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Using Tonestack with real guitar amplifier
Hello all
I have been a bit OCD on the subject of best app (Tonestack, Bias, Amplitude etc) to use on an iphone 6, with sonic port and playing through a real amp. My 2 cents worth. When I refer to "virtual amps/pedals" i mean the amps/pedals in tonestack. When I refer to "real amp" I mean an actual amp whether it is a combo or an amp head into a real cabinet.
1. Buy tonestack. Considered the best, reasonably priced guitar app.
2. DO NOT use an adaptor that goes into headphones, go into lightning port, whether on iphone or ipad. An adaptor with a dedicated 1/4 jack is preferable as adaptors can slightly affect the purity of signal, even by the tiniest bit, but it adds up.
3. USE GOOD CABLES!!! Not the cables that came with your kids first guitar from Tescos/woolworths/argos/walmart etc.
4. Do not have your input/output on tonestack too low or high. Veer towards lower. Keep in in the yellow. Let your amp work. heavy overdive/distortion WILL sound FAR better!!
This is where it gets a little technical
5. If playing through a real amp there are a number of options
i. If your amp has an effects loop put your sonic port into "return" only, and plug your guitar in front, ie not plugged into the sonic port, but into the input usually on the front of the amp. This will mean that your iphone/ipad is effectively the preamp. And then use the distortion in the virtual amps in Tonestack to adjust overdrive distortion accordingly. If you are lucky enough to have a power amp valve section this will keep the warmth of the power amp valves cooking nicely.
ii. You can also have the FX loop send into sonic port, and out to fx loop return (again plug your guitar in front). However if there is any gain from your real preamp it will not sound great alongside the virtual amp gain/pedals in particular if usiong high gain virtual amps/pedals . I do this as my amp is a hybrid, which has valves in the preamp, but not in the power amp, which is solid state. So I purchased a lower gain 12ax7 valve for this purpose (5751 valve - appx 60-70% gain of a 12ax7). This way I get a perceived warmth from the preamp valve (yes, I know, debatable) with a cleaner amp and distortion from the virtual amps.
iii. If no effects loop, you have to go through the front of the amp. Try to keep the gain on your real amp clean, ie no overdrive and use the overdrive on your virtual amp. In this instance: Guitar > sonic port > input on front of amp.
iv. Use tonestack for only "time based delays" and not overdirve/distortion etc, and use your real amp for distortion. In this case the guitar goes in front. and the sonic port/tonestack is connected to both send and return. Tonestack has some INCREDIBLE non-overdrive distortion pedals which would cost a fortune.
In all cases start with volume low, particularly with 4i. This method can mean that you control your volume of amp with your iphone, and not the volume on the real amp. Strange but actually useful if you are sat at a desk.
Also in all cases I personally disable cab sims. Cab sims into a real real guitar amp speaker (whether combo or 2x12, 4x12, 4x10 etc) sound, at best, odd to me.
But do try the cab sims. Real amps are fussy, and could work really well. Usually not though.
I do not claim to be an authority on this, but actual use, and trawling of forums, prompted me to write this, my modest summary, which i hope is of help to others.
I have been a bit OCD on the subject of best app (Tonestack, Bias, Amplitude etc) to use on an iphone 6, with sonic port and playing through a real amp. My 2 cents worth. When I refer to "virtual amps/pedals" i mean the amps/pedals in tonestack. When I refer to "real amp" I mean an actual amp whether it is a combo or an amp head into a real cabinet.
1. Buy tonestack. Considered the best, reasonably priced guitar app.
2. DO NOT use an adaptor that goes into headphones, go into lightning port, whether on iphone or ipad. An adaptor with a dedicated 1/4 jack is preferable as adaptors can slightly affect the purity of signal, even by the tiniest bit, but it adds up.
3. USE GOOD CABLES!!! Not the cables that came with your kids first guitar from Tescos/woolworths/argos/walmart etc.
4. Do not have your input/output on tonestack too low or high. Veer towards lower. Keep in in the yellow. Let your amp work. heavy overdive/distortion WILL sound FAR better!!
This is where it gets a little technical
5. If playing through a real amp there are a number of options
i. If your amp has an effects loop put your sonic port into "return" only, and plug your guitar in front, ie not plugged into the sonic port, but into the input usually on the front of the amp. This will mean that your iphone/ipad is effectively the preamp. And then use the distortion in the virtual amps in Tonestack to adjust overdrive distortion accordingly. If you are lucky enough to have a power amp valve section this will keep the warmth of the power amp valves cooking nicely.
ii. You can also have the FX loop send into sonic port, and out to fx loop return (again plug your guitar in front). However if there is any gain from your real preamp it will not sound great alongside the virtual amp gain/pedals in particular if usiong high gain virtual amps/pedals . I do this as my amp is a hybrid, which has valves in the preamp, but not in the power amp, which is solid state. So I purchased a lower gain 12ax7 valve for this purpose (5751 valve - appx 60-70% gain of a 12ax7). This way I get a perceived warmth from the preamp valve (yes, I know, debatable) with a cleaner amp and distortion from the virtual amps.
iii. If no effects loop, you have to go through the front of the amp. Try to keep the gain on your real amp clean, ie no overdrive and use the overdrive on your virtual amp. In this instance: Guitar > sonic port > input on front of amp.
iv. Use tonestack for only "time based delays" and not overdirve/distortion etc, and use your real amp for distortion. In this case the guitar goes in front. and the sonic port/tonestack is connected to both send and return. Tonestack has some INCREDIBLE non-overdrive distortion pedals which would cost a fortune.
In all cases start with volume low, particularly with 4i. This method can mean that you control your volume of amp with your iphone, and not the volume on the real amp. Strange but actually useful if you are sat at a desk.
Also in all cases I personally disable cab sims. Cab sims into a real real guitar amp speaker (whether combo or 2x12, 4x12, 4x10 etc) sound, at best, odd to me.
But do try the cab sims. Real amps are fussy, and could work really well. Usually not though.
I do not claim to be an authority on this, but actual use, and trawling of forums, prompted me to write this, my modest summary, which i hope is of help to others.