Mercuriall Audio SS-11X.

[Barmaleus]

Hi everyone!

I was told it is OK to create a topic about our new project, so here goes. We can discuss the new product here, will be happy to answer your questions or whatever =)



Mercuriall Audio, the pioneer of powering amp-sims with neural networks, is proud to present the newest product SS-11X, based on a tube preamp AMT SS-11 (versions A and B). Wonderful Fender-style clean sound and powerful, roaring crunch and lead channels won’t leave you indifferent! The project is officially approved and supported by AMT Electronics, who supplied us with electric circuits, hardware prototypes and production 3D models. This gave us a possibility to model the SS-11X in extreme detail, making it virtually impossible to distinguish the sound difference between hardware or software. A live comparison video is on its way.

One of the aims of this project was to create a very simple and affordable software with friendly and attractive user interface, as well as lower system requirements.

Even though the main objective was modeling the preamp, we included some other important features. The SS-11X has a noise gate, a collection of overdrive pedals, cabinet IR loader, reverb IR loader and an option to choose the preamp tubes. This lets anyone create a solid guitar sound quickly and effortlessly within one simple window.

SS-11X opens a new chapter in the history of Mercuriall Audio - it is the first product where we use our brand new, cutting edge technology named Neural Hybrid Engine. It is a much more precise, flexible and faster method for modeling electric circuits. As the pioneers of integrating neural networks in amp sims, it took us 5 years of research and development to create the Neural Hybrid Engine and successfully build SS-11X using it. We also applied our tube curve tracer machine to make sure each tube model is unique, just as in real life.


SS-11X release window:

• Autumn 2018

Prices:

• Full price - $39.99
  Price for existing Mercuriall customers - $29.99

Product Details

Supported platforms and formats:

• Mac: VST2 Universal, VST3 x64, AU x64, AAX x64 (Pro Tools 11 and newer)
  PC: VST2 x86, VST2 x64, VST3 x64, AAX x64 (Pro Tools 11 and newer)

Minimal system requirements:

• Intel or AMD with SSE2 support, 2 cores and 4 threads, 2.4 GHz

Preamp section:

• Full, official modeling of AMT SS-11A and SS-11B tube preamps
  Tubes: 12AX7, 6N2P-EV

Pedals and FX section:

• Noise Gate
  Overdrive based on Ibanez TS-808
  Overdrive based on Ibanez TS-808 Lower Drive Mod
  Overdrive based on Ibanez TS-7 Hot
  Overdrive based on Ibanez TS-7 Mod
  Overdrive based MESA/BOOGIE Grid Slammer
  Overdrive based on Boss Super Overdrive

IR section:

• Built-in cabinet IRs
  IR loader for guitar cabinets
  Built in reverb IRs
  IR loader for reverb

Additional settings:

• Quality (oversampling): no, x2, x4, x8
  Sample rate: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96
  Stereo/Mono processing

UPD.

New good stuff in 1.1:
1. High quality tuner with a big screen.
2. Standalone version of SS-11X - no DAW required!
3. Input/output level and clipping indication.
4. Presets from Ola Englund.
5. Cabinet IRs from Leon Todd.
6. Visual improvements.

[jbraner]

I'm interested in this - as I like all th eMercuriall amps
I sent a message to Mercuriall, but I'll ask it here:

Does it matter that there doesn't seem to be a power amp module in this?
ReAxis is just a preamp too - and they put a power amp in there. I guess we could always disable the speakers in SS-11X, and route it to the power amp in ReAxis?

Anyway - there are some videos on the AMT site, and this thing sounds good - just going straight in to a soundcard, so I guess the power amp isn't essential.
These sounds will compliment the other mercuriall amps very nicely

EDIT: I've never heard of the AMT SS11, but it sounds great in those videos

[Burillo]

the price makes it look interesting. i'll be sure to check this out.

[Barmaleus]

Hey guys!

Now, it is indeed a totally unexpected product =) Here are the main goals we want to achieve with this project:
1. First off, we want to make sure our next-gen tech Neural Hybrid Engine is behaving as expected. It took us 5 years of R&D to get there. We are testing with a "smaller project" before we go big.
2. This will be the most affordable paid Mercuriall product with the latest tech. We listened to those who asked for something more affordable, but still carrying Mercuriall logo.
3. SS-11X does not have a power amp, this is true. The main reason is price, as the power amp would definitely increase it.
Of course, owners of, say, Reaxis, can combine it with SS-11X to get that power amp sag.

Also, there will be built-in IRs that are colored with a tube power amp. So loading them gives a very close feeling of having a tube power amp in the chain. Additionally, most people have huge IR collections, including IRs that are colored with power amps.


Happy to discuss stuff further or answer your questions. Thanks a lot!

[bonanote]

Where can I buy the plugin

[Barmaleus]

Hi!
It is not out yet. The release is planned for this Autumn.

[bishop666]

Hi Barmaleus,
what is a hybrid neural engine?

By the way, i like Diezel amps: Hagen, D-Moll, Herbert, VH2...
i like their pedals too..

[cprompt]

the price makes it look interesting. i'll be sure to check this out.

Definitely looks very interesting, and the intro price is attractive too

[Barmaleus]

Hi Barmaleus,
what is a hybrid neural engine?

By the way, i like Diezel amps: Hagen, D-Moll, Herbert, VH2...
i like their pedals too..

Neural Hybrid Engine is our latest and greatest in-house technology that we use to model devices. We had to give a proper name to it.

Diezel amps are awesome, I agree! =)

[Barmaleus]

Guys and gals, prepare you ears: SS-11X and SS-11B live comparison video!
In this technical video we wanted to show what our Neural Hybrid Engine can do.

On the left you can see the real SS-11B preamp and SS-11X.
On the right you can see the level meter, spectrograph and oscilloscope. Green color is hardware and red is software. Green and red are always displayed, even though just one sample is played at a time. You can see how close the live signals are to each other (hardware/software).

Can you spot any difference in sound on your system? Let us know what you hear!

[cprompt]

Sounds great to me. I mean, I don't care if it sounds like the hardware or not because I've never heard of the hardware before anyway, I just want it to sound great in its own right. And this is quite the little teaser, so looking forward to some more videos!

[Barmaleus]

Thanks! This little box is surprisingly cool.
More to come, surely!

[Burillo]

i've demoed it. it's pretty cool. it has its limits, but within its intended range it sounds great. it also doesn't suffer from usability issues other Mercuriall plugins suffer from - there's no "modeling lag" and reaction to the knob twisting is instantaneous. by all accounts, it would be a great and versatile plugin to anyone who's starting out. i also got a funny feeling playing through it, like the plugin was helping me play and hiding all of my faults. it's mostly down to less high mids in the distortion path than most other amp sims, but it's cool nevertheless.

it also has its faults. for example, cab selection feels like a chore - it's similar to how Brainworx ampsims do it, but they have this cool "auto-audition" feature, which SS-11X doesn't. there's no convenient GUI-based selection of impulses like in pretty much all other Mercuriall sims. i like this immediate "i like this, but it's a little trebbly, so i'll move the mic off center" workflow - SS-11X doesn't have it, and it's a shame. the stomps are also a bit samey. like, yeah, it's cool that we have a great Tube Screamer built into the plugin, but four of them (or was it five...)?! seriously, this is the only pedal on the planet? honestly, i would've gladly exchanged one of the screamers to a Klon Centaur emulation. OK, there's also Grid Slammer and SD-1, so there's that, but still - ease up on those Screamers!

so, all in all, a good plugin and well worth its price. however... we're spoilt for choice. for example, while lead channel sounds awesome, it also sounds a lot like Ignite Amps Emissary's lead channel (and Emissary is way more flexible). crunch channel sounds cool, but not cooler than lots of stuff i already have. i must say, out of all of the Mercuriall offerings, this one came the closest to me hitting the "buy" button, and this one i actually like and would've bought it, were it not for all of the other stuff that i already have. i literally spent an hour auditioning all of my other amps and convincing myself not to buy it!

[Barmaleus]

Hey!

Thanks a lot for your feedback! All good points and food for thought.
Well, I guess we are on the right track and will convince you with our next plugin

PS. Yeah. I guess we will not model any new Screamers in the foreseeable future =)

[donkey tugger]

i also got a funny feeling playing through it, like the plugin was helping me play and hiding all of my faults.

Where do I sign up.....

Know what you mean actually, it sounds very 'polished' (to use a vague and quite probably useless term..) Had a fun half hour playing the metel with it, but not so much joy trying to coax a retro jangle out of it (which is of course the all important test... ), but I guess I'm not the target market! The rokkers should love it...