VST amp sims - so Scuffham S-Gear or Positive Grid Bias?

equalsql

I've not really used amp VSTs much as I used to record using a Korg D3200. I am now using Reaper on a Quad i5 laptop so have been investigating amp plugins.  

I have downloaded the Scuffham S-Gear 15 day demo and am experiment with the amps. I'm listening to the results on my headphones and although the amps sound good, the overall effect sounds very muffled and claustrophobic. The S-Gear amps come with reverb effects, but to my ears it just sounds like someone has muffled the amp and then stuck it in a large room.

I'm trying to get the amp to sound through my headphone, like how an amp sounds in a room, with all the that openness. I tried Beyer's free Studio Simulator and that helps a bit but I suppose I'm looking how to simulate multi-miking of an amp.

Can any of you computer recording gurus give me some pointers on how to achieve this?  

digitalscream

I suspect this comes down to how good the speaker emulation is. Your problem could well be fixed with some decent impulses.

Get an impulse loader that can run more than one impulse at a time and then use that to simulate multiple cabs/mics/mic positions at the same time.

sweepy

I'd go for Bias Desktop from Positive Grid tbh , sounds fine here

equalsql

So after a day playing with plugins... I'm down to a choice between Scuffham S-Gear or Positive Grid Bias (unless there's anything out there in the same $99 price range that stomps all over them).

I'm after clean, blues and crunch.. not a high-gain fan -- unless it's a tamed Soldano ala Warren Hayes.
@sweepy votes for Bias Desktop...

What would get your vote?

paul_backskin

try LePou amp sims with IR's as digitalscream mentioned, before you splash the cash. Free. and sound good. here is a good quick overview and link to the site to get them.

http://www.osirisguitar.com/lepou-the-king-of-free-amp-sims/

you should be able to get some free vst effects if you search around.

Teetonetal

equalsql said:

So after a day playing with plugins... I'm down to a choice between Scuffham S-Gear or Positive Grid Bias (unless there's anything out there in the same $99 price range that stomps all over them).

I'm after clean, blues and crunch.. not a high-gain fan -- unless it's a tamed Soldano ala Warren Hayes.
@sweepy votes for Bias Desktop...

What would get your vote?

S-Gear gets my vote - I love it, funny though I particularly like the effects. I find though I need to stick a buffer in front of it though (I just use my boss TU-3) to get the sound I like. If you like the amp sims but not the effects, just leave them off and place something else in the chain afterwards. I find S-gear particularly good with my fender no-caster pickup 

Heartfeltdawn

Scuffham above everything else. The love for Le Pou surprises me as I thought they were shite. 

In terms of trying to get some speaker emulation and room sound, I use Wall of Sound's Torpedo III.

http://www.two-notes.com/en/software/torpedo-wall-of-sound-3/

equalsql

I ended getting Scuffham S-Gear.. which is just superb.  Scuffham's two week trial really gives you a chance to dig deep into the product.

I also installed Amplitube and bought their Fender 64' Vibroverb model which is outstanding and to my ears, the best software simulation of a black-face amp I've heard. (and I've been through them all , including the freebies , over the past two weeks) . I also got their their modelled T-Rex Moller.

Below is an interesting comparison of the real and sim Vibroverb.

And someone getting the SRV tone on the same model:

monquixote

I've actually been trying the same two back to back and I'm loving Scuffham though Bias is also hugely impressive.

equalsql

Hi @monquixote, I've been using S-Gear for about a month now and have to say that I am really impressed with it. You do need to make sure your gain is set up correctly, I use a channel strip to pad my input levels by -20dB as my guitars were overloading the Hi-Z inputs on my USB interface.

I'm a huge fan of Fender tones and Wayfarer and new Tweed amps are excellent. Yesterday I took an $8 punt on a Rosen Digital, Fender Twin impulse response kit just to see if the hype was true about Rosen's IRs...and it certainly is very impressive  when used with S-Gear.

From my experience so far, I'd argue that Scuffham S-Gear really is a notch above the competition in terms of accuracy and feel. 

monquixote

Just Bought S-Gear. 

The 15 day trial means I could get my demo done without, but I like to support good work.

ThePrettyDamned

IR's are massively important.  Running POD farm models through a free trial of torpedo wall of sound and everything sounded bigger, clearer, more rounded, less muffled, less focused, more dynamic...

Blew me away.  

That S-Gear demo sounds good, but for the fact I don't like the tone he's dialled in.  But still, @monquixote has a lot of excellent taste so if you say it's good I'll believe you. 

Does it come with IR's prepacked?

monquixote

It comes with red wirez