Replacing amps with computer based rigs.

[Boumtje-Boumtje]

I know it doesn't sound as good as a wall of tube amps, but its just so damn convenient having all those sounds in a laptop. All I do is just hope on the bus with my guit and my comp and I'm ready to gig.

 

 

Pretty damn sweet in my opinion

[petejt]

[blargh]

call me narrow minded, but i just don't see myself rocking out on my macbook at a rock show

[jlc1587]

For a practice amp with a good set of computer speakers it works great. Programs like peavey revalver 3 has all their tube amps and sounds pretty close on a recording.

[Boumtje-Boumtje]

call me narrow minded, but i just don't see myself rocking out on my macbook at a rock show

You could always put your macbook in a fake marshall stack

[Spizzledude]

Dude here by the nick Glenecho has gigged many times and loves it as I recall. He's an old pro and knows his tones so I reckon it can't be bad.

[glenecho]

 

Dude here by the nick Glenecho has gigged many times and loves it as I recall. He's an old pro and knows his tones so I reckon it can't be bad.

 

 

yeah...I'm gonna search for my thread on it though...I can't type it all out again...

 

but yeah I did a rig that was a Roland VGA-7, Ground Control Pro footswitch, a Thinkpad, a Roland guitar synth interface, and a PodXT and it worked out great. Complex as {censored} to put it together (thus the thread), but once it was together it was a breeze to hook up. And as I've said way too many times and still don't understand, I got way more compliments on that rig than I do my current Mark IV rig.

[Spärk]

When gigging with a laptop, how do you change amp sounds? Midi controller?

[jlc1587]

it just isnt that reliable... you don't want your computer to freeze up in the middle of a song. BAD IDEA. I say its a damn good idea for recording demos and practicing at home but for playing shows get yourself an amp.

[glenecho]

When gigging with a laptop, how do you change amp sounds? Midi controller?

 

Yep.

 

I used a program called Plogue Bidule to all my routing, switching, VST hosting, midi mapping for me. Very intuitive and cool piece of software. In terms of bringing practicality to using a laptop rig, I don't think there is a better way to go.

 

http://www.plogue.com/

 

This'll give you an idea for how it looks and to some people, will give an idea why I like it so much. You just drag and drop modules and connect them with virtual cables. There are quite a few people that use Bidule in a live setting, including some pros that you see on stage with laptops.

 

[SAIUN]

I've tried Guitar Rig 3 and Amplitube, but both have a delay between me picking a string and the sound coming out the speakers. I think it's because almost all sound cards have an input/output delay due to the signal having to be processed.

 

For a small-but-convenient-thing-with-heaps-of-sounds I'd probably go for a Pod.

[OverDriven]

I know it doesn't sound as good as a wall of tube amps, but its just so damn convenient having all those sounds in a laptop. All I do is just hope on the bus with my guit and my comp and I'm ready to gig. Pretty damn sweet in my opinion

You also hop on the bus with your 5000 watt PA system and mixer. That was the REAL deal breaker for me ever moving to a modeler rig. Unless you are playing some nicer and larger venues (which most of us aren't), then you have to trust the PA and soundman. In my experience, most house PA's suck, as do the soundmen. With a real amp behind you, you can usually make up for it. With a modeler rig, you have to totally trust the PA. Bad idea? In my experience, yes. If your band already hauls a nice PA around, then it may be a viable option. If not, then plan on investing in one if you go direct modeler.

[OverDriven]

I've tried Guitar Rig 3 and Amplitube, but both have a delay between me picking a string and the sound coming out the speakers. I think it's because almost all sound cards have an input/output delay due to the signal having to be processed. For a small-but-convenient-thing-with-heaps-of-sounds I'd probably go for a Pod.

 

 

See...this was never an issue with me. Even with just my low end ($100) audiophile 24/96 sound card, I only got 3ms of latency. There is no way the human ear can detect that.

[isvoid]

 

I've tried Guitar Rig 3 and Amplitube, but both have a delay between me picking a string and the sound coming out the speakers.

 

Between that and the latency Amplitube's a no go for me.

[grayeyes777]

I've tried Guitar Rig 3 and Amplitube, but both have a delay between me picking a string and the sound coming out the speakers. I think it's because almost all sound cards have an input/output delay due to the signal having to be processed. For a small-but-convenient-thing-with-heaps-of-sounds I'd probably go for a Pod.

 

 

you just have to go to a higher buffer speed.

[blargh]

I've tried Guitar Rig 3 and Amplitube, but both have a delay between me picking a string and the sound coming out the speakers. I think it's because almost all sound cards have an input/output delay due to the signal having to be processed. For a small-but-convenient-thing-with-heaps-of-sounds I'd probably go for a Pod.

 

Get a better sound card. My Guitar Rig latency is less than 1ms at 96000hz.

[Spärk]

Yep. I used a program called Plogue Bidule to all my routing, switching, VST hosting, midi mapping for me. Very intuitive and cool piece of software. In terms of bringing practicality to using a laptop rig, I don't think there is a better way to go. http://www.plogue.com/ This'll give you an idea for how it looks and to some people, will give an idea why I like it so much. You just drag and drop modules and connect them with virtual cables. There are quite a few people that use Bidule in a live setting, including some pros that you see on stage with laptops.

 

 

 

Thats pretty cool really. I dont play keyboards really, but have always dug messing around with midi stuff. I might check that out.

 

Do you use a personal monitor of some kind to give yourself some kind of volume control on stage?

[Slaymoar]

You need proper hardware for that, I found my sound card to be really {censored}ty and has a very noticable delay between playing a chord and hearing it come out... Very screwy.

-D

[glenecho]

Thats pretty cool really. I dont play keyboards really, but have always dug messing around with midi stuff. I might check that out. Do you use a personal monitor of some kind to give yourself some kind of volume control on stage?

 

I used a Roland VGA-7. It (was) a stereo guitar modelling amp but it is full range like a keyboard amp. I probably should have just used a stereo keyboard amp but was too cheap to go out and buy one. But the VGA-7 worked great in that capacity. It also does a really fantastic Roland JC-120 or Polytone Minibrute sound which I used a little. But mostly, it functioned as you said...like a onstage monitor.

 

One thing to keep in mind is I used (and still occasionally use) the laptop rig because a couple of projects I was doing required me to do a lot of ambient guitar synth stuff as well as regular guitar. If all I was doing was standard guitar stuff I'm not sure I would have went through all the bother.

 

[Shask]

Its cool stuff, but overly complicated for me

[Spizzledude]

You also hop on the bus with your 5000 watt PA system and mixer. That was the REAL deal breaker for me ever moving to a modeler rig. Unless you are playing some nicer and larger venues (which most of us aren't), then you have to trust the PA and soundman. In my experience, most house PA's suck, as do the soundmen. With a real amp behind you, you can usually make up for it. With a modeler rig, you have to totally trust the PA. Bad idea? In my experience, yes. If your band already hauls a nice PA around, then it may be a viable option. If not, then plan on investing in one if you go direct modeler.

 

 

This.

 

I tried just bringing a modeler for a bit and I play on some really nice PA's too but the soundmen kept trying to improve my settings out front for me. I gave up.

[Ferdinandstrat]

You actually have a really good point there my friend, it is infact more convenient and some Digital technologies today are capable of emulating a few good amps quite well actually.

Good luck man, hope you'll be happy.

[LaXu]

I'd love to just use a computer for guitar. The Guitar Rig 3 user interface is a delight to work with. Unfortunately the sounds are not there yet so I stick with traditional tube amps.

[Celik]

I don't think i will ever give up my half stack for a computer. Its not the same for me. It wold feel different siting in front of a computer and tweaking your tone compared to my half stack.

[Spärk]

I used a Roland VGA-7. It (was) a stereo guitar modelling amp but it is full range like a keyboard amp. I probably should have just used a stereo keyboard amp but was too cheap to go out and buy one. But the VGA-7 worked great in that capacity. It also does a really fantastic Roland JC-120 or Polytone Minibrute sound which I used a little. But mostly, it functioned as you said...like a onstage monitor. One thing to keep in mind is I used (and still occasionally use) the laptop rig because a couple of projects I was doing required me to do a lot of ambient guitar synth stuff as well as regular guitar. If all I was doing was standard guitar stuff I'm not sure I would have went through all the bother.

 

 

 

Cool. I probably wouldnt bother for a regular band situation either, but for specific projects perhaps. Projects like this are just fun sometimes.