Line 6 POD X3 or Amplitube 2 - Harmony Central Musician Community Forums

357mag · 10-13-2007, 08:40 PM

The first thing I'm going to try when I get my audio inteface device hooked up is to mic my Marshall cabinet with my SM 57 and see how it records. If I like it, great. If not, well I may try to just plug in directly to the audio interface, in which case then I would try the Amplitube or Guitar Rig software for amp emulation. Or I could pick up a hardware emulation device like the POD X3.

The million dollar question though is...

Which would give me the most authentic Marshall sound? If I don't like the POD X3 I can always send it back. However, you can't send software back once it's opened.

Any thoughts?

Dean Roddey · 10-13-2007, 11:28 PM

I quite like Amplitube, and lots of people use it. Like any complex device, it takes a while to get to know it, but I'm starting to figure out my way around it. I don't think I could operate without the ability to defer selection of amp sounds until that final mixdown.

Let It Burn... · 10-14-2007, 04:07 AM

i actually tricked some people on the amp forum with an Amplitube 2 recording. I said it was a Diezel Herbert and most of them thought it was real. It's a great plugin, if you know how to set it up.

here's the soundclip: http://users.telenet.be/accesshome/herbertmetaltest.mp3

357mag · 10-14-2007, 02:37 PM

Yeah I listened to your soundclip. Sounds great. I like the riff plus the amp sound. Something else I guess for me to consider is if I was to use a software plug-in there may be some latency involved which may kinda suck I guess, although my processor is a Pentium 4 3.00 GHZ. And I guess those software plug-ins do consume some CPU resources. Where as if I was to pick up a hardware emulator like the Line 6, there will be no CPU resources used, and probably no latency.

Pros and cons to everything I guess.

Dean Roddey · 10-14-2007, 03:59 PM

You won't necessarily be able to have 8 Amplitube instances all active at once and run at 2ms latency. You'll have to keep some of them frozen (or whatever the equiv is in your DAW software.) I have a quad 2.4Ghz so of course that's got more oomph, but I can have plenty of instances active and not have any problems with 2.7ms latency (which is what I get at minimal latency at 24/48K on my system.)

nerol1st · 10-14-2007, 05:26 PM

When you do try micing your cab, don' get discouraged to fast inititally it might not sound like you want. Move the mic around try several positions off axis on axis etc...

Different amp setting etc...

danbronson · 10-14-2007, 07:13 PM

I have a little experience with Amplitube, and I like it. With a lot of tweaking, you can get some good sounds out of it. I've managed to record a few things that would probably trick most pros. Ultimately, I'd prefer to record a real tube amp because they're more lush and have a unique dynamic that digital simulation just can't quite seem to nail. But digital is very convenient, so I use it for any demo material I make.

nerol1st · 10-15-2007, 08:01 AM

I think amplitube 2 has a 2 week unrestriced demo. Unless they changed that recently.

moguelator · 10-15-2007, 09:26 AM

I haven't try AmpliTube that much, but I have a POD xt, and recently upgrade Guitar Rig 2 to Guitar Rig 3.

IMHO, POD don't simulate the ampli sounds as good as GR, however, I feel like GR do not respect much the sound of the guitar (a Strato sounds equal to a Les Paul).

The best option I found for clean tones is to use a POD with a valve preamp (UA 610 is what I'm using). And for distortion and overdrive the Guitar Rig sound better.

But if you want a Marshall sound... I think none of them will really do this (I don't know about AmplitTube).

Dean Roddey · 10-15-2007, 10:59 AM

I'm using Amplitube with a UA Solo/610 and you can definitely do Marshal Stack type sounds with Amplitube and a Les Paul, and it definitely does sound like an LP when you use an LP and a Strat when you use a Strat.

nerol1st · 10-15-2007, 12:09 PM

I have heard really good results by using a pod OR amplitube through impulses (instead of included cab models).

bobbyrockstar · 10-15-2007, 06:45 PM

Both Amplitube and Guitar Rig should have a short demo period on the downloads-(I believe GR is only 30 minutes)- Latency should not be an issue if you have ASIO drivers unless you are running a lot of guitar tracks- then it can be CPU load. There are ways to maximize (turn off unneeded background services, etc.)

Here's what the software will allow that no amp will- record the guitar dry- DI- monitor it with whatever amp speaker you want- then spend days tweaking, changing amps, effects settings mics, placements etc. until you have just the sound you want.

You have a recorded track of just the guitar and then add the amps, cabs and effects to that track... get it?

Mallard · 01-18-2008, 04:25 AM

Is there any free, half decent amp and effects emulating software out there? I'm looking for a free download just so I can plug my guitar into my computer and practice to songs through my headphones. I'm not looking for something to record with. It's just for practice. I've searched for open source stuff but there's so much out there so I was just wondering if anybody has had luck with something in particular.

Thanks for any help!

raybaro · 01-19-2008, 08:54 PM

I have Pod X3 and i am extremely happy. I have the bean and I have no problems with it. The Pod X3Live does have a couple of bugs which will hopefully get fixed with the new update.

rsadasiv · 01-19-2008, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 357mag

The first thing I'm going to try when I get my audio inteface device hooked up is to mic my Marshall cabinet with my SM 57 and see how it records.

Dude - if you can't get a good sound with a Marshall stack and an SM 57 then the problem is you.

Mr J. · 02-14-2008, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mallard

Is there any free, half decent amp and effects emulating software out there?

Hi !

I'm using a couple of free vst plugs with a free vst host.

You can check the following links:

Maize Studio, great freeware, i use it to plug my vst together. You can play mp3 mix'em with your guitar, record and more ! Amazing, free, stable and works good with my VSTs.
http://www.maizesoft.cn/ms/

Now for some Free Amp Simulation Vst:

TubeBaby, small, not a lot of sounds from it but ok to train:
http://www.ndzeit.org/guitar/tubebaby.html

Boogex, nice sounds, lots of cabinet:
http://www.voxengo.com/product/boogex/

FuzzPlus2, a fuzz face clone:
http://www.audiodamage.com/downloads...php?pid=ADF001

TSS, a tube screamer clone (good but doesn't sound like a TS for me):
http://www.bteaudio.com/software/TSS/TSS.html

Classic Reverb, nice and clean:
http://www.kjaerhusaudio.com/classic-reverb.php

FreeAmp3, a full pack, including cabinets and effects, try it:
http://frettedsynth.home.att.net/

And for the end, GMAX is a must to put in you vst chain, i use it to avoid
signal to go too strong in my audio card (this way i can prevent some crack and scratch in my ears)
http://www.gvst.co.uk/gmax.htm
A lot of small vst utilities...
http://www.gvst.co.uk/downloads.htm

You'll need to install this and play with it before you get a good sound, BUT it's free, it works, and it does all the things you mentioned. And of course, you need a good sound card with low latency and ASIO drivers. Google that if you don't know what i'm talking about

Bye bye, and have fun (legaly and for free) !

10-13-2007, 08:40 PM	#1
357mag Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2	Line 6 POD X3 or Amplitube 2 The first thing I'm going to try when I get my audio inteface device hooked up is to mic my Marshall cabinet with my SM 57 and see how it records. If I like it, great. If not, well I may try to just plug in directly to the audio interface, in which case then I would try the Amplitube or Guitar Rig software for amp emulation. Or I could pick up a hardware emulation device like the POD X3. The million dollar question though is... Which would give me the most authentic Marshall sound? If I don't like the POD X3 I can always send it back. However, you can't send software back once it's opened. Any thoughts?

10-13-2007, 11:28 PM	#2
Dean Roddey Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 3,077	I quite like Amplitube, and lots of people use it. Like any complex device, it takes a while to get to know it, but I'm starting to figure out my way around it. I don't think I could operate without the ability to defer selection of amp sounds until that final mixdown. __________________ Dean Roddey Chairman/CTO, Charmed Quark Systems, LTD

10-14-2007, 03:59 PM	#5
Dean Roddey Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 3,077	You won't necessarily be able to have 8 Amplitube instances all active at once and run at 2ms latency. You'll have to keep some of them frozen (or whatever the equiv is in your DAW software.) I have a quad 2.4Ghz so of course that's got more oomph, but I can have plenty of instances active and not have any problems with 2.7ms latency (which is what I get at minimal latency at 24/48K on my system.) __________________ Dean Roddey Chairman/CTO, Charmed Quark Systems, LTD

10-14-2007, 05:26 PM	#6
nerol1st Hall of Fame Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Auburn NY Posts: 6,992	When you do try micing your cab, don' get discouraged to fast inititally it might not sound like you want. Move the mic around try several positions off axis on axis etc... Different amp setting etc... __________________ Criteria for being a successful contributor to the HCAF: 1. Must talk like a 4 year old, the more letters you replace the better. Examples would be brootz, failzor, teh, map and other. 2. Must have an extremely closed mind, resort to name calling if necessary. Carrying on normal conversation = "fail". Some other things that are pluses (but not limited to): 1. Alcoholism (big plus). 2. Excessive use of emoticons especially and .

10-14-2007, 07:13 PM	#7
danbronson Yes, THE danbronson Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 15,902	I have a little experience with Amplitube, and I like it. With a lot of tweaking, you can get some good sounds out of it. I've managed to record a few things that would probably trick most pros. Ultimately, I'd prefer to record a real tube amp because they're more lush and have a unique dynamic that digital simulation just can't quite seem to nail. But digital is very convenient, so I use it for any demo material I make. __________________ PRS Singlecut Satin - Gibson Les Paul Special Faded - Ibanez RG321 w/ EMG 81s - Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier Roadster Head Pearl Export w/ Pearl 2000 Series Hardware - Zildjian A Ride and Hi Hat - Sabian Vault Crashes Beyerdynamic MC 930 (x2), Blue Bluebird, Audix D6, D4, D2 (x2) and i5, Sennheiser e906, Shure SM7B, SM57 (transformerless) and SM58 - FMR RNC - M-Audio KeyRig 49 - Presonus FaderPort - Mogami Gold cable - TC Studio Konnekt 48 - Win 7 PC - Cubase 5.1.1 - ADAM A7 monitors Last edited by danbronson : 10-14-2007 at 07:22 PM.

10-14-2007, 02:37 PM	#4
357mag Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 2	Yeah I listened to your soundclip. Sounds great. I like the riff plus the amp sound. Something else I guess for me to consider is if I was to use a software plug-in there may be some latency involved which may kinda suck I guess, although my processor is a Pentium 4 3.00 GHZ. And I guess those software plug-ins do consume some CPU resources. Where as if I was to pick up a hardware emulator like the Line 6, there will be no CPU resources used, and probably no latency. Pros and cons to everything I guess.

10-15-2007, 08:01 AM	#8
nerol1st Hall of Fame Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Auburn NY Posts: 6,992	I think amplitube 2 has a 2 week unrestriced demo. Unless they changed that recently. __________________ Criteria for being a successful contributor to the HCAF: 1. Must talk like a 4 year old, the more letters you replace the better. Examples would be brootz, failzor, teh, map and other. 2. Must have an extremely closed mind, resort to name calling if necessary. Carrying on normal conversation = "fail". Some other things that are pluses (but not limited to): 1. Alcoholism (big plus). 2. Excessive use of emoticons especially and .

10-15-2007, 09:26 AM	#9
moguelator Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Mexico Posts: 228	I haven't try AmpliTube that much, but I have a POD xt, and recently upgrade Guitar Rig 2 to Guitar Rig 3. IMHO, POD don't simulate the ampli sounds as good as GR, however, I feel like GR do not respect much the sound of the guitar (a Strato sounds equal to a Les Paul). The best option I found for clean tones is to use a POD with a valve preamp (UA 610 is what I'm using). And for distortion and overdrive the Guitar Rig sound better. But if you want a Marshall sound... I think none of them will really do this (I don't know about AmplitTube).

10-15-2007, 10:59 AM	#10
Dean Roddey Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mountain View, CA Posts: 3,077	I'm using Amplitube with a UA Solo/610 and you can definitely do Marshal Stack type sounds with Amplitube and a Les Paul, and it definitely does sound like an LP when you use an LP and a Strat when you use a Strat. __________________ Dean Roddey Chairman/CTO, Charmed Quark Systems, LTD

10-15-2007, 12:09 PM	#11
nerol1st Hall of Fame Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Auburn NY Posts: 6,992	I have heard really good results by using a pod OR amplitube through impulses (instead of included cab models). __________________ Criteria for being a successful contributor to the HCAF: 1. Must talk like a 4 year old, the more letters you replace the better. Examples would be brootz, failzor, teh, map and other. 2. Must have an extremely closed mind, resort to name calling if necessary. Carrying on normal conversation = "fail". Some other things that are pluses (but not limited to): 1. Alcoholism (big plus). 2. Excessive use of emoticons especially and .

10-15-2007, 06:45 PM	#12
bobbyrockstar Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 4	Both Amplitube and Guitar Rig should have a short demo period on the downloads-(I believe GR is only 30 minutes)- Latency should not be an issue if you have ASIO drivers unless you are running a lot of guitar tracks- then it can be CPU load. There are ways to maximize (turn off unneeded background services, etc.) Here's what the software will allow that no amp will- record the guitar dry- DI- monitor it with whatever amp speaker you want- then spend days tweaking, changing amps, effects settings mics, placements etc. until you have just the sound you want. You have a recorded track of just the guitar and then add the amps, cabs and effects to that track... get it?

01-18-2008, 04:25 AM	#13
Mallard Senior Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: $LP1 Posts: 2,633	Is there any free, half decent amp and effects emulating software out there? I'm looking for a free download just so I can plug my guitar into my computer and practice to songs through my headphones. I'm not looking for something to record with. It's just for practice. I've searched for open source stuff but there's so much out there so I was just wondering if anybody has had luck with something in particular. Thanks for any help!

01-19-2008, 08:54 PM	#14
raybaro Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 57	I have Pod X3 and i am extremely happy. I have the bean and I have no problems with it. The Pod X3Live does have a couple of bugs which will hopefully get fixed with the new update.

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