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Reviewed By Faydit [all]
September 21st, 2024
Version reviewed: 1.2.0 on Windows
Looks cool, sounds very good and is - also because of the lot of (additional) tweaking options - very flexible both for traditonal or rather unusal reverbs sounds.
Read ReviewWell, 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.
Read ReviewReviewed By Faydit [all]
June 3rd, 2024
Version reviewed: 1.0 on Windows
There are three reasons to buy this plugin: Sound, sound, sound.
One of the best, if not the very best Orange amp plugin, which I have heard up too now. Excellent combination of amps too, the Dual Terror is the all round option with it's - for an Orange amp slightly slimmer sounding Tiny Terror channel and the additional Fat channel, which rather covers the classic Orange sounds, but with more gain. The Jim Root #4 is a little more special, more or less the little brother of the Rockerverb Mk. 2, it also offers a little darker voiced clean to crunch up to very, very unique sounding high.gain / Metal tones, which are - if you like them - a class of iit's own, soundwise a differently sounding alternative to the more usual, but also meanwhile more inflationary Rectifier, 5150, ... sounds. As this amp is discontinued meanwhile, it is nice, to still have access to it as a plugin.
Very authentic, very natural tones, which also react well to attack. Harmonics reproduction also is very good, you have the feeling, that you play a real amp and no plugin. What more can you wish?
Very positive I also found that as an overdrive the EHX Crayon had been added and not (once again) only a Tube Screamer.
The two V30 cabinets with a wide range of also more unusual microphones do a good job too, the additional room reverb simulations also can be useful, as much as the wide option.
Orange typical all three voicings individually can be adjusted to almost everything between (British) clean and high-gain, so in my opinion this plugin is a must-have for Orange amp sound fans, no matter if you look for classic Orange tones, for modern Metal tones or for anything in between.
Maybe not the cheapest amp plugin in times of freeware NAM and ToneX models, on the other hand you get completely and excellently modeled / programmed amps with all necessary features and not only some single amateur snapshot captures, therefore also not overpriced, much less for the sound quality.
Read ReviewReviewed By Faydit [all]
April 23rd, 2024
Version reviewed: 2.0.0 on Windows
Cool, updated version.
Input leveling and Dry/Wet controls are very useful, so is the Less Shrill mod.
Ultra and Seeing Eye are not really so much my taste, but certainly useful for others. I personally prefer the original voicing. Properly adjusted a nice sort of Marshall sound, a little bit different and hotter than the tone of an SD-1 or TS-9.
Oversampling adjustment and VU-meter also are nice features. Anyway already comparably cheap and a more than fair update price too.
An SD-1 with comparable features and mods (C6, more transparency (Boutique), LED-diodes, ...) also would be nice.
Read ReviewReviewed By Faydit [all]
March 19th, 2024
Version reviewed: 1.0.0 on Windows
Nice, much more flexible adjustable Univibe based plugin, which also allows some more or less differently voiced sounds in comparison with the original, while on the other hand adjusting a really authentic sound can become a little more complicated.
I personally like it, especially for creating some more unusual sounds.
Read ReviewReviewed By Faydit [all]
February 3rd, 2024
Version reviewed: 1.4.23 on Windows
Concerning only the Jim P:
This is a very cool amp.
Much better and more authentically sounding than the stock-Overloud-Marshalls/Plexis, but also seems to have some sort of unique tone. Tons of treble, bite and not as much low-end in Normal channel as I know it from most 1959's. Ok, this is a JMP50 and with this one I had no experience up to now.
You definitely get very typical Led Zeppelin tones out of this amp, but also a lot of different ones, depending on your own settings and adjustments.
A big advantage is, that you can switch between the possible inputs and input combinations, essential for getting great and authentic tones out of these amps.
Cabinet also sounds good.
A must have for Marshall fans in my opinion. Also a big sound improvement, if compared with older TH-U amps. This really is state-of-the-art.
More in this quality, please.
Read ReviewReviewed By Faydit [all]
January 16th, 2024
Version reviewed: 1.2.0.0 on Windows
Not only as a plugin, but also in reality one of my all time favorite amps.
Typical Orange sounds, but - if necessary- also much hotter.
Beautiful organically and naturally sounding (British) clean sounds, certainly nothing for Fender clean fans, but with a wonderful bluesy, even jazzy character. There is a reason, why players like Ike Turner or Raphael Saadiq also played/play Orange amps and they certainly are no Rock or Metal players.
Even more interesting is the Dirty channel, classic Orange crunch and overdrive tones of course, but even much more gain, if wished, with a very unique, beefy, but still aggressive, vivid character and wonderful, intense (British) harmonics. A completely different player in the game, without any similarities with amps from competitors.
A unique class of it's own very much instead. The plugin offers exactly this character wonderful and very authentically.
Some players will like exactly this sound, others will not at all. No compromises here possible.
This amp really rocks.
A lot of good sounding, professionally miked cabinet IR's, matching perfectly well to this amp are included (V30, G12K-100, G12M-25, Alnico Blue, G12M-65 CB) and if they are not enough, you can decativate this section and use external IR's instead too. Also the typical additional features of all Brainworx amp plugins in the fx section even expand the sonic fine tuning possibilities.
For me the most naturally and most authentically sounding Orange amp plugin ever.
Also one of my Brainworx favorites.
My only complaint is, that the spring reverb is missing. Maybe also an upgrade to the MK. III version would be nice. Nevertheless awesome sounds, no doubt.
A great alternative for players, who do not really like the sound of a Rectifier, SLO, VH-4 or XTC, whyever and look for wonderful British voiced top notch high-gain sounds.
Read ReviewReviewed By Faydit [all]
January 2nd, 2024
Version reviewed: 1.3 on Windows
Top-notch plugin of an excellent amp.
I personally prefer this over any other Dumble simulation plugin. Is much more versatile, better adjustable and offers a wide range of very good tones between clean and classic overdrive. With the right settings you can even dial in some Plexi-like overdrive, with maybe a little more American compression but still nicely balanced and biting. The clean and crunch tones anyway are a class of their own and also perfectly adjustable to almost every guitar.
They can sound like a perfectly voiced or customized Fender amp, but also completely different, depending on your personal adjustments.
Also the cabinet/speaker selection matches perfectly well and offers above average quality, just like some other typical features of this amp plugin collection.
Maybe some roughness and dirt might be missing, depending on what you are looking for, but if you look for really beautiful, well balanced, nevertheless perfectly and flexibly adjustable, very naturally sounding tube amp tones, this is most probably one of the best sounding plugins for this job.
A real gem in the digital world of - for me mostly - fake tones. And also much cheaper than the real amp....
Highly recommended.
Read ReviewReviewed By Faydit [all]
January 2nd, 2024
Version reviewed: 1.1 on Windows
Does not convince me very much. Every JTM45 offers a better combination of American and British voicing in my opinion.
Much too loose, too muddy bass combined with much too shrill, too thin sounding treble and almost no British mids is not really a great voicing for me. Does not sound like a good Tweed amp, does not sound like a good Plexi to me, much too unbalanced, neither fish nor meat sound for my taste.
Worst of both worlds, so to say. But this anyway is my impression of most Friedman amps. American obviously have not really a talent for British voiced amps in my opinion. They are embossed on typical Fender tones from their birth on.
Germans do a better job, if it comes to British voiced amps, think of Diezel or Engl.
Read ReviewReviewed By Faydit [all]
January 2nd, 2024
Version reviewed: 1.3 on Windows
The BE-100 is not really my taste, as the basic sounds differ for me too much from a real Marshall. It simply does not "nail the tone".
The DS-40 I like, sounds to me like some sort of Hot-Rod-JTM45. Nice if you are looking for typical AC/DC or ZZ Top tones. On the other hand, it maybe already offers too much gain in comparison with a real JTM45.
Nice Blues-Rock to Hard-Rock amp. A Metal amp it is not.
Read Review