KVR Audio

progtronic · Post by **progtronic** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 1:32 am

^

also interested.. $99 for Amplitube 3 seems like a no brainer, unless it's just gonna be redundant along side Guitar Rig 5 Pro.

Kontrast13 · Post by **Kontrast13** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:04 am

guitarking79 wrote:How do you do that? There was a convenient way to do that in earlier versions of REAPER, but I cannot find the option to do that in the current version.

Load the vst, then at the top of the window where you see '2 in 2 out' or whatever, right click on it and you'll see the PDC options. I always double tap the spacebar afterwards, to reset the PDC value display just in case, because it shows 0/256 at first

jacqueslacouth · Post by **jacqueslacouth** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:37 am

lingyai · Post by **lingyai** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 9:12 am

jacqueslacouth wrote:Well, I've just tried Amplitube Free…what a PITA….Why install the whole package and then every time you try to play a preset it tells you part of that preset is missing and may not sound correct. Absolutely the most frustrating software I have ever tried to use, still none the wiser as to how it sounds. Wouldn't it make more sense to grey out the unavailable presets????

Based on this I might just give this one a miss.

+1.

I was excited when I downloaded it but I only used it once or twice for this very reason. Better to give us a handful of complete presets than a bunch of incomplete ones. Amplitube Free is just a way to funnel people into buying things.

Kontrast13 · Post by **Kontrast13** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:38 pm

Damn, you guys would have a problem with real amps wouldn't you? No presets there either

Is it really that hard to experiment? When I first tried it, I thought of it like having an amp. Pull out one amp and set it up the way I like, get a good mic layout, go back and insert a bunch of the available pedals, mess with them...

And on a sidenote... there's a section of presets that specifically is called "Amplitube Free" for a reason

Sheesh~

jsp1979 · Post by **jsp1979** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 3:40 pm

Exactly.

If you go to the preset menu and click on the Amplitube 3 Free category,you can cycle through the ones that work completely in the free version by moving the up/down arrows, if I recall correctly.

Hink · Post by **Hink** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:18 pm

Kontrast13 wrote:Damn, you guys would have a problem with real amps wouldn't you? No presets there either

FWIW when it comes to real amps I have plenty of presets, the only thing is they are between my ears (plenty of room there so something might as well take up space besides cobwebs). I have to admit I will take a snapshot with my camera of how my rig is set up for a particular song if there is something unique in my settings (TBH I take more pics of how I have things miked). I use to love presets in sims (including PODs and the like) because I could return to the exact settings way down the road if need be, but hen I had a bunch of moments of lucidity.

If I go back to my PODs I may find myself scratching my head wondering what I was thinking and then another day I might be remembering how good that same preset sounded (I always saved my own presets but relied very little on factory presets). There are a lot of factors at work here we forget about, the number one factor being the human factor. Presets do not change, but we can fluctuate day to day. While sims have a photographic memory for sounds and tones we dont, while sims sound the exact same way when using presets we do not hear things the same all the time. The key with presets is not to have them set in stone and use them for A/B comparisons IMHO.

There are times where things are just not clicking so I tweak something to satisfy my less than perfect ears only to tweak myself back to where I started. I forgot how much I missed that, I forgot about how important that is to my learning and growth. Dont get me wrong, the same thing can apply to presets, one might be apt to tweak and for the same reasons with the same result but in my experience it seems that most people are less likely to do so with presets.

osidenick · Post by **osidenick** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:25 pm

jacqueslacouth wrote:In light of some of the discussion (and not trying to hijack the thread), I was wondering how Objective posters feel about Amplitube in comparison to Guitar Rig.

and Progtronic,

IMO, the last thing you should do is buy any software based on what other's think (unless of course there is no demo). The opinions of others are great for suggesting what you should try out. If you want to compare Amplitube to GR or anything else, download the demo and start comparing side by side. I also recommend checking out all the free stuff linked with guitarampmodeling.com

It should be YOUR hearing that leads to what you buy. Sometimes things are clearly better, sometimes just different.

I recently bought some CS credits and got the Fender '65 Deluxe Reverb and JC120, because they sounded better than anything else I have. However, I've passed on a lot of stuff in the past because it didn't sound better than what I had, or not enough improvement to justify buying. I use Logic and the included amps sound terrible compared to Amplitube, but I do have renewed respect for the pedals because to my ears (and maybe only mine) they can hold their own with Amplitube or GR.

With the $99 sale, I will be trying out a lot of Amp3 stuff to compare to what I already have. Gotta let the ears decide if it's worth it.

lingyai · Post by **lingyai** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:34 pm

Kontrast13 wrote:Damn, you guys would have a problem with real amps wouldn't you? No presets there either

Is it really that hard to experiment? When I first tried it, I thought of it like having an amp. Pull out one amp and set it up the way I like, get a good mic layout, go back and insert a bunch of the available pedals, mess with them...

As a non-guitarist, yes sir, I sure would have a problem with real amps.

That's why I'm interested in virtual guitar FX, with presets.

Let's not have this purist vs. non-purist pillow fight. Whether I choose to

a) start from scratch, learn the ropes, experiment with loads of permutations (determined not only by the number of modules and all their possible settings, but also by the order of the modules... you know the deal) -- i.e. spend even more hours clicking a mouse or

b) get on with making music quickly, thanks to some nice presets

is up to me. I'll experiment when I want to.

IKM pitches Amplitube to people who people who like either option; but the fact that -- in my version, at least -- the vast majority or presets trigger a message saying that modules are missing, therefore the preset won't sound as intended, doesn't really show me what it can do. I'd rather have a time limited, highly functional demo than a super-stripped down demo I can use forever. And no, I'm not gonna start buying stuff in the custom shop just to find out if I like the product after all.

To each his own, I reckon.

Compyfox · Post by **Compyfox** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 4:42 pm

So... just to get this straight:

- AT3 Custom Shop is pretty much the "core engine".
- if I jump on the current deal, I unlock AT3, AT3Metal and AT3 Jimi Hendrix (though doesn't AT3 "include" Hendrix already?)
- I can keep on using "custom shop", since the licenses I bought are like "modules packs" to unlock (much like Line6 with the Model Packs for PODFarm)

Then what's with the special amps you released for free the last couple of months? Weren't they part of any pack?

I know they will be unlocked the time I fire up Custom Shop. I just want to get this out of my gear. Because I personally think that Line6 abandonned their users, Revalver and Guitar Rig seems to be in a holding point, haven't heard of Studio Devil in a while, the old Mokafix stomps are discontinued, etc, etc, etc.

Just one final Q:
If I buy the recent deal with AT3, are all mics covered that were available so far? Or is there any missing?

osidenick · Post by **osidenick** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:05 pm

[/quote]
IKM pitches Amplitube to people who people who like either option; but the fact that -- in my version, at least -- the vast majority or presets trigger a message saying that modules are missing, therefore the preset won't sound as intended, doesn't really show me what it can do. I'd rather have a time limited, highly functional demo than a super-stripped down demo I can use forever. And no, I'm not gonna start buying stuff in the custom shop just to find out if I like the product after all.[/quote]

You don't have to buy them to try them out. In Custom Shop, click on Try, and you can try it for 2 days. It would be easier if you could try out everything at once, without clicking on each individual piece of gear, but it's still faster than trying out a bunch of real gear in a store.

So many questions could be answered if people just spent some time with demo, and clicked on Help when they get confused.

Ah Xoc Kin · Post by **Ah Xoc Kin** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:13 pm

jacqueslacouth wrote:In light of some of the discussion (and not trying to hijack the thread), I was wondering how Objective posters feel about Amplitube in comparison to Guitar Rig. I have GR and GTR Solo as well as Amplion. Is Amplitube a worthwhile addition to what I have or will I just be doubling up on what I have? Also, I guess the other question is how the quality compared to these others stacks up.

Thought I'd ask here since this is a current thread and there is a really good price on Amplitube at the moment.

progtronic wrote:^

also interested.. $99 for Amplitube 3 seems like a no brainer, unless it's just gonna be redundant along side Guitar Rig 5 Pro.

I think it is worthwhile since the sound quality of some models is really good. I remember comparing Fender models and AT3 gave me the best sounds.

It uses more computer resources, and some of the amps sound awful. The retail price is absurd but it makes $99 sound good, doesn't it?

This one is seldom on sale, yet it is worth every penny:
http://www.scuffhamamps.com/product

AT3 can give you more models, amps, pedals, mics, and Vunter Slash.
I rarely use it these days and S-Gear covers my needs just fine.

For practicing I still like Guitar Rig quite a bit. S-Gear does not have features like a metronome or song import.

My advice is to download the demos and try the different software. Although I prefer S-Gear for sound, feel, and as a company, others may prefer AT3.

lingyai · Post by **lingyai** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:40 pm

osidenick wrote: You don't have to buy them to try them out. In Custom Shop, click on Try, and you can try it for 2 days. It would be easier if you could try out everything at once, without clicking on each individual piece of gear, but it's still faster than trying out a bunch of real gear in a store.

So many questions could be answered if people just spent some time with demo, and clicked on Help when they get confused.

Funny you should mention clicking Help. The point at which I decided not to mess with Amplitube any more was when I clicked the "?" button, expecting some kind of online documentation -- you know, a help file -- but instead got taken to "Welcome to the Amplitube Custom Shop, an entirely new shopping experience...." Could almost hear it being read by an FM radio voice. WTF?

Let me get answers first, then we'll talk about maybe shopping.

Anyway, there are loads and loads of incomplete presets. Multiply them by the number of missing modules they need, and downloading each one just to hear what they sound like, under a two-day clock, is a major PITA. I for one will pass.

Whereas Scuffham Amps -- thanks, Ah Xoc Kin for pointing that out -- lets you download the whole kit for 15 days. A much better way to see what is on offer, IMO.

Anyway, for those who like Amplitube, great, carry on. But RAM-wise and otherwise it's not my cup oif tea.

Ah Xoc Kin, I plan to try the Scuffham demo. But, in advance, may I ask, a) how is the RAM usage? b) how plentiful are the presets, and are they decent? Please try to put yourself in the shoes of a non-guitarist like me (not very familair with guitar FX chains etc)

progtronic · Post by **progtronic** » Sat Jul 14, 2012 5:55 pm

Thanks for the info & advice.

I've downloaded the AT3 demo.. but after reading about the issues regarding the built-in shop and additional issues it has with Studio One 2, the DAW I'll be using (crashing, no un-installer, etc..), I'm not sure I even want to bother installing it.

I may give the S-Gear demo a shot though. It looks really nice.

Amplitube 3 -- a RAM hog like its predecessors?