Something to plugin to
For software-based electronic musicians, the first port of call for any re-amping task will probably be one of the many virtual recreations of an amp setup. These are quicker and easier to use than hardware amps, and the results will be ready to fit straight into a track. Just like real amps, software recreations are primarily intended for guitarists, but the distinctive tonal opportunities they bring can enrich any electronic production, offering things that most ‘normal’ effects chains just don’t do.
If you’re heading down the virtual route with your re-amping quest, there are plenty of options from a vast number of developers hoping to sate your appetite for thick and lush tones. Software choices span the gamut from a few knobs on a basic interface to entire virtual studios with switchable amps, cabs and foot pedals.
IK Multimedia’s Amplitube 4 is one of the latter, allowing you to create your own combinations of virtual amps and cabinets, add stompbox effects into the signal path, and record the whole lot with repositionable mics in a virtual room. The philosophy is one of ‘chop and change’, and it’s a treasure trove of classic gear for the guitar-wielding purist, and it’ll cost you 180 Euros.
An option perhaps more suited to electronic production is Native Instruments’ Guitar Rig 5. Similar to Amplitube, this virtual studio lets you combine emulations of classic guitar gear to make your desired tone – although the emphasis is on distortion rather than clean amp models. Guitar Rig has much to offer producers too, with LFOs, envelope shapers, splitters and sequencers among the stock of devices that can be added to the signal chain. It’s £169.
For a more focused option, Softube’s Amp Room bundle combines three separate ‘Amp Room’ plugins: Vintage, Metal and Bass. These plugins don’t adhere to the ‘every amp and cabinet ever!’ blueprint, instead offering dedicated, focused modelling of a handful of classic rigs, with microphone choices and positions beautifully captured. Amp room is available for $329.
If you want an absolute classic, UAD’s Fender 55 Tweed Deluxe is the first officially endorsed emulation of this iconic combo amp, again with a selection of microphone types and positions. It costs £149 and requires UAD hardware to run.
Waves’ GTR3 is another mix-and-match guitar studio with a plethora of virtual models to connect together. This one doesn’t have to run as a plugin – you can use it standalone or with Waves’ SoundGrid in order to wield its sounds hostless, should you wish, and all for $129.
How about something you can run on iOS as well? For creamy amp tones on the go, check out Positive Grid’s Bias FX, which runs in desktop and iPad variants, and will integrate with the company’s amp-modelling hardware Bias Amp. The basic Bias FX pack costs $99 for desktop, with the iOS version priced at £19.99. There are expansions available too.
Overloud’s TH3 is also awash with emulations; 203 in total, with 69 guitar and three bass amps, alongside 35 guitar cabinets, 2 bass cabinets, stomp-boxes and multieffects aplenty.
And still the options keep coming. Line 6 provide software-only versions of their Pod hardware, with the Pod Farm plugin suite currently at Version 2.5. Equally worthy of note are the hugely-flexible Vandal from Magix-Audio which, despite its single guitar and amp emulation is hugely customisable, to produce a wide range of possible tones. And last, but by no means least, Peavey’s ReValver 4 software is equally tweakable, helping you produce all of the amp simulation flavours you could ever wish for.
This – by no means exhaustive – list shows just how popular software amp simulations have become in recent times. For producers seeking flexibility and sonic richness, the tools here provide an adventure playground of sonic possibilities.