Variax, or Guitar Rig type software?

[windowman]

Apr 18, 2008, 8:24pm, guest4254 wrote:I'm NOT a very good guitar player, but sometimes I've got to put a part in myself, for various reasons, and need a really good sounding and versatile guitar. If I practice a part long enough, I can do it....here's my dilemma.Right now I have a 1971 Gibson SG, which needs some work... it goes out of tune a lot, and the G string just doesn't sound right, no matter what type of strings I use....I'm not sure which way to go...I can either buy a Line 6 Variax guitar that'll emulate a bunch of different guitars/sounds just by turning a knob on the guitar for around $800....or get my SG up to snuff and buy a software program like Guitar Rig 3....Anyone have a Variax, or Guitar Rig type of software they'd like to give their opinions about???Depending on what type of music you typically record, the SG should be sufficient for now. I like Gibsons, but prefer Fenders for versatility and their ability to attract a better class of women. Get the SG tuned up with a good guitar tech in your area until you can find something else but don't sell it. You'll invariably find uses for it down the road that other guitars can't achieve. As for the Line 6 series, I use a POD XT & I think they're wonderful. They're more versatile than Guitar Rig stuff which seems to be aiming more at the under 30 crotch RAWK demographic. (Not great crunch or clean tones.) DON'T over process in the recording or mixing stage. A lot of kids compress the shit out of their tone to compensate for their shortcomings & the end result is a sound that doesn't breathe. You'll become a better player if you don't rely on the bells & whistles & you'll be happier with your tone in the long run. I also use the POD for bass guitar. One line to the POD & one direct. Playing more than one instrument also attracts more of the womens, which is why we're in this in the first place, right?And do something with your hair.Cheers,Wade

[guest4254]

Playing more than one instrument also attracts more of the womens, which is why we're in this in the first place, right?...which is why my main instrument is Bass, followed by Keyboards, and now, boning up on the guitar (so to speak)And do something with your hair.sure...but where can I get some???

[clanmorgan]

I have all the guitar plugins and lots of amps etc.. and I think the answer is very much based on your process and workflow for recording tracks. I like the software-based plugins when I havent finalized the type of sound that I want for the tune but for my style of playing (use of harmonics, percussive chunking) I prefer to use the Line 6 PODPro or a small mixed amp (Line 6 Spider w/12" celestion). I find my tracks are much more alive when I can actually "feel" what Im playing and ride the sustain, feedback, etc... But of course there are times when I use the pluings for backing tracks that could need modification to the guitar sound AFTER I recorded them. For me it really depends on what Im working on and how "dedicated" my guitar sound is when I lay down the track. Overall if I had to choose I would stick to dedicated sound via the PODPro any day of the week.

[wodinlord]

Check out Digidesign's Eleven plug-inhttp://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=32&l ... mid=5423It can be rented for like $10 for 2 days or $30 for 2 weeks, but, you may have to have an Ilok key to rent it. They were offering a 30 demo when it first came out. Not sure if that is still available. I have used a lot on guitar emulators and it is by far the best for for I like to hear. Very natural sounding overdrive and really good clean sounds too. There are several different amp models including Fender and Soldano. Great plug-in. I have rented it several times. I record guitar tracks clean and use other plug-ins for writing and then rent it for mixing.If you can find Native Instruments "Guitar Combos" on ebay, it can usually be gotten for like $50 and it has Marshall Plexi, Vox AC30 and Fender Twin emulators on it and is very much worth the modest cost. It came with some software bundle and people sometimes sell it on there.

[clanmorgan]

I havent heard the Digidesign's Eleven plug-in. Keep in mind that it is ProTools (HD & LE) only. I think the ability to actually "rent" plugins is quite interesting. It gives the casual user the ability to use pro gear for a limited time. I am a heavy user of AU plugs on the MAC via Digital Performer, LIVE, etc... Ill have to check out the demos of the Eleven product. Reminds me of Spinal Tap. Heres the quote from Wikipedia: "The phrase was coined in a scene from the 1984 mockumentary/rockumentary This is Spinal Tap by the character Nigel Tufnel, played by Christopher Guest. In this scene Nigel gives the rockumentary's director, Marty DiBergi, played by Rob Reiner, a tour of his stage equipment. While Nigel is showing Marty his Marshall guitar amplifiers, he points out one in particular whose control knobs all have the highest setting of eleven (unlike standard amplifiers, whose volume settings are typically numbered from zero to ten), believing that this numbering actually increases the volume of the amp It's one louder When Marty asks why the ten setting is not simply set to be louder, Nigel pauses, clearly confused, before responding, These go to eleven".

[elser]

I've been playing guitar for 30 years. It's how I make my living. I own 8 guitars and 5 amps right now, but I love Amplitube. It really does everything right from amp models to cab styles and mic emulations and room ambience. Just my 2 cents.Elser

[guest4254]

Hey Elser,I just had my first opportunity to download the Amplitube demo....yeah...I see what you're talking about..even my SG sounds great! I'll spend a few days with it, and then try Guitar Rig demo, and compare...have you tried both, or are you strictly Amplitube?Harry

[fivehands]

I just bought the Roland VG 99. I can't give even a first impression yet because I pick it up tomorrow and I still have to wait a few days for the special HEX GK 3 pickup, which is actually 6 pickups in one, one for each string. Then I have to have it professionally installed. This gives you all sorts of access to things in the unit like synths, MIDI tracking, alternate tunings, acoustic 12 string patches. Plus it has two channels, A and B where you can play two patches at the same time. How about a sitar and a 12 string? Or whatever. Of course, this is not an inexpensive unit. Around 1500 Canadian dollars with the pickup at Long and McQuade Toronto. At the same time I have the 3 Guitar Rigs and I really like them but something told me I needed a really good hardware unit for writing and tracking. To use software like Guitar Rig as an insert I have to get my computer latency down to about under 5 ms, so if I've got other plugins happening in Cubase I had better export a temporary mix to play along with so I can turn the plugs off or the computer will start hiccuping and the sound will crackle. The other way I do it is to play a clean track with direct monitoring (no latency) and then look for a sound with Guitar Rig after the fact. This can work sometimes but other times the clean track wasn't up to scratch because I didn't have a guitar/effect sound happening for feel at the time I did the track. But the first insert method works well with Guitar Rig for me in a lot of situations because it doesn't really take much to bring down CPU performance in a project temporarily. There isn't much written about the VG 99's MIDI tracking except that if you want to use your guitar to play your software synths it takes a different way of playing so you have to be careful and precise. I'm not a guitar player by trade but I'm a better guitar player than I am a keyboard player so this unit was worth a try just to see how well it tracks MIDI. But the other features in the unit make it a worthwhile venture for me anyway. I'd like to thank my wife for splitting her tax refund with me.

[elser]

Apr 29, 2008, 7:35pm, guest4254 wrote:Hey Elser,I just had my first opportunity to download the Amplitube demo....yeah...I see what you're talking about..even my SG sounds great! I'll spend a few days with it, and then try Guitar Rig demo, and compare...have you tried both, or are you strictly Amplitube?HarryHi Harry, I have tried Guitar Rig and I'm sure it can sound good in capable hands, but it didn't grab me the way Amplitube did. Not to say one is better than other. My personal real amp favorite is Vox. That doesn't mean I think Marshalls and Fenders and Boogies aren't great amps, Vox is just better at catching my 'sound'.Elser

[guest4254]

Thanks Elser, for the the reply. I'm trying to stay unbiased until I've made a thorough comparison. I have a feeling this isn't going to be an easy decision....Harry