howto: Creating great guitar sounds on GNU/ Linux

[studio32]

By Arda EDEN (ardaeden<>gmail.com)

INTRODUCTION

Some time ago, when it was with proprietary software, I really had great electric guitar sounds by using non free fx-amp modelling plugins. Since I'm not touching any proprieary software for a long time, I was in the search of replacements for those plugins on free operating systems. At the time that I was giving up, I met JACK, LADSPAs, Ardour and many others and I saw that it was possible. This is an article about how guitar players can have a great sound while keeping their freedom in their hands.

http://www.ardaeden.net/gnuitar/

EDit:

Hello!

I noticed you dealt with the issue of how to plug one's guitar into the
computer. I thought I would expand on that explanation a bit.

A large part of the reason why so many people have such problems getting
good guitar tones out of software is because of impedance mismatch. The
guitar has a high-impedance output, and going into a low-impedance
input, which is what typical sound card inputs are, will... Well, it
either rolls off the lows or the highs, I can never remember which (I
think it's the highs that go away). Either way, the point is, it does
bad things to the signal.

The solution is an inexpensive DI (direct inject) box, which has an
high-impedance (also labeled hi-Z) unbalanced input for the guitar, and
a low-Z output for the sound card. The vast majority of commercial DI
boxes satisfy this requirement. Oftentimes, mic preamps also have hi-Z
unbalanced input so as to double as a DI.

Just thought I'd try to contribute something to the cause.

-- Darren Landrum

some soundcards does have this 'feature' too

See more discussion at the LAU mailinglist archive

See for more info about effect processing and guitar:

- Howto: Jack-Rack as a guitar effect-processor (with LASH)
http://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=124

- Howto: AlsaModularSynth as a guitar effect-processor
http://linuxmusicians.com/viewtopic.php?t=123

- http://rakarrack.sourceforge.net/

Rakarrack is a guitar effects processor for GNU / Linux simple and easy to use but it contains features that make it unique in this field of applications. It contains 10 effects: Linear Equalizer, Parametric Equalizer, Compressor, Distorsion, Overdrive, Echo, Chorus, Phaser, Flanger and Reverb

[studio32]

Tip: Re-amping a guitar

This is an old trick from the tape days, that lends itself very well to DAW work.
Disclaimer:
You will have to adjust for your hardware, your mileage may vary, all models are over 18.
Since guitars can have so many different tones based on differing preamps/amps/mic setups, a good trick is to simply record your guitar hot and dry DIRECTLY INTO THE DAW. This will sound terrible. Play the track's output into a guitar amp, mic it up, and then record the results onto another track. Change the mics, change the amp, and do it again. You can build up that monster guitar track, without needing three amps, and a huge mic locker to record it all at once.
There are times when this is _not_ good. That soaring, searing solo won't come out the same. If it depends on bits of feedback, or the amp otherwise interacting with the strings/pickups, it won't happen while reamping, because the guitar is out of the loop.
You also have to watch your levels closely. Typically the output of your DAW will be line level, and the input of your guitar amp will not be happy with that. Be sure to trim/attenuate the DAW output down to approximately instrument level before plugging it into the amp. Record your original guitar track without compression, you want the dynamics of the recorded track present to be able to work the preamp section of the amp. A highly compressed track usually will not work as good.
A variation on this could be to use a DI box, and play through an amp, and record the dry guitar (as well as the amp) on separate tracks for later reamping. This can give you more sustain if needed, and the dry track can better make use of it.
Sometimes the atmosphere of a song changes as other parts are laid down. Not being locked into "the final guitar sound" can be a big help. The ability to lay down the basic track, then later beg/borrow/steal that Twin, or that Marshall stack will give you a lot of room for different possibilities.
Effects are another good reason to do this. If you follow the time-honored method of a dynamic stuck in the cone, a condensor out front a ways (and possibly something in back for an open-backed cab), you may find that after other tracks are laid down, perhaps the guitar only needs reverb on that room mic, and the dynamic in the cone works with a little delay. Or vice versa.