I use Logic Pro X and have been quite happily using its build-in "Amp Designer" plug-in for a while now for recording electric guitars. But recently I fired up my (real) Princeton Reverb Reissue again, and it dawned on me that the Logic Pro X amps are not quite at maximo-inspirational levels for me :-).
I then read about IRs and as a result downloaded some free ones from Redwirez. I quite liked some of these used as cabs for Amp Designed amps - they seemed better than Amp Designer's own cabs. But I was still a bit disappointed when I set my results against the real Princeton.
I know I'm probably unlikely to get anything as good as the real thing, but I'm intrigued enough by the Redwirez experience to think that maybe I can do better than Amp Designer. So, does anyone have any recommendations for alternative amp plug-ins (ideally not too expensive)??
Or even tips for getting better sounds from Amp Designer? I mainly use clean sounds with sometimes a little bit of hair; I like both classic Marshall and Fender cleans. I (try to) do jazz as well as rock/pop.
Thanks for any thoughts you can share...
Comments
Amplitube 5
Brainworx VH4
STL tonality
Helix Native
Also have a bunch of thers that I dont use so much..or ever in the case of bias fx
The problem I have now with Digital stuff isn't that it's not good, it's that everybody sounds the same. I think I only notice this because I watch a massive amount of instructional guitar vids but it's kinda put me off. Actually using real amps with no digital processing at gives a more pleasing sound to my ears.
neuraldsp plugins
Hardware bass preamps.
https://soundcertified.com/speaker-ohms-calculator/
One thing I tried yesterday: I used an amp sim that came with a software package I bought a while back called “MIDI Guitar”. The main point of the package is to drive MIDI software instruments directly from a guitar, and it does that really well. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that the throw-in amp sim, which I’d ignored until now, actually sounds pretty good - better than any of the Logic ones to my ear.
I’ve got the following:
- Audio Assault Sigma. Amazing! £5 or so? Sounds tremendous
- Nembrini Sound Master. £30 or so. Solid Fender ish setup. IR’s are very weak, sounds good with an external IR running via your favourite loader
- Neural Cory Wong. £70 - was my fav until the Sigma came along as the value just eclipses it, but the best clean sounds in town!
- Positive Grid Bias FX2. Utter bobbins. Just dire.
- Guitar Rig 5. Some okay tones but takes a little too much fiddling to get there and not as responsive as it should be.
- Guitar Rig 6. No discernible difference to 5, waste of money upgrading for me.
You could also create your own IR of your own cab and mic.
Helix
amps + mic'd up cab
amps + loadbox (although I need a newerer and betterer loadbox)
OK, next question :-) : what's a good reactive load box to get for a Princeton?
https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Palmer-PDI-09-The-Junction-DI-Box-Specialized-Guitar-DI-Box/art-GIT0002334-000?campaign=GShopping/GB&ProgramUUID=5G_AqJarZwoAAAFl0FZyjI8V&gclid=CjwKCAiAyc2BBhAaEiwA44-wW1SXrqgTeDIJR7qLQjjNcWOyVxLwv8mWhoO_1t80mVH8ZkHpULG-_BoC8acQAvD_BwE