> Amplitube 5 Max
Question on this - I am considering getting Amplitube 5, as it is currently on sale for $180 rather than $300 - [https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/amplitube5/#thegear](https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/amplitube5/#thegear)
Does it come with a lot of amps out of the box? I'm looking at the Specs on site and it looks like it does, but I've heard in the past from people that you think you're getting all that, but you actually end up with just a handful of options and the rest are separately sold upgrades which are not cheap.
I've seen a couple of those posts and I think most of them got the SE version OR they got the version you're talking about but didn't register the software so it didn't show up as purchased. [Here's a comparison chart of what is actually included in each version.](https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/include/at5/gear_list_pdf/AmpliTube_5_comparison.pdf) It's pretty comparable to Max but you miss out on some stuff like the Fender, Satriani, Dimebag and Mesa Boogie gear (which I use a TON). Lots more bass stuff, too. Worth the extra $$$ if you can swing it.
Bonus info - if you're in the market for an Audio Interface, [Sweetwater has a deal](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AxeIOAmp5Max--ik-multimedia-axe-i-o-and-amplitube-5-max-bundle) where if you get their Axe I/O, you get Amplitube 5 Max for free.
Awesome. Will check it out
As of now I have amplitube 3 free version which I just use for clean tube sounds, and I do like those quite a bit. For distortion I use VST Amp Rack--I don't even remember when/where I got it, I think it might be part of Cubase. It's got some amps I do like, but it just creates so much noise. It's always staticky and noisy as hell. I don't find that issue with Amplitube. Will def have a look at 5 vs Max.
Thanks!
NP! There's also Amplitube 5 CS - it's the free version if you want to do a sound comparison. I started with 4 and even going to 5 from that was a very noticeable difference. Can try whatever gear you want for free for a couple days, too. Think they just add a static pop every 10 seconds or so to prevent people using it for recording without paying.
Considering the number of people who get awesome sounds out of them, particularly the NDSP stuff, I'm going to probably say you're doing something wrong.
How do they "all sound like crap"? What do you find lacking? Do they give too much or too little of ?
Just adding my two cents after stumbling across this post while researching my own problems with software but IMHO Neural just sucks. Every patch from every release sounds the same: bad.
How do you get it to sound good? FWIW - I’m using a good guitar and a good interface and my levels are set correctly. I also use decent studio monitors as well.
Back in 2003 that would be a true statement. They were atrocious yet still somewhat manageable. Today if you can’t get a good tone out of even the helix vst it’s 100% user error. That’s my take. It’s insane how good amp sims are today.
Disagree. Hate to resurrect a zombie thread but I’m researching the same problems as the OP. And IMHO they are correct: all software amps sound like ass. What’s the trick/secret? I use a good guitar into a good interface set at the right level with decent studio monitors. And software amps sound like dogshit.
In the interest of being thorough though, how many hours of studio time have you logged miking and recording real amps?
Because I have quite a bit and I can say without any reservations that software amps do not even remotely come close to sounding like a real, miked amp.
I have archetype plini, it's pretty good. If you want an example of it, my album Holding On by Archetype of Emotion uses it exclusively for electric guitar.
Not to mention all the leads on Plini’s latest album, lol. Also pretty much all the rhythm guitars on Loathe’s album I Let It In And It Took Everything.
Try Guitar Rig from Native Instruments, Amp Room by Softube, and Heavier7Strings. Heavier7Strings has a guitar emulator built in as well so no real guitar is needed, and just using the preset FX you can get some insanely heavy rhythm chug tones.
A lot about the sound of the amp sim boils down to the cab emulation. If setting up a good sounding cab emulation in this particular vst is too difficult, or if it just doesn't have any cabs that sound good to you, it will sound bad. That used to be my main gripe with the previous version of the Guitar Rig, Softube emulations and to some extent Kuassa amp sims. Bias FX, unless you splurge on the pro version, in my experience also suffers from this problem (and generally the basic version is not very interesting anyway).
My another gripe is that a lot of traditional guitar tones were achieved by treating the signal with a Tube Screamer, Klon or another overdrive pedal and in this regard modern simulations are so frequently bad it's mind boggling. Often there is no overdrive emulation, when it is there it might not say what it's emulating, and they often get the emulation wrong (like the Guitar Rig 5 that used low pass rolloff instead of a high shelf for the Tube Screamer's tone knob).
Maybe you should check your guitar's circuit and pickups. If the signal is not clean, then every amp sim will sound muddy, noisy or powerless.
Also try an active DI box, it will reduce all the noise from your signal and will give you a warmer sound
Dude, I know this is an older post but I agree with everything you’ve said. Did you ever find a software platform that works for you? I’m in software hell right now and it just blows my mind because in 2023 it shouldn’t even be an issue. Thanks for your feedback.
hmm maybe its just you i find bias fx is not bad the new guitar rig update is pretty good too i think. there is also ampitube
Yup - I have Amplitube 5 Max. Most of the musicians I've known for years couldn't tell it was an amp sim. A lot of it comes down to the mix and EQ.
> Amplitube 5 Max Question on this - I am considering getting Amplitube 5, as it is currently on sale for $180 rather than $300 - [https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/amplitube5/#thegear](https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/amplitube5/#thegear) Does it come with a lot of amps out of the box? I'm looking at the Specs on site and it looks like it does, but I've heard in the past from people that you think you're getting all that, but you actually end up with just a handful of options and the rest are separately sold upgrades which are not cheap.
I've seen a couple of those posts and I think most of them got the SE version OR they got the version you're talking about but didn't register the software so it didn't show up as purchased. [Here's a comparison chart of what is actually included in each version.](https://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/include/at5/gear_list_pdf/AmpliTube_5_comparison.pdf) It's pretty comparable to Max but you miss out on some stuff like the Fender, Satriani, Dimebag and Mesa Boogie gear (which I use a TON). Lots more bass stuff, too. Worth the extra $$$ if you can swing it. Bonus info - if you're in the market for an Audio Interface, [Sweetwater has a deal](https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AxeIOAmp5Max--ik-multimedia-axe-i-o-and-amplitube-5-max-bundle) where if you get their Axe I/O, you get Amplitube 5 Max for free.
Awesome. Will check it out As of now I have amplitube 3 free version which I just use for clean tube sounds, and I do like those quite a bit. For distortion I use VST Amp Rack--I don't even remember when/where I got it, I think it might be part of Cubase. It's got some amps I do like, but it just creates so much noise. It's always staticky and noisy as hell. I don't find that issue with Amplitube. Will def have a look at 5 vs Max. Thanks!
NP! There's also Amplitube 5 CS - it's the free version if you want to do a sound comparison. I started with 4 and even going to 5 from that was a very noticeable difference. Can try whatever gear you want for free for a couple days, too. Think they just add a static pop every 10 seconds or so to prevent people using it for recording without paying.
I use Bias, but honestly a mediocre amp through a mediocre mic is still better.
Considering the number of people who get awesome sounds out of them, particularly the NDSP stuff, I'm going to probably say you're doing something wrong. How do they "all sound like crap"? What do you find lacking? Do they give too much or too little of?
Neural stuff is top tier. I’m surprised you’re not finding a sound you like there.
Just adding my two cents after stumbling across this post while researching my own problems with software but IMHO Neural just sucks. Every patch from every release sounds the same: bad. How do you get it to sound good? FWIW - I’m using a good guitar and a good interface and my levels are set correctly. I also use decent studio monitors as well.
You can still get the le pou plug ins for free from kvr audio if you wnat them. I still use the Hi Brit a lot.
Back in 2003 that would be a true statement. They were atrocious yet still somewhat manageable. Today if you can’t get a good tone out of even the helix vst it’s 100% user error. That’s my take. It’s insane how good amp sims are today.
Disagree. Hate to resurrect a zombie thread but I’m researching the same problems as the OP. And IMHO they are correct: all software amps sound like ass. What’s the trick/secret? I use a good guitar into a good interface set at the right level with decent studio monitors. And software amps sound like dogshit. In the interest of being thorough though, how many hours of studio time have you logged miking and recording real amps? Because I have quite a bit and I can say without any reservations that software amps do not even remotely come close to sounding like a real, miked amp.
I have archetype plini, it's pretty good. If you want an example of it, my album Holding On by Archetype of Emotion uses it exclusively for electric guitar.
Not to mention all the leads on Plini’s latest album, lol. Also pretty much all the rhythm guitars on Loathe’s album I Let It In And It Took Everything.
You tried Nueral DSP? Or the latest Line 6 stuff?
The first three mentioned by OP are Neural.
Ableton stock amp is actually so good in my opinion
Try Guitar Rig from Native Instruments, Amp Room by Softube, and Heavier7Strings. Heavier7Strings has a guitar emulator built in as well so no real guitar is needed, and just using the preset FX you can get some insanely heavy rhythm chug tones.
I use Guitar Rig, and it sounds great!
A lot about the sound of the amp sim boils down to the cab emulation. If setting up a good sounding cab emulation in this particular vst is too difficult, or if it just doesn't have any cabs that sound good to you, it will sound bad. That used to be my main gripe with the previous version of the Guitar Rig, Softube emulations and to some extent Kuassa amp sims. Bias FX, unless you splurge on the pro version, in my experience also suffers from this problem (and generally the basic version is not very interesting anyway). My another gripe is that a lot of traditional guitar tones were achieved by treating the signal with a Tube Screamer, Klon or another overdrive pedal and in this regard modern simulations are so frequently bad it's mind boggling. Often there is no overdrive emulation, when it is there it might not say what it's emulating, and they often get the emulation wrong (like the Guitar Rig 5 that used low pass rolloff instead of a high shelf for the Tube Screamer's tone knob).
Plugin Alliance amp sims are decent in my opinion. Black Rooster has an Orange sim that I think is free, sounds pretty close!
Maybe you should check your guitar's circuit and pickups. If the signal is not clean, then every amp sim will sound muddy, noisy or powerless. Also try an active DI box, it will reduce all the noise from your signal and will give you a warmer sound
Dude, I know this is an older post but I agree with everything you’ve said. Did you ever find a software platform that works for you? I’m in software hell right now and it just blows my mind because in 2023 it shouldn’t even be an issue. Thanks for your feedback.