Guitar Amp Simulator Guitar Rig – Neural DSP etc.

[Cliff R]

Hi everybody, I’ve been interested in and/or playing guitar (and just recently also the Baritone Ukulele) my whole adult life (pushin 70 now) and would be interested in setting up some kind of an Amp Simulator like Guitar Rig etc. etc. (for home use) on the PC. But I have absolutely no idea where to start, how to set it up and use it or anything else. Can anybody out there steer me towar some kind of a thorough tutorial about jus how to get all up and running with that kind of software? I’s really appreciate any tips and/or suggestions! Thank You Very Much!

[sunjamr]

Welcome Cliff – I’m also a fan of baritone ukes. Being tuned same as a guitar, they are a great way to work on those triads all up and down the neck.

To answer your question, it would be good to know what kind of gear you have so far. Is your PC an Apple? If it is, it already has an amp simulator built in: GarageBand. If not, you might want to look at getting a PC-friendly DAW like Ableton Lite or Reaper. They can both do amp simulations.

The other question is, do you have studio monitors for your PC? Otherwise, why would you want to run an amp simulator on a PC?

Why couldn’t you just buy a modeling amp? My Blackstar amp has about a dozen amp simulation modes, in addition to a huge collection of other effects like tone, reverb, delay, distortion, flanger, etc etc. In the end, I found that the differences between amp simulations paled into insignificance compared the use of equalizers and effects.

Sunjamr Steve

[Cliff R]

Hey Steve, Thanks so much for the reply! Which probably will do a lot in convincing me to give up this idea. I’m actually pretty happy with my setup and gear the way it is. But (I’m sure you know the feeling) was thinking there might be something I haven’t tried yet that will “Hit the Ball Out of the Park” or something similar. I’ve seen SO many You Tubers using and praising these things. But….do I really NEED it? My setup right now is something like this: I have a Peavey Classic 30, which is WAY too loud and powerful for the apartment. So I looked around, did a lot of researching and comparing, then finally decided on a Yamaha THR10C, which I am still very happy with. It has a pretty darn good tone at low levels and, like you were saying, quite a few options, effects and what not. And when I want to get loud, I got a pair of Sennheiser HD25 Headphones! The THR is also hooked up to the PC, which makes playing to backing tracks etc. a lot of fun and the sound quality is very good. Because I have been digitalizing a lot of LP’s lately I got Audacity on the PC as well, which I haven’t tried redcoring with yet, but shouldn’t be a problem. I just got a new guitar recently, one that I have had my eye on for a pretty long time and maybe that had something to do with me thinking about an Amp Simulator. I absolutely LOVE this giuitar though!!! Unlike anything I’ve played so far and I would recommend to everybody I know at least giving one of these a try. It’s a B&G Little Sister Cutaway with slotted headstock and P90’s. You’re absolutely right about the UKE! Opens up all kinds of new Ideas, possiblilities, and ways of looking at the guitar, and vise versa. And it’s small, easy to hold and play, and just a BARREL of FUN!!! I really do appreciate your chimimg in Steve, Take Care and have a very nice weekend! P.S. I’ll be sticking with what I’ve got for now, but it was nice talikn about it! Thanks!

[sunjamr]

Sounds like you have a good collection of gear already. But what about recording yourself? As you can see, many of us AM members make videos of ourselves playing and post them here on the forum. In fact, the majority of posts now days are in the “Showcase your playing” category. I was a member for about a year before I ever decided to try to record myself, but after I did, my playing skills went up dramatically. It forces you to look and listen to your playing critically, so you can clearly see what areas need improvement. In the end, you won’t be able to make decent recordings unless you delve into the world of DAWs. Then you have to learn to sync the video (shot from your smartphone) with the audio (the MP3 output from your DAW). So much to learn, so little time…..

Sunjamr Steve

[Cliff R]

Hey Steve, thanks for all the positive ideas and input! I dabbled in some recording stuff back in the 80’s, with Cassettes and even reel to reel, but never felt really comfortable with any of it. Especially now, with all the digital stuff! I have to admit, I get pretty overwhelmed just thinking about it. I wouldn’t even know where to start! I have thought about doing something with the B. Ukulele though, because lately I just feel so much more comfortable with it, mostly because I’ve been having problems with my hands. AND…it seems to be VERY neglected as far as YT goes. Maybe one of these days. I would like to turn you on to a YT video though that was one of the very first tunes I transposed from the Guitar to the Uke that really made me realize what all is possible on the Uke, as far as Chord Melody kind of stuff goes (my favorite with the Uke). “Show Me The Way To Go Home” in A, from David Broad. Here’s the Link:

This has, in my opinion, some real interesting chord changes, and the Tune has a lot of sentimental value to me. It was a LOT of fun working up a version for the Uke, and I must admit, it turned out extremely well and is a LOT of fun to play! It is also very doable and workable with the Uke. Another couple of my favorites for the B. Uke I can highly recommend would be “Rocking Chair” from Jerry Garcia and David Grisman in C (I know it originally from the Mills Brothers) and “Daddy’s Little Girl”, also from the Mills Brothers. I’ve got about 30 or so tunes worked out on the Uke so far and it has become my “Go To” instrument of choice. Then, when I really like it I’ll work it out on the Guitar. The latest ones right now are “Lonesome Town” in G, “If You Knew” from Leon Redbone, “Lovesick Blues” from Madeleine Peyroux and “King Kong Goes to Hollywod” (a very intersting progression) in D (which is actually a really good key for the Uke). All kind of Blues stuff in A is also a LOT of fun and very workable on the UKe. One of my favorize platforms being the 8 bar Blues in A, like “Key To The Highway” which works out VERY well! Take Care and Happy Pickin! Cliff

[sunjamr]

Very cool, Cliff! Now the world needs to see more of your recordings. Plus – unlike most of us AM members – you can actually sing.

Sunjamr Steve

[Cliff R]

Hey Steve, just wanted to make sure there was no misunderstanding, that’s David Broad in the video. I just wanted you to see this because it’s the version I was referring to when I worked it out on the Uke. But on another “Note” yes, I have actually been told I can sing!

[Cliff R]

Hey Steve, just wanted to make sure there was no misunderstanding, that’s David Broad in the video. I just wanted you to see this because it’s the version I was referring to when I worked it out on the Uke. But on another “Note” yes, I have actually been told I can sing! P.S. I got the name of one of those Tunes wrong that I worked out on the Uke, it’s called “King Kong Goes To Tallahassee” (not Hollywood) from Bruce Cogburn. The first time I ever heard it though was from Josh Turner.

[Richard W]

Hey Cliff,

Using an amp sim plugin on your computer is a perfectly viable way to go. You can get great results these days with that approach. This article has a diagram that shows the basics of the required setup.

How to use your PC as a guitar amp – an illustrated guide

In addition to the plugin software itself, the main pieces of equipment you need are an audio interface and either a pair of headphones or a pair of studio monitors (or both). For an audio interface, the Scarlet 2i2 is kind of a de facto standard intro unit. More than good enough. For studio monitors, unless you really want to crank it or have a big room to fill, a pair of 5” monitors will work well. Something like the Yamaha HS5. You can get cheaper ones, but I know those are very good, and the speakers are probably the most important part of the puzzle for good sound quality.

You can find a ton of reviews for plugins, but the Neural DSP plugins are certainly very good. I have a couple of them myself.

The above setup can be used to play standalone or play along with backing tracks. But the other key benefit, and probably the main use for most people, is that they make it very easy to record yourself and get great results.

Good luck!

Richard

[Cliff R]

Hey Richard,

Thank you so much for writing, all the information, and the link! I will definitely check that article out and hopefully get a better understanding about what all is needed, how to set everything up, and actually use it! I’m still kind of on the fence about this. I really appreciate your input Richard and I’m sure this will be helpful in making some kind of a decision. I’ll chime in again when I’ve checked everything out! Thanks again!

Cliff

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