The Big Guitar Amp Sim Roundup + Review

[The Noodlist]

Sound Drops Fullerton is some thing else, it sounds like a real amp to me.
http://sounddrops.it/fullerton/
https://www.acustica-audio.com/store/products/fullerton
Nebula Pro not needed, the free N4 player will work.


I'd take it @ $29 or up to 80% off, if it ever happens. My current PC is too old to really get the best from it,

[The Noodlist]

Nebula reverbs are the most realistic I've ever heard. Another thing that I noticed, when not using Nebula's cab and a IR instead, the IR seemed lifeless in comparison.

Nebula Pro not needed, the free player will work.


STN has Amp Deluxe for Nebula , Pay What You Want - starting at $1, caution! the websites needs updating to https.
http://signaltonoize.com/?p=1765

[pekbro]

Big fan of the Nembrini Audio JMPPro amp sim here.



https://www.nembriniaudio.com/products/ ... -amplifier

[gueims]

Sound Drops Fullerton is some thing else, it sounds like a real amp to me.
http://sounddrops.it/fullerton/
https://www.acustica-audio.com/store/products/fullerton
Nebula Pro not needed, the free N4 player will work.


I'd take it @ $29 or up to 80% off, if it ever happens. My current PC is too old to really get the best from it,

I've tested the demo. You can't run this in realtime. The N4 engine adds bunch of lattency. Not for realtime/live situation.

[Jafo]

I've tested the demo. You can't run this in realtime. The N4 engine adds bunch of lattency. Not for realtime/live situation.

Bummer It's probably an irreducible artefact of the math.

[The Noodlist]

I've tested the demo. You can't run this in realtime. The N4 engine adds bunch of lattency. Not for realtime/live situation.

Bummer It's probably an irreducible artefact of the math.

Yeah, I managed to use it in real-time @48K with a older PC (AMD 8350 FX), albeit with a RME PCI card. I couldn't really use with the reverb without experiencing issues. There's a ZL (zero latency) instance available for real-time playing.

The CPU use seems to be a common concern. I'd outsource to whoever could do the best optimisations on a test product. Or start producing a DSP card/alternative. Audio Gridder is an alternative to offload resources.

[gueims]

I've tested the demo. You can't run this in realtime. The N4 engine adds bunch of lattency. Not for realtime/live situation.

Bummer It's probably an irreducible artefact of the math.

Yeah, I managed to use it in real-time @48K with a older PC (AMD 8350 FX), albeit with a RME PCI card. I couldn't really use with the reverb without experiencing issues. There's a ZL (zero latency) instance available for real-time playing.

The CPU use seems to be a common concern. I'd outsource to whoever could do the best optimisations on a test product. Or start producing a DSP card/alternative. Audio Gridder is an alternative to offload resources.

I'll give it a try again. Didn't see the zl version...I'm using a pretty high end PC with an RME sound card.
Thanks

[mykla]

You may as well look at Nembrini Audio too. As far as I know, they do a lot of work for PA.

I second that!

[Anderton]

Just thought I'd duck in for a second with some more current thoughts about amp sims. The bottom line is I'm using them less and less to replace amps, and more to come up with sounds that would be difficult or impossible to do with amps.

The main thing is multiband processing. Probably some of you are familiar with my multiband preset pack for Helix, and the material in my Helix book about multiband processing. I just keep going further down that rabbit hole because it creates new and exciting sounds to my ears, instead of the same guitar sounds we've been hearing for over half a century. The definition you can get is outstanding. Multiband processing can also turn an amp from "that sucks" to "wow, that sounds great."

The second thing is closer integration/modulation with other sounds. One of my favorites these days is running guitar through an expander, and triggering the expander sidechain with drums to modulate the guitar sound rhythmically. Or, effects like putting two tremolos in series, one set to 16th notes followed by one set to half-notes so it lets through a burst of 16th notes with every half-note.

And I'm still a big proponent of "the amp sim is only part of the story." Wrapping other effects around it, both before and after, better emulates what happens to amplification systems in the real world. However again, these effects can also add a dimension that's not possible in the real world.

I think the most productive point of discussion for amp sims is how to make more emotionally compelling music with them, rather than debate their "realism." The latter is interesting, bur the former is why we use anything in the first place.

[ampetrosillo]

I am honestly a big fan of Airwindows' FireAmp and MidAmp sims. They do one thing (each) but they do it actually quite well (if you oversample them, which is easy to do in Reaper). I've used them where the big guns (TH-U, Bias, Amplitude) didn't work.

[Anderton]

I am honestly a big fan of Airwindows' FireAmp and MidAmp sims. They do one thing (each) but they do it actually quite well (if you oversample them, which is easy to do in Reaper). I've used them where the big guns (TH-U, Bias, Amplitude) didn't work.

Thanks for this! I checked out the web site, the concept looks VERY interesting and I dig the minimalist approach. I'll check them out next time I'm in the studio.

Oversampling is pretty easy in most DAWs these days, at least when rendering, so I don't think that's a limitation.

[DamienF]

TH-U imo is the one to get because it has not only great modelling but all those rig packs which are essentially Kemper Profiles. Best of both worlds, and the effects are very high quality also. Furthermore they've added a very capable IR processor if you want to use your own 3rd party IRs.

*
the thing I like the most with TH-U is the low CPU usage and how it's quick to load, comparing to Guitar Rig, Bias and Amplitube (the worst for that)

[DamienF]

but Amplitube offers far more for the same price than TH-U

[Cody1_30]

Honestly Line 6 metallurgy amps are good. I have modern and the Archon model has a beautiful clean tone. I also have helix native too and really noticing even between all the others ive played with the IRs seem to make the biggest difference. Ive use the PA amp sims to and the bassman is really good for cleans also.

[YnJ]

I'm going to get the Metallurgy amps as soon as the next sale is coming up, as well as a couple of the Neural DSP amps when they come on sale. I don't quite get the Helix Native though, it's expensive and the sound isn't as impressive as the price would imply, unless the price reflects the effects and diversity. I'm quite happy with my Nembrini and Brainworx amps, I do find the Metalurgy and Neural DSP amps quite impressive though, and I'm looking at getting Mercuriall's Ampbox as well. I'm trying out the demo now, and it sounds really good. I just got the Bogren Digital AmpKnob, which I don't quite get either. I guess it's ment to be used with the IR packs, it doesn't even have an IR loader though, and the sound in itself, while good, it's not great though