KVR Audio

Shane Sanders · Post by **Shane Sanders** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 7:53 pm

This may be of interest:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 72#2174772

SciFiArtMan · Post by **SciFiArtMan** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:04 pm

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. I'm going to checkout the most probable ones this afternoon.

Let me restate that I DID find a sound I really like in FreeAmp2. A really playable nasty grinding tone that still lets you mute strings and doesn't just take off on its own. So I'm wondering if using FreeAmpSE will save me some CPU cycles over FreeAmp2, since the former has no GTR-synth to deal with?

As for the SimluAnalog Guitar Suite, maybe it's the way Cakewalk Sonar 5PE installs the thing, but the JCM900 gives off a strange unbalanced stereo effect (grind (B channel) on the left, and clean (A channel) on the right - or something like that) this makes it useless to me. I fiddled with it and can't seem to overcome this situation. Whereas the FreeAmp2 delivers this wonderful stereo signal buzz tone like I want.

For a DI kind of thing, I'm using a Digitech RP200, so I can adjust any parameter on the input, but basically I'm using the simple clean channel I established in the first user patch. I like the RP200 for real amp situations pretty well, but for direct-in it just doesn't compare with the tone I can get from the FreeAmp2, which was a big discovery for me (VST beat the pants off the RP200 on DAW recordings!).

So off I go to explore some of these suggestions and try to get that sound without tieing up my whole system on a cool sounding guitar track or two.

SciFiArtMan · Post by **SciFiArtMan** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:14 pm

Shane Sanders wrote:This may be of interest:

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 72#2174772

That IS interesting to me Shane. I need to get my head around this Energy XTE thing, as I'm not familiar with it at all. But I see in the pic how it works (and from your previous explanation). I read in another thread where you might be able to control just about any parameter of Synth1 (a big fave of mine!) with the ModWheel running it through EnergyXT, but I didn't really know what was meant by that statement - now I have a better grasp. It's a little complicated for me right at the moment, but I WILL get to it eventually, because I like the control concepts. Thanks!

chrishurley · Post by **chrishurley** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:46 pm

Its not going to be free, but my not-so-humble opinion (as a pre-beta tester) is that Revalver Mk II is going to eat *everything* else alive- if it ships this year and I believe that is the plan.

It might be worth it to save your pennies if you don't *have* to buy something before the end of the year. RII *might* make you sorry that you bought something else first.

I'm sorry I sunk a bunch of money in another product that I bought recently. :)

chrishurley · Post by **chrishurley** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:48 pm

sboullion wrote:I'd second Juicy77, easily (in my opinion) stomps a mudhole in every other ampsim vst I've heard. More "complex" sounding. But NOT easy on the cpu. I'll also second a DI if you don't have one. Even a $20 DI is better than none. You can't imagine what a big difference it'll make.

Juicy77 is pretty darned good. You can open up a whole new world by using it with cab simulation disabled and using other cabinet models with it. Or using VST stomp box sims in front of it.

Hard on the CPU though. I bought a new laptop because of Juicy77. :)

Shane Sanders · Post by **Shane Sanders** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 9:32 pm

chrishurley wrote:
sboullion wrote:I'd second Juicy77, easily (in my opinion) stomps a mudhole in every other ampsim vst I've heard. More "complex" sounding. But NOT easy on the cpu. I'll also second a DI if you don't have one. Even a $20 DI is better than none. You can't imagine what a big difference it'll make.
Juicy77 is pretty darned good. You can open up a whole new world by using it with cab simulation disabled and using other cabinet models with it. Or using VST stomp box sims in front of it.

Hard on the CPU though. I bought a new laptop because of Juicy77.

Yeah, I messed with it some last night, but came to the conclusion that the JCM900 seems a little more "stark" for lack of a better term, capturing the way a Marshall tightens up on palm mutes in a more pleasing way. I doubt I could tell the difference on a recorded track, but I could feel the diff while playing. It was very close, though, imo, and definitely would make a cool preamp option as mentioned.

Synesthesiac · Post by **Synesthesiac** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 2:26 am

Jcm900 has that nice thump but Juicy sounds sweeter and doesn't have that glassy pick attack for me and my gear. Juicy responds really well to my precious(

) pick attacks and, as someone here had perfectly described it, has a more complex tone. I should add that i use Juicy with cabinet impulses and disable the internal cabs.

I've been really digging Juicy lately and got an email back from the developer stating that development is continung with a possible release this November. GUI, code optimizations and minor new features are in the works!!

akisd28 · Post by **akisd28** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 2:36 am

SciFiArtMan wrote:As for the SimluAnalog Guitar Suite, maybe it's the way Cakewalk Sonar 5PE installs the thing, but the JCM900 gives off a strange unbalanced stereo effect (grind (B channel) on the left, and clean (A channel) on the right - or something like that) this makes it useless to me. I fiddled with it and can't seem to overcome this situation.

Sounds like you're using mono plug-ins on a stereo track?

Atomsplitter · Post by **Atomsplitter** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 2:45 am

Check these out:

http://www.kvraudio.com/get/2342.html

Nice

Mutant · Post by **Mutant** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 3:00 am

SciFiArtMan wrote:As for the SimluAnalog Guitar Suite, maybe it's the way Cakewalk Sonar 5PE installs the thing, but the JCM900 gives off a strange unbalanced stereo effect (grind (B channel) on the left, and clean (A channel) on the right - or something like that) this makes it useless to me. I fiddled with it and can't seem to overcome this situation.

Betabugs Moneo will cure this problem.

sboullion · Post by **sboullion** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 4:50 am

Synesthesiac wrote:I should add that i use Juicy with cabinet impulses and disable the internal cabs.

Great idea! I'll have to try that (not sure why it didn't occur to me in the first place

)!

Synesthesiac wrote:got an email back from the developer stating that development is continung with a possible release this November. GUI, code optimizations and minor new features are in the works!!

Excellent news!

SciFiArtMan · Post by **SciFiArtMan** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 6:03 am

Mutant wrote:
SciFiArtMan wrote:As for the SimluAnalog Guitar Suite, maybe it's the way Cakewalk Sonar 5PE installs the thing, but the JCM900 gives off a strange unbalanced stereo effect (grind (B channel) on the left, and clean (A channel) on the right - or something like that) this makes it useless to me. I fiddled with it and can't seem to overcome this situation.
Betabugs Moneo will cure this problem.

You're right that Moneo does look like it would let me control the two channels better, or even make them mono. But why is no one else complaining of this problem (dry one side, wet on the other) with SimulAnalog G-Suite? It's a real deal-killer of a problem for me! Mono would be better, but proper stereo imaging would be most desirable! Maybe I have a setting wrong in Sonar 5PE!? Or it didn't get "wrapped" properly or something, I dunno!

Well I tried many of these plugin suggestions but nothing came all that close to the good tone I found in FreeAmp2. Closest was between SlayerFX and VonxengoBoogex, and both had very acceptable CPU usage. Juicy77 has the same odd stereo imaging effect as the JCM900, so it was useless. Christortion was weak. FrettedSynth Drive 5 just didn't have the sound. Effectizer was horrid. Extremist wasn't bad, but just didn't have the sound. But with so many EQ bands and other parameter adjustments there's still hope for this one. Luxonix LFX-1310 didn't cut it! And FreeAmpSE wasn't any less CPU hungry than it's big brother! And no offense to these fine FX developers, they just didn't work for what I'm looking for.

Now I'm looking at trying Blood Overdrive, CamelCrusher, Voxengo Tube Amp, a few of the Helian Amps by FrettedSynth, Qamp, CrunchDude, RubyTube, TubeBooster, Buz, and a few others.

Thanks again for all those taking the time to lend a hand - I really appreciate it!

The_Cresta · Post by **The_Cresta** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 9:37 am

hmm.. Drive5 is the base for Freeamp3: are you sure you tried it with the right stuff and not alone?

FrettedSynth · Post by **FrettedSynth** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 2:12 pm

The_Cresta wrote:hmm.. Drive5 is the base for Freeamp3: are you sure you tried it with the right stuff and not alone?

Its the start of FreeAmp3 anyhow! With the right "convolution" speaker cab IR (Drive5) can get some nice drive while still maintaining the origanal guitar tone. Something else, there are no compressors built in! so I would recommend trying different compressors before or after the amp chain, placed before the amp it can bring some great sustain, after the amp will smooth the tone.

BTW! I have had a blast the last few days running Drive5 as a drive for different organ VSTi's with no speaker in the chain, to my humble ears its some of the best drive I have heard on an organ ever? with the drive pedal off its a rich tone

Turn on the overdrive and you get the tone of a organ through a guiter amp, big fun ! and it don't seem to crap out the bottom end like other distortions I have tried with organs.

Peace
Fretted Synth

SciFiArtMan · Post by **SciFiArtMan** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 3:54 pm

Yes, a combination of factors helps me get the sound I like in FreeAmp2. About 90% of the tone comes from the amp section (Amp=Harmon2, Cab=2x12 Lt.Brown mic about center, closed back, Drive=11, Chub=2, Variac=7, post EQ at middlish settings). Then I add the Overdrive (Crank w/Drive and Tone maxed). That's a good tone for me! Then sometimes I add a little Chorus for spacializing and it's pretty damned sweet for my needs. So maybe one of the Helian amp sims would be good for me.

Drive 5 for whatever reason doesn't get that close. The overdrive sound is loose and buzzy sounding and doesn't "play" well, especially in chuncky chord situations. True maybe if I added cab sims and and mic sims it would get there. It's not awful, just lacks "the sound". Plus it's noisy as hell when I get anywhere near the FreeAmp2 tone. But the CPU usage is very good.

And to be honest the more I play with FreeAmp2 the more I like it. So it wouldn't be the end of the world if I just had to deal with the huge CPU chunk it demands (23-30% of my 2.53ghz, 1280mb ram). But adding 10 or so VSTed tracks on top of that single track won't be a walk in the park.

Fave Distortion/Amp Sim VST?