I'm Never Buying An Amp Again (AmpliTube 4 Review)
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- Опубліковано 8 вер 2024
- UPDATE: Amplitube is currently 50% OFF bit.ly/2RVjvvz
Jimi Hendrix Collection: bit.ly/2zgSts0
I CAN FINALLY PLAY LOUD AT HOME! After trying a few different amp simulators, I bought #AmpliTube4 and REALLY enjoy it. In fact, I sold all of my amps, and I'm perfectly happy with that.
Fender Collection:
Fender Pro Junior Amp
Cab: 2x15 Closed DJ130
Volume: 10
Bass, Middle, Treble, Presence: 6
Gain: 7
Little bit of reverb
No Pedals
Jimi Hendrix Collection:
American Vintage D Amp (based on the Fender Dual Showman)
Cab: 2x5 Closed DJ130
Pedal: Overscream
Little bit of reverb & delay
Mesa Boogie:
Dual Rectifier Amp
Cab: Fender MH-412SL
No Pedals
I’ve been a professional touring musician for almost 2 decades. The first half of that, amp sims were a joke. Even up to the last several years I could easily spot the difference (when not a heavily effected sound). But not anymore. Nearly the majority of pro guitarists I know are taking Kemper’s on tour. Real tube amps are kind of a luxury at this point, there’s no beating them...But...the ears in the audience aren’t going to know the difference if pro musicians can’t even tell haha.
Guitar Movies I’ve been doing recording work at home over quarantine and these amp sim plugins are priceless. I live in an apartment building so... haha. Just used Amplitube on a bass track today :)
These amp simulations sound absolutely fantastic. No chance to hear any difference to real amp. I only dont like it feels imo somewhat artificial when you play.
kkarx hmmm... I think amplitube feels great. maybe your experiencing latency.
@@ragnadrabinowitz7629 I found out what the problem is. I've got Amplitube 4 and the sound has practically no depth. You can't work on dynamics, however you hit strings it sounds always more or less the same. It just feels you have not much control over the tone.
@@kkarx that’s a pretty common weakness of amp sims, and it was the biggest deterrent for me a long time. More than the sound, it was the feel of them. Just didn’t drive responsively. For me, the Neural DSP stuff is the most responsive I’ve tried. But Amplitude 5 has some really great patches too. I have found that the interface and signal going in makes a difference too. On my Focusrite interface, I prefer the sound of my (admittedly higher end) DI going into the mic input, as opposed to plugging straight into the instrument input. Suddenly the sims feel more responsive to me
"I can still permanently damage my hearing without waking up the baby." Awesome!
SAAAAAAAAME!!!!!! Great video btw! 😎
It's great for guitarists trying to be a bedroom producer (like myself).
Because you have an entire virtual rig to experiment with. not just the amp but the mic placement, which makes huge changes to your tone. I've recorded multiple guitars all with the same preset but just moved the mics around and it added so much dynamics!
I've had amplitube for around 8 yesrs now I think. Bought the very first Fender one and the metal one. At first, I didn't really like it, only because I didn't know how to dial in tones yet and the presets they came with were mostly trash. It ended up collecting dust up until recently and now I love it! I can't go back to regular old amps any more! I like dialing tons of tones for each guitar I own and go to town! Got me some decent monitor speakers and headphones and it sounds great.
Also, for the beginner out there, if you go this route it's a good way to learn how to dial in tones. You can just play around for hours and see what everything does. Once you find out what you like, then you can buy that particular real amplifier and pedals/fx. You also learn how to mic up amps, record, dial in tones for the mix and some for playing just with the guitar. You learn what cuts through. Learn to EQ, Etc. List goes on and on.
Amplitube OG!
I thought I was reading my own review because this is exactly my experience with Amplitube
When I bought Amplitube like 4 years ago, i haven't touched my amp. Matter of fact the other day I asked my wife if she's seen my amp, cause I forgot where it was it had been so long. Now w/ Amplitube 5 coming, I doubt I'll ever go back to an amp. So far w/ Amplitube I have the max collection, Slash, Satchriani, Dime and Hendrix packages. I just hope they continue w/ the artists collections. I'd love if they'd do a John Sykes from his Whitesnake days, Vai, Metallica first 5 albums of tones and Eddie Van Halen collections..
I don't want to put Ampltube down, I have it too and it's very good but you should really check out S-Gear, it has only 5 amps which aren't modeled of famous amps but it's absolutely great and very versatile!
boogie Nice! I’ll check it out
The most valuable lesson I've learned from guys like Rick Beato, Pete Thorn, and various amp shootouts is the speaker is what defines the amp sound, taking gain levels into consideration. Amplitube has just about every speaker type represented, and dialing in a great tone and playing with the cabs and rooms and mics you can drastically change your sound.
No one can tell what's what in a song mix anyway. All the gear is good, amp software just makes it soooo much easier to get demos done. Plus, the raw wav file dry is always available to either reamp with Amplitube or a real amp later. Win Win!
@Hatefilled I just meant my demos...but yeah, I read AC/DC used Amplitube on tracks for Black Ice...that's when I bought it, been using it ever since. I am getting ready to release my 3rd album and a lot of it will be all Amplitube.
I use the same setup you do, amplitube max into a focusrite 2i2. I am really liking it. I second everything you said! Good video.
I love Amplitube 4, but it is in need of a face lift. It cant even go full screen, I hope they are working on an upgrade soon. Minor gripe though, cause it sounds great.
I play through my iMac and monitors in my office, and in the music room we have it setup like this: Guitar > EQ Pedal > iRig2 > Orange Terror Stamp > JHS Little Black Amp Box > 12" cab
I use it as a plugin to Logic. I've never even tried it on its own.
Best review ever. Thanks man!
Great video, the thing I really like about amp sims is "instant recall" of complex patches.
I subscribed just because I suffer from the same thing,I can never play until everyone is asleep really hinders my practice but I’ll never give up it’s totally worth it 😎👊💪🤘
I’ve been using Amplitube for eight years now live and in the studio. I don’t carry an amp around anymore. I play live through a 1000 Watt QSC monitor. I can blow the windows out or at night crank with headphones.
Welcome to the club.
It even gets better.
The Chinese make $150 amp sim pedals like Mooer GE150, Valeton GP100, Nux MG300, etc. Dirt cheap and sound great.
As a singer I have a really loud and powerful P.A. system, but no guitar amp! I use Amplitude 4 through a MacBook and feed it through the P.A. speakers if I want to rattle the cage! Works pretty well for me, since the speakers are fairly neutral the I.R. actually does almost sound authentic - certainly worth checking out. Thank you for the confirmation bias Mike!
I've been experimenting with the "free" version... I'm no pro by any means, but! I'm certainly intrigued by the myriad of set ups and tools in the software....really looking forward to diving deeper!
It’s a fun rabbit hole! Lots to explore.
Jimi ALWAYS used the latest technology or had it made to try to get the tone in his head so it only makes sense that he would’ve loved all his gear AND the ability to record, loop etc. in his pocket! Plus you can plug this into your amp and make it sound like ANY amp you want!
I've got some sims and an Iridium and I love 'em... especially anything that uses I.R.s. I'll never give up my amps though. Feeling the interaction between the guitar and the amp is just golden to me. If it work for you though, do it!!! :)
Mark Hoskins I’d definitely prefer amps, but not quiet amps.
I recently just did the opposite...went back to a tube amp after several years of digital/modelling/plug-ins. After a decade of trying to work through the HD500, Bias FX, Helix, Headrush...I threw in the towel and spent about $1500 on a bunch of analog gear. And was immediately reminded why I loved playing. To each their own for sure, but it's tough to beat that old school feel of an SG into a Marshall.
I tried these simulations once and it felt artifical, like it did work for me. For a player there will be always something missing in simulations even if it sounds the same as real thing.
I have Amplitube 5 on my PC, but I'm thinking of trying the iOS version so I can use an iPad while busking as it's much more portable. Can you tell me, are the amp models on the current iOS version Amplitube (4.12) as good as the ones on Amplitube 5 for PC? Are they going to make a version 5 for iOS?
That’s a good question, but I’ve never used it on an iPad or iPhone before.
If you buy the Axe I/O interface through Sweetwater right now and register it with IK Multimedia before 5/31, you'll get Amplitube MAX for free. It's $280 on Sweetwater right now, you also get Ableton Live 10 Lite and 10 of their T-RackS plugins, all for free with it. It's like buying Amplitube MAX, and getting an excellent audio interface specifically for guitar for free.
What I like about amps the most is tone depth and a response to what I do. If you play via sound card this is gone. It feels artificial and the sound is flat. On the other hand if you cant crank your amp up to get at least nice semi-distored sound and care only about the sound then I guess it is an ok solution.
In the demonstrations in this video he doesn't sound "artificial" and the guitar sure doesn't sound "flat".
It could be due to your hardware and the speakers you have.
Great video! I've been an Amplitude fan since version 1. The others get more press but...Amplitude sounds great
James Jones Thanks! And I agree. Amplitude can sound damn good.
that last 5 years ive been useing the headphone jack plug from the amp into an aux of stereo, the effects are stereo, but a year ago i got the irig and its like and bluetooth speaker. its kinda fun getting away with the fact carrying around an electric with irig and good small speaker, it takes up less space that an acoustic
Great vid and great review! The max bundle is definitely worth it
Thanks Mike, you combine tons of information with a good sense of humor. For now I will stick to the wall of sound awesomeness, my neighbors haven't complained............ yet.
Oh goodness! Buy a Kemper and enjoy playing again. One tip to avoid latency in a DAW with Amplitude is to use the standalone parallel to your Daw and use that as a monitor while you record the guitar in the DAW. Save the Standalone patch and insert Amplitude into the recorded track in your DAW. Not going through the DAW means the latency is very low.
My solution was a Marshall DSL 1. its still a tube amp, I can still get great tones, play it through a 4x12 or 1x12, takes pedals really well, and when it needs to be quiet without sacrificing tone, I can switch it to .01 watt. this sounds decent enough though.
Good choice, but with this you can have all of the popular amps out there for a a fraction of the price of a Marshall. Heck, amplitube has a bunch of different Marshall's, including slashes signature amp and Satriani's as well.
@@joshuamichael4312 A real amp is better for fun. These simulation will be always flat sounding and not as responsive as amps. It is really boring to play even solid state amps once you get tube amp and simulations are even less responsive.
@@kkarx I have tube amps, but id rather have all of the tones of a sum instead 2 or 3 channels with an fx loop. The amp sims are such high quality right now, you'd never be able to tell the difference in a mix. I guarantee. It's just people being purests that want to hang onto the past. Much like how Fender hasn't changed really since day.
Hey! Any chance you could share your favorite presets?? That would be awesome!
By the way, are you doing more videos?? Love your channel!!
I would if I had any! Maybe I should make some. I'm kind of always tinkering with stuff so it's never really the same. I might do more videos. I'd definitely like to, but the guitar review videos take forever, and I'm out of guitars unless I can get a company to send me one to review.
@@guitarmovies I noticed you gave your setup on descriptions, so that's great! I can go from there :)
I understand! You are very creative, so if you have any ideas that don't involve different guitars, that would be great! Maybe sweetwater can help! Since they liked your first video =)
I OWN BOTH A MARSHALL AMP & AMPLITUDE 4 & IF YOU HOOK THIS UP TO A RECEIVER & HI-FI SPEAKERS SETUP ITS FUCKIN LOUD FEEL IT IN YOUR CHEST LOUD @ 66-80% MAX VOLUME THE WALL START SHAKING #CHEERS IMAGINE 7.1 SURROUND SOUND HOOKED UP XD
How would what you say here change after reviewing the Fender Mustang Micro?
I don’t think it would change. They are very different products for different circumstances. But I do love how easy the Micro is to grab and play. If I’m going to record or do anything “serious” I’m still pulling up Amplitube and Logic.
Dude the new technology out there is insane. I bought an Axe FX and feel exactly the same way
Is Axe Fx really worth the money? I see you can have everything from amplitube 4 MAX for $250. That's all amps and effects. Axe fx is like 2k IIRC. I'm not sure anyone would notice the difference in a mix, or maybe I'm wrong? Just plotting my next purchase so...
@@joshuamichael4312 No, it's not. I sold mine. Get a Kemper. Axe FX released new versions all the time: "this time it sounds more real!"
Well, a Kemper still sounds the best
Hi, thanx for the great video! That Hendrix tone is a killer!!! What is the interface you're using??
Luis Silvestre Thanks! It’s a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
Normally I don't post up negatives about anything but I bought this and I seriously think it isn't all that great. I tried everything with it that it came with, ie heads, cabs, mic positions, differing mics, etc., and the bottom line, imo, is that the tones I got were pretty bland. Clean to slightly distorted. That diode crunch box is plainly awful so it would seem I would have to plunk down more money to get a decent tone that's equitable to the POD 2's I have been using for the last decade. I'm trying to get away from the POD's but this is just not it. I gave it my best but for $149.99 I feel I got ripped off.
Being a work at home dad I can totally relate. But I will be the devil's advocate and say this: after the baby is asleep I usually make a fast chord progression, some drum samples and practice my guitar soloing on top. I'm having a blast. I record the track in Reaper. The next night I listen to it, it sounds like farts to me. I reduce every gain knob I find to get rid of that nasty digital distortion and make it more analogue sounding. Re-record everything, put it on a stick. Then the next thing you know it, I want to show off my track in my car, I can barely hear anything. So now I am caught in this digital modeling world, watching tones of reviews and ads on how to work around my problem. I wish I had a dime for every time someone said "digital has come a long way". Yeah but it's not there yet. Hopefully in a few years I'll move in a place with no neighbors and play some proper guitar because right now I cannot imagine myself bringing a half stack into a small apartment building. But when I bought my Ibanez I tested it on a half stack, my face just melted how good that sounded. And it's nowhere close to Amplitube.
Ha! Yeah, it's probably not going to hold up compared to a half stack. But I also haven't run in to the same issues you're talking about. I don't usually play with very much gain, either so that might be it.
@@guitarmovies this is weird but I take back what I said 2 months ago. I've spent a week in my hometown and played guitar with some old band mates who are exclusively analogue heads. The amp hum, the limited tones, the noise, the feedback, the cables laying around made the session pretty much useless. The recording quality was as bad as I remember. So I guess you are right and this experience pretty much ended my dilemma.
@@necurrence1776 A loud amp is still more fun, I think, but having something like Amplitube + Logic is an amazing resource that lets me do anything I can think of. And it's simple and available 24/7. If I had the $ and the space, I'd be blasting amps for sure, but I think I've spent less than $250 on amp sim software, and I have dozens of amps and pedals and cabs. It's an awesome time to be into music!
To be honest... its just audio. It is easy so simulate these days and of course no one can tell the difference between analog oder digital.
But to be honest again... i don't care. It has to be a big fancy amplifier. At home and on stage. I like it. In the studio it can be anything.
Ten seconds in and I love the video
Subscribed
Thank you for sharing your experience. Does this mean that the sound of the guitar is made by Amplitube? This way, a cheap guitar would sound the same as a big brand one? Or do the pickups still matter?
The pickups still matter and make a big difference.
@@guitarmovies Ow, didn't realise that. Thank you for replying. Your "Alien-Telecaster" episode is TOP. Very entertaining intro and outro. Finally someone who does it "differently". Keep up the good stuff.
@@PaulVanCaesbroeck Thank you!
To be Honest with you. If someone owns AmpliTube 4 Max, no need to buy an other amp sim. It`s a good investment.
It absolutely is. But 5 is soon out now, and i'm not gonna lie. My gas syndrome is really starting to wake up......
@@MaxFury_Official upgrading is a good 💡. Mainly if you have additional bundles.
I prefer Amplitube over bias fx
Can you do a video on how you set up your Scarlet parameters...I would really appreciate it.
Good idea. I've been thinking about doing a breakdown of my whole setup. I keep the audio interface part super basic:
I run my guitar into the Scarlett, which is on the Instrument setting (not line). I set the gain at about 3.5 to 4 and then run the Scarlett into the computer. I use Amplitube inside of Logic, and I have the Scarlett as my input and output source because I plug my headphones into the Scarlett as well.
@@guitarmovies I just purchased a new laptop, and the scarlet 4. surprisingly there are not a lot of tutorials on UA-cam for scarlet, or amplitube stuff. I have amplitube max and am anxious to use it all, I just get lost in the technical and set up stuff...so yeah, I'll like and subscribe and really appreciate any vids you post on this content. thanks man.
what is the brand of neck on your guitar? lovely rosewood
I ordered it from Musikraft. It's a flame maple neck with dark Indian Rosewood. I have another video on my channel about that Tele with a lot more details and specs.
Looks like Team Tube Amp is down a man. So sad. And for what... great tones and a variety of amps, a solution to the volume problem? No thanks! I grew up with noise complaints and disgruntled neighbours, it’s too late for me now. When I finally pass into the next life, I want the quiet in my neighbourhood to be deafening!
haha nice to know im not the only one
There’s room in a musicians heart for both. Room for luxury (real cranked tube amps) AND convenience (an enormous guitar rig packed in your laptop :)
Have you tried Amplitube 5 yet?
Nope
Living in an apartment, my pissed off neiboor pounds on the wall louder than I was playing in the first place. I'll definitely check this out. Great video! Thanks!
@@guitarmovies good idea. But one idiot in the band is apparently enough already...
..
Is the only way to listen to your sound through headphones ?
No, you can listen through speakers or your computer or output to an amp.
@@guitarmovies Many thanks for your reply … out -putting to a cab sounds like a plan to me then 😉… cheers
i agree ,you can take any tone ,and its high quality.. Amplitube rules
does max include dimebag pack or is that something you buy separately??? anyone know
I just checked, and it doesn't. Most of the signature lines aren't included. I don't have the Dimebag pack, Satriani, Fender 2, Leslie, etc. But I do have the Slash one so I'm not sure how they decide what goes with what.
I run Amplitube with Garage Band together sounds like two Amps with no hummmm
I’m in the same boat I get to play at night because the family I mainly use amplitude myself through headphones or monitor it’s good but not the same as tune amps.
Do you guys find the Brand/Pro models sound better than the Amplitube versions?
What is the guitar you are using in this video?
It's a partscaster Tele.
Is it kinda like the spark amp
Hi, can I ask what audio interface are you using in this video? Thanks
A Scarlett 2i4
@@guitarmovies Thanks for the helpful reply! I'm learning about audio interfaces at the moment and I'm trying to figure out what Focusrite box I should get. I was thinking of buying a Scarlett 2i2 on Amazon this week. Can I ask why you choose the 2i4 instead of the 2i2?
@@Brenners2010 I thought I was going to be doing more with the outputs but I haven’t. A 2i2 would suit me just fine.
audio interface ?
Scarlett 2i4
What was that he was playing when he was demoing the Hendrix collection?
Bold As Love
@@guitarmovies thanks brother!
Have you checked amplitube 5?
Not yet
wow 80 amps for $300, great deal! what about the delay? You notice it?
Youssef Selkani Are you talking about latency? There isn’t any with mine, but it might be different on other computers.
@@guitarmovies yes I mean latency, I'm not sure if those simulators are worth it, I have 2019 i5 macbook pro
What people don't get when comparing real amps to amp sims is the way they compete with each other. Obviously you can't expect an amp sim + studio monitors combo give the same oomph feeling as a real amp in a room. However if you record an amp with a mic and put that track next to a track that has been recorded with an amp sim you'll have a hard time to figure out the difference. Especially in a mix. If simplicity is your motto it's a no brainer to go for the amp sims. Now, that being said....
I had no luck with Amplitube 4. It's kinda cool for low gain / clean stuff but for metal it's just not OK. I've got a Focusrite Clarett and multiple Ibanez Iron Label guitars. Pretty decent midrange gear all things considered. Helix Native, Neural DSP, STL Tonality and even BIAS FX 2 all smoke the Amplitube. One can argue that there is an art to dial in good tones but as said: simplicity is the motto for me. I don't want to engineer stuff, I just want to play and enjoy the sound. I pull up any of the mentioned amp sims and within 4-5 minutes I got a great tone.
Isn’t the sound limited though to your crappy computer speaker?
No I run the sound out through my audio interface and into headphones.
Great video!
welcome to the club bud! :D
I totally agree, children are a big no-no.
And no Axe FX III too?
Yeah, 300 bucks for digital software.
You should probably get a high quality modelling amp, like a vox vt100x, then you get an amp, a tube, a speaker AND all of the million options through their OFFLINE SOFTWARE, of which 99% can be found on the amp itself through buttons and menus.
Feel better?
I have like a second delay and it is very annoying :(
Can i know your chain?guitar-irig-pc?just like that right?no additional interface?
Hafiz Fingo Guitar into a Focusrite Scarlett into the computer.
Does this work man on Mojave?
My condolences, Amplitube doesn't sound real)
It does to most people, including a lot of professional musicians.
Not really a review but nice video. Thanks!
Cool video ! I was wondering... The reverb on my amplitube 4 is just so shitty. When I play muted strings, it sounds like water drops, I dont know how to describe it, but a kind of wave horrible sound. Is it normal ? Is it just me ?
Guitar Movies wow ! Thanks for the quick reply !! Sorry, I’m not 100% fluent in english, and I don’t really know what a rack effect is. Is it on post production? Or if it’s preprod, is it a plugin that I could find, or is it a tangible machine ? I would LOVE te get rid of that « dripping » sound (thanks for the new word I just learnt 😁)
Oh my !! Thank you SO MUCH 😍 I was desperate. I just took the try and I’m DEFINITELY buying it, it’s awsome. (I just switched drom acoustic to electric, that’s why I´m so uneducated about these things). The sound is beautiful, have a good day sir
all for commission
buy an attenuator
Nah
@@guitarmovies 😂
@@guitarmovies I want a Trainwreck. just for the name alone
Well this isn’t a review, it’s a speech.
Oh, tell me more.
Too much low end for my taste.