Query failed: connection to localhost:9312 failed (errno=111, msg=Connection refused). Guitar amp software, speakers and the like - Studio & Recording Discussions on The Fretboard
UNPLANNED DOWNTIME: 12th Oct 23:45

Guitar amp software, speakers and the like

So, Ive been using Pod Farms for ever to record with, quite night time jams with head phones etc. Ive also been using a Mustang 2 for the same thing but I am beginning to wonder if I need the Mustang AND Pod Farms as well as my Mesa Boogie Mark 4 with its silent recording out. So, Im currently using shitty Dell laptop speakers (powered, mind you.. ) which is ok but:

A) I dont get decent clean sounds from Pod Farms, hence the Mustang
2) I cant really use the Mark 4 in the house unless its done using the silent outputs (which would be via the laptop and I guess, via pod farms for cab emulations so I tend to leave it down stairs to save me lifting it) 
III) My speakers are pretty shocking but do the job for what I want for now (ie Pod Farms, listening to music and youtube videos) they are fine. However, I do have some alright (but cheap, JTS HP535) cans for late night jams etc. 

So, does anyone have any suggestions what may be a good idea here? Id be happy to move the Mustang 2 on to help pay for new monitors IF they can do the trick of sounding good and more guitar amp like rather than a guitar amp within a set of PC speakers (which I have heard using AxeFX and Matrix power amps*)


*This is based on my opinion from what I heard at Birmingham guitar show back in Feb.. wasnt impressed!
0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
«1

Comments

  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33263
    edited December 2013
    Get an Axe FX 2 or a Kemper if you can afford/justify either.
    Everything else is worse than those.

    If you didn't like the Axe FX then it could have been the way the person running it had it set up, or a lot of other variables.
    I've done a bunch of albums with the AFX and I am very happy with it.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1583
    ^^ wont happen this side of Hell becoming a skating rink. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33263
    edited December 2013
    Jetfire said:
    ^^ wont happen this side of Hell becoming a skating rink. 
    There is nothing better.
    The Mustang etc are built to a price- they don't remotely compare to the AFX.

    Regarding the Mesa recording output side- they are a waste of time.
    The Mark IV was released in 1990- things have moved on a lot since then.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1583
    Yeah, in fairness though and sorry if I sound abit cheap here..  I dont have £1.5k+ to drop on this.. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • IanpdqIanpdq Frets: 131
    And the Mustangs are a great bit of kit for the money
    =D>

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33263
    edited December 2013
    No problem.
    I'm just laying it out for you.

    The main reason people don't/won't buy the Axe FX is due to budget.
    It isn't built to a price (at least in the way a Line 6 POD definitely is).
    It is a pro product and most of the cheaper modellers aren't.
    The AFX is very complex and there are many cases of people buying them, finding them overwhelming and then selling them on, blaming the modeller for not sounding right, when really it is operator error.

    Everything else is going to be a step down from there.
    If you're ok with that then are a lot of products out there that are either tonally compromised, functionally compromised or both.

    I would probably go with a decent audio interface (like an Apogee Duet) and then use a good sim plugin (Amplitube, Guitar Rig, etc).

    Software is regularly updated and you will get a much better class of audio with a decent interface.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1583
    Ive got a Line 6 UX2 right now which Im using with Pod Farms (Just to give an idea of the sound card I am using) which seems fine. Ive tried Guitar Rig and it never seemed right to me. Ill try it again now though just to see what the score is. 

    So in your opinion the Recording Out isnt much cop? Ive tried it and its ok but I havent had much of a chance to fiddle with it.. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33263
    Jetfire said:
    Ive got a Line 6 UX2 right now which Im using with Pod Farms (Just to give an idea of the sound card I am using) which seems fine. Ive tried Guitar Rig and it never seemed right to me. Ill try it again now though just to see what the score is. 

    So in your opinion the Recording Out isnt much cop? Ive tried it and its ok but I havent had much of a chance to fiddle with it.. 
    The UX2 is a pretty average sounding interface.
    A Duet, or a Rosetta 200 will be a massive step up.
    Night and day.

    Recording out- no, it is totally pointless- it was ok for the time.

    Speaking more generally- the best way to capture a live guitar performance is a great player, a great guitar into a loud amp, in a good sounding room with pro level equipment (mic, converter/tape).

    Virtually no-one works that way these days.
    I still do, when I can- which is when the budget is there- it usually isn't.
    Mostly I use the Axe FX.
    IMHO it is 95% there- for some tones (modern hard rock and metal) it is 101% there.
    The Kemper is very good too.

    The *other* modellers are less than 50% of the way there.
    Some of them are truly awful.

    The Mesa Recording output, if I recall correctly (it has been a while) is basically a split from the preamp, with a speaker load to mute the speaker.
    You still need to use a speaker simulator (which is easy enough- I use Space Designer with the Redwirez impulses).
    It isn't a great way to do it.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • Better than any modeller (at a reasonable price) are the AMT preamp pedals. Run them into your interface, then a DAW of choice (I use Reaper) with the free cab impulses from Redwirez.

    As for monitors...I got a pair of Tannoy Reveal 6s for about £100 off MR. They're passive, so I power them from an old Denon micro-hifi I got from eBay for £20 (the CD drawer, radio and volume control are knackered - none of that matters when you're using it as an amp, though, because it's all controlled by the interface).
    <space for hire>
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • BranshenBranshen Frets: 1221
    edited December 2013
    This isnt really relevant to your monitor question
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • ICBMICBM Frets: 69426
    edited December 2013
    Get a Sequis Motherload Elemental and use it with the MkIV. They're not cheap even by professional attenuator standards, but they really work. You can use it as a silent dummy load as well.

    You've got a great amp, all you need is a way to get that to your computer.


    I *might* consider selling mine. Simply because I'm not using it and don't really have any likelihood of needing it in the forseeable future. PM me if you're interested.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • Drew_TNBDDrew_TNBD Frets: 22443
    LePou plugins plus Redwirez impulses, plus Recabinet for it's dynamics feature and built in EQ, and ability to load two IR's at once... is good enough, and comes very close to the sound quality you get from the Axe FX.

    http://lepouplugins.blogspot.co.uk/
    http://www.recabi.net/
    http://redwirez.com/

    For a fraction of the price. It's what I was using for all my demos until I got my EVH5150III, and now I just do the same but replace the LePou plugins with the EVH preamp. Even then, it's mostly about the convenience of being able to hit a footswitch to change channel, rather than having to use another track.

    LePou 456, and xTac are my favourite two.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3275
    digitalscream;100526" said:
    Better than any modeller (at a reasonable price) are the AMT preamp pedals. Run them into your interface, then a DAW of choice (I use Reaper) with the free cab impulses from Redwirez.

    As for monitors...I got a pair of Tannoy Reveal 6s for about £100 off MR. They're passive, so I power them from an old Denon micro-hifi I got from eBay for £20 (the CD drawer, radio and volume control are knackered - none of that matters when you're using it as an amp, though, because it's all controlled by the interface).
    Now then, I've considered getting the S2 so as to try an emulate my SLO Clone at reasonable volume. Would you place this before or after your normal effects board? Regular dirt etc for me would be pretty much first in my chain but when it's acting as an amp sim would that change this?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • TimmyOTimmyO Frets: 6976
    The free version of Amplitube 3 is good - some decent clean sounds in there 
    "Congratulations on being officially the most right anyone has ever been about anything, ever." -- Noisepolluter knows the score
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3275
    I have the custom shop version of Amplitube but that microscopic lag just niggles at me. The SLO patch is very cool but not quite there. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3275
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • I'd be inclined to get a series 2 AMT preamp.  Not heard many bad things about them, to be honest.  There is a youtube vid comparing the P2 to a genuine 6505+ head.

    I use a UX2 interface and it's okay, but the volume knob is a bit broken now.  I've never been super happy with the Pod Farm tones, it can be pretty decent, but they do mostly sound digital.  It does a really great AC30 sound, weirdly enough.

    I'm going to be getting a microphone so I can mic up my Bandit.  That way, I'll know just how much the interface actually matters - that is, I'll have my sound audible in the room, then I can work out how best to get that to PC.  Doesn't solve the silent practice option, but for recording, I think it will be better.  Clean tones, such as those used by jazzers, seem a bit easier to approximate with software, but for the really good drive and rawk sounds, the expensive stuff really does pay off.  
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • Deijavoo said:
    Now then, I've considered getting the S2 so as to try an emulate my SLO Clone at reasonable volume. Would you place this before or after your normal effects board? Regular dirt etc for me would be pretty much first in my chain but when it's acting as an amp sim would that change this?
    Well, you put it in the same place as you'd put the original amp's preamp - which, for me, is after the wah/tuner/phaser/boost. Then the stuff which would normally go in your loop goes directly after the AMT (on my board, that's the Flashback). From there, you can plug into any clean amp, or even a recording interface like me - that way, my pedalboard is essentially my home recording rig and I can guarantee to be able to get almost identical sounds to my normal live stuff.
    <space for hire>
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3275
    Ooh, that sounds like the justification to ditch dreams of Kemper away. 
    In reality I just need my band/live tone to make more realistic demos than what I make just now. 

    Cheers Mr Scream. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • Deijavoo said:
    Ooh, that sounds like the justification to ditch dreams of Kemper away. 
    In reality I just need my band/live tone to make more realistic demos than what I make just now. 

    Cheers Mr Scream. 
    Thing is, you have to pick ones that you're going to like; if you wanted all of them, it'd be more expensive than a Kemper ;)

    Check out Brett Kingman's demos:


    He's pretty much tested the whole lot.
    <space for hire>
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • DeijavooDeijavoo Frets: 3275
    No no no, just the Soldano one will do me, for now.  

    :-D
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1583
    Better than any modeller (at a reasonable price) are the AMT preamp pedals. Run them into your interface, then a DAW of choice (I use Reaper) with the free cab impulses from Redwirez.


    Oh you fucker.. I now has GAS.. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • Jetfire said:
    Oh you fucker.. I now has GAS.. 
    Your life will be better for it. My folks are getting me another one (the Peavey 5150-alike) for Christmas, and that combined with the C-2 I have and an A/B loop pedal will also give me a 3 channel backup on my pedalboard which is likely to be almost as good as my actual amp.
    <space for hire>
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1583
    Are there pictures of your current set up on t'internet?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • As it happens....no. It's not especially interesting, mind, but I can take photos tomorrow should you really want it :)
    <space for hire>
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • JetfireJetfire Frets: 1583
    Its more a case of how else you'd use a pedal like this... I could be a slap in the face to the Mesa to use this as a preamp rather than its own .. 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • digitalscreamdigitalscream Frets: 25239
    edited December 2013
    Ah, I see. Well, I don't have the dual pedal rig at the moment, so my current live setup wouldn't be particularly useful.

    Here's how it's set up for recording:

    image

    Signal path is: Wah -> tuner -> phaser -> boost -> AMT C-2 -> Flashback -> audio interface (off-board, obviously)

    The pedal next to the wah is just the amp channel switch, so not used in this situation. Ordinarily, the boost would go to the input on the front of my amp, and the Flashback would be in the loop. 

    For an in-context comparison, here's a very rough (non-edited, barely-mixed, no vocals) copy of one of the songs we're working on:


    The left channel rhythm is my normal live rig recorded with a whole bunch of mics. The right channel rhythm is the setup you see above, as is the solo (yes, it's cheesy; don't judge) - the output from the Flashback is recorded directly and then has cab impulses applied (SM57 and AKG C414B in front of a Marshall 1960 with G12Ms, if you're curious).

    Also worthy of note is that the solo was done with the boost on in front of the C-2. Really makes it sing, IMO...far more than turning the gain up.

    EDIT: You might have noticed that almost all the controls are pointing north. It's not a setup - that really is how I have my effects set. Apart from being exactly how I want them, it makes life easier when remembering how it goes when I get to a gig ;)
    <space for hire>
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • guitarfishbayguitarfishbay Frets: 7928
    edited December 2013
    The OP probably would greatly benefit from getting a nicer set of speakers, since that is what they're listening to tones through.  A pair of powered laptop speakers are probably small and fairly tinny sounding - not what you want to reproduce a nice tone.

    I think the first port of call is to buy some nicer speakers, and to investigate modeling software starting with the suggestions made in this thread.

    You also have to appreciate that no set of studio speakers is going to sound like a guitar cab - you'll only get the tone of a mic'd guitar cab, which isn't really the same thing.  I know I'm being pedantic here but it is a distinction worth making peace with.  A larger and nicer set of speakers is really going to sound a whole lot better than some, what I'm assuming are tiny, laptop style speakers though.

    I am of course making the assumption that for the OP playing and the enjoyment of playing is more important than the end result of recording.

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • This stuff is pretty nice too. 

    http://www.softube.com/index.php?id=var
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
  • Drew_TNBDDrew_TNBD Frets: 22443
    ^ They also did the digital preamps in the Marshall JMD-1.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom · Share on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.