Maybe we can discuss the experience with the new version here.
This is what I posted in Bargains a few minutes ago --
**************
Ooh! Just got the email that the long-awaited, semi-mythical Revalver 5 is now out.
The update is free for Revalver 4 owners. Like me! Check you old emails for your proof of purchase from 2014. My guess is that the engine hasn't been redone, but it sounded pretty good back in the day. It looks like they put some effort into improving the user experience. It certainly looks a lot prettier.
The basic version is only $19.99.
They'll suction more money out of my PayPal account by offering the extra Headrush pack for $49.
https://revalver.headrushfx.com/
Revalver 5 is out now!
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- KVRian
- 1076 posts since 27 Nov, 2003 from UK, Polegate
The main issue is, have they changed the awful copy protection? Apart from that Revalver is great
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- KVRian
- 1076 posts since 27 Nov, 2003 from UK, Polegate
and it still requires a USB device to authorize, which I seem to remember it was buggy in recognising
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3382 posts since 21 May, 2004 from Deep in the Heartlessness of Texas
I've gotta go do some stuff for an hour, but I'll be back to this thread.
I had a chat with a Headrush rep, and got sorted out on the licensing thing. It's confusing and non-intuitive, but it looks like all of my add-on packs from Revalver 4 are there.
I'll test to make sure and then post here about it.
FWIW --- They still do want you to lock it to a USB device, and I chose my iLok. Apparently, for new purchases, you can get a license deposited to your iLok License Manager, but I don't have one showing in my account at this time. They didn't ask for my iLok account name. So maybe it did a bind to the key itself?
The download for it requires you to do an initial download of the Headrush License Manager. Then you have to log in with your old Peavey credentials.Then you can unbind from whatever device R4 was bound to back in 2014. If you don't know your old email and password, I can see this becoming a major PITA to sort out with their support.
It didn't find my iLok until I unplugged and replugged it. Slightly more concerning is that it didn't find either of the two USB hard drives I had plugged in. Maybe I needed to unplug and replug them, too?
But I think I'm actually up and running now, and that it wasn't a bait and switch, just transition issues.
I had a chat with a Headrush rep, and got sorted out on the licensing thing. It's confusing and non-intuitive, but it looks like all of my add-on packs from Revalver 4 are there.
I'll test to make sure and then post here about it.
FWIW --- They still do want you to lock it to a USB device, and I chose my iLok. Apparently, for new purchases, you can get a license deposited to your iLok License Manager, but I don't have one showing in my account at this time. They didn't ask for my iLok account name. So maybe it did a bind to the key itself?
The download for it requires you to do an initial download of the Headrush License Manager. Then you have to log in with your old Peavey credentials.Then you can unbind from whatever device R4 was bound to back in 2014. If you don't know your old email and password, I can see this becoming a major PITA to sort out with their support.
It didn't find my iLok until I unplugged and replugged it. Slightly more concerning is that it didn't find either of the two USB hard drives I had plugged in. Maybe I needed to unplug and replug them, too?
But I think I'm actually up and running now, and that it wasn't a bait and switch, just transition issues.
Last edited by GreyLion on Thu Dec 07, 2023 6:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- KVRian
- 1076 posts since 27 Nov, 2003 from UK, Polegate
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3382 posts since 21 May, 2004 from Deep in the Heartlessness of Texas
Yeah... It's kinda annoying. I imagine doubly so if you're out in the wild with a laptop and no free USB ports remaining.
Requirements from their site: A free USB port and a USB device which to lock license or a USB device already in use (existing dongle audio interface, hard drive, etc.)
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- KVRAF
- 1655 posts since 3 Mar, 2009 from Colorado Springs
So THAT'S why Peavey didn't get back to me when I sent an email asking about ReValver... 
I remember back in the late 2000s, thinking ReValver had some of the best sounding amp models and some of the coolest ability to do deep tweaking to them, changing tube parameters within the modeling and everything. I loved that. Peavey bought it and seems like they just didn't prioritize it ever. The cool bag of tricks didn't save it as it fell farther and farther behind due to bouts of neglect between abortive efforts to revive the product. I hope that HeadRush can do better with it.
I've spent some time playing with HeadRush units in stores and I think they sound really nice and have a very navigable user interface also, all for this going big for them.
Me personally, my amp and pedal modeling has been taken over by machine learning stuff... Between Neural DSP's amp sims, the big companies now integrating NAM-like stuff into their own tech, and IKMM going full ham on it with ToneX, my whole modeling approach and setup has changed significantly recently. It's hard for me to see the value in buying a bunch of bespoke models of stuff at this time with this other tech really taking off and doing crazy things. I mean, I can profile my own gear and it sounds great, not "well close enough I guess," I mean, really great if you do it right and get everything gain staged correctly for capture and during usage of the captures. The bar for what is an acceptable quality amp model has never been higher, which I guess ought to be true as tech proceeds.
How are users finding the overall quality here, in comparison to other modern options?
I remember back in the late 2000s, thinking ReValver had some of the best sounding amp models and some of the coolest ability to do deep tweaking to them, changing tube parameters within the modeling and everything. I loved that. Peavey bought it and seems like they just didn't prioritize it ever. The cool bag of tricks didn't save it as it fell farther and farther behind due to bouts of neglect between abortive efforts to revive the product. I hope that HeadRush can do better with it.
I've spent some time playing with HeadRush units in stores and I think they sound really nice and have a very navigable user interface also, all for this going big for them.
Me personally, my amp and pedal modeling has been taken over by machine learning stuff... Between Neural DSP's amp sims, the big companies now integrating NAM-like stuff into their own tech, and IKMM going full ham on it with ToneX, my whole modeling approach and setup has changed significantly recently. It's hard for me to see the value in buying a bunch of bespoke models of stuff at this time with this other tech really taking off and doing crazy things. I mean, I can profile my own gear and it sounds great, not "well close enough I guess," I mean, really great if you do it right and get everything gain staged correctly for capture and during usage of the captures. The bar for what is an acceptable quality amp model has never been higher, which I guess ought to be true as tech proceeds.
How are users finding the overall quality here, in comparison to other modern options?
Last edited by Agreed on Thu Dec 07, 2023 7:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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- KVRian
- 1076 posts since 27 Nov, 2003 from UK, Polegate
GreyLion wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 6:25 pmYeah... It's kinda annoying. I imagine doubly so if you're out in the wild with a laptop and no free USB ports remaining.
Requirements from their site: A free USB port and a USB device which to lock license or a USB device already in use (existing dongle audio interface, hard drive, etc.)
Thanks for posting the heads-up, I'd be all over this if its wasn't for the USB....there's only one place to stick a dongle in my book haha
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3382 posts since 21 May, 2004 from Deep in the Heartlessness of Texas
Pretty much agree with everything you say. But ... Their site says that it has a new 5th generation engine. I don't know what that means in reality. And apparently the Headrush add-on replicates hardware Headrush presets, which a lot of people love.Agreed wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 7:01 pm
Me personally, my amp and pedal modeling has been taken over by machine learning stuff... Between Neural DSP's amp sims, the big companies now integrating NAM-like stuff into their own tech, and IKMM going full ham on it with ToneX, my whole modeling approach and setup has changed significantly recently. It's hard for me to see the value in buying a bunch of bespoke models of stuff at this time with this other tech really taking off and doing crazy things. I mean, I can profile my own gear and it sounds great, not "well close enough I guess," I mean, really great if you do it right and get everything gain staged correctly for capture and during usage of the captures. The bar for what is an acceptable quality amp model has never been higher, which I guess ought to be true as tech proceeds.
I like the evolution of capture and modeling software, but I don't care a lot about how 'accurate' it is, especially given that every amp sounds different from every other amp. I just want it to sound good and have good touch and dynamics.
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pierrebruynooghe pierrebruynooghe https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=438233
- KVRer
- 4 posts since 28 Mar, 2019
It seems the old users of Revalver 4 with license can upgrade their version of the plug free of charge.
Last edited by pierrebruynooghe on Fri Dec 08, 2023 8:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3382 posts since 21 May, 2004 from Deep in the Heartlessness of Texas
Very quick first impression --
It's a perfectly capable amp sim. I don't like a lot of the presets, but that's true with most sims. The Headrush Deluxe Reverbs sound good to me. I'm spoiled, because I have a 67 Blackface, and that's the magic sound for me. This doesn't have that sound, but nobody else really does either. Tonex can come pretty close, and R5 doesn't, so far.
The early selections of demo Headrush amps seem muffled to me, and their EQ knobs don't do much, but some of the later ones are fine. This is all a matter of taste, of course.
I like the Budda sims a lot.
The sims I tried were all responsive to volume change. I used a guitar with hot P-90s, and using the volume knob made a big difference in drive.
You can get a LOT of tonal variation out of this thing, with the different cabs and mics. Which is true of a lot of the multi-component sims like Amplitube.
I didn't try the component alterations, and only a few of the drive pedals and verbs.
This doesn't feel like a special instabuy new mojo thing. It's not an Amplitube killer. So, far the sounds aren't three-dimensional for me, but maybe they're in there. I own about five of the NeuralDSP amps, and they all sound and feel much more polished and 3D. It doesn't feel as powerful and deep as Axiom2, but there's a lot of tweaking you can do for your tone quest.
But, I think it's worth trying the free demo version, and the Standard version is only $40. It includes the Buddas that I like and some Headrush amps, both those I liked and those I didn't.
It may be worth reminding ourselves that Neural, Amplitube, and Axiom both cost a lot more than Revalver 5.
The usual caveat -- Everybody's taste is different, and I've only fooled around with it for an hour or so. Also, I still suck as a guitarist after 50 years, and that can make a difference.
It's a perfectly capable amp sim. I don't like a lot of the presets, but that's true with most sims. The Headrush Deluxe Reverbs sound good to me. I'm spoiled, because I have a 67 Blackface, and that's the magic sound for me. This doesn't have that sound, but nobody else really does either. Tonex can come pretty close, and R5 doesn't, so far.
The early selections of demo Headrush amps seem muffled to me, and their EQ knobs don't do much, but some of the later ones are fine. This is all a matter of taste, of course.
I like the Budda sims a lot.
The sims I tried were all responsive to volume change. I used a guitar with hot P-90s, and using the volume knob made a big difference in drive.
You can get a LOT of tonal variation out of this thing, with the different cabs and mics. Which is true of a lot of the multi-component sims like Amplitube.
I didn't try the component alterations, and only a few of the drive pedals and verbs.
This doesn't feel like a special instabuy new mojo thing. It's not an Amplitube killer. So, far the sounds aren't three-dimensional for me, but maybe they're in there. I own about five of the NeuralDSP amps, and they all sound and feel much more polished and 3D. It doesn't feel as powerful and deep as Axiom2, but there's a lot of tweaking you can do for your tone quest.
But, I think it's worth trying the free demo version, and the Standard version is only $40. It includes the Buddas that I like and some Headrush amps, both those I liked and those I didn't.
It may be worth reminding ourselves that Neural, Amplitube, and Axiom both cost a lot more than Revalver 5.
The usual caveat -- Everybody's taste is different, and I've only fooled around with it for an hour or so. Also, I still suck as a guitarist after 50 years, and that can make a difference.
Last edited by GreyLion on Thu Dec 07, 2023 11:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- KVRAF
- 9099 posts since 28 Apr, 2013
Worse than annoying for me as it actually caused the USB port to stop working. And thinking it was the port, I switched it to another and again after some time using it, this scheme caused it to stop working also.GreyLion wrote: Thu Dec 07, 2023 6:25 pmYeah... It's kinda annoying. I imagine doubly so if you're out in the wild with a laptop and no free USB ports remaining.
Requirements from their site: A free USB port and a USB device which to lock license or a USB device already in use (existing dongle audio interface, hard drive, etc.)
Was finally forced to reformat and reinstall the OS, which "miraculously" got both USB ports working again. Contacting support was a frustrating run around trying to correct this.
So after downloading this new revamp and opening the license manager to find it was still there, and reading here the only other option is using iLok software... I uninstalled and deleted it. Shame really. I really liked my version three without the nonsense. No way am I willing to go through that again.
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3382 posts since 21 May, 2004 from Deep in the Heartlessness of Texas
BBFG# -- Wow! That's fairly terrifying. A good reminder that I've gotten out of the habit of creating restore points before installing software, since I haven't had any issues like that for about a decade. And, of course, sometimes a restore doesn't fix things. Maybe I need to get more paranoid again.
I had no problems with any of it, except for having to unplug and replug my iLok key. Which does indicate that the R5 License Manager struggles with some issue with USB. Otherwise, it was fast and painless.
From the site, it looks like you can't just use iLok software, you have to have a key. It definitely wants to touch some kind of USB storage device.
What OS are you running, just as a data point?
I had no problems with any of it, except for having to unplug and replug my iLok key. Which does indicate that the R5 License Manager struggles with some issue with USB. Otherwise, it was fast and painless.
From the site, it looks like you can't just use iLok software, you have to have a key. It definitely wants to touch some kind of USB storage device.
What OS are you running, just as a data point?
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- KVRAF
- 5253 posts since 16 May, 2002 from Brisbane , Australia
I tried an old eLicenser with no luck. It's a really foolish and inconsiderate authorization system. A USB slot for every 10 plugins I have and there would be more USB hubs than I have room for. Think people, think!
Intel Core i7 8700K, 16gb, Windows 10 Pro, Focusrite Scarlet 6i6