Ok, this is gonna be the easiest buying decision I’ve ever made. When I heard the A/B, I liked A better and was so convinced it was the real amp. I can’t believe this plugin beats a real amp, this thing is a game changer!
No doubt! Same here. Ordering today. The are having a 50% off right now. It's their birthday. Friggin nuts. About $75 US for this plugin. 4 amp models. Rediculous even.
For me, who lives in a condo, the archetype allows me to get a great sound even at very low volume, and not drive my neighbours crazy, which is impossible to accomplish on my real amp...
I agree but the real 5150 (first example song) had a certain low end bloom. That bass tone and 5150 combination gave it a lot of low end punch that just gelled seamlessly, once taken away I knew something was different.
@@NicoDa1 i actually think other neural plugins can get it much closer than Nolly, but youre right there is certain oomf that cant be emulated digitally (yet?)
Yes. Just the first chord and I got the amp correctly. It's just the midrangy sound, but also kinda scooped. Complex structure. Will never be matched, not only by feel, but also how the amp responds to picking, the slight changes in voltage from the power outlet and the rest of it
In my opinion, I feel that the majority of the difference in tone came from the difference in cabs/IRs. A more “scientific” way to do this comparison would be to have both the plugin and the real amp running through the same cab with the same mic placement/ the same IR. Regardless both versions sound great, it’s just personal preference at that point.
Yes. Neural DSP did this type of A/B comparison with the Fortin Nameless Suite vs Fortin Meshuggah amp the suite was modeled after. Plugged the Meshuggah to a loadbox then to the audio interface, so both amps used the same vst cab section. They sound the same, at least to me.
Thats exactly my thought. The sound difference in these two is just ENORMOUS, i mean it sounds like these examples have totally differentsetups (amps+ cabs + guitars). So how or what we suppose to compare? Our difference in taste? :"D
I do see your point in this comment and I second it. Another change could be that the profiled amps were heavily modded according to nolly and neuraldsp. I loved to see - once again for neurals plugins - that it's more up to personal preference these days. I'm using it for recording and practising (as it is easily reproducable, I don't have studio conditions at home) and I usually switch it up with a real amp when jamming along to a song for example.
Great video dude! I think nowadays we're at a point where you can get pro results with anything if you know what you're doing. Definitely recommend listening to the new Bleed From Within record "Fracture", guitars were all done using the Archetype Nolly plugin and it sounds glorious
I loved both tones the plugin and real amps but if I had access to real amps I'd definitely use them. That being said, plugins save you the cost of maintenance and space in your project/professional studio.
Would be interested to see your thoughts on the role of IRs. To my ears 99 percent of the difference in the "real amp" sound is the hissy character of the vintage 30s. You could load up some custom IRs into the Neural plugin and basically match that character exactly if you were so inclined.
In my not at all professional opinion, ir ( or cab + speaker + mic placement ) is vastly underrated in the quest for tone. If that ain't right, a billion dollars won't fix your tone.
Thats how I felt until he soloed it then I switched it because the lowmid/mid range on B gave it away that it was the real amp. At least that's what I heard
I switched from having a really expensive pedal board with boutique pedals, a Blackstar Series One Head and a Marshall 2x12 cab with celestion speakers to a Kemper Profiler stage with a small Bose S1 speaker for personal monitoring in gigs, and could not be happier.... Same sound when gigging and recording, and it's so easy and the tone and versatility is much better than what I could previously achieve with my Blackstar and btw, all the effects I could achieve with my strymon pedals and such, I can do with the kemper at the same quality level. Using some Fortin, Friedman, Diezel, etc profiles of amps captured with really expensive mics (royer r121 and such...) and really good cabinets, equipment I could never afford probably... It's killer. And definitely if you're not gonna need a gigging rig and only play at home in the computer, with a Neural DSP plugin you're definitely set... No doubt about it, the future is here. Don't see myself buying an expensive amp again and going through the hassle of having to go to a studio to record it... It was a cool experience but not practical compared to what you can do today with much less.
Well, my instant thought was Version B is the real amp. Why? Version B is overall smoother, less harsh and more detailed in the tone. I wonder how much EQing was done on both versions. My personal experience with any amp modelling: there are always some frequencies (mainly low end and highs) where some type of EQing is needed. Whereas raw (unprocessed) recorded tube amp guitar tracks often sound already quite okay-ish. Having that said: With no doubt you can record and mix good guitar tones with modelling amps like Neural DSP Nolly too. Thanks for your video :-)
Thanks for this! So helpful to hear the opinion of someone so knowledgeable. I’ve been using the trial version and loving it, now I know it’s not just me! It really sounds that good.
huh, i got it right. though that doesn´t mean anything. it´s just, with amp sims you can tell the distortion has a kind of static character to it that makes it feel like a consistent kind of white noise. it´s gotten much better over the years, but it´s still there. with real gear the distortion feels much more reactive to what´s being played and therefor there is much better note definition. i´m actually slowly transitioning from amp sims to real gear and i´m noticing quite the difference. of course both have their pros and cons and it´s totally a matter of personal preference in the end.
I agree. I think this illuminated the importance of mic placement and moving air. That being said, the plugin still sounds GREAT. Just different. I tend to enjoy the digital static distortion sound with post hardcore bands, for whatever reason
tried loads of amp sims , this is the best one ever in sound and ease of use once it's in the mix no none is ever going to be able to tell same goes for Superiour drummer 3,and the new EZ bass this is only my opinion , but time and health are our most important commodity so the quicker and easier you can get the idea in your head down to a great sounding finished mix the better. how you get there is irrelevant to the listener its all about the song itself - not how you made the song.
the biggest change is the cab. a 2x12 will always sound a little different, but the fact that both are solid in the mix says a lot. this was the first amp plugin i ever purchased. i was using freeware up until then. and the sounds out of this plugin are other-worldly. wish they'd update a couple things, but overall great purchase.
I recently went from live amps to the Neural DSP exactly because their sims sound great. Prior to that, I couldn't really get anything close to the tone I expected. There are a TON of amp sims out there and I haven't tried them all. I've heard various people swear by one or the other, so I'm sure more good ones are out there. But the Neural DSP was the one that got me to "make the switch." Not selling my heads any time soon, but these sims are indeed really good.
These days it's so cool to be able to have so many tools, horses for courses, if it works in the track and inspires the artist to play a great performance then what is to lose, sometimes I preferred the amp sim and other times the real amp, what does it feel like to play? as a guitarist myself, some amp sims sound ok but have a lust lacker kind of feel, i also find that clean or just a little bit of break up in the tone is where most plugins fall short, some are like high gain or no gain. Great content, just shows how software is not a perfect replica but totally useable, thank you, all the best.
Well you at least saved me, just a home hobby guitarist that loves metal/heavy stuff from ever worrying if I'm missing out on some fantastic gear. Solo and in the mix, the plugin sounds great, and that Nolly plugin looks like a great value, 5150 is always my go to emulation. I imagine you could toss a whole list of amp sims in the mix and get a similar result. Obviously the mix makes the sound not just the guitar tone.
A/Bing them, you can tell what is real and what is the amp sim. Regardless of the fact, it is usable. I have been using Nolly's amp sim for a lot of my recordings and mixes, and people are blown away by it. This is one of the most versatile amp sim that NeuralDSP has released so far and will be my go-to for a long time.
Agreed! A few friends throughout studios in NYC swear by the Pilini plugin as well. They play more cleans and rock oriented music. I dig the Nolly & NTS for demoing. The Omega is also a hidden gem. Neural definitely has something unique going on.
Guessed it correct, but just because of some artifacts of the real amp signal at the beginning of the tracks. It sounds more natural to me, because of some 'air' moved to the mic. Both sound great! I got the ampsim and like it a lot. I like your content!
Fun fact - cab 3 is using speakers from a cab I sold Nolly! Was sad to see it go, but was downsizing my gear. Now it's (almost) like it never left haha!
Wow, both sound really great. I feel like the real amp sounds more "blended" together, while the amp sim sounds a bit snappier. That makes sense considering the real amp is miced in a room and run trough a physical woofer. Anyways, I think with some room reverb and EQ these two could get exceptionally close. A big win for the digital!
I guessed correct, you can tell because of the high end, but they both sounded great., also there was something in the mid range of B that just screamed real amp. But I could only tell in an A/B. If I heard either in isolation I would not think either was a plugin. FTR I cant mic my amps at home (I have a 5150 block letter, JCM800 and a Jet City JCA 50), UK terraced housing does not permit such actions lool, so I tend to use pedals and pre amps with cab sims, or just amp sim plugins, I use free plugins such as Ignite Emissary and ML Stevie T and 5034 fluff amp sims, also I use the LePoulin HyBrit for 800 tones, and get good results. At the end of the day, good tuned in ears will allow any decent amp sim to be dialed in well and eq'd, mixed well, so all good really.
The plugin actually sounded kinda better for me. It was just as beefy, yet less harsh. That being said, I think you can actually mimic very closely a real amp tone with matching EQ, especially if you have the exact same performances. This stops you from monitoring through it however, because of the added latency.
Without searching for the answer I'd have to say A is the Nolly and B is the real amp. B was a bit softer on the transients but A had the low rumble emulating a real amp and cab that the Nolly is awesome at but almost over-accentuates in the tone. Plus, 5150s aren't that thick on the whole frequency spectrum. Would love some other perspectives.
I purchase 2 plugins from Neural DSP. I first purchase the Nolly and then the Gojira! Love them both! You would have a difficult time convincing me I did not buy 6 new amplifiers! I submit that a Match EQ added in signal chain and the two would be indistinguishable!
I definitely prefer Nolly plugin over the Axefx tone - probably could be just the IR difference as there is some graininess on the high end I don't like
Is the hiss from amp sims of any concern when taken into a full mix? And if so, what would you guys recommend to clean it up a bit? Not looking for an over polished sound at all.
Oddly enough, the difference was so big I was actually able to guess right immediately even on phone speakers. The real amp sounds so much better to my ears
Jordan, a professional well known producer CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE but you, unkown internet guys, can. Come on guys, don't make me laugh. Alright, maybe some can but if you are honest you'll recognize that you have to make a huge effort to slightly notice that one wasn't a real amp...and after all that effort the conclusion is that both sound great but one takes a lot of work and the other one is right out the box, a few click, without disturbing the neighbors, for every budget and what's the best for me: you can change it, and you can do it with just a click. To me is freaking clear, real amps are a thing from the past already.
The sim just has more clear harmonics and presence so that it sounds a lot more forward. It sits right behind the vocals instead of 3 feet behind it. Making the whole mix sound more modern and in your face. That's my opinion on it.
Wow! I guessed *A* as being the plugin just becuase I felt like the better sounding one would in fact sound better than the real amp. I still was shocked to find out it actually was the plugin
I use both the STL Tonality stuff (Howard Benson version) and the Nolly. Both are excellent though I find I gravitate more towards the STL plugin. It has a certain responsiveness when playing through it that feels more "real" - it sorts of moves air in a way that other plugins don't, even if the tones in the Nolly are every bit as good.
They both sound good, but I gotta go with the real amp here. Just a tad warmer, beefier sound, smoother highs, more organic. The plugin sounds good but it still just has that high end hiss, and sounds more compressed for sure. I think a lot of people these days really like the compressed ‘digital’ sound, tons of bands use plugins to record. Honestly in a mix, there’s really no difference unless you’re really listening for it. I like both, I use both. But seriously for anyone who hasn’t played through a high end tube amp, you really don’t know what you’re missing. It’s just better, it feels right.
hahah nice i got it right... helps that i've owned a block letter 5150 (regrettably sold 15 yeas ago) the plugins have such a tighter sound then the real amp. i was blown away when i got the nolly plugin at how much better of a tone it had then my old 5150...but then again it's modeled after nolly's modded 5150... so his real amp most likely sounds far better then the stock 5150 i had.
"A" sounds great until its solo'd lol, then it reaallly sounds digital. Knew the results immediately when the isolated tracks played. Overall, both sound good in a mix and I'd totally be happy using Neural
The plugin sound goood! but the real amp its a beast!, the tone has more space, the amp sim has some crazy overtones in the high mid range, are darker and harsher at the same time comparing it to the real amp
I thought the high end in the Nolly plugin sounded way better. I guessed right because I recognized that screechy high end of the sm57 and also I understood that micing a real amp is way harder to get to sound good than the Nolly plugin. The plugin is just amazing and on this song example, I would've chosen the plugin over the real amp to be honest.
from your experience, did You find any differences in the "sonic response" using an eq on these tracks? I mean, does the REAL AMP\REAL CAB behave in a more natural way when processed with an EQ than a digital amp\ CAB IR would do, or they would respond with the same outcome? Thanks
Sounds great. I bet it would be difficult to tell them apart if you could rule out cab/mic placement, either by using a loadbox to record the amp directly and throwing the same IR on both, or by recording an IR of the cab in your tracking session and using that on the sim.
For most people they will get a better result with the plugin. Having the gear and technique to get a great recording of a mic'd cab is difficult and can be frustrating. The plugin will take care of the technicalities of getting a great recording for you.
Bottom line, they both sound good. My initial guess was right, and I have no idea if I just made a lucky guess, but I tried to determine which one sounded more digitally processed and which one sounded like it was recorded live in a room.
Anyone knows the first song? That is some beast mixing! I have a hard time choosing between the plugin and the real amp. There are benefits and drawbacks from using either method but for simplicity my personal choice is the plugin.
Late to the party here! Great video! I use my Nolly plug-in to this day! Nothing has taken it off the top. I have many, many 5150 plug-ins and I use Nolly. What was the first song/band at the beginning? It wasn’t mentioned. Sounds killer! Thanks!
The real amp almost always has a slight EQ imperfection or oddity that makes it stand out and gives it character that I think is missing from sims. Maybe the room, maybe the mic placement... but I can hear it.
I personally preferred A. I was like "now watch that's the plugin..." but yeah A sounded better to me. B has more body and mids, but the Neural plugin fits the track a bit better to my ears. For the second song, I actually preferred the real amp. More weight and body. Darkens the mix though
The real amp has more glue to it, the plugin sounds sick also and you could totally mix and match both and get a usable result but personally I prefer B.
Liked the B version instantly. It sounds more open. I guess it boils down to the real speaker movement. IR's are an image of one very specific position of a speaker with a set frequency response whilst a real speaker has different frequency responses depending on the volume and playing dynamics. I exclusively use sims though because of many limitations I face.
You could always run the amp sim into the real cabinet via the FX return or a rack power amp, and if you have power tube emulation, either built in or in a separate plugin, you could actually get away with using a solid state power amp, which ususally tends to be cleaner, quieter, and more linear. There are tons of great, affordable units from brands like ART, Seismic Audio, Gemini, QSC, and more. Units like that also work great with floor pedal emulators like the AX8, Zoom G5n/G11, Mooer GE-300, Line6 Helix LT, etc.
Just found your channel,- watched the video on why modern heavy records suck and now this one. Being a metal guitar and bass player I´m biased towards real tube amps but I actually dont mind the plug ins,- they sound really good by now and are smart for both pre- and actual production but the two videos I´ve watched so far makes me think about something: One of the best drum sounds I´ve ever heard is the opening of the Black Sabbath album Seventh Star. Why? Because the drum sound is the sound of a wide open loud and noisy double-bass drum kit,- which would be Eric Singer banging away at it,- which is exactly what it sounds like. Not tight, constrained and overprocessed but alive and wide open,- which means an actual performance actually being recorded in one go,- the whole song played through from start ´till finish recorded onto a 2" 24 track analog reel to reel tape recorder,- not copy pasted into infinity from a two bar measure of a basic rhythmic pattern called a "beat". Making everything about the music directly in the DAW and not even bother with actual human musicians is what RnB´, hip hop and rap´s been doing for twenty-five years,- calling it a producer driven outfit, which means that the " producer" writes and " records" but essentially programs the music and then hires a nice looking girl or guy with some limited abillity to sing/rap the lead vocal - which of course will be MeloTuned ad nauseam ´till everything sounds just the same as everything else,- it´s just moved on to embrace the metal world. A prime example would be the German metal production channel URM Academy where the lead producer has stated that he doesn´t care what guitar, bass, amp or drum kit the musicians are bringing to the studio,- he´s gonna DI, sample and reamp everything anyway - be it guitars or drums - makes no difference to him. One of the most depressing statements I have ever heard and the absolute reason I would never use him for anything were I in a situation where I had the finances to reward myself with actual pro studio time and not just sitting in a spare room at home with a DAW thinking I´m the next greatest thing,- working a pro production here....!
There is more hiss high frequnices on the plugin, but the amp-mic was more natural - if u'll match the eq between the 2 comparsions i'm sure everyone will choose real amp. Btw now when we have NAM with the new AI technlogoy its really sounds like a real amp
Depends on the genre! Absolutely no point to use real amps in some cases. You should to find out the way what is suitable to you and your budget also your preference. Thant's how I see.
Ok, this is gonna be the easiest buying decision I’ve ever made. When I heard the A/B, I liked A better and was so convinced it was the real amp. I can’t believe this plugin beats a real amp, this thing is a game changer!
No doubt! Same here. Ordering today. The are having a 50% off right now. It's their birthday. Friggin nuts. About $75 US for this plugin. 4 amp models. Rediculous even.
@@donniellama4463 Hey there, may I ask you when was the birthday? Ahah, I'm just waiting for an offer behind the corner to buy it!
@joefalchetto94 I don't recall. About a year ago I believe.
@@donniellama4463 Got it, thanks anyway!
Same here. The real amp has more meat
For me, who lives in a condo, the archetype allows me to get a great sound even at very low volume, and not drive my neighbours crazy, which is impossible to accomplish on my real amp...
I think the real winner here is the bass tone.
I agree but the real 5150 (first example song) had a certain low end bloom. That bass tone and 5150 combination gave it a lot of low end punch that just gelled seamlessly, once taken away I knew something was different.
@@NicoDa1 i actually think other neural plugins can get it much closer than Nolly, but youre right there is certain oomf that cant be emulated digitally (yet?)
@@NicoDa1 also a another comment stating that switching the CAB/IR makes a huge difference
Difference in only mic+cab chain.
Use same cabs or IR instead for test
The V30 hiss gave away the real amp right away for me. This also goes to proof that the cab has huge role to play in making your guitar tone.
Cab over head tbh
Yes. Just the first chord and I got the amp correctly. It's just the midrangy sound, but also kinda scooped. Complex structure. Will never be matched, not only by feel, but also how the amp responds to picking, the slight changes in voltage from the power outlet and the rest of it
In my opinion, I feel that the majority of the difference in tone came from the difference in cabs/IRs. A more “scientific” way to do this comparison would be to have both the plugin and the real amp running through the same cab with the same mic placement/ the same IR. Regardless both versions sound great, it’s just personal preference at that point.
i'm guessing the real amp sounds darker because the cab is a 2x12?
Yes. Neural DSP did this type of A/B comparison with the Fortin Nameless Suite vs Fortin Meshuggah amp the suite was modeled after. Plugged the Meshuggah to a loadbox then to the audio interface, so both amps used the same vst cab section. They sound the same, at least to me.
Yeah I own the Nolly Plugin and switching the cabs makes a biiig difference
Thats exactly my thought. The sound difference in these two is just ENORMOUS, i mean it sounds like these examples have totally differentsetups (amps+ cabs + guitars). So how or what we suppose to compare? Our difference in taste? :"D
I do see your point in this comment and I second it. Another change could be that the profiled amps were heavily modded according to nolly and neuraldsp. I loved to see - once again for neurals plugins - that it's more up to personal preference these days. I'm using it for recording and practising (as it is easily reproducable, I don't have studio conditions at home) and I usually switch it up with a real amp when jamming along to a song for example.
Gotta say the Sim sounds ballzier... Look how far we've come...
9:37 Dude it is so awesome to be watching mixing and vst videos and you having the original Intervals tracks!
Great Video. I actually preferred the sound of the pulgin in the mix. It's amazing how good these are getting.
both sound great!
Also love using the Fortin Cali and Nolly while getting the phase perfect with Waves InPhase to blend the two. Sounds awesome.
Great video dude! I think nowadays we're at a point where you can get pro results with anything if you know what you're doing. Definitely recommend listening to the new Bleed From Within record "Fracture", guitars were all done using the Archetype Nolly plugin and it sounds glorious
I loved both tones the plugin and real amps but if I had access to real amps I'd definitely use them. That being said, plugins save you the cost of maintenance and space in your project/professional studio.
Would be interested to see your thoughts on the role of IRs. To my ears 99 percent of the difference in the "real amp" sound is the hissy character of the vintage 30s. You could load up some custom IRs into the Neural plugin and basically match that character exactly if you were so inclined.
In my not at all professional opinion, ir ( or cab + speaker + mic placement ) is vastly underrated in the quest for tone. If that ain't right, a billion dollars won't fix your tone.
Geeez, i could have sworn a was the real amp and b was sounding more digital.
i thought the same!
That was my guess to. I even already own this plugin and thought it was the real thing lol
Thats how I felt until he soloed it then I switched it because the lowmid/mid range on B gave it away that it was the real amp. At least that's what I heard
the real plug in amp user will guess it easy haha
Same here
I switched from having a really expensive pedal board with boutique pedals, a Blackstar Series One Head and a Marshall 2x12 cab with celestion speakers to a Kemper Profiler stage with a small Bose S1 speaker for personal monitoring in gigs, and could not be happier.... Same sound when gigging and recording, and it's so easy and the tone and versatility is much better than what I could previously achieve with my Blackstar and btw, all the effects I could achieve with my strymon pedals and such, I can do with the kemper at the same quality level. Using some Fortin, Friedman, Diezel, etc profiles of amps captured with really expensive mics (royer r121 and such...) and really good cabinets, equipment I could never afford probably... It's killer. And definitely if you're not gonna need a gigging rig and only play at home in the computer, with a Neural DSP plugin you're definitely set... No doubt about it, the future is here. Don't see myself buying an expensive amp again and going through the hassle of having to go to a studio to record it... It was a cool experience but not practical compared to what you can do today with much less.
I just got the Nolly plugin and I'm impressed by how great it sounds.
I have to admit I liked A every time but I have the Nolly and I love it ! Nice Vid man !
Listening to the A-B, I was certain the amp was A. It actually sounds fuller and better. Just picked up the Nolly plugin. Loving it so far. :)
Well, my instant thought was Version B is the real amp.
Why? Version B is overall smoother, less harsh and more detailed in the tone. I wonder how much EQing was done on both versions.
My personal experience with any amp modelling: there are always some frequencies (mainly low end and highs) where some type of EQing is needed. Whereas raw (unprocessed) recorded tube amp guitar tracks often sound already quite okay-ish.
Having that said: With no doubt you can record and mix good guitar tones with modelling amps like Neural DSP Nolly too. Thanks for your video :-)
Just got this plugin. Absolutely incredible. Mega versatile. Thank you for the presets!!! Killer video.
Thanks for this! So helpful to hear the opinion of someone so knowledgeable. I’ve been using the trial version and loving it, now I know it’s not just me! It really sounds that good.
Differences are all so slight. Minor EQ and frequency of the amplifier hiss/noise.
huh, i got it right. though that doesn´t mean anything. it´s just, with amp sims you can tell the distortion has a kind of static character to it that makes it feel like a consistent kind of white noise. it´s gotten much better over the years, but it´s still there. with real gear the distortion feels much more reactive to what´s being played and therefor there is much better note definition. i´m actually slowly transitioning from amp sims to real gear and i´m noticing quite the difference. of course both have their pros and cons and it´s totally a matter of personal preference in the end.
I got it right too. On small speakers you can really hear the difference. Also, the real amp sounds more airy so to speak. Less harsh on the ear.
I agree. I think this illuminated the importance of mic placement and moving air. That being said, the plugin still sounds GREAT. Just different.
I tend to enjoy the digital static distortion sound with post hardcore bands, for whatever reason
This is straight up the only amp sim plugin that i bought. Love your stuff Jordan!
tried loads of amp sims , this is the best one ever in sound and ease of use
once it's in the mix no none is ever going to be able to tell
same goes for Superiour drummer 3,and the new EZ bass
this is only my opinion , but time and health are our most important commodity so the quicker and easier you can get the idea in your head
down to a great sounding finished mix the better.
how you get there is irrelevant to the listener
its all about the song itself - not how you made the song.
I tried the Nolly for 14 days, and the cleans are properly clean - crystal clear. All in all, I'm going to get the full version some day.
Sounds great! I’d love to hear your opinion on the STL tone hub stuff as well.
the biggest change is the cab. a 2x12 will always sound a little different, but the fact that both are solid in the mix says a lot. this was the first amp plugin i ever purchased. i was using freeware up until then. and the sounds out of this plugin are other-worldly. wish they'd update a couple things, but overall great purchase.
I recently went from live amps to the Neural DSP exactly because their sims sound great. Prior to that, I couldn't really get anything close to the tone I expected. There are a TON of amp sims out there and I haven't tried them all. I've heard various people swear by one or the other, so I'm sure more good ones are out there. But the Neural DSP was the one that got me to "make the switch." Not selling my heads any time soon, but these sims are indeed really good.
These days it's so cool to be able to have so many tools, horses for courses, if it works in the track and inspires the artist to play a great performance then what is to lose, sometimes I preferred the amp sim and other times the real amp, what does it feel like to play? as a guitarist myself, some amp sims sound ok but have a lust lacker kind of feel, i also find that clean or just a little bit of break up in the tone is where most plugins fall short, some are like high gain or no gain. Great content, just shows how software is not a perfect replica but totally useable, thank you, all the best.
Well you at least saved me, just a home hobby guitarist that loves metal/heavy stuff from ever worrying if I'm missing out on some fantastic gear. Solo and in the mix, the plugin sounds great, and that Nolly plugin looks like a great value, 5150 is always my go to emulation.
I imagine you could toss a whole list of amp sims in the mix and get a similar result. Obviously the mix makes the sound not just the guitar tone.
A/Bing them, you can tell what is real and what is the amp sim. Regardless of the fact, it is usable. I have been using Nolly's amp sim for a lot of my recordings and mixes, and people are blown away by it. This is one of the most versatile amp sim that NeuralDSP has released so far and will be my go-to for a long time.
Nueral dsp quad cortex does actually capture like 99% same exact tone! Check it out. It can also capture effects from real pedals too!
I love the Nolly Jordan. It’s the best I’ve used as well.
It actually does work in mixes. I’m using it for upcoming mixes.
Agreed! A few friends throughout studios in NYC swear by the Pilini plugin as well. They play more cleans and rock oriented music. I dig the Nolly & NTS for demoing. The Omega is also a hidden gem. Neural definitely has something unique going on.
It's awesome hearing my favourite intervals song in one of these videos!
Guessed it correct, but just because of some artifacts of the real amp signal at the beginning of the tracks. It sounds more natural to me, because of some 'air' moved to the mic. Both sound great! I got the ampsim and like it a lot. I like your content!
Archetype Nolly is amazing. I would've personally used the 3rd cab for the initial comparisson, which is the Mesa one with V30 :)
Fun fact - cab 3 is using speakers from a cab I sold Nolly! Was sad to see it go, but was downsizing my gear. Now it's (almost) like it never left haha!
@@kriskournavos3074 It's amazing 'cause we can all now have it! :)
Great video! I'd love to hear your thoughts on more of the Neural DSP stuff! I've been using Fortin Cali and really love it.
The name of the first song at 4:10 min ?
Wow, both sound really great. I feel like the real amp sounds more "blended" together, while the amp sim sounds a bit snappier. That makes sense considering the real amp is miced in a room and run trough a physical woofer. Anyways, I think with some room reverb and EQ these two could get exceptionally close. A big win for the digital!
The plug-in has mad 2.3k but other than that it’s pretty awesome
I guessed correct, you can tell because of the high end, but they both sounded great., also there was something in the mid range of B that just screamed real amp. But I could only tell in an A/B. If I heard either in isolation I would not think either was a plugin. FTR I cant mic my amps at home (I have a 5150 block letter, JCM800 and a Jet City JCA 50), UK terraced housing does not permit such actions lool, so I tend to use pedals and pre amps with cab sims, or just amp sim plugins, I use free plugins such as Ignite Emissary and ML Stevie T and 5034 fluff amp sims, also I use the LePoulin HyBrit for 800 tones, and get good results.
At the end of the day, good tuned in ears will allow any decent amp sim to be dialed in well and eq'd, mixed well, so all good really.
Awesome comparison man great tones! AND PRESETS! thank you lol
The plugin actually sounded kinda better for me. It was just as beefy, yet less harsh. That being said, I think you can actually mimic very closely a real amp tone with matching EQ, especially if you have the exact same performances. This stops you from monitoring through it however, because of the added latency.
Regardless of the sound of the amps, the music here is really cool
I could tell straight away but the gap is so close
And by the end even preferred the plugin sound.
Thanks for this 😊
Exactly what I needed to hear
Could you try free Fluff amp sim?I wonder what would you say?
Loved this! Subscribed, Keep those videos coming.
The real amp sound more open and gritty. Both are awesome. I like amp sims for a modern trash metal tone and real amps for a death metal tone.
It's funny because the Axe FX sounded best to me out of all of them.
Without searching for the answer I'd have to say A is the Nolly and B is the real amp. B was a bit softer on the transients but A had the low rumble emulating a real amp and cab that the Nolly is awesome at but almost over-accentuates in the tone. Plus, 5150s aren't that thick on the whole frequency spectrum. Would love some other perspectives.
I purchase 2 plugins from Neural DSP. I first purchase the Nolly and then the Gojira! Love them both! You would have a difficult time convincing me I did not buy 6 new amplifiers! I submit that a Match EQ added in signal chain and the two would be indistinguishable!
I definitely prefer Nolly plugin over the Axefx tone - probably could be just the IR difference as there is some graininess on the high end I don't like
Is the hiss from amp sims of any concern when taken into a full mix? And if so, what would you guys recommend to clean it up a bit? Not looking for an over polished sound at all.
Oddly enough, the difference was so big I was actually able to guess right immediately even on phone speakers. The real amp sounds so much better to my ears
Jordan, a professional well known producer CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE but you, unkown internet guys, can. Come on guys, don't make me laugh. Alright, maybe some can but if you are honest you'll recognize that you have to make a huge effort to slightly notice that one wasn't a real amp...and after all that effort the conclusion is that both sound great but one takes a lot of work and the other one is right out the box, a few click, without disturbing the neighbors, for every budget and what's the best for me: you can change it, and you can do it with just a click. To me is freaking clear, real amps are a thing from the past already.
The sim just has more clear harmonics and presence so that it sounds a lot more forward. It sits right behind the vocals instead of 3 feet behind it. Making the whole mix sound more modern and in your face. That's my opinion on it.
I preferred a and though it was the real amp. I have nolly and it's one of the best investments I made in the past few months.
A was the Nolly plugin dude.
@@ChessmasterHex he was saying he preferred A and initially thought it was the real amp :) I thought the same until hearing the isolated audio
@@scottydogg278 Fair one it was a typo then, I thought A sounded epic in the mix too and was hoping A was the plugin.
Thanks, this comparison was helpful.
Wow! I guessed *A* as being the plugin just becuase I felt like the better sounding one would in fact sound better than the real amp. I still was shocked to find out it actually was the plugin
Finally someone honest! :D
I use both the STL Tonality stuff (Howard Benson version) and the Nolly. Both are excellent though I find I gravitate more towards the STL plugin. It has a certain responsiveness when playing through it that feels more "real" - it sorts of moves air in a way that other plugins don't, even if the tones in the Nolly are every bit as good.
They both sound good, but I gotta go with the real amp here.
Just a tad warmer, beefier sound, smoother highs, more organic.
The plugin sounds good but it still just has that high end hiss, and sounds more compressed for sure.
I think a lot of people these days really like the compressed ‘digital’ sound, tons of bands use plugins to record.
Honestly in a mix, there’s really no difference unless you’re really listening for it.
I like both, I use both. But seriously for anyone who hasn’t played through a high end tube amp, you really don’t know what you’re missing. It’s just better, it feels right.
hahah nice i got it right... helps that i've owned a block letter 5150 (regrettably sold 15 yeas ago)
the plugins have such a tighter sound then the real amp. i was blown away when i got the nolly plugin at how much better of a tone it had then my old 5150...but then again it's modeled after nolly's modded 5150... so his real amp most likely sounds far better then the stock 5150 i had.
"A" sounds great until its solo'd lol, then it reaallly sounds digital. Knew the results immediately when the isolated tracks played. Overall, both sound good in a mix and I'd totally be happy using Neural
Its cab difference, not digitaleness
The tech has come a long way I haven’t used my Radial gear for re-amping in months
Amazing video, would love to try these presets but the link isn’t working
B has a really great aggressive high end, that sounds saturated and cuts pretty nicely. A feels a lot more „dry“ up there and yet quite messy.
The plugin sound goood! but the real amp its a beast!, the tone has more space, the amp sim has some crazy overtones in the high mid range, are darker and harsher at the same time comparing it to the real amp
I thought the high end in the Nolly plugin sounded way better. I guessed right because I recognized that screechy high end of the sm57 and also I understood that micing a real amp is way harder to get to sound good than the Nolly plugin. The plugin is just amazing and on this song example, I would've chosen the plugin over the real amp to be honest.
I feel like the plugin has a bit more of energy. In the solo part, it sounds so good. On the mute palm, the flatness of the real Is better
from your experience, did You find any differences in the "sonic response" using an eq on these tracks? I mean, does the REAL AMP\REAL CAB behave in a more natural way when processed with an EQ than a digital amp\ CAB IR would do, or they would respond with the same outcome? Thanks
Guys what is the third track?
Sounds great. I bet it would be difficult to tell them apart if you could rule out cab/mic placement, either by using a loadbox to record the amp directly and throwing the same IR on both, or by recording an IR of the cab in your tracking session and using that on the sim.
For most people they will get a better result with the plugin. Having the gear and technique to get a great recording of a mic'd cab is difficult and can be frustrating. The plugin will take care of the technicalities of getting a great recording for you.
Bottom line, they both sound good. My initial guess was right, and I have no idea if I just made a lucky guess, but I tried to determine which one sounded more digitally processed and which one sounded like it was recorded live in a room.
Anyone knows the first song? That is some beast mixing! I have a hard time choosing between the plugin and the real amp. There are benefits and drawbacks from using either method but for simplicity my personal choice is the plugin.
Late to the party here! Great video! I use my Nolly plug-in to this day! Nothing has taken it off the top. I have many, many 5150 plug-ins and I use Nolly.
What was the first song/band at the beginning? It wasn’t mentioned. Sounds killer! Thanks!
Presets are gone :( any chance we can get them again?
Great A/B, man. Sorry if I missed it, but what band is the first example?
The real amp almost always has a slight EQ imperfection or oddity that makes it stand out and gives it character that I think is missing from sims. Maybe the room, maybe the mic placement... but I can hear it.
personally, the real amp still sounds better in every A/B. Still shouldn't stop you from making music however
In this video I would agree. However, From the sound of it you could get them to sound almost identical with a bit of EQ.
I personally preferred A. I was like "now watch that's the plugin..." but yeah A sounded better to me. B has more body and mids, but the Neural plugin fits the track a bit better to my ears.
For the second song, I actually preferred the real amp. More weight and body. Darkens the mix though
The A version sounds better than the mic'd amp holy shit. Glad i copped the nolly!
Nolly talks about this in a youtube video where he goes on to say that the white cab used in this video is a Zilla cab with v 30's.
How'd you manage to get Ephemeral's DIs? 😱
Excelente content and great dynamic for the construction of this shootout. Congrats.
The real amp has more glue to it, the plugin sounds sick also and you could totally mix and match both and get a usable result but personally I prefer B.
0:05. A
0:14. B
Very good video!
What song is this?
First Song?
2 months later are you still stoked on this plug?
Liked the B version instantly. It sounds more open. I guess it boils down to the real speaker movement. IR's are an image of one very specific position of a speaker with a set frequency response whilst a real speaker has different frequency responses depending on the volume and playing dynamics. I exclusively use sims though because of many limitations I face.
You wouldn't be so sure if he used THE SAME cab tho ;)
@@Ledjent That's not the point. I liked B better in this given video.
You could always run the amp sim into the real cabinet via the FX return or a rack power amp, and if you have power tube emulation, either built in or in a separate plugin, you could actually get away with using a solid state power amp, which ususally tends to be cleaner, quieter, and more linear. There are tons of great, affordable units from brands like ART, Seismic Audio, Gemini, QSC, and more. Units like that also work great with floor pedal emulators like the AX8, Zoom G5n/G11, Mooer GE-300, Line6 Helix LT, etc.
That's actually exactly the point. Same IR and you would not be able to tell in the mix. Period.
I'm pretty sure the Amp at 13:57 is modeled after a Morgan Amp
It's a Bogner Shiva.
Just found your channel,- watched the video on why modern heavy records suck and now this one.
Being a metal guitar and bass player I´m biased towards real tube amps but I actually dont mind the plug ins,- they sound really good by now and are smart for both pre- and actual production but the two videos I´ve watched so far makes me think about something:
One of the best drum sounds I´ve ever heard is the opening of the Black Sabbath album Seventh Star. Why? Because the drum sound is the sound of a wide open loud and noisy double-bass drum kit,- which would be Eric Singer banging away at it,- which is exactly what it sounds like. Not tight, constrained and overprocessed but alive and wide open,- which means an actual performance actually being recorded in one go,- the whole song played through from start ´till finish recorded onto a 2" 24 track analog reel to reel tape recorder,- not copy pasted into infinity from a two bar measure of a basic rhythmic pattern called a "beat".
Making everything about the music directly in the DAW and not even bother with actual human musicians is what RnB´, hip hop and rap´s been doing for twenty-five years,- calling it a producer driven outfit, which means that the " producer" writes and " records" but essentially programs the music and then hires a nice looking girl or guy with some limited abillity to sing/rap the lead vocal - which of course will be MeloTuned ad nauseam ´till everything sounds just the same as everything else,- it´s just moved on to embrace the metal world.
A prime example would be the German metal production channel URM Academy where the lead producer has stated that he doesn´t care what guitar, bass, amp or drum kit the musicians are bringing to the studio,- he´s gonna DI, sample and reamp everything anyway - be it guitars or drums - makes no difference to him.
One of the most depressing statements I have ever heard and the absolute reason I would never use him for anything were I in a situation where I had the finances to reward myself with actual pro studio time and not just sitting in a spare room at home with a DAW thinking I´m the next greatest thing,- working a pro production here....!
There is more hiss high frequnices on the plugin, but the amp-mic was more natural - if u'll match the eq between the 2 comparsions i'm sure everyone will choose real amp. Btw now when we have NAM with the new AI technlogoy its really sounds like a real amp
The best amp sims out there (in my opinion, of course) is STL Tonehub.
in this video, both real amp and plugin sound great.
Maybe I missed this in the video, but what’s that first song?
KINGDOMS - EXPOSÉ ruclips.net/video/WXDYEzbI2JI/видео.html
bro you mixed aaron marhal??
Depends on the genre!
Absolutely no point to use real amps in some cases.
You should to find out the way what is suitable to you and your budget also your preference.
Thant's how I see.
Thank you!