There's a new virtual 12-string guitar in town...

[David Polich]

I know...big news is DP 9.5 release. To add a little icing on today's cake...

Amplesound just released their virtual 12-string acoustic VI. Not only is it awesome, it is the
only useful 12-string VI on the planet at the moment. (The 12-string in MusicLab's Real Guitar is
faked, and the 12-string guitars in Vir2's acoustic libraries are mediocre at best).

Ample 12 is on sale for $127 at the moment.

So if you're jonesing to get your Bon Jovi "Dead or Alive" soundalike done...

http://www.amplesound.net/en/pro-pd.asp?id=26

[mhschmieder]

It's just too bad they used a Taylor acousto-electric model for the sample set, but it's still a huge step up from the listed choices, which are fairly complete if one discounts the oldie/moldy ones out there that don't really bear scrutiny.

I may look into this library even though I sold my own Taylor 12-string years ago. I just can't bear to use the faked one in MusicLab's RealGuitar anymore, at the mock-up stage.

[David Polich]

My only issue with Ample 12 is that there is no pick mode - just fingered and strummed.
Strum mode sounds enough like it was played with a pick, though, so it isn't totally unusable.
The sound is gorgeous, that's for sure.

I have a feeling that Amplesound will offer a Pick Extension for Ample 12 within a few months.
They finally added pick mode to the Martin acoustic, and fingered mode to the picked Taylor
acoustic, so I expect the same for this model.

[mhschmieder]

It's just surprising they didn't pick a Guild F-series 12-er, the industry standard (and the one my Eastman is based on).

Did they tune it to "E" or "D"? It's more typical to tune 12-er's to "D" due to the super-high tension.

I mostly use acoustic 12-strings in solo mode, so wouldn't miss the "pick mode" right away.

As it's a sample library, it might be easier to fit in the mix than a live guitar. I moved away from Taylor a few years ago as they're so hard to mix.

[mhschmieder]

I finally got caught up enough to visit their website and listen to the two audio demos. So totally not for me! Maybe for Christian Worship music? Not criticizing that style; it's just not my bag.

I looked at my sound sources list and found a few 12-string libraries I own that I had forgotten about.

Of course, the long-in-the-tooth Vir2 Acoustic Legends (not sure if Acousticity has anything useful for 12-string). Fab Four from East/West, and Lyrical Distortion's Intimate Guitar.

The only one of any importance, however, is NI's Session Guitarist -- Strummed Acoustic 2. This one samples a late 60's Guild F-412, long considered the "standard" (though tastes vary).

[kgdrum]

if I remember correctly Greg from Orange Tree is developing a 12 string guitar..........

[mhschmieder]

KG, you are right -- I had forgotten that. Thanks for the reminder! Greg's products are usually my go-to when doing mock-ups and wanting realistic sounding strumming or even organic sounding leads, along with Impact Soundworks (though I didn't buy all of theirs, even at the current fire sale price, as it's overkill for my needs).

[David Polich]

Just as a note, the demos of the new 12-string on Amplesound's site are poorly done and don't really do it justice.

I've been using it the past couple of days and I love it. Like I stated earlier, the best song to demo
the 12-string is Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive". It's perfect for that. I do wish there was a "pick
extension for the 12-string, right now it is just fingered and strum mode. If history is any indication,
Amplesound wll likely release a pick extension for the 12-string in a few months, if not earlier. They
did that for all their other acoustics. Until the pick extension comes out, you can switch it to "strum" mode (without engaging the "Strummer" switch) and it sounds like there are pick transients on the note attacks.

What has bugged me with other 12-string VI's is that I can't hear the second layer of strings
independently. With Amplesound's 12-string, I definitely can. I am not a fan of OrangeTree's stuff anymore - I've purchased two six-string acoustics, lap steel, electric bass and upright bass from them and I have grown disappointed with all of those products. Maybe it's just me, probably is.

[mhschmieder]

Good info Dave; I'll re-check the price if it isn't too late.

I like OTS libraries as they're better than most, but they don't always wind up being my VERY favourite once someone else comes along and does a super-deep rendition.

Some examples being a preference for Impact Soundworks arch-top library, and Soniccoutures's vibraphone.

I'm not as picky with guitar and bass libraries, as long as they don't sound blatantly artificial, as I only use them to save time while doing rapid rearrangements, key changes, etc. before final tracking with real instruments.

[Prime Mover]

Both OT and Impact Soundworks are great. I slightly tend to prefer the sound of Impact Soundworks guitars, but they don't have an acoustic and their workflows are better suited for rhythm over lead. Greg's acoustic is GORGEOUS though!

However, if we ever got "Shreddage DreddNaüght", I'd be ALL over that s**t!