Modelling amp for recording?

[Dave1978]

Do you guys know any good amp with an useable record-out?

The idea is to save VST-performance and have an amp for rehearsal and recording, without the need to mic it up.

The amp should be affordable, even though I'd pay whatever it costs if necessary.

 

[ahjteam]

Why not just print the VST straight into a new track? Just record two tracks:

INPUT 1: GTR -> TRACK 1: "DI"
INPUT 1: GTR -> AUX 1 (all the fancy vst stuff you use) -> TRACK 2: "AMP"

 

[Dave1978]

Sorry, but what exactly do you mean with "printing" a track?

If I understood you correctly you mean I should record 2 tracks: 1x DI and 1x routed into a bus with ampsim, cab multiband compressor and so on...

That means I'd save one track with VSTs ... not a bad idea, but I'm afraid that isn't enough.

Lately I've even started to export my projects (Drums - Bass - Guitar 1 - Guitar 2), to open another and add leadguitars, sampler and synths becauce my DAW didn't handle everything in one project. I need way more horsepower for my individual workflow.

I can either sell my iMac 24" (Core 2 Duo, 3GB) and buy myself a Core i7 Mac Pro / Hackintosh or I can stop using all the plugins for my bass- & guitar sound.

At the moment I prefer the second solution, because I actually still like my iMac.

 

[Empathy]

Printing is term commonly used here for what you define as exporting. Export/Bounce/Render your heavily FX'd tracks in your DAW as a single wave file (ie. 'print' the current working version) and mix it with that.

I have an i7 860 with 16gb memory, and I still have to print my tracks a fair bit, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend a hardware upgrade straight away.

As for your actual question, I know the Digitech GSP1101 gets a lot of praise. It's essentially the less wealthy man's AxeFX. Of course if you wanted to use it to play with a band you'd need either a pretty solid PA system or a power amp and cab to drive either of them.

 

[pattonfreak1]

I've heard nothing but good things about Peavey Vypyr combo amps. They have usb outputs too.

 

[Dave1978]

I was thinking about the Vypyr amps too. Can I expect an "Outboard Revalver" or does that thing have any restrictions like only one fixed cabsim at the record-out?


There's one more thing I'd like to ask regarding my VST-performance issue:

My project has currently only 7 tracks: Drums, Bass, Guitar 1, Guitar 2, Bus 1, Bus 2 & Master Out. That means I've already started, but the DAW is already on the limit.

I'm using the follwoing VST/i's:

1x EzDrummer Metalheads
2x Drumagog
8x GEQ30
2x REVerence
2x Jack Joseph Puig
2x Eddie Kramer Drums
1x Brainworx Shreadspread
1x Waves L2
1x Voxengo Stereo Touch
1x PAZ Analyzer
1x SSL Duende Drumstrip Native
1x Blockfish Compressor
1x Studiodevil Virtual Bassamp
2x TSE Tubescreamer
2x TSE X30
2x KeFir Impulse Loader

Is that really already too much for a Core 2 Duo / 3 GB system? Ok - I have to admit I propably should use some stuff less excessive, but I'm always going for the best option and I need hardware that can handle this.

If I'd only use Windows, the solution would bhe simple - just upgrade to a modern i7 2600k DAW. But unfortunately I need MacOs X for professional reasons too.

Seems that the only solution for me would be getting myself a Hackintosh, considering the no-value-for-money politics of Apple. As far as I know they even haven't any Sandy Bridge configurations in stock. But I'm not into that topic. Are those Hackintosh systems save and stable? Are there any pre-configurated systems available that can handle Win / Mac out of the box? I don't like imagination seeing myself manage PC-problems, while I could record music.

Or does anyone have any other idea for me?

 

[Rex Rocker]

I've heard nothing but good things about Peavey Vypyr combo amps. They have usb outputs too.

I have a Peavey Vypyr 30.

It's alright for practicing. Don't recommend it for recording. It's fizzy as hell.

 

[Sloan]

Amazingly enough, I got decent results from a Behringer V-Tone.

Here is the first band demo I ever recorded. The line out from the V-Tone sounded better than mic'ing it up and worked for what we were going for.
http://bestnetworx.com/uploader/files/52/HollowJune_SealedWithAKiss2008mix.mp3

 

[drawnacrol]

The vypyr's are very bad for recording because the USB interface is terrible, horrible latency and sounds crap, also turning the treble/mid knobs makes very little difference, the headphone out is a little better but I find the volume is too low even with everything turned up full to track guitars. Don't get me wrong, their a great practice amp but one of the number 1 complaints was the interface.