Change recorded Guitar sound?

 
Hi there Harry, and welcome to the forum.
 
If I understand your question correctly, you've recorded a clean guitar track and you're wanting to apply some effects/modelling to produce something that sounds like it came through an amp.
 
In GT4, there is just the thing for you - Guitar Rig 3 LE - this is a VST (Virtual Studio Technology) plug-in.
 
To use it with your recorded track, you have to insert the plug-in into your signal path, similar to inserting a hardware stomp-box externally.
 
To do this, you'll need to insert Guitar Rig into the track's Effects Bin (FX bin)
 
There are two ways of accessing the FX bin of a track and adding an effect (NB your VST layout will be different to mine but you should have no problems seeing GR3):
 

• In the Tracks View:
  • Use the small arrow to expand the EFFECTS section of the track
  • Left click on the plus sign + next to ADD EFFECT (or you can right click in the FX Bin and select Audio FX)
  • From the options available, choose Guitar Rig 3

 
 

• In the Console View:
  • Use either the + Add Effect link or right click in the FX Bin and select Audio FX
  • Select Guitar Rig 3  

 
 
 
The Guitar Rig 3 interface should now open - play your recorded guitar while changing the amps and effects in GR3 and you'll now be able to hear them applied to the track.
 
When you're happy with the sound you can close the GR3 interface - the beauty of this method of adding effects is that the processing will be applied to your 'dry' signal when you mix down and/or export your finished product but the original recording is not altered in any way. If you do wish to alter any of the parameters in GR3 at any time, simply double-click on its name in the FX bin and the GUI will reopen.
 
(Conversely, if you use Process > Audio FX from the menu bar in GT4 to add GR3, you will be permanently changing the original wave file you recorded and once you've saved and closed your project, you can't recover it).
 
There are many free (but excellent none the less) Amp simulators and distortion/overdrive effect VSTs available to download from the web.
 
My recommendation for starters would be to take a look at some of the superb stuff at AcmeBarGig - they have plenty of high quality guitar processing effects and sims and as I said above, all free!
 
Click this link to go direct to their webpage: http://www.acmebargig.com/
 
I'd recommend creating a new folder somewhere to store all your downloaded VST's. Also, as many of them download as compressed or 'zipped' files, you may also need an unzipping program if you don't already have on; one I use (which is free) is called Zip Genius - download it from here: http://www.snapfiles.com/get/zipgenius.html
 
I simply download any VSTs to my download folder and then extract them to the same folder - this keeps everything tidy and if for some reason the VST fails, you have the 'zipped' file and the extracted .dll file handy in the sam location.
 
One more important consideration - for GT4 to be able to use any new downloaded VSTs, you may have to run the VST scanner (unless you have GT4 set to run it on start-up - change by Options > Global > VST Folders from the menu bar and checking or unchecking the Scan for VST plug-ins on Startup option)
 
 
Hope that gets you going Harry - if not, or if you've got anything else you need to ask, just get straight back to us!
 
Steve 
  
 
Edit - Here are another couple of threads with loads of free VST stuff:

• 25 Free Mixing & Masterings VSTs
• Free VST Plug-in links 

  
  
 
  
 

yeah great post.