I’m not sure why, but it never fails for me to be disappointed whenever I use an amp sim.
Whenever I plug in my guitar directly into the DI and load up an amp sim with a cab ir, it just sounds super flat. No dynamics, no life, just very lack luster all around and I have no idea why.
I have recorded guitar tracks while running a distortion pedal into a Mooer Radar Cab IR Loader and it sounded very good. But cannot for the life of me get an amp sim to sound nearly as dynamic when I run just my guitar into the DI
What gives?
I’ve not used any computer amp sims, but used helix a lot. Often I find that eq is necessary. Low mods need to be reduced and highs increased.
Also, the preset or default settings often are bad. A typical issue is master volume is too high bringing in too much power amp gain, or too much bass etc.
Maybe something like that is going on?
Also IR choice could be an issue. How confident are you in the IRs you’re using?
Some dude on YouTube did a very in depth series on where guitar tone comes from.
I recommend the whole series, but at the end of it all, it boils down to microphones and eqs. So for the case of amp sims, just eqs.
https://youtu.be/wcBEOcPtlYk?si=9ptYqtJ7UZXxamUA
I think it’s a thing I deal with regardless of IR unfortunately. They just sound dead. I looked at the visual EQ and I think what it is is the high and low cuts of the IRs or something. Maybe it’s a closed versus open mic thing? They’re just doesn’t seem to be any life in the tone.
I feel like I get better sounds when I mic up my cheap crate solid state amp than I do over when I use amp sims.
I used to have an Axe FX II and didn’t have that problem then with those cab irs. Maybe it’s just the amp sims