OldComms

Although the plugin has some disadvantages, which mainly seem to be issues of the real gear, not of the programming itself, it sounds very unique and excellent, if you're looking for vintage tube (amp) tones with a lot of individual character.

The amplifier section sounds fantastic, but it also can – if you wish - sound really noisy without the noise reduction properly adjusted. Great vintage tube amp tones, at higher gain settings you get extremely naturally and musically sounding crunch and even great overdrive tones with the right harmonics, good dynamic reaction and a typical tube saturation.

One of – if not – the creamiest, smoothest tube saturation / overdrive, I've ever heard from a plugin. Usually I complain about too much (digital) harshness of most – so called - tube simulation circuits, I know, especially at higher gain/saturation settings, whether they are amp simulations, equalizers or compressors, here I personally sometimes would like a little more addditional treble bite and rawness, but this additional bite you also can add with the equalizer section, if adjusted as treble booster.

I personally use this plugin mostly with electric guitar, as this amplifier has it's very own, unique sound with a very special character, some early breakup tube amp tone with a lot of sweet, singing sustain and very good harmonics reproduction, also with good dynamic reaction, ranging from clean through crunch to even excellently sounding tube overdrive, which I hardly can compare with any real (guitar) amp, as even most vintage (guitar) amps, I know, cannot produce these kind of tones, modern amps anyway not.

Maybe these tones are comparable to some late 50's, early 60's British audio or studio tube gear or amps (Mullard, Watkins, , , , ), it is neither really a typical Tweed nor a typical Plexi tone. Basically some sort of fuller bodied, harmonically richer and well balanced, very musically sounding vintage tube tone.

The plugin sounds excellent in combination with guitar, but also should work well with other instruments, I think, if you're looking for a lot of vintage voiced tube breakup colouration and saturation.

The tone section works fine, if you adjust it properly, allows good fine tuning, as you can boost or cut individually selected frequencies, obviously the Tone Level control works reverse, boost needs turning counterclockwise, cut turning clockwise.

The limiter/compressor section basically would sound great, but unfortunatey at more intense attenuation settings the output signal increases again, if the input signal gets weaker, so it reacts more like a swell pedal, which in most cases practically is not very useful or the desired result, rather some creative effect, even if this may be the authentic reaction and behaviour of this circuit. Some additional setting options would be useful to be able to adjust this section so, that it works like a typical limiter/compressor.

The three different sections, amplifier, equalizer and limiter/compressor can be activated individually, which is a useful feature.

I also noticed that the signal output is extremely high at higher gain settings, even more with equalizer in boost mode, so an additional master / output volume control would be helpful.

The quality of the tube simulation and the very unique sonic character of this plugin – apart from these smaller issues - are excellent. Nevertheless I think, some people will like this plugin, because of it's unique character, others will not, because of the same reasons.