Old 09-27-2017, 05:56 PM   #1
Armycopter
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Default New Guy and New to Recording

Hello, I am completely new at home recording with a DAW. I am using Reaper which I like so far. I’ve plugged my guitar into a Focusrite interface and everything works well.

I’ve found a few free VST plugins and messed around with them a bit but I would like to reduce the amount of time I mess with the technology and increase the amount of time I am playing and recording. So... I was hoping some smart people could point me in the right direction. I would like to have a couple of “go to” guitar tone setups. I’m looking for 1. A nice rock tone for my Les Paul. Some bands I like are 70’s/early 80’s Judas Priest, Great White, Foreigner, Dokken, GNR, Most any 70’s/80’s Rock. etc. and 2. A nice clean ambient tone for my Strat. Bands like The Fixx, The Outfield, The Police, Alan Parsons, etc.

I don’t mind doing the tweaking, just looking for some suggestions to get started. I think amp and cabinet are what I am looking for. Reaper seems to have all the other things (compression, reverb, delay, chorus, etc).

I would prefer free plugins but open to paid. Thank you.
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Old 09-27-2017, 06:26 PM   #2
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Well, Reaper has a few to try before DLing anything else:

1.The effect JS: Amp Simulator has a decent variety of styles, including a few Marshalls for that 70's tone.

2. You can use Reaverb to load cab impulses. Look here if you don't know what that means. There are tons of great free and paid impulses on the internet.


I like to use the TSE 808 v.2, a tube screamer emulator, in front of my amp to boost and color the signal, but this is a matter of taste probably.

I also recommend you check out the LePou line of amps and cabinets, a free set of extremely versatile plugins.

Another great Marshall-style alternative is the Roxolder JCM800 combined with the Mercuriall Cab.

If you're looking for free spring reverb, my go to is Devil's Spring.
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Old 09-28-2017, 09:41 AM   #3
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Native Instruments have free plugins for guitar. NIs freebies from Guitar Rig are particularly generous:

https://www.native-instruments.com/e...-rig-5-player/

"The included FACTORY SELECTION library provides one stunning amp with 17 cabinet emulations, plus 13 effects and sound modifiers to shape and enhance any audio signal."

A list of freebies:
http://masters-of-music.com/list-of-...itar-amp-sims/

https://www.osirisguitar.com/lepou-r...ab2-for-macos/
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Old 09-28-2017, 11:30 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Armycopter View Post
Hello, I am completely new at home recording with a DAW. I am using Reaper which I like so far. I’ve plugged my guitar into a Focusrite interface and everything works well.

I’ve found a few free VST plugins and messed around with them a bit but I would like to reduce the amount of time I mess with the technology and increase the amount of time I am playing and recording. So... I was hoping some smart people could point me in the right direction. I would like to have a couple of “go to” guitar tone setups. I’m looking for 1. A nice rock tone for my Les Paul. Some bands I like are 70’s/early 80’s Judas Priest, Great White, Foreigner, Dokken, GNR, Most any 70’s/80’s Rock. etc. and 2. A nice clean ambient tone for my Strat. Bands like The Fixx, The Outfield, The Police, Alan Parsons, etc.

I don’t mind doing the tweaking, just looking for some suggestions to get started. I think amp and cabinet are what I am looking for. Reaper seems to have all the other things (compression, reverb, delay, chorus, etc).

I would prefer free plugins but open to paid. Thank you.
For easy plug'n play you might be better of with some guitar-suit, so you could just load a preset.
You could make your own with FxChains, but it takes a little time to get things sorted out.
Amplitube
NI GuitarRig
etc.
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Old 09-28-2017, 05:48 PM   #5
Armycopter
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Thank you, I downloaded Amplitude 3 Free and it seems to have an easy to use interface. It’s limited to certain presets but I think it will work - at least to get me going. If I like it, I may purchase the full version 4.
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Old 09-29-2017, 04:03 AM   #6
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^^^
The latest version is AmpliTube Custom Shop, which is based on AmpliTube 4:
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/amplitubecs/

You could just buy the individual AmpliTube gear models that you want. Having said that, the bundle purchases are better value for money (if you make use of many of the gear models). And IK Multimedia often come up with special offers.
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Old 10-16-2017, 08:21 PM   #7
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I think the other suggestions are all fine, but you could at least consider having a listen to a paid alternative.

Personally I tried out everything I could get my hands on free, and spent a lot of time trying to get amp/cab combinations to sound how I wanted. For me at least, it never happened. They always sounded artificial or weird in some way.

I tried the S Gear demo, though, and was immediately happy. I bought it and have used it for recording and playing live for a few years now. It totally floats my boat.

Others like Kuassa or TH3 or Bias - tastes do vary more in guitar tones than just about anything else, so you can't avoid having to audition a range of things.

So I would say yes, try Amplitube or LePou or Guitar Rig, but if they don't blow you away, try a couple of the paid amp demos just in case.
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