What is your preferred VI / modeller for recording?

[ravenhaller]

Hi all.

Having bought the Classic SVT plugin from Plugin Alliance a week or so ago, I now know it's time to retire the POD HD Pro I've been using for the last X years. I'm looking for it's replacement in this thread.

The Plugin Alliance SVT was an immediate improvement to my recorded bass tone. No more clip and clang which is par for course on initial bass transients through the HD Pro.

But as much of an improvement the Plugin Alliance plugin is, it's hard to hit a pocket on the head when you're constantly up against DAW latency (I don't like tracking with a dry DI sound). So I guess my preference is for an outboard modeller.

My bread and butter bass tone is a P-Bass into a SVT & 8x10. It's essential that any modeller / plugin replacement has this in it's arsenal, and can nail it proficiently. A real SVT is not an option - I live in a city apartment, not a country mansion.

I'm thinking of getting a Line 6 HX Stomp. Can anyone speak for the SVT modelling in the HX? Or for the bass amp modelling in general on this platform?

 

[RevDrucifer]

Your budget will have a lot to do with your choice since there’s some pretty high jumps in prices across the board. The Helix gets GREAT reviews on TGP, almost to the point of it being the unofficial Helix forum. I’ve yet to play through one because I jumped right up to an AxeFX III.

Helix- Good pricing and doesn’t require a lot of tweaking to get where you want. Most definitely the most bought of all the modelers, considering it’s in a much more favorable price.

NDSP Quad Cortex ($1600) Still too new to make a call on. Talked a big game on the announcement of it’s release, but delivered at about 80%-85% due to missing features advertised initially and still needing work done on the effects and amp models. Captures sound great, though!

Kemper- I see mostly guys using these use them for the profiles of other amps (profiles/captures are different than amp models in the fact they’re ‘snapshots’ of specific amps dialed in a certain way and are created by the users/3rd parties, models are created by the manufacturer). Don’t hear much about the onboard models at all, really. There’s the Kemper toaster that’s kinda like an ugly ass rack unit, a rack unit and the Kemper Stage. Not sure of the pricing on those.

Fractal- Still reigning supreme as having the most accurate/best sounding models. Tweaking scares people away because you can tweak every single thing. Some people don’t dig that because they just want to plug in and play. I love mixing/tweaking/turning knobs and I’d rather carve out my ideal tone that settle on something that in the ballpark. Currently can choose between the FM3 ($1000) (floor version, slightly stripped down version of the flagship) or the AxeFXIII, the macdaddy. ($2000)

They’re all capable of delivering great tones. It’s simply a choice of how much your want to spend and how much you enjoy tweaking. Line 6, NDSP, Kemper don’t require as much tweaking than a Fractal, they’re cheaper and you might be able to get your dream tone out of them, Fractal you’ll have to tweak your way there, but nothing is impossible with it and their customer service is second to none and their updates are plentiful. Never saw another place where the owner/designer will take time out of their day to help the little guys with the smallest issues. The Fractal forum is one of the friendliest, most helpful communities I’ve found on the internet.

In the context of bass, I actually don’t know which gives you more amps to choose from. There’s not a ton in the Fractals, a couple SVT’s, a couple Mesa Strategy 400’s, some GK’s and I think maybe an Eden? No clue what’s in the others. I’m 99% sure all these modelers can run dual-amps, too, so if you’re like me/Dug Pinnick, you can run a distorted guitar amp along with a clean SVT at the same time.

Good luck and enjoy whatever you get!

 

[seamonkey]

Latency problems people tend to have on PC's is usually due to their settings.
If you're on a PC then use the ASIO drivers your interface came with.
For the DAW you're using search in it's documentation for how to optimize your PC for the DAW
Tuned right, there's not much more latency than the speed of sound would have if you stood 10-feet from your amp.

 

[ravenhaller]

I'll have to check out a Helix it seems. They're only available on back order in my area of the world. The POD HD does an OK job of modelling an SVT, but I think the programming algorithms of the era were not properly figured out for bass. You need to go through a preamp and a compressor first to assist with accurate capture of the fundamental frequencies, especially on the initial edge of attack.

Latency - yeah it's a tough one. I've got a reasonably fast computer. I need to track with at least a drum track and a guitar track. Even if I keep a session completely void of plugins apart from these things, and only a plugin for the bass, the buffer time needs to be bumped up to accomodate. Not ideal (especially on faster tempo tracks), but workable.

In the density of a semi-completed or whole mix, i'm having to run the buffer settings way higher. It's hard to lose yourself to the pocket when you're having to be mindful of a 50ms to 100ms delay to your performance at all times.