Guide
How to choose a guitar plugin (amp sim) as a beginner
Choose one that runs on your computer as a standalone app, sounds good straight from its presets, and explains its own controls. For a beginner, that matters more than the price or the number of amps. Below: free versus paid, what to check, and a short test to run before you pay.
What a guitar plugin does
A guitar plugin, often called an amp sim, makes the sound of a guitar amp, a speaker cabinet, and effects on your computer. Your guitar's plain signal goes in, and a finished guitar sound comes out of your headphones.
The plugin is only one part of the setup. To get your guitar into the computer, you also need an audio interface with an instrument (Hi-Z) input, and wired headphones or speakers to listen on. No plugin can do that part on its own.
Free or paid: which should you start with?
Free amp sims can sound good, and they're a fine way to find out whether playing through a computer suits you. Their usual limits are fewer amps, effects, and presets, little explanation of what the controls do, and sometimes a free version that mainly exists to sell add-ons.
Paid plugins usually put more sounds and presets in one product, and many offer a free trial or demo so you can try before you pay. Check how it's sold, too: a one-time purchase, a subscription, or a base product with extra amps sold separately.
For a beginner, the real question isn't free or paid. It's which one gets you a sound you like quickly and makes you want to keep practicing. If you can, try a free option and a trial side by side, with the same guitar and headphones.
What to check before you choose
These matter most in your first months. You can check most of them yourself within a few minutes of opening the software.
A standalone app
Being able to open it on its own, without a DAW (recording software), removes a whole layer of setup. For practice, that's all you need. When you want to record, load it as a plugin in a DAW.
Presets that sound good as they are
Load a few presets in the styles you play. If none of them sound usable without tweaking, you'll spend practice time turning knobs instead of playing.
Controls that explain themselves
Look for help text on the controls, values shown with units, or a guided tour. If you can't tell what a knob does, it's hard to fix a sound you don't like.
Low delay on your computer
Set the buffer size (how much audio the computer handles at once; smaller means less delay) to 128 samples, a common starting point, and play a few quick notes. If the sound feels late or crackles, check your settings first; if it keeps happening, the plugin may be too heavy for your computer.
Practice tools in the same window
A built-in tuner and metronome save you from switching apps every session. Some plugins include them and some don't, so check if you'll use them.
Your computer, and how it's sold
Check the system requirements (macOS or Windows, and which versions), the plugin format your DAW needs (VST3, AU on macOS, or AAX for some DAWs), how many computers you can use it on, and whether it's a one-time purchase or a subscription.
A short test before you buy
Run this with each plugin you're considering, using the same guitar, interface, and headphones. It fits in one short practice session.
- 1
Set the input gain first
Before judging any sound, set your interface's input gain (how strongly the guitar signal comes in) so your hardest strum stays out of the red. An input that clips or is too quiet makes every amp sim sound worse.
- 2
Check the delay
Open the standalone app, choose your audio interface as the input and output device, set the buffer to 128 samples, and play a few quick notes. The sound should feel like it comes out as you pick.
- 3
Play the same part through three presets
Pick a clean sound, a crunchy one, and one heavier or effect-heavy sound in the styles you play. Play the same short part through each one.
- 4
Change one thing without the manual
Try to make one preset brighter, or less distorted, using only what's on the screen. If you can do it without searching online, the controls are beginner-friendly.
- 5
Tune up and play with a click
If it has a tuner and a metronome, use them for a few minutes. This is what an ordinary practice session will feel like.
- 6
Compare at the same volume
Before you compare two plugins, match their loudness. A louder sound almost always seems better at first, even when it isn't.
Common mistakes when choosing
Choosing by the number of amps
A long list of amps is hard to use before you know what each one is for. A few good starting sounds help more in your first months.
Judging it through the wrong input
Plugging into a mic or line input instead of the instrument (Hi-Z) input, or setting the input gain badly, makes the tone thin or harsh whichever plugin you use.
Testing with Bluetooth headphones
Bluetooth adds a delay you can hear while playing, and no plugin setting can remove it. Use wired headphones plugged into the audio interface.
Turning the gain all the way up
Too much distortion smears your notes and adds noise. Start lower than you think, then raise it a little at a time.
For delay, tone, and gear, these guides go further:
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best guitar plugin for beginners?
- There isn't one best plugin for everyone. A good choice for a beginner runs as a standalone app on your computer, has presets that sound good without tweaking, and explains its own controls. Try a free option or a trial with your own guitar and headphones before you decide.
- Is a free amp sim good enough to start with?
- Often, yes. Free amp sims can sound good. The usual limits are fewer amps, effects, and presets, and less help with the controls. If you keep getting stuck or run out of sounds you like, that's when a paid plugin is worth a look.
- Can I use a guitar plugin without an audio interface?
- Not in the usual way. The plugin only shapes the sound; the audio interface's instrument input is what gets your guitar signal into the computer. A multi-effects unit that works as a USB audio interface can do the same job. A computer's headphone or mic jack isn't made for a guitar signal, so the sound tends to be quiet, thin, or noisy.
- Is a one-time purchase or a subscription better?
- It depends on how long you'll use it. A one-time purchase costs a set amount up front, while a subscription spreads the cost out but usually stops working when you stop paying. Either way, check what's included and how many computers you can use it on.
Where EG Tone fits
EG Tone is an electric guitar amp and effects plugin made for beginners. Here's what it has for each point on the checklist above.
- It runs as a standalone app and a VST3 plugin on macOS 11 or later and on 64-bit Windows, plus AU on macOS.
- 17 factory presets to start from, with 8 amp voices and 15 effects you can add to your chain.
- Every knob and button has help text, and a guided tour points at the real screen, one part at a time.
- A tuner and a metronome are built into the same window.
- It doesn't replace an audio interface: you still need one with an instrument input.
EG Tone is a one-time purchase, not a subscription, and one account works on up to 3 computers.
See price and requirementsWhile you decide, the tuner, metronome, and chord library on this site are free to use, with no signup.