Guitar emulation software

thomasross20

For yonks I've been using Toneport and Gearbox which comes free with it. 

Not sure but if I went for something different, I'd need the hardware interface and to buy the software separately. 

Hardware recommendations? Presonus and Focusrite Solo look good. 

Software? MUST be easy to use - I'm not into tweaking stuff forever. 

Many thanks! And of course I'm going to check this out myself..

sweepy

Amplitube 4, pretty bulletproof and as simple/complex as you want it to be

digitalscream

sweepy said:

Amplitube 4, pretty bulletproof and as simple/complex as you want it to be

This. It's bloody fantastic.

thomasross20

I just had another thought. I have DI out on my Blackstar TVP so technically I could just use that!?

thomasross20

Amplitube 4 looks great by the way. 

I could get Pod Farm (I'd get a discount) but if I got an Apple machine, I read there are many problems interfacing with Line 6 gear.

sweepy

Never had an issue with Line 6 and a Mac at all, either a Toneport UX2 , HD500 or a Helix

thomasross20

Oh really? That's good news!

thomasross20

sweepy said:

Never had an issue with Line 6 and a Mac at all, either a Toneport UX2 , HD500 or a Helix

How old is your Mac, though?

chrispy108

The guitarport should work fine, it works as a default USB soundcard which requires no drivers.

You can use your Guitarport with Amplitude, and there is a free demo. No need for new hardware.

PolarityMan

thomasross20 said:

I just had another thought. I have DI out on my Blackstar TVP so technically I could just use that!?

Every amp I have had the DI has sounded pretty poor on it's own, usually because it's before the power section. Might sound ok with a cab emulation on it but personally for demo'ing I prefer to just plugin to amplitube...plus my amp gets shuttled to/from practices every week so it lives in the garage.

chrispy108

It's a digital amp so the emulated out should be fine.

But, I'd be surpised if Amplitude is better sounding and more controllable.

thomasross20

^ this. Will have to try and see.

sweepy

2009 Mac Pro and 2015 MacBook Pro, no issues at all worth Line 6 at all

thomasross20

Having problems. 

Just installed Tracktion (seems to work fine) and Toneport, Gearbox etc. 

Tone port gives me the odd crackling sound running through the MacBook Pro 15 - well annoying!

Will see if I can fix this first else will have to get a new interface (focus rite, presonus?) and software.

chrispy108

Why do you need to replace software and hardware? Will likely only be one.

Try your current soundcard with Garageband and see how it is. If you're still getting crackles get a better quality soundcard.

thomasross20

I'm saying I'm having problems with the new MacBook I just bought - Gearbox is now out of date and not supported. 

If it's the software I wonder if I can use Toneport as interface and use different software. 

I really hope it's not something to do with the MacBook - a quick Google shows a few users have had problems but will see.

thomasross20

So my Zoom H2n can connect to the MacBook via USB easily enough. 

Just recorded the sound of the click track and unless I'm mistaken there is a 25ms latency. 

I do intend on putting some vocals onto tracks but nothing major. I wonder if a dedicated interface and mic would be better (though to be honest, of the Zoom H2n can't do the job, that'd be ridiculous given how everybody raves about it). In fact... I'm pretty damn sure I'd be a lot better off having a dedicated interface and putting a mic into it. The Zoom is more for portable recording. This is all starting to add up.

I seriously need to bite the bullet and upgrade my hardware and software in terms of guitar interface. 

Apogee looks good but I'm not sure if this only interfaces to apps like Garageband or if it can be used as an input for Tracktion. 

chrispy108

It's a £100 portable microphone, that works as a USB mic as a secondary feature, so it isn't "ridiculous" that the latency is 25ms, which is actually pretty low anyway.

People kept telling you to look at the whole chain before you jumped in, but you ignored them, spending £2000 on a laptop to use it with a 10 year old £80 guitar interface and 5 year old £50 software, and you're surprised it doesn't work 100%?!

If you had a limit of money to spend you should have spent less on the machine, but got a new interface, software and monitoring setup. You'd get better overall results.

thomasross20

£2k's not much to be honest (it's just a Scottish trait to complain about the price of things). People kept telling me Mac was the way to go, I already know for the video editing software I use I need a dedicated graphics card, and this Mac had everything I wanted plus it's portable so I can record while my partner is in the other room (where the main PC is). 

--> I just have to fill out the rest of the chain now. And that's what I'm looking into. Have a large budget but I'm not going to spend it all! Few hundred quid and I'll be ok - I just want to get this up and running and spend less time on setup and more time on actually continuing with this album.

ToneControl

for software sims for win/Mac:

Amplitube 4 is currently the best I've heard

the Mesa and Fender addons are particularly impressive

Don't go for the presonus.

I bought the cheap one you can get at the min - does not work for my new macbook

my recollection is that it doesn't support the latest OSX, I had to return for a refund

thomasross20

@ToneControl - thanks, will stay away from Presonus and Focusrite! 

I see Amplitube looks good and they advertise these "iRig" devices - anybody used those?

--> EDIT: Review say Apogee is a lot better but again, I keep reading that is mainly for use with Garageband.