and jam along with it – it sure beats practicing to the lonely click
of a metronome. If you are into experimenting endlessly with
unusual sounds, Guitar Rig 2 may be the way to go. That certainly
does not diminish the amount of classic sounds available and the
included footpedal also makes it very useable in a live setting. It
did make me a bit nervous to have my MacBook Pro onstage if
truth be told, but no one knocked it over and all was fine.
Ampli Tube 2 provides what I would describe as very warm and
organic sounds that are extremely convincing and very useable in
the modern studio and on stage with the forthcoming Stomp I/O
footpedal. I was always able to quickly find presets that hit the
nail on the head and it felt just like playing through a real amp.
Ampli Tube 2 also includes an audio file player called Speed Trainer,
which makes it a snap to listen to a piece of music you are trying
to learn, slow it down without changing pitch and figure out that
Figure 13
Jimi Hendrix Revived by Computer!
Through years of tweaking, software designers have been able to
do incredible things with guitar modeling – a recent example of
the strides taken are evident in one of the latest releases from IK
Mulitmedia: Amplitube Jimi Hendrix.
The result of a comprehensive effort between Authentic Hendrix,
the licensing authority for all things Hendrix, and IK, this program
uses a proprietary technology called Dynamic Saturation Modeling,
or DSM, to achieve spot-on recreations of the amps and effects
that Jimi used to get his signature sound. It’s an amazing trip,
allowing players to recreate the same rigs Hendrix did, from the
Fender Bassman used on his recording of “Voodoo Child” to the
Marshall 1959 JTM100 Super Lead head he is commonly associated with.
Just like Guitar Rig and Amplitube 2, Amplitube Jimi Hendrix
allows you to put your hands on one of the most desirable setups
ever, tweaking amp knobs, adjusting microphone placement, and
even the exact routing of the effects themselves.
Something else worth noting for players is that programs like
these can be indispensable when you’re tracking in the studio or
trying to recreate a specific sound – all without shelling out mind-blowing sums of money. Amplitube Jimi Hendrix models effects
like the Arbiter Fuzz Face and the Univox Uni-Vibe that would set
your 401k back handsomely if you were to buy them today. And
with the advent of fully featured I/O audio systems live usage is
no longer out of the question.
Stay tuned next month, for a full, in-depth review of IK Multimedia’s Amplitube Jimi Hendrix!
