BIAS Amp (iPhone) is currently $4.99 What does it offer over Tonestack, JamUp Pro, AmpKit or others?

Audiojunkie

What are the benefits of BIAS AMP for iPhone? Pros/Cons? Is there anything to be aware of about this app? It is currently on sale. Thanks!!!

High5denied

I have it for iphone and ipad, I only really use it on my ipad. I think it sounds really good, even better when you can integrate it into JamUp or Bias FX.

It's the only app out there besides AmpOne that I can get any realistic Metal sound. And this is with little effort, especially being able to download an amp from their cloud server, and manipulate that.

High5denied

@Nathan said:
I have JamUp, AmpKit and ToneStack, the latter of which I use the most. FWIW, allI can see that Bias offers which differs, is amp and FX design. So if that's your bag, then Bias may be the very fellow for you. If not, then ToneStack is, IMHO, the best supported and most regularly updated option.

Tonestack is pretty amazing for the price and what you get. But, it isn't designed for Metal, so if you want to do any of that it may not be all you need.

MrNezumi

Best clean tone (think Jazz or old-school Country). It is helpful to know how actual amps work to get good tones quickly (which tubes or transformer does what) but even if your unfamiliar it is still easy.

Gratouilli

Bias Amp is on sale, but the IAPs are not, and IMHO, the Glassy and Crunchy Amp Packs are absolutely needed to get the best out of Bias Amp.

theconnactic

I like AmpKit the most, and it has very good bass rigs. Unfortunately, it doesn't blend well with Auria Pro: for some reason, it will mute the project if used both as IAA or AB effect. Just like Thor, the iOS synth I like the most.

Oh, me! Oh my! Oh dear...

Audiojunkie

How does it integrate into JamUp? Do you save/export a file and then import it into JamUp and then run it as the amp choice?

When creating amps in BIAS, are you able to make adjustments while playing the guitar so that you can tweak the sound, test, tweak, test, etc until you like it?

How good is the crunch pack? My sound preference is slightly overdriven with effects. I don't do any extreme metal stuff. I just like a toasty warm, slightly to well browned tone. Does it offer anything over the current amps in the other apps?

High5denied

Any amp you want from Bias Amp into Jamup or Bias FX, you touch the little icon in the upper right. To switch from JamUp to Bias you tap and hold the icon. Then like magic it opens said app and the amp is there. Poof!

You can make adjustments while playing in Bias.

fprintf

I disagree @High5denied about Tonestack not being good for metal. I find it excels there and Bias is best for clean tones. I read that here and put Bias back on the iPad and have to agree with a lot of folks. I use Bias on my iPad now for clean tones and Tonestack with Motherload 2.0 for everything else.

With that said, I still don't like Positive Grid and their app approach. I only use the apps because I have them, and wouldn't buy them again if I had to.

lukesleepwalker

I would say that Bias excels at cleans with presence. After tinkering with Tonestack, I find it works for 90% of what I need, outside of a big super clean tone. And I'm happy about that because Bias is so flaky whereas Tonestack has been a rock solid audiobus ecosystem citizen.

High5denied

@fprintf said:
I disagree @High5denied about Tonestack not being good for metal. I find it excels there and Bias is best for clean tones. I read that here and put Bias back on the iPad and have to agree with a lot of folks. I use Bias on my iPad now for clean tones and Tonestack with Motherload 2.0 for everything else.

With that said, I still don't like Positive Grid and their app approach. I only use the apps because I have them, and wouldn't buy them again if I had to.

That's cool.. Everyone hears things differently. I've been playing Metal for over 20 years, and the sounds I can get out of Bias FX and JamUp pro(when I used it), are to my ears second to none. I was pretty optimistic when Yonac said they were kinda revamping the Metal pedals and amps in ToneStack. That didn't help things to my ears. All of the distortions in Tonestack sound way too un natural to my ears.

I can get sounds out of Bias as good as my Boss MT-Metal Zone, without all the feedback. And, it was easy to get it. I've monkied around with the pedals and amps in GarageBand, Ampkit, Amplitude, Tonestack, and The Auria Plug-in THM Overloud. It very well may be possible to get a Metal sound out of them, but after screwing around for quite awhile with each, I got nothing close to the tone/sound I could achieve with Bias Amp integrated into JamUp or Bias FX. And within literal minutes of tweaking.

I was able to do this in AmpOne pretty quickly as well, and AmpKit slightly, though the tone was not as Metal of a metal tone as I would have liked in AK.

So.......I am just commenting on my experience with all of the above said apps. And what I personally think of their tone. Just for a few disclaimer's, 1)when I say Metal Tone, I mean bands like Testament, Exodus, Overkill, Metallica, Carcass, Slayer, and the like.
2) I think Tone stack is quite a phenomenal app. Especially for FX. I got pretty close to my Boss-gt-3 Humanizer Effect with TS.
3) I can't really use Bias Amp until I get it into Bias FX or JamUp. That's where the Amp I create or download fused into an FX chain really shines. I can't think of anytime I just used Bias Amp without JamUp or FX.

So, that's where I am coming from. You know, a long lineage of insanity................

rickwaugh

Bias Amp does not have effects, so keep that in mind. If what want is plain old great guitar tone, that you can record and then add effects to after, it's fantastic. I think it does well from super clean right through to screaming distortion. I also picked up Bias FX, and though I have not bought the extras in Tonestack, I'm pretty happy with how it works as well. But at 4.99, just buy the damned thing, and try it. The level of tinkering you can do with the sound is second to none.

High5denied

@Nathan said:

@High5denied said:
Tonestack is pretty amazing for the price and what you get. But, it isn't designed for Metal, so if you want to do any of that it may not be all you need.

There is a heavy rock pack, and combined with FX in AudioBus, it's possible to get some meaty sounds.

Ya, I got it. Doesn't provide a Thrash sound.

lukesleepwalker

Bottom line is that Bias amp is easily worth $4.99.

I don't play metal but I agree with @High5denied that Bias is the most natural sounding of the modeling amp apps. I've tweaked Tonestack to get it sounding natural enough, but it took some effort.

High5denied

@Nathan said:

@lukesleepwalker said:
Bottom line is that Bias amp is easily worth $4.99.

BIAS FX is certainly worth the £7.95 I just paid. Not sure if I need to add the Bias Amp as well? One small irritation, there's a Pitch Shifter being offered in return for a Facebook like. I'd be happy to write a review on the App Store (better for the developers) but that is not offered as an alternative. I don't have a Facetube account, nor do I want one. Is there any way round this impass?

hmm, I'll ask Positive Grid on their FB page. I don't blame you for not wanting a Face Book page.

Audiojunkie

Thanks for the info guys!! I decided to pick BIAS up and the Crunch Pack IAP as well. We'll see how things go!