Today a new set of plugins have enter the Beta Store. Those been: PreAmpImpulses
This is a set of IR data striped down to the bare bones to reflect the Frequency Response from the selected Preamp model. This plug is meant to be used in front of “any” amplifier simulation to sharp the input tone. True, you may experience wild with it and put it anywhere in your signal flow.
PreAmpTubes
This is a set of plain Tube Amp preamp sections were you could select the tubes to be used. As all plugs in this series it comes with In/Output controls to allow easily gain stacking. It is meant to run before or behind the PreAmpImpulses (for tone shaping), but could be used as well anywhere in the signal flow.
PowerAmpImpulses
Like the PreAmpImpulses, just reflect Power Amps frequency responses.
PowerAmpTubes
Like the PreAmpTubes, but simulate plain Power Amp sections. You could select from the selector which kind of amp-type/tube you would use, and use the In/Output controls to define how hard the tubes been driven.
All plugs together will simulate a complete Amplifier stack, but as said, you may use parts of them were ever they fit your needs.
Thanks to @Kim for the nice graphics of the knobs, switches and led I used in this plugs.
I’m deep into the Line 6 world and loving it, with no desire to look for anything else (other than maybe a looper to swap my Ableton for if I ever start gigging and decide I don’t want to do it with a laptop) but damn.
Now that Dwarf has a few more “complete” VeJa amps, and now that @brummer introduced the B.Y.O.A. (build your own amp) in a modular style that suits the spirit of Mod very well… let’s just say If I bought Dwarf now and not a year ago, it seems a lot more likely that I wouldn’t have returned it.
This looks like everything I wanted from GxAmplifier. I obviously won’t have the chance to test it, but the one thing I’d encourage testers to pay attention to is gain ranges and levels. Digital plugins/modelers usually have plenty of volume on tap and allow the user to blow their ears out if they really want to but from what I remember, that was a bit easier with GxAmplifier (and some other MOD plugins) than with most other stuff I used. I’m sure it all sounds good already, but help @brummer nail those gain/volume ranges and you’ll have an absolute winner on your hands.
EDIT:
Oh, and of course, great job @brummer and @Kim. I like the idea behind the plugin and the way a minimalistic, clean look complements it.
Thanks for the suggestion @Azza. Do you have or can you help us get some contact for him?
Nice YouTubers (or musicians in general) is not that hard for us to find, the harder is to manage to reach them out and make it work.
I watched the video when you posted in the other thread. It’s seems like this guy’s point is that not many things matter in terms of amp tones. He did the same with guitars. I don’t know if his method is scientific enough to prove his point but I like the idea of debunking old myths.
So he might come to a conclusion that not everybody wants to hear : EQ and distortion plugins may be more important for the tone than fancy amp simulators that use a lot of CPU. This gives me ideas for my next pedalboard.
If you are interested in a more scientific method check out here: https://www.amplifiedparts.com/tech-articles/12ax7-comparison-current-made-tubes
You’ll see that already changing to a tube from the same type, but a different vendor change your amp tone.
However, the conclusion that EQ and distortion pedals been more important for the tone isn’t wrong at all, just the way to reach this conclusion is questionable.
I was thinking that different tubes have different operating points but that “equivalent” behaviour (and distortion characteristics and ultimately tone) can posisbly be achieved by adjusting the voltage and loads for each of them. In other word, what a given tube can do, another tube could possibly do as well if set up properly. And so can a solid state circuit. My guess is that the tacklebox amp does just that : adjust the different stages of an amp to reach these “equivalent” behaviours.
In any case, I think Jim Lill’s result is quite impressive and I don’t suspect him of faking it.
Yes, I’m as well don’t think he’s faking it, just, the Amp’s he use with the tube switchers, seems to do exactly what you expect, they adjust internal settings to make results more comparative. When you do the same with a Amp, means, replacing tubes with models from other vendors, for preamp tubes, for sure the sound of your amp change (Most likely it will already change when you use Tubes from the same vendor). When you do the same with Power Tubes, keep a fire extinguisher at your hand, because, without biasing Power Tubes, for sure your Amp will burn.
However, I hope those plugs I provide here been useful for archive a nice sound from your MOD device regardless of scientific.
Those plugs do exactly the “split of” from linear responses and non linear responses. So you could use the “Impulse” plugs in place of a EQ and could replace the tubes with what ever distortion or buster pedal you like. Or, the other way round.
This is great stuff @brummer ! Does any other MultiFX device in this range have this kind of capability? I’d previously used the CAPS AmpsVTS and GxAmplifier, but was never quite satisfied with the results. It took only a few moments to get something I really liked out of the new plugins. Plus, I was able to split the amp between my channels (preamp on channel 1 and poweramp on channel 2) to replicate an FX loop
@malfunction54 Thanks for your feedback.
Yes, been able to create a FX loop was one of my main reasons to do this plugs. Be it external via channels or internal via connections.
I’m glad you like how they sound
It sounds terrific—do you have a logic for the chain order? I notice on the pre-amp section you did impulse—>tube, but on the power amp section did the reverse. I realize that with the modularity is the freedom to break the rules (with EVERY plug-in on the device), but as you’re the dev I’m curious as to how you chose this order for your first showcase.
I ask partly because I used to have a meatspace pedal that was a clone of the Alembic F2B, but I replaced the tubes with 12AU7s and it was magical. I wonder if placing your modular 12AU7 before/after the GxAlembic will give my bass the same sound…
The idea behind is sharpen the input before running into the tube section to avoid muddy sound and then again sharp it on output to match my taste. But, that wouldn’t be a rule to follow, I play it as well in other orders.
When you put the preamp tubes before the Alembic and use them with low drive (low input/output settings), to just sharp the tone a bit, it will be completely different as when you use them to push the input level for the Alembic. You must experiment with them to check if they will suite your needs.
I’m pretty sure you’ll like to use the PreAmpImpulses before the GxAlembic.
There is a update now available, mainly for the “Impulse” plugs. I’ve implemented a “normalisation” function, means the output level of the impulses becomes equal, and replaced the output controller with a tone control, so you get a wider range to match your taste.
btw. the padelboard posted above was done with the updated plugs.
Really good stuff these plugin! Do you think is possible to give to every module a sign to make more easy to differentiate them? For example a different grey tonality could be good enough
