I haven't used all of them, but of the more well known VSTi ones it's definitely Helix.
Fancy GUI's are nice, but comparing the quality/CPU usage of Helix with things like Guitar Rig and Amplitube is no contest.

 

They all have a varying noise factor. For electric bass, the Ampeg surprisingly sounds like the actual amplifier. The Eden WT800 is even more realistic if you have ever used the real amplifier hardware. For emulations they are both pretty close - The GK bass amp sims are not bad but not as close as the other two to its hardware counterpart. The THU Ashdown is not even close, I own one (An Ashdown and have owned the aforementioned). I'd like to see someone attempt a Trace-Elliott and an Acoustic 460 Bass amp.

For guitars and simply pure powered amplification I found the BIAS and THU way too noisy. Amplitube and Guitar rig seems to have a bit of more control on that...Neural more so. Then again there is still an analog factor with the real hardware even if not tube which is completely absent in emulations. People say "Oh but you can emulate analog" - Emulate further on top of an existing attempt at emulation? Ummmmm ....ok....

Connecting the dots is in itself an emulation of a real sinewave no matter how pristine it is. Recording the real thing with good microphones beats an emulation every time.

 

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The value of the Kemper is in the profiles not the hardware, although it's nice to have the offline processing power I mostly operate it through the Rig Manager.

 

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Have you tried BX/UAD Ampeg amps for bass? They are very versatile with the built-in IR chains.

 

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No I have not. I imagine if they are UAD they will be extremely well made/developed? Their Eden is pretty impressive, not perfect in replication but pretty close.

Softube make a near identical non-board version of this too.

 

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ReValver sitting sadly in the corner.

 

Helix for most realisitic sounds
Also the new Line6 Metallurgy bundle is very good sounding
STL Andy James sounds good
Some of Neural plugin aswell
Mercuriall make good ampsims
Vadim Taranov has some good ampsims
85% of the tone (probably more) in an ampsim is the CAB get a good IR and most amspims sounds really good.
Amplitube i cant really understand how much they had top pay to use real names on the amps and pedals
As non of them sounds like the real deal.
Softube hmm some sounds good many of the Marshall doesnt really cut it
I think people who like Amplitube TH-U Softube best automatically think it MUST sounds like the real deal as it has it real names on the GUI instead of phoany names like citrus fox blender bla bla.
I dont like most of ML soundlabs amps but the Mesa MKV sounds really good the other not so much.
This dude make very good comaprison

Also this dude make tons of ampsims comaprisons

 

Neural DSP here, but prefer my Strymon Iridium for the tactile response I can coax out of it.

THIS!!!

 

Just give it a few years dude. You won't be able to tell the difference. I still doubt most would after mixing/mastering.

 

When it gets to the stage that nobody remembers what a recording done on 100% analog gear sounded like, you will be totally correct. About 30-40 years should do it where the people who were alive then will all be dead, and you'll be left with people who only ever worked with digital and emulations of something they weren't alive to participate in to know the difference. So nobody could possibly know the difference then. In that you are totally correct.

 

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I'd reckon it'll happen much sooner. This whole analog vs digital is a bit overblown nowadays imho. You got analog purists that insist on recording "all analog", then have their music played on Spotify or Youtube which are known to compress or otherwise alter the recordings anyway. Then you got gigging musicians insisting on carrying cabs and 25kgs amps on their tours, just to play at insane volumes where every sonic detail and subtlety is lost in what's basically colored noise.

Having played with a Headrush Gigboard as a guitarist in medium-large clubs (ca 1500 attendance), I guarantee there's no difference vs "analog" gear if you got a good FOH guy. Also, I don't need to pay airplane cargo tickets every time I play abroad :p

Now, if your cup of tea is more around blues or jazz. Analog is probably more widespread, although there's lots of digital going on there as well. Snarky Puppy comes to mind. I mean, just using keys makes you digital anyways.

 

I put my vote in for both TH-U and Electrum, but I didn't see two of the others that I would vote for: Kuassa Amplifikation 360 and Aurora DSP Rhino.

 

I love most of the Neural DSP virtual guitar plugins (even purchased Neural DSP Quad Cortex).
Great piece of hardware

 

Magix Vandal of Sascha Eversmeier fame used to be my go to in the box. Back then no other amp emu could compete, they all sounded like clippers to me.

 

Rig Player is a Kemper copy.
That's why it sounds so good.

Kemper never developed a plugin solution, to avoid piracy and keep their feet in hardware domain only.
Overloud keep their conversion software for themselves, ONLY selling converted rigs by third party creators.

If Overloud open their conversion software, Kemper will have hard times
I'm pretty sure they simply convert Kemper profiles (no proof).

The next best thing is Quad Cortex hardware.
Because their software offer is too limited : you need to buy ANOTHER suite every time.
Whereas Quad Cortex makes Neural Captures (Kemper like, but BETTER (yes it is)).

Neural DSP try to be between Kemper and other sims.
But one day, they will be forced to release Neural Captures in plugin format.

Kemper is cornered by Neural DSP and Overloud... for now.

Side note : you will find most sims good ... until you turn down your guitar volume and play cleaner. You will hear noise/hiss and definition loss. Due to algos limitations.
Profiling is king (Kemper, Overloud Rig Player, Neural DSP, Mooer Tone Capture (when done right, like AnthonyClass ones)).

Because there is no "gap" in the whole dynamic spectrum : you can get a clean tone from high gain, just by lowering guitar volume.
That's the BEST test you can do for guitar sims.

You will hear non profiling sims are just ... bad. When you lower guitar volume, you just hear chiptune wobble.
Even on Helix, Amplitube ...

Another thing is string attack "twang" : you HEAR the strings, even on high gain.
Not on "regular" algo sims.

 

Helix,Neural DSP,Aurora DSP Rhino.
Me quedaria con esos pero hay bastantes buenos hoy en dia.Me gusta de hace mucho EZMix.

 

My favorite chain might be :
Strat > EQ > Cytomic The Scream > Neural DSP Fortin Cali Suite > Valhalla Plate (send fx)

 

Whoa!!!! We're exactly on the same flow when I go Neural. Freaky.

 

That is a great analogy - You do have to wonder if they are truly analog purists because if they were they would not submit their prize analog to being digitally altered?

There are so many derivatives courtesy of music critics as to what music fits into what category you cannot fault anyone for labels these days.
Using keys does not make you digital unless you are using digital keyboards. If you use a Fender Rhodes, a Hohner clavinet, a Hammond B3 or C3 (The digital is not even close) and a Mini-Moog, they are completely analog. Jazz is a different beast. Jazz purists will only use non-electric non-digital instruments other than a jazz guitar. They have often been termed as sanctimonious because they do not acknowledge much else as being 'real jazz'. Electric jazz is a whole different ballpark, more hybrid and in that, you would be correct without doubt. It is jazz, just a fused-genre like Snarky Puppy.

When it was first released I thought a Neural DSP was a lobotomy (Deep Sensory Probe)

 

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Papi Chulo.

 

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