I have been using guitarix on my ubuntu machine for a while. The older versions of the software were very buggy, and didn't always get along with JACK.
Now, however, I am starting to be very impressed with it. It does almost everything a electric guitar/mandolin player would want. My favorite aspect of it is the excellent convolver, which has surprisingly low latency on my computer.
Does anyone else have any experience with guitarix? I think that combining it with an embedded PC and a class-d amp would make a wonderful all-in-one solution for guitar amplification.
In my opinion, it's miles ahead of anything I've tried on PC/mac, especially garageband. I've had experience with a Vox AC-30, and I will say, when I set up guitarix just right, it sounds *just* like the real thing.
Now, however, I am starting to be very impressed with it. It does almost everything a electric guitar/mandolin player would want. My favorite aspect of it is the excellent convolver, which has surprisingly low latency on my computer.
Does anyone else have any experience with guitarix? I think that combining it with an embedded PC and a class-d amp would make a wonderful all-in-one solution for guitar amplification.
In my opinion, it's miles ahead of anything I've tried on PC/mac, especially garageband. I've had experience with a Vox AC-30, and I will say, when I set up guitarix just right, it sounds *just* like the real thing.
I used to be in the camp of "tubes are always better" for guitar amps. The sound of my Fender Champ is way better than that of my Zoom modeling pedal. My brother's Deluxe sounds way better than his Digitech modeling pedal.
But, now, I question all that. I presume that I have fairly sensitive hearing... I've been a musician since I was a child. And I cannot tell that a recording made using guitarix, *with proper settings* is not coming from a real tube amp.
So I would postulate that a guitar amp could be made that incorporates a small computer running linux/guitarix and a class-D amplifier. I am not sure whether one would want to use a guitar amp speaker or a professional audio speaker.
In any case, I am wondering, has anyone else had experience with guitarix, and am I just hearing things, or is it really that much better than all the other digital garbage (for guitar)?
I do just barely notice the latency... this will vary with hardware. I think I'm getting ~24ms with my setup. That's the real downside. But it doesn't seem to throw off my playing, when recording. As for whether that would affect live sound (rhythmic "tightness" in a band), I do not know. Could probably get to ~16ms if I didn't use the convolver.
But, now, I question all that. I presume that I have fairly sensitive hearing... I've been a musician since I was a child. And I cannot tell that a recording made using guitarix, *with proper settings* is not coming from a real tube amp.
So I would postulate that a guitar amp could be made that incorporates a small computer running linux/guitarix and a class-D amplifier. I am not sure whether one would want to use a guitar amp speaker or a professional audio speaker.
In any case, I am wondering, has anyone else had experience with guitarix, and am I just hearing things, or is it really that much better than all the other digital garbage (for guitar)?
I do just barely notice the latency... this will vary with hardware. I think I'm getting ~24ms with my setup. That's the real downside. But it doesn't seem to throw off my playing, when recording. As for whether that would affect live sound (rhythmic "tightness" in a band), I do not know. Could probably get to ~16ms if I didn't use the convolver.
I feel like a d-bag for posting three times in a row, but I thought I would provide a link of some (poor) multitracked guitar playing through guitarix:
PureVolume™ | We're Listening To You
My apologies, I am a mandolinist, not a guitarist, but on this track I am playing guitar. So it ain't great.
I just wanted to demonstrate the tone I'm getting. If all digital guitar amps could sound like this, I'd say why bother with the weight and expense of tubes? From a purely practical standpoint of course. I'm sure if you actually A/B it with a real tube amp, you may be able to hear the difference (probably more noise/buzz/hiss).
But guitar -> tube preamp -> ARM processor -> guitarix/JACK -> class D amp -> guitar speaker would probably sound really good. And the software is free free free.
OK I'm done. Sorry for flooding posts.
PureVolume™ | We're Listening To You
My apologies, I am a mandolinist, not a guitarist, but on this track I am playing guitar. So it ain't great.
I just wanted to demonstrate the tone I'm getting. If all digital guitar amps could sound like this, I'd say why bother with the weight and expense of tubes? From a purely practical standpoint of course. I'm sure if you actually A/B it with a real tube amp, you may be able to hear the difference (probably more noise/buzz/hiss).
But guitar -> tube preamp -> ARM processor -> guitarix/JACK -> class D amp -> guitar speaker would probably sound really good. And the software is free free free.
OK I'm done. Sorry for flooding posts.
Hi Neebster, BTW your guitar playing is good!
I am of the same opinion that the digital sims are becoming very convincing. I don't sit totally in either the digital or analog camp. I run various rigs, and try to use whichever is best for the situation.
I am discussing this on another thread too.We are discussing a guitar preamp to codec chip then using computer for all processing then back out to a power amp (or mixer board). Of course there are some off the shelf stuff that I am presently using along with some homebuilt, but it is always fun to DIY something. I would like to keep it modular so I can mix and match.
My band has played a couple of times with other groups, and sometimes we show up and they are wondering where all the amps are?!
I am of the same opinion that the digital sims are becoming very convincing. I don't sit totally in either the digital or analog camp. I run various rigs, and try to use whichever is best for the situation.
I am discussing this on another thread too.We are discussing a guitar preamp to codec chip then using computer for all processing then back out to a power amp (or mixer board). Of course there are some off the shelf stuff that I am presently using along with some homebuilt, but it is always fun to DIY something. I would like to keep it modular so I can mix and match.
My band has played a couple of times with other groups, and sometimes we show up and they are wondering where all the amps are?!
Guitarix use state of the art real-time simulation technique. In the sources, it is the dkbuilder which can be used to transform a schematic into a plugin, see dkbuilder: from circuit to LV2 plugin - LinuxMusicians