Amp Simulator Recording

Amp simulators model the behavior of guitar amplifiers and speaker cabinets, producing recorded tones without physical equipment. Modern simulators achieve quality that competes with traditional amplifier recording for many applications.

Hardware vs. Software Simulators

Hardware floor units like the Line 6 Helix, Neural DSP Quad Cortex, and Kemper Profiler provide standalone simulation. These units record their output directly without computer involvement.

Software plugins run within DAWs, processing the guitar signal in real time. Products from Neural DSP, Plugin Alliance, and others provide extensive amplifier modeling.

Hardware offers reliability and may feel more like traditional gear. Software offers greater flexibility and often lower cost for equivalent quality.

Signal Chain Setup

Guitar connects directly to an interface instrument input or dedicated DI. The clean signal feeds the simulator, which produces the amplified sound.

Interface instrument inputs provide appropriate impedance matching for guitar pickups. Line inputs don’t match impedance correctly and produce inferior results.

Software simulators require sufficiently low latency for comfortable playing. Buffer sizes of 128 samples or lower typically provide acceptable response.

Dialing In Tones

Amp simulator interfaces typically mirror real amplifier controls. Gain, bass, mid, treble, and presence controls work as they would on physical amps.

Cabinet selection affects tone as much as amp selection. The same amp model through different cabinet models produces substantially different results.

Starting with presets, then adjusting to taste, speeds tone creation. Presets demonstrate each model’s capability and provide starting points for customization.

Recording Approaches

Recording the processed simulation captures the specific tone as heard during performance. This commits to the sound but captures what the guitarist played to.

Recording clean DI alongside the processed signal preserves flexibility. The processed recording captures the immediate sound while the DI enables later adjustments.

Recording only clean DI defers all tone decisions to mixing. This approach provides maximum flexibility but requires the guitarist to monitor through simulation during performance.

Latency Considerations

Software simulators introduce latency based on buffer settings and plugin processing. Total delay affects playing feel and timing.

Low buffer settings reduce latency but increase CPU load. Finding the minimum stable buffer optimizes playing response.

Hardware simulators process signal internally with minimal latency. The processed output feeds the interface without software delay.

Comparing to Traditional Recording

Modern high-quality simulators produce results that engineers struggle to distinguish from miked amplifiers in blind testing. The quality gap has narrowed significantly.

Simulators lack the physical interaction between loud speakers and guitar pickups that affects real amplifier playing. This feedback relationship is difficult to model.

The convenience and flexibility advantages of simulation often outweigh subtle differences from traditional recording. Many successful recordings use simulation exclusively.

Impulse Responses

Impulse responses (IRs) capture the acoustic characteristics of specific speaker cabinets and microphone setups. Loading third-party IRs into simulators expands tonal options beyond built-in cabinets.

Premium IR libraries capture cabinets in professional studios with various microphones and positions. These captures provide studio-quality results within simulator environments.

Creating custom IRs captures specific personal equipment for use within simulators. This approach combines real cabinet character with simulator flexibility.

Integration with Traditional Gear

Simulators can work alongside traditional pedals and processors. Placing real pedals before the interface input affects the signal that the simulator processes.

Some guitarists prefer certain real pedals for specific sounds while using simulation for amplification. This hybrid approach combines favorite analog gear with simulator convenience.

Reamping through real amplifiers uses simulation-recorded DI signals later. This approach captures the flexibility of direct recording with the option for traditional amplification.