Guitar Rig vs. Amplitude 5
- Thread starter José Herring
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AmbientMile
Active Member
I use both but for very different situations. For guitar, I much prefer Amplitube. I do use Guitar Rig occasionally for guitar, but it finds its way on to non-guitar tracks more. The Traktor FX stuff is useful for many things. I had high hopes when Guitar Rig 6 came out and the ICM stuff was added, but it wasn't that great to me. I got all the Amplitube add-ons during the group buy a couple of years ago, and really like most of them.
SupremeFist
Senior Member
I use Helix, which for me is far better than GR6, but I've never tried Amplitube.
NekujaK
I didn't go to film school, I went to films -QT
My guitar needs are fairly simple these days - occasional lead and rhythm parts in hybrid orchestral and trailer projects. I find I can get usable tones from just about any of today's modern amp sims, so for me, it comes down to ease of use.
I really don't like the Guitar Rig UI/workflow, so hardly ever use it. At one time, I used Amplitube a lot, but gradually migrated to TH-U, which satisfies nearly all my guitar needs now.
I also love Kazrog's Ampcraft and some of the Mercuriall amps, but if we're just talking multi-amp suites, then TH-U is the one for me.
I really don't like the Guitar Rig UI/workflow, so hardly ever use it. At one time, I used Amplitube a lot, but gradually migrated to TH-U, which satisfies nearly all my guitar needs now.
I also love Kazrog's Ampcraft and some of the Mercuriall amps, but if we're just talking multi-amp suites, then TH-U is the one for me.
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José Herring
Lost in Cyberspace
Given my level of guitar playing, Helix is a bit too beaucoup prices wise. But, it looks great.
I think I like it. Not sure how the ecosystem is set up though. Studying it now. Do I have to buy the packs individually or can I get a package? The site kind of throws individual amps at you first and foremost, though I do see a cabinet package but not sure it comes with amps.
I am studying each but not sure how they compare. I just noticed in the demo video Tonex sounded really great. The kind of sounds I want to make, which Amplitude 5 just sounded like regular pop and rock guitar sounds. I'm would be more into plugin and play at this stage, so maybe Tonex is the better choice.
I have and like both ok. Guitar Rig more for the effects, but there are some good amp models there for sure. I've gone off Amplitube the past year or so. A lot of it is good, but much of it is not all that great to me. Something fizzy and digital sounding about the breakup at times. Not with everything, but I come across it often, especially with on the edge of breakup, the clean crossing over to crunch. Something not quite natural there. I have many expansions like Fender, Mesa, Orange (one of my favs), but in the end it's also just too many choices for me, especially when so much of it sounds so similar. I mainly use S-Gear for great amp sounds, A few from Amplitube and then Guitar Rig for more experimental stuff. I also have an old version of TH3 which has some really good sounding amps as well, but there again, so many amps, versions of the same amps, chocked full of similar sounding choices. I'm not fond of the UI either so I passed on updating to TH-U.
What I love about S-Gear is there are 5 amps and they all sound great. I do hope they add Vox style model at some point. The development of S-Gear is on the slow side, but the quality is top notch. They do offer a demo if your curious.
What I love about S-Gear is there are 5 amps and they all sound great. I do hope they add Vox style model at some point. The development of S-Gear is on the slow side, but the quality is top notch. They do offer a demo if your curious.
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What music @José Herring ? Are you using it for (recording) a real guitar or for post?
For playing and getting tones right away (but no ultra high gain) Get the S-Gear Trial and then ask further from there.
For post Guitar Rig is the mosty suitable because it goes on the effects and creative aspect rather than "tone"
Where today I'd say Tonex has the most real amp to ears (S Gear also but it's a suite) and instead of Getting TONEX, just install free Tonex CS and spend money on buying the Collaborator's presets. No limitations there.
Amplitube has the signature sounds of some artists, never liked, always was a good emulation and done, like Positive Grid.
Neural DSP is good for playing and post, I just got the Toneking and yes, it works pretty well. I'[m not in the high gain realm so all above recommendations get you there.
For playing and getting tones right away (but no ultra high gain) Get the S-Gear Trial and then ask further from there.
For post Guitar Rig is the mosty suitable because it goes on the effects and creative aspect rather than "tone"
Where today I'd say Tonex has the most real amp to ears (S Gear also but it's a suite) and instead of Getting TONEX, just install free Tonex CS and spend money on buying the Collaborator's presets. No limitations there.
Amplitube has the signature sounds of some artists, never liked, always was a good emulation and done, like Positive Grid.
Neural DSP is good for playing and post, I just got the Toneking and yes, it works pretty well. I'[m not in the high gain realm so all above recommendations get you there.
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José Herring
Lost in Cyberspace
Yes, I finding that what I am hearing and now started to play with Guitar rig is definitely on the more creative side of life. For lack of a better term "film" guitar. I'm finding that with Guitar Rig the FX are incredible really and getting what I want but the tone isn't quite there. But that could be me. I'm using a pretty decent guitar, Gibson Les Paul Studio.
Overloud seems to have good FX but not as creative as NI FX included in Guitar Rig. So maybe getting some of their amp models and placing them before guitar rig for FX or using my VST FX might be a good solution.
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SupremeFist
Senior Member
Yeah, they are really a hardware company so if you buy a floorboard like I have then you get the plugin for cheap. I hear NAM (free!) is very good for software-only.
Please try S-Gear's The Duke (Dumble) and the Stealer (Plexi) with the LP, you'll gonna dig it, check the free presets too at their page.
Also, the Matchless30 from Studio Rats (there's a single free version at tone.net) using jampoints it gets pretty great.
Finally, regarding FX I usually don't use the Plugin ones regarding "Tone". As a workflow and track preset it's Guitar input > pre FXs (from Line 6's Native) > Amp Plugin (usually with IR cabs off) > Cab Loader > FX track send post FX (soundtoys Echoboy or etc).
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I really recommend having an active DI with Z Control, and amp plugins will behave way better. The IK DI one was night and day for me after like 8 years using only the RME DI.
Notice that IK's cheapest interface costs the same as the DI, and have more features and comes with Tonex SE free. DI comes with Amplitube SE.
Maybe we should talk about IR packs too? I find that's the biggest thing holding back most ampsims. And in spite of having bought tens of thousands of IRs, I still most often use catharsis s-pres-high, which is free to download and worth trying out imho.
Personally I think it's about on the same level or better than tonex and I liked the NAM ui more than I liked tonex when I used it.
How so? What was different? Could you tell which is which in a blind A/B test?
It's how it reacts when you play (assuming you have a tube amp too to compare) not how it will translate in your mix after processing. If you play hybrid or fingers only you notice, if you play punk, nah.
I never had the privilege of playing through a real tube amp unfortunately. But when you say for punk it doesn't matter as much, I'll assume for highgain downtuned metal it's also not a gamechanger?
If it really feels different imho there has to be a quantifiable difference in the waveform compared to not using a DI box, and I'm still curious how that would look like.
mixtur
Member
I use the IK DI as well and changing the impedance changes the sound a lot. Different guitars/mics have different impedance profiles so it helps being able to adjust. Some settings will give you a brighter tone or more transients etc. There is also a built in saturator. I got amplitube pro with the DI so basically free.
Pier
Senior Member
This conversation has made me curious if an active DI box with a variable impedance would make a difference for recording pedals vs just using the instrument input of an interface.
