AcmeBarGig: Want to Design an Effect, an Amp?

[guitarzanABG]

AcmeBarGig is always looking for new and refreshing ideas for amps and effects, or anything else you may think you could use.

Got an idea for a delay? Chorus, vocal plugin? Let us know and if we build it, you will always have the latest copy before it comes out, always free too!

Please send your ideas to: guitarzan@acmebargig.com

Thanks!

 

[kramer1309]

to tell you the truth i'd like to learn some developing of vst's.. any tips/ideas/good tutorial resources/etc.. i know theres a lot of freeware out there but i can't seem to find any opensource stuff
btw, your stuff rules!

 

[guitarzanABG]

to tell you the truth i'd like to learn some developing of vst's.. any tips/ideas/good tutorial resources/etc..

Hey Kramer, I'm considering a change of venue myself and I asked Ken (ABG senior developer) almost the same thing when I signed on as a Beta tester just a couple weeks ago...I don't think I'd be out of line to quote his reply:

"Get to know VB [Visual Basic] very well, then move directly into C++, and finally into assembly language. While doing this make sure you take extra math courses in WAVE technology Like FFT, and anything related to waves. You will use that constantly.Then make sure you get a basic electronics course..That is all you need."

I need to find some good tutorial resources and stuff myself.

Keep the great ideas coming in guys, and thanks again to those who have already replied!

 

[kramer1309]

if thats exactly what he said, then its great coz, i'm a computer engineering student (finished first year) and:
- programing in VB - don't think its really necessary
- programing in c/c++ - check
- programing in assembly - check, sorta, coz we had a computer organization course that basically dealt with processor architecture so we did a fair amount of nasm programing as well as develop cache effecient programs etc along with processor theory so i think i'm clear on this one
- math course with wave stuff - not done yet, but we have dsp course and a supplementary math course which will be over in a year but i'm willing to learn early if rqd.
- basic electronic course - check - we did a course on electrical elements and one on opamps,amplifiers-volt/power,transistor applications,ad-da,555chip
so most bases i covered i guess

 

[JohnnyMcFly]

Hey Kramer...
Well the reason I said start with VB was assuming that the individual had never programmed before..
Heavy on the assembly!

But since you've got all of that, then you should get the Steinberg VST SDK as well and start learning that...
Well thats great looks like you are n your way... The DSP course is probably all you need, extra math courses would be good as well as some graphics courses in Photoshop, but you'll probably pick that up easily...
KM

 

[kramer1309]

thanks

 

[valdiorn]

IMO the SDK needs a bit more info for intermediate programmers (like me)
I'm on my 3rd year of electrical engineering, I know all my theory extremely well, know how this stuff works in real life, and I know how to program and build my algorithms (C / C++ / C# / Microchip and Motorola Assembly / Python / PHP / Matlab and prolly more ) , but the SDK environment, there's just something missing, I can't seem to grasp it. I recommend SynthMaker for people just trying it out for the first time, they have a nice module where you can add your own code, simple as shit.


Back on topic: This world has several great high gain plugins, but what's missing are the mid-gain amp emulators, the Plexis, Oranges, Princetons, AC30s etc etc... I'd pay for a decent Orange 120 emu (the one in Guitar Rig is meh... )

 

[Yhanthlei]

This world has several great high gain plugins

But we need KRANKS and ENGLS and as long as I didn't miss anything there's no really satisfiying recto out there either...

So Rev and Savage guys

 

[ParsonsMatt]

+1 on the ENGL Savage sim

 

[kaomao]

....

"Get to know VB [Visual Basic] very well, then move directly into C++, and finally into assembly language. ...

Oh god really?
is it so necessary to develop with assembly for plug-ins?
I always hated at school doing stuff in assembler.
I think c++ is more than enough, maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Ruins]

i would like to get back to the thread topic.
i don't know if there are things like that already exist or is it just simple DAW work but how about a tool that can split the signal harmonically so that you can runt 2 different amps or the same on different harmonics of the sound without getting chorus effect.

 

[JohnnyMcFly]

Ruins that is a great idea! Interesting...

KaoMao...
No C++ is fine for 90% of the applications, there are those times where you need a little extra speed... that makes up 10% of DSP developments IMO. But in all seriousness, there will come a day where almost no one uses C++, But instead uses environments like Synthmaker and Synthedit. IMO that is the future of plugin creation. However, the companies that make these things could do with a little more direction and cross platform capabilities. Right Synthmaker and Synthedit seem to be locked in a dead heat. No one more popular than the other. But, the one that supports all platforms first wins. It does not seem to be a motivating factor for these companies though...So, don't know maybe someone creates an all new Save as VST type environment, that does support all platforms, they would almost overnight take that market over!

So, just a question for all the above...and a statement on my thoughts..

So, IMO the future of guitar does not lay in tube amps...It lays in simulators, or as I call them Computer amps. Mine don't simulate any particular amp. So, keeping that terminology in mind, and knowing the cost of a tube amp to manufacture, what motivation is there to create tube amps in say 20 years from now...In 20 years, we will have real time polynomial processing(NEBULA). Someone hopefully my company, will have created a great live computer amp...etc. There will be so many developments in DSP and guitar that people would not be able to ignore it any longer. Right now most people seem to be content just "pretending" that the amp they are using is an orange or a Hiwatt. When in all actuality it is no closer to that amp than any other sim is.

So, how do we get from looking at computer amps being models of the real world, to computer amps being what they are. How do we get people to look at a computer amp differently? Accept it for its strengths and its own individual sound, but not compare it to something like a Marshall or Fender... Thats an apples to oranges comparison, they are different...period

By all means if the developers would stop creating what has already been done, over and over, and over ad nauseum.. Then the perception of these things would change very quickly. How many fenders, Marshalls, Hiwatts, oranges, etc, etc, etc. do we need...

KM

 

[Rupturemetal]

By all means if the developers would stop creating what has already been done, over and over, and over ad nauseum.. Then the perception of these things would change very quickly. How many fenders, Marshalls, Hiwatts, oranges, etc, etc, etc. do we need...

KM
Just one good one!!

 

[valdiorn]

So, IMO the future of guitar does not lay in tube amps...

Guitarists are strange beings... you realize the tube itself is already 50 years out of date, and it's still the most popular unit for guitar amplification.
We have a similar debate in the synthesizer world, where people are doing these awesome massive digital synths that can do any sound you could imagine, but they seem to be "too perfect" and people miss the old shaky analog oscillators and creamy, sweeping analog filters... same with guitar and the tubes.

 

[Morgan C]

Bump from page2, and this has probably been suggested before, but I'd love to see AcmeBarGig take on what Nebula sort-of-did, with volume-dependent impulses (if I understand it correctly?). A very creative company, and as amp sims seem to be 99% indistinguishable from the real thing, I think someone really needs to finish off the other half of guitar tone simulation (and well, not some convoluted process and resource-hogging process like Nebula).

Forgive my ignorance though, I never really delved too much into the Nebula discussions.

 

[JohnnyMcFly]

Morgo...Here is a public beta we are holding for Cab Enhancer 1.09. Its similar to what you are talking about..
http://www.guitarampmodeling.com/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=6028&p=36080&hilit=CAB+ENHANCER#p36080
The softwarwe is available there for download..

Valdiorn
Yep thats exactly it, but the writing is on the wall, its only a matter of time before you will not be able to afford tubes as there will be less and less manufacturers. Ones that are left will be able to jack the price..

Thanks Guys I appreciate your thoughts and comments..
KM

 

[AudioGeekZine]

I'd like to see a gate plugin JUST like a Drawmer 201

 

[JohnnyMcFly]

More info Audio, I'm not familiar with that plug..
KM

 

[AudioGeekZine]

it's not a plugin, it's a classic piece of studio and live gear.
http://www.drawmer.com/products/pro-series/ds201.php

It's just laid out in a way that makes a lot of sense and is easy to get what you need quick.

 

[Rupturemetal]

How about a nice tuner, set up with all the alternate tunings