13 Reasons why Amp Sims DESTROY Real Amps!
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- Did you spend 3 grand on a new guitar amp? WOW, WAS THAT EVER DUMB! Amps are dead! Hail the amp sim! Need help getting the most out of your amp sim tones? Check out Guitar Tone Mastery: www.spectredigital.com/produc...
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0:00 Hit Records With Amp Sims?
0:54 They're Far Cheaper
2:20 Easier & More Convenient
3:17 No Dealing With Room Acoustics
4:25 Custom Impulses
6:08 Accessibility
7:04 Reliability
7:46 Portability
9:33 No Pissed Off Neighbours
10:34 Hardware Amp Modellers
11:12 They Can Sound Identitcal To Real Amps
12:02 Advancement In Processing Power
12:53 Insurance
13:37 The Listener Does Not Give A Flying Fuck
15:33 Outro & Outtakes
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About Spectre Sound Studios:
I'm Glenn Fricker, engineer here at Spectre Sound Studios. I love making records, and after doing it for sixteen years, I want to pass on what I've learned. On my channel you can find tutorials on how to record guitar, bass, real drums and vocals. There's reviews and demos of tube amps, amp sims, drums, mics, preamps, outboard gear, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, and plugin effects.
We've covered Moon on the Water, played Bias FX, given you the absolute best in Stupid Musician Texts, ranted & raved about bass guitar, and this channel is where The Eagle has Landed.
Everything you've wanted to learn about recording Hard Rock & Heavy Metal can be found right here on this channel!
I also respond to your comments & questions: The best make it into the SMG Viewer's Comments series of videos. Loads of fun, lots of laughs.
Thanks for checking out my channel & please subscribe!
The worst thing about Amp Sims is all the choice, you end up using the same exact preset/building block everybody else uses. (Clean Boost -> 5150/Recto sim -> OS Cab with V30 - 57).
or better yet, you made hundreds of presets thinking it can make you better playing live!
Well real amps haven't stopped metal bands to go with 5150/rectos, V30, sm57 either, so...
@@marvinrockon Got em lol.
@@marvinrockon welp, but then again people in third world countries might not have that due to lower incomes. And where i grow it's mostly Marshalls on the real side of things.
but then again amp sims and the FX can be free so can't argue lol.
Can't wait for the inevitable "13 reasons why real amps DESTROY amp sims!"
One: feeling the air move from the cab on an amp dialed to go nuclear.
@@damienalvarez2957 Two: no static flat sound.
Next week!
They destroy amp sims by virtue of destroying the guitar player that uses them by ruining their backs and their bank accounts.
Reason 14: The ladies find a gentleman wearing bright orange foam hearing protection earplugs utterly irresistable.
A good 14th reason is that as someone in the beginning stages it's not easy to stay motivated when everything I play sounds like shit. I also do a lot of sitting around watching guitar videos and never picking it up. Keeping a cheap guitar plugged into my interface and resting next my PC within arms reach has greatly improved my consistency with practicing. Mainly because I don't have to get up and walk all the way across my room to get one. It just removes that extra mental barrier.
Exactly, I took it a step further and just have my guitar sit right on my lap when I watch a longer movie, or similar, for the last 5 years or so.
Not even running into the DAW half the time, just playing it dry, noddling around, playing chords, moving them around etc..
While I might not always play something listenable, it helps to simply have the fingers interacting and maintaining the muscle memory and skill.
Also, if you can play something that resembles a song absentmindedly while watching a movie, that's certainly beneficial to making it easier to perform live for example.
Making playing your guitar second nature is a very important skill to learn in my opinion.
Just make sure your cheap guitar is set up properly and playable.
That's also very important for keeping a positive mental approach to picking it up, if it buzzes and is not intonated, it won't leave a positive experience in your memory.
music is not like going to the gym. it's art, not sports. if you have a mental barrier is because you don't feel the need to play music. just quit.
Best benefit: less junk to break your Gibson headstock as you go, “WHHHEEEEEEEEE!!!!!” in your swivel chair.
You do the "WHEEE" too? Sick🤘
You're right. No other company has made a headstock that breaks ever. Just ask Matt from Trivium about Dean :)
5:52 Glenn turned Australian for the word “combination” 😂😉
Whilst I personally wouldn’t sit and just play guitar with an amp sim, as I don’t find them as “inspiring” as the “real thing”, I think for recording (especially when blended with a real amp) they absolutely have their place!
I literally lost a feeling of a "perfect guitar tone". Tried so many combinations just to realize each track demands a different approach, and what sounds good for one track wouldn`t work for another, so I just try find something tolerable in general and that`s it. On the other hand, there are bands with a guitar tone I don`t like at all even though the music is great. So i kinda care😀
Old Parkway Drive albums come to mind for me. They seriously fixed their guitar tone in later recordings.
Couple of videos ago I was like "oh, new camera/lens?", but oh boy, this video is on a whole new level.
A few months back, my band went on a podcast and discussed our album. Our singer/guitar player said that we cheated because we used amp sims. It's not really cheating if it works. In an audio perspective, it sounded a whole lot better than his Marshall DSL100. And with us recording in a garage for the whole album, it saved a lot of headaches.
As someone who owns and lives for tube amps. I completely agree that it’s 1) expensive 2) require maintaince, and depending the amp, it could be unreliable. Sims and solid state amps are affordable and bulletproof. But Idk the resonance and physical air movement of a cranked tube amp in person, is unmatched IMO. 🤷🏻♂️
Yeah exactly, I do agree with you, Some solid state amps though, do get close enough I am currently playing around with the New Orange Supercrush 100, honestly better than I expected , still not perfect IMO but they are getting there. I am a huge fan of Hybrid amps as I think they somewhat deal with problems of purely both types, and they can be manipulated to do some cool things depending on your gear.
Couldn't agree more. But one thing I got tired of with tube amps in general is that my tone would vary from venue to venue due to voltage variances with the venue's power. One venue would sound great and full and the next would be fizzled and dull, with nothing in my rig changing at all. Digital changes that with a consistent tone from venue to venue. And I don't have to worry about my amp frying and being without a backup (I have 2 digital units--so inexpensive I could have an extra!). I've also been getting consistent compliments on my tone (like that really matters) with the last sound guy at my previous gig saying "that sounds pretty good for digital". My 2 cents.
Agreed.
for our brains, louder often seems better. Sims have the ability to be played soft but if it was cranked loud on speakers (moving air as you say) it would give you that feeling. there is just no actual good reason to do so. also, in the context of a studio the air pushing feeling an amp provides is not felt through recordings. its more for the player then the listener tbh
Maintenance? What maintenance? Seriously, my tube smp is smooth 20 years old and it has never required maintenance of any kind. I have never had to spend a penny on an amp outside of actually purchasing it and I have been playing for over 30 years.
I'm an electrician from Germany and I constantly drool all over myself when talking About my tools 😂
Knipex just warms my heart
I can't be alone with this
This is an electrician thing I am sure, independent of nationality !! 😊
Got a funk going, where's my ECR meter......
I get it, I am a chef. I drool over my knives!
I drool over my knipex and klines. It been this way for 30+ yrs...
I do love my Knipex pliers lol
Yep. All tradesmen love their tools.
glenn getting thinner while his videos are getting wider, when will it stop
The best thing about Amp Sims is all the choice of cabs. You can really change your tone.
Same if you use a real amp plugged into a loadbox. No need for a real cab.
In fact i only use the cabs not the sims.
My amp and pedals > everything
I'm not your average subscriber, to say the least. I'm an OLD geezer, played guitar since I was a kid in the 1960's, not a metal head although I do enjoy some older metal. The music I enjoy playing isn't metal but in my opinion, the advice that you generously share can be applied to most if not all genres of music, I've learned a lot from you about recording/producing, and I greatly appreciate that. And I also thoroughly enjoy your sense of humor. :-)
Anyway, I really liked this video. I still like using amps and pedals but I also really like using Bias FX2. And I agree 100% that the music consuming public doesn't give a rat's ass about how expensive, rare or cool your instruments and amplifiers are. The song is THE thing, something largely misunderstood by many gear fetishists nowadays.
Thanks and FU, Glenn! I'm John, from the south suburbs of Chicago. :-)
Got my Helix LT a few months back. Thought the tones I got were decent and certainly good enough. But since I've loaded some custom IRs in it has made a world of difference. The main flaw really is the cab sims, and it's so easy to fix that in the end it really isn't a big deal.
Love being able to go play shows with the Helix in my backpack and my guitar bag in my hand.
Exactly 100% right on the money.
@@Ps3GamerVideos I hated relying on other people in high school to tow my gear around. Even as an adult now I much rather have the helix and guitar in hand versus 75 pounds of equipment
Kiko Loureiro of Megadeth uses a quad cortex for shows, if its good enough for him its definitely good enough for you
The IR is key with amp sims and pedals. That's really where you get your tone.
I’ve spent way too much money on ir packs. The only ones I like are the ola Englund ones and only with my tube amp behind them
"Why would you want THAT plumber? He has never worked on a million dollar toilet before."
I think we drool over gear because it’s easier than admitting our playing/composition is what’s holding our music back.
Thanks to this channel, I’ve made huge progress in my tone by figuring out how to build a signal chain with amp sims and IRs. Also, I’ve been motivated to “rock the fuck out.” Both have helped a ton!
I remember some years ago going to a show with my gf and one of the openers was an alternative band with a girl singing and a guitarist producer. Didn't know about their music before but we had a blast! Only when their performance ended I realized the guy's gear was only his fender strat, a scarlet and his MacBook! I was impressed because it sounded amazing!
My mind changed and, even though I'd like to have a really boutique amp just for the sake of having more toys, I think is way more convenient just bringing my laptop to an eventual show in the future.
Right. More toys is a waste. I have a Prs SE and S2. Getting a core model just to say you own one makes no sense. I got to meet Paul a couple years ago and even he’s said that a majority of their sales are those models because guitar players recognize the value in that price range.
@@kdogg7882 huh that's quite sensible tbf. I mean, I only will consider to get one Sunn amp just when I could win the lottery lol apart from that, no thank you, I'll stay with my IR and my plugins
It can be done with a smart phone/ipad now too. :)
Was it Sleigh Bells?
I'm 43, and really really love "real" amps (because well you know software is FALSE stuff mwhahaha), just like I prefer an accoustic drum over a V drum. However, since I switched many years ago to an amp sim, the versality of it as surpased by far the need to have a real "amp" for me. I can have hundreds of setups for as many tracks as I want. Just as the V drum I own for many years it is SO MUCH more convenient, uses less spaces and gave me access to a hundred drum kits and percussions. Great video. As always.
Glen! I love that this channel has remained uncensored in this totally politically correct world. Amp sims definitely have their place but I just love my real tube amps. Maybe for nostalgic reasons, for the same reason I love shooting on 35mm film instead of digital. It’s the tactile experience. I prefer the real thing but would never shame someone for using sims. They’ve come a very long way and they sound great! Thanks for the content, Glen!
The last point is the same with synth owners. Most listeners having got a clue what synth you use, let alone if it's analog, digital or hybrid.
The audience, as you rightly say, don't give a toss about your gear, just the sound.
Just suck it up and stop making the insides of your gear unnecessarily sticky.....😊
As a bedroom player am more than happy with ninja amp sim coupled with free IRs .
I love modellers. I also love my real tube amps. I love amp sims as well. None of them will ever fully replace the other. They all have their place. But I would generally rather just turn on one of my classic Marshalls, or my Dual Rectifier, plug in, and go, instead of boot up a computer and launch the simulator. MOST of the time. I love having all these options available to me but I'd rather plug into the real deal, all things being equal.
well said and same
Analog amps are old news and offer nothing new in the way of tone since the 70's. I'm ready to see actual innovation in the digital space. I'm tired of 70 year old guitar and amp designs.
@@aeoteroa818 You're not going to find much new and innovative, tonally speaking, out of digital amps. Guitar tone is all various combinations of harmonics and when it comes to that, there's really nothing new under the sun. We've got that figured out. We know what harmonics sound sweet, which sound sour, which give an aggressive tone, etc. and there's nothing about a digital amp that will create a magic new tone we have always wanted but never had before. What to expect out of digital amps is a more convenient way to have the tone of many real tube amps in a small easy to transport package. And freedom from having to change tubes. That's basically what they bring to the table.
@@Turboy65, that's what digital amps TRY to bring to the table.... They do OK at it, I GUESS but they'll NEVER play like a real tube amplifier....
I've isolated my amps in my bedroom closet, no issues with room sound and I can run them louder without pissing off the neighbors. Much as I love them, amp sims allow for other tonal options and silent recording. Great for getting ideas down without a bunch of setup work. Love the Ignite amps!
You could use a load box for your real amps. I use a lot of amp sims, but I love using my Orange and Marshall heads for silent recording.
@@mrcoatsworth429 you said 'load'
@@mrcoatsworth429 and yeah you're right, I just don't need to record silently enough to justify the cost of the box
@@jerroneous8549 ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
This video convinced me to switch to amp sims just so that I can afford to spend my money on badass Macross toys.
Glen, you are always rep’ing Skull Squadron on this show and I appreciate that.
Another great video!
If I paid an engineer to record my amp sound and he replaced it with an amp sim because it made his job easier there would be hell to pay. I'm patiently waiting for the new and improved recording engineer plug in.
It's the way of the future! Sorry Glenn, we have AI to replace local audio engineers now! hahahaha
The new AI coming out might just do it.
I got an FM3 at the beginning of this year and I am so happy. Best thing I ever bought. I have a Peavey 6505 and a Marshall JVM, and a ton of decent stompboxes but this has taken over complete because it gives a great sound and is so convenient. It's superior to using a laptop because a laptop is built to do lots of things and has lots of things that can go wrong. A floor MFX does nothing but do guitar tone. So yeah. It's worth getting a box that has all your tones, especially when it's also a pedal board that allows you to change your presets etc.
For on-stage monitoring you can get inexpensive PA speakers that aren't too heavy and don't take up too much space, like the Alto TS-308, 310 or 312. They do the job for both bass and guitar. No need to rely on the sound guy's monitor mix!
GLENN! Thanks for the Amp Sim Hammer Of Truth!
I recently did a session at a big studio with some Ampeg SVT, Bogner, Dr. Z, and Matchless amps. Thank Crom I insisted with the house engineer that I wanted DI tracks recorded for all guitars and bass parts because it saved my bacon! When I got back to my mix room the mic'd amp tracks were unusable due to static, hum, and radio interference. I tried cleaning them up with Izotope RX 9 Advanced, but ended up reamping the DI tracks with amp sims and it totally saved the project... And my ass.
Even if you intend to use mic'd amps in your mix, recording simultaneous DI tracks is an inexpensive insurance policy that gives you a disaster recovery parachute when things go wrong. Modern amp sims have come a long way and are a great tool for artists at any level.
Thanks again!
chaz
We are nearly at the stages where amp sims are 100% able to sound like real amps. However, for me it's a bit like vinyl vs digital. Digital is definitely higher def, but some people just prefer to be able to have a physical item. As long as the tool inspires you and gets the job done, it's the right choice. However, I can't imagine Josh Homme coming up with Kyuss riffs, while scrolling through an IR-folder.
I’ve tried to get Josh’s tone with modeling since 2018 and have never been able to get it
That's why I love my Helix its almost like its the best of both worlds.
Not to mention that one of Josh's favorite amps (which incidentally is on virtually all Kyuss and QotSA records) is a small solid state Peavey Decade amp.
Boy, did those skyrocket in price when he revealed that was his secret weapon.
I live and play here in the Coachella Valley where he's from lol; i've jammed in one of the old houses he used to hang around and there's definitely some magic there ahahaha
Also, P.S. real amps all day erry day lmao, my generation never got to mess around micing amps for years, but I find it extremely necessary in order to get better at understanding amp sims in the first place lol
@@cman0262 For me the best of both worlds is something like a captor X or Ox-Box. You can get a real nice amp, but use software and IRs for silent recording, not needing room treatment, live use etc.
My experience as part of a hard rock entertainment band: We're now switching to digital setups. The two tube amps were heavy as fuck, took turns in failing under live conditions and made the job for our mixing guy harder (we also have 4 mics for backing vocals on stage). And apart from the look of the stage, they had no real advantage to offer, since we switched to in-ear monitoring. In the end, people are watching our guitarists play, not their amps. Also tube amps tend to break when packed the wrong way into the van.
Tube amps, I think, should only be used in the studio or bedroom. They sound great, but are too heavy to haul around and are fragile.
Could be interesting to hear a comparison between an Ignite Amps "Emissary" (free metal-amp sim), a paid amp-sim and a real amp. Of course with a free IR, a paid high-quality IR and a real speaker, respectively. It could be a fun blind-test.
I get the idea, but I think using the emissary for that is kinda ludicrous. The emissary is good, but it sounds really unique, anyone who has played through one can pick it out among other amps.
I think going for similar amps/cabs is the way to go. Otherwise we might be able to tell not because “it sounds like a cheap sim”, but because “it sounds like the model the cheap sim is supposed to be, not the models the others are supposed to be”.
Love the new ratio of your videos. keep it up man! And thank you for the great content. Long time fan here, cheers from Italy
Great vid Glen ! Most bands I’ve worked with over the last 10 years have gone exclusively to amp modelers and in-ears . Major acts such as Megadeth, Ghost, etc use amp sim/ modelers live, they don’t carry any live amps out. All the front of house mixes are pre set also, everything is set during pre tour rehearsals and timed to a click and the show is basically ran on a timer , even the light show is synchronized to the click. It’s just the new way, and keeps thing consistent from night to night.
This is everything that is wrong with rock n roll or heavy metal. Lame as fuck. Are all you youngsters weaklings and softies? It's too heavy,....it's too loud.......LOL.....that's so fucking pathetic.Not directing this at you personally,btw.
@@Roger-qh2zp first of all I’m not a youngster, I’m in my 40’s , secondly all the bands mentioned in my comments are 40 yo 60 years of age. I personally prefer to use 100w Marshall’s cranked to ear bleeding level, but that’s not the point, rock n roll is an attitude not what gear you use, touring cost money and the less freight you have to move the better. Technology has simply caught up to alleviate that issue. Sorry to bust your bubble when you think your favorite old school metal band is still blazing through a stack of amps when in reality they are using amp sims. It’s simple economics.
@@MeanJoeCarpenter Most people I like and listen to are still running through amps.It's the reason they sound better than the digital crap.
@@Roger-qh2zp you mean all the guitarist on your RUclips channel that contains ZERO content and ZERO subscribers. Hey Glen, someone is trolling. I think we’re done here.
Thanks for giving the assurance that it IS OK to use amp sims Especially for newbs like me, who happen to live in an apartment. 🤘🏼😁
Just make sure you're having fun
Exactly! The end result is a good song and nobody will ever know it’s an amp sim. Trust me, I have been using them forever and it’s always consistent. Rock on and prosper 🤘
I wouldn’t get in the habit of listening to this dude to much
The only problem is for live shows it’s still difficult to get volume levels consistent between patches. What is perfect in one venue will be all over the place in another.
Great topic!! I love the pro / con dual sided video on these kinds of subjects you're starting to do! A topic I'd love to see (and maybe you'll cover it in the next section) is he hybrid approach of a real amp, but using something like the Torpedo load box with IRs to avoid having to deal with the hassle of the cabinet! While obviously not quite as flexible as a full sim, it's a great approach for getting most of the benefits you discuss here, but still have the ease of recording with plenty of good quality IRs! Also regarding the opening question, I believe Periphery 2 was entirely tracked with the Axe FX2? Pretty good sounding album!!
Thanks Glen! We needed that perfect sermon from the Church of Spectreology. Both of my amps are in service right now (Laney IronHeart120, Bugera6262). Gonna fire up the AuroraDSP Rhino at my next band practice. It's hard to swallow the pride of not haveing a High Gain hardware behind me. All this new technology is nuts. I've been carting around Heads and Cabs all around Ontario for decades...everything I need now can fit on a 16GB stick in my pocket....CRAZY
I love the couple of amps I have, but Amp Sims are just so convenient, to the point that I can bring a laptop and a guitar to work and play during lunch time. I started with Native Instruments Guitar Rig, but in the last couple of years I bought quite a few Amp Sims. I do music mostly as a hobby. The little money I made from music will not justify me buying a $3000 amp. I would never use it. I have a 40Watt Traynor, 25Watt Mesa Boogie Express, Orange Micro Dark, Boss Katana, and 2 2X12 cabs. I also own the Helix, which I am a big fan of. It all does the job. Like we say in the Army, it isn't just good, but it's good enough.
All the best Glen, and keep up the great work. I watch your videos all the time, and you are one of couple youtubers that I support on Patron. Way better than Cable TV!
Have always been like "Amp Sims are good for my demos, but i like to play my Laney". Since i got the Aurora Rhino Sim a few weeks ago i haven't turned on my amp head once.
Thanks for the input Glenn, I've been mixed about it but you make great points, usually can't tell from a recording what was used.
Hey Glen! I really appreciate your videos. They’ve been very informative/funny at the same time, and I feel I’m getting more of an education from you when it comes to recording since I’ve been doing it all by myself for the last 3 years.
Your channel is awesome, and you got a fan out here in Deep South Texas!🤘🤘
Wow brah. You actually opened my mind to this idea here. I remember back when I used amplitube and Steven slate (with an electronic drum set running MIDI of course… it would be a kick to my own nuts to program drums, as a drummer…) and while the recordings didn’t have that “natural” sound that I really like, it was a ton easier, still sounded passable and I didn’t need to go to another location to record the real things. And like you said, the audience didn’t give a flying fuck either way…
"you opened my mind"
**still gatekeeps using the drum editor**
@@B3Band mmmm no. I do all acoustic drums now. All real instruments.
One thing I guess the average player may not get used to is the mic'd sound from the amp sims through monitors or FRFRs, as opposed to the amp-in-the-room sound of a real cab pushing air. This has been my struggle as well. I've ran lots of high end tube amps and cabs but recently sold everything and am satisfied with the Kemper. I decided to not give a fuck about the intricacies of guitar sound anymore and have been studying music rigorously over the last little while. My musicmanship and improv skills have probably doubled. If I had done this earlier instead of wasting time on my tone hunt, I would have been a 10x better player now.
Love your approach and attitude. Thank you for the info man. I love it. I'm a singer but beginner to guitar and recording and I recognize wisdom when I see it.
Can't like this video enough. Awesome work man. Love your content and delivery 🎸🤘👍
I’m really a fan of these new amps with built in irs. The Mesa badlander, driftwood stuff, revv, and Engl se sound amazing. They are super easy to use in a studio setting. To me it’s about as close to micing up a cab in the studio as it gets. Amp sims are very close at this point, but there’s still some issues I hear specifically on singular notes.
I couldn’t agree more, been playing guitar for almost 20 years now, first through amps and then amp sims…. I ’ve recently gotten myself a “Hook Wizard”, a dutch amp company who make high end gear with built in irs, best amp I’ve ever used !!!! Chek’em out, extremely pricey but well worth the money..!!!!
Try routing an amp sim into a fairly neutral power amp (or a guitar amp's return if you can disable the power amp in the sim) that is fed into a cabinet and mic it up. Poor man's solution to not having flagship amp heads!
this is exactly what i do. MESA amphead simulaions coming from reaxis, but fed into a real tube amp's return. almost impossible to tell a difference. economical without losing tone & no need to keep 10 amp heads in your house.
As a someone who currently relies on amp sims and only has a terrible sounding practice amp, I've been wondering if I should go this route for future gigs.🤔 This would allow me to use a bit more money on the cab and speakers. Would be nice to see someone do a video trying it out **wink wink Glenn cough
Love the cinematic look on this video, boss! 👍🤘
Great video. I will always love the "feel" I get from playing and standing next to a loud amp, but nowadays I cannot play loud where I live...and in 2021 I cannot make the difference between a real amp and a sim in a blind test situation. Amp sims sound so good nowadays. I will always love the feel of a real amp, the air it pushes in the room and how you can interact with it (feedback) but I have switched to sims and not going back. Happy with my decision.
I have a jcm2000 that is literally covered in dust since I got my fractal. Sure, the sound and “feel”, even having the amp hit harder on stage isn’t the same but god damn the convenience of a floor unit that has every sound that the person out front wouldnt know any different is worth not carrying a ton of weight around.
I may have to make this jump but it's the same investment as an amp so it's not like you beat the system. You just spent the same money elsewhere. I ran into the same wall with software amps - cheap enough to buy the software but the computer, interface, and monitors to handle it = half stack money really.
there are amp sim VSTs that are literally free and some even the older ones that will blow the doors off of practice amps of the same release date! Like Poulin and TSE stuffs.
Also check out Vadim Taranovs free amp sims, his "Heavy Lead 5150" is my favourite among all amp sims that i have tested and is the one i mainly use.
Man, "love" is an overused concept those days, but there is no other way to put it: I love you and your channel! Thanks for the effort and the generosity in sharing the things you know. Best regards from Brazil's south end.
Hi Glenn! Great video man. Really enjoyed it. Owning both real, Axe Fx and plugins, just gotta say that you use whatever works and sounds best in whichever application you choose. Keep up the awesome videos! 🤘
The 5150 on Helix is pretty damn close. Sure, lacks a bit of depth and that "3d" sound but it's 95% of the way there. A good impulse response and a solid mix makes will sort the rest out :P
Depth is what mixing engineers are for
Having owned the original block letter head and cab, I can safely say, it isn't. Even using the Ownhammer responses it just doesn't sound anywhere near as crushing.
I had a 5150, have a real 6505+ and 5150III, and play both through the ultimate 4x12 Mesa OS cab (the tall slant cab with the straight baffle). Out of all the amps on the Helix, the 'Panama' model is one of the most inaccurate. Sounds nothing like a real 5150. The Fractal models are on the money, though.
@@JohnSmith-oe4bw Eh, agree to disagree. Stock pre-set? Yeah, it's meh but I've compared it to my 5150 and I managed to get good results. Though I did spend a LOOONG time tweaking it, so there's that.
@@MetalLizardJesus Yeah, the stock pre-set is way off but nothing that a fair bit of tweaking couldn't fix.
I just find it hard to "play" amp sims. I don't give a shit if I can't tell the difference between a sim and an amp in the mix. They just don't feel right, there's something about them which really affects my playing. Its the same with drums, I'm not a good drummer by any stretch, but when I'm behind a drum kit I can play basic shit competently and keep it tight. I've looked at getting an e-kit for use at home but whenever I try playing them everything just feels wrong and my timing/coordination completely fall apart - I'd rather just bang away at a practice pad and tap my foot. When recording I've always found it easier to just work on a tone and stick to it too, endlessly fucking about with different tones and switching amps/cabs in the mix.
Are you sure youre not getting JUSt enough milliseconds of Latency to put you off ? Older PC (or too much stuff running, wrong drivers etc) can be a lil dozy
I use an HX (and had the Orig) Bass Pod and I didnt notice a difference really...
@@petegaslondon no, its not that, its something I can't quite put my finger on. I get the same feeling with my Mooer digital headphone amp thing that I got for playing on late at night when not in my studio room. For some reason it just doesn't feel right and most of the time I'd rather just play an unplugged electric. The effect for me is worse on headphones.
@@JDODify Interesting - well I'm not going to knock that - the one thing that you know the sound of is your own instrument )thats the only way I can hear MP3 artifacts - on my own bass (clean sound or unplugged acoustic)
I design tube amps so I kinda have a foot on both worlds ;)
I opt for the BluGuitar Amp1 Iridium. Small, lightweight, built like a German Tank and absolutely glorious sounding. Also easy to record with and you can play at 3 am with your headphones on.
Thanks for the video. Would love to see video on FRFR speakers
Dude, I wanna chime in right now. Totally agree with all your points except one, sims won't sound like the real deal 98% of the time. I tried to make it happen because of the "portability"; but nah, it ain't even close. Especially in a live setting with bad PA's etc. Also, I'd rather hit some switches and krank some pots instead of clicking on shit on my laptop screen. Just my 69 cents... :)
You should try out Rhino by aurora DSP, sounds great to me, and you can get a midi pedalboard if you like to hit switches
@@skizoidkid Honestly, not even going to try it man. Call me old school, call me a stupid MF... The real reason is the latency. Latency man, I dunno if this is psychological or else, but when shredding, playing fast riffs, etc, latency fucks it up (I'm talking about 2.2 ms or less) There is a HUUGE difference compared to my MESA, DIME or Marshall...
Thanks for the suggestion though :)
You don't have drop 10k to own three of them. Reason enough
A great video with some VERY important points.
It the music that matters and how entertaining you are as a band/artist, not how many pedals you have or if your rocking a real tube amp or not
Man, I’ve been farting around with audio engineering over the past year, and these videos have helped me so much! I appreciate all this content! You’ve saved me a shit ton of heartache
As a non-guitarist recording engineer, I don't have any puritan attitudes towards guitar tone. The current generation of amp sims are superb in a mix.
I have to say, I whole-heartedly disagree with this. Moving into completely digital recording isn't going to help bands separate themselves. Musicians should know their gear and how gear functions. It's a huge part of being a musician. This comes off as more of a "how to make my job easier as an engineer".
And I've seen you shit on negative comments before. This isn't a negative comment. This video is a PSA on how to destroy underground scenes. What's next? Metal and punk guitarists hooking up to laptops for live shows? If a band doesn't sound good, that's not your problem as an engineer. You can obviously explain to them that they should learn how their gear functions. But to turn them onto digital amps? I can't back that at all. Record them, play the recordings back and if they're ok with the sound, that's it.
If you're producing an album, different story. But you wouldn't be producing an album if the band sounds bad.
Can’t wait for the next installment in this series. I’m sure playing live will be a great argument pro real amps. I still remember the gig where the guy playing before us used a laptop instead of an amp. So much fun…
Some of these are exactly why I love the UA Ox. Tons of cabinet options and mic options/positions. Sounds fantastic. And allows for silent recording.
Great video Glenn, you hit the nail on the head!
the only thing I use amp sims for is to get the ball rolling on starting a song. mic placement, amp and guitar choice is more than half the fun.
Good stuff! I particularly like the comment towards the end comparing instruments to tools, I think we could all take a leaf from a journeyman and use the right tool for the right job. If the job at hand calls for a skilsaw or jigsaw then use those, or if it requires fine finish work use a tenon saw or dozuki. You CAN saw through a tree with a handsaw, but why would you unless you absolutely have to?
Man I love the new anamorphic look, you have the ideal camera for that lens (S1H I suppose).
Yep. Shooting 6k open gate :)
The thing is: as a musician, you tend to keep yourself inside a bubble not really bigger than your room, and few times you thing about the bigger picture. The reality is that even in live use, most of the times your vintage full stack will be used in half, because you can't fit both cabs in your friend's car, and will eventually end up mic'ing it with whatever the bar has (if even mic'd) and very, very poorly mixed with the rest. Same for big bands, but for different reasons.
Somehow I thought I'd never see such title on this channel :D amp sims are great, I record everything at home so it works for me
We're doing it at home by amps and a single microphone lol Hope he does the opposite video too.
ruclips.net/video/jOjwKH89Jsk/видео.html
This is a living room session lol
Great video Glen & well said !!
Man. This video title alone is just another way of saying "YOU WILL BE TRIGGERD" lol, I love it!
Thanks for the video, im gonna start checking them out
I've had/used a decent variety of excellent amps over the years, but only finally became happy with my general sound after picking up a Headrush Gigboard and loading in some IRs.
Now, in one recording session or show, with the press of one measly button, I can switch between the sounds of a Marshall Plexi, a Fender Twin Reverb, a Vox AC30, or a Soldano SLO-100. All sound phenomenal, and I only have to haul a guitar, a backpack (cables, strings, tools, etc.), and my 15lbs. pedalboard+case.
Best part is the global eq for when you're in a shitty sounding venue you can quickly dial it in on the headrush touch screen.
Very well said! Your channel is awesome!
Live sound mixing engineer for almost 20 years, I've got a comment on "The listener doesn't give a flying fuck." I love talking about this, it's a deep and interesting phenomenon.
NO, absolutely not, nobody gives a shit about "your tone," but they also DO.
The gold is in the details, every one of them. Putting on live shows for many years now I've really seen the differences. My motto is "Every detail matters, when you add up all the subtleties the result is dramatic." EVERY detail, regarding every technical aspect of a show, MATTERS. It may be a tiny thing by itself, but it all adds up. From the curtains to the lights, to the props, to the sound, it ALL matters when it's all put together, and the more details you have right (or awesome, well done and creative) the better the overall show is. If there's a funny smell in the room, that matters. If there's something in the ceiling that vibrates and buzzes on a certain bass note, that matters. If the lights look like shit, that matters.
To keep it reasonably short instead of writing a whole essay about it, this is what I've noticed over the years:
The audience may not know WHY you sucked, they're not technical-minded enough to know you missed a few notes, or the lead guitarist's G string was out of tune on one song, or the singer was flat, or your tone wasn't great, or the lighting design was terrible, they JUST think it sucked.
The audience doesn't know all the details that make the difference between one show and another, but they damned sure DO know which one they liked better.
Some dude who's really into the visuals and notices details might remember that just ONE panel out of 300 was out on an LED video wall, but not remember that you played the best solo of your life. Another dude who loves guitar might remember that solo, but forget that the lights went out on a whole side of the stage for 3 minutes.
But EVERYONE knows it when it's perfect. Again, they probably don't know WHY it was awesome, but they noticed and remember it was awesome.
My Helix Stomp is the most versatile piece of gear I've purchased in my 20 years playing guitar. I have a 60 watt Fender tube, a 5 watt Blackstar tube, an old Ibanez solid state, high end pedals galore, and always reach for the Helix first whenever I just want to play/write songs or want to go jam. Favorite addition to my board and home studio for sure!
I dont play anymore but i still love the gear and of course the music.
Bias fx 2 really blew mind away with all the fx and amps and where you can position the mic on the virtual cab.
Rock on 🤘
This was a great breakdown. I've wanted an Axe FX for well over the decade and finally pulled the trigger and got a used Axe FX II XL+ on Reverb with a MFC-101 for $1300. So glad I did.
Love your channel been my favorite since I am battling brain cancer the last year keep up the great work started playing guitar again too thanks to your channel your friendly neighbor from Montreal
As a beginner to the guitar, I credit amp sims as one of the main reasons for getting into the instrument. Not having to drop major $$ just to casually play guitar from time to time is perfect for someone just starting out.
GREAT video! I have used sims exclusively in my home studio for the last 5 years… and in that relatively short time they have gone from “o.k., I will have to make this work” to “that sounds bloody great”! My band is currently in the process of recording our fourth album and sims are simply a much more practical solution than cranking my Diezel VH4, whenever the mood strikes.
Don’t get me wrong, I still play my Diezel, pedals and rack gear all the time for my own enjoyment… but for recording it just doesn’t work as easily: first of all, I too am blessed with neighbours and secondly, I don’t have an amp room… hence, recording my amp would mean sitting four feet from a roaring 100 watt head paired to a roaring 4x12… fun, but decidedly neither sensible nor conductive to critical listening!
hobby musician here. recording at home with my buddies, exchanging files, etc.
The evolution of amp sims in the last years was a blessing for us. The only thing which may sound better is my Kemper through the SPDIF of my interface, but there are chances that I need to reamp so... I rather stick with Neural DSP instead :)
I got some decent amps too but they just collect dust.
Live shows may be a totally different game.. Either way, the only important aspect is what comes out of the speakers.
A well timed video. I discovered the Mercurial SS-11X lately and fell in love with it. I've also been considering putting together some kind of physical rig with both a sound I enjoy but without breaking the bank. The modest price of the SS-11B units is enticing but I keep asking myself what I'm really going to use it for when I have an almost 1:1 copy of the thing in plugin form. It would be a perfect thing to use for DI recording since it's just a preamp but it's not as if I play live anywhere so what's the point?
1:54 and this is why I sub man. Your honest and know us I love metal and playing it is my 2nd language and whenever you upload something I grow a little more as a musician obviously I don't Hold you or anyone for that matter on a high horse and go to you for everything but when i approach new gear my voice of reason alot of the time comes from you and points you make..
Stay metal man your helping me alot
Glenn,
These days I have been leaning heavily towards amp sims, primarily Amplitube and Neural DSP. I needed something that I could quickly dial in when inspiration hit, and lets face it, getting a tube amp all warmed up, placing mics etc is not a plug-and-play endeavour. In fact, the Neural DSP comes pretty damned close to a real SLO; the only major exception might be the inability to sustain a note into harmonic feedback by facing a physical cab.
Lastly, you were bang on about using sims to closely approximate having a very expensive amp fleet at my disposal.
It just makes more financial sense.
Case in point: I was tasked to lay some guitar tracks in the vein of Andy Summers (The Police). Do I have a JMP or Marshall cab from the 70's or any of his pedals??? Nope. Did Amplitube? Yup. For a whopping $50 total, I was able to get that tone pretty much on the nose and the client was over the moon.
I keep my SLO-modded Jet City amps handy, but I do more than half of my recording with amp sims.
Cheers from Calgary
All great and valid points!
I hate to admit how many amps I have and rarely even plug into the wall. Even for live I've been going direct to the house system from whatever pedals I'm using and using in-ears makes an amp on stage more of a liability or at best, a source of inconsistency.
I also play in a bluegrass band and run our live sound when we play out. Even though we are using floor monitors instead of in-ear we don't use any amps- all mics/instruments straight to the board then to main/monitor amps - when we tried using amps (just out of dogmatic thought we were supposed to) it just made extra noise and complications for the monitor mix and main mix unless we ran them so quiet that they were irrelevant.
Hey Glenn! Thanks for another great video! I absolutely fell you until the point you have a great guitar player who plays with the amp, by the way do you think Celestion Vintage 30 are the right choice for a 73 Twin Reverb?
The best thing about amp sims is that the accessibility to plethora of great sounds with minimum price
this November i bought ML Soundlab Flagship which consist of 3 Friedman models for just $50, i mean i literally doesn't have to sell one of my kidney to the black market anymore =D
It'd be a good idea for the band to scout the club first to see what kind of soundboard setup they might have. If the house sounds crappy you may need to think of another way.
If their soundboard is crap there's not much you can do about that anyway. In this instance an all sim pedal like neural dsp you can use an eq to fix and make the best sound for the room while in direct input with less sht in the way to give you problems. Easily less hassle than you would have with a real amp.
I think the key point here is how the audience doesn't give a crap what gear you use. My wife isn't a musician and I frequently bore her to death about how beautiful the bass tone is on this record or how colossal the snare sounds on that record or how crushing the guitar tone is on xyz record... and she listens because she is very kind and patient, not because she gives a crap about any of those particular sounds. I think most listeners to music, from casual to dedicated fans, care about the message of the song(s), the beat/groove, and just how the music makes them feel. All the tones and engineering play a part in that as they help set the scene, but in general, I think Glenn has this just totally nailed: an infinitesimally vanishing percentage of the audience even knows, let alone cares, what your amp rig is. What they care about is the heart and soul you put into it.
On the other hand, gear can play a role in how a musician feels when performing -- if you can't find the passion using sims, I can understand that. Musicians have to find the instruments and setups that let them channel that heart and soul so that, regardless of their gear, they connect with their audience.
for someone that wants the best of both worlds i highly recommend a hughes and kettner amp, no wasted time with the beatiful red box, excellent response and inspirational tones, ive used fractals, helix and they sound nice, but there is this digital delay that you can only perceive that puts my pp so small
At the age of 47, I was finally able to afford that Vox amp I've wanted all my life for my home studio, and now I have it x1000 in Logic.
I'm 44 and just landed a non-dream KATANA. Never thought I'd find NEW quality lol Marshall did me good, but this puppy ROCKS!
@@WIMPY86 Are you referring to a Boss KATANA?
LOVE the new video layout!! Nice ^_^
I love seeing the bands gear as a guitarist in the crowd. That being said, i saw intervals this last saturday in Austin and they were fucking phenomenal! They all had floor units which left a lot of room for fancy stage lighting lol
Man. You are a real Gear Teacher! Thank you for your great videos
that one time when our guitarist brought a micro amp stack to the gig and his epic huge tone stole the show - the look on the sound guys face when he was looking around for the source of the sound to mic but was not quite mentally prepared to accept the reality of 3" speakers putting out that kind of sound was absolutely priceless
Funny thing - same discussions happen in synthesizer community. Analog vs Digital, real deal vs VST emulation. It's more talking about gear rather then creating actual music with it.
Good stuff. As a guitarist I can say we have our preference for guitar tone since we work so hard to get it right for ourselves. The reality is no one else cares except for a handful of other guitarists. All metal fans want is a good sounding guitar.
Interesting 21:9 aspect ratio. Love it!