AMP simulators... totally lost

[glytch5]

So I play at my computer a lot... so much that my computer desk always has amps and cabs on it so I decided to enter the new world of Amp simulators.

I went to GC and bought A DI box, an interface and some headphones to use... well I CANNOT GET ANYTHING to work properly...
Seems like every free amp sim I download is just a bunch of BS files that do nothing. I got this one Peavey amp sim to work but man... it sounds just about as bad as plugging headphones straight into a practice amp!

I don't understand how people are getting these awesome sounds with these amp sims... also I installed a DAW that came with my Focusrite... At first I thought you had to use the DAW to use the amp sim as a "plugin"

Now i'm thinking the DAW has nothing to do with it... i've spent the last 6 hours trying to get either guitar rig 5 players edition to work (suuuper sketchy)
Ignite emissary (just some random crap in folders that do nothing on their own, or in my DAW)
and also I download the Amplitube

Windows won't even let me run it! blocks it as a potential threat...

This is super sketchy all round... can anyone give me some input? perhaps something that works? The DAW I installed and setup is the included ableton... I know how to direct it to my plugins... but the plugs do nothing.

Very frustrated.

 

[sezna]

What most people do is run an amp sim as a plugin inside of a DAW. A popular DAW with a free trial is Reaper.

Those random files you’re talking about are probably .vst files. Drag those into the DAW’s VST folder and it will show up as a plugin. The exact location of this folder depends on your DAW and operating system

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

That or look for a tutorial on how to run VSTs in your version of Ableton.

 

[glytch5]

Thats the thing... I did exactly that! Dragged those files into the DAW, and or pointed the DAW to the folder... nothing happens. Not sure what the heck is going on here.
Also.. any idea how to make a simulator that works on its own play through a daw?

 

[laxu]

Thats the thing... I did exactly that! Dragged those files into the DAW, and or pointed the DAW to the folder... nothing happens. Not sure what the heck is going on here.
Also.. any idea how to make a simulator that works on its own play through a daw?

All DAWs load VST plugins. You need to add them to a track and then probably toggle some option to make it use the plugin even when not recording so you can just play with it. How this is done is a bit different for every DAW software.

 

[Spinedriver]

Thats the thing... I did exactly that! Dragged those files into the DAW, and or pointed the DAW to the folder... nothing happens. Not sure what the heck is going on here.
Also.. any idea how to make a simulator that works on its own play through a daw?

With Reaper, firstly you create a channel and select your di box as the input. Once that's done you click on the small red button on the left hand side of the channel to "arm" the track. This won't start it recording, it just makes the channel 'active' so you can hear it.
Once you get that done, on the right hand of the channel, there's 2 small boxes, one marked "fx" and the other is a 'power' symbol (circle w/ a line at the top). If you click on the "fx" box, it'll open up a menu that you can then link to the folder where your installed vst files are located.

Also, depending on what kind of interface you have, there may be a knob or button that adjusts the mix of direct signal (your guitar) and output from your pc. That should be set so that you can't hear any of your direct signal, otherwise it won't sound right.

 

[op1e]

I would use Reaper because it's free and easy to navigate and pretty much the standard for non Mac users. Don't forget to turn on direct monitoring. Another bonehead thing I do frequently is have the wrong input on the interface checked.

 

[glytch5]

I don't really want to install a new DAW after all these hours of spent trying to figure out the one I have... okay so from what you guys are saying, I point it to the VST folder for the plugin... DONE.
So how do I "add" it to the track? if open that folder and try to drop it in anywhere on the DAW you can't... what am I dragging in there? the containing folder? the actually program its self? neither of those things work.

its obviously some stupid thing that I am not understanding to click.

Lets say its not a guitar plugin... how do you make ANY plugin work? NOTHING drops in anywhere on this POS. Even though it says " drop files and devices here"

So when you guys point your daw to a vst plugin file... it just automatically appears on the daw? Or is there something you are supposed to do next?

 

[Elric]

Start with something that has a standalone application, like Amplitube, S-Gear, Neural, Waves PRS, Bias, TH-U (my fave). That takes the DAW out of the equation to start with. It is much easier to get your audio/drivers setup with a stand alone app. IMHO.

Those are really good for practicing, etc. For recording you’d want to figure out the DAw but for playing around to YT vids or backing tracks the standalone thing is simpler.

 

[mongey]

If you are using some version of ableton then You just drag it onto the the track you have set up.

 

[Ozzfest]

Juat download reaper and learn it on there first since it sounds like it'll be easier....after you learn it on there go to your original daw and you'll have more understanding. It sounds like your trying to drop the files/folder into the track itself and that might not work.

Im no pro but first pull up a new track. Arm it for recording. Turn the FX on. Or right click on the track itself and select add new VST instrument. It should bring up your menu folder with all of the installed plugins, then select your plugin. That should open up your plugin in a new window and it should look like the front face of the amplifier.

Lets see if this works first...

 

[glytch5]

Okay well... I was able to open revalver in reaper. Unfortunately I still can't seem to make it sound good.

I mostly went out and bought this stuff so I could just play guitar through my computer with headphones or speakers, not so much for recording. I guess maybe my expectations were set too high due to the popularity of pluggins.

 

[glytch5]

wow.. reaper crashes constantly when adding FX plugins

 

[dhgrind]

You need the following software/freeware: amp sim vst, poweramp sim vst, IR cab loader vst, IR’s of high quality, reverb vst, several eq’s. ASIO drivers, a digital audio workspace (reaper is free).

you’ll need to do a ton of reading and some tutorial videos and once you get set up you’ll get close AF and find that you probably like the amp in the room sound instead.

 

[dhgrind]

wow.. reaper crashes constantly when adding FX plugins

Depending on your cpu, you may be overloading your comp.

 

[Metropolis]

Okay well... I was able to open revalver in reaper. Unfortunately I still can't seem to make it sound good.

I mostly went out and bought this stuff so I could just play guitar through my computer with headphones or speakers, not so much for recording. I guess maybe my expectations were set too high due to the popularity of pluggins.

There is quite a learning curve, which includes into any kind of recording situation. It is kind of a recording situation, even if you're not recording. At the beginning of signal chain you want to adjust interface's preamp gain to peak around -6dB, see the track meter in your DAW, or use somekind of detecting vst for that. It also matters how much input gain is used inside a vst plugin, because they tend to behave differently and sound different because of that. This includes possible boosting, or any kind of gain in amps or pedals inside that particular plugin. Pickup height in a guitar also affects into this.

In my opinion there is so much better options available today than ReValver, and used cabinet impulse response matters a lot.

 

[mongey]

Are you making an audio track in ableton ? Can you hear anything when you play guitar ?

 

[glytch5]

Its absolutely not my CPU. I'm on a ryzen 7 3700x with 16gigs ddr at 3200 CL 14 and on and on... I work at FrozenCPU and am an avid PC gamer... THAT is not an issue.

out of every plugin I have tried, I can only get revalver and now blue cat to work... they both sound equally as shit.

I didn't realize this was so complicated... I thought the whole point was a cheap alternative to buying expensive tube amps. This stuff sounds baaaaaaad.

As far as the abelton question... yes I am making an audio track and I do hear the guitar. Just can't get the plugins to work so I went over to reaper.

Again thanks for the helps... I might just give this up, I am absolutely hating it so far... since I don't know hot to set this stuff up I guess I am stuck with sounds similar to that of a practice amp with headphones plugged in

 

[Cynicanal]

Are you using a cabinet impulse? If not, that's why everything sounds so shit.

Re: stability, you do have the right drivers for your interface installed, right? Do you have your sound device in Reaper set to ASIO?

 

[budda]

Go buy a line 6 stomp.