Ujam Virtual Guitarist Carbon

[mixtur.se]

Tried it but it sounds very robotic. It doesn’t sound like it has any round robins and the riffs are heavily quantized. Another limitation is that it doesn’t have an amp bypass function. This could of course be the right sound for some. Don’t get me wrong, I have 3 of their previous products and loved the old Steinberg virtual guitarist plugin. Native instruments session guitarist is currently the one to beat in this category (loops).

[tonedef71]

...it sounds very robotic. ... the riffs are heavily quantized.

The playback of the riffs can be adjusted to sound somewhat more (or less) "human-like" by adjusting parameters in the "Micro Timing" dialog:


I believe those parameters can be automated with MIDI learn.

[BONES]

Tried it but it sounds very robotic.

You mean accurate? Surely that's preferable to sounding human/sloppy?

It doesn’t sound like it has any round robins and the riffs are heavily quantized.

Why would it have round robins when it is having the shit squeezed out of it by the amp sim? It would be a complete and utter waste of time.

Another limitation is that it doesn’t have an amp bypass function. This could of course be the right sound for some.

Yes, exactly. That's why it is just one of several very different plugins in the Virtual Guitar series. It is geared towards a specific type of sound.

Don’t get me wrong, I have 3 of their previous products and loved the old Steinberg virtual guitarist plugin. Native instruments session guitarist is currently the one to beat in this category (loops).

That's more a jack-of-all-trades, similar to VG Sparkle, but it only comes with 154 preset patterns. I'm not sure how many you get in VG Carbon but VG Iron has over 1000. NI's thing doesn't really cover the same sonic territory as VG Carbon, either. Sure, you could run it through Rammfire in Guitar Rig but the convenience of having it all in one place and so easy to use makes VG Carbon a much better option, I reckon. It also saves you a lot of money.

[tonedef71]

I'm not sure how many [preset patterns] you get in VG Carbon ...

I calculated it to be 567 distinct preset patterns (draggable as MIDI), two of those being the common "halt-playback" patterns. The seventeen common patterns repeat in each of the fifty styles (which each contain eleven presets), so I only counted them once.

[BONES]

Slow day? I was only willing to read it off Ujam's site.

I believe those parameters can be automated with MIDI learn.

Yes, they can (although I'm not sure why you'd need MIDI learn to achieve it). I was doing exactly that with VG-Iron last night - start off at half-speed, go to normal speed in the chorus and eventually to double speed at the end. THat's as good as having every pattern three times.

[tonedef71]

Zero-G has a Kontakt library called "Inspiring Guitars", that boasts 3000 riffs and loops representing many styles and genres.

I prefer guitar virtual instruments that let you edit the individual notes of the performance in the MIDI domain; that is why Carbon with its new "Instrument Mode" grabbed my attention. I wonder if UJAM's other Virtual Guitarist entries will be updated with the "Instrument Mode".

[BONES]

I doubt it. It has been in their VB-Rowdy bass instrument for a while.

[tonedef71]

Slow day?

I guess you could say that. Last Sunday evening, I dragged out each of Carbon's preset patterns to a MIDI file (in the key of C), so I could study them and hear how they sounded when played back through my other guitar VIs.

[tonedef71]

I doubt it. It has been in their VB-Rowdy bass instrument for a while.

Does VB-Rowdy let you drag the patterns out as MIDI?

[BONES]

Don't know, dragging isn't something I would ever even think to try and I have hardly touched Rowdy. I bought it when it was on sale because I know I will find some use for it when I get around to it but that time has not yet arrived.

I have, however, found some time tonight to play around properly with Carbon and holy cow! It is so much more versatile than VG Iron. The effects (Mode & Finisher) on the right side add several new dimensions to it's usefulness. But you have to take your time because the Finisher knob does different things, depending on which mode you choose. e.g. It's a cutoff knob with the filters, wet-dry mix with the delays, etc.

The other neat little trick I learned is to use the "End" keys to give parts a nice, natural finish. With C# you get a full-on decay and with D# you get a muted decay. It's very cool. With all these extra features it makes the other VG plugins seem over-priced.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

... if I'd had my Seaboard at the time, he'd never have been allowed anywhere near it. I reckon he'd have clawed himself through that squidgy surface within minutes of seeing it

Yeah, my ferrets would have been the same. They could never resist rubber. (Who can, eh?)

Well, as far as I understood it there was only one place that ferrets were supposed to be:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret-legging

[Ou_Tis]

I might be willing to pay $35 or so for this VI. Do the UJAM virtual instruments ever go on sale?

I got VG-Iron last year for 50% off during a sale, you just need to keep an eye out for it.

Ah yes, the Virtual Guitarist VI was included as part of last summer's 50% sale; somehow I did not notice that when I first saw it listed at Rekkerd.

A 50% off discount would bring the price down to around $65. That is much better, but I would still prefer if it could be had for a significantly cheaper price than that.

I got VG Iron for free for having a Focusrite audio interface. I think that promotion just ended today.

[BONES]

Yeah, I already had it when that went live. I got Eden out of it, though, which I had been about to spend money on. Eden is good for putting a quick drum track in while you are experimenting with other stuff, I find it very handy.

Well, as far as I understood it there was only one place that ferrets were supposed to be:

It's a stupid sport because most ferrets will just go to sleep as soon as you put them in a dark place like that. You might get your knob nipped a couple of times but if you don't react, they lose interest pretty quickly.

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Well, as far as I understood it there was only one place that ferrets were supposed to be:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret-legging

It's a stupid sport because most ferrets will just go to sleep as soon as you put them in a dark place like that.

Oh, that’s why it’s a stupid sport!

You might get your knob nipped a couple of times but if you don't react, they lose interest pretty quickly.

A couple of nips is all I need

[Ou_Tis]

Focusrite's free VG Iron promotion has been extended: "Access the offer by registering your hardware and setting up a Focusrite account before 14h November". Also includes 30% off the guitar bundle. (Owning VG Iron reduces Carbon's price to $100, and owning the bundle reduces it to $50.)