A Beginner's Guide to Audio Interfaces and Amp Sims - Part 3
- Daniel Bone
- Aug 29, 2020
- 4 min read
So we're finally getting to the fun part! I would've loved to jump straight into this part but it makes more sense to get the boring setup stuff out of the way first so that we're all on the same page. So with all the prep work covered, let's dive in to some of the coolest amp sim options around at the moment.
Neural DSP's Archetype: Nolly - 134.99 Euros
Ever since I bought this one, it's been my go-to. It just sounds perfect every time. Nolly is one of the best metal producers and mixers out there at the moment, his work on Architects' Holy Hell is a modern classic and really sets the bar for modern metal mixes. He's also done incredible work as the bassist in the band Periphery, so he has a wealth of experience to draw from, which all went into his work with Neural DSP to create this incredible amp sim. It features four of his favourite amp heads, four matching cabs, four microphone choices and a range of effects pedals. All of these elements are fully customisable; from the combination of microphones on the cab, their distance from the cab, so the range of tones at your disposal from this one plugin is truly staggering. It's definitely designed for heavy metal guitarists first and foremost, but you can still create beautiful clean and crunch tones if you need them. With the recent 2.0 update release, you even get a built-in tuner. It took them a year to get there but they finally did it! Throw in fantastic presets by Nolly himself and a sleek, clean, easy-to-navigate interface and you've got a clear winner.
STL Tones' Tonehub - $199 - Plus Further Expansions
Tonehub is a really special piece of software. It's by far the most ambitious and expansive option on the market at the moment. Rather than trying to emulate a handful of particular amplifiers, STL set out to create a piece of software that would be closer to a Kemper hardware unit. For those unfamiliar, a Kemper is an incredible piece of gear that can capture a guitar tone and save it as a preset to be recalled at will, and there's plenty of companies out there that produce and sell Kemper profile packs so that you can have your dream tones in seconds, making it incredibly versatile. That's pretty much what Tonehub achieves. The base pack comes with 60 presets included - all of which you can tweak to your heart's content - but the real magic comes from the Producer Packs that STL sell separately. They've teamed up with some of the best engineers around, including Andrew Wade, Dan Korneff, David Bendeth, Howard Benson and Mark Lewis, to create a massive selection of options. Obviously this can make it expensive as a long term investment if you can't help but buy them all, but it's absolutely worth it to have such a huge range of options at your fingertips.
Toneforge Guilty Pleasure by Joey Sturgis Tones - $79
This one is a much more affordable option, and a great way to get an instantly usable metal tone with no fuss at all. It's much more simple than the other options we've discussed so far, as it's only really looking to provide one amp option. There's a range of effects pedals included, you get full control over the EQ and cab options, with plenty of provided Impulse Response (IR) options, as well as the option to use any other IRs you may already have, so you still get options to play with, but it definitely doesn't cover the same range as the Archetype: Nolly or Tonehub. I find with this one it makes a great option for just jamming out, as it sounds great as soon as you open it up and you don't need to go searching through preset menus for the right kind of sound to inspire your playing. Sometimes simplicity is better, right? Around the same price point, there are other Toneforge options available such as Menace, for heavier tones, or the Misha Mansoor and Jason Richardson signature versions which were designed in co-operation with those artists to create something that would be perfect for their tonal choices.
Audio Assault's RVXX - $34.99 (but usually on sale for much less!)
Let's end this with the most affordable option around. Audio Assault have been around for years and consistently release shockingly affordable plugins; I've had most of theirs for under $10 each and, while they don't match up to the more expensive options we've discussed, they still offer fantastic results for the price. Their RVXX is one of their latest amp sims and by all accounts it does a great job at capturing the magic of the REVV amp that it emulates. If you're looking to jump into the world of amp sims without spending a fortune straight away, Audio Assault are a great way to do it.
So there we have it. Four modern amp sim options for you that cover a wide range of prices, features and tonal capabilities. That should give you a good starting point for your exploration into amp sims.
Did this help you at all? I'd really appreciate any feedback you can provide to let me know if I'm providing helpful content and if I'm explaining it clearly enough! If you have any further questions or would like me to cover anything else, please don't hesitate to ask. Send me an email at daniel.bone@runicaudio.co.uk or message me on Facebook (www.facebook.com/runicaudio) or Instagram (www.instagram.com/runic_audio).
Onwards and upwards, my friends.
- Dan