IK Multimedia Amplitube Jimi Hendrix Edition

Amplitube Jimi Hendrix is an expansion pack for IK Multimedia Amplitube. With the introduction of Amplitube Custom Shop, individual amp models in this package can be purchased separately rather than as a bundle.
IKM Amplitube is a software plug-in that can be used inside a DAW, and can also be used as a stand-alone plug-in.
The Jimi Hendrix expansion pack is full of vintage and rare amp models of the same gear tha Jimi Hendrix used while recording his famous guitar sounds.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I have listened to a lot of Jimi Hendrix in my life, a learned to play the guitar in part by learning a lot of his songs. However, I am not necessarily a Jimi Hendrix gear-head. I wish there were a few more amp models included in this package. However, I guess its possible that Hendrix didn't use that many different amps while he recorded. Nonetheless, when I think about this expansion pack, I mostly think of it more as a vintage gear package, so if there were a few more vintage amps available then great. I probably should fault IKM for trying to be true to the Jimi Hendrix gear selection.

OVERALL OPINION

The amp models in Amplitube Jimi Hendrix are some that you will not find anywhere else. The Fender amps are super cool for adding a touch of drive/saturation for blues-rock rhythm guitar work. The Marshall JTM100 is amazing for vintage lead sounds. My favorite part of the bundle is the collection fuzz pedals. The pedals included are perfect for a raw, old-school vibe. Most other amp sim software (Guitar Rig 5, Pod Farm, etc) only include models of Fuzz Face and Big Muff Pi pedals. If you want that real-deal fuzz sound, this collection as some amazing models. My biggest complaint with all Amplitube products is the post-effects. They really need to include some better old school effects models (Pye Compressor and Helios Eq, Plate Reverb, etc.)

Everybody and their mother these days seems to want to profit off of Jimi Hendrix, so it comes to no surprise when IK Multimedia tries to do the same thing. This time, they're just rehashing their standard Amplitube stuff for the Hendrix fans out there, and I honestly think they failed. To use this, you get a mic pre or some sort of interface, hook that up to your computer and then hook up your guitar to the interface. Then load up the stand alone application or the VST in your favorite DAW and you're good to go. I didn't experience any compatibility issues, so no problems there. I never read the manual, so I can't comment on that. Setting it all up is pretty easy, so no issues there.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

The amp sims on this are decent, but they're nothing spectacular. The Marshall sound reminds me of those Line 6 modelers that try to emulate the Marshall sound. They basically sound nothing alike aside from some random upper mids. The feel isn't there, the way they respond in real life isn't there, and the massive air a cranked Plexi pushes out of a full stack definitely isn't there. Considering how they're marketing this towards Hendrix fans, I'd say those three things should have been the biggest things to focus on. I didn't experience any crashing with this, but I wouldn't be surprised if other people had crashing problems. It took up a decent amount of memory, but it was nothing a new computer couldn't handle.

OVERALL OPINION

If you're a fan of Jimi Hendrix, do yourself a favor and just get a real Marshall. There's no amp sim out there that can truly replicate that cranked Plexi sound. The closest you can get is the Axe-Fx, and those things cost big money. They also take some time to truly dial in. This software is just half-assed and not really worth trying out.

Everybody and their mother these days seems to want to profit off of Jimi Hendrix, so it comes to no surprise when IK Multimedia tries to do the same thing. This time, they're just rehashing their standard Amplitube stuff for the Hendrix fans out there, and I honestly think they failed. To use this, you get a mic pre or some sort of interface, hook that up to your computer and then hook up your guitar to the interface. Then load up the stand alone application or the VST in your favorite DAW and you're good to go. I didn't experience any compatibility issues, so no problems there. I never read the manual, so I can't comment on that. Setting it all up is pretty easy, so no issues there.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

The amp sims on this are decent, but they're nothing spectacular. The Marshall sound reminds me of those Line 6 modelers that try to emulate the Marshall sound. They basically sound nothing alike aside from some random upper mids. The feel isn't there, the way they respond in real life isn't there, and the massive air a cranked Plexi pushes out of a full stack definitely isn't there. Considering how they're marketing this towards Hendrix fans, I'd say those three things should have been the biggest things to focus on. I didn't experience any crashing with this, but I wouldn't be surprised if other people had crashing problems. It took up a decent amount of memory, but it was nothing a new computer couldn't handle.

OVERALL OPINION

If you're a fan of Jimi Hendrix, do yourself a favor and just get a real Marshall. There's no amp sim out there that can truly replicate that cranked Plexi sound. The closest you can get is the Axe-Fx, and those things cost big money. They also take some time to truly dial in. This software is just half-assed and not really worth trying out.

There were no compatibility issues with this guy at all, the manual explained clearly how to set this software up, it was easy. It worked well with ProTools but it also works as its own stand-alone system. However, this is kind of pointless, as you can only really use it to record, and why not use it in combination with other instruments? Anyway, the system works pretty much fine with my ProTools setup. It didn't take me too long to set up at all, and the functions were all really easy to find, edit, mess around with, etc.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

The software worked pretty much perfectly. It's certainly not the most stable plug-in I've used in my time though. In fact, it's pretty old now, so I guess it's probably just the fact that plug-ins in general weren't all that great when it was released. It can be slow to load up but once your settings are good, you should be fine while tracking. I've had it a few years now but I haven't used it in a while, it works better on my current computer than it did on my last one.

OVERALL OPINION

While there are a lot of features in this amp modeling software, it doesn't really stack up. It gets really particular when it comes to effects (it models all these classic pedals like the Big Muff, wah, fuzz, octave, etc.) and it basically does everything in its power to approximate the sound of Hendrix. The fact of the matter is, though, that none of these plug-ins will make your tone sound particularly real. Plus, sounding exactly like Hendrix is impossible, as he was a master, and he would sound just like he sounds regardless of what instrument or amp he used. In terms of general amp modeling, it's been done better by newer plug-ins, and they're more stable. There's a lot of variety and it tries really hard but I'd honestly not waste my money on it as it's already kind of dated and useless.