Portable 15W guitar amp offers easy access to a world of practice, performance & recording apps with high-quality sound. With the included AmpliTube app and software, iRig Micro Amp can deliver a massive range of tones with unbelievable realism. IRig Micro Amp users can download AmpliTube to unlock 10 amps and 26 stompbox effects in. AmpliTube 4 is a guitar and bass tone studio for Mac/PC that works as a standalone application and as a plug-in for your favorite DAW. AmpliTube recreates the entire guitar/bass signal chain from.
Digital hardware that models classic guitar amps has been big business in recent years, but in the software field Line 6's Amp Farm has had the market to itself. Now, however, IK's Amplitube looks set to provide some serious competition.
IK Multimedia are already well known for their T-Racks mastering program and Sampletank software sound module, and their latest product is a guitar amp modelling program called Amplitube. Available for Mac and PC, it works within any VST-compatible host software as well as supporting RTAS/HTDM for Pro Tools users (see System Requirements box). Authorisation is via a challenge and response system, prior to which the software runs in demo mode with regular interruptions of white noise. Think of it as a physically modelled intermittent guitar lead!
Guitar amp modelling has become familiar territory since Line 6 launched their Pod hardware unit, but the advantage of a software amp modeller is that you can record a track dry and then create any guitar sound you like when mixing. Amplitube can be used as a software preamp to 'record through' where the host software allows, or it may be used to process guitar tracks on playback, giving you the choice of how to work. Logic users should be aware that you can't record through plug-ins in any version prior to 5.2, but it's simple to set up a workaround that lets you monitor the effects of the plug-in as a 'live input' while recording the clean guitar part onto another track, though this usually means linking two physical inputs on your audio interface/card. Note too that although software can model most aspects of a guitar amplifier, it can't model the high-impedance input socket of a typical guitar amp, so you should record either via a high-impedance DI box or a preamp with an instrument input.
Amplitube really comprises three separate sections, with navigation buttons allowing each control window to be called up directly. The first section is referred to as the Stomp Module, and models five effects pedals typically used before a guitar amp. It also provides a gate to clean up the signal when high gain settings are being used. The 'pedals' are wah, delay, chorus, flanger and overdrive and are controlled by between two and four knobs each, just like their hardware counterparts.
They're even turned on and off using on-screen footswitches, so if you have a touch screen and don't mind taking your socks off. When the Amp Match and/or Cab Match options are engaged, changing the amp model automatically brings up the appropriate 'real world' counterparts in terms of EQ, power amp and speaker cabinet.The output of the pedal section feeds into the amp modelling stage, where the designers have broken the modelling down into preamp types, EQ types, power amp types, speaker cabinet types and miking options. This allows the user to mix and match the various sections to produce customised hybrid amplifiers; for more cautious types, there are Match switches in the amp and speaker modelling sections which, when active, cause the appropriate settings to be called up in the other areas whenever a new basic amp type is selected.
In Match mode, the knobs that would normally allow selection of alternatives are greyed out. As with other modelling products, the amp types are described without using the names of any specific amplifiers, but you're still left in little doubt as to what you are getting.
In all, there are seven different preamp models, five EQ types and four power amp stages, two solid-state and two tube. These are followed by nine cabinet models (if you count 'no speaker' as a model), and all the virtual knobs are made out of virtual Bakelite for that vintage touch.
Amplitube's Stomp Module models five of the most popular stomp-box effects.The only effects in the amp section itself are a tremolo offering Rate and Depth controls and a mono spring reverb emulation. The EQ offers three bands plus presence, and the output of the amp model can be cranked up to bring in power-stage distortion.
Changing the virtual mic from capacitor to dynamic and switching between close and distant miking produces a convincing change in tonality, but if you still want more control, the post-amp effects will take care of that for you. This final stage of tonal shaping is a virtual studio effects rack comprising a three-band parametric EQ, a delay unit providing mono, stereo and multi-head modes with feedback and level control, and a stereo hall reverb.
![Amplitude Software Guitar Amps Amplitude Software Guitar Amps](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125621502/654263491.jpg)
Each effect has its own level control and bypass button as well as duplicating the Output Level and Gate controls found in the other windows. Used in conjunction with a reasonably low-latency soundcard or interface, Amplitube feels very much like playing through a hardware modelling preamp. I rather missed having an integral compressor, but in most VST hosts, it's easy to patch one in either before or after Amplitube depending on which sound you prefer.
Though there are fewer amp models than on some hardware units, the ability to swap EQ sections and speaker cabinets provides plenty of tonal variation, as does the ability to turn up the amp model output to overdrive the power stage. In this way, some of the ostensibly clean amp models can be pushed to produce a nice blues distortion, and for more angst, there's always that Overdrive stomp-box model. The Post Effects allow you to shape your sound using parametric EQ, or add stereo reverb and delay.In fact there are only two overtly overdriven amp models, one based on the Boogie/Soldano school of extreme overdrive and the other of a somewhat more British provenance. Initially, I found that these could sound a hint edgy when used to create brighter overdrive sounds, but later discovered that the parametric EQ in the Post FX Module helps greatly in this respect. For example, instead of using the amp EQ to make the sound brighter, you can use the parametric to accentuate the 'bite' of the sound more effectively and without incurring a 'fizz' penalty. The pedals all sound pretty much as you'd expect their hardware counterparts to sound, though the wah must either be controlled via the knob or set to auto as there's no pedal included.
Delay, flanger and chorus are based on the sound of the 'bucket brigade' analogue units popular in the '70s and early '80s, an approach which gives them a warmer, less incisive sound than most digital units. By contrast, the Post Effects sound more like their digital studio equivalents, though the EQ is smooth and powerful with no obvious digital vices. The hall reverb sounds fine on guitar, with control over decay time, density and level, and has a noticeably different character to the intentionally coloured-sounding spring delay in the amp section. By way of response, Amplitube doesn't have the same feel as a really good valve amp, but then neither do any of its competitors, hard or soft.
It is however, adequately responsive to playing dynamics to fool most listeners and it manages to convey a better sense of energy and low-end punch than most of its rivals. Because of the limited number of amp models and the interaction of the three processing stages, it can take a while to get exactly the sound you have in your head, but with a little effort, you can coax just about any guitar sound out of it.
In tests on my 800MHz G4 Mac with 762MB RAM, the audio performance meter in Logic Audio registered around 25 percent with a realistic number of effects engaged, but even on less powerful systems CPU demand need not be a problem, because as soon as you have the guitar sound you want, you can bounce to a new track, then deactivate Amplitube. Although I would have liked a couple more familiar amp models to play with, I found Amplitube extremely intuitive to use and managed to get a good range of sounds out of it — in particular, those creamy on-the-edge sounds that so often elude capture.
It does help to use a compressor, and I feel the designers should have included one in the stomp-box section, but other than that it gives you all the tools you need to get a cracking guitar sound with no additional processing. And by that I don't just mean rock sounds for the boomer generation (thought it does those pretty well) but also contemporary grungey rhythm sounds. By switching to Match mode, you can get a lot of 'classic' sounds fairly quickly, but for me, the ability to mix and match amp sections provides the greatest opportunity for tone design. This takes a little longer, but is definitely worth it. What more is there to say?
While not perfect, Amplitube is a great software product and in the right hands can sound fantastic. For Pro Tools LE or TDM, Amplitube will run in the RTAS or HTDM host-based plug-in formats, but not as a TDM plug-in. Pro Tools III and Digi 001 users require Pro Tools version 5.0 or later; 24 Mix and Mix Plus users need version 5.1 or later; M Box users need Pro Tools LE 5.2 or later, while HD owners need Pro Tools version 5.3 or later.
Mac OS 8.6 or above is required, with a minimum 128MB RAM. For the Mac VST version, the minimum spec is a Power Mac G3, running Mac OS 8.6 or later but not OS X. G4 models need at least 192MB RAM. The Windows VST version will run on a Pentium II or later with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4, 2000 or XP, and requires a minimum 64MB of RAM. Realistically, an up-to-date machine with a minimum of 192MB of RAM is advisable whether you're a Mac or PC user. Stomp Effects.
Wah-wah. Amp Models.
Solid State Clean. Vintage Clean. Tube Clean.
British Crunch. Modern Hi-Gain. Solid State Lead.
EQ Models. Tube American.
Tube American 2. British Class A. Tube British. Tube British 2. Power Amp Models.
Solid State 30 Watts. Solid State 100 Watts. Tube 100 Watts. Tube 50 Watts.
Cabinet Models. Small Combo. Open Back 1x12.
Open Back 1x12 2. Vintage Open Back 4x10. Modern Closed 4x10. Vintage Closed 4x12. Modern Closed 4x12.
British 2x12. No Speaker. Amp Effects. Tremolo. Spring Reverb (mono).
Mic Models. Condenser (close and far). Dynamic (close and far). Stereo Post Effects. Parametric EQ (three-band, stereo).
![App App](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125621502/976352837.jpg)
Stereo Delay (four modes). Stereo Reverb (hall). IK Multimedia Amplitube £279 pros.
Easy to install and use. Includes stomp-box and studio effect modelling.
Good range of guitar sounds available. Reasonable dynamic response. Cons. No integral compressor. Would have liked a few more overdriven amp models. Summary Amplitube is one of the nicest virtual guitar amps I've tried, and though you have to work at some of the sounds, the results are definitely worth it. Test spec.
IK Multimedia Amplitube v1.0. Apple Mac G4 800MHz with 768MB RAM, running Mac OS 9.2. Tested with: Emagic Logic Audio Platinum v5.1. All contents copyright © SOS Publications Group and/or its licensors, 1985-2019.
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The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the publishers. Web site designed & maintained by PB Associates & SOS.
Some would argue that nothing beats the tone and sound of real amps. But guitar amp modeling is getting pretty close, and has already beaten real amplifiers in terms of affordability, convenience and flexibility. A typical software guitar amp has multiple amp options, multiple speaker and cabinet emulations, room emulation, and some even emulate different microphone brands and mic placements. Some amp modeling applications also offer built-in multiple effects and even recording facilities.
Some of these programs specialize in specific tones, so it's best to try the demos first and check if the software delivers the tones you're looking for before deciding which to buy. IK Multimedia AmpliTube More info: AmpliTube has been the amp modeler of choice for many guitar players. And you will easily understand why once you check out AmpliTube's sleek looking interface and great sounding amp emulations. You get over 160 pieces of gear that covers old vintage to modern brand guitar gear.
You get more than you'll ever need in one package: 31 amplifiers, 51 effects, 46 speaker cabinets, 15 mics and 17 post amp rack effects. A free version is available with minimal features if you need a free amp modeling software.
AmpliTube is known for its clean and overdrive tones. Retail price: Usually under $200. Studio Devil Amp Modeler Pro More info: Studio Devil entered the amp modeling software industry with quality as their main goal. Amp Modeler Pro may not have as many features as other brands but its 15 preamp models are designed to provide real tube response and dynamics.
It features Studio Devil's unique digital vacuum tube modeling technology. This technology allows for controls that affect and interact with the resulting tone much like how real behave. This will give your amp different tonal palettes just by changing its parameters.
Crunch and high gain enthusiasts will enjoy what this software has to offer. Current Retail Price $149.00. Line 6 POD Farm More info: The POD Farm is Line 6's digital amp simulator program, designed with simplicity and efficiency in mind. You can get up to 78 guitar amps, 24 cabs, 97 effects and 6 mic preamps. With Line 6's experience in Amp modeling, you can expect to at least have the basic tones properly covered.
Now if you want to get into deeper setups, its flexible DSP allows for complex but intuitive routing of effects and amps. It has a simple carousel-style interface that lets you easily visualize your current signal chain. There is also a free version of POD farm available which contains limited features.
Current Retail Price $49.00. Guitar Rig More info: Guitar Rig's name implies, a huge rig of guitar amps, cabinets and effects. It is designed as an all in one solution for all your guitar tone needs.
The latest version has a total of 17 amps and 27 cabinets, with realistic amp sounds that feature Native Instruments' Dynamic Tube Response Technology. These 17 amps offer multi-channel designs and model specific controls that allow the modeled amps to convey their original character and behavior. You also get up to 54 effects conveniently packaged for your needs. Its control mixing feature lets you dial in extreme gain or crisp clean tones with ease.
Current Retail Price $199.00 or $399.00 for the Guitar Rig 5 Kontrol Edition which includes a pedalboard controller and audio interface. Amplifikation One More info: Kuassa's Amplifikation One is a unique amp modeling software because it does not mimic any specific existing amplifier. Instead Kuassa uses the best aspect of schematic designs, electronics, tubes and computer programming to achieve a practical and unique tone with hardware like interface. So if you are aiming for flexible and unique tones, this would be your best bet. Amplifikation One comes with minimalistic features - 8 head amplifiers, a noise gate and 5 distortion models. It also comes with 5 cabinet models, 5 mics and 4 channel impulse loaders.
The fewer options will let you focus more on your music. Current Retail Price $49.95. ReValver MK III More info: Peavey's edge over their competitors is that they make real amplifiers, giving them more hands on experience and allowing them to turn the ReValver into an amp modeling software that captures the characteristics of real vacuum tubes. Peavey also ensured analog like response to tone and gain controls.
The ReValver gives you 20 amp models, 12 pre-amps, 9 power amplifiers, 21 stompbox and 12 rack type effects. It also has a huge collection of speaker simulations with up to 778 options, using real time convolution and membrane modeling. Getting overdrive to high gain tones will be a breeze with the ReValver.
Price Usually under $299. Guitarix More info: Guitarix is a free amp modeling software for Linux Users. It utilizes the Jack Audio Connection Kit with one input and two outputs.
A fun feature of Guitarix is the ability to make your own amp, you can install various tubes from the 12 variations of tube emulations, and you can also pick from several tone stack emulations and virtual speakers. Guitarix has 25 built-in effects modules that range from a simple noise gate to wild flanger, phaser modulation effects. It also features a low latency audio engine, which is tested to give you not more than 10 milli seconds of delay. This amp modeling software specializes on creating metal/thrash/rock guitar sounds.
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