So besides Cory Wong theres no point in using their other amps for a purely clean player? I've been using that vst for a while and I really like it but I'd like to explore a bit more, what other amp sims from other developers are good for a clean sound?

 

I was trying all their Demos on Black Friday, I was really surprised that Fortin Cali Suite ended up being my favorite because when I have asked beforehand people instead recommended me the Archetype series (was looking for some kind of 70's Prog/Fusion sound).
You are right, most of the Amp Sims were rather distorted, but the few clean ones had lots of capabilities so I feel like that might be the reason why.

 

Last edited: Dec 18, 2021

Was gonna buy during this recent sale but screwed up my dates and missed it by a day. Oh well. For half off thought it's worth it but not full price, lol. Maybe an xmas sale next week.

I at least wanted Plini because it sounded great for Strat//Tele. Really smoothed and fattened them. Normally, distorted amps sims give especially the high B & E strings on single coils a very harsh, thin, squeally tone that emphasizes string rattle against frets that's hard to dial out.

I didn't do that much beyond going through presets and a bit of tweaking here and there with the demos I tried. Many clean presets, from those archetype artists known for cleans, sounded extremely thin/weak to me. Heavily effected to where the actual guitar virtually disappears

Besides of how I really loved how Plini handled Fenders, Neural's stuff didn't seem that big enough of a leap over others. Sale price, yeah, full price, naw.

Aside from all that.... can anyone explain as to why every amp sims, at least the ones I own or tried, seem to have a bottom end flub, fart, mud on distorted tones on the guitars E, A & D that's difficult to dial out. I turn bass on amps to 0 and it's still there. Then I try turning the lowest bottom end frequencies with an EQ, and its still there.

 

Last edited: Dec 17, 2021

Strat > Cytomic The Scream > Fortin Cali is my favorite combo.

 

Neural's Fortin Cali Suite has an awesome clean channel.
Other than that I like Fuse Audio Labs' F-59, Overloud's TH-U and Kuassa Matchlock.

 

Do you use EQ pre or post amp? I cut everything below 100 hz and use a -6dB to -9dB shelf around 300 hz in pre, it gets rid of a lot of mud.

 

Thanks, I'll give that a try. I've been messing around with either placement as well as eq'ing before and after together. With my regular tube amps, I always have the bass turned very low... around 3 or less. I just don't like boomy sludgey bass heavy bottom end guitar. Like low notes clear, crisp, articulate. Cleans I can go a bit higher up on the bass.

Also got a bit of a mental block with amps, real and sims. Am not much of a pedal person. If an amp itself can't produce proper gain/distortion, I look at having to add a pedal as a sort of crutch or kludge, lol. If I was in a working band I suppose I would use pedals because situations could warrant using them.

 

Last edited: Dec 17, 2021

that guy always show Amps with the distortion at the Maximum maybe he thinks that how All guitars should sound..
nothing in the middle or clean.. worst youtube reviewer..

 

What you describe is how digital interprets harmonic distortion. It most evidently shows its disgusting, nasty ways with electric distorted guitars.
No amount of EQing can fix it, you can sort of get it sound good but it will still be there.
This is why many pro guitarists still prefer to record guitars directly to tape and then transfer it to the DAW, to avoid this crap.

 

sounds like most other amp sims slight differences with different FX pedals included

 

Thanks. Nice to know, thought it was just me. I do have the IK Multimedia Z-Tone which really helps shape tone as opposed to directly into the audio interfaces instrument setting. Helps mitigate it somewhat but not entirely.
Another thing I wonder if it's just me.... that, for one, modeled distortion pedals are absolutely horrific sounding? For me they amplify that nastiness you describe a thousand fold.

 

Last edited: Dec 18, 2021

Yeah, hardware pedals have the advantage over plugins as well.

 

Have you tried Cytomic's The Scream? To me it's the best sounding distortion plugin ever, and you can mod almost every component, just like the real Tubescreamer.

 

Thanks. Will have a look see

 

there's only one way to find out.
I brought my pick

 

i didnt expect FA to have a good guitar amp emulation but your right, the f-59 has a great sound.

 

Are we going to see this and the Soldano? I want to demo them so bad. I'm not into Djent but the Gojira amp became my favorite from Neural so I'm having similar feelings about the Petrucci one as well.

They usually try to add amps to maximize versatility which is especially true for the Archetype amps. I don't necessarily like how overpriced Neural is in general but they do include some great features in each plugin.

 

Last edited: Dec 20, 2021

That would go perfectly with my beloved "Dunlop Ultex Jazz III John Petrucci".

 

most high gain amp makers take their clean channel seriously, i would hold a randall rg100's clean channel up to a JC. alot of gain monsters have a sweet clean channel, but not all. depending on what they are aiming to achieve

 

The Gojira amps have, IMO, the best effect pedals in any Neural plugin. I usually turn the amp and cab off, and use just the effects followed by a different amp sim.