GarageBand amp sims

filtercap · Post by **filtercap** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 9:07 pm

Anybody like/hate the amp simulators in GarageBand? I've gotten some decent clean and semi-overdriven sounds going, but I haven't got the hang of setting distortion/fuzz using GB fx. I added a graphic EQ and set the sliders to look more or less kinda like a git-amp speaker response curve, and that helped some.

Also, I have to turn the "preamp" slider way down or else turn the input on my Firepod way down, or I get ridiculous amounts of "preamp" distortion.

I might just go through pedals into the Firepod instead. Any tips?

a66jagdream · Post by **a66jagdream** » Sun Feb 11, 2007 8:33 pm

I know this is an old post, but i didnt have internet then.

I hate them, thats why i use my toneport for most of the effects.

You can hear them here.

http://www.myspace.com/masterseanwhite

The music isnt so good, but you can hear the kinda sounds i can get out of it.

filtercap · Post by **filtercap** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 6:58 am

Who let you into MY THREAD???

Yeah, Toneport beats GB Amp Sims for distortion. There but for 300 bucks go I....

I can get plenty of raw overdrive with GB, but I get a thick layer of high-end fizz. I could really use a good overdriven Marshall sound -- 70's NYC sleaze-rock meets Britpop type stuff. Perhaps that's asking too much. Even with real amps, overdriven guitar sounds are about the hardest thing for me to record well, other than drums.

gaybear · Post by **gaybear** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:37 pm

in my limited experience, i mostly just liked the clean sounds on garage band.

a66jagdream · Post by **a66jagdream** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:37 pm

you can get a toneport for 150 usd

filtercap · Post by **filtercap** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 8:57 pm

My next quantity of expendable dollars probably gets expended among a Kit Of The Drums. I've got Toneport plus that guitar-software thread filed away in my head though.

I did try going DI through my modded Turbo Rat and a couple runoffgroove pedals ("Eighteen" and "Supreaux"). Decent, but still a bit fizzy. I want to mess around more with a runoffgroove pedal as amp simulator plus a speaker simulator in GB.

Linko

mattyb · Post by **mattyb** » Tue Jan 29, 2008 8:32 pm

I don't use the amp sims for guitar i just go straight from my pedals. But i do a teeny bit on the vocals to give it a little bit of a grungy kick.

filtercap · Post by **filtercap** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 1:57 am

Forgot about this thread.

It turns out the GB amp sims are OK for keyboards for the same reason.... you have a Fender Rhodes sound or whatnot, and you want to add some grit and reduce its frequency range.

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 2:12 am

I had no idea GarageBand had amp sims.

I'm gonna have to hog my friends mac tomorrow and play around with it.

Ninja Mike 808 · Post by **Ninja Mike 808** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 5:50 am

I've used em a little bit... I primarily use GB for production and recording, but I'd rather have a real amp. I had a guy playin' a Les Paul in the studio a few times, and when he played on this Line 6 combo amp w/ a digital pedal he got incredible sounds, but my GB amp sims of him weren't actually that inferior.

You should also try and find other AU plugs, maybe some free ones or maybe not.

tareofthesnob · Post by **tareofthesnob** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 11:58 am

i find the distortion buzzes too much.. the drum loops are fun tho.

filtercap · Post by **filtercap** » Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:00 pm

tareofthesnob wrote:i find the distortion buzzes too much.. the drum loops are fun tho.

Agreed on both counts. The loops are cool. If you change the key of the song you're in, GB changes the key of the loop. (Non-drum instrument loops anyway.)

There's lots of high-end krispiness in the distortion, but not enough low/mid growl. I've gotten decent results for demo purposes with the amp sims since I originally started this thread, but nothing amazing. I think they let too much of the highs through without rounding them off the way a speaker cab would.

On the other hand, I've gotten good results using a pedal as the "amp simulator" and setting up the 31-band AUGraphicEQ plugin as a speaker simulator. I wrote about that in this thread.

For the real-deal recordings, I almost always use a real amp for guitar. For bass, I usually record direct-in, flip through the GB presets (which include bass amp sims) to see what they do, and adjust stuff from there.