ROAD TEST IK Multimedia AmpliTube 5 Guitar Amp & FX Simulation Software
By Omar Shabbar
A
lot has changed this past year . From the way we work or go to school and even the way we socialize , we ’ re always adapting to new norms . The music industry is no exception . Personally , I haven ’ t jammed with someone in almost a year , let alone play a show . So how do we musicians continue to be productive and creative during the pandemic ? Like many of you , I ’ ve focused my energy on recording . Recording at home , however , can still pose many challenges ; most notably , volume . I live in a one-bedroom apartment in Toronto , so I definitely can ’ t plug into a cranked amp and record whenever I want . My solution for this has been AmpliTube by IK Multimedia . It ’ s a guitar amp and effect simulator that allows me to plug right into my computer and get those lush cranked-amp sounds without getting evicted .
IK Multimedia released AmpliTube 5 in December 2020 , which they have coined “ One giant leap for ampkind .” That ’ s a pretty bold statement . Last year I wrote a review of AmpliTube 4 and IK Multimedia ’ s Axe I / O interface and if you read it , you know that I love it ; it ’ s easy to use and it sounds awesome . It ’ s become a staple in my home studio and I ’ ve used it on a weekly , if not daily basis throughout the pandemic . With the new edition out , I was eager to figure out what all the hype was about .
For those who are unfamiliar with AmpliTube , it ’ s an amp simulation software that breaks your signal down into four main categories : pedals , amp head , cab , and rack FX . Within each category , there is a huge selection of digitally-recreated gear to choose from . If we look at the cab section , for example , not only can you choose the cab , but you can also choose the speaker type , the microphones and their placement , and the type of room you ’ re recording in . As you can imagine , the possibilities for tone tweakability are endless .
There are three different versions of AmpliTube 5 , each with a different size library of gear models . I have the standard version and its library of 177 gear models serves me well . I tend to use Fender- and Vox-style amps and my library offers me five or six amps within that tonal range . For those who are looking for something a little heavier than my squeaky-clean tones , AmpliTube has you covered there as well . The standard version includes non-branded replicas of several Marshalls , a Peavey 5150 , and a Mesa / Boogie Triple Rectifier , to name a few . AmpliTube also offers additional gear models that can be purchased as add-ons in their custom shop . Some models are fully licensed and designed by companies like Fender , Wampler , ENGL , Orange , and Soldano . I know this sounds like a lot , and it is , but the user interface makes dialling in your tone just as easy as the physical guitar rigs we ’ re all used to . I never find that I ’ m overwhelmed with option paralysis or that I have to stop my workflow to Google how to do something . You just drag-and-drop the gear you want into your signal chain and turn the dials : just like your real amp and pedals .
Alright , alright , but how does it sound ? Well , it sounds awesome . The sims are very convincing : it ’ s almost uncanny how much they sound like the legendary gear they ’ re modeled after . My issue with some amp simulations is that they may sound good but they feel weird to play and
that can really suck the inspiration out of you . Not only does this sound good , but it ’ s also the best feeling amp simulation I ’ ve ever played . I find myself wanting to pick up my guitar and plug it into AmpliTube 5 just to play . To me , that ’ s the ultimate test for new gear . Sure , it serves a purpose as a recording tool , but above all , it ’ s inspiring ; it makes me want to play music instead of watch more Netflix .
As I mentioned above , I love AmpliTube 4 and I ’ ve found a good workflow with it , so I was sceptical that AmpliTube 5 could offer enough improvements to warrant an upgrade . The first thing I noticed was the visuals . It definitely looks better , but more importantly , it ’ s laid out better too . It ’ s very easy to navigate throughout your signal chain and tweak parameters . This new UI allows you to drag-and-drop any FX anywhere , so you can easily make that elaborate three-amp setup or simply add a delay pedal into your FX loop .
Secondly , there are new gear models to choose from , especially for rack FX . In general , this part of the software feels the most improved with 19 new gear models . Last , and most important , it does sound better . IK Multimedia recaptured the impulse responses for all of their cab simulations and this makes an enormous difference . Not only does this make the amps sound and feel more realistic , but they react better with different drive pedals and interfaces . There are a lot of other improvements , but to me these three are enough to warrant upgrading .
I ’ m not going to be selling my valve amps anytime soon but right now , I can ’ t go anywhere , let alone a studio where I could use real amps . Even beyond the pandemic , I can ’ t always afford to book a session at a studio and I definitely don ’ t have the gear , knowledge , or space to record on my own . AmpliTube 5 offers a solution to all of that . It sounds awesome , it ’ s affordable , easy to use , and I can use it whenever I want .
Omar Shabbar is a gigging musician based out of Toronto . He ’ s also an onsite guitar tech at The Root Down Studio ( www . therootdownstudio . com ) and a self-proclaimed gear head . In the rapidly changing industry of modern guitar gear , Omar attempts to discern innovation from distraction . Check out his YouTube channel , featuring dozens of gear reviews and performance clips , at YouTube . com / OmarGearReview .
22 CANADIAN MUSICIAN