STOAKES GEAR TALK – GUITAR AMP SIM SHOOTOUT
When recording guitar on a limited budget, perhaps you won’t have access to your dream set up. You haven’t got thousands of pounds to spend on an amp and guitar rig, complete with thousands of pedals. Well, in these modern times, that perhaps isn’t too much of a problem. We are going to take a look at some guitar amp sims that are on offer and discuss the pros and cons of each choice.
I have been looking at few different options over the last few months and we will look at them in more detail below. So, what are we looking at? I hear you ask. Firstly from Waves; the PRS Super Models, created in collaboration with Paul Reed Smith. We are also taking a look at STL Tones Howard Benson Tonality plugin, Audified’s Amplion 2 Rock Essentials plugin, Nembrini Audio’s Voice DC30 and Overloud’s THU Full plugin. So lets begin:
PRS SUPERMODELS – WAVES
Waves are industry leaders when it comes to audio plugins. I was very impressed when I reviewed the Gold Bundle earlier this year, which actually includes a guitar rig (GTR3) and it was because of my review that included my thoughts on the GTR3 that Waves got in touch to ask if I would be interested in looking at their new PRS Supermodels.
The PRS Supermodels, if I’m honest took me a little bit of time to master. Unlike GTR3, it’s very technical, they have so many different buttons and sound options and tons of presets. I found it rather complicated and a little overwhelming at first. I will say that once you master them and understand how they tick, the sound is absolutely fantastic. It isn’t just a case of plugging in and playing though, you have to put that time in and learn the amps. Once you put the effort in though, sound wise they really do pack a punch. There are three amp models, the Archon, which has a really aggressive lead channel – great for metal, the Dallas, which leans toward classic rock territory and both the Archon and Dallas are models of real PRS amps. The final model and my favourite is the V9, which has a really great, fat tone.
The clean tone on the Archon is really tight and crisp, with added gain and brightness you can get a nice overdriven sound. I actually really like the gain turned up and the brightness off, it almost replicates a 70’s rock sound. Turn the lead channel on and it will just absolutely melt your face. Think epic metal riffs! The Dallas in contrast is really smooth and even if you turn the gain up, it keeps its warmth. The V9 is my favourite of the three, it has a really big tone that really makes a statement.
Across all three amps models, they all feel really authentic. It feels like you’re playing a guitar into a real guitar amp. The sound quality of the amps is exceptional. The feedback is incredible. There are a few shortcomings however. The lack of options when it comes to effects and customising your sound is a huge disappointment. The Dallas is the only one to come with built in reverb, none of the others have that option. You can boost the gain signal on all three, which is essentially an overdrive, but there are no effects included aside from the built in reverb on the Dallas. I was hoping for more options when it comes to effects like the GTR3 has. I can’t dismiss the absolute quality replication of the three individual amps. They sound great, but, you will need additional effects to go along with it. Furthermore, unlike in the Waves GTR3 rig which gave you the option to use different microphones, the supermodels don’t have this option. You are literally just getting the amp. I think in a live situation as a standalone application, playing with the supermodels would be great, but for recording, the lack of control you have (mics/fx) is, as I have said, disappointing.
VOICE DC30 – NEMBRINI AUDIO
Like the PRS Super models, the Voice DC30 is modelled on a specific amplifier, the VOX AC30. Unlike the Supermodels, the DC30 is so simple to get your head around. Sound wise, it has that Vox sound that defined a generation. The set up is so easy and intuitive. You can plug in and play almost instantly. There are no artist or factory presets, so it’s all down to you to dial in the tone you want from the amp. Personally, I think that’s a good thing as it doesn’t overwhelm you with too much choice. Like the PRS Supermodels there are no extra effects, Nembrini do offer a couple of free overdrive pedals that work really well with the Voice DC30 and the amp comes with a beautiful reverb anyway, so you’re semi covered! Again, like the PRS models, maybe a few more effects might have been nice. That being said, I do really like this amp, it sounds great and is really responsive. It really delivers that ‘Vox’ crunch and if you’re just after that one sound, then this is the amp sim for you.
It also comes with a choice of different microphones, which all offer slightly different sonic qualities. You can go for the classic 57, or go for a ribbon mic perhaps or a combination of them both. You can use up to two microphones and you can choose their position, whether you want them on or off axis and there is also a mixer built in, so you can alter the levels too. Also included is a choice of cabinets, from the classic Vox cab, to Fender Tweed types and even an Orange cabinet and they, like the mics all have their own sonic qualities. In fact, I quite like the tweed cabinet with a 57 mic and Ribbon mics combined! Now that sounds really sweet!
HOWARD BENSON PLUGIN SUITE – STL TONES
Howard Benson is a legendary producer, having worked with the likes of My Chemical Romance, The All American Rejects, Seether and Kelly Clarkson, to name but a few. He has teamed up with STL tones to deliver a great plugin suite that is superb for creating high gain, metal tracks! In fact, I would argue that if you want to achieve that heavier, harder sound, then STL tones in general is your perfect choice as they really cater for all things HEAVY!
The plugin suite has a choice of five amps and one bass amp, plus three stomp boxes, a screamer overdrive and a delay and reverb which you can get a great set of sounds from. I really enjoyed playing with some of the presets too. There are a number of different presets too including 25 Howard Benson presets, 7 from both Mike Plotnikoff and Ola Englund and 13 STL Tone Presets. Included are ‘Artist tones’ which were nice to play and tweak.
The amps are great, sonically they are all very different too. Amp 1 and 2 are high gain models, great for metal, 3 is a plexi, Marshall type, but geared for the harder end of rock and delivers a great lead tone too. Then 4 and 5 are cleaner amps, based on Fender type amps. There is also a bass amp, modelled on a Fender bass amp, I think!
This Plugin suite has so many options when it comes to creating your own sound. The only thing it doesn’t give you a choice of is microphones, although you can alter the mics position in relation to the cabinet, you are limited to one mic. Other than that, this is a great amp suite and like I said, ideal for playing all types of metal and hard rock. The tones are great, especially for the heavier sounds. My favourite amp is amp number 3, the ‘marshall’, plexi type. It sou nds really great, crisp tones and then when you add a touch of overdrive and a bit of delay, it’s absolutely fabulous. You can easily get an ACDC type tone, but turn the gain right up and you’re in Judas Priest territory. I think, of the amps available, amp 3 is my favourite and certainly the most versatile.
AMPLION ROCK ESSENTIALS 2 – AUDIFIED
As with the STL Tones plugin, Audified’s Amplion Rock Essentials 2 offers a choice of a few different amps. It delivers what it says on the tin, the three most common ‘go to’ amplifiers for rock guitar. They have been cleverly disguised so as not to give away what they actually are, but I have deciphered the code and can now reveal what the three amps in Rock Essentials are actually modelled on! It was so very hard… We have the Bartender Deluxe (Fender), The Martial 59 (Marshall) and the Jukebox 30 (Vox). The pedal selection is a similar deal, for instance you have the Overdrive One (SD-1 Overdrive) and a green 808 Ice Cream Overdrive (Tube Screamer). It’s fun and a little bit quirky, I like it.
Tone wise it’s great. There are a number of presets associated with bands that use the real amps, you get a few Foos presets, plus some Queen, Maiden, GNR and Priest and all inspire creativity when you start to play. It’s great that you can start with the Breaking the Law preset for example, then you can tailor make your own sound from there.
There are a number of different mic options with a collection of nine overall. You can place them and angle them how you want and each mic has its own characteristic. I love cycling through the different mics as a track is playing and hearing the huge sonic differences, it’s very impressive. Each of the three amps has a unique characteristic akin to the real model, for instance, on the martial and Jukebox, you can select a bright channel or normal channel and control that independently and on the Bartender and Jukebox, you have the option to turn the reverb and modulation off and on.
Audified’s Amplion Rock Essentials 2 is brilliant. It sounds great, it has a great selection of tones on offer, the mics all react and sound vastly different and there’s a good selection of Stomp boxes too. It’s superb.
THU FULL – OVERLOUD
As I said, Rock Essentials 2 is great. It has a great selection of tones, the three amps sound brilliant, but what if you want more? Well, Overloud has you covered. I recently reviewed the Overlouds Gem Voice and was very impressed (I still use it to record my radio show for Radio TFSC) I was curious as what their guitar suite would be like. So I gave THU a go.
WOW! What a collection. Sporting 89 guitar amps and four bass amps, plus 50 guitar cabs and two bass cabinets plus 77 pedal and rack effects and 18 different microphones, instantly I was blown away with the amount of choice on offer. But surely, with such a wide choice, they can’t all sound great, can they? Well, yes, they can. The amps are next level real; you can almost hear and feel the air moving in the virtual room as you play.
Out of the impressive 89 strong list of amps based on the real thing, there are 45 officially licensed models too. Amps from Randall, Brunetti, DVmark and THD. This collection is insane. Every guitar tone that you could possibly want is attainable with this plugin. From fenderesque cleans, to Marshall type high gain stuff, right through to the American Thrash metal sound. THU really caters for all.
It has a ton of Presets that you can work your way through from rock, metal and even funk and R & B, plus there’s a massive list of song set ups that you can use. The real fun comes when you try and set your own rig up. Select an amp and Cabinet, you can either opt to have the matching cabinet, or go a little left field and pair a Brunetti amp with an Orange style Cabinet! Once you have your amp and cabinet sorted, then you work your way through the list of impressive effects, you can mic your cabinet up both at the front and back and even on some models you can change the tubes in the amp. You can truly tailor your sound to you. The level of customization options is out of this world.
I absolutely love that that you can do anything with TH-U, whatever you imagine, you can do it. If you want to spilt your signal before the amp and have two amp and cabs, one with a treble boost, one with a bass boost and some crazy effects, you can. Your options are limitless. Sound wise, like I mentioned earlier, just out of this world! The officially authorised models of course are great but the unofficial Overloud replicas are just as good and actually pack a real punch. They don’t sound close to the real thing, they sound like the real thing. They are really, really on the money. And it hurts me a little to say that. Back in the old days, you can’t beat a good old tube amp, it’s real, its authentic, well, now you can!
The question of which one I would buy is a difficult one as there are a few things to consider, mainly, what you want in an amp sim. If you have an idea of what sound you want, that can only be achieved by playing through a PRS amp or Vox, then, the Supermodels or NA’s Voice DC30 might be for you. If you want a little more choice, perhaps the Howard Benson suite or the Rock Essentials would be worth considering, STL tones if you’re leaning towards a more metal sound, Rock Essentials if you want that classic rock sound.
However, with that all said, TH-U features pretty much every amp you could ever dream of. I would say the TH-U is a must have for every studio. The choice and sound quality is amazing. If you need lots of different guitar sounds and you want the customization options too, TH-U is a no brainer. Plus, if you’re after just that one amp that you want to continually use, you can do that too. You can even customise it by adding different tubes and you can mic it however you desire. To conclude, all the amp sims I’ve tried over the last few months have been really good, Overlouds TH-U is just a step up. It’s the only guitar amp sim that you will ever need.
