Realistic Bundle

[arislaf]

For anyone who wants his variax to be more accurate: https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=24065.0

[hichembell]

which variax do you play? Im asking the question for the neutral body preset..will the sound change from lets say the 59 to the 89 ?? 

 

will try it ....seems a lot of work...how did you spend tweaking ? Thank you so much for sharing

 

also : how do you set global strings volume ??

[arislaf]

69 s. No, after various tests from other line6 members, the results of modeling was the same, no matter the body.

 

It took me almost a year, had to find people that would send me the dry guitar signal, was pretty hard especially on the hollowbody guitars, and gretsch. Didn't find a 360-12, user so i created the sound from various youtube videos. Same occurred for the gibson les paul custom.

 

As for the global strings, 

E -3

A -2

D  0

G -1

B  0

E  0

 

Please let me know how you found it.

 

 

 

[hichembell]

will try them today....i have the 69 ....I see that all the strings are at 100 pe cent ....didn't you find the behaviour of the sound werid at 100 pr cent ?? i ALways put them oh 80 per cent 

 

I will be happy if your bundle will sound as I expect my variax to sound will give you my critics 

[brue58ski]

I found no bundle to be downloaded. Do I need to join the forum before I can download it?

[arislaf]

Yes, needs registration

[hichembell]

I was just trying them :

 

 the spank are amazing !! despite the lester which I found too nasaly , I love all the rest I think despite minor errors will keep them..

 

I dont knwo if it is my ears or me or the variax........but till rhis day it seems difficult to work a very good  authrntic les paul sound ...why did you choose the gretch body ??

[arislaf]

Thank you for letting me know! As for the les paul, I found that the gretch body was the only one that would provide the fat tone and yet the covered hollow sound, though, it is not so clear as the originnal, it is 90% the tone of the les paul 59 reissue I own. 

 

PS, that is the very same reason I used it for the tele sound.A good alternative for the tele is the mansonite body ( dalectro), if you want more clarity, but it will lose the twangy tone.

[hichembell]

intresting answer so maybe I am after another kind of les paul sound in my mind that I AM unable to replicate on the variax ....i want that hollow dark sound , but with bites and lets say a fair amount of treble attack ...need to tweak my pod with your Les paul presets and see 

 

ps: i found that changing cabs help ALOOT ! usualy to a 4x12 for that bassy response expected from a les paul

[hichembell]

note that my problem lies more in the neck position 

 

is it possible to get this kind of sound :

 

 

ANY TIP IS WELCOMED

 

 

this bluesy feel and frequency curve is what i'm expecting from MY variax 

 

[arislaf]

Not enough time to recreate it completely, tomorrow i am leaving for vacation. It is possible, I tried the body of tele with the pickup of les paul, and the core was there. If you have patience, 16 of august i will be home, to make the guitar, if not, you can start by swaping the body with the tele and experiment with the values.

[hichembell]

THANK you so much for the tip..I'm a tweaker i will try it and if it workd will share on vguirarforum.com

[arislaf]

Welcome mate! Best of luck!

[hichembell]

after lot of experimentations , found my self using the les paul lester pickups on the les paul junior body ! superb sound im finnally done....its different from a real les paul but the most important is that its an inspiring tone 

TIP : USING the greenback 30 helped alot to get the desired bass response

 

 

[arislaf]

Welldone man! Happy you created an appealing sound! Keep it up, variax is a great instrument with huge capabilities.

[silverhead]

On 8/2/2018 at 7:54 PM, arislaf said:

For anyone who wants his variax to be more accurate: https://www.vguitarforums.com/smf/index.php?topic=24065.0

 

So far I've only had a few minutes to experiment with your bundle but I hope to spend a lot more time comparing your work with the factory presets on a bank-by-bank basis. Based on what I've heard so far I fully expect that in the end I will settle on a Variax bundle that includes a mix of the factory stuff as well as your work.

 

What's obvious immediately is that you have done a ton of great work here! Thanks for sharing. Everyone should appreciate the level of detail you've gone to in terms of balancing individual sting volumes and overall level matching bank to bank, and the amount of time you must have spent getting there.

 

Great work, and thanks again.

[arislaf]

8 hours ago, silverhead said:

 

So far I've only had a few minutes to experiment with your bundle but I hope to spend a lot more time comparing your work with the factory presets on a bank-by-bank basis. Based on what I've heard so far I fully expect that in the end I will settle on a Variax bundle that includes a mix of the factory stuff as well as your work.

 

What's obvious immediately is that you have done a ton of great work here! Thanks for sharing. Everyone should appreciate the level of detail you've gone to in terms of balancing individual sting volumes and overall level matching bank to bank, and the amount of time you must have spent getting there.

 

Great work, and thanks again.

Big honor to get this comments from you silverhead! Thank you for your kind words!

Please let me know what models you liked more when and if you have the time. Thank you also!

[silverhead]

Hi arislaf. Here's an update on my results so far.

 

I have experimented with several your banks on my JTV-59 and compared them to the corresponding Variax v2.10 factory banks to see which models I prefer to use in my own setup. I've examined your choice re: body, pickups, pot values, string levels, and preset levels. I find it impossible to explain my decisions and assessments quantitatively so I'm just going to describe my overall personal preferences. As usual, other opinions and impressions are equally valid. Tone is highly subjective.

 

T-Model: I prefer your models in all bank positions and have update my Variax to replace the T-Model factory bank.

Spank: same as T-Model

Lester: I prefer the factory models and have retained them. As mentioned, I can't really come up with a quantitative explanation but I do hear a little muddiness in your models.

Special: This one was very interesting to me because your bank expands on the Firebird models, providing more of them, and provides fewer of the Gibson Special models. I have retained the factory presets mostly because I prefer the Special to the Firebird as a regular guitar. But I will happily swap in your Firebird models if I ever want to use them - they're really good!

Acoustic: I didn't really see much difference in this bank so I kept the factory presets although I did tweak a bit based on your string levels and detuning for the 12-string models.

 

That's it for now. I am continuing experimenting with the other banks.

[arislaf]

22 hours ago, silverhead said:

Hi arislaf. Here's an update on my results so far.

 

I have experimented with several your banks on my JTV-59 and compared them to the corresponding Variax v2.10 factory banks to see which models I prefer to use in my own setup. I've examined your choice re: body, pickups, pot values, string levels, and preset levels. I find it impossible to explain my decisions and assessments quantitatively so I'm just going to describe my overall personal preferences. As usual, other opinions and impressions are equally valid. Tone is highly subjective.

 

T-Model: I prefer your models in all bank positions and have update my Variax to replace the T-Model factory bank.

Spank: same as T-Model

Lester: I prefer the factory models and have retained them. As mentioned, I can't really come up with a quantitative explanation but I do hear a little muddiness in your models.

Special: This one was very interesting to me because your bank expands on the Firebird models, providing more of them, and provides fewer of the Gibson Special models. I have retained the factory presets mostly because I prefer the Special to the Firebird as a regular guitar. But I will happily swap in your Firebird models if I ever want to use them - they're really good!

Acoustic: I didn't really see much difference in this bank so I kept the factory presets although I did tweak a bit based on your string levels and detuning for the 12-string models.

 

That's it for now. I am continuing experimenting with the other banks.

Big thanks for your report and your explanation silverhead! Much appreciated!

[SteveFrance]

Hi Arislaf,

 

I've seen your post on hollidays, i was impatient to try your bundle.

I uploaded it yesterday and tried some models today quickly at midday.

 

i join the opinion of Himchebel and Silverhead for the Lespaul model, i find the Gretch body sounds too muddy/dark, i prefer a clearer sound and play with the tone knob. I've changed it for the lespaul junior for the moment (see if i won't use the top flame).

I've changed the 12 chords % too for the acoustics which i found too high.

For the rest, i find that it sounds really good !

I don't exactly know what you have done on the acoustic but i find it better....

 

Hard work, BRAVO !!!!!

 

On the other hand, i'm in a period i find that a real electric guitar sounds better (especially for the response and the spectrum), so i'm going to go on comparing to know if i'm gonna surrender the variax or not (i play with the VDI cable and i don't know if there's an incidence too).

[SteveFrance]

Hi Arislaf,

 

I've tried again the models and have one question ;

 

How did you proceed to equalize the level for the different guitar models and the same for each string equalizing ? With a perfect ear (thing i don't have) or with a db/level meter ?

 

I find that on the 335 the high string (B/E) are rear, i don't hear them so well, i don't know if it corresponds to the real one ?!

 

The spank is really what i was looking for !!!! 

 

 

[arislaf]

3 hours ago, SteveFrance said:

Hi Arislaf,

 

I've tried again the models and have one question ;

 

How did you proceed to equalize the level for the different guitar models and the same for each string equalizing ? With a perfect ear (thing i don't have) or with a db/level meter ?

 

I find that on the 335 the high string (B/E) are rear, i don't hear them so well, i don't know if it corresponds to the real one ?!

 

The spank is really what i was looking for !!!! 

 

 

By ear as a matter of fact, changing between true pickups and model. Regarding the 335, i was so absorbed to make the tone, that i really missed that one! Thanks for mentioning it, and thank you for your good words! I will fix it asap!

[psarkissian]

" Didn't find a 360-12, user "--- being a 370-12 user myself,... the JTV sound is very, very close.

It would be closer if it wasn't for the fact that the 370-12 is a custom rebuild. I can duplicate that

really well, or an original with some minor adjustments in Workbench HD. It's nice.

 

[arislaf]

28 minutes ago, psarkissian said:

" Didn't find a 360-12, user "--- being a 370-12 user myself,... the JTV sound is very, very close.

It would be closer if it wasn't for the fact that the 370-12 is a custom rebuild. I can duplicate that

really well, or an original with some minor adjustments in Workbench HD. It's nice.

 

That would be awesome if you could do it!

[psarkissian]

Brought it into work a couple times to compare. The JTV has a 370-12 in it (three pick-up version of the 360-12).

Back then Workbench wasn't HD yet. JTV was pretty close, with more time, I probably could've gotten closer.

 

[codamedia]

@arislaf

 

I use an older Variax 300 so I can't load up any of these to see what you are doing, but can you give me an idea of the change you made to the "Strat Quack" position (pos 2, bridge/middle) to make it more realistic? That is one setting I struggle with most on my Variax so I'd love to approach it differently. 

 

I do know the HD models are different from the legacy models and they won't be the same... I'd just like to know the approach you were taking.  

[arislaf]

2 hours ago, codamedia said:

@arislaf

 

I use an older Variax 300 so I can't load up any of these to see what you are doing, but can you give me an idea of the change you made to the "Strat Quack" position (pos 2, bridge/middle) to make it more realistic? That is one setting I struggle with most on my Variax so I'd love to approach it differently. 

 

I do know the HD models are different from the legacy models and they won't be the same... I'd just like to know the approach you were taking.  

I used the danelectro body, it is the brightest biody on hd firmware with balanced bass, the pickups of the strat as they are, volume resistance at 25kΩ taper to audio, tone control at 100κΩ, capacitance 11nf for the number 2 position. For the number 4 position, resistance at 25kΩ, taper linear  resistance 1MΩ , capacitance 1.1, pickups position on default.

 

P.s. you can download if you like my bundle and the workbench edit if you like to see all my bundle, and in case you need any5hing ask me again.

 

P.s.2 although the 700 had an awesome strat position 2, if you could compare it with the hd original guitar, the hd was totally garbage.

[codamedia]

2 hours ago, arislaf said:

P.s.2 although the 700 had an awesome strat position 2, if you could compare it with the hd original guitar, the hd was totally garbage.

 

Interesting... the 300 should be the same as the 700 but I have never had any luck getting a nice "strat quack" out of it. 

Thank you for the insight and idea's to try, I greatly appreciate it. 

 

2 hours ago, arislaf said:

P.s. you can download if you like my bundle and the workbench edit if you like to see all my bundle, and in case you need any5hing ask me again.

 

Hmmmm, will HD Workbench load without hardware attached? I never thought to try but certainly can! Thanks. 

[arislaf]

Just now, codamedia said:

 

Interesting... the 300 should be the same as the 700 but I have never had any luck getting a nice "strat quack" out of it. 

Thank you for the insight and idea's to try, I greatly appreciate it. 

 

 

Hmmmm, will HD Workbench load without hardware attached? I never thought to try but certainly can! Thanks. 

300 is same with 700. I have both of them. Man if you didn't did it already, do yourself a favor and get the graphtech piezo when you get the chance. It opens the sound more.

 

Useless info, but the strato, es 335, and all of the acoustics, are way better than the HD. More close to the original than the HD versions. 

 

Anyway, happy that I helped you mate, take care, and if anything give me a shout.

[psarkissian]

Be careful with 3rd party model patches, as the amplitudes between patches can be overly normalized and contribute to what's referred to as "plink tone" or "klang tone" with some of them.

Have had discussion about this earlier this year with users while at NAMM. Some now being aware of this are now double checking their patch sets before releasing them (and some aren't). Be aware of that. Have heard that some of these are pretty good.

 

Rock on!!!

[Smashcraaft]

Hey Ari, I am into testing your bundle at the moment and I wonder about the naming of the 5th position of the Spank bank.

I were suggesting something with Velvet in the name and have no idea what SD 1 could describe? Can you please help me?

• SD 1
• *
• Red Velvet M
• *
• Blue Velvet N

[rubyduby]

Hi Arislaf,

I bought a JTV-59 two weeks ago from Ebay, but didn't recognise any of he patches on it, so I reflashed it to factory defaults. it didn't sound as good, and I was getting odd popping sounds, particularly when strings were plucked. Other people have had this problem and recommended reverting to 1.9, which I tried and was better. I then realised that what was loaded when I got it was your Realistic bundle, so I downloaded and installed, all is now well in the world again!

What a fantastic job you have done, a real labour of love. A couple of things, do you have a list of all of the models that you could post that I could print off to have a hard copy? What guitars are your acoustic patches based on.

Lastly, as a matter of interest, I play a bit of mandolin, not really a mandolin player, just a bit of Steve Earle, Copperhead Road etc. I've taken your bouzouki patch, muted the low E and A strings, and tuned the rest to standard guitar tuning D, G, B and E, I can the play passable mandolin things with normal guitar chords.

Once again, many thanks for all your hard work.

[arislaf]

On 12/1/2019 at 3:46 PM, Smashcraaft said:

Hey Ari, I am into testing your bundle at the moment and I wonder about the naming of the 5th position of the Spank bank.

I were suggesting something with Velvet in the name and have no idea what SD 1 could describe? Can you please help me?

• SD 1
• *
• Red Velvet M
• *
• Blue Velvet N

typo! fs1 https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/standard-strat/fs-1

[psarkissian]

arislaf,... and I take it you remembered not to "over-normalize' the amplitudes.

I recall you were good about that.

 

 

[andrikos1]

I’ve been trying to check out the variax tones ari made but the links all point to a down server. Is the vguitarforums shut down? Is that the only place to check these out?

[brue58ski]

On 11/19/2022 at 8:56 PM, andrikos1 said:

I’ve been trying to check out the variax tones ari made but the links all point to a down server. Is the vguitarforums shut down? Is that the only place to check these out?

 

Here's the bundle of his Ultimate Realistic JTV models. I have not checked this in awhile so make a backup of your JTV models before you load this. Of course, you would load it in the HD Workbench first anyway. Hope this helps.

 

 

Ultimate.bun

[soundog]

I use a lot of this bundle in my Standard. Its very nice, and it was generous of @arislaf to share his work with the community.

[haule]

@arislaf Hi! I'm interested to try out your bundle but I'm still waiting approval from admins of the Vguitarforums. It's been five days since I registered, do you or someone know how long it takes to get approval mail so I can log into forums and try the bundle and other users models too? Could you post bundle here at this topic? Thank you for your time!

[haule]

On 12/8/2022 at 6:40 AM, marcwormjim said:

The bundle was posted as an attachment two posts above yours in this very thread.

Thanks. I tried to download it without logging in and it said "unavailable" so I thought it was deleted. My mistake.