Table of Contents Contact Details...3 Installation and Authorization...4 System Requirements...5 Introduction...6 User Interface...8 Platform Specific Issues...12 White Amp...13 Brown Amp...15 Green Amp...18 Pitfalls and Common Mistakes...21 Buying Recommendations...23...
Contact Details If you would like to get in touch with Softube, please email info@softube.com. Alternatively, you could use the phone or send an oldfashioned mail (do you remember envelopes, stamps and paper?) to: Softube AB S:t Larsgatan 10c SE582 24 Link ping Sweden Web: www.softube.com Email: info@softube.com Phone: +46 13 21 1623 (9 am – 5 pm CET) Support On the Softube website (www.softube.com) you will find answers to common questions (FAQ) and other topics that might interest you. ...
Installation and Authorization Go to http://www.softube.com/register to transfer the license to your iLok account. You will need the serial number found in the box, your iLok.com User ID, and your iLok USB dongle. Follow the instructions on the web page. Make sure that you have the latest iLok drivers installed. They can be found at http://www.ilok.com. Log on to http://www.ilok.com and transfer the newly received license to your physical iLok dongle. Install the software from the CD, or download the latest version from http://www.softube.com/installers.
• Vintage Amp Room uses less than 62% of an Accel processor. PowerCore version (VST/AU) specific requirements Any VST or AudioUnits compatible host application • PowerCore software 2.2 (or higher) and compatible hardware • Vintage Amp Room PowerCore is compatible with PowerCore PCI mkII, Express, • Unplugged, Compact and FireWire. Vintage Amp Room PowerCore is not compatible with PowerCore Element and PCI. System must meet requirements of the host application and PowerCore software • Vintage Amp Room uses less than 76% of a PowerCore processor.
Introduction Straightforward and simple, Vintage Amp Room emulates three great guitar amps in a complete studio setup with speaker cabinets and fully flexible microphone positioning. It's easy to use for live performances and recordings, as well as for reamping and lastminute tweaking. Amp Room has none of the added gadgets or weirdsounding presets sometimes found in simulation software. Focusing on quality and accuracy, it simulates three amps, with ...
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In short, you need the same skills to master this software as you need when dealing with a real studio setup. You can get back to doing what you do best, because music production is about using your ears, not your computer skills. Supernormalize The “supernormalize” feature (from the beginning the internal name of a slightly magic component of our model building toolbox), makes sure that the output signal from Amp Room always has a reasonable volume. From a user perspective, this means that the Amp Room never clips the signal (unwanted digital distortion). Also, the output volume is normalized, ...
User Interface Simplicity has been the goal when we developed this product; the amps and mics should work just as they do in the real studio. Unfortunately, moving a mouse cursor on a 17” LCD screen isn't exactly like grabbing the real mic stand in a cozy studio. Nevertheless, we have tried to imitate that feeling as far as it is possible, and if you have experience of working in real studios, you will notice that Amp Room handles and sounds the way you expect it to do. Panel View (Top Area) In the Panel View you can alter the settings of the amp ...
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pressing the Altkey. Room View (Bottom Area) In the Room View you can do two things, select one of the other amps or change the mic position. Mic Position When the mouse is located over the mic stand, the mouse pointer changes to an “updown”arrow. Click anddrag the mouse up or down to change the position of the mic stand. The microphone moves along ...
Amp Selection You can change amp by clicking on the back ground and dragging the mouse to the left or right. The mouse pointer becomes a “leftright” arrow when you are pointing at the back ground to indicate that it is possible to change amplifier.
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Controls Summary Mouse Up/Down: To change a parameter such as a knob or the • position of the mic stand (Figure 5). Left/Right: To change amplifier (Figure 6). • Click: To toggle switches or activate the “About”box. • Mouse wheel: Use the mouse wheel to change knob para • meters and mic stand position. Keyboard Commands for Mac OS X Use these key commands while changing a parameter. Fine Adjust: Apple • Reset to Default: Alt • Toggle Amplifier: Shift (while clicking on the background) • Pro Tools only: Automation Control Window: Control+Apple+Alt+click • Keyboard Commands for Windows Use these key commands while changing a parameter. Fine Adjust: Control • Reset to Default: Alt • Toggle Amplifier: Shift (while clicking on the background) • Pro Tools only: Automation Control Window: Control+Windows+Alt+click •...
Platform Specific Issues TDM/RTAS on Pro Tools|HD There are some specific issues to consider when using an RTAS plugin in recording mode on a Pro Tools|HD system. First of all, an audio buffer latency is introduced in the RTAS version, but not in the TDM version. So for the best live guitar experience, it is preferred to use the TDM version with zero latency instead of RTAS. Secondly, all RTAS plugins are automatically bypassed in recording mode, unless an TDM plugin is inserted on the insert slot before the RTAS plugin. Enabling Vintage Amp Room RTAS in recording mode (Pro Tools 7 or higher): Insert a TDM plugin (such as the “Trim” plugin) on your track • Insert Vintage Amp Room RTAS on an insert slot after the TDM plugin • Please see your Pro Tools reference guide for more info. Output Volumes on Different Platforms The VST/AU versions of Vintage Amp Room has a theoretical maximum output volume of +3dB. The TDM/RTAS version, due to the fixedpoint format of Pro Tools|HD, is limited to a maximum output of 0dB. Format VST/AU Native TDM/RTAS VST/AU PowerCore Maximum output level +3 dB 0 dB +3 dB...
White Amp White is based on an allround great amp, a classic that set the industry standard for classic, distorted rock'n'roll sounds. The genius is its simplicity. It's stripped down to the bare essentials – all tubes, only one channel, and no ...
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Knobs Figure 7: White amp panel view. The functionality of the knobs on the front panel of the plugin correspond exactly to the front panel of the real amplifier. Presence: The presence is used to control the feedback loop and thus the amount of treble in the power amp. Turn it up to get a high frequency boost. Bass, Middle, and Treble: These knobs are the tone control of the amplifier. This circuit is located after the preamp distortion and is used to shape the sound of the preamp distortion. Master Volume: This knob controls the amount of power amplifier distortion. The power amp distortion is usually a little bit dirtier than the preamp distortion and gives a crunchier sound that sounds amazing for chords. Set the Pre Amp Volume to a low setting and turn up the Master Volume to the max to get that typical power amp distortion. Pre Amp Volume: This knob controls the amount of preamplifier distortion, but since a high output from the preamplifier also makes the power stage distort, this also affects the power amplifier distortion. The preamp distortion is typically much “tighter” than the crunchy power amp distortion. To get a tight preamp distortion, you'll have to turn down the Master Volume while maxing the Pre Amp Volume.
Brown Amp Amp Room Brown is based on one of the most versatile classic amplifiers in music history. It's been used in all kinds of genres, and with all kind of instruments, thanks to a sound that is clean, crisp and clear, but also warm, thick and punchy. Brown can produce anything from the clearest countrystyle sound for steelguitars to a dirty, bluesy guitar sound. It works for both funky rhythms and mellow electric piano chords. It's got a notoriously warm sound with a massive bass and a shimmering ...
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Knobs Figure 8: Brown amp panel view. The functionality of the knobs on the front panel of the plugin corresponds to the front panel of the real amplifier, except the spring reverb, which hasn't been included in this plug in. We have also added a “Vibrato” switch, which on the real amplifier is a foot switch. There is also a difference when all the tone controls are set at 0, see “Treble, Middle, and Bass” below. Volume: This amplifier doesn't have a Master Volume control, so the Volume knob controls both the preamplifier and power amplifier distortion. Bright: Turn on this switch to get a high frequency boost. Works only at low to moderate Volume settings.
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Treble, Middle, and Bass: These knobs are the tone control of the amplifier, but they also control the amount of distortion. If you, for example, have too much distortion in the bass frequencies, try turning down the Bass knob. (Electrically speaking, the tone controls are located before the preamp distortion.) The tone controls behave exactly like the real thing, except when all the controls are set fully counter clockwise. On the real amp, the amplifier would have become silent, as if you turned down the volume. A lot of reasons turn the Treble, Middle and Bass knobs fully counter clockwise, that actually corresponds to the knobs being set to a little bit over nothing on the real amp. Vibrato, Speed and Intensity: Turn on the vibrato (which is in fact a tremolo) by turning on the Vibrato switch. Use Speed to control the speed of the tremolo, and Intensity to control the amount of the tremolo effect. *The reasons are mathematical. Physical modeling is a pretty tricky thing, and one of the most difficult parts is when a circuit becomes almost bypassed by a short circuit, and this is what happens when you turn down the EQ knobs to zero on the real amp. In the computer world, this will lead to numbers that are smaller than what the computer can represent, and this leads to filter instability. So we decided to let the EQ knobs be almost zero instead of completely zero in order to avoid these problems. Of course we could have worked around this, but we saw no point in interfering with an otherwise good simulation, and besides, is that really a very useful feature? made us exclude this feature, so now when you ...
Green Amp Green is packed with character and produces a pleasant guitar sound with warm yet intense poweramp distortion. Its edginess makes it shine through in mixes, without drowning out other instruments. Green is based on a famous britpop amplifier from the middle of the 60's. It has three different channels (“Vib Trem”, “Normal” and “Brilliant”) with two inputs each, and normally a guitar player will connect the guitar to the “VibTrem” input ...
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Knobs The functionality of the knobs on the front panel of the plugin corresponds exactly to the front panel of the real amplifier, except that we have added the foot switch as a “VibTrem OffOn” switch. VibTrem OffOn: Turn on the vibrato or tremolo effect by moving this switch clockwise. VibTrem Speed: Three way switch that sets the speed of the vibrato or tremolo effect. VibTrem Switch: Select between a vibrato and a tremolo effect. Unlike the makers of the Brown amp, the guys who built this amp actually knew the difference between a tremolo effect (amplitude modulation of a signal) and a vibrato effect (frequency modulation of a signal). Although this vibrato effect doesn't sound anything like a realworld vibrato (opera singerstyle vibrato), it's a lovely effect that gives the sound that special touch. Figure 9: Green amp panel view. VibTrem Volume: Volume control of the VibTrem channel. This channel is basically the only one of the three channels that has any preamp distortion worth talking of.
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Normal Volume: Volume control of the Normal channel. Except for the fuzzlike poweramp distortion on higher volume settings, this channel is very clean and doesn't change the guitar sound so much. Brilliant Volume: Volume control of the Brilliant channel, which has a much brighter sound than the Normal channel. Tip: Use the VibTrem Volume to get the distortion you want, and then use the Normal and Brilliant Volume as a bass and treble control. If you want a more fuzzlike distortion, use only the Normal and Brillant channel. Tone: The Tone knob cuts high frequencies when it's turned clock wise. ...
Pitfalls and Common Mistakes It is very important to have a line box or a preamp with an input that is designed for guitar (or bass) before the signal from your guitar enters your computer. All of the real amplifiers we have simulated have a 1 megohm input impedance, and for the plugin to recreate the sound correctly, the guitar input to your system must have a ...
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or boosting the guitar signal before the plugin, for example by using a “Volume” plugin that usually come with most plugin host softwares. For most settings, try to have as high guitar signal as possible without causing unwanted digital saturation. If you experience that the amplifier distorts more than you would expect, use a ”Volume” plugin before Vintage Amp Room to decrease the level of the guitar signal. Don't be afraid to have peak levels as low as 24 – 12 dBFS. Experiment! For heavy distorted sounds, clipping (analog saturation) of the input signal isn't a big problem. A saturated input signal has more power (RMS) than a clean signal with the same amplitude, which will make the power amp ...
Buying Recommendations If you like the sound from Amp Room and would like to get that sound using the real deal (let's face it, a real vintage amp is always sexier than a plugin), here are some buying recommendations. White If you like the sound of the White amp, we recommend you to buy a Marshall JCM800 2203 with a 1960A 4x12” cabinet. Nothing beats the roar from a 100W valve amp. Brown Likewise, if Brown is your favorite, we strongly recommend a 1966 Fender Twin Reverb combo with a 2x12” cabinet. Green Nothing beats the real stuff, and that quirky vibrato calls for a Vox AC30/6 Treble from the middle of the 60's, perhaps suited with a pair of new Celestion Blue drivers. Room And finally, if you like the sound of the room in which the cabinets we're measured, you better call Soulmine Studios in Link ping and book some studio hours. Just tell them to set things up just as they did for the guys from Softube, and you'll be fine from there... MARSHALL IS A TRADEMARK OF MARSHALL AMPLIFICATION PLC. FENDER IS A TRADEMARK OF FENDER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION. VOX IS A TRADEMARK OF KORG (UK) LIMITED. CELESTION IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF KH TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION.
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Vintage Amp Room was made by Oscar Öberg – concept, preamp modeling, sound and DSPprogramming. Niklas Odelholm – cabinet and microphone modeling and sound design. Arvid Rosén – power amp modeling and sound programming. Torsten Gatu – ...