EQ Magazine - October 2008 - (Page 56)

GUITAR AMP SIMULATORS As more recording guitarists discover the flexibility of amp sims, the “big five” (Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig, IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube, Line 6’s GearBox, Waves G|T|R, and Peavey ReValver Mk III) continue to pick up fans. However, comparatively few have made the leap from using them in the studio to ditching a guitar rack and using a totally software-based setup on stage. That’s changing. More powerful laptops at a lower price are one incentive to go virtual live, but another is a new generation of hardware controllers that allow changing sounds with the same fluidity as traditional foot controllers. For example, consider Native Instruments’ Rig Kontrol 3: It combines a 192kHz/24-bit USB 2.0 stereo audio interface with an expression pedal, nine switches, and jacks for additional controllers, which are all about realtime control over Guitar Rig 3’s parameters. At the software end of things, Guitar Rig 3 builds in Rig Kontrol access: You can tie specific parameters to the controllers, and save this information with Guitar Rig presets. Another cool function is the “snapshot,” which lets you step through different settings within the same rack. Because you can load a lot of processors into a rack, you can set up multiple sounds—enough for at least a song or two—within that preset. For Waves G|T|R, there’s GTR Ground, a USB foot controller with two expression pedals and 11 assignable buttons. It’s designed to accompany G|T|R 3, allowing you to bypass/enable individual “stomp box” modules, provide pedal control, switch between effects setups, and quite a bit more. Waves also markets a guitar-specific preamp, the Waves/PRS Guitar Interface, which buffers a standard guitar’s output and makes it suitable for feeding line and mic level inputs. Unless you’re totally committed to tubes, it’s getting to the point where you no longer need to use amp sims in the studio yet maintain a separate rig for playing—and you can get the exact same sound live you do in the studio. IK MULTIMEDIA STOMP IO PRICE: $1,049.99, $799 for existing AmpliTube users STRENGTHS: Built to “rock and roll” specs. Extremely ergonomic. Great complement of I/O, including six jacks for expression controllers. Digital output. Integrates superbly with AmpliTube 2 plug-ins. LIMITATIONS: Mono-in only (sorry, Chapman Stick players). In multichannel setups, can control only one instance of X-Gear at a time. Pretty much any studio-oriented, computer-savvy guitarist is aware of IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube series of amp sims. But now, IK has zeroed in on making AmpliTube equally at home on stage with the StompIO controller. The quality is obvious: The allmetal case is hefty, footswitches are spaced far enough apart for actual human feet, the display is readable, and there’s a wealth of I/O. What’s less obvious is the Class A DI, highend AD/DA, elegant automation handling in the studio, and simple preset management onstage. The package includes several amp sim programs: AmpliTube 2, Ampeg SVX, AmpliTube Jimi Hendrix, and AmpliTube Metal. The controller talks to another program, X-Gear, which serves as a “shell” for all these programs so you can mix and match, say, a cab from the Jimi Hendrix software with a stomp box effect from AmpliTube Metal. Including the software also helps justify the $900 street price, as an equivalent setup would cost vastly more as hardware. Assuming a modern computer with low latency, you really can replace a rack of gear. If you’re not familiar with AmpliTube, it has a “creamy” signature tone, with excellent clean-to-dirty breakup characteristics. I won’t get into the “better/worse than Guitar Rig/G|T|R/GearBox ReValver” thing because like real guitar setups, these have different sounds. Suffice it to say that I use all five, and I wouldn’t want to give up AmpliTube. In many ways, it provides the closest experience to a traditional guitar setup. Okay, so the sound passes the “tone test” in the studio. Live, StompIO’s most striking characteristic is that you can pretty much close your laptop and forget it exists. The vibe is like having a guitar pedalboard in front of you, because you do have a guitar pedalboard in front of you—just one with a USB cable going to a computer instead of an audio cable going to an amp. My only disappointment: When using my Digital Les Paul with a host program (Sonar), I use six instances of AmpliTube 2 and was hoping to be able to control all of them at (CONTINUED) 56 EQ OCTOBER 2008 www.eqmag.com http://www.eqmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of EQ Magazine - October 2008

EQ Magazine - October 2008 Contents Talk Box Sounding Board Punch In Smashing Pumpkins Guitar Trax Bass Management Key Issues Drum Heads Vocal Cords Mix Bus Cheat Sheet Cakewalk Sonar 7 Steinberg Cubase 4 Studio Meets Stage Gear for the Studio and Stage Sounds Room with a Vu

EQ Magazine - October 2008

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