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I want to add a few lead and rhythm guitar parts to some of my songs. I don't need one thousand different sounds - two or three usable sounds in each category would be fine. I am not looking to imitate any particular player (although Carlos Santana has the best of all rock guitar tones, IMO.)
Can you recommend a good software guitar processor? A low price would be nice. Free would also be acceptable. My guitar is an Aria ES335 clone.
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Here's a new freebie - http://www.guitarampmodeling.com/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=2901also, Voxengo's boogex isn't too bad for another freebie
Last edited by Catherine; 05/04/20 09:57 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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What kind(s) of amp and effects do you have now? You may already have what you need. You nominally have the right pickups for a CS-type tone (Gibson-style humbuckers), but the honky quality of the hollow-body 335 may work against it.
In trying to achieve Carlitos' tone on my own, I use the neck pickup of a virtual '59 LP with the tone dialed way back. I'm still fooling around with amp settings. Right now I'm using a virtual Mesa Boogie with the preamp switch set to Low, preamp level at 3/4 and Master at 2/3. Bass, middle, and presence are almost all the way up and treble is almost all the way down.
I look forward to hearing any suggestions in this direction myself. Good luck.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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.>>>...What kind(s) of amp and effects do you have now? ...>>>
Just now I tried playing through a 15 watt Fender Rumble bass amp. This gives quite a good clean tone. The pickups on the Aria are not labeled - their own make, I presume. I am getting a rather nice clean tone with this combination. Clean is mostly what I do, and am not looking for a great deal of processing. I like Carlos' tone a lot, but that does not mean I want to copy him.
I downloaded the ARADAZ amp and it looks like it will get the job done. At least I will get a chance to try different combinations and see what they do.
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When attaching magnetic guitar pickups like the humbuckers in that 335 clone to a computer soundcard, it is very important to get the proper impedance matching device made for guitar pickup input.
Not all 1/4" holes are truly high impedance. This is especially true for mixers, which also typically don't have the gain as well.
Just because you can hear the guitar does not necessarily mean that the impedance is matched correctly.
Use of a mic preamp that has a real high impedance (1megohm or greater, or at least about 250,000 ohms, NOT the typical 10K line impedance) input is advised, especially when wishing to use guitar amp simulators. This can make a big difference in the tone you get, because the lower impedance inputs will load the pickups down and change the EQ and response -- a lot.
--Mac
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Buy the latest Computer Music (August) and you'll get Guitar Rig LE on the DVD for free! I looked inside the mag and the LE is surprisingly loaded with what I personally consider essentials (compressor, overdrive, distortion, chorus, and others). I have the full version, myself, but I think I'd probably be plenty happy with just the LE. The mag's only $15. It may be one of the best freebies they've ever had. Two other sites I don't think were mentioned that you might want to check out: http://www.acmebargig.com/http://www.auraplug.com/
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>>>...When attaching magnetic guitar pickups like the humbuckers in that 335 clone to a computer soundcard, it is very important to get the proper impedance matching device made for guitar pickup input...>>>>
I have been using an old Shure M68. Each input has line in and XLR. Will it work for guitar?
I also have a Whirlwind Director Direct box with no batteries.
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"I also have a Whirlwind Director Direct box with no batteries."
Note - It won't work without batteries (or a power supply)
..just thought I'd point out the obvious! Sounds like soundcheck on any given night -"I have a Direct box with no batteries."
When I play usually use either a GMX210 amp or a digitech RP processor most of the time. They sound very good to me for what I do. Of course when I need a real guitar recorded I usually play my 'phone a friend' card..
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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...or....
The bass amp has a stereo headphones out. How about if I get a clean tone from the amp and run the amp's phone out into the soundcard AUX?
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No,no...I mean...Its supposed to not have batteries. There is no place to put a battery. Is passive DI...
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There are two kinds of passive DI boxes.
One is designed for Line Level input, the other for high impedance guitar input.
If you have the latter, safe to use it but plug its output into your soundcard's Line Input.
Yes, you could use the Bass Amp with headphone as Line Out into the soundcard's Line In, too. This actually might be desirable as you can dial in the level very accurately. Just try to set the EQ for a flat setup so that the plugin will be able to make the simulator sound like it is supposed to sound. Bass amps typically roll off one octave lower than guitar amps, be aware of that.
--Mac
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>>>...Bass amps typically roll off one octave lower than guitar amps, be aware of that....>>>
Will this give a clean and fat sound? That's what I like...
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Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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The Fender Bassman is considered a desirable guitar amp, although it does have a channel specified as "Bright." Depending on how I used mine, it did give a very fat, clean sound with both LP and Strat-type guitars. I sometimes chained the two channels to get the best of both, i.e., fat bottom and piercing highs. (As I mentioned earlier, I roll off the highs a bunch when going after that Santana sound.) You're just gonna have to play with your bass amp to see whether you get a sound you like--but I bet you will.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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>>>...The Fender Bassman is considered a desirable guitar amp...>>>
Yeah, I had heard that. That's why I tried it. I got the amp in a trade for nearly nothing, and it has been in the closet, mostly. The more I play with it the more I like it.
I am not an electric guitar player by any means, so there is lots in the area of tone production for me to explore.
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Quote:
Buy the latest Computer Music (August) and you'll get Guitar Rig LE on the DVD for free! I looked inside the mag and the LE is surprisingly loaded with what I personally consider essentials (compressor, overdrive, distortion, chorus, and others). I have the full version, myself, but I think I'd probably be plenty happy with just the LE. The mag's only $15. It may be one of the best freebies they've ever had.
Two other sites I don't think were mentioned that you might want to check out:
http://www.acmebargig.com/
http://www.auraplug.com/
+1 for this recommendation for the Guitar Rig LE.
A couple things make me suggest this for you - which you have commented on. As long as you are getting the signal into your computer properly (see Mac's recommendations), the software is what you are interested in needs to be simple to get to the usable tone you are looking for.
1. You stated you didn't need a myriad of options. These LE versions are exactly that.
2. You stated you are not a guitar player. You don't have a built-in opinion of what kind of signal chains etc. are 'best' for getting your tone. Just use some of the presets on this thing and you are going to be amazed.
You get Guitar Rig LE and it's going to be light on your CPU - that's a key for listening to what the tone sounds like WHILE YOU PLAY. That is critical for amp simulation. You can't deal with the CPU getting bogged down with calculations to give you feedback.
If you were a regular guitar player, then you would have some idea of how to connect up compressor, EQ, pre-amp, amp, cabinet selection, EQ, delay, chorus, reverb, etc.
You are going to get access to this at minimum: Enjoy amp emulations of the Marshall JCM800, Fender Twin Reverb and Ampeg VT-40, along with 12 speaker cabinets, 12 effects, and more!
That's going to be more than enough for you to go with. In fact, I'm stopping at B&N on the way home today to get my copy.
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what I was cautioning about is that he wants to use a guitar amp cap simulator plugin. Be careful about that octave lower rolloff in this particular situation. Don't know if it will be better or worse, but best to be advised of the situation. It would be like putting that Bassman through another amp, an impossible situation in the real to accomplish from patchcord to speaker to input of the next amp and still include all of the ramifications imparted by what the speaker does in the air.
Just avoid "mud" I guess...
--Mac
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Bought my copy of Computer Music today - will report back in a few days with some examples posted. If Guitar Rig 3 LE works 1/2 as good as Amplitube 1 LE, I will be a happy man.
Mac, I'm totally in line with your recommendations and warnings.
Wish I had a Bassman just sitting around for free!
Flatfoot - what soundcard did you say you have?
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Update - well it took about 3 different e-mail steps with NI to get the guitar rig LE registered, I can say that this thing is quite nice. Much more capable than Amplitube LE with flexible signal routing, 3 amps - very classic ones at that, many more cabinet simulations, simulated mic placement, decent effects, metronome, 'tape decks' for practicing with, standalone version (you could play-out with this thing, a laptop, and a PA)
Worth every cent of my $15.
Messed around all evening with it after getting it registered. Pretty light on the CPU.
Some very well-known presets that are quite authentic. Lots of 'Stevie' presets, an Angus preset, etc.
-Scott
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>>>...Flatfoot - what soundcard did you say you have?...>>>
It an Audigy.
>>>... I can say that this thing is quite nice. Much more capable than...>>>
I am pretty sure I would be happy with 4 or 5 usable presets. Of course that doesnt mean I wont be up all night seeing what it will do...
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