The Acoustic Simulator

  • Okay luckily, I can still switch to the magnetic pickups on my Variax

    Anyway, your acoustic simulating variax should sound good on its own, and maybe should produce better acoustic sounds than our acoustic simulator with an e-guitar, as the circumstances are more beneficial.

    How is the Variax sound?

  • Anyway, your acoustic simulating variax should sound good on its own, and maybe should produce better acoustic sounds than our acoustic simulator with an e-guitar, as the circumstances are more beneficial.

    How is the Variax sound?

    Do you feel the same way about piezo equipped guitars like a PRS P22 etc?

  • In my PRS there is a push pull Vol Pot which is rewire humbacker's to singles(only one section of the humbucker is working), and you can get best results with neck single coil pickup

    My PRS does not have this push/pull Pot you speak of. Sounds useful though.

    Gary ô¿ô

  • Have you seen this? Perhaps Thomas knows the Rig settings for that PRS:

    Honestly, that's really nice and very well played, but it doesn't sound all that "acoustic" to me - more like an electric with a bit of acoustic tone to it. Maybe my expectations are too high for this SIM?

    Gary ô¿ô

  • How is the Variax sound?

    I had one of these, sold it because it was far below the standards of the PRS P22 and the MM Majesty piezo. They both sounded more authentic than the long anticipated Kemper AC Sim however... I'm in a bit of shock at this realization. That's not what I've come to expect of Kemper I've got to say. And yes, I play quite a bit of acoustic along with electric on my gigs, so it WAS/IS relatively important to me. Can you guide me to a better experience CK?

    Gary ô¿ô

  • Honestly, that's really nice and very well played, but it doesn't sound all that "acoustic" to me

    Exactly, acoustic sims have always felt gimmicky to me. I've struggled with acoustic sounds and convenience issues forever and in conclusion, unfortunately nothing short of an actual acoustic + necessary DIs/EQs sounds believable

  • prsgary

    I'd start by using a pickup (combination) that is closest to an acoustic signal on it's own already - very often this is a Strat-type single coil in the neck position. The prominent lower and higher frequencies plus the reduced mid range response of those pickups is similar to what we are used to hear from an acoustic.

  • I'm loving the acoustic sim. But, the hiss... I've done what I can to minimize

    Something is not right in your setup. I get zero hiss as long as the stack is bypassed. I did experiment with using an “acoustic rig” in the stack section (a profile of a mic pre from a well known Dutch profiler) but as soon as the Stack is added the hoss becomes unbearable. No stack should equal no hiss. Also, I can’t say I have a problem with levels either. Are your existing rig levels set particularly high? In most cases it is better to bring loud rigs down to match the quieter ones rather than bring everything up to the loudest rig.

  • Honestly I had much better acoustic sounds from my PRS 22 Piezo and/or my Music Man Petrucci Maestro, though they had some other negative issues. Nevertheless, they sounded far superior acoustically. What could I do to improve on the Kemper AC SIM that I'm not already doing?

    i agree. I have been doing A/B testing with my PRS P22 piezo and so far I can’t get the sim even vaguely close to the piezo sound. I would love to know what the settings were in that video just for fun.


    i agree with Damian and Jed though, if you have a piezo use it. If you don’t the sim might get you through in an emergency. Definitely a nice to have if you don’t have a piezo equipped guitar but set expectations and try to be realistic.

  • Is there a way to...

    - activate the parallel thing, when activating the acoustic sim stomp?

    Parallel Path is part of the Rig menu so it will be on all the time with that rig. There are two ways I can think of to deal with it.


    1 - set up two different slots in a performance rather than turning on/off the AS effect within a single rig. This is the way I would probably do it.


    2 - leave the AC sim on but moph the Parallel Path volume

    Quote

    - adjust volume of acoustic signal independently from amp?

    Parallel path volume in the rig menu would be my suggestion

    Quote

    - return the parallel acoustic sim path to the main signal chain at a spot of my

    unfortunately not. This is something I (and many others I believe) would love to see added.

    - maybe tell the acoustic sim to split part of the signal (or the whole signal) in front of the amp and then bring it back in after the amp (so i can bypass the amp with an acoustic sound, when hitting the stomp)

    you could l probably achieve this with morphing the Parallel Path mix

  • few people have mentioned noise.

    If im honest for me ive got no noise at all.

    Even with noise get rolled right off.

    ? The noise I get is while playing, not while quiet. I listened to someone's demo here, and they stated right in the post, "Dead quiet" and there's lots of hiss while he's playing. I'm 52, have tinnitus and some loss of hearing in my 2-5k from years of loud music(wear ear protection) but if he heard no hiss The hearing is way worse than mine. It's while playing.

  • Something is not right in your setup. I get zero hiss as long as the stack is bypassed. I did experiment with using an “acoustic rig” in the stack section (a profile of a mic pre from a well known Dutch profiler) but as soon as the Stack is added the hoss becomes unbearable. No stack should equal no hiss. Also, I can’t say I have a problem with levels either. Are your existing rig levels set particularly high? In most cases it is better to bring loud rigs down to match the quieter ones rather than bring everything up to the loudest rig.

    I'd like to hear an example of "no hiss" If I turn down the "sparkle" and some other parameters ,that, in my opinion make it sound as much like an acoustic as possible it does get rid of the "hiss" while playing. I could make it have "No Hiss" but then I'd be of the opinion that the Acoustic sim is a bust. The hiss I am talking about is not something that comes before or after, that could be remedied with the gate, but while playing.

  • Anyway, your acoustic simulating variax should sound good on its own, and maybe should produce better acoustic sounds than our acoustic simulator with an e-guitar, as the circumstances are more beneficial.

    How is the Variax sound?

    Ive only tried the Variax acoustic sounds a few times and it'll work fine. I had found a kemper profile that was meant for acoustic, i have it somewhere and I will try again

  • I'm not getting any hiss whatsoever, but I'm also not getting any sound remotely close to an acoustic. I play PRS (obviously) and I'll certainly try any suggestions! I want this to work so badly, for exactly the reasons given above.

    I am having the exact same issue using a PRS Semi Hollow. It sounds clean and warm, but not quite like an acoustic.

  • I am having the exact same issue using a PRS Semi Hollow. It sounds clean and warm, but not quite like an acoustic.

    I have a feeling that the semi-hollow element is masking the sim. Not to mention the humbuckers too. I have a 335 and it doesn't sound anything like an acoustic while using this sim. Now my old squier strat on neck pickup sounds very much like and acoustic and is quite usable...

  • I'd like to hear an example of "no hiss" If I turn down the "sparkle" and some other parameters ,that, in my opinion make it sound as much like an acoustic as possible it does get rid of the "hiss" while playing. I could make it have "No Hiss" but then I'd be of the opinion that the Acoustic sim is a bust. The hiss I am talking about is not something that comes before or after, that could be remedied with the gate, but while playing.

    Honestly, there is zero hiss at my end. I have been experimenting with it a lot today and get no hiss.


    I am 51 and also have hearing damage and tinnitus from too many years of loud gigging. Maybe you are hearing the tinnitus. I hope it doesn't drive you as mad as mine does :(

  • I have a feeling that the semi-hollow element is masking the sim. Not to mention the humbuckers too. I have a 335 and it doesn't sound anything like an acoustic while using this sim. Now my old squier strat on neck pickup sounds very much like and acoustic and is quite usable...

    it's the humbuckers - Strat neck pickup is probably the best starting point! :)

  • All that hiss that you hear can not be avoided by the acoustic simulator, as the hiss is produced by the pickups.

    When you turn the noise gate to the left then the hiss is constant.

    When you turn down the volume pot of your guitar, then the hiss is gone. That's the proof.