Amplitube5 - Release Date 15-16/12/2020

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Very similar to Burillo, my quick AT5 review...

Likes:

• Cabinets sound much better.
• Routing is much improved.
• Added FX are nice.

Dislikes:

• Old gear needs to go! Some of those amps have been kicking around since what? AT2? AT3? New cabinets only go so far. They don't do anything about the bad the Tubescreamer that comes in the default package, or bad Big Muff, DS-1, Wah, etc. It's really time to go out with the old and remodel some of this gear. Particularly the really old stomps and amps. Quality over quantity! My beef is more with the effects but the same is applicable to the amps. If you're willing to redo every cabinet, that would've been a great time to have also redone stomp boxes and amps. Maybe AT6? Or just more custom shop models of amps that are already there so you can resell the same amps/stomps?
• The navigating gear is not fun. The "By Type" section is very clunky with everything starting out maximized. I'd probably always default that view to collapsed. Or add a button to "collapse all." There's a lot of extra clicking one has to do. Navigating by collection isn't as bad, but any navigation improvements would be welcome.
• I really wish AT5 had some pre-wired automation assignments. Have you tried to use AT5 with a controller? It's not fun. Compared to NeuralDSP or Nembrini, AT5 is a nightmare to assign to a controller. This whole "no automation assignments by default" approach also probably means you'll constantly need to toggle Studio One's Low Latency Monitoring mode to be able to hear changes, since that relies on parameter automation. I'm sure some clever programmer could've come up with some preset automation assignments like FXSlot1 Knob1, FXSlot1 Active/Bypass, Amp1 Low1, Amp1 Low2, etc. Would've made using this with a hardware controller much more enjoyable.

[Burillo]

Some of those amps have been kicking around since what? AT2? AT3?

some of the gear goes back to Amplitube 1 actually Amplitube 2 had remodeled almost all gear, but there were some models from A1 included, and they've been there ever since. i think "Solid State Lead" and "Solid State Fuzz" are from A1 (i find it mind boggling that IK Multimedia expects me to pay for a two-decade old model!), while the rest is A2+. the included free gear is definitely there since A2 days, and so are some of the packs (e.g. AT Metal is pre-A3, so are most of the stuff in Jimi Hendrix pack, as well as first Fender collection, also various miscellaneous packs like "brit bundle" and "cab grab" are mostly, if not exclusively made up of AT2-days gear).

[DarkStar]

I guess the old gear has to be kept for those users who still use those models, but want to use them in AT5. Imagine the cries of anguish if they were removed. Now, perhaps. filtering them out into some sort of legacy section might be a way forward.

[DarkStar]

I find it mind boggling that IK Multimedia expects me to pay for a two-decade old model!),

At first, I mis-read this as

I find it mind boggling that IK Multimedia expects me to pay for models of two-decade old gear!),

And I thought "but some of that gear is over 50 years old"

[JO512]

Also, I am using an older machine for now, with a Core i5 2500 and 16GB RAM. Does AT5 seem to use a lot more CPU? I am guessing it must.

It's about the same on my PCs - both a bit older - 3rd gen i7 laptop and 4th gen i7 desktop. GUI is a little bit laggy on both, but this has improved a lot with the bugfix update.

That's helpful! Thanks!

[Peter - IK Multimedia]

I think over the 60+ pages it was forgotten or missed that the legacy amps were redone for AmpliTube 5. All of the cabinets are redone too (for AmpliTube 5, SE, MAX). Both of these factoids also mentioned on our web site since the announcement. Hope that helps.

[phil.harmoniq]

After a week demoing I finally caved on MAX. I'm really blown away by the sounds I've been getting for both guitar and bass. I haven't owned an amp of my own in a while, and at this point I don't see a reason to unless I stumble into a huge pile of cash to build my dream rig. For now Amplitube gets me 99% of the way there, and I'm sure my neighbors appreciate not being woken up by me shredding at 2am.

[jamcat]

I think over the 60+ pages it was forgotten or missed that the legacy amps were redone for AmpliTube 5. All of the cabinets are redone too (for AmpliTube 5, SE, MAX). Both of these factoids also mentioned on our web site since the announcement. Hope that helps.

The legacy amps got a "refresh" with the new power amp+speaker interaction modeling, and new graphics.

The preamp/tonestack modeling was not updated. That's pretty easy to confirm just by comparing the British Tube Lead 1 to the Brit 8000, or the British Lead S100 to the JH Gold. The older amps sound brittle, and don't really start sounding good until the new Jimi Hendrix amps from JH Anniversary, at the earliest.

Mike Soldano just came back with the Soldano SLO-100, updated for 2020. That would be a good place for IK to start updating the old models.

[jmm22]

I bought the AXE with Amplitube 5 Max bundle a short time ago and was waiting for the release. My "My Products" page shows Amplitube 5 SE ready for download instead of Max.

Anyone else have this issue?

[acousticglue]

Hey, here's a tip: if one them there amps you don't like, don't squarsh the mouse and pick it no more. Easy living and I been forgivin

[Burillo]

I think over the 60+ pages it was forgotten or missed that the legacy amps were redone for AmpliTube 5. All of the cabinets are redone too (for AmpliTube 5, SE, MAX). Both of these factoids also mentioned on our web site since the announcement. Hope that helps.

I'm sorry Peter, but no. The cabs were redone, the amps - not so much (just tweaked poweramp model, but the core model pretty much sounds the same, which is evidenced by direct comparison with cab bypassed), they null very closely with their AT4 counterparts and generally keep the same sound character. Stomps weren't redone at all, they null competely with AT4. So really, unless you're definition of "redone" is wildly different from what's commonly referred to as "redone", the amps weren't redone.

[jamcat]

So here's a pretty big cock-up in AmpliTube 5:

The Satch 60 is described as "Based on Marshall 1960B equipped with 4x12 G12T-75 Celestion speakers."

Here is the Satch 60 in AmpliTube 4:

Notice it is straight, as Marshall 1960B cabs should be.

Now here is the Satch 60 in AmpliTube 5:

Notice it is now depicted as an angled cab, which would make it a 1960A cab.

[minkray]

they play a mind trick on you, making you think that an updated amp interface results in updated sound. and then making their PR lie on forums that amps were updated, when in fact they were not. it's not just IK who do it, they all do it, it's a common trick. and some people really believe it.

but I don't get what's the point of such lie today. you won't get away with it. it's not 2002 anymore, when one couldn't check things and people could sweep things under a rug. today your product will be studied under most scrupulous microscope inspection, and in case you are lying, you will be called out on your lie soon enough.

[acousticglue]

Yeah they have helicopters and stolen vehicles don't pay off.

[acousticglue]

I actually noticed some older amps still sound old. But hey it's not many that are like that. Overall sound is very improved and I like that it has been. No wool used here. But I can tell you that nothing else comes close to the new emperors clothes in other software available. To me that is the bottom line.