Best sound despite neighbors

Modeling & Digital Amps

Modeling has undergone an interesting development. At the latest with the introduction of the first Line 6 POD as a savior for various rock and pop productions and an all-purpose weapon in the studio . This meant ready-made guitar sounds including all reverb, delay, overdrive and distortion effects, directly into the mixer. No more lugging around heavy Vintage amps or complicated miking, not even a tuner was necessary. The red bean simulated the sound of old classics in great detail, especially VOX, Marshall and Fender amps.

The relatively low price, flexibility and usability in home recording made the POD and its successors the standard in modeling and a pioneer for many products that were to follow. But at the same time, there were still many purists who wanted nothing to do with all the “digital bells and whistles” . The (preferably old) Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul should of course be plugged into a (also old) Marshall JCM800 or JTM 45, Fender Twin or Tweed Bassmann, anything else borders on treason against the guitar guild. And in fact, the dynamics and the feel of the game were simply not up to height with the real models.

... Back to the Future

But with more and more technical progress and improvements in modeling algorithms, the world now looks completely different: amp models are becoming more and more faithful to the original and can sometimes no longer be distinguished in recordings from their real ancestors recorded in the studio . Also worth mentioning at this point is the Profiling Amplifier from Kemper, which uses a specially developed method to create “sound impressions” of existing amp-box-microphone combinations. These so-called profiles are so close to the originals that Kemper amps can now be seen on the biggest stages in the world.

Modeling and other digital amplifier are now a more than serious solution for the home. Since most of them not only have a headphone output for almost silent practice at any time of day, but also usually contain one or more output channel , they can easily be connected to an audio interface and recorded. Here we introduce you to some different models.

Loadboxes & Attenuator

Very few people will probably have the opportunity to operate their 100 watt all-tube head with a matching 4x12 speaker in their living room without triggering a long-term neighborhood war. If you still don't want to do without your beloved tube amp but still want to practice at home, we recommend a so-called attenuator, also known as a load box or power soak.

These devices are hung between the amplifier and the speaker and ensure that only a certain, adjustable portion of the amplifier power reaches the loudspeaker . This means that even a very powerful tube amplifier, which really achieves the power amplifier saturation that many guitarists love, can be played at room volume and without any loss of sound . Most loadboxes also offer the option of functioning as a so-called silencer, i.e. not sending any signal to the box at all. You can then connect your headphones via the Headphones Out or record into the audio interface conveniently and at a minimum volume level via the Line Out. However, a so-called impulse response, i.e. a speaker simulation, must then be added to the computer if the attenuator used does not actually have this function integrated.

Don't spill, just OX'n!

The OX amp from Universal Audio deserves special mention here. Not only is it an excellent loadbox, the OX also offers other features that will delight guitarists. The integrated speaker simulation offers numerous different speaker models in different configurations and designs as well as various microphone models that can be freely combined. To give you an even better overview of the extensive features of the OX Amp, watch the video in which our Olli – his character Analogue fetishist and digital skeptic - and Benny from UAD introduce the OX in theory and practice.

In combination with the freely adjustable and high-quality room reverb, there is a first-class sound for every taste for recording via line out or for quiet practice late at night via the headphone output. The settings can be edited using the special OX desktop or mobile app and saved as a preset . Six of these presets can be stored for quick access to the memory locations that can be selected with the RIG controls . This means you can concentrate on what's important during hectic live operations and leave your iPad at home with a clear conscience.

Click here for the OX Amp!

Guitar software

Another way to work on your own guitar playing in silence is to use special amp modeling software on your computer. These vary in functionality and scope depending on the manufacturer, but each is comparable to a modeling amp that uses the processing power of your computer and the connections of your interface. This software can then be integrated directly into your DAW as a plugin and used for recording.

Audio interfaces are available in a wide variety of sizes and features. When using an amp simulation, you should make sure that the interface has an instrument input, also called a Hi-Z input . This ensures optimal pre-amplification of your guitar signal, which can be optimally processed by the software . How many inputs and outputs your audio interface should have usually depends on your area of ​​application. If you just want to record your guitar with some vocals and perhaps an external keyboard, simple variants are sufficient. These usually have a maximum of 1 to 4 inputs for microphones, guitars and external sound generators. As is often the case, the connection options are open at the top. As a little extra , recording software (light version) is usually including with the audio interfaces. So nothing stands in the way of your immediate start.