I Finally Learnt To Like Neural DSP Amp Plugins | STOP Slamming That Interface & Get Better Tone!)

The whole plugin thing is starting to make sense and appeal to me a lot more because of this journey. One thing left in my mind however is just how useful are presets are?

00:00 intro jam with new audio interface & plugin input settings.
2:17 what going on today? Well it wasn't the EF86 channel, it was me doing it wrong!
4:40 demonstrating the problem Cordy & Ed talk about, and what I got wrong in previous video.
6:59 recording the FM3 reference.
7:35 setting up the interface gain and recording the Neural plugin 'incorrectly'.
11:35 the solution, gain on interface to 0 and neural plugin input to noon.
12:32 recording the neural plugin with the correct interface gain (The Sokolowski Method).
12:52 comparing them back to back.
13:32 comparing the driven rhythm tones of the Neural plugin and FM3 with new test.
15:26 "why is this a big deal? if it sounds good it is good right?" - well kinda.
16:32 final thoughts and wrapping up.

[DavidBeebee]

Couple of final final thoughts! I'm still going into the hi-z (instrument) input on the Tascam, just like I did with the Presonus in the previous video. Curious now to go back and explore earlier Neural releases with open ears and mind! Although I really am starting to think the idea of presets made by others is kinda useless without reference to which interfaces and gain methods they were created with. Maybe they're fun jump off point/starting points, and actually it's probably isn't that big of a deal for the non-specific Archetype stuff, but for real world amp recreations it's a head scratcher. Totally explains the wild ride that browsing through the Artist Presets can be! (RIPheadphonz).

[picksalot]

Thanks to Ed, John, and yourself for shedding light on this topic. Plugins will be used more in the future, so it's important to get these detailed worked out. It's funny how this mirrors the technical lacunae of the transition from vinyl recording to digital recording.

[res]

I was going to just jump to the problem and check the correct configurations but your playing is just wow and went for at least one replay.

[chasinglatitudes]

Ola was doing a plug in review, about a year ago and he had the input on the plug in at zero. Someone posted a question to him why he had it at zero and he explained in his next plug in review why he does this. Ever since I saw that I’ve been doing that. I find it interesting how people are doing the reverse and putting the interface input at zero instead of the plug in. I tested it and is much different.

[DrProgNerd]

Glancing at my interface input gain set at 9:00. Guilty.
I'm continuously dialing the gain down inside my plugins.
Game changer. Thank you Ed. Thank you for the demo David.

[jeramym]

I think this could explain why the new UAFX amp pedals are so popular. They work like an amp right out of the box. But now we know how to use the plugins right. Maybe they will really start to catch on.

[StratsRUs]

Thanks ! When you said "Folk Wisdom", for the first time in my life I felt a sudden urge to smoke a pipe.

[jayseb]

Ah absolute masterpiece of recommendations - but that FM3 sound - Voicy & Clear ... Nice!

[divisionofthenorth]

I've never understood why i cant get good clean tones from ac 30 and twin reverb sims, this has been really helpful. Thanks 👍🏽

[TomsRockHouse]

Very interesting! A few days ago, I bought the Morgan Amps Suite and was quite confused why I don't sound like Jack Gardiner by using the preset "Favourite Breakup Lead" (well knowing, that I never will sound like Jack!!!). What's even more worse is, that it does sound absolutely different in my two different DAWs. One with a Audient EVO 4 and Logitech standard speaker (DAW just for noodling and collecting ideas) and the other with a MOTU 896 mk3 Hybrid, Tannoy 502 and a RCF sub. I spent a bit of time getting close to the tone I wanted by comparing it to Jack's video. Now I'm using the PAD button (-20), leveling the input gain by +1 db with the MOTU. By using the EVO the only chance is to roll the knob down to the lowest input level. From now on, I don't fear a small wave when recording guitars with Cubase, because now the amps sound more the way they should.

[KahruSuomiPerkele]

That's what I learnt on my own when I using amplitube 2 back in the days.

[eds]

Great video Beebs! Nicely demonstrated and glad your experience with plugins is better now!

[VedunianCraft]

Making music over 20 years and it never occurred to me to set my guitars line gain differently than a mic...
Thanks a lot for spreading the word. Now my plugins sound good all of a sudden XD!
Cheers!

[dhiraj]

You have covered a really hot topic ... You are a hero !! 🎉🎉😀😀 ... Amp sims were gr8 but now us guitar fraternity want to behave exactly 100% like a real deal ... which is how the companies built them for at first place 🎉🎉😊😊

[outpostguitarsandgear]

wow…..thats some stellar guitar playing

[RePERCUSSION]

I had an issue getting my heavy guitar tones sitting in the mix and this makes so much sense. The interface acts as something like a tubescreamer effect if the gain is up.

[hurleymediatv]

I stumbled upon your video while looking for answers for this type of problem, but using Amplitube. When you mentioned you were previously using a Presonus Studio 1824c, I got that aha moment. I too, am using a 1824c. But I also have a Behringer Ultragain Pro-8 Digital (Model ADA8000) running through my Presonus using ADAT, for 8 more mic inputs. I had never thought about plugging my guitar into the cheap Behringer interface, to see if Amplitube sounded correct. Well guess what.. It did! I was about ready to give up on Amplitube, but holy crap does it sound good now. Thank you for making this video. Cheers!

[plecogod]

Great demonstration that was easy to follow and you could definitely hear the difference. My problem is I don't own any of the amps that are in the Neural DSP plugins I use, so I have no base reference. I can hear the difference now in the Tone King. That was the Strat/Tele tone I was looking for when I bought the plugin. I am interested to test how this affects my high gain tones in plugins like Gojira or Nolly using humbuckers. Thanks again for the tip. Subscribed.

[ztevie.j]

Yes, over never had any luck with software modelers, but I always maximized my input signal. Now I have to revisit the software stuff and try this...

[SamWhiting]

Stellar playing as always and really interesting, going to have to open up my much-maligned plugins!