Pedals and Ampltube - can I do it?

[jabryant1961]

I have a possibly crazy question concerning using external pedals along with Amplitube 4

I have gotten into The Byrds lately (even bought an Eastwood Classic 12) and I am trying to recreate that 60's 'jangle' sound through Amplitube. I know that a JangleBox pedal will definitely do what I want, so here is my question:

Is it possible (or even recommended) to plug my guitar into the JangleBox and then into my interface to then use Amplitube? Does that chain work with Amplitube?

I ask because the JangleBox is about $200 and if what I propose will not work, I will just save the money and keep fiddling with Amplitube until I get the 'jangle' sound.

Thanks!

[Ryan_IK]

AmpliTube will accept this input fine as long as your audio interface is designed for this.

For example, the AXE I/O has impedance control, as well as some other options which help get the optimal sound from any Stomp FX or guitar connected. Read more here: https://www.ikmultimedia.com/axeio/

[Peter_IK]

Also note that, as with the actual hardware counterparts, any amp in AmpliTube will "take" pedals differently. Your mileage will vary depending on what you are using in AmpliTube just like a pedal would sound different in front of different model amps. For example, my Tiny Terror takes pedals in a different way than my Blues Junior which is why I have two smaller pedalboard chains for each of them even in my A/B/Y setup.

[jabryant1961]

Thanks for all your help. I am planning on buying a JB3 and will let you know how everything works out!

[carlaz]

For what it's worth, I believe that on the early Byrds albums McGuinn played through two chained studio compressors and thence straight into the board. What kind of console that was, I don't know: possibly a custom-built thing (still common in studios then), probably tube-powered. (Tape may have smoothed off the very high end, as well, while also adding some compression on its own.) LIkewise, I'm not sure about the compressors that were used, but possibly LA-2As or 176s (the more famous successor of the 176, the 1176, wasn't released until after the first couple of Byrds albums had been released). T-RackS includes an "inspired by LA-2A" compressor plugin, though I think of the "Tube Compressor" rack unit in Amplitube as something more like "Fairchild Lite" (as T-RackS, again, has a full-on "based on Fairchild 670" plugin). Still, since you can use rack units almost anywhere in the Amplitube chain, you could just try putting a few "Tube Compressor" units in a row; perhaps the first set fast, just to catch the biggest transients from your guitar, and the second a big slower and squashier to smooth out everything else?

If you do want an amp model in the sound, I'd think a "based on Vox AC30" (perhaps the "top boost" model) would be the way to go. I think McGuinn did use those, too -- but you'd be right, I think, in identifying (serial) compression as the main key to his sound.

[jabryant1961]

Carl - Thanks for the detailed info. I will continue to muck about and see what I come up with.