Can Guitar Amp Simulators Compete With Real Ones? - RecordingRevolution.com

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With so many great sounding virtual guitar amps on the market these days (both in plugin and hardware form) a common question I get is: do they sound professional enough to use?
Or should we just stick with real guitar amps?
Today I thought I would let YOU hear the difference for yourself and give you my take on the subject.
Hint: there's more than just tone to consider!
Can Guitar Amp Simulators Compete With Real Ones? - RecordingRevolution.com
• Can Guitar Amp Simulat...
#guitarampsimulator #virtualguitaramp #ampsim

[@pvalenti]

So I listened on my phone but it was quite obvious to me that the Sim had a TON more mids and highs. So when you bumped the mids I was like, "WTH is he thinking!?" Then when you low passed the vox rather than the Sim I was like, "Okay this guy must not be hearing what I'm hearing!" Long story short, I feel this was a horrible comparison as to properly judge we would need to have the Sim be a Vox ac15 with similar mic and position eq'd to sound similar. The only thing I feel that I got from this is that the Sim sounds better sonically which I feel we can agree upon. However I was very disappointed that you didn't audition several amp Sims or even look for a similar Sim to the source. Seems like you may need to do a follow up video in which you don't try to compare apples to oranges, but more like apples to virtual apples. Just my opinion of course ymmv.

[@seaofseeof]

Yeah I agree, the amp sim had more in terms of highs and high mids. Whereas the original Vox had a more balanced tone overall and put a bit more focus on the lower mids. I actually disagree that the sim sounds better. And I do totally feel that amp sims have their place (though I prefer using them on other sounds. Such as synth bass sounds and sometimes even electronic drums (subtly).. They definitely work for guitars though). It's more present and louder, and will blast through a mix more. Especially through phone speakers. But at equal subjective volumes, the Vox beats the sim hands down. Sure it's less distorted, but also way less harsh.

[@iantyler8626]

I think this is the worst recordingrevolution video.. I use Eleven Rack.. He is using too (he said in another video). I was waiting for a Vox/11Rack comparison because I (love digital but) think that there is no game between and sometimes is more simple to mic an amp then "create a good and useful digital sound". Of course another personal opinion. ;)

[@ItsPatrickGates]

Couldn’t agree more, I was like what is he doing

[@huckwalton2307]

More importantly for the comparison. There are waaay better modelers then amplitude. The PRS release modeled by waves is pretty awesome. I tricked a Grammy award winning guitarist the other day.

[@darioceliz76]

Ok, i wasn’t the only one, he did the opposite on the eq

[@centocerez]

I've played guitar live and in studio for 20 years. Always been a "digital sucks" guy. Lately I've started dabbling in home recording for my solo project and couldn't record my stack at home so I tried the free Guitar Rig Marshall sim. Man, just put a bit of post eq on there and got the best recorded tone of my life. Sold my amp and pedals and bought a shit load of plug-ins.

[@Syklonus]

Lepou, Vadim Taranov, and Simulanaloge sims are my "go to" choices. Recabinet 2 IRs with keFir impulse loader sound amazing with them. The TSE stuff is amazing too, especially the Tube Screamer pedal.

[@joeyxl3456]

look at Archetype Nolly . i heard its the best out there.

[@andrewt248]

I'm pretty sure no one gave the Beatles a hard time about plugging a guitar directly into the console. Both an amp and sim can sound great or terrible. The only thing that really matters is what works in the context of the song.

[@groundzero9627]

Best answer yet! Sometimes you'll get a good sound from doing both and blending them too

[@TomClarkSouthLondon]

Best answer to an answer yet👍

[@keithrowe1007]

True, but the Beatles (who are my favorite artist of all time) and Harrison in particular, had the most hideous, ice picky tone in history, so not sure that’s a good example.

[@andrewt248]

@@keithrowe1007 I said it could be great or horrible. I feel like a lot of the "poor audio quality" that we associate with those old recordings is due to the fact that they were recorded and mixed for mono. When everything is stacked on top of each other in the mix, you have to do some drastic pretty things to create some separation.

[@keithrowe1007]

Yes, and certainly what Geoff and George were able to attain was nothing short of miraculous. But that guitar tone tho, (cringes) there are many examples but I think the worst ever is Baby You Can Drive My Car.

[@andrevitorsantos]

You should have compared a real VOX with a VOX emulation, not with a Marshal SIlver Jubilee emulation

[@boogie2266]

After testing a lot of ampsims in the last weeks I can't agree with you...that is what keeps you away from a good sound, it just doesn't matter if it says VOX or Marschall or Fender simulation....focus on the sound you want to get and if you get a VOX sound out of a Fender simulation....fine!

[@andrevitorsantos]

@@boogie2266 If the title of the video was "Can you get a Vox sound of a Marshall simulation?" you would be right

[@monadyne]

@@boogie2266 No, that's if your goal is simply to get a great sound. In this case, the goal was to compare a real amp with a simulated amp. It would have been quite easy to load a Vox AC 15 model, with the same speaker cabinet (simulated) as well as the same SM57. Some amp sims allow you to place the mic in the simulated space, so if the room amp has the 57 pointed just off the cone, at a distance of about 3 inches, that to can be simulated. (That feature is built into Logic Audio Pro.) Thus, an accurate comparison could be made. There's a video online of a guy using Amplitube to simulate his Marshall Silver Jubilee, and with some tweaking he gets the sim to sound almost identical to the real amp and speaker cabinet in his studio.

[@boogie2266]

@@monadyne If you are looking for an 1:1 comparison you are right but then you have to ask yourself how much "tweaking" is allowed for it to check. But if you read the title of the video it asks if sim can compete with the real thing. And this what I meant, more regarding my personal situation because during my tests I always thought "I want to have the sound I have playing live with my AC-30 so I have to check AC-30 sims" and that thought was restricting me. It's like in another video I saw the other day by Paul Davids in which he wanted to reproduce 3 famous guitar sounds...in the beginning I was irritated he didn't use the same amp in the sim but then I thought "well he's not looking for the same amp but the same sound" And that's just what I meant if you want to be creative you have to get rid of these restrictions in your mind..at least that's what I think ;-)

[@monadyne]

@@boogie2266 I hear ya, man. I guess I just don't understand Graham's comparison. Vox has a certain "sound" as does Marshall. If Graham had nailed the Vox sound (sometimes characterized as having sparkle and chime) it wouldn't have mattered what sims he'd used to arrive at it, as long as he had arrived at it. To have these two distinctly different vibes as a comparison just doesn't make sense to me, I guess. I am a tube amp tone snob - - mainly because I'm a 71 year old guy and grew up with tube amps in the Golden Era of Cream, Hendrix, Led Zep, Free, ZZ Top, AC/DC, etc. In fact, I still have my Hilgen (obscure) tube amp from when I was 18. I had an amp guru rebuild it and it still has the same amazing qualities it had in 1970. There truly is something a tube amp does that neither a solid state amp or a sim can do, some characteristic that can't be simulated because it's a function of the physics of what's actually happening in the vacuum tube. That said, I'm not averse to sims. I bought an AmpliFire simulator that had some great sounds . . . except that there was a certain digital harshness I could discern in every one of its sounds. I doubt anybody but me could hear/feel it but I did, so I put the thing up on eBay. On the other hand, I bought a Zoom G1on which has a ton of amp sims and cabinets and I love it. It doesn't have that digital harshness of the unit that cost ten times as much, and more importantly, it somehow imparts the *feel* of playing through a tube amp, like a sense of excitement or inspiration or something. I was so happy with the tone I bought the Zoom G5n. Pro tip: plug the output of the Zoom into a tube amp! Amazing sounds!

[@brainmurde]

In 2015 I replace real amps with Fractal AxeFx. In 2019 i sold my AxeFx and start using only ampsim Neural DSP plugins. They are awesome. Everything I need. Main thing for me, I'm making music for listeners. And if they don't hear the difference, there is no way to pay more or have any difficulties while recording. For rehearsal I still prefer 5150 with 4x12 cab. But in studio only plugins.

[@Boomtrooper]

Agree! Neural and Nembrini are just killing it at the moment - the Pliny is just magical

[@ChernobylAudio666]

I do 99% of my productions with amp simulators and I never use Amplitube because it's too dirty and harsh and requires way too much work. Companies like Neural DSP, STL Tones, Mercuriall, Audiority, Ignite Amps, are making much better products and don't cost nearly as much.

[@denkobert2342]

I've used so many amp sims like Amplitube or Bias FX before but the Ignite Emissary, which is a free sim always sounded the best to me.

[@domsolano]

THANK YOU FOR THIS COMMENT, Was about to dish out $400 for Amplitube 5 Max and didn't even realize that there are subscription based amp-sims. You're a life saver

[@CugnoBrasso]

Short answer: yes Long answer: yessss!

[@Tryggvasson]

i am absolutely convinced amp sims compete, and i only use amp sims, problem is, hearing the way this example was made, i'm almost inclined to change my mind :) - and say not only they don't compete, but are not even in the same league. that amp sim sounded soooo bad - from that huge, almost white noise-like low end rumble, to the fizzy top - like noise, again - to the harshness of that metallic high mid frequency, and then that horrible droning whistle in the high mids, and the garbled, almst gargled distortion breaking down - completely incomparable to the smooth, creamy, level, buzz of the tube distortion. on a personal note, i love amplitube, love the concept of it, and having available in front of me amps i've never seen, almost physically present, with their shapes, and specific controls, and idiosyncrasies - i love that - the interface, the concept, and options are killer. that being said... i don't think it's nearly the best sound at all - and many of the observations on this tone, in my experience, are general to the entire program. i preferred th-3 before, by a small margin - the shortcoming of th-3, in my view, is that it sounds a bit electronic, with a hint of square, bit crusher like distortion - but the attack is better, the glassiness and brittleness of tube are well recreated, and it doesn't have the problems i mentioned here, which reminded me of my amplitube days - although, granted, th-3 is a bit harsh itself. anyway, they were close, not a huge difference. the graphic concept of th-3 is not nearly as inspired as amplitube's. however, with the rig player in th-u, and the redesigned ir loader, that difference in sound is significant now. the rig player is kemper technology - IR rig sampling - and it's pretty much as far ahead, in sound, as the Kemper was to other digital hardware. i tend to not like the cab IR settings usually included in the rigs - too much cap for me, but that's not a rule - and use the separate IR loader, which amplitube doesn't have - i don't use cab emulations anymore, and IRs make another big difference - and th-u has some great irs included - although not an inner edge of cone setting on a 2x12, or a 1x12 - of course you can use your own irs - so i use the mixIR3 cabinet from Rewirez, which is awesome, instead - an ir loader with the graphical interface and tweaking and mic placing workflow of a cabinet emulator - which is something I've been waiting for for years, and don't understand why it took so long for someone to actually do it - in all fairness mixIR seems to have existed for some time, but it's only now that I've learned about it - anyway, they seem to be singular in implementing the idea. they've got all the great cabs available, with pretty much all the great mic choices, with many sampled positions, it's easier to tweak than even a cab amulator, without browsing endlessly and clicking files to change IRs, as in other ir loaders, it sounds great, it looks great. the downside is that it's gonna break the back of your hard drive - the bass and two amp collections unpack to something like 18 gigs - in all sampling rates - of which I've only kept the 48 K. so the rig player, in th-u, with the mixIR3, for me, i find sounds beautifully and very natural. for the first time it doesn't just sound cool, it sounds like a guitar. find a good analog delay, a good tape, a good console emulation... sweet! it's party all the time in olafsville - wherever that is.

[@nikht0]

And still the tone snobs persist. I've been saying this for over ten years: Tone snobs, it's over! In a mix, no one can tell the difference between a real amp, and no one cares. The last thing we need in music is musicians advocating for needless consumerist ideals.

[@Syklonus]

100% agree. The tones snobs are stubbourn though. Every one of them that I encounter absolutely loves the guitar tones that I get...until that is, they find out it's a sim and then they fumble about trying to retcon their response and say that they could tell it was a sim.

[@steverushforth7009]

Yes, but tone snobs can see the emperors new clothes as well.

[@monadyne]

This would be true if tube amps did not have special sounds and characteristics. There's a real reason some people buy rare Dumbles or whatever for a lot of money. So, it's not like the emperor is totally naked and is deluding himself. The point is, amp sims are getting better and better and some of them sound great. Some tube amps sound great, too. It's *smarter* to go for a better amp sim setup... but it's not like anyone who doesn't use sims is some kind of idiot.

[@nikht0]

@@monadyne Don't ignore this part of my statement which IS true: "In a mix, no one can tell the difference between a real amp, and no one cares." If a recording's quality is dependent on the guitars being played through a $100,000 Dumble amp, then the song sucks and nothing will save it. If guitarists can afford such an amp, all the power to them. But the fact that so many of them try to justify their high dollar tastes by their continued ad hominem attacks on the quality or usefulness of sims is wrong and unproductive for music and musicians in general.

[@monadyne]

@@nikht0 "In a mix, no one can tell the difference between a real amp, and no one cares." This just isn't true! Sometimes, you can get great sounds from an amp sim and they sound awesome in a mix. And sometimes, you can get crappy sounds from a tube amp. - - -Actually, it's easy to get crappy sounds from a tube amp. A lot depends on the type of mic, where it's placed, the space the cabinet is in, etc. There's a lot of prep that goes into getting a killer sound out of a tube amp in a recording studio. But when you do get that sound and the recording starts, that's when when the difference between an amp and a sim can occur: there is an interaction that happens between the guitar and the amp as it's being played. That can't be simulated. Notes "bloom" in a way that software can't replicate, and also there's a type of unique compression that happens in a tube that's subtly different that what you can apply using a compression plug-in. To go full nuclear with "No one can tell the difference" and "no one cares" is as over-the-top as an amp snob saying, "If it's not performed through a genuine tube amp, the tone will just suck." That's the same polarized us-vs-them irrational thinking that leads to "my candidate/my sports team/my guitar reproduction method is the best and YOU SUCK!" internet posturing. As for "no one cares" ... *I care!* I've heard a lot of overdriven and distorted guitar tones in the last couple of years that - - to my ears - - just sounds crappy. And this is from people saying, "Hey, listen to how awesome this new guitar is!" It's an approximation of a cranked amp, but sounds shitty. By the same token: I heard some youtube video of a guy playing a song that had exquisite tone. I dug deep and found he used AXE FX.

[@duppykitoon]

Why would you compare a Vox AC15 amp to an Amplitube Marshall sim, particulary considering the fact that Amplitube has an AC30 sim? Makes absolutely no sense.

[@kpierce1111]

Amplitube is probably a bit outdated at this point. It was great when it came out though. Check out Neural DSP's products. I've never heard sims that accurate. They're what I rely on when my axe fx isn't around.

[@seenbelow]

Not to mention cab IRs will do you big time. Even old amp sims can sound alright with a good cab IR.

[@Rhuggins]

A5 is absolutely stunning

[@A.J.99]

Glenn Fricker from SMG studio has already done such blind test comparing Peavy 5150 vs 4 amp-sim plugins, so just few listeners could define the real amp from the emulated ones

[@MrClassicmetal]

Even many of those who preferred the real amp, and those were a minority, weren't sure. It was more like a hit or miss thing. But when Fricker revealed in the next video which recording featured the real amp, suddenly those who had chosen it were making all sorts of wild claims about being able to hear certain differences.

[@officialWWM]

I've been using the Headrush for the last couple of years and I challenge anyone to tell the difference.

[@bradhargis2261]

Your head rush sucks.

[@monadyne]

To all the commenters here who are saying that tube amp guys are "tone snobs", here's something to think about: all these amp sims you're such fans of- - -what are the simulations based upon? The software engineers study the sound and behavior of various amps, attempting to replicate them. What are the common amp sims? The Fender '57 Bassman, Fender Twin Reverb, various specific Marshall amps from the '60's, '70's, '80's (each era having unique characteristics), Vox AC15 and AC30, Mesa Boogie, and many others, such as Dumble, TwoRock, Orange, etc., etc. Why have they chosen those specific amps? Because they get great tone! Think how irrational it is to hate on people who are fans of the very amps used to create the simulations you think so highly of.

[@ziggy8757]

my favorite plugins are: 1) Mercuriall Spark (marshall sound) 2) Neural Dsp Fortin Nameless ( heavy rhythm sound) 3) Bias Fx2 ( for fender cleans) 4) Mercuriall ss11x (for cleans, and some distortions) 5) Valhalla delay (best delay plugin in the market)

[@usedguitargearmodsmusic5628]

ziggy8757 agree with you on the Bias FX2. I’m surprised that the cleans are really good

[@erkamau9629]

It would be better to use an Y cable or a patchbay to duplicate the Guitar output and so to be able to compare the SAME performance recorded with real and virtual gear, of course then checkin the correct loudness matching too, isn't it ? ;-)

[@officialWWM]

It's a lot easier than that, all you need to decide is if you like it or not...

[@erkamau9629]

Just to share, personalyy I prefer to record via Hughes & Kettner Cream Machine with custom modding to use more soft selected tubes. This unit has different output, one go to line in of interface and another to my real channel strip (turbo rat,. zoom 2020, Midiverb IV, art Valve pre and Simetrix 528, in different orde via P/B..). From chanel strip to the second line in, so I record both dry (only tube soft pre) and wet to 2 tracks and choose then wich one I prefer. The main advantage is a quick and real setup for a first sound, less time to set all and record a performance with a good feeling without latency issues e loosing time to hundred of virtual presets and settings. Optimum is enemy of good.. :-) ...forgot...I can use for my channel strip from the Cream Machine a cabinet simulator output and an internal amp 1 watt (on a cone Eko Polyphemus via sm57 ) as well...

[@madmartigan1634]

I love being able to record the clean signal and play with the various amp options before committing or freezing the track. You can't do that with a real amp!

[@timbeaton5045]

Well, strictly speaking you can if you use re-amping techniques, but overall i agree with you, that's the way I record guitars, and the almost endless ability to tweak the sound (in post, so to speak!) is sooo much better. I recently recorded a few tracks with my band and although the guitarist wanted to record through a real amp to get the basic tones (a Carvin 50 watt combo set to a nice warm clean tone) he then wanted to overdub with his usual array of boosters and pedals to get "his" sound, we soon discovered that being able to tweak the clean sound though Bias Amp2 we were able to achieve what he wanted much more easily. And THEN, we had a keyboard player join the band. We had the live tracks recorded, so we simply wanted to add keys to the songs. So it was simple to now adjust the guitar sounds to allow the keyboards to fit into the songs better. Made mixing a whole load easier, and didn't require re recording loads of guitar parts. If anybody is interested in how this all sounds, here is the Soundcloud page where our tracks can be heard. soundcloud.com/user-218910872 all the guitars are effectively recorded clean, and all the processing was done with BiasAmp2 and stock Logic plug-ins. Would appreciate any comments. PS The tracks marked "...for video" are the ones where we added keys. These are to be used for videoing a demo of the band, Top of the Pops style (any Brits will know what that means!) *Be warned these tracks were pretty roughly recorded in the first place, mostly first or second takes, as we are not the tightest band in the world!*

[@alexgreychuck7605]

Love Amplitude, but of late I have been using Two Notes, Wall of Sound. Great impulse replication, and I can use my amps too through the Torpedo Reload.

[@cuda426hemi]

There is a difference to my old ears. The sim has what I call a "piezo" shrillness that is not there on any 'real' amps whether tube or solid state/hybrid. In this case it's evident you could take that Vox thru EQs and compressors to punch it up; but no way to tame that shrill "piezo" sim sound to get warmth on that sim. Your tweaking did nothing to it's basic screech. 🎤

[@monadyne]

I"ve got "old ears" too, cuda, but I gotta tell you, my "holy grail" tube amp tone comes from a $150 Orange MicroTerror. That's a hybrid, with a single 12ax7 in the preamp section and a solid state power amp. I swapped out the generic Chinese tube and put a decent 12ax7, and the overdrive/distortion is glorious. Sold all my Vox AC15 when I got that MicroTerror. Just a head's up that - - at a measly hundred and fifty bucks - - you might want to give that amp a try.

[@cuda426hemi]

@@monadyne I LIKE that tiny terror, also one of the best amps I ever played with was the Vox with the tube pre-amp section so Hybrids are better to my ears than straight Line 6 modelling, imo. 🎶

[@monadyne]

@@cuda426hemi I bought one of those Vox hybrids for my wife and she loves it. She does little local gigs and can get a really decent sound without much messing about.

[@brianvillage5]

getting a modeler to sound real or good is no problem these days, but ive come to realize if you want good feel while you're recording or playing through one you need a good DI. the better latency and conversion are the better it will feel. that will get you miles, also the better your DI and conversion are the better off you are if you decide to reamp but i digress.

[@pierreg8562]

why not do both at the same time? i usually use a ABY box, split my guitar into 2: 1) amp with mic 2) line in to the interface (going through a $29 joyo / harley benton), i dont even need the amp simulation (since the pedal acts as a preamp) great result and flexible. with amp plugins you end up playing with settings etc

[@wayneanderson2866]

Pierre G playing thru both at the same time was my thought as well. Play the exact same thing thru multiple channels & then compare- but I’m no engineer 😂👍🏼

[@zachary963]

I’ll do this, and then just pick which sound I want in the song lol. And sometimes I’ll pan my amp to the left, my sims to the right, etc.

[@basandi4017]

Check NeuralDSP Archetype John Petrucci! I've got some other NeuralDSP plugins but Archetype JP was blowing my ears. It's most completed amp plugin ever made. You can even tune down with knob without loosing sound quality there is also John Petrucci Doubler, Reverb + Delay, and all the rest compressor, wha, volume/pedal, piezo! The EQ is also very useful. Mic and cab IR's simulation a lot of different mics to be drag and drop wherever you need. Right after installation and opening has astonishing presets... The world of guitar plugins has been definitely shaked with it... There is 14 days trial...

[@IntheDAW]

nowadays kemper helix and axe fx really have started making our jobs just faster and easier. I love real amps and track them when I can but when I have to work fast plugin into my helix rack just works.

[@marksr12]

Another great video with good advice...so many ways to make music! It's that simple. Thanks, Graham.

[@IntheDAW]

I would love to listen to a demo where you use your real amp the eleven rack and the amp sim plugin.

[@invisiblegraveyard4742]

Dumb question - is there any difference between recording with a virtual amp as you're playing verses applying that same amp effect in post (playing with no effects straight into interface and applying amp effects in post)????

[@somebodyelseuk]

Not a dumb question. In my experience, definitely. You get best results by treating it as a plugin effect and NOT an amp replacement... Never try overdriving a sim by increasing the gain on the DI. Do all the knob twiddling inside the plugin, with a sensible (-18dB ish) level going in AND coming out. You'll run the risk of latency issues using it to play/record through. Also bear in mind, the plugin is an "How an expensive amp sounds through topend mics/desk/etc in a pro recording studio" simulator, not a "how my amp sounds in my bedroom through a cheap mic and budget interface" sim.

[@search895]

The question is not anymore if simulation is good. For some guitar players it is about simulations are exactly like the amp with a similar name. It is not that simulation is a bad product but which sim does it better. Furthermore it is not about if you did the perfect comparison of the exact model in this video, but if it is true or not that simulators can give great results as good as real amps. And as I said i dont think that's the question anymore. The thing is about tweaking and getting what you want, even if the sim you use at home or the studio is not the model of amp you use live, as long as both sound like you need. I have seen bands that dont know how to make their real amps sound better. It is not the equipment's fail. The concept works. Maybe the model does not. Change the model or tweak deeper. It will eventually work, because it does. Same for real and for virtual amps.

[@blackcreekmusic783]

Thankyou for demonstrating this. I had been thinking about buying a new amp and some pedals but I'm more interested in exploring the possibilities that my Eleven Rack has to offer. I'm already feeling the amp and speaker models are more than adequate reproduction. The built in effects are pretty darn good but I'd like to add some other character type pedals that would give me a slightly more unique sound.

[@AlecBoyd]

I'd love to see an episode on reamping to round out this series

[@MrBoneman]

We've been doing tracks with micing a mesa boogie with an SM57, using amplitude... hell we've even got some nice tones out of the stock logic stuff. When all three are in a track it sounds great.

[@davejohnsonmusic]

The thing that annoys me with amp sims, is that they don't handle wah pedals well, or at-least in my experience. The sound gets stuck, or choppy as you sweep the frequencies with the wah.

[@AaronOwenSmith]

Sounds like you need a better interface or more ram

[@davejohnsonmusic]

@@AaronOwenSmith I've got a pretty nice Focusrite Saffire and 32GB of RAM with a capable Mac Pro. Don't think hardware is the problem.

[@AaronOwenSmith]

@@davejohnsonmusic I have a similar system, cheak your buffer settings, I have no issue with this at all. I'm using helix native, and also old line 6 amp farm for wahwah, sounds like the real thing.

[@perrypelican9476]

Please help me understand. What do you mean by "compete with"? Do you mean sound as good? Or sound the same as? Is the real one the one to aspire to? If so, why? I mean if listened to both, do you think that most people prefer the real one? I am often off track on these discussions because I don't understand trends. It amazes me that people change their tastes as a group, like sheep following the leader blindly. One day everyone loves one thing over the other and the next day, it's just the opposite. How do people know what they like? Does it have anything to do with trends, or is it real appreciation of music. It can't be a coincidence that so many people change their tastes at the same time and they change to the same thing. It's not as if they all get tired of it, because if it was about getting bored then tastes would be much more diverse. But they are not so diverse. Remember when the world was raving about CD sound and how clear and perfect it was. Everyone threw out their old turntables, and ran out to purchase CD players and would compare clarity as being the ultimate thing. Then all of a sudden things changed to the total opposite. So many of those clarity loving audiophiles switched to craving the old lousy sound that they ran from and now missed their turntables. They actually wanted gear to simulate hiss and crackle, the things they would react to with winces as if it was painful. Are we all insane? Do we all have an implant controlled by a huge marketing company that decides what we should like. What is it? Hi-fi or Lofi or what?

[@borndrumming1972]

I get where you're going with this video. But the problem isn't the amp Sim usually. The problem is the impulse response. This is the same with your amp. That ac15 could sound completely different with say a celestion vintage 30 in it. Or pull that out and put a Jensen speaker in there. The sound will completely change but be the same app. To get that amp Sim to sound really good you need really good impulse responses.

[@gwugluud]

The short answer is that vst amps are if anything even more usable than real amps are. It's wild, having matter of fact Orange, Hiwatt, Mesa amps as close as my PC.

[@Boomtrooper]

Great vid - there's always the sim vs real argument, but in recording where you can tweak means you can get the sound you really want rather than trying to force a sound from a real amp that's not quite hitting the mark. AND this is using Amplitube which, tbh, is looking pretty dated compared to the new stuff from Nembrini, Neural DSP, STLTones etc. The Neural Pliny is just unbelievably good, the Nolly has all your Djenty metal stuff as well as some awesome cleans/break up and the Nembrini Soldano is just frankly indistinguishable.

[@prestobeen]

A comparison of the real vox vs a virtual vox would have been better. Also, choosing to use a professional piece of gear like Helix, Axe Fx, Kemper etc would have been better than the Amplitube plug in.

[@reginomusicHD]

You should use a Vox ac15/30 Sim to compare it, Logic Pro x has a amp designer and I think is pretty decent

[@Capt-Cran]

Great video

[@wesleyleigh4063]

I mean they're just completely different. That being said, from all the sims i've listened to they also tend to sound woofy and even washy at times, like they're missing some level of fidelity in the distortion profile. it also seems like the high end is always missing or sounds muffled, and pushing it with an EQ doesn't seem like ti would help all that much. Sigh.

[@somebodyelseuk]

Whitesnake and Black Sabbath's guitarists have been recorded through amp sims for years, now and didn't even know it until an interview with their producer. I know a guy who posts on youtube, who gets an AC30 sound without even using amps or sims on some of his videos, even though he owns an old AC30. You can do anything if you know enough. The difference here is very obvious... With respect, that's down to the operator, not the equipment, but I don't think that's your point.

[@dafingaz]

Nice!

[@musicbuzz2020]

hi freq just wont lie to you guys,

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

As Frank Gambale told in his rig rundown video: "This is not your dad's digital." Plus, there's less difference in amp sounds than what people think. The vast majority of amp designs are either based off Fender or Marshall circuits that have been modified, so they sound more or less the same, especially when driven. This test, however, is not conclusive. You should have re amped the clean recording through both amps and possibly eliminated the speaker factor with an impulse response in both. Most of the final differences heard on the miked amp are not the amp itself. It's the ambience of your room.

[@Studio_940]

Having played through an 11 rack for a few years,my Vox and Amplitube, I think there are much better tones than these. I actually use the 11r 90% of the time,but the hours of tweaking gave me a headache.lol There is no wrong way anymore,but tweak til it sounds right. I feel this missed the mark on a comparison video

[@carlmartinez5234]

Good info.

[@burneraccount962]

Can computers generate stunning video for movies? Yes. So, of course they can make beautiful guitar tones.

[@Jackdesj]

"More girth"? That's what she said!

[@randylittlefield2962]

IMO you just can't beat a mic'd amp. The sims do a good job but I don't think I'd ever take amp sims over real mic'd amps. Thanks for the comparison though!

[@gautamasakyamuni6688]

They've gone a long way,some are very usable but still not competitive with real amps or digital modelers.

[@algarvemike]

Poor example. Needed different mic position to get them more similar

[@briancoyne6700]

The fake amp has a harsh, digital distortion that is 2-dimensional and flat. It's offensive to the ears. The more fake guitar tracks you layer, the more digital distortion accumulates. There are better ways to mic an amp. I use two mics on the amp (dynamic and a cardioid) and then blend the two to taste. Im ok with clean digital amps--but fake distortion is nasty to my ears.

[@scottmacgregor4622]

I want to hear Neil Youngs opinion of virtual amps before I comment any further.

[@aakashchakrabarty4262]

Personally I felt the real amp fake lol Personally I feel there is not much difference when compared with good amp sims like the one which you used or bias amp or something in that price range.

[@fret2fret221]

I personally loathe this topic. A good amp/mic setup can sound great or awful. Same with a modeler. As long as what’s recorded sounds good and it’s mixed/mastered well it doesn’t really matter.

[@Nick215NY]

Amplitube is a HORRIBLE sound, with all that roaring digital crap noise. Horrible. The Vox real amp sounds great.

[@hornstrum]

Wish I had the cash for a VOX AC15 > am fairly pleased with ElevenRack #HHNET

[@adriandonal]

Do yourself a favor and try Scuffham s-gear, it sounds bananas ;)

[@andreasatlars4281]

I think that I prefer the actual amp simply because I prefer Vox over Marshall. lol

[@VladMalik]

Not a great comparison. Apples and oranges. Gotta compare virtual amp with similar character to the real one.

[@AmonForatto]

Well, there was the microphone added to the equation on the vox side, so that shapes the frequency we hear as well. Not a fair comparison. BUT they're all very usable anyways

[@TomClarkSouthLondon]

Using a real amp when recording makes it feel more of a connection and part of my expression. Love the versatility of VST. So in conclusion- Real amp for me requires passion in play. VST requires a tweaking knowledge to get a pleasing technical results.🤔 Do you know what I mean?🤷‍♂️

[@gottagettruth]

OK...so we are going to A/B a Marshall to a VOX???

[@allenthomas182]

Back in the 80's 90's the POD was God! I've never liked it.

[@chrisw5742]

Not in the 80's

[@scottmacgregor4622]

@@chrisw5742 Not a guitar pod specifically, but, there was the Tom Scholz Rockman which was pretty decent for the time.

[@omarsharif927]

Yes I would like to use them live. I'd love to get some nurel DSP

[@rustywp]

Amp was distorted, sim was VERY distorted.

[@althewicked]

Man this was a horrible comparison! First the Vox still sounding 100% like a real amp and the Amplitube doesent. Second why you did not choose a similar amp with similar gain in Amplitube ...they also got Vox models?

[@zimouspero]

Not a fairy comparation

[@jebatman756]

Whatever you use, just turn up the fuzz and problem solved, LOL

[@olivertoclassicrock4429]

yeah but plugins sounds artificial, i feel better when i play through a real amp

[@Zifahrimas]

cmon how come you're not hearing that horrible high frequency fizzz in the fake amp? the real one sounds smoother and sweeter.

[@nihil-baxter]

yes (though amplitube sucks hard and can't compete!). don't need to watch the video

[@jebatman756]

To be honest, both sound like shit to me. The real amp sounds like a bad Sim and the Sim sounds like a shitty amp....I don't know anything anymore...

[@AudioReplica2023]

Virtual amps has been created with only one thing in mind and that is...CONVENIENCE. enough said.😐

[@sunyshadow2541]

Well. You are using one of the worst amp sim.. Amplitube 4. Terrible product.

[@melodyman1662]

The fake one sounds like crap, next to the real .

[@AndrewStonerock]

Think people need to worry less about how "real" it sounds, and instead worry about how good it sounds. I literally just tracked two EP with my line 6 helix, and it sounds incredible! I wasn't worried about if it sounded real, and I found that I enjoyed the recording process more..

[@Ninja-pc3gd]

Tbh, Helix sounds realistic than Axe FX 3 and got a huge fat tone. I also enjoyed the helix plugins because you can use it everywhere either vocals or bass.

[@DadRockAndGuitars]

I agree. I use both my real amp and amp sims when recording. It's all about the sound I'm going for. If it sounds good, then it sounds good.

[@AudioReplica2023]

I totally agree with you. I just recently mixed a song I made entirely using Music lab real LPC thru brainworx rock rack v3 amps and the song is number 2 on a christian radio station in Puerto Rico. Yup..a virtual guitar thru a virtual amp. Crazy huh...

[@curtischarles5299]

@@AudioReplica2023 very encouraging..I have lpc and use it also. But have you tried ample sound guitar plugins?

[@GerryMoningkey]

@@AudioReplica2023 congrats!

[@freecitizen2760]

It’s not only the sound, it’s also the “feel” of a tube guitar amp. Even different approaches to the rectifier, diodes or tubes of various types, has a huge effect on both the sound and feel. I just don’t enjoy playing through anything but tubes, especially with a tube rectifier that creates some “sag”.

[@zachary963]

Nathan Cirillo yeah exactly. As a guitarist, I’m always playing through my amps. It just feels good. As a producer, I’m constantly tracking DI and then using amp sims. But even if I’m not recording my amp, I’m playing through it while I track. Basically, I like the noise an amp makes even if I don’t use the tone.

[@MrClassicmetal]

A lot of it has to do with the hardware you use as well. In those comparisons often the computer hardware and speakers are not mentions, and these are major factors. You can have the best amp sim software in the world, but if the PC hardware isn't adequate and the monitors are crap, you're not getting the best results.

[@zachary963]

Sim sounds shrill and nasty. The amp sounds rounder and richer. I think eqing the amp would get a fantastic sound. It just doesn’t sound like your treble knob is up high enough. Also, it’s quieter than the sim.

[@bradhargis2261]

Amp sims will never replace the real thing. Sure some get really close to the point of not hearing a difference in a mix, but the feel and nuance of playing a real tube amp will never go away.

[@TheDilligan]

I am first and foremost a guitar player. And I play blues. And I have yet to find a single amp sim that sounds realistic on blues playing. It's the most revealing thing. Sure when you play like a robot, everything is clean with no real dynamics, Amp sims can sound real. But when you play blues, you rake the strings, fret them in weird ways, pluck and slap them and get expression on every note, it reveals how badly even the best amp sims handle dynamic distortion and harmonics. I have a full-analog live rig and a full-digital live rig. And I know that on the digital, I have to play completely differently and generally need to change effects and presets mid song (verse/chorus/solo) to get a sound... While on my analog rig, I can get all of those tones and get them better without having to change any settings - just the way my fingers attack the strings and the volume knob on the guitar.. I ca go from clean, spacey sounds to thick distorion with just my hands.. But on every amp sim I have ever played with or heard, the dynamics are crushed and the distortion responds way too evenly to the playing. And when you are recording a blues song, it sounds like you are playing toy instruments. It sounds cheap and lacks life. Every fallback in a guitar sim becomes completely obvious on blues music. Even when you hear real blues artists playing them on great mixes, it is a song killer.

[@LeftyGuitarBlues]

Preach

[@stevew1886]

Why wouldn't you use a Vox SIM so we could hear a true A-B??

[@jebatman756]

Virtual amps are tooo convenient! Seriously, there's a plugin where you can just record the guitar and choose the amp you wanna use with it after-the-fact, it's unbelievable....

[@the_electronicTech]

Well i say..... cost...... amp sims are way cheaper with waaaaaay more options

[@Syklonus]

I think people put too much stock in an amp or an amp sim. It's only one part of the signal chain, and the real sound comes more from your mic/cab/IR choices, and even more so for how well it's mixed into a song. Guitar, pickups, player, lead - all these can make an amp or an amp sim sound different, and post processing can make it sound even more different. The reality is that amp sims these days are phenomenal, and they are more than capable of being used in a pro mix situation. It's even got to the point where some clients are actually a bit nostalgic for the older amp sim tones becasue that's what people used in the early 2010s for a lot of projects. It's all conditioning. If amp sims came first we'd all be scrutinising real amps for not sounding "as good" as the sims.

[@tobins6800]

Plusses to amp sim/IRs, thousands of combos. No lugging things around, or cable management issues. Cons, thousands of combos. More work in the EQ portion of mixing. Amp sims have more problematic freqs to deal with, just the nature of the beast. The other is the outside dynamics that are never emulated. Room dynamics, air movement of the speaker, resonances that aren't able to be done. And one final downside, the ability to record an idea without fully fleshing it out and practicing it for a million years to perfection.

[@lylaznboi01]

Before I watch the video, yes, especially with what has been released this past decade with the AxeFX, Kemper, Helix, and other companies. Would it be nice to have the space to have a bunch of great amps and mics? Yes, but I also need the money for the amps and cabs I want to have. I've had clients who like the amp sim sound I made up on the spot over the amp they brought in. I mainly go with an amp sim to help them focus on their performance and reamp later. In the end, if it sounds good, then it sounds good, regardless if you're using the sim or an actual amp and cab.

[@Squidaniel]

Kemper is where it’s at. Absolutely incredible

[@burneraccount962]

They're also incredibly expensive.

[@djentlover]

Vox: Nice and creamy, feels like wanting to listen to it again and again. Amplitube: Pain. Just pain.

[@AudioReplica2023]

Two totally different amps and set ups .....thats for sure is gonna sounds 100% different. Just a bad comparison.

[@DirkRadloff]

Within a mix nobody can tell anymore, if it was an amp-sim or a real one

[@scottmacgregor4622]

Exactly. That was the whole point of the video.

[@linuslinden7674]

Thank you for this video. Stumbled across this because I’m having real problems getting a good sound out of my 57. Kinda pleased that you have the same ”problem” too. Forgive me, but the ”real deal” sounds horrible - just like my recordings. Don’t get me wrong. Thank you for the video, but an SM57 (despite being everyones favourite, because some engineer told them so) is tricky to get right. 99% of the time the sound gets thin, boxed and brittle, especially when recording bright amps just breaking up. This video is no different. Either I invest in a decent mic (stand alone or pair with a 57) or an oxbox/captor set up. Thoughts ?

[@BobMcCarroll]

Gotta say, I thought the Vox was way better sounding and the sim was harsh and fake sounding. Not the best amp sim I've ever heard. Try Blue Cat Audio's "Axiom" that things a beast of an amp/cab/effects sim.

[@pedrochaves7449]

I got it, the real amp sounds fake, and the fake sounds real, more than the real thing heheaheahae. But the two sounds good and that what matters. Thank you for the video Graham!

[@alamakluke]

You need to compare apples with apples..... other than that nice video

[@domagojoinky8262]

Virtual amp can sound good when low passed at 5kHz and hi passed at 100Hz

[@zvonimirspehar4450]

How do I get rid of the fuzz (around 1-2 KHz) help it is ruining my mixes

[@CugnoBrasso]

Can't you just cut it out with the EQ?

[@zvonimirspehar4450]

@@CugnoBrasso no, I think it might be cabinet impulse. I tryed eq it does not work :/

[@zvonimirspehar4450]

@Salterszo thanks, I will try it that way. I thought it was gate problem but had a hard time finding one

[@necurrence1776]

Had this problem, I got rid of the fuzz by changing the guitar

[@zachary963]

Try eqing before the amp sim.

[@elgen0314]

If you can't hear how crappy that amp sim sounds there are other hobbies available

[@JonnyLipshamStudios]

Hi, mate. If you have Studio One Professional, which you use for mastering, you should be able to redeem a free copy of the NEW PreSonus Ampire 3 amp sim, and - with the new PreSonus Hub, you can use Ampire in Pro Tools as a VST. Give it a shot!

[@pb25193]

Play on 2x and thank me later

[@GaylordBonnafous]

Actually both sound crappy.