cabs ? A checklist in the preferences would make them disappear and make the whole shebang a bit lighter.
Voila, customizable footprint.
Even catering for single amp users if desired ...
- there are many similar intelligent concepts to be found in other products, hell, it's not about stealing an exact mechanism, it's about inspiration by clever concepts (and I mean technical, not marketing ).

And finally, re the integrated-internet-multimedia-promotion-bloat-custom-shop thingie , simply offer an AT3 Pro version without all this as an alternative, C/R or Syncrosoft for the models bought from any PC with an internet connection, traditional 7 day demos ...
This model works great for UA, Toontrack and a boatload of others.
Let the users decide.

Please take all this as kind of an open letter of constructive criticism, I used to be a real supporter and would very much like to get back the faith in AT.
Atm you're not exactly making it easy, but I haven't given up yet.

A big and proud ymmv,
susiwong

[Hink]

[A.M. Gold]

And finally, re the integrated-internet-multimedia-promotion-bloat-custom-shop thingie , simply offer an AT3 Pro version without all this as an alternative, C/R or Syncrosoft for the models bought from any PC with an internet connection, traditional 7 day demos ...
This model works great for UA, Toontrack and a boatload of others.
Let the users decide.

Without ranking the viability of any of your alternative suggestions, I'll just chime and and say that this marketing method is a major turn-off to me as well. I don't want internet Big Brother hand holding me in the midst of either trying to run my audio apps or in trying to demo a new plug-in. It is in fact clunky and intrusive, and even a little bit insulting. I see now I'm not alone in thinking that.

[hibidy]

^^^

That'll give me something to do later

from guitars to cats, to Stanley cup playoff talk, I love KVR.

Just don't bring up the 8th circuit court and the NFL

Still better than the 9th circuit, who would reduce it to flag football, with
equal playing time for cheerleaders, just to make things fair

haha!

[ObiWonder]

We still try our best to keep resources low but at the same time AmpliTube needs that power to model the gear models correctly.

Please elaborate on that a bit more, as in fact it appears to be the exact opposite.
Correct me when I'm wrong ...

From a user's standpoint low resource consumption means two main areas :
1. low CPU
2. low RAM usage
So how does it make sense (for the user !) to use a constantly growing monolithic application, especially one of the "brute force" type, loading everything and the kitchen sink in one go when started, and then even sticking a completely redundant (for the user !) internet promotion machinery on top ?
This is groundbreaking, nobody has gone there before, for a simple reason :
It's not good (for the user !).

The best method (for the user !) would be individual plugins, no doubt.
Not only from a resource standpoint, even more so from a routing- and signal flow standpoint. The way it is you can not even use an IK stompbox after an IK cab without loading another AT complete for a simple phaser.
Hey, this is software, no technical level limitations like in hardware, digital 0 is digital 0.
Not even talking about combination with other products ...
Like most of us I'm used to putting a pedal from company X in front of an amp by company Y through a cab by company Z, in the real world.
This makes perfect sense (for the user !).
In software it's like "...err, that's not possible, we love our monolithic approach."
Why not at least make several partial applications, one for pedals, one for amps, one for cabs ?
I'm quite sure the pedal- and amp sections would be pretty slim, i.e. easy to combine with other components, and the cab section could really use "load on demand", making it manageable in terms of resources.
All this would not prevent you from offering an optional shell for those that can't live without all-in-one presets, or even (heaven forbid) continue with the all-you-can-eat current resource monster, but as an option.

Why not take some clues from intelligent, creative ideas that reduce unnecessary overhead in comparable applications ?
Take Toontrack Superior as an example :
- cached mode (only the velocities and articulations your track actually uses get loaded)
translated to AT : obvious, load on demand
Bye bye memory hog ...
- layer limits :
the user defines he's not planning to use e.g. velocities 0 to 30, the plugin doesn't load them.
translated to AT : e.g. I never use the Metalhead, the Randall and some of the cabs ? A checklist in the preferences would make them disappear and make the whole shebang a bit lighter.
Voila, customizable footprint.
Even catering for single amp users if desired ...
- there are many similar intelligent concepts to be found in other products, hell, it's not about stealing an exact mechanism, it's about inspiration by clever concepts (and I mean technical, not marketing ).

And finally, re the integrated-internet-multimedia-promotion-bloat-custom-shop thingie , simply offer an AT3 Pro version without all this as an alternative, C/R or Syncrosoft for the models bought from any PC with an internet connection, traditional 7 day demos ...
This model works great for UA, Toontrack and a boatload of others.
Let the users decide.

Please take all this as kind of an open letter of constructive criticism, I used to be a real supporter and would very much like to get back the faith in AT.
Atm you're not exactly making it easy, but I haven't given up yet.

A big and proud ymmv,
susiwong

After authorizing your product you never have to use the Custom Shop if you do not want to. You can buy any of the individual packages of gear models like AmpliTube 3, AmpliTube Fender and Ampeg SVX.

You do bring up some great points and I've noted them all but also realize AmpliTube 3 is a different type of program. We use proprietary technologies like Dynamic Saturation Modeling) and Volumetric Response Modeling. We do things a bit differently for a reason and it helps set AmpliTubes quality apart from others.

[susiwong]

Thanks for listening !
I know how your Custom Shop works atm, I'll reconsider an upgrade and a few model purchases as soon as there's offline authorization.
I'm old enough to follow long term plans instead of running after every latest sensation, sorry.
On the other hand I tend to buy what I need if I don't have to worry about unnecessary side FX.
Cheers,
susiwong

[surferman]

Thanks for listening !
I know how your Custom Shop works atm, I'll reconsider an upgrade and a few model purchases as soon as there's offline authorization.
I'm old enough to follow long term plans instead of running after every latest sensation, sorry.
On the other hand I tend to buy what I need if I don't have to worry about unnecessary side FX.
Cheers,
susiwong

I don't think the new IK model is targeted to users like me and it seems you. But at least they respond to your posts.

[kaffeekranz]

Yeah, but Amplitube's a different type of program.
They use proprietary technologies like Dynamic Saturation Modeling and Volumetric Response Modeling. They do things a bit differently for a reason and it allegedly helps set Amplitubes quality apart from others.

[kcisANDderit]

i like having a big brother, it makes me feel like a kid again

[surferman]

Yeah, but Amplitube's a different type of program.
They use proprietary technologies like Dynamic Saturation Modeling and Volumetric Response Modeling. They do things a bit differently for a reason and it allegedly helps set Amplitubes quality apart from others.

Welcome to Costco, I love you. Welcome to Costco, I love you. Welcome to Costco, I love you. Welcome to Costco, I love you.



Sorry, that post just made me think of that movie...

[blueman]

It all gets very strange at some point...