Ik Multimedia - never again !!!

[particlestorm]

I used Amplitube 5 Max and i am more than disappointed, with the quality and also how the company handles customer requests with licensing problems.

Unfortunately quantity over quality is the motto here. In general there are much better and also cheaper alternatives on the market. Moreover, the fact that you always have to install the complete package wastes disk space when it's completely not necessary. The CPU load is pretty intense, about the double of other plugins with the same or even better quality.
Apart from that, their licensing policy is pretty puzzling. And if problems occur the customer service, especially when dealing with problems of licenses, acts more than ignorant.
So, all in all please stay away from Amplitube and other IK Multimedia products.

[Raksha]

I cannot understand why anyone would ever use simulated amp vst's any more. I've had amplitube 5 for years, but never use it since a year back.

IKM have already got a better alternative in ToneX, wich are based on amp captures and machine learning to create profiles of real amps and stomps.

However, what I would recommend wholeheartedly is NAM - Neural Amp Modeler. First of all, it is totally free, and so are the thousands of profiles on https://tonehunt.org/ - second, the quality of the profiles are even better than those of ToneX.

The latter can be argued, of course, but that's up to anyone to judge by themselves. So you can do just that by downloading the plugin, and whatever amps you are interested in from tonehunt.

There are full rig captures there, but most NAM users prefer to make and play DI profiles, so you would need an external IR loader to go with most profiles. IRs can be downloaded from tonehunt too, and can be used in a single slot in the plugin, but an external loader is a lot more flexible. Given that you have amplitube 5, you can disable anything but the cabs in AT and use that.

So I urge you, and anyone else to try it out. It certainly changed everything for me. Simulated amps sounds like a shadow in comparision, or a worn out pair of boxer shorts...

NAM sounds like the real deal with a good profile and a good IR setup.

BTW - in addition to the free profiles on tonehunt, there are commercial alternatives for NAM too - some great offerings of vintage and boutique amps, stomps and outboard can be had from Amalgam Audio, Tone Junkie, Sultans of Stomp an Past to Future reverbs, to mention a few.

I don't think you will regret trying it out!

And btw: Here is my profile on tonehunt, hopefully you can find something already there: https://tonehunt.org/Raksha

Cheers!

[jamcat]

In general there are much better and also cheaper alternatives on the market.

TONEX is better. It’s the best ampsim on the market, hands down. It’s also from IK and it’s available inside AmpliTube 5.

Moreover, the fact that you always have to install the complete package wastes disk space when it's completely not necessary.

How do you figure it’s not necessary? AmpliTube is a single plugin, not separate plugins. The models are fully integrated in the software. They’re not merely presets or profiles. TONEX models are profiles, which is why you can download new ones from Tone.net to expand it.

So, all in all please stay away from Amplitube and other IK Multimedia products.

What is this, a reverse sales pitch? A school essay? Anyways, if you stay away from IK products then you’ll miss out on TONEX, which is really bad advice. D+

[Caine123]

There are so many topics about warning for ikm and people still buy .... i guess vecause of their freebies. I nearly replaced all plugins in my old projects. I got a long topic with posting facts and experiences they still didnt change it seems. I can just recommend anyone to replace them asap.

[particlestorm]

You are right. I was looking for a all-in-one solution (Amps, FX, etc.) with a good GUI. I saw the sale and i gave it a shot....My bad

There are so many topics about warning for ikm and people still buy .... i guess vecause of their freebies. I nearly replaced all plugins in my old projects. I got a long topic with posting facts and experiences they still didnt change it seems. I can just recommend anyone to replace them asap.

[particlestorm]

I checked out ToneX and it did not convince me. And i surely do not need presets from other guitarists. If you enjoy it, good for you....You say that it is available inside Amplitube. So, i would have to install Amplitube with all the crap? Another reason not to use it.

In general there are much better and also cheaper alternatives on the market.

TONEX is better. It’s the best ampsim on the market, hands down. It’s also from IK and it’s available inside AmpliTube 5.

Moreover, the fact that you always have to install the complete package wastes disk space when it's completely not necessary.

How do you figure it’s not necessary? AmpliTube is a single plugin, not separate plugins. The models are fully integrated in the software. They’re not merely presets or profiles. TONEX models are profiles, which is why you can download new ones from Tone.net to expand it.

So, all in all please stay away from Amplitube and other IK Multimedia products.

What is this, a reverse sales pitch? A school essay? Anyways, if you stay away from IK products then you’ll miss out on TONEX, which is really bad advice. D+

[Raksha]

In general there are much better and also cheaper alternatives on the market.

TONEX is better. It’s the best ampsim on the market, hands down. It’s also from IK and it’s available inside AmpliTube

I claim that NAM is even better. Top notch profiles from pro guys are availiable, and the best free profiles are on par with those.

[Recourt]

Lol, NAM.

[Raksha]

Lol, NAM.

LOL? What's to laugh at?

[Recourt]

Tonex is better.

[noiseboyuk]

I checked out ToneX and it did not convince me. And i surely do not need presets from other guitarists. If you enjoy it, good for you....You say that it is available inside Amplitube. So, i would have to install Amplitube with all the crap? Another reason not to use it.

It has its own standalone product, or can be used within Amplitube 5.

I see it all as analalgous to sampled vs modelled synths. Just as a single note from a sample will capture a synth sound perfectly, a Tonex capture sounds damn-near spot on. But there's only very limited tweaking. Some of Amplitube and Guitar Rig sounds terrific to me, and you can tweak it much more like a real amp. Guitar Rig is still the one I reach for most often of all three, because so much guitar I play is ambient-ish, and nothing else comes close for that. But if I need a classic crunchy sound, Tonex has a ton of great options.

Don't really get the anger. All three are good options, and I'm sure there are others just as good or better. Lucky us.

[Raksha]

Tonex is better.

Well, it is a matter of personal taste. I've tried both, and I see (hear) no reason why I should use ToneX. I see no reason to pick a fight either, I just don't understand why NAM should be laughable. Did you even try NAM?

[Choikdoi]

And if problems occur the customer service, especially when dealing with problems of licenses, acts more than ignorant.

Yep. Weeks of back and forth, every reply including literally no more than 1 question every time, such as "have you tried this... (insert obvious question here)?". Even sending an email to ask me to register the license in the Product Manager... the license for the product that I told them I had registered and working in my DAW and was having technical issues with, which is why I contacted them in the first place. Now, they've just stopped replying.

[akeia]

Yep. Weeks of back and forth, every reply including literally no more than 1 question every time, such as "have you tried this... (insert obvious question here)?". Even sending an email to ask me to register the license in the Product Manager... the license for the product that I told them I had registered and working in my DAW and was having technical issues with, which is why I contacted them in the first place. Now, they've just stopped replying.

I do have the same experience. If a problem with an IK product is more complex than simple noob issues they totally loose it. Delaying tactics, ignoring mails, deliberate misunderstandings. A nightmare. I guess it’s because they do not really understand English.

IK has in my opinion the worst support in the industry.

[zvenx]

From day 1 of purchase, I couldn't get Tonex vst3 to stop resizing back to small in cubendo for every new instance. I contacted support, sent them a video. Got a response. Then silence.
So i waited a month, and asked for an update. Using their last email with their support tracking number. They asked me to remind them what the issue was.
I knew then they were going to waste my time.
I resent the video and haven't heard back from them. This was months ago.
rsp