Help With Learning VST Host

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highnote
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Help With Learning VST Host

Post by highnote »

Greetings, Hopefully this is in the right forum. I am keen to use VST host to play my guitar through. I have been playing around using VSTHost by Hermann Seib and a bunch of free modules but I am struggling to get the sound I would like. I don't think what ever talent I have includes a keen hearing sense to know what adjustments to make. I am hoping someone using VST could show me what they are doing in the hope that it will set the light off in my head (if there is one :lol: ). I am in Manurewa, Auckland but happy to travel within Auckland. I am retired so flexible with time. Any help will be gratefully appreciated. Cheers, John

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Re: Help With Learning VST Host

Post by Conway »

From all the replies, I'm guessing most people are scratching their heads on this question, like me. What does it even mean? Are you using a midi guitar through a laptop???
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Re: Help With Learning VST Host

Post by dylan »

Obvious first guess is that your free ampsim modules are bad sounding. i just upgraded from amplitube 3.2 to 3.11 and its made a vast improvement in sound quality. and crashes less. i believe that bias pro is also considered one of the best sounding virtual ampsims.

another problem could be your signal chain. passive guitar pickups need to be plugged into a high impedance. this means configuring your preamp/soundcard input to instrument d.i mode. (wont be an issue if your using a guitar jack to usb cable thats its own interface)
:evil: Mids so haunting that demons took over my living room and now my guitar glows! :evil:

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Re: Help With Learning VST Host

Post by HackSaw »

It would definitely help to know what "free modules" you are using, so we can tell whether they are suitable for what you are looking for. Along with knowing how you are connecting to your PC, so we can make sure you've got an appropriate interface.

I can't comment on the free ampsims, but if you can, try out the demos of Scuffham S-Gear (Excellent), Bias FX (Pretty Excellent), Amplitube (Some great models, some not so), and Guitar Rig (nice effects, amps not great).

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Re: Help With Learning VST Host

Post by dylan »

princeton model from amplitube 3.11 has gotta be the best virtual amp ive encountered. (ive never actually heard a kemper)
:evil: Mids so haunting that demons took over my living room and now my guitar glows! :evil:

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Re: Help With Learning VST Host

Post by highnote »

Thanks Guys, I appreciate your replies. Yes I was very lean on providing details and should have done better. I thought the simple approach was to try and hook up with someone using VST and take it from there. I knew that this was a long shot so plan B was to throw in some detail on what I am doing which is of course were we are now. I am playing a Strat through a Miditech Guitarface II which is a USB audio interface for my PC. The output is going to a pair of Presonus near field studio monitors. As mentioned in my post I am using VSTHost by Hermann Seib (http://www.hermannseib.com/english/). Along with this I am using a package of Vintage guitar sounds that are provided as an executable from Christian Boileau (http://vintage-sounds.freeforums.net/). You need to join the forum to see the posts but he had a Shadows Tribute band for some years in France and he developed a lot of their sounds as well as other artists to run on VSThost. The work he has put into this is phenomenal. You can use the sounds as they are or change the settings, add or change effects. He provides a lot of supporting documentation as well. OK so I can get some reasonable sound using one of his settings but it is not quite right, just not clear enough. I have tried adjusting input signal etc. but could not get enough improvement. At this stage I think I will look at using some Lepou amp sims and see how these go. I hope this explains things a bit better. I am open for anyone to visit and check out the ones from Christian Boileau. I would like to show an image of what effects are used in one of his sounds but don't know how to do this. I think you will be surprised at what it consists of and you may well want to try them. Cheers, John

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Re: Help With Learning VST Host

Post by highnote »

OK, Just had a look at a YouTube demo of Scuffham S-Gear that was suggested. Very impressed, a much simpler option to what I have been trying. Does not run on XP which I use but I am planning to upgrade very soon. Will check out the other recommendations. Thanks again guys.

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Re: Help With Learning VST Host

Post by HackSaw »

Yeah S-Gear is pretty straight, having tried them all I definitely prefer it for tone and feel. for $129US you can cop a lot of amazing amps. Unlike the others, it doesn't feature much in the way of effects. But the reverb, delay, chorus it does have are great! When I need to play quietly with headphones (99% of the time!) I actually run my pedalboard into Scuffham, so use real effects into the modelled amps.

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Re: Help With Learning VST Host

Post by highnote »

Thanks, You have given me some very good ideas. I am keen to get my head out of the VST I have been using and go to a simpler system like you have. I will upgrade to a new PC with W7 in the next couple of weeks and then get on to using Scuffham. I think one of my problems is that my guitar input signal is too high. The GuitarFace USB interface has a very very small pot to control this. I don't know if there is a plugin that I can put before the amp to get better control. What are you using for an interface? Thanks

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Re: Help With Learning VST Host

Post by HackSaw »

I use one of these:

https://touch.trademe.co.nz/listing/view/926200993

Plenty of options out there. Pop into your local rockshop and have a chat too. I think people like the focus rite stuff also? But definitely a quality interface helps, never heard of guitar face so can't really comment.

http://www.rockshop.co.nz/shop/recordin ... =price&p=2

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Re: Help With Learning VST Host

Post by dylan »

i justed checked out a demo of Studio Devil VGA2 - best virtual modelling ive encountered yet.
:evil: Mids so haunting that demons took over my living room and now my guitar glows! :evil:

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