NaderGator - PROJECTS :
So, in my quest for guitar TONE , I have decided to build an amp simulator using DSP software that may come close to an emulated tube sound ..
The idea behind this is using GuitarRig4 with a custom midi controller and other gadgets all enclosed in a semi amp-looking head or combo box .. GuitarRig is already a good piece of software for guitar players on a budget, there are other similar software available on the market right now, some even free, like the linux's Rakarrack , and others like Amplitube. I have picked GuitarRig4 because I was able to SOMEWHAT achieve the sound I was looking for, through some patch tweaking ..
Parts I got so far, for this project :
AMD 2.0Ghz motherboard, CPU & RAM & fan assy
Atx Powersupply - disassembled for a smaller footprint
Midi controller build/conversion idea & parts necessary
Usb guitar port "BEHRINGER"
Wah/Volume pedal (passive)
parts still needed :
a small Amp head or combo box with tolex to house the MB and other electronics,
some knobs, LEDs, Vol pots, switches, face grill .. etc
6" or bigger speaker and 10Watt + amp cuircuit (optional) - my amp idea might be headphones based for recording purposes, but an option to practice with it as a stand-alone tube amp simulator is not a bad idea !
I'm still sourcing parts for now .. so I'm trying to get a broken dumb cabinet or something or even build my own wooden box as a base for building this project (all for low cost or posssibly for free off-course),
Building Guitar Amp using GuitarRig4
Date of this mod: 7/2011
Do this project at your own risk. As with any electronic project, you may risk damaging your motherboard or controller. I will not be responsible for it.
Early & simple concept design .. but i may change it later ..
Rclick to expand
UPDATE :
I could not locate a cheap amp enclosure and did not want to bother building one, so I have decided to use a small PC case I've found (a white Compaq 4090US) it will fit my needs for this proj, besides, it would be dual purpose just in case I decide to re-use the PC out of it.
so far, I've assembled all the components & tested them out, all is going well ,, just need to tweak a few things with the midi controller idea, then progress will be posted later with pics.
I know I know..., it looks like a spaghetti bowl right now :) , but trust me, everything works fine and things will be made tidy later on,,,
added some labels & maybe will add a custom logo along with
a foot swich implementation later..
close-up pics of the finished idea,, guitar in, wah pedal control, headphones, clean/distortion option, and wah on/off with internal amp 5w just for room level practice with on/off switch, the wah pedal is passive (volume pedal) I had this old PROEL pedal that I've ripped the guts out and just made it as a vol pedal (25K pot) ,, it can be assigned to control anything from within GuitarRig learn function -not just wah- it can even control more than one parameter simultaneously!
