Modeler Questions - Fractal/Headrush/Etc.

[Ozopart]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions/information. I am going to respond to everyone in one post here.
(1) I will look into Guitarix. I have an old Lenovo Laptop that I have Ubuntu on but it isn't 64 bit. Not sure if Guitarix works on old Linux versions. Also, I am assuming I would need an Audio Interface for this solution?

I expect there's a 32 bit build.

I did post this super early in the morning and didn't fully think through the I/O, yes, I guess you'd need something like a USB sound card for input where then output could be your builtin sound card / 1/8 audio jack. You can do this for a whopping $10.

If you're nearby me I could loan you my mixing board which has USB out -> guitarix -> 1/8 jack -> amplifier | headphones

I've got a Khadas Tone-2 digital USB -> 1/8 headphone amp that also has XLR adapter cables out. I'd be glad to loan you, small enough to send in mail.

Oh and to software rev etc issues, I don't think any of the products you are talking about are being orphaned. The manufacturer isn't updating some underlying OS willy-nilly / monthly.

I really wish I was as handy as you and others on this forum. Sadly I am not. If I was I would start with looking for a cheap laptop and wiping off Windows and installing Linux. I really just want to add to my sound options. I appreciate your offer, I am in flyover country though so not near you. If I did go the Guitarix route, would an Audio Interface work for the connection between the guitarix and the guitar?

 

[Sadie-f]

I really wish I was as handy as you and others on this forum. Sadly I am not. If I was I would start with looking for a cheap laptop and wiping off Windows and installing Linux. I really just want to add to my sound options. I appreciate your offer, I am in flyover country though so not near you. If I did go the Guitarix route, would an Audio Interface work for the connection between the guitarix and the guitar?

The minimal route will be guitar -> amp | preamp -> headphone or line out jack or effects send jack -> 1/8 audio interface for input | guitarix | (2nd) 1/8" audio interface out -> headphones or effects return  jack

So you need an audio in + audio out (unless you want to listen using the laptop's speakers ... probably not).

Most amps use 1/4" jacks for both headphones / line in / out. Some have 1/8" .. exactly what audio cables you'd need is TBD based on that.

Unless you can't get USPS, my headphone amp sent in the mail doesn't care where you are located.

Also, goodness knows you've got a ton of folks here vouching for inexpensive digital modeling hardware, you could also forego a time-consuming experiment and just dive in . And motivating this, I suggest Guitarix because it gets so many good reviews. Note, I've installed it on one of my laptops a year ago, and yet haven't gotten to kicking the tires.

(Quite possibly this is confirmation bias, I've got all these nice pedals, predominantly from @Mayfly Audio and I'm sure I don't wanna have big buyer's remorse if I find out a free digital phaser or OD plugin seriously outperforms the Sketchy Zebra or Open Window.)  ;-)

Seriously, I don't only play in places that are easy to setup my laptop.

 

[Ozopart]

I really wish I was as handy as you and others on this forum. Sadly I am not. If I was I would start with looking for a cheap laptop and wiping off Windows and installing Linux. I really just want to add to my sound options. I appreciate your offer, I am in flyover country though so not near you. If I did go the Guitarix route, would an Audio Interface work for the connection between the guitarix and the guitar?

The minimal route will be guitar -> amp | preamp -> headphone or line out jack or effects send jack -> 1/8 audio interface for input | guitarix | (2nd) 1/8" audio interface out -> headphones or effects return  jack

So you need an audio in + audio out (unless you want to listen using the laptop's speakers ... probably not).

Most amps use 1/4" jacks for both headphones / line in / out. Some have 1/8" .. exactly what audio cables you'd need is TBD based on that.

Unless you can't get USPS, my headphone amp sent in the mail doesn't care where you are located.

Also, goodness knows you've got a ton of folks here vouching for inexpensive digital modeling hardware, you could also forego a time-consuming experiment and just dive in . And motivating this, I suggest Guitarix because it gets so many good reviews. Note, I've installed it on one of my laptops a year ago, and yet haven't gotten to kicking the tires.

(Quite possibly this is confirmation bias, I've got all these nice pedals, predominantly from @Mayfly Audio and I'm sure I don't wanna have big buyer's remorse if I find out a free digital phaser or OD plugin seriously outperforms the Sketchy Zebra or Open Window.)  ;-)

Seriously, I don't only play in places that are easy to setup my laptop.

I don't think you can go wrong with anything Mayfly has created. I plan on getting the Skechy Zebra for sure at some point in the near future. The Modeling stuff just sounds like fun to me, and given that I am not very talented and don't gig, it seems like while not as pure a solution as analog, it would give me a lot of sounds to "play" with. All that being said, one of my issues is my home is small and I am running out of space in my combined exercise/music room. That is why I like the idea of the FM3. Other than having my laptop nearby, everything I need for that solution is already in place, with the exception of course of the FM3. I appreciate the offer of the headphone amp. I actually think I might have something like that from my other audio equipment. Not sure if it translates from music listening audio to music playing audio, but I am going to check it out.
BTW, I never mentioned that I finished my Warmoth Thinline Tele. It is Amber Dye with Fralin Modern PAF HH pickups, and strat controls with a 3 way swith. It is really, really nice and has added so much variety already to my sound options that I am just very pleased. That is why I am putting more quitars on hold for now and focusing on other options for increasing my variety of sounds. I ended up getting the Mono Vertigo case for it as I thought it better to have a heavy duty case in case I travel at some point in the future.

 

[mayfly]

(Quite possibly this is confirmation bias, I've got all these nice pedals, predominantly from @Mayfly Audio and I'm sure I don't wanna have big buyer's remorse if I find out a free digital phaser or OD plugin seriously outperforms the Sketchy Zebra or Open Window.)  ;-)

This is simply not possible

 

[Sadie-f]

(Quite possibly this is confirmation bias, I've got all these nice pedals, predominantly from @Mayfly Audio and I'm sure I don't wanna have big buyer's remorse if I find out a free digital phaser or OD plugin seriously outperforms the Sketchy Zebra or Open Window.)  ;-)

This is simply not possible

Confirmation bias? Definitely possible ;-)

Extra modified viRbrato/phaser? Priceless