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Lepou - VST's

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lepou vst
5K views 19 replies 8 participants last post by  Cassidy 
#1 ·
so i finally got a home recording set up (after buying a home!) and im running my old pod xt into my interface but the pod is pissing me off. I've always hated the menu system on it and im not sure i want to shell out £350 odd for the new HD one that comes with the software editor which looks a lot easier.

I've seen some great tones coming from the Lepou vsts but being a beginner im not sure how to go about this as im not sure about how to work impulses etc.

can anyone summarize it in language that a child could understand?

cheers
 
#2 ·
The LePou plugins are VSTs that you'll need to download and unzip. Inside the zip files are DLL files, you'll need to move these files to whichever folder your DAW looks in for VSTs.

Once you've done that, you want to apply LePou to a track as an insert (basically an effect on that track that affects everything that goes through it), followed by an cabinet simulation VST (LeCab (also by LePou) is as good as any, and you may as well grab it whilst you're getting the amp VSTs). These cabinet simulation VSTs usually require external impulse files, which you can find all over the net by googling for "guitar cabinet impulse files". Redwirez also offer some cool free ones. If you've got all that sorted you then need to 'monitor' the track so you can hear how it sounds as you play.

For projects using VST amps, I'd suggest making a group track and applying both VSTs to that track, then routing your left and right tracks through that. If you're using Reaper, that's very easy; just make three tracks, drag tracks two and three onto track one and you're done. Now just apply the VSTs to track one and you're set up. It means you've only got one instance of these VSTs running, which keeps CPU usage low if that's a concern (the trade off is you've only got one amp sound on both tracks).

Doing it this way, you'll be recording dry guitar, which will allow you to tweak the sound after the fact. It's a pretty nice feature if you're into tweaking forever. Another way you can do it (and this will help lighten the CPU usage when it comes to mixing, again, if that's a concern) is you can add the VSTs to your input channel so it's being commited to disk with that sound. Obviously you'll need to choose a tone you like first. You can then disable the VSTs once you've finished tracking.
 
#3 ·
cheers for this ive got them downloaded and in my vst folder so reaper recognizes them.

im still not entirely sure what im doing with using them though. I dont have any impulses at the moment but say i go and grab one. How do i get started using them? Or is this what you mean by adding the tracks together?
 
#5 ·
Basically, think of it like this:

LePou plugin = Head
Impulse = Cab

If you've ever heard an amp head run direct (i.e. just the preamp) it's going to sound unnaturally thin and fuzzy. Completely awful to say the least. What you want to do is download a VST that allows you to load an impulse (think of the impulses like a preset file) and then you have your cab and (hopefully) bitchin' tone!

LePou's "LeCab" will load in impulses, so I'd start there.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Have you set the ASIO settings for the interface up properly?

Options>Preferences>Audio>Device> ASIO configuration

From there it changes depending on the interface. I've got a PreSonus Audiobox, for that it has a separate window for the ASIO settings with a drop-down box for system performance, with varying speeds.

The lower the buffer the less latency, but if you're running a lot of tracks (especially of MIDI) you'll get some artefacts on playback, namely clicks and clipping.

Another thing to check is the Impulse program's settings. If you're using LeCab there's a box in the top right marked "Latency", click on that and choose 64. That should get near realtime output.
 
#15 ·
Are you monitoring through the VSTs? Could you record direct with no plugin, and then only add them for playback? I don't really use amp aims, but of I were to do it this is how I would go...
 
#20 ·
That's very unnecessary, dude, and with high gain stuff a very bad idea. Unless you've got a really awful soundcard or you have so much going on in the project that CPU power is at an absolute premium, you should be able to monitor whilst playing. It's also very hard to get the articulation right, adjust muting, etc. if you haven't got the sound whilst tracking.

Imagine recording something like For The Love Of God with a clean sound whilst you track :lol:
 
#16 ·
Buffer size - minimise it. You should be able to track with VSTs at 128. Maybe 256 at a push.

Increasing sample rate decreases latency, but increases processing requirements.

Change the IR loader, use different ones. Some of them have absolutely monsterous latencies. I tend to use one of the lepoulin ones, but I forget which as its just 'the middle one' to me when I go to load it up.
 
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