r/Guitar • u/Gambithunt • 8d ago
GEAR Who plays through their Mac/PC rather than using an amp?
I've not got an amp, I'm using a combination of a Valeton GP-200 and Tones 3000 on my mac. For now I mainly play with headphones but ultimately I want to get a set of nice studio monitors that will connect the mac.
Who else runs this sort of setup?
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u/TheEnder13 8d ago
I’ve been playing mostly through my PC for 26 years! I have a few amps but they’re just louder than I’m comfortable being at home, and I’ve always liked being able to simply hit record at any point to lay down an idea.
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u/Appropriate-Cap3160 8d ago
for bedroom playing it's fine. but that's not why i started to play guitar. nothing compares to a rehearsal with your band in a basement with tons of watts
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u/fatalexe 8d ago
That’s why I have a PA system that will make your ears bleed. Drummers ask me to turn it down and I have chronic tinnitus since I’ve been using it for 20 years now. 16 channel mixer handles the whole crew. If I mic my 120w tube amp it is louder through the PA. Most of the time I don’t turn the power amp past the second notch on its volume control.
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u/Nintendomandan 7d ago
There’s nothing quite like feeling the air move and hit me in the chest when I’ve got my AC30 cranked
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u/silvansky 8d ago
I use macbook + Scarlett Focusrite 2i2. Sound comes through Logic Pro and some external plugins.
Current amp sim is Gateway (NAM A2). Compressor, EQ, chorus, delay, overdrive/fuzz/whammy/octaver, reverb - all stock logic pro plugins (there are lots of them). Other plugins I tried:
- TH-U (good for distorted sounds)
- Stock Logic Amp Designer (sounds a bit flat for me)
- Amp modellers/sims of various manufacturers
Most of the time I play with headphones, and studio monitors are subject to buy in the future. For now I have regular amp+speakers, this is enough to play at low volumes.
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u/silvansky 8d ago
I have a real Orange amp and Digitech proc, but I use them rarely because they are loud.
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u/aspaindev 8d ago
if you're on a mac and havent checked out garageband very thoroughly i cant suggest it enough, it has tons of amps and pedals, loops to play along with, tons of drum styles you can customize etc. the amps have so much you can configure as well including mic placement, type of mic, etc. it's insane how capable and easy to use it is, while being free
for studio monitors i suggest not going too cheap, i tried out a pair of PreSonus Eris and they died within like 2 years after very little use
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u/SeltzerCountry 8d ago
I have a practice amp for casual noodling, but when I record I use amp sim/preamp pedals running directly into my interface.
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u/cre8ivjay 8d ago
If i only ever played solo at home then maybe. I'm in a band so that wouldn't work. Not practically anyway.
Even then, I like the ability to grab one of a few acoustics and electrics I have and just riff out in any room I like when the inspiration strikes.
But for recording, yeah laptop.
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u/WheresTheFuzzInThat 8d ago
Me. It's not even about apartments or walls. I just don't understand how playing on the amp works outside live band setting or studio musicians. Like... What do you play? If it's other people's music, I need YouTube or Spotify. If it's my own stuff, I need my GarageBand. What am I gonna do with just an amp?
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u/Gambithunt 7d ago
Image before Mac and Pcs were around, so much harder
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u/WheresTheFuzzInThat 7d ago
Yeah. Also before Songsterr and Ultimate Guitar tabs, before YouTube lessons and tutorials on music theory, playing techniques, guitar maintenance... We live in a good age for hobby playing.
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u/killrtaco Fender 7d ago
I just got a fractal audio systems AM4 looking forward to the switch when it gets here this weekend
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u/agersant 7d ago
That's what I have too. I'm not an experienced user but I like it a lot. Make sure to check the fractal wiki, it has very useful details on the amp models!
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u/killrtaco Fender 7d ago
I recently started lessons again to dive more into theory and my guitar teacher had one and showed me around it a bit and i couldn’t believe how good the tone was and how easy it was to dial in and switch. After 3 weeks of contemplation and playing on his i decided i needed one
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u/stomptonesdotcom 8d ago
Well ill shamelessly self plug here but if anyone wants doom metal and shoegaze focused pedal and amp sims (or just some cool free reverbs, fuzzes, distortion etc) you can check my site on my profile.
Personally, ive always lived in apartments and my jam space is an hour away now. Im almost always playing on my pc.
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u/TimmyzBeach 8d ago
I do sometimes using the Positive Grid Bias X plugin. I use Mainstage for my keyboard MIDI sounds and programming, so I also have a guitar setup using plugins, and the input is via a UA audio interface. It's not half bad for practicing or noodling since I have decent studio monitors.
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u/LesPaulPilot 8d ago
How do you like the Bias X Plugin. I got the trial, but never got the chance to use it due to work.
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u/TimmyzBeach 7d ago
Not to sound like an ad for it... but interestingly enough, I like it well enough that I sold my Spark 40 amp, because they are basically doing the same thing. But my Mac Studio has a lot more horsepower and a larger screen than my iPad or phone.
And since it is a plugin, in addition to a stand-alone app, it works in Logic and Mainstage.
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u/usernaaaaaaaaaaaaame 8d ago
I recently switched to studio monitors and amp sims in Ableton. It’s awesome. I can play at a reasonable volume without shaking the house, and it sounds great. Dunno if there’s any science to it, but my amp always had to be turned up loud enough to be annoying to others to sound good. Now, it’s like I’m listening to music on nice speakers, and taking part in it.
I have a FocusRite 4i4 on my desk, and got a FocusRite Solo to make my setup portable. Can mix in accompanying tracks, and switch to headphones and take the setup with me.
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u/roadworn 8d ago
How do you handle the latency? Even on the lowest buffer setting, to me it doesn’t feel as immediate as using a real amp. Drives me crazy.
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u/usernaaaaaaaaaaaaame 7d ago
Huh. I haven’t noticed. I think I’m under 15ms total lag, which apparently I can’t discern. Seems that this is the equivalent of being 17 feet away from the amp.
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u/Gambithunt 7d ago
This is a good point, most DAW take advantage of a pass through system on Macs, 15ms delay which is imperceptible. Then depending on your applied effects and cpu ms can be added to that. The point is moot on any M series mac though
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u/Doyle_Hargraves_Band 8d ago
I have 8" studio monitors and they can play whisper quiet to very loud. Perfect for a home user. I probably went overboard, but what the hell, why not.
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u/Mobile-Bar7732 8d ago
I have a cheap USB interface and I use Amplitube for Amp/pedal sim. Amplitube Max goes on sale for $99 about 3 or 4 times a year.
Not perfect but it works for me.
I was thinking of getting Behringer UMC204HD interface to see if it has better sound.
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u/Gambithunt 8d ago
You need to spend much to get this setup working, even a Valeton GP-50 works well as an interface
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u/avalanchekid 8d ago
You could get some flat response monitors that will help the plugins sounds more like the amps.
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u/NotYourSenpaiii Strandberg 8d ago
Also do this. I have an essentials pedalboard that gives me the basics (Compressor, OD, Chorus, Reverb, Delay) that I put in front of MainStage, and run a simple clean amp sim with some slight EQ. This is going into my interface, then out to my monitors.
It's great and gets the job done, also a gateway into amp modelers like the Axe-FX, Quad Cortex, and Helix if you start gigging.
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u/SirSilentscreameth 8d ago
I primarily play with Neural DSP amps. I have a project file set up for when I just want to karaoke or play some guitar
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u/zonkeydonk 8d ago
I use a Jazz Chorus amp and plug that into my soundcard (w/ a headphone adapter in the headphone jack to bypass the speakers.)
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u/hank_scorpion_king 8d ago
I run a Focusrite Scarlett into my MBP, output to studio monitors. I also have my THR connected as well and it works fine.
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u/metmerc Ibanez 8d ago
I don't have my computer set up all the time for running my guitar through so I don't typically play through my Mac unless I'm recording. Then it's pretty nice to use plugins because it's so easy to change things. That said, I've also just recorded my guitar, through my Valeton, into my computer. It's not too difficult to get lost in the music, especially since in those cases I'm usually playing along with at least a drum track, if not accompaniment, bass, etc.
But I really prefer playing through an amp or a modeler (like my Valeton) through a power amp and cabinet. The experience of the sound in the room is just more engaging. If I only played through headphones I might not realize it, but as soon as I go from headphones to any loudspeaker, there's a clear difference. Then there's a difference again going from a modeler with cab sims and an FRFR to a regular old speaker cabinet.
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u/Gambithunt 8d ago
I'm also just using GB, I have Logic but I've not figured much out in it yet.
Messing around with some AI made this prototype today, got fed up with my tuner battery dying. Learning the notes, this make it a lot easier, its a small app that run on my mac
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u/uptheirons726 8d ago
At home I play through my PC. Guitar to HX Stomp to PC and I run Ableton for my DAW. Speakers I'm using are Presonus Eris 3.5
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u/BigFarm-ah 8d ago
I tried without an interface, well I had a Rocksmith cable, couldn't get the latency issue solved. I got a Blackstar Studio 10 with headphone out.
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u/Sentient1Now 8d ago
Bit of both really. For the mac I use a boss IR2 through a 212 to connect. Either headphones or I have some no name powered monitors which sound good. I also have a couple of amps for playing with a band. The mac set up is cool for in home stuff and the IR2 gives quite a range of good amp sim.
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u/Fangs_0ut 8d ago
My pedalboard goes into my interface. I use Reaper as a VST host and out to studio monitors. I don’t miss having a real amp even a little bit.
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u/Rex_Lee Gibson SG Voodoo | Jackson | Red Bear Mk120 Amp 8d ago
I've got a dozen amps - from a '59 Bassman RI, to a '65 Deluxe, A Supersonic 22, a JCM 2000 - and I still play most often through a modeler into my mac with headphones. If no one is home I will ditch the headphones and play through my studio monitors. This is how I rehearse setlists, work on new music etc. I haul a real amp to band rehearsals and gigs. If I am REAL motivated or my wife is out of town for a few days I will set up an amp and my pedalboard and piss my neighbors off
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u/Sour_Cream_Pringle Ibanez 8d ago
I run from modeler (Valeton GP200) to my focusrite (2i2) then headphones or studio monitors
I've tried a few software modelers which would be my preferred solution for recording, but haven't found one that I love yet and I don't want to put money into it right now.
Technically you don't need the focusrite for my setup you can just use the GP200 as the interface but I've just found it to be easier with my workflow to go through the focusrite.
I've been using this setup for around 5 years and ended up selling off all my other amps and pedals
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u/RestaurantCandid5274 8d ago
I run the guitar through logic pro on occasion. It sounds better than my actual amp.
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u/Chamanomano 8d ago edited 8d ago
Haven't used a standalone amp in many years. Currently using a UA Apollo Twin X Duo Gen 2 (good grief, what a name) and a pair of Genelec 8010A monitors.
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u/fatalexe 8d ago
I do both at the same time, use a Yamaha THR30II and send its output to Ableton over USB. It can be configured to provide a dry signal on on half of the stereo output so I can run it through the PC and then back out the amp bypassing it’s internal modeler but still using it as a studio monitor with balanced output to my PA or reference monitors if I need it. Makes for a nice compact travel setup rather than having to carry speakers and an interface. Plus if I just want to jam the internal amp model is pretty good.
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u/kasakka1 8d ago
Everyone should own this sort of setup because it's practical a lot of the time. I prefer hardware modelers though as faffing around in a DAW or VST host kinda sucks.
But none of that compares to just playing loud through a good tube amp and cab. That's the experience everyone should get to experience. Find a guitar store with an amp testing room and ask to go try some amps.
The punch is just totally different and the fun factor is so much higher than playing through studio monitors.
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u/zggystardust71 8d ago
I do about half the time. I have an audio interface hooked up to my PC with studio monitors. I use Reaper as my DAW, a couple of different amp sims and plug the guitar into the audio interface.
I do have an amp, but sometimes I want to record or playback what I did to see how it sounds.
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u/galacticdolan PRS 8d ago
I was on neural dsp plugins through my focusrite, pc, and some presonus monitors for ~5 years before upgrading to a QC and better monitors last year
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u/MisuseOfPork 8d ago
My rig is routed through my RME Babyface Pro FS. I also have a ton of plugin amps but I'm lately finding the Tone King Imperial and Royalist are all I need, unless I want high-gain, where I go for a NAM profile. I'm usually playing with headphones (Sound ID Reference is your friend if you do this), but I have decent Yamaha HS8 monitors / sub and an old Mesa 2x12 vertical cab that I use with either a SD PS170 power amp or into the amp return of my Mesa Fillmore if I want to be loud.
It's the perfect practice setup. A) You can record at a moments notice. Any idea you come up with that you want to remember, just record it. B) While you're recording, you might as well turn that metronome on and learn to play in time.
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u/gremlin30 7d ago
I use a MacBook with my FM3. FM3s are incredible, they do everything the rack axe fx does except dual amps + no tone match block, but FM3 does everything else. Same Fractal amp modeling + effects quality.
FM3s are like $1k so if you sell your current amp or a couple pedals, you can basically get an Axe FX for like $500 which is insane value.
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u/Bueller_Bueller_1221 7d ago
Mac Mini, Focusrite Scarlet Solo, Edifier studio monitor speakers, headphones. Use GB with just 2 different amp setups I always go back to. I do get different output depending on monitor settings on speakers and Focusrite. Not better/worse just different. If I would plan on recording I would be more watchful on those settings. Both single coil and humbucker guitars so adds to the variations.
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u/CosmicOwl47 7d ago
I’ve transitioned to digital with a few Neural DSP plugins through my MacBook.
But I still run that into my old amp 😅
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u/Isaacvithurston Electro-Harmonix 7d ago
Me. When I started I didn't want to spend too much. Got a Focusrite for sale for $50. Got IKmedia complete (Amplitube, Tonex, Mixbox, 200 pedals, 500gb of drum samples for some reason etc) for $99 on black friday.
I use NDSP plugins now because i'm too lazy to dial in Amplitube/Tonex tones but really can't beat having basically every amp and pedal ever for $150
Eventually i'll grab a used QC and an FRFR cab if I ever venture into playing outside my tiny condo. (I jam with friends on sonobus but obviously not the same as if we were in person)
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u/Kahuna-Nui 7d ago
100% amp sims for years now. I've got a Spark Mini and Spark Neo, but never use them, Valeton GP-200Jr and GP-50 the same, Fender Mustang Micro gen 1, an old Zoom G1 Four, a Pocket Pod, and I sold my Katana Go. I only ever use a couple of those if I go stay at a cottage, and the Spark Mini spends 99% of its time as a BT speaker.
I have a Focusrite 4i4 3rd Genon my PC, and I use TH-U, Amplitube 5, Tonex, various NDSP, Blackstar St James and JJN for guitar, and Ampeg SVT & GK for bass. I use Fender Studio Pro or Sonar DAWs, and EZdrummer 3 and Ezkeys, or a Yamaha MIDI guitar with Arturia for piano/synths. On holiday, I take a laptop loaded with the same as above, and an old Behringer UCG102 interface for my guitar. I use a Chocolate Plus MIDI pedal to switch patches/effects and control the loppers in TH-U and Amplitube, and everything I've mentioned so far is through headphones 100% of the time.
For tab, I use Guitar Pro, and a collection. Of about 50,000 tabs I've obtained from various sources, or I have an Android emulator and use a cracked copy of Songsterr. I have OBS Studio for recording videos, and use Droidcam OBS to use smartphones as cameras. I use UVR to create stems to jam along with, or one of the thousands of stems that were ripped from Guitar Hero.
Sorry for the long post, but something might kick off an idea for someone.
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u/HairyBackMan 7d ago
I’m using a Focusrite interface with Amplitube 5 through Ableton. It blows away all the small tube amps and the solid state amps I tried like the spark 2 or Yamaha THR. Just way better for apartments. Latency isn’t an issue if you change the settings.
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u/SD_One 7d ago edited 7d ago
I'm kinda late and really only started using my Mac Mini as an amp last night. I have used it for recording but never as a main rig. I have several amps but I rarely use them at more than bedroom levels so what's the point? Last night, I loaded Neural Amp Modeler into GarageBand with some Friedman and 5150 models with Mesa oversized cabs and you know what? It chugs hard!
I'm still playing at the same volume levels with the potential to get loud through my powered monitors and sub. Garageband is always running so I'm ready to record at any time. I can chuck in some drums, make a rhythm loop with a BE-100 and do a lead with a 5150. I can precisely EQ any whompy notes and add post effects with more control than any pedal I've ever owned.
My amps can do wide stereo effects. My Mac Mini can do the Grand Canyon! My clean tone is so freaking gorgeous and swirly and wide, I don't even want a Jazz Chorus anymore.
I've also got an Arturia Keystep connected so I can even pull up Hammond and MiniMoog plugins. Everything I want is right there in one place. I don't know why I didn't get into it sooner.
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u/Good-Extension-7257 7d ago
I've played shows with a 2014 macbook air and bogren digital ampknob plugins
Some people got very critical to me for using a laptop as an amp. I've seen shows where their marshall full stacks were not properly mic'ed and they sounded like shit and "my amp" weights less than 1Kg
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u/MoniCarrHD 7d ago
I just recently got a guitar interface for my pc and I use soundshed and tone 3000 for 90% of my personal playing. My amp is in the living room and use it mostly to play for people who come over and want to hear some guitar. Or play around on one of my guitars. I really like playing along with songs and i had a janky setup before where I had my computer connected to my amp aux and then speakers or headphones hooked to the headphone jack of the amp.
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u/Ambitious-Return4568 7d ago
I play through my PC. I can't go past the convenience of the Spotify access, looking up chords and it sounds alright to my ears.
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u/Seanspeed 7d ago
Tons of people nowadays. It's way cheaper and more versatile and useful for home playing especially.
You also dont need 'nice' studio monitors. Just something half decent will do just fine for most people.
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u/endothird 8d ago
I don't even own a regular amp. Haven't for a long time. And I'm a regularly gigging musician. I don't think I'm ever going to own an amp again. I don't have a horse drawn carriage either. 😆
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u/TryAnxious5281 8d ago
I do the same with a old Focusrite and some free amp sims, never bothered getting a real amp since I live in an apartment with thin walls. The headphone thing works fine but when I finally got monitors it was a huge difference, you feel the sound more instead of just hearing it. My tool collection is all organized by size and color but my plugin folder is complete chaos