guitarix
virtual versatile amplification for Jack/Linux
Basics
guitarix is a virtual guitar amplifier for Linux running with jack (Jack Audio Connection Kit). It is free as in speech and free as in beer. Its free sourcecode allows to build it for other UNIX-like systems also, namely for BSD and for MacOSX.
It takes the signal from your guitar as any real amp would do: as a mono-signal from your sound card. Your tone is processed by a main amp and a rack-section. Both can be routed separately and deliver a processed stereo-signal via Jack. You may fill the rack with effects from more than 25 built-in modules spanning from a simple noise-gate to brain-slashing modulation-fx like flanger, phaser or auto-wah. Your signal is processed with minimum latency. On any properly set-up Linux-system you do not need to wait for more than 10 milli-seconds for your playing to be delivered, processed by guitarix.
guitarix offers the range of sounds you would expect from a full-featured universal guitar-amp. You can get crisp clean-sounds, nice overdrive, fat distortion and a diversity of crazy sounds never heard before.
Keyboard-strokes and MIDI-learn
Many actions in guitarix can be controlled using keyboard-shortcuts. Switch presets by calling them directly with hitting the number of the preset or by pressing up/down on your keyboard. Effect-modules are available with single strokes to respective characters on the keyboard.
Turning a knob with the mouse-pointer is okayish but to turn a real, physical knob to change a value for an amp is better. Connect guitarix via Jack-MIDI with any generic controller-interface. A simple middle-click on any of the controls in guitarix pops up a dialogue in which you can connect any switch or knob or slider on your interface by simply moving it and hit OK.
Since the MIDI-connection is independent from GUI-interaction you do not need to touch your mouse or keyboard on stage -- with your MIDI-interface at your feet guitarix is always under your control.
Ready for complete convolution
Thanks to the great work of Fons Adriaensen on zita-convolver guitarix offers you the opportunity to convolve your sound with thousands of impulse-response files to be found on the internet or with IR-files you produce yourself.
Make your guitar sound as if you play it in a cathedral, in a concert-hall or in your very own kitchen. Since there are IR-files taken from speakers or amps out there, you can also use the convolver to make guitarix sound as the exotic vintage amp, you have tried to catch on ebay for years.
Make your own with ease
To modify an amplifier is easy: just get a set of tools, buy some parts, unplug the power line and open the housing. Now you can stick in new tubes and speakers as you desire...
In guitarix you can do the same without the tools: a few clicks in Menu/Tube let you choose from 12 variations of tube-emulations and you may also choose among several tone-stack emulations and virtual speakers as well. As well as any other settings you may store all this in presets, that can optionally remember your MIDI-connections also.
Though you will find a lot of well-known names among these modules, we do not pretend to imitate a real, physical amp. Some of our modules sound pretty close to well known originals, we took a lot of time and care to provide you with the characteristics of popular legends. But we still see guitarix as an amp in its own right. It sounds the way you set it up and you are encouraged to try the wildest combinations to make guitarix your very own personal amplifier.
And there is still more...
guitarix comes with a tuner that looks and acts as a high-class analogue tuner.
To visualize your gain in detail call meter bridge from Menu/Options. It will be automatically connected with the in and output from guitarix.
...and even more out there
guitarix is a native Jack-application. Thus you can combine it with any other Jack-aware software installed to your Linux-box.
Of course you can record your playing in DAWs like Ardour. If You want to use more FX than we provide built-in guitarix, you can also select plug-ins from the large list of LADSPA plug-ins. Or just connect the Jack-out of guitarix with the Jack-in of Rackarrack or any other Jack-aware FX-host.
Though we design guitarix with guitar-signals in mind there is nothing wrong with connecting a synth or any other sound-generator with it.
guitarix on YouTube
Examples
(needs Flash for now...)
License
guitarix is free software licensed under the GNU-GPLv2 and made by a group of free developers.
more guitar related Freeware here:
