S-Gear is the best sounding and most responsive. And yes it can do metal, how? The answer is simple: Rosen Digital EVH 5150 iRs.

Edit: Actually i take that back. I just downloaded Helix Native and i'm blown away by the sheer authenticity and the response. You Know an amp sim is really good when its clean amp sounds rich and full of character.

 

Last edited: May 14, 2018

" Most of the bad tones come from the wrong IR and Cabinet."

 

Softube's amps are HORRENDOUS. Absolutely useless. I didn't like the Brainworx ones too.

 

I like to use Helix because for me it is the quietest of the bunch. I only use sims to noodle around when I want to play after hours, when the walls have ears. When I record I use a real amp, a Vox AC15C1 or most likely it's great little sister, an AC4TV. Even at 1/4 watts it is still moving air and the tubes are a'glowing.

 

Im with @superliquidsunshine Helix is stellar plugin...Also look into the Mercuriall Audio >>> i just purchased these as i feel like im jamin on a real amp wen i dial in these babies \m/ I have a studio full of amps old and new, an am some what of a Marshall collector ;) also as @dickhead said cabs/speakers can make or break the tone... I record real amps daily so \m/

 

I'm getting the impression since it came out that Helix Native is stealing quite a few S-Gear users.

 

Sometimes a simple EQ makes a big difference too. Specially in the mix.
And if you have a good amp head sim you can get many good tones toying with a few IRs.

 

This is the beauty of these threads. Everybody has their own preference.

The elephant in the room, though, is that amp modelling technology is totally crippled by cabinet modelling technology, which is completely stagnant since the inception of IRs. Only nebula offers something different, and can't be used real time.

 

New IR is here :
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/threads/new-catharsis-fredman-impulses-free.841825/

Older :
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1yUjnorVZLK6ClJzC_MvYkiHY-PvkoIwz

The only better solution i found was using Nebula and Ownhammer Nebula banks

 

I'm pretty sure Amplitube 4 does more than pure IR modelling.
There's also Mercuriall Cab, from back when Mercuriall was 100% free.

 

Adding a sweepable EQ repplicating mic positioning does nothing to retain the dynamics and non-linearities of speaker behavior. As for Mercuriall cab, a quick look at their files reveals that it loaded a different impulse when you moved the mic around (same thing you would do manually with any other IR loader).

Definetely far from enough!

 

it depends of your style
some amp sim are good for disto and not for clean sound
for clean & crunch sound :
Amplitube-4 , Waves GTR (and have the best autowha) ,PluginAlliance products , UAD Fender55 , bx_rockrack V3 (FREE!!!)
for disto i use pedal and a amp sim with just HP sim actived
so for pedals
BX metal2 , BX-black dist2 , UAD raw
for HP sim
GTR or amplitube-4 , ENGL(UAD or AlliancePlug)
check it out, it's free
https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/products/bx_rockrack_v3_player.html

some examples

 

Last edited: May 14, 2018

the "best" is different depending what you are going for , trying to do, what type of sound ,way you play type of tone.
is it a cranked amp power tubes and tranny and speaker breaup tone you want like old vinatge fender tweed?
if so then Amplitube 4 is the "best"

or do you want a metal sound for 6 string standard tuning guitar from 90's with all preamp hih gain distrtion and clean poweramp with little speaker breakup but closed back 4x12's with sm57
then
Mercurial sims and TSE sims are the "best"

or is it a nice crunchy 70's marshall plexi tone you seeking for a singing leads?
if so then revalver 4 or bias are the "best"

or howabout a nice jangly fender clean 60's tone with telecaster and 4x10 filling the sound of a room tone?
amplitube 4 for that

what about a 9 string heavy djent tone tuned lower than bass guitar yet tight and punchy?
then merurial mesa boogie rack is best one.
or a amazing
jazz hollowbody tone get bias amp 2

I could go on listing 10 more types of different otnes that are made differently and work different and each case is unique to what plugin is best.

i say get amplitube 4 with fender 2 pack, bias 2,and mercurial and you can do someting good for any guitar tone.
https://mercuriall.com/cms/details_reaxis
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/amplitube4/
https://www.positivegrid.com/bias-amp/

but if you have to get 1 get mercurial reaxis, you can do anything with it.

 

Mercuriall Spark is my fav n°1.
S-Gear fav n°2.

(i'm into vintage tones, not metal ones)

 

And after that phase, when I tried Bias Amp 2 I blown away the same way I was blown away by helix when released

 

here is my cookbook for beginners or just to fiddle around:
1.Cantabile 2.0 as a host(simple with all the featers)
2.Revalver for its ACT feature(because I got a shitty guitar)
3.Amp of your choosing
4.Amplitude4 for its cabs(the best learning tool)

 

Last edited: May 15, 2018

Awesome. Thanks a lot!

 

All i know is that we're spoiled for choices nowadays and we're lucky.

Here's a little jam with TSE X50, featuring the mighty Addictive Drums Metal kit: https://instaud.io/2bdA

 

I was talking about non linear processing (in the case of cabinets the most used is called non linear convolution, the technology that Acoustica Audio masters and copyrights). I can't guarantee it but I think at least Amplitube 4 has some of this. Besides the loads of IRs for every mic/position that you mention.
On a second thought, I think most of AA patents are about interpolation between different input levels (gain-staging). That's something Mercuriall Cab does, again, not 100% sure.

That's why I don't even try BIAS Amp 2 and latest Mercuriall plugs lol

 

Last edited: May 15, 2018