Swanky Amp (release 1.4.0)

[garrinm]

Version 0.4.0 (a.k.a the guitarzan update) is out. The main feature is, of course, emulation of voltage sag from the power supply.

Note that this feature is tricky to get right. I went through great pains to ensure that the model is emulating the sag correctly, and that it's not just slapped on as an afterthought. However, as a result (and a bonus), the sag interacts with the model in non-trivial ways, so its characteristics end up being unique to the resonant amp. In other words don't expect to hear something exactly like a tweed deluxe for example.

It's a bit tricky to dial in a good sag value. Turning it up to a point where it's not quite audible seems to add some nice characteristics to the sound, a bit more note bloom I would say. But that will be subjective and will depend largely on the amount of drive you're using.

Do try to play with both the sag and tight controls as they affect each other.

Tuning this feature to make it easier to use and sound better will probably be an ongoing task. But I don't expect to completely re-invent this any time soon, just tweaks hopefully to get in more inline with expectation as needed.

As usual, you can find the release notes and updated instructions about the parameters on the github page:

https://github.com/resonantdsp/ResonantAmp

Installer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aOKUJy ... sp=sharing
VST3: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BrrAsj ... sp=sharing

[garrinm]

I had to tweak my previous patches but soon had them adjusted and dialed in the same tones I had with the earlier version.

Good news: with 0.3.0 I can get some nice "creamy crunch" tones from manipulating the power amp parameters. This is the most capable release yet, in my experience.

Hey prodigal sounds,

That's great to hear!

One thing I LOVE about this plugin is that I can play quietly and get sweet sparkly goodness, but hit a chord with more vigour and it breaks up into wonderful crunch, with no detrimental change to the overall volume. I wonder if this is what "real tube amp" players experience by default? This current setting I've found is joyous.

That's the characteristic of the sought-after power amp distortion. It has this compressing behaviour where harder played notes don't sound much louder, they just crunch more. And even before you hear them crunching they actually get slightly distorted and end up sounding fuller.

So there's actually a sweet spot right before you hear crunching where your notes sound fuller and also sustain a bit longer since the initial decay isn't audible as the peak of the note is a bit compressed.

The thing is that to get this out of a tube amp, you need to crank the *output* volume. So you literally just need to make the thing really loud, which I've never actually done with a tube amp out of fear of permanent hearing damage and/or damage the the building foundation xD.

EDIT: I should clarify the note doesn't actually sustain longer, but it takes longer for its volume to start dropping so it *sounds* like its ringing out longer.

[garrinm]

Version 0.4.1 (a.k.a the jbraner update) is out. The feature this time around is dynamic parameter ranges based on drive. Now the pre amp tight control and sag control ranges are dynamically adjusted based on the drive. Hopefully this way John you don't have to feel like you need to always push the tight control way up xD.

I know these updates aren't going to play nice with any saved presets, I apologize once again for that. I have one more feature I want to get in before I add preset saving into the plugin and call it a beta. Then I'll try to mitigate any issues arising from updates changing configurations. But for now I'd rather keep the flexibility to be able to put out updates more quickly.

[acousticglue]

I've actually been playing with Sonic Anomaly Transpire plugin and my amps. This does well on redesigning the harmonics maybe something like that can be added

[acousticglue]

For good measure to add I've made my own oh so very slight Soundtoys Phase Mistress and Filter Freak presets for very low phasing and or movement which lends greatly to live feel.

[guitarzan]

Cool! It took a while to find where I wanted to be, but tight pre and looser power also with more drive in power than pre, sag right up there at 7 or 8 gets somewhere in the tweedish/supro zone I think. I think I had grit way down (I need to read the control instructions again, don't know what Grit is for really).

I am finding it hard to dial in anything that isn't super bassy on the neck pickup, even bass all the way down and cab brightness up, but I am using earbuds tonight, so that could be part of it.

Oh… I'm already an update behind! Will have to wait until tomorrow.

[funky lime]

I'm getting some wonderful, slightly crunchy lead tone out of this thing with single coils, putting Airwindows Guitar Conditioner right in front of it, but not driving the amp very hard at all. It's very responsive and dynamic. I will be watching this with great interest.

I don't really have anything constructive to add, but I just wanted to say thanks for sharing. This plugin sounds great and is fun to play!

[Jafo]

Soooooo good already! I'm not having the overly bassy neck pup issue (HB and P-90), but I modded my hardware. Touch response and saturation is excellent, better than any other ampsim I've tried. Cleans up beautifully at the turn of a volume knob, and notes transition evenly between distorted and clean(er) as they decay. It's fun to play; it breathes. Thank you!

An amp sim this responsive deserves an equally responsive speaker sim, so I use this with Mercuriall Cab. (I'm prejudiced against IRs, alas.)

[guitarzan]

I'm not having the overly bassy neck pup issue (HB and P-90), but I modded my hardware.

I read the instructions again and I think if I increase the Filter parameter in the Staging section it will take care of it.

An amp sim this responsive deserves an equally responsive speaker sim, so I use this with Mercuriall Cab. (I'm prejudiced against IRs, alas.)

I thought that one was using IRs but in a dynamic way? I've wanted to give it a try for a long time and this seems like the perfect opportunity. I also want to check out Reflection Free Far Field IRs with Resonant Amp.

[jbraner]

Also try Torpedo Wall of Sound - I think it's still free. If not it's very cheap (<€10) and you get a bunch of free cabs.

[acousticglue]

I use WOS w 2 Marshall cabs and a L R Room as well. This combo works well with all amp sims

[RafaelMorgan]

I'm not having the overly bassy neck pup issue (HB and P-90), but I modded my hardware.

I read the instructions again and I think if I increase the Filter parameter in the Staging section it will take care of it.

An amp sim this responsive deserves an equally responsive speaker sim, so I use this with Mercuriall Cab. (I'm prejudiced against IRs, alas.)

I thought that one was using IRs but in a dynamic way? I've wanted to give it a try for a long time and this seems like the perfect opportunity. I also want to check out Reflection Free Far Field IRs with Resonant Amp.

Voxengo's Boogex 3 (free) has got a dynamic cabinet session which works similarly to Mercuriall Cab. I highly recommend it, but it's a bit tricky to setup, so make sure to read the manual. Currently, it's my favorite cabinet sim.

It works specially well with Celestion IR because they always offer Hi-Gain/Low-Gain IRs of the same cab, so you can use Boogex to morph between the two according to your playing dynamics.

Give it a try, it's free.

[jbraner]

I posted a long review this morning - but it's not here. I must have clicked "preview" instead of "submit" - DOH!

Anyway - 4.0.1 is really coming along great. I can't really tell you what the sag control is doing (way above my pay grade) but I can hear it's doing *something* - and it's something nice

I'm turning it almost all the way up on my saturated sound, midway on chunky and 3-4 on clean.
The tight control is great now too (thanks for the namecheck on version control )
It now sounds OK even all the way down. It's not to my taste down there - but definitely usable
I'm finding that I like the "tight" control way up (9-10) on saturated sounds, 6-8 on chunky and midway on clean. So it's a lot like the sag settings for me.

The thing is - now there are so many good settings, and the controls are all interactive. So you find something you like - tweak a little more - "oh, that's good too" - tweak a little more - "oh that's good too" etc.
As you tweak, it's not necessarily getting "better", just a little "different", but all good
Eventually, you have to settle on something - stop tweaking and start playing

This amp is also (still) taking real pedals (before it) really well.
I'm using it with a 2x12 Open Celestion Alnico Blue cab sim - and it's sounding good.
You're not going to have to do very much when this amp becomes "beta" - it's really coming along already.

[Jafo]

Mercuriall Cab

I thought that one was using IRs but in a dynamic way?

Yep: IIRC, it's based on Volterra kernels, same as Nebula. The idea is that instead of taking a single snapshot of a one-size-fits-all setting, you sample at several places and extremes, and interpolate between them. A speaker sounds different when minimally pushed than it does when maximally pushed, and you want to sample at both these extremes (plus maybe a few intermediate steps*). It works extraordinarily well for EQs and compressors.

People seem pretty happy with static IRs, and there are a lot of great choices. And hey, if you play with very consistent dynamics (metal and country guys, I'm looking at you!) this is plenty good. But for blues/rock dinosaurs like me who use dynamics as a part of their style**, this extra detail is delicious.

AFAICT, dynamic loading of IRs seems to be blending between two or more static IRs, which isn't the same thing. But I haven't explored this stuff in years, so I could very well be wrong! (And I'll have to check out Boogex again.)

* Not unlike multiple masters in font design. It keeps the intermediates from becoming too bland.

** Note that I didn't say I do it well!

[Jafo]

Voxengo's Boogex 3 (free) has got a dynamic cabinet session which works similarly to Mercuriall Cab.[/quote]

Definitely interested. After all, if it's Voxengo, it's great!