RealStrat vs. RealLPC

[gregoryor]

I'm looking to buy one of the Musiclab electrics while they are on for $65, but don't know which one to get. I'm hoping that one of them can meet all my electric guitar needs, as I'm not enough of a purist to buy 5 guitar plugins for the perfect sound in each project. I generally am looking to add power chords and rhythm parts to country-rock, rock ballads, and a rock musical. I love the sound I hear on Evanescence's Bring Me to Life, and I'm aware that so much of that sound comes from the amp simulator I use, but I think I have that covered. Any advice on the most flexible general purpose model? I've seen the comparison videos, but they tend to focus on lead lines, and I honestly can't tell much difference between them. I'm open to other options, but do like the current price point, and really like RealGuitar. Any recommendations?

[JonSolo]

This is really about taste and opinion...so here is mine:

Since you mentioned a band specifically, it is good to know what guitars they use...and Evanescence uses ESP afaik. RealStrat cannot get that rich thick sound. But the Stratocaster is a fantastic rock guitar used on hundreds of top hits!

That said, the RealLPC is really closer to your "power chord" needs and will likely keep you more satisfied than the RealStrat assuming you have a good amp sim. I personally like Kontakt based libraries for this kind of thing, but since you want to stick with Musiclab, RealLPC is your best bet.

[Watchful]

I have both. And as much as I really like Musiclab's sounds, I can't seem to muster getting a third one because these two do everything.

The strat is definitely expressive and can do what you're asking but...if I had to lose one and keep the other?

I'd totally keep RealLPC. So much power and drive, especially with distortion. It's a solid sound, and it can--with the right combination of stomps and amp sim--sound like a dozen different guitars. As JonSolo says, RealLPC is the better of the two.

But I'll tell ya--if you can save up enough later this year or next...make RealStrat your second. The two sound so good together.

[BBFG#]

RealRick with Blue Cat Audio Reguitar.
It's easier to get it to sound like the Strat and the LP than it is getting those two to sound like a Rick.
And the active pickup guitar from Musiclab is the RealEight.

But resistance is futile here.
Buy the Bundle.

[jamcat]

I don't think any of those instruments sound very real.

[briefcasemanx]

I don't think any of those instruments sound very real.

What vsti guitars do you think sound best? If you don't like any vsti guitars feel free not to respond.

[jamcat]

I don't think any of those instruments sound very real.

What vsti guitars do you think sound best? If you don't like any vsti guitars feel free not to respond.

True, I don't like any VSTi guitars. They all make you sound like Jan Hammer.

But I will answer anyways:
AmpleSound is better.

[gregoryor]

Jon, Watchful, thanks for addressing my question as asked! It's so refreshing not to get the canned "Just learn how to play guitar. It'll sound way better, and you'll save $65". That said, Jon, when you mention the Kontakt instruments, are you thinking along the lines of Shreddage, or maybe the Session Guitarist? I picked up the Electric Sunburst last week, and am trying to figure out the Shreddage Stratus FREE, but am still considering the MusicLab because I found the strumming on RealGuitar easier to pick up than using Shreddage FREE, but maybe once I figure it out, that would be the better way to go.

Good you two agree on the RealLPC. That helps me quite a bit!

BBFG#, ReGuitar looks amazing! Who knew such a thing existed! I get your point on the combo offering the max flexibility, but then I'm up to $145, which I'm trying to avoid, given everything else I've bought this week.

AmpleSound and Impact SW are both in that same price range, so are not really options right now. Although I *could* afford it, I have spent so much money buying plugins that I never took the time to learn well enough to make them sound close to their potential, that I'm trying to rebalance the buying vs. learning to get more bang for my buck these days! Thanks all, for the advice. Much appreciated.

[Googly Smythe]

I have shreddage, Amplesound LP and musiclab strat, LP and Rick. Amplesound sounds best, but the RealLPC comes very close, and I tend to use it more because I prefer the control system, which is customisable.
I use the Amplesound for strumming because I have not found a way to use custom chords with the MusicLab instruments.
If I could only have just one, I'd choose Amplesound.
From a different angle, I found the interface of the RealStrat to be extremely heavy on the cpu. I enlarged it to around 150% and Cubase's response was syrupy.

[Googly Smythe]

And use different amp settings, what sounds good with a LP, sounds shite with a strat.

[JonSolo]

I would look at Orange Tree Samples, especially when they do group buys at huge discounts. The approach and sound is really next to none. The strum engine is a bit of a learning curve but works nicely.

For really heavy stuff I use ThreeBodyTech.

[BBFG#]

I would look at Orange Tree Samples, especially when they do group buys at huge discounts. The approach and sound is really next to none. The strum engine is a bit of a learning curve but works nicely.

For really heavy stuff I use ThreeBodyTech.

Ironically, while it does sound great, I found OTS to be lacking in an intuitive feel for me.
When I thinned out the guitars from my system, it was the first to go.
Will say they were very easy to sell and transfer though.
And as always, it should always be listed as a library for Kontakt, not a VSTi by itself.

[JonSolo]

BBFG# several have mentioned that here and other places. I get how that can be. I have some synths that I cannot connect with. But for whatever reason, for guitars OTS just works for me.

For the OP here is OTS in action on a track I did. As BBFG# mentioned it is Kontakt Player friendly. Every guitar sound, including the "guitar" solo, is OTS in Kontakt. And it is the LPC for the record.

https://soundcloud.com/jonsolo/ordinary ... 18f29b94d1

Jon

[gregoryor]

Thanks for posting the track! Fun to listen to! Nice variety of guitar tones in there. Didn't care for the sound of the first guitar in the upper octave in the intro, but loved the one that came in in measure 5, and really loved the sound of the guitar solo. For a non-rocker, I guess I still really like distortion on my guitars LOL! I did buy Evolution Mandolin during a group buy earlier in the year, and all the tutorials were like "We're not going to go in to the strumming engine, because you already know how to use that from our other instruments." So, buying a guitar from them in a future group buy would be a double win - get a guitar and learn to use my mandolin!

On a tangent (prompted by BBFG#), I think getting Kontakt 5 was the best move I ever made. I got it on some crazy low-price sale/cross-grade shenanigans, and I positively hate the UI, but I think because of the scripting, all the most capable and fully-featured instruments tend to be Kontakt instruments. I've more than recouped the entire cost of Kontakt by getting good deals on instruments that were only for the full retail version of Kontakt. I barely use the EXS24 or SampleTank romplers for anything anymore, because everything out of them is so static.

[sacer]

I prefer realguitar over amplesound, they can be played easier. I only compared to the free amplesound, but I think the handling is more intuitive in realguitar.