# Have anyone tried using guitar ampsim software and a laptop on the stage?



## ehsanimn (Oct 23, 2014)

Hi bros, just wanted to know your experience if your live guitar rig is a laptop, a sound interface and a ampsim software. Was it stable? Any problems or ...?

Thanks


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## ACE IT UP (Oct 23, 2014)

I'm super curious about this as well. Ditch the axe fx, all external hardware and go full native. I think the technology in today's portable computers can handle it but I'm not sure if the software is available just yet to support. I'm talking full band here, using multiple outs to run power amp cabs / DI house. Interested to hear others experiences.


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## Lokasenna (Oct 23, 2014)

There's no reason you couldn't, say with Reaper and whatever interface you want. Plenty of bands already do that for their samples and/or effects.


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## that short guy (Oct 23, 2014)

Correct me of I'm wrong but didn't Stephen Carpenter used to do that before he switched to the axe?


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## Quitty (Oct 24, 2014)

I've done it. 
Make sure you know your computer inside out, that it's properly padded (vibrations kill data sync and non-SS hard drives) and that your MIDI board is flawless - 
and do *not *use a firewire interface. They lose sync way too easily and you might have to restart the computer for them to work again.

JPhoenix might have more to add, he's done it for a while IIRC.


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## ehsanimn (Oct 24, 2014)

Quitty said:


> and do *not *use a firewire interface. They lose sync way too easily and you might have to restart the computer for them to work again.



Didn't know that about firewire interfaces. Do you think with a usb interface it would be worse? I wonder if they are that stable...


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## Pat_tct (Oct 24, 2014)

Best example that it works is Vernon Reid from Living Color.
He uses/used Guitar Rig + impulse live direct to the FOH if remember it correctly.


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## Quitty (Oct 24, 2014)

ehsanimn said:


> Didn't know that about firewire interfaces. Do you think with a usb interface it would be worse? I wonder if they are that stable...



They are. USB sync transmissions are asynchronous whereas Firewire's aren't, so a momentary USB disconnection - due to electrical interference, for example - will cause clicks and pops but not much else.
With Firewire, you'll probably lose the device.


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## WhiteWalls (Oct 27, 2014)

Been doing it for almost 4 years and in terms of reliability I actually trust this setup way more than any tube amp.
There is a lot to explain about a setup like this so I wouldn't know exactly where to start, but if you have any specific questions I'd be very happy to answer them!


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## ehsanimn (Oct 27, 2014)

Quitty said:


> They are. USB sync transmissions are asynchronous whereas Firewire's aren't, so a momentary USB disconnection - due to electrical interference, for example - will cause clicks and pops but not much else.
> With Firewire, you'll probably lose the device.



Thanks so much for the info! It was very helpful 



WhiteWalls said:


> Been doing it for almost 4 years and in terms of reliability I actually trust this setup way more than any tube amp.



Wow! The first thing that comes to my mind is playing without latency. I have a usb interface (M-audio Fast Track MKII) and I can't decrease the buffer size lower than 256, because the audio starts to sound crashed, even with a corei7 laptop, so I have a bit of latency in any way with this device. On the other hand I have a PCI interface (ESI [email protected]) which handles realtime playing with 128 buffer which is way better. So I have to choose a USB interface that both be powerful in realtime processing and be portable regarding to the size of the device. I love TC-Electronic interfaces but they only make PCI and Firewire devices if I'm not mistaken


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## WhiteWalls (Oct 28, 2014)

ehsanimn said:


> Wow! The first thing that comes to my mind is playing without latency. I have a usb interface (M-audio Fast Track MKII) and I can't decrease the buffer size lower than 256, because the audio starts to sound crashed, even with a corei7 laptop, so I have a bit of latency in any way with this device. On the other hand I have a PCI interface (ESI [email protected]) which handles realtime playing with 128 buffer which is way better. So I have to choose a USB interface that both be powerful in realtime processing and be portable regarding to the size of the device. I love TC-Electronic interfaces but they only make PCI and Firewire devices if I'm not mistaken



Crackles in the audio is one of the most common problems and it can be due to a multitude of things. These are the basic things you need to do to have a laptop ready for real-time audio:
- Disable any kind of wireless/bluetooth interface
- Disable any kind of background process not related to the operating system (like Antivirus software, automatic updates, etc.)
Basically keep the task manager open and check for processes that clog the cpu or memory
- Check your power settings to make sure they are always set to 100% efficiency even when on battery

Also USB depends a lot more on the processor than the interface itself due to how the transmission works, so 99% of the time if you have latency and other problems there's something wrong with the computer. An i7 has more than enough brainpower to do all kinds of emulation and effects with low latency


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## cfrank (Oct 30, 2014)

I'm using a laptop with backing tracks and vst's for me and the other guitarist. We've only used this during rehearsals but it works great! We also record drums at the same time, so we can record any idea we have or fix any complex section that needs some tightness.


It never crashed on me, but i'm thinking of getting a ssd just to play it safe. Check this out, these guys use vsts live with patch automation

[YOUTUBEVID]8mXUoWdwD7I[/YOUTUBEVID]


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## Maverick187 (Oct 31, 2014)

From experience using a laptop extensively for clicks/effects/backing samples - heres the things ive learnt the hard way. A lot are similiar to what was posted earlier.

-You need a standalone laptop. Forget using your personal laptop. Disable all wireless/bluetooth/antivirus etc etc etc. You will need something that JUST runs your stuff and nothing else. You are better off spending the money to get a new or refurbed laptop, installing just what you need, and using it for only that. You need to assume that if something will go wrong, itll happen on stage, so you need to have a contingency for everything, and a pre-empt for everything.

- preferably a SS drive for the worst case of your laptop shutting off among other things (Can happen for a myriad of reasons) 

- Must be adequately cooled, make sure the fan works reliably, as Ideally you will have it mounted in a case.

-Always have it running at 100% perfomance mode. Charger or not. There is every chance the charger could fall out due to so many different reasons.

- Use a USB interface only.

- Spend A LOT of time tweaking your tone through a big PA. Ampsims are really hard to get a great live tone out of without spending time running it through something similar to what you will live. 

- Invest in a really decent hard case, preferably very padded. Install your own powerboard and mixer in with it, do not rely on house DIs or house gear. 

- I know this sounds fairly obvious, but make sure its always set up away from the front of stage, and on a very sturdy surface. You need it to be as safe as possible because if theres a chance of it falling off something, someone spilling something on it - it will happen.


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## WhiteWalls (Oct 31, 2014)

The post above said everything that was needed to be said for the technical side of things.
However I'd like to warn those who are interested, that there are very good reasons why it's extremely rare to see a rig like this; I use a laptop mainly for these reasons:
- I used amp sims for years and I know how to get everything to sound great much better with a computer than with an axe-fx or similar
- I work in IT so I deal with computers all the time and I know exactly how to keep it running smoothly
- I like wacky stuff that makes people go "what the hell is that?"

But in the majority of cases it will be a huge logistic headache unless it's properly planned for a typical gig enviroment. You can't really put your computer on top of a stack of amps, but you can't put it on the floor either, so you will probably need some kind of stand which also has room for an interface and some cables. But such a stand can still be bumped when it's on stage, if there's even the space to put it there in the first place.
You will also probably need a floorboard controller, which will be connected right to the interface and I can easily see somebody tripping over the cable and making the interface fly off into uncharted territories.

So it really depends what kind of music you play and what kind of concerts you play. I wouldn't take my laptop rig to a hardcore gig where everybody's stagediving and crowdsurfing, for example.

I am actually right in the process of making a rack-based rig which SHOULD be safe from almost all kinds of elements, I should have it assembled tomorrow and I'll provide pics.

TL;DR
It's cool, but you should just buy a pod


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## Senior (Nov 4, 2014)

Seen plenty of guys try and fail. ALmost exclusively with lame interfaces an iPads though. 

There is one band around here that does it well, and they use real interfaces (aka PCI) and desktops. In big flight cases.


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## SevenString (Nov 7, 2014)

For most of my own gigs, I use an iPad with AmpKit+. The iPad is mounted in Alesis IO Dock, sent though a Fender Acoustasonic full-range amp for monitoring, and from the IO Dock direct to PA for the audience.

However if it is more of fill-in gig for another band, a lot of people tend to "hear with their eyes" and get weird if I show up with minimalist digital rig. So for these fill-ins, I typically bring a 40W 1x12 tube amp and an additional 1x12 extension cab if the stage warrants it because that's what a "real" guitar player brings.


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