I’m fairly new to electric guitar amp plugins though I’m no stranger to digital amp simulators. I love my Boss GT100 and use it for most of my recording needs. But pure software “in the box” amps are something else again. I’ve been impressed with a few of the amps included with Logic Pro X but think most of them are either pretty lame or too gimmicky. I’ve just been playing around with Softube’s 1959 Marshall Plexi plugin however and am pretty blown away.
It has seemed to me that of all the multi guitar amp emulators I’ve tried, usually only a couple tend to stand out. With my old Line 6 Pod it was the Brit class A which was I think a Vox AC30 model. Actually the AC30 based virtual amps in Logic are also among my faves. I also like a couple of the Fender models. Same goes with the GT100 but I also like some of its Marshalls. I’m a Marshall man.
My old TSL 122 has sat largely unplayed in my studio room for a long time. Its just too loud to use at it’s best in a house (or even in small venues!) Even on its attenuated 25 watt setting it could break windows. I had started looking at attenuators like the UA Ox or the Two Notes Captor in order to give the old boy’s valves some exercise. Then I remembered that some electric guitar amp plugins came free with my new Volt 276 interface. One of them was the aforementioned Plexi. Any good? I wondered.
Softube 1959 Marshall Plexi
Once downloaded I opened it on Logic and plugged my Strat, then my Les Paul in to it via the Volt. To start with It’s a cool thing visually. Apparently its modelled on the actual 59 Plexi in the Marshall museum, warts n all. There’s some torn and worn vinyl covering and the gold face of the Middle tone knob is missing. The virtual cables and jacks used in the various settings also look authentically dated.
If you’ve ever played one of these now mega pricey legends, you’ll know that there are 4 inputs which can be mixed, matched and combined with patch cables. You’ll also know that their classic sound is achieved with pretty much everything set to 10 (Dimed): Presence, Bass, Treble, Mid and both volumes get the Nigel Tufnell treatment minus 1.
Before I went straight to “Lick my love pump” central however I had a little play with some of the presets. All nice, useable, authentic sounds but none of them gave me that singing Marshall “Thang” I was hoping for. Until….. I did the “dimed” thing. There it was! The Volt also came with a lovely reverb plugin from Relab and I’ve just bought Waves H Delay so I added a touch of both on aux sends. I was a happy bunny. Not good news for the real thing behind me I’m afraid….
Heres’ the thing: Electric guitar amp plugins will always be fuel for debate among guitarists. Not that long ago I would have been among the nay sayers just as I was as a photographer when digital cameras first appeared. Now I’d never go back to film cameras or audio tape. Digital is way more convenient and always gets better. This plugin from Softube is a prime example.
Turned Up To 11 (Ok 10, but you get the picture)
I have actually played old Marshall amps including a plexi. They don’t sound like the newer amps. My TSL is a far brighter proposition. This plugin, after a few tweaks reminds me completely of the old stuff. It has that certain hard to describe quality – a sort of “BRANG” and “SQUAWK” thing – that no other amp has. It responds audibly to different settings and convincingly to picking dynamics. Rather than being just one amp model in a bundle it’s clearly the result of a single minded attention to detail: A focus on just this one specific amp. I think that makes all the difference.
Like the original you don’t get many controls on the plugin. On the amp itself you have: Presence, Bass, Middle and treble Knobs as well as two volume knobs for channels 1 and 2. You have 4 inputs: A high and low for each channel. On a separate panel you have an output volume knob, bass and treble knobs and pan and volume knobs for the Shure SM57 mic simulator.
This basic plugin which comes free with various interfaces, gives you a single 57 and a Marshall 4X12 cabinet simulator. You can buy advanced versions which offer 2 additional mics which you can move around in a virtual space. A 57 touching cloth is kind of classic though and sounds great to these ears.
If this hadn’t come free with a piece of kit would I have bought it? Probably not for a while. Now that I’ve tried it I definitely would consider paying for other electric guitar amp plugins. I seriously doubt anyone could tell the difference between this one and the real thing on a recording. Some will disagree but with the real thing costing way north of £20k and this around $60, I think they might just compromise. I like it anyway.
