[linux-audio-dev] [ann] unmatched - a LADSPA amp tone

[Tim Goetze]

Steve Harris wrote:

>On Thu, Oct 24, 2002 at 05:32:22 +0200, Tim Goetze wrote:
>> >I suspect this dip is some kind of reflection from the limit, but I can't
>> >tell without trying one.
>> 
>> you mean you intend to change valve to have adjustable
>> slope where it compresses? sounds good, if that is what
>> you mean.
>
>Nope, that would be hard ;) I was thinking of having a second, hard
>clipping alg. and bringing that in for high ampltudes.

oh yes, please keep on bringing them on.
 
>>   in -> valve -> invert -> valve -> convolver -> out
>> 
>> setup and it's beginning to sound like fairly good
>> distortion when the input signal is strong enough.
>> aliasing is very, very faint, with both valves set
>> for maximum saturation (and "character" = 1.). could
>> use some more saturation/clipping though.
>
>Yes. Its not really meant to be distortion at that level, more of a
>saturation thing. I usually put something hard in the middle (near the
>inverter, a cliper or sinus wavewrapper, something like that. Probably
>wont make a good guitar sound though.

i put in a music-dsp shaper (archive credits patrice tarrabia 
and bram) after the inverter, and with some eq (hp basically) 
before entering the first valve, it sounds surprisingly good.
especially with the bridge pickup, the neck pickup is still a 
bit muddy.

>> clipping is too strong at low input levels. it seems to
>> adapt the clipping level to the input level. i think that
>
>It doesn't. there are no time domain effects, and it doesn't adapt to
>amplitude - just a static trasfer function. It could be an interrelation
>with the two valves, but I dont think so...

after some more tinkering, i guess you're right. for some
reason, guitar notes die away very quickly with this setup.
 
>Try turning down some of the parameters. You wont get good, hard
>distortion out of the valves, more of a natural warmth.

yep, you've managed that quite well. in fact the whole thing 
is slowly getting close to what i expect from a decent amp.
there are three issues for me with the current setup: 

* it doesn't noticeably prolong sustain.
* the attack phase is 'flat', compared to the ringing
  of the real thing.
* the sound gets muddy and faint when you turn down the 
  volume at the instrument, instead of keeping loudness and 
  reducing distortion.

i suppose that these could all be improved by applying the 
right sort of compression. i've done fairly quick tests with 
applying gain before the first valve, and with the new 
compressor from your set. the gain fails miserably, and i 
can't seem to find the right setting and position for the 
compressor.

tim