REAL AMPS VS AMP SIMS BLIND TEST

[Beneath_the_Bliss]

Hey guys,

For my university dissertation I'm doing a comparison between real valve amps and the amp sim versions. Would appreciate it if you could have a listen to the Soundcloud links and see which one you think it the real amp and maybe leave some feedback.

Each link contains 3 clips; the real amp and two amp sims. Amp A, B and C are the same on each test, meaning for example, Amp A is always 'Amp sim 1' etc.

The amp sims used were Pod Farm 2 and Revalver 3.5. All the tones are going through an impulse which is Catharsis S-Pres High (love you Ryan haha).

All the settings were the same on each instance, which are shown within Soundcloud links.

Reamping was done by Brett from Tower Studios. Thanks dude.

Amps compared are:

Peavey 6505, Orange AD30, Mesa Dual Rec and a Diezel VH4.

Cheers, Mizz.

 

[Humidfume]

I'd guess at B being the real amp. Cause I "think" I can hear the speakers moving / farting etc. I might be completely off though.

 

[Beneath_the_Bliss]

Also, did I mentioned I used the same impulses for all of them. I admit that the tones aren't really ideal. I just thought it would be easier to have everything set at noon. Ideally I should of chosen typical amp tones for each amp and them used the same settings on the amp sims.

 

[Siguros]

1 = B
2 = B
3 = B
4 = B

 

[Clark Kent]

No offence to Beneath_the_Bliss but I don't think this comparison is a proper way to compare these. Mainly because ALL of these "amps" have different amount of gain in them. By listening to the first clip I would say that "amp A" is the best sounding out of the three. That being said... I don't want to bash you man but I wouldn't categorize any of those tones usable other than maybe the very first tone out of that Peavey.

Why not use Axe-Fx, Overloud TH2 and Amplitube for this comparison?

You know... If I had to take a wild guess I'd have to say that none of these is a real amp.......

 

[DanLights]

without reading anything, C sounded like the most "real" one to me, although I only listened the first two clips. It just seemed more "open" that the other two, but I could easily be wrong. Definitely not A though, it has to be B or C.

 

[Clark Kent]

I dunno man. Listening to that Rectifier clip... THERE IS NO WAY THAT B IS A REAL AMP!! NO WAY!! I'm curious how the real amp was run through IR's. Slave outs or using an attenuator?

 

[aeonix]

My guess would be, A = Pod Farm, B = Real Amp, C = Revalver

B sounds very dynamic, although it has some parts with decent amount of dirt and gain, the bass notes never seem to be very flubby and muddy as compared to the rest.

 

[jackbraglia]

this is impossible because not only does every tone sound like TOTAL shit, but like someone above me said....each one has a different amount of gain, making a true comparison impossible. when it comes to the tone/gain knobs on the amp sims, they are never the same or even close to what the real amp would sound like with those same settings. so maybe you should re-do this while trying to match the tone/gain-level so we can actually compare 3 tracks that sound even remotely similar.

 

[Beneath_the_Bliss]

As I said previously, the reamps were done by Brett, a mod on here. He used a Torpedo load box. Clark, I used Pod Farm and Revalver because those are the two amp sims I own. If I would of been able to gain access to some other amp sims and even an axe fx, it would of been interesting. Thing is, each tone has a big difference in gain.

Like I said, it would of been a lot better if I got a typical dialed in tone of the selected amps, and then matched the amp sims to them.

Appreciate the feedback guys!

 

[jackbraglia]

Like I said, it would of been a lot better if I got a typical dialed in tone of the selected amps, and then matched the amp sims to them.

Well get on that then!
you probably won't get many more votes with the tones sounding as they are now, and I dont think your dissertation will be very convincing with only 4 votes as the source data

 

[Beneath_the_Bliss]

Oh and settings are all noon/12 o'clock except the pre and post gain on the 6505, if you didnt manage to go into the sound loud links

 

[Beneath_the_Bliss]

Well get on that then!
you probably won't get many more votes with the tones sounding as they are now, and I dont think your dissertation will be very convincing with only 4 votes as the source data

I already have around 25 votes from a couple of Facebook groups including joeys Facebook group

 

[Siguros]

I dont think your dissertation will be very convincing with only 4 votes as the source data

I'm currently doing my dissertation, and I only have 3 replies to my questionnaire...

 

[Beneath_the_Bliss]

Dude link me it or pm me and I'll give you a reply

 

[DanLights]

wait, so even the real amp is put through an impulse? Laaaame hahahaha

 

[Beneath_the_Bliss]

Yeah man, otherwise I'd have to factor in mic, mic placement, cab etc...

 

[jackbraglia]

I already have around 25 votes from a couple of Facebook groups including joeys Facebook group

oh ok well that sounds like enough, but because of all the previously stated reasons, the data might still be skewed. For example, people might be choosing the higher gain clips simply because it sounds "heavier" and not because it sounds more "real".

 

[Beneath_the_Bliss]

I suppose, but it's up to people to judge which one they think is legit

 

[Ascendant]

So A in the 6505 clip is the same amp (sim) as A in the other clips, meaning that if A is pod farm in the 6505 clip, A is pod farm in all of the clips? Also did you include the power amp section in Revalver?

edit: Hard to decide on the Peavey clip, A has to be Pod Farm though, think B is real. Listening to the Orange and Mesa clips I have to say A Pod, B real and C Revalver.