My Errant Mind

I thought I would post something short and hopefully helpful to any fellow musicians (and guitarists in particular) out there who stumble upon my blog. There are two great VST plugins that I use for adding some character to guitar tracks that I think are outstanding.

Even moreso when you consider that they are free.

FreeAmp by Fretted Synth Audio

This is a modeled guitar rig by Fretted Synth Audio, complete with an amp that allows you to model all sorts of sounds. It also comes with a huge…and I mean HUGE array of presets to give you all kinds of great starting points.

One of the things guitarists will love is the intuitive way it is all laid out. The many effects you can add on are presented as effects pedals you can activate. Great touches include the ability to model compression pre and post and simulated noise gating on the amp that works pretty decently.

If you’re looking at something like Native’s Guitar Rig but are like many musicians…strapped for cash…then this is what you’ve been looking for. This also presents an affordable alternative to those who aren’t able to shell out for a reamplifier!

Simply record a clean guitar track and then duplicate it. Next, apply the FreeAmp VST plugin to the clean track and turn it into a distorted crunchfest…or add some dreamy reverb and a touch of compression. I find this cool little plugin can inspire creativity and let’s me look for unique approaches to arrangements. I hope you’ll give it a try!

Here’s a screenshot of it running in Cubasis vst 3.0. Yes, I’m still using it and have been since 2002. The newer Cubase products have changed the DAW interface and made it uncomfortable to work in, and Cubasis is so much more pleasant than ProTools, Cakewalk apps, and many others I have tried (and I’ve tried dozens of them…).

Click on the thumbnail to see a full-size image…

[NOTE: version 3 is out now, but I haven't had a chance to check it out and I am using version 2.1.1]

British Valve Custom by Studio Devil

The British Valve Custom plugin by Studio Devil is fantastic. It will take a recorded track and make it sound like you used a tube amp with EL84’s to record it—or close enough when you’re talking about using digital modeling.

While it is doubtful any plugin will sound just like tubes many do a great job of coming close these days. Speaking as a guitarist that loves the presence of glowing tubes, I find the British Valve Custom plugin very likable. It’s good enough to use in professional mixes. Really, it’s that good!

I find that if I record a guitar track with just a mild crunch to it, copying that track and adding this plugin to the duplicate track can add a really cool presence and bit of edge to it that I like. Doing so allows you to pan two exact takes hard left and right and get a good stereo image with clarity. The differences this plugin creates really make this possible, whereas a lot of plugins simply won’t handle nuances well enough to create audible separation without making your duplicate track sound like it was recorded at another tempo.

Studio Devil has a full-blown version available as well as the British Valve Custom plugin. Try out the free BVC version and you might find yourself splurging for the full Studio Devil Virtual Guitar Amp.

Here’s a screenshot. Again, click on the thumbnail to see the full-size graphic.

Oh, and I found both of these while checking out the downloads at HitSquad.com, which is a must-visit site for any musician recording digitally!

Update 1, 04-06-2008: For some vocal plugins, check out the post over on HomeTracked entitled Great FREE vocal plugin chain.