TWD DLX

Well, certainly not one of the most beautiful plugins, also the very technical documentation, which unfortunately also includes some necessary informations about installing and the differently modeled versions, but often not at first glance visible, most probably will not please everybody, nevertheless it is one of the most professional and competent documentations, I have seen for an amp model plugin.

But - the sounds - if properly adjusted - are excellent! At least with a matching cab IR behind and a noise gate in between.

I hardy before have heard so natural and authentic Tweed Deluxe sounds from any amp simulation plugin. They even are offered in different variations - which you do not even get in reality, unless you order or build yourself a customized version with these modifications - additionally the "options"-site even allows some more fine-tuning or tweaking. What the different options affect and in which way, is intensely described in the documentation.

Great tones from classic vintage clean to this typical, slightly broken sounding Tweed Deluxe crunch in CD SE3 mode, CD BAL and the LTP modes sound a little different, a little more British in my opinion, but in different ways. Even these typical Neil Young sounds are well adjustable in 12AX7 mode, turn "compensation" off and increase input gain a little, but you can also adjust completely different sounds up to even nice Vox or Plexi sounds, if you have learned, what to do where.

With all the tweaking options properly used, after having understood the informations about the controls in the documentation and in combination with matching cabinet IR's a lot of authentic but also a lot of differently voiced sounds are adjustable. So you can tweak your own, unique boutique amp sound completely for free, at least, if you have taken the time and have found the necessary informtaion in the documentation.

Nevertheless this plugins also works as a plug-in (your guitar) and play plugin, but the really great sounds I rather got, after having read a lot and tweaked a little.

Even the added speaker IR (which needs an additional IR loader) sounds good, very authentically and matches well. Also interesting, how different IR's affect the sound and often need completely different settings. Proves for me the quality of the tones, as every guitar gear is some sort of interactive circuit, so not every combination automatically sounds right, the right combinations make the great tones, but also the not so great ones.

A little complicated first, on the other hand really professionally made and - most of all - sounding.

The only disadvantage, I have found, is, that this plugin at higher volume settings definitely needs a good noise gate, but this also concerns a lot of commercial, professional plugins, which often have the noise gate built in and this gem is freeware and I anyway have some nice noise gate plugins, so this is no problem at all.

Another comparable plugin, based on a 5E2, AC-30 or 1959 circuit also would be very nice somewhen.

One of the best sounding and flexible amp plugins, I have heard during the last time and this, although I am not really such a great Tweed Deluxe amp sound fan, but maybe the reason is, that I never got close to a real one, which sounded as good as this plugin does. And it also did not offer so many excellent alternate sounds...

Some people do, what, they can, a few ones really can, what they do! Mr. Keller definitely belongs to the very rare, second league. At least for me.

Thank you very much for this very nice plugin.