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Machine Learning (Artifical Intelligence) has changed everything.
Machine Learning (Artificial Intelligence) has changed everything.
In the world of guitar effect pedals, the revolution started in 2019 when Jatin Chowdhury published [a paper](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2106.03037) describing the results of using machine learning to simulate guitar amplifier effects in real-time. To put things in perspective, LLM AIs like ChatGPT have billions of parameters. Jatin was more interested in how well AI techniques worked if you used small Neural Net models with a few thousand parameters—models small enough to run in real-time. The answer was surprisingly positive: you can use small models and get impressive results. He then proceeded to publish his source code, both for the real-time simulations and the tools used to train his models, under an open-source MIT license. This has created an avalanche of innovation.
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Subsequently, a large open-source-minded community has devoted itself to training new Neural Net models for these libraries. The compute time required is substantial, typically requiring rented time on NVIDIA AI hardware in the cloud. Training models also requires access to the equipment being modeled. While the compute time isn't particularly expensive, it takes time and effort to record good source material and train the models, which is why a community effort is necessary. There are now hundreds of high-quality, free models for both libraries, covering everything from heavy metal amps to sublime Tweed emulations, distortion/overdrive/fuzz pedals, and even famous tube-based mixing board strips.
The quality is readily apparent and not a subtle improvement. These are amp simulations that not only sound exactly like what they're simulating but also play and feel like the amps they're emulating. We're talking about 5150 emulations that actually chug, Twin emulations with that sparkly chime that makes your ears itch, and 1962 Fender Bassmaster emulations with the warmth and forgiveness jazz players seek. (These qualities are not often found in previous-generation amp emulations).
The quality is readily apparent and not a subtle improvement. These are amp simulations that not only sound exactly like what they're simulating but also play and feel like the amps they're emulating. We're talking about 5150 emulations that actually chug, Twin emulations with that sparkly chime that makes your ears itch, and 1962 Fender Bassman emulations with the warmth and forgiveness jazz players seek. (These qualities are not often found in previous-generation amp emulations).
So let's just to put all of that in perspective, because the results of all of that have huge implications for the music industry going forward. Jatin Chowdhury's machine learning experiment escaped from the lab in 2019, and has since taken over the world. You can use his code (and derivatives thereof) for free, in guitar plugins that are availble on all major audio platforms and on all major hardware platforms, for free, and get access to a huge library of community-developed models for those plugins which are also free. All of which sound better than $1000+ stopboxes.
So let's just to put all of that in perspective, because the results of all of that have huge implications for the music industry going forward. Jatin Chowdhury's machine learning experiment escaped from the lab in 2019, and has since taken over the world. You can use his code (and derivatives thereof) for free, in guitar plugins that are available on all major audio platforms and on all major hardware platforms, for free, and get access to a huge library of community-developed models for those plugins which are also free. All of which sound better than $1000+ stompboxes.
### So Where Does PiPedal Fit In?
And now you can plug in a USB audio adapter (not free, I'm afraid) into your Raspberry Pi (also not free, but very cheap), and run those incredible amp models in realtime with low latency using PiPedal (which is also free). That isn't entirely what PiPedal started off as. But at this particular moment in time, that's what PiPedal is.
And yes, all of the easy effects (reverb, delay, chorus, flangers, modulators, phasers, etc. etc. etc) are either included with PiPedal, or are available for free as LV2 plugins that can also be downloaded from the internet. And Machine Learning plugins also provide good emulations of overdrive, fuzz pedals and other distortion effects, so that's covered. And convolution reverb and cab IR effects aren't particularly easy, but once you've coverd that, you pretty much have it all.
And yes, all of the easy effects (reverb, delay, chorus, flangers, modulators, phasers, etc. etc. etc) are either included with PiPedal, or are available for free as LV2 plugins that can also be downloaded from the internet. And Machine Learning plugins also provide good emulations of overdrive, fuzz pedals and other distortion effects, so that's covered. And convolution reverb and cab IR effects aren't particularly easy, but once you've covered that, you pretty much have it all.
But the living heart and soul of a guitar stomp box is the amp emulations, and how good they are. On Pipedal, thanks to Jatin Chowdhury's escaped monster, they are very good indeed.
### What PiPedal Is
PiPedal is a guitar stomp box implmenentation that runs on a Raspberry Pi. It provides a basic set of plugin to get you started, among are which are, notably, TooB ML (using Jatin Chowdhury's ML library) and TooB Neural Amp Modeler (using Steven Atkinson's Neural Amp Model library). PiPedal provides a basic set of LV2 plugins to get you started. Among those plugins are TooB ML (which uses the ML library), and TooB Neural Amp Modeler (which uses the Neural Amp Modeler library). PiPedal uses Linux-standard LV2 plugins, allowing you to download and install additional LV2 plugins as needed.
PiPedal is a guitar stomp box implementation that runs on a Raspberry Pi (or comparable x64 micro pcs). It provides a basic set of plugin to get you started, among are which are, notably, TooB ML (using Jatin Chowdhury's ML library) and TooB Neural Amp Modeler (using Steven Atkinson's Neural Amp Model library). PiPedal provides a basic set of LV2 plugins to get you started. Among those plugins are TooB ML (which uses the ML library), and TooB Neural Amp Modeler (which uses the Neural Amp Modeler library). PiPedal uses Linux-standard LV2 plugins, allowing you to download and install additional LV2 plugins as needed.
You access all of those plugins and configure them using PiPedal's web interface, which is important. GPUs and real-time audio effects do not get along well together. So if the user interface you use to control PiPedal is remote, it means that PiPedal can be configured to run with extraordinarily low latency, and use 80% or more of availabe CPU to run what really matters: guitar effects plugins. GPUs, by the way, are why you can't really ever get low latency on a laptop or PC. PiPedal lets you use your phone, or your tablet or maybe even your laptop to run the user interface, and let your Raspberry Pi concentrate on processing low-latency realtime audio.
You access all of those plugins and configure them using PiPedal's web interface, which is important. GPUs and real-time audio effects do not get along well together. So if the user interface you use to control PiPedal is remote, it means that PiPedal can be configured to run with extraordinarily low latency, and use 80% or more of available CPU to run what really matters: guitar effects plugins. GPUs, by the way, are why you can't really ever get low latency on a laptop or PC. PiPedal lets you use your phone, or your tablet or maybe even your laptop to run the user interface, and let your Raspberry Pi concentrate on processing low-latency realtime audio.
Unlike most other audio host applications, PiPedal runs as a daemon, whether you're logged on or not. So all you have to do is plug in your Rasberry Pi, and play - no login required.
Unlike most other audio host applications, PiPedal runs as a daemon, whether you're logged on or not. So all you have to do is plug in your Raspberry Pi, and play - no login required.
When you're playing away from home, PiPedal provides an auto-hotspot feature, which automatically brings up a Wi-Fi hotspot on your Raspberry Pi whenever Pipedal can't see your home router (or an ethernet connection, if that's how you connect to your Pi at home). So all you have to do when you're playing away from home, is power on your Raspberry Pi, pull out your phone or tablet or laptop, and you're all ready to go.
But most importantly PiPedal sounds great because it leverages the work of Jatin Chodhury, and Steven D. Atkinson. And in the end, whether it sounds great is all that really matters. So please do spend some serious time with the TooB ML and TooB Neural Amp Modeler plugins.
But most importantly PiPedal sounds great because it leverages the work of Jatin Chowdhury, and Steven D. Atkinson. And in the end, whether it sounds great is all that really matters. So please do spend some serious time with the TooB ML and TooB Neural Amp Modeler plugins.
That's what PiPedal is.
PiPedal doesn't come with a lot of models, or a lot of effects. It is a platform. The TooB ML plugin (included with Pipedal) includes Jatin Chowdhury's original amp models, which sound pretty good, but are nowhere near as good as current-generation models. So download some models for TooB ML. And TooB Neural Amp Modeler doesn't come with any models at all. So download some models for TooB NAM as well. And PiPedal comes with a very bare minimum set of LV2 effects, just to get you started. The plugins it does have are (I think) good and useful plugins. TooB Freeverb is there because Freeverb is my favorite goto reverb even in a world filled with convolution reverbs; a convolution reverb, because not everyone agrees; a good flanger (which sounds unreasonable fabulous in stereo); a sensible no-nonsense delay; a decent chorus; a couple of cab simulator effects and a few others. So if you'e looking for anything but bare basics, download some LV2 plugins as well.
PiPedal doesn't come with a lot of models, or a lot of effects. It is a platform. The TooB ML plugins (included with Pipedal) includes Jatin Chowdhury's original amp models, which sound pretty good, but are nowhere near as good as current-generation models. So download some models for TooB ML. And TooB Neural Amp Modeler doesn't come with any models at all. So download some models for TooB NAM as well. And PiPedal comes with a very bare minimum set of LV2 effects, just to get you started. The plugins it does have are (I think) good and useful plugins. TooB Freeverb is there because Freeverb is my favorite goto reverb even in a world filled with convolution reverbs; a convolution reverb, because not everyone agrees; a good flanger (which sounds unreasonable fabulous in stereo); a sensible no-nonsense delay; a decent chorus; a couple of cab simulator effects and a few others. So if you'e looking for anything but bare basics, download some LV2 plugins as well.
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[Up](Documentation.md) | [Installing PiPedal >>](SystemRequirements.md)