Mar 11 2011

Guitar Amp Modeling and Computers!

Super Kick Axe Edition!

The picture above is one example to hook your guitar up to your computer, this one is using a preamp tube type DI interface into the LINE IN on the laptop or desktop, then LINE OUT to your amp or studio monitor speakers.


Methods for playing live or recording guitar on your computer:

  • The best method for recording guitar to computer is to use a pre-amplified device with a digital output. You can find devices with USB, Firewire, and Optical outputs. You’ll need to ensure that your computer has an input port that is compatible (nearly all computers now have USB, many have Firewire, and the latest multi-media systems include Optical I/O ports. Search for products with “Digital S/PDIF”). You’ll benefit from near zero latency, great sound, multiple channels, lots of control over the quality of signal. Plus, many of these products ship with software for recording, effects processing, and amplifier simulation. Check the specs and make sure you choose the best option for you the musician and your computer setup.

USB 2.0 Audio Interfaces:

Line 6 UX-2

Line 6 Pod Studio Kb 37

The built in midi keyboard is a great way to key in some backing drums and other VSTi instruments into your mixes.

37-key MIDI Controller with Built-in USB Audio

AKAI Professional EIE Pro! (New) 2012

New 2012

Direct Input Box:

Radial JDI

The Radial JDI – is considered by many to be the world’s finest direct box. It is a passive DI that employs a Jensen isolation transformer for optimum audio performance offering outstanding linearity at all frequencies, combined with extraordinary level handling without introducing distortion. Being completely passive, the plug & play JDI does not require any powering and has the unique advantage of eliminating 60-cycle ground loops. This makes the JDI a definite favorite with informed audio engineers. The JDI is great for guitars, bass, and keyboards and is particularly adept with high-output, broadband instruments such as active instruments and digital keyboards. The JDI may be rack-mounted using the J-Rak and is also available in a stereo (2-channel) version called the JDI Duplex and the 6-channel rack-mountable JD6.

  • Products range from all-in-one cable devices to powerful systems that produce crisp, clean sound when recording guitar. You can see samples of popular interfaces at Musicians Friend and Sweetwater Sound.

Firewire Digital audio recording Interface’s:

PreSonus Firestudio Mobile

Check this PDF from PreSonus for compatibility with Firewire ports on your computers and laptops!

New Audio interfaces are released all the time. This list is created to give you an idea of what is available, and to compare specs on what type of setup is right for your particular situation. PA systems, Mixers and other internal audio cards are also alternatives for setting up a PC home recording studio. The focus here is for guitar live monitoring and recording.

Standalone Guitar FX or with computer:

Digidesign Eleven

Fractal Axe Fx-2

Behringer Programmable Guitar Midi Pedal Controller:

IK Multimedia Stealth Pedal

  • The Behringer fcb 10101 shown above is also worth mentioning to control all your VSTs with a programmable foot controller instead of using the mouse. Many Standalone VSTs like the Waves GTR, IK Multimedia Amplitube and NI Guitar Rig 4 sell their own products with the software but tend to be over expensive! I recommend checking out the Behringer fcb 10101 for an all around solution at a fair price of $110.00 US dollars. Although it can be a pain to program!
  • The IK Multimedia Stealth Pedal – Great option heard nothing but good things about it.
  • Build your own pedals if you are electronically tech savvy. Here is the AMZ-FX blog on the subject of DIY Guitar fx pedals.
  • The Rig Control pedal from NI is plug and play with the NI Guitar Studio 4, so if you use Guitar Rig most of the time consider the extra cost worth it in the end!

Guitar Rig Kontrol 1 and 2 pedals

Amp modeling Software, Vst Plugins and tools for Playing live or recording thru your Pc desktop or laptop:

  • DAW (digital Audio Workstations) Wiki definition – The computer acts as a host for the sound card and software and provides processing power for audio editing. The sound card acts as an audio interface, typically converting analog audio signals into digital form, and may also assist in processing audio, and for playback converting digital to analog audio. The software controls the two hardware components and provides a user interface to allow for recording, editing, and playback. Most computer-based DAWs have extensive MIDI recording, editing, and playback capabilities. Some even have minor video-related features.

Guitar Digital Audio Workstation Host Interfaces:

  • Cockos Reaper – Shown in above pic is an all around excellent lightweight DAW for guitar and other music production.
  • Mackie Traction3 – Great software very low cpu usage.
  • Magix Sequoia – Especially suited to media and post-production, broadcasting, and mastering. A high-end DAW includes new features like the „Multi-synchronus editing (Cons: Expensive).
  • Maizesoft Air Rack – AirRack is a Free live environment for those who make sound effects for TV program and other live performance. ( Possible to use this as a Guitar host for VSTs).
  • Ableton Live – Nice DAW with many features.
  • Presonus1 studio – New DAW with great feedback from users.
  • Chainer is a multi-effect and multi-instrument rack for musicians and sound designers. It’s a VST host that runs as a standalone application, VST effect and VST instrument.
  • Cubase5 – Excellent though expensive its a top of the line product like ProTools.
  • Cakewalk – Another expensive but top quality product.
  • Kristal – Good and lightweight DAW for guitars and other. (Free)
  • Audicity – Another good free DAW (Free)
  • JavaDAW – Windows with ASIO and VST compatibility! At 1.6MB for the compiled executable it’s on of the smallest DAWs and free.
  • Savihost – Turns any vst into a standalone app.
  • Fruity Loops – Great for electronic type music but can be good for guitars too.
  • Live Professor – is designed to be a effect rack of VST-plugins. We have designed it specifically with live sound in mind.The concept is very simple. Using a ASIO audio card you can route inputs and outputs through your VST-plugins.The program supports snapshots, MIDI and both VST-effects and VST-instrument.

Guitar Amp Impulse Responses:

Redwires Impulses

What are impulses? -  Wiki and Wiki2 – a non in depth explanation, is that using impulses lets you simulate cabinets. Its actually an emulation of everything past the pre-amp. How they are made , what is important, is how we can use them to get a pretty savage sound straight from DI’ing your guitar. More impulses are listed below.

  • Free Impulse Responses – Free impulse responses listing of thousands.
  • Signals – This guy rents mesa boogie amps and creates impulses for everyone to enjoy for FREE.
  • GuitarHacksImpulses download full pack. FREE
  • Metallica IR Impulses – Free
  • ToneVampire 2.0 – ToneVampIRe impulse response collection. These are impulses of classic or imo even legendary guitar tones of famous bands. I have created a method to capture these tones “direct off” the CD or mp3 or whatever they are taken from. When you load ‘em up in your IR plugin you get a “premixed” tone – so there’s no need for “heavy” EQing. Because these IRs are captures of the song’s frequency spectrum, there is especially no need for high- or lowpass filtering. Note: You need to register with guitarampmodeling forum in order to be able to download the file!
  • Recabinet 2 and 3 – includes the entire Recabinet Modern and Recabinet Vintage libraries, for a total of nearly 2000 impulse responses of cabinets and microphones spanning the 1950s to the present day. The entire 2.0 library was sampled at Fox Force Five Recorders in Los Angeles using a pristine analog signal path into world class A-D converters (API 3124 mic preamps into Apogee Rosetta converters.) See this post for a faq on impulses.

See this post at Guitar Amp Modeling Forum for more!

Impulse Response loaders:

Commercial Amp Modeling Vst and Effects:

NEW Amplitube 3 2012

Orange Amps Tiny Terror shown

Orange Amps AD-30TC

Soldano SLO-100

  • Digidesign Eleven – Protools finest amp simulator expensive but they do have a free model if you own pro-tools and compatible hardware like the Maudio Mini.
  • Amplitube 3 – Contains over 160 pieces of gear, more than double the amount of other packages, including models from the most sought-after vintage collections and modern day workhorses. You’ll get 51 individual stompboxes and effects, 31 amplifier preamp & power sections, 46 speaker cabinet models, 15 high end stage and studio mics, and 17 post amp rack effects. Also check out Amplitube Metal, Amplitube Fender, Amplitube Jimi Hindrix, and Amplitube X-Gear.  The 2012 update added some great amps, cabs and fx. Visit the custom shop online for purchasing even more gear!
  • Guitar Rig Pro 5 – is a professional guitar studio for your computer. Authentic emulations of amps, cabinets, and effects deliver massive tone-shaping potential. Plus, GUITAR RIG 4 is an amazing effects processor for any sound source. Native Instrument Guitar Combos – Also from Native Instruments focusing on 60s 70s and other vintage equipment.
  • Peavey Revalver MKIII.V – Peavey ReValver™ MK III models 15 of the world’s most popular guitar amplifiers, including models of Peavey 6505®, JSX®, Classic®, ValveKing® and Triple XXX® amps, through an exclusive algorithm that analyzes the interactions of the components on the circuit level, based on the amps’ original schematics. By controlling these amplifier models from the component level, ReValver is able to model every nuance with amazing accuracy. ReValver MK III also features a robust stomp-box and effects section including various types of chorus, distortion, wah, tremolo, compression, limiter, delay, octaver and much more. A new FFT-based convolution reverb allows for very complex and smooth reverbs, including sampled spring reverb.
  • StudioDevil – StudioDevil delivers superior tube amp tone and feel. Very good sound with this one.
  • Overloud TH1 – 10 Amplifiers, 21 Cabinets, 18 Microphones: choice of Dynamic, Ribbon and Condenser, 65 stomp boxes, pedals and rack effects and more.
  • VandalAmp- Vandal also offers detailed effects and stomp boxes (several overdrive and distortion effects, different compressor effects, EQ, chorus, phaser, wah-wah, delay, reverb, lo-fi and many more) and advanced microphone settings in an easy-to-use interface that lets you forget that you are using a software amplification.
  • WavesGTR3 – With 6 new modeled amps (Carvin®, Ibanez®, and more) plus 7 new cabs from Grammy winning guitar expert Neil Citron (Steve Vai, Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton), GTR3 is literally exploding with sound!
  • AudioEase Cabinet - The effects you hear in Cabinet are convolution based and rely upon actual samples made of the speaker cabinets shown, a spring reverb and a top class recording studio live room. Cabinet and the 33 cabinets in its mother plug-in Speakerphone provide the ultimate real-world sounding final stage of your guitar tone: the speaker cabinet within a good studio live space.
  • AudioEasy Speakerphone 2 – Nice emulation of rotary speakers and Mesa boogie amp. Also alot more!
  • Ampfire - New product 2010 AmpFire is a special VST effect designed for metal guitar players.
  • Softube Metal Amp Room – Metal Amp Room was designed to bring you the most brutal, evil and aggressive sound that is possible to squeeze out of your DAW.  Other products also available from softtube like Vintage Amp room. Softube trident A-range – A very Nice Eq.
  • Fractal Axe FX – The Axe-Fx is a breakthrough guitar amp simulator and studio effects processor.  Unprecedented computing power is dedicated to driving its highly detailed algorithms which deliver the sound and feel of real tube amps as well as a suite of breathtaking, world-class effects.  The unit’s rugged 2 RU steel chassis is designed to easily withstand the demands of touring and comes equipped with all the essential professional I/O options.
  • Nomad Factory Rock Amp Legends – Amp Simulator (various British and American Rock Amp Models)
  • MellowHead – There are 11 pre-amp settings, ranging from clean to brutal distortion, zero latency speaker cab convolution, a 4 band tone stack, 5 effects pedals, reverb, built in tuner and noise gate. Everything you need to create killer guitar tracks.
  • DSound GT Player 2.5 is a Audio Utility product from dsound1.com, This guitar amp simulation and effects solution works both as a real-time stand-alone application.
  • Izotope Trash – Complete Amp, Cabinet and Stomp Box modeling tool.
  • Dammit Distortion – is a guitar distortion processor available as VST plugin for Windows and as Audio Unit for Mac. It is only intended for heavy metal sounds and specifically tries to recreate the quite legendary guitar sound on Metallica black album.
  • Kuassa – Amplifacation One amp modeling suite.
  • IRig – IPhone plugin and cable to hook your guitar up on the go.
  • Elysia – Awesome compressor.
  • Audiffex – Tone and effects.
  • Flying Haggis – is a great sounding, expressive virtual guitar amp with a no-nonsense design and a character all of its own. Rather than follow the current trend of simulating existing hardware.
  • Focusrite – Guitar FX Suite.
  • Mc DSP Chrome Tone brings the world of custom guitar amps, boutique outboard gear, and pedal effects inside your audio workstation.
  • JamVox – JamVOX gives guitarists instant access to dozens of legendary amps and effects all in one easy to use “drag and drop” software interface.
  • Plektron – Guitar Amp is a amplifier simulator and multi-fx for guitar and bass, but not only.It is not inspired by physical and real instruments, but it is made for give a unique and original vibe to your creations.Featuring 7 different amplifiers from clean to distorted sound, multi-cabinets, mic simulation, full MIDI controls and more than 20 real-time effects, it can be used as VST plugin or StandAlone.

Free Amp modeling Vst and Effects:

  • Acmebargig – Outstanding work from these guys and they are all FREE except for the NEW Shred Suite 2 coming soon! Shred suite 1.6 is still FREE to download!
  • Studio Devil British Valve Custom – is a FREE guitar amp modeling and audio effects plug-in for use with VST, AudioUnits, and ProTools RTAS compatible hosts running on both Mac and Windows platforms.
  • TSE Plugins – X30 High-Gain Guitar amplifier emulates the Engle original perfectly.
  • Antress Plugins – Many vst plugins and all are free.
  • Solo C by LePou – Great Free amp. LE456 (Engl Preamp sim)
  • Nick Crows 8505, 7170 – Excellent Tube Amp simulation.
  • Arcadaz Plugins – Arcadaz Green Amp is really nice sounding for metal and hard rock.
  • BootEQmkII and Tessla plugins – All these vst plugins are top notch and free.
  • GVST GduckDly – a great, easy to use ducking delay plugin.
  • Slego - Overlouds freebie.
  • Simulanalog Guitar Suite – Classic Marshall JCM900 Dual Reverb (Guitar amplifier), Fender Twin 1969 (Guitar amplifier) and some stomps.
  • Juicy77 – With separate preamplifier and power amplifier sections and a loudspeaker cabinet simulator section that includes seven classical cabinet types, Juicy77 modestly delivers instant gratification to musicians who are looking for the ultimate high gain experience. One of my personal favorites.
  • TS Secret808 – Authentic recreation of the exact sound and feel of the legendary vintage overdrive pedal (Tube Screamer)
  • Voxengo Boogex – Boogex is able to apply any speaker cabinet impulse response (selection of built-in impulses is available).  Processing latency is very modest – 96 samples (2.1 ms at 44.1kHz).  Boogex comes with several example factory presets. Alternative impulse loaders Kifr and Sir.
  • Extremist – “Extremist” is a VST multi-effect plugin for guitars on Windows OS. It’s main purpose is distorting guitar signal to receive ‘extremely heavy sound’. This effect is NOT a tube amplifier simulator, and it is NOT a cabinet simulator, however some methods of altering signal are similar to tube amplification characteristics, but only similar! The effect works in stereo mode, without any latency. It uses 15-band stereo equalizer.
  • MDA Free Plugins – MDA’s freeware Combo plug-in seems spartan compared with the other big-ticket simulators; it has no GUI, no presets, and a limited number of adjustable parameters. Perhaps because of its inauspicious appearance, dont let that fool ya its got some nice tones.
  • Aura plugs free Redskull – An excellent go to distortion pedal VST  plugin. Also check out California sun, Fuzzstone, WhamDrive Distortion, Eddie Vs Heaven.
  • Dirthead – Dirthead is available as a freeware vst plugin for windows and can be used in every host application that supports vst plugins. Tube amp emulation.
  • Rubytube- RubyTube simulates tube preamps for those that can’t forget. If you are missing that subtle sparkling and compression that you get when using ancient audio equipment, RubyTube might be something for you. And like many other good things in life, RubyTube is free.
  • TubeBaby is a digital simulation of a tube guitar amplifier. As such it features the standard controls found on a real amplifier, namely gain, bass, mid, treble, presence, master and a switch for activating the high gain mode of the preamp stage. The latest version also features a menu that lets you choose between three amplifier types, five cabinet emulations and the amount of high frequency passing through the power amp section. The menu can be accessed by clicking on the TUBEBABY logo in the upper left corner of the plugin.
  • Heeb CrunchDude – a very simple, yet effective guitar amplifier emulation.
  • X-Amp Project – Complete package of these free vst plugins.
  • Mokafix Metal clone – Guitar metal distortion stompbox emulation.
  • SimpleVst – Nice collection of free stuff and links.
  • RunBeerRun free guitar Vst.
  • Coyote Wah – Coyote Wah is a VST plugin that implements high-quality sweeping resonant-filter (wah-wah) effects. Advanced audio processing algorithms produce a very clean output, free of artifacts.
  • Ronald Passion – A collection of some great free vst plugins.
  • Nemstools – a bunch of free stomps stand alone only.
  • Kammerl Audio – Vst Plugins effects pedals.
  • EFM – Stomps collection.
  • X-wave – Distortion tuner pedal.
  • TAL-Tube – Great plugins.
  • RetroSampling plugs – Collection of stomps.
  • Distortion M Plus -  It’s a multiband distortion plug-in system, that allows you to control the distortion effect for your sound.
  • Antress Modern Plugins – All these are free.
  • Tin Brookes plugins – Limiter, saturated driver.
  • MusicCrow – Preamp Emulator.
  • BetaBugs – FX
  • Redstair – Treble enhancer, Filter and Overdrive.
  • Fretted Synth – FreeAmp 3.5
  • Studio Devil BVC – Free version of the fine British amp.
  • Amplitube X-Gear Free – Free version of the Amplitube X-Gear.
  • KuassaAmpone – Amplifacation One amp modeling Lite Edition Free.
  • California Sun – Is a classic guitar combo amplifier simulator with two channels (Clean and Dirty). This is an amp modeler, which mimics a Mesa style amp. Four knobs, Level, Low, High, and Drive. It’s very easy to use.
  • Air Windows – Several VST plugins for FREE.
  • Saro is a tube distortion effect with cabinet modeling. It’s based on AX-84 High Octane guitar amp. Only the preamp part is modeled. There is also no EQ (yet). Don’t expect Fender-style creamy warmth – Saro goes for full-on crunch (or insanity with high drive settings)
  • AudioDamage – Fuzz plus 2 is free.
  • Brackenbury Amplifier is based off of The Brackenbury-1 TubeAmplifier designed by former Thomas Organs and Wersi designer Chris Brackenbury in the early 90’s.Featuring drive, volume, delay and all of the other controls found on regular amplifiers, the Brackenbury Amp also features a unique sweepable EQ system, to create interesting new sounds. The Brackenbury Amp also comes with a collection of great presets, with everything from Seventies acid-rock sounds to clean Jazz guitar.
  • Massy Plugins THC – THC is a highly accurate analog-modeled distortion pedal. THC delivers true analog-like sonic quality. THC can be used to dirty up any audio material — try it on vocals, organ, drums, and, of course, guitar.
  • Cortex Guitar Amp is a vst that has long been out of development, In fact the creators website no longer exists. It was made to have it’s own unique sound instead of trying to emulate any particular amp.
  • RevolutionZ – All kinds of guitar toys. (The RevolutionZ Amp is incredible sounding for a free Amp Vst) and free!
  • Soulforce – Simple distortion plug.
  • Tda Tention – The DT 424 is a distortion plugin with separate high- and low frequency distortion, controllable using the threshold settings, pre- and post gain. The 4-band equalizer modifies the distorted sound additionally.
  • Twisted Lemon – The Flybaby is a digital model of the legendary Crybaby from Jim Dunlop. A guitar effect made famous by Jimi Hendrix.This VST effect is created with impulse responses from this fine product.
  • JamVox – JamVOX gives guitarists instant access to dozens of legendary amps and effects all in one easy to use “drag and drop” software interface.
  • BlueCatAudio – Big list of VSTs some free most are not.
  • LePou Plugins Lecto – Free plugins.
  • Ignite Amps NRR1 – The plugin is released by Ignite Amps, it was fully coded in C++ and spent 11 months in development. Its concept is loosely based on a Soldano X88R guitar amp, although NRR1 has some unique features and is not meant to be an emulation.
  • Poulin HyBrit Series is a collection of three plug-ins that feature a hybrid amp model based on two famous British amps. The plug-ins include a “PLS channel” that is a hybrid of the two (tweaked) channels (Normal and Treble) of the real thing. Both channels are actually processed and the mix of the two signals can be adjusted through the PLS MIX knob. Another channel, MCJ, is also a tweaked version of the real thing.
  • Lecab2 – Great for loading impulses.
  • NoAmp – is based on a famous stomp box that made life easier for many guitar players and gained much popularity for its sound quality, versatility and ease of use.
  • ToneBytes Pedals – Celebrating the second anniversary ToneBytes decided to release this product for free!

Best Guitar Distortion Plugins VST:

  • Auraplug Redskull -  FREE Red Skull plug-in is an aggressive high-gain distortion pedal simulator with unbelievably chunky metal tones for playing Nu Metal, Grind Core, Hard Core, Trash Metal or any genre that requires crushing sound. The tone section gives you complete control over Bass, Midrange, and Treble to get the ultimate chunk for your virtual rig.
  • Wampler – Cranked AC Free Overdrive – Distortion pedal.
  • Roktion 808 – is an all purpose stereo distortion unit capable of “subtle mellow overdrive to full face peeling distortion”. It utilizes 3 gain stages of which 2 of the primary stages allow you to shape your sound. Just like its hardware friends, it includes an input buffer to clean the incoming signal and prepare it for the gain staging.
  • Metal Clone -  Freeh VST effect is an emulation of one of the most popular distortion pedal. It is definitely oriented towards rough, sharp metal tones.
  • Izotope Trash -  Izotope Trash is the ultimate tool for selectively adding distortion to your tracks. ($200.00)
  • Dammit Distortion – Mason software Dammit Distortion is a guitar distortion processor available as VST plugin for Windows and as Audio Unit for Mac. It is only intended for heavy metal sounds and specifically tries to recreate the quite legendary guitar sound on Metallicas black album.
  • Voxengo boogex – Boogex is a guitar amplifier VST plugin with a variety of sound shaping features.  With Boogex it is possible to get a heavy distorted sound as well as light overdrive sound.
  • FuzzPlus2.2 is the current version of our popular free Fuzz+ plug-in. The basis of the plug-in is a transform model of a famous vintage fuzz pedal.
  • Distroyr is a free stereo distortion VST effect which features a range of different algorithms that effect and generally distort the incoming audio. Depending on the settings you can have analog sounding warmth to your sound to very heavy clipped and crushed sounds. There are a total of 7 different distortion processes.
  • NastyShaper – This plugin will distort your audio subtly or to the extreme!
  • TriDirt is a stereo 3-band distortion VST plugin. Features:  Adjustable crossover frequencies with linked knobs. 7 different waveshapers for variety of sounds. Post filtering option (PF) applies low pass filtering at first and second band. Balance control applied before waveshaping for wide stereo effects. All bands and post filtering don’t use processing power when inactive.
  • OhmBoys Predatohm – Need a little more body? Tweak the compressor/limiter knobs to shape your sound to perfection. Not content with the bone crushing power packed into these four claws, we have also given you tone controls, a monster stereo widener and a particularly vicious feedback generator. Slip it off the leash to add some harmonic warmth to your tone, but be careful. This beast may be caged, but it certainly ain’t tame!
  • Delta Force – FREE audio is crunched and mangled through our custom distortion units. With 12 distortion types, ranging from soft shaping to nasty destruction, you can be sure of finding the right distortion.
  • Cyanide 2 – Distortion.
  • TS’ Secret is a vintage overdrive effect plug-in. Tube Screamer’s Secret.
  • Agares RackA3 – VST effects are a dime a dozen.  High quality VST effects are not.  High quality FREEWARE VST effects are rarer. (Includes DistortA3Vst.)
  • Ignite Amps – is a digital emulation of an overdrive pedal for guitar. It has been developed to accurately model its real hardware counterpart, built for Subhuman guitarists Matteo Buti and Elia Murgia by Ignite Amps in 2010.

Other Guitar Effects:

  • Sumo is an effect plugin to make any sound as fat as you like. It’s good for fattening up leads and basses. (Exiter/Enhancer)
  • Ignite Amps TS-999 “SubScreamer” – Inspired by the most famous green overdrive pedal (version 808), based on the real pedal built by Ignite Amps for the italian thrashers Subhuman!
  • Voxengo Elephant – Elephant is a highly competitive plug-in for mastering applications: it features a variety of limiter modes that can be deeply customized, and a comprehensive set of level metering tools, including headroom estimation and K-metering.  Elephant’s built-in linear-phase oversampling is an important element in achieving high-quality peak limiting and loudness maximization
  • Provoker gives you one giant knob used to push a track right to the front of a mix. Vocals need more focus? Turn up the knob. Guitar solo having trouble cutting through a dense arrangement? Turn up the knob. Bass performance a little uneven? Turn up the knob. It really can be that easy.
  • Armchair Guitarist – is a VST plugin for providing MIDI input from one of the numerous console guitar controllers currently on the market. It is a pure-MIDI plugin- MIDI messages, not audio data is sent to the host- in essence, the plugin allows the user to use a guitar controller the way they would a standard MIDI keyboard.
  • PSP sQuad – is a bundle of SIX high-quality equalizer plug-ins (VST and RTAS for Windows x32 or x64; AudioUnit, RTAS and VST.
  • SonEQ – is a digital equalizer that takes parts from some vintage gear and combine them in one. SonEQ has 3 bands, bass, middle and treble. Also, SonEQ has a pre-amp section.
  • Relife – ReLife can bring back the “valley’s and peaks” to give more air to a song.
  • Overloud Breverb Pro – is a high quality reverberation plug-in, modeled on the most acclaimed hardware classics. BREVERB is the ultimate solution to any recording, mixing and live need. It comprises four different algorithms, Hall, Room, Plate and Inverse, each one accurately modeled and engineered with no compromises in sound quality.
  • The URS Classic Console Strip Pro channel strip plug-in lets you create the console sound of your dreams with an amazing selection of input, compressor, and EQ options.
  • LoudMax -  is a Look-Ahead Brickwall Loudness Maximizer Plugin with a clean transparent sound. It is designed to retain the original character of the music as much as possible even at high compression levels.
  • AmpKit - For the Iphone check out agile Partners for the review and more information. Studio Devil for Iphone!
  • Kjaerhusaudio Classic Chorus – is a nice Plugin for adding Depth, Fatness and Stereo perspective to almost any electrical Instruments or Vocal.
  • The BootEQ mkII is an equalizer and pre-amp simulator combination which provides some nice and musical signal coloration effects.
  • “Eq31″ is a VST 31 band equalizer plugin for Windows OS. The effect works in mono & stereo mode, without any latency. It requires Pentium II or newer processor.
  • Atares Products – Many Vst Plugins including the famous Antares Autotune (Used by T-Pain (Rapper) for voice effects make yourself sound like slipnot or anyone!
  • Guitar Pro 6 – a tab editor, Score player, and backing band.
  • Vst Planet – List of free vst plugins and other tools.
  • IK T-Racks – Mastering.
  • AudioTuts – A nice list of 90 free vst plugins.
  • Revolverb – Impulse reverb loader.
  • Vst Freeware – De La Mancha.
  • VU Meters – good free vu meters to get control of your volume levels also try PSP Vintage Meter.
  • Voxengo Free Vst – A list of freeware VSTs.
  • DigitalFishphones – Tube saturation, transient shaper, compressor, normalizer.
  • KarmaFX - Reverb, Delay, Filter, Eq,  free mastering stuff.
  • UhBIK - Effects, Eq other stuff.
  • X-Buzz – Great Free Compressor and Limiter.
  • Vesco Fx – Nice free suite of vsts.
  • Dont Crack – Huge list free vsts.
  • FreeVST – Another Big list.
  • KVR – One of the best places to do searches for anything VST.

Guitar and Music Production Tools:

  • Asio4All – is a hardware independent low latency ASIO driver for WDM audio devices. It uses WDM Kernel-Streaming and sometimes even more sophisticated methods to achieve its objectives. (Must Have) FREE! ASIO is short for Audio Streaming Input/Output This is an “open standard” developed by Steinberg for minimizing latency with virtual studio applications. where multiple streams of audio are processed.  It has been adopted by most PC software makers.  There are 2 versions. ASIO 1.0 and 2.0.  2.0 adds the ability to monitor several audio inputs at once.  Cubase works best with asio drivers.  Beware that there are drivers that call themselves ASIO drivers that are not.  Most notorious are “asio multimedia” drivers.  Don’t use that one for music programs. Look in the driver list for a different ASIO driver that has the name of the interface in it.  That is the true ASIO driver. Read this very good article at Tweakhounds on Dealing with latency!

Drums:

  • MeldaProduction – Free demo versions of mastering and drums.
  • FX Expansion – BFD2 Drums other.
  • BlueNoise Vsts – Drums and other stuff.
  • Steven Slate Digital Drums – Awesome Drums worth the money watermarked software.
  • ToonTrack Superior Drummer – 20 GB of excellent drum sounds for professional music-production. Recorded with extensive and adjustable microphone-bleed and the unique room sound of legendary recording studio Avatar New York. Mixer presets by top producer Neil Dorfsman (Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits, Kiss, Joss Stone, Genesis, John Mayer and Chris Cornell).
  • Toontrack Ezdrummer – The Metal Foundry and countless other packs from Toontrack SDX great for backing drums on your guitar tracks.
  • ToonTrack Solo – Toontrack solo is a stand alone application designed to host Toontrack samplers such as dfh Superior and EZdrummer. It is particularly suited for musicians wanting to jam along with a friend (real ones if you are a drummer or a virtual one if you are a guitarist), or to perform live for your own pleasure or in front of an audience.
  • Xln Audio – Addictive drums good backing drums.

Guitar Amp Modeling and Effects Websites and Info:

Guitar Amp Modeling Tutorials:

Tutorials from Andy Sneap’s Ultimate Metal Forum!

Other Guitar Blogs and Websites:

Music Equipment Dealers:

For the latest updates of guitar VST plugins and Commercial Amp Simulator Hardware and Software, Presets and banks visit GUITAR AMP MODELING FORUM.

2 Comments on this post

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    January 11th, 2011 at 10:20 am
  2. SainTATNo Gravatar said:

    Great! thanks for the info.

    September 15th, 2011 at 4:57 pm

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