Amplitude is good, its got a great svt bass amp. Guitar rig operates at higher sample rates. Bias makes sone good sounding amp sims, and i very much like d16's redopter pluggin.

I suggest learning how to mic a real amp... Knowing what to expect will help you operate simulators with better results.. ;)

To add to marcos input, even with amp sims, ive found pre amp/ DI box selection makes a significant difference in the quality acheived. When i overdrove my old ART Mpa pre, the (clean di signal) was ugly, but the hi gain amp sim really came to life. So there is more to it than just the amp sim.

The OP may also wanna grab an Avid eleven rack to have a hardware amp sim, which also act as an audio interface and di. I have a second one on layaway, while there at rock botton pricing. (200$usd)

kmetal, post: 460041, member: 37533 wrote: ive found pre amp/ DI box selection makes a significant difference in the quality acheived. When i overdrove my old ART Mpa pre, the (clean di signal) was ugly, but the hi gain amp sim really came to life. So there is more to it than just the amp sim.

That's true, I lived something similar when I got my first ISA preamp.. before that I was never convinced about amp sim, then with the ISA, it was the first time I could say, there's a usable sound ! ;)

pcrecord, post: 460042, member: 46460 wrote: That's true, I lived something similar when I got my first ISA preamp.. before that I was never convinced about amp sim, then with the ISA, it was the first time I could say, there's a usable sound ! ;)

Totally.

I also feel like when things switched to 64bit, the sims, like other effects, jumped up a level.

Amplitube has been one of my main amp sims for the past 8 years. It has a pretty large offering, and sometimes I find that slows me down trying to find the "perfect" combination of pedals, amp, speakers...

I added Scuffham Amps S-Gear to my tool box and like how it sounds and feels. If I were to start over, it would likely be the only one I would buy.

pcrecord, post: 460042, member: 46460 wrote: That's true, I lived something similar when I got my first ISA preamp.. before that I was never convinced about amp sim, then with the ISA, it was the first time I could say, there's a usable sound ! ;)

Have you compared the ua-610 to the isa for amp sims? Just curious.

kmetal, post: 460053, member: 37533 wrote: Have you compared the ua-610 to the isa for amp sims? Just curious.

Honestly, I didn't. I don't do much amp sims.
But now that you ask. I'll surely try it.. I bet if I make the 610 saturate a bit it could give a unique sound...

pcrecord, post: 460057, member: 46460 wrote: Honestly, I didn't. I don't do much amp sims.
But now that you ask. I'll surely try it.. I bet if I make the 610 saturate a bit it could give a unique sound...

I may be wrong, but i think the ISA bypasses the xformer input on the line ins or maybe its the DI in. So the tone you acheive could vary with the isa depending on what input you use, which to me is a good thing.

From what ive read alot engineers like the 610 alot for bass di. The original 610 console was also what they used along w an 2x sm57's on the first van halen guitar sound. To me they never matched that tones perfection on later albums. Perhaps it was the api console they used afterward, or eddies seeming endless mods to his amps, or just the raw intangibles they captured on the first album.

Anyway i ramble, but brought up the 610 because its got tubes, tho its much higher quality than the ART mpa, i attributed the added depth of the amp sim to the tubes.

ronmac, post: 460051, member: 24337 wrote: I added Scuffham Amps S-Gear to my tool box and like how it sounds and feels.

Just checked out some youtube demos, the S-gear sounds pretty darn nice. Never heard of it before, good call ronmac.

S-Gear is due for a major update very soon, so I expect to see some discounted sales of the current version.

Many experienced users (I am primarily an acoustic player) rave about how much better it “feels” than other amp sims.

ronmac, post: 460068, member: 24337 wrote: S-Gear is due for a major update very soon, so I expect to see some discounted sales of the current version.

Many experienced users (I am primarily an acoustic player) rave about how much better it “feels” than other amp sims.

Thats great info, feel is super important. Ill keep my eyes and wallet open.!!

kmetal, post: 460063, member: 37533 wrote: I may be wrong, but i think the ISA bypasses the xformer input on the line ins or maybe its the DI in. So the tone you acheive could vary with the isa depending on what input you use, which to me is a good thing.

From what ive read alot engineers like the 610 alot for bass di. The original 610 console was also what they used along w an 2x sm57's on the first van halen guitar sound. To me they never matched that tones perfection on later albums. Perhaps it was the api console they used afterward, or eddies seeming endless mods to his amps, or just the raw intangibles they captured on the first album.

Anyway i ramble, but brought up the 610 because its got tubes, tho its much higher quality than the ART mpa, i attributed the added depth of the amp sim to the tubes.

I'll research the transformer placement in the circuit, it's an interesting thought. I'll probably compare it with the internal DI and using an external one...
I tried the 610 for bass Di but I like the ISA better.. I don't know why it's more solid to my ears and receives post processing better.. Remember I have the LA-610 with the compressor. Maybe it's due to tube preamps being slower than transformer.. Can't tell.. you know when you get an impression and can't explain it... ;)