IK Multimedia Amplitube 3

The IK Multimedia Amplitube 3 is very easy to set up, it does not require a lot of disk space and it does not take up much CPU while using it. I use it as a VST plug in with Pro Tools 9 on my PC. But you can also use it on a Mac just as easy because I also use it on my MacBook from time to time when working on certain projects.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Amplitube 3 gives you some really good stomp box effects and amps. It is fully MIDI map-able and has some really classic amp types. There are over 160 different amp models built into this software and most of them are really good and worth a lot more than the price of these software. I use some of these amps more frequently than any other VST amp. The sounds that you can achieve using any of the amps are really good and warm. There are just enough effects to keep me on my toes but I do wish that it had some more effects because the main ones that come with it are pretty simple and basic and will require a lot of tweaking to get the sound that I want.

OVERALL OPINION

The compression and the limiter are also very good and I use them a lot. I was not a fan of the distortion because I felt that it could have been better. Some of it is just too distorted and unusable.
You can use the Amplitube 3 as a standalone or as a VST. I have not tried it as a standalone but I have heard that it is just as stable as when used as a VST. You can use this plug-in with just about any DAW that you want it and should work fine. For the price, there are not too many other plug-ins that can compete with all of the functions and features of Amplitube 3.

Amplitube 3 is a software plug-in that can be used inside a DAW or as a stand-alone application. The signal path for a guitar and bass has been modeled digitally including: amplifiers, cabinets, microphones, stomp boxes, and rack effects.
The software can be installed by downloading it off the IK Multimedia website. Authorization is completed using an IKM software application if your computer connects to the internet.
IK Multimedia has also released a 'Custom Shop' application to run alongside of AT3. This allows you to 'purchase' different gear models on an individual basis. The Custom Shop application is free to download.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

The software is laid out to be intuitive for anyone that has played guitar and used effects. First, the signal goes through a section of stomp-box effects pedals. Then, the signal goes through an amplifier followed by a cabinet/microphone. Finally, there is a section of rack effects. This is a typical ordering of processing that guitarists use in the real world. However, one of the benefits of using software is experimenting with crazy ideas. AT3 has some parallel signal path options, but it is really limited if you want to change the ordering of processing. Most other amp sims offer more flexibility if you are the kind of person that likes to experiment.
To me, the weakest part of the software is the 'post-effects'. I almost never use the effects inside AT3, and also use some other compressor/eg/reverb in my DAW. Guitar Rig 5 has much better options because you can use models of great compressors (1176, LA-2A) and an SSL Eq model. AT3 just comes with a stock compressor, and basic eqs.

OVERALL OPINION

There are many different options for amp simulation software these days (Guitar Rig 5, Line 6 Pod HD/Pod Farm 2, Eleven, OverLoud THD, etc). Every company models the gear in different ways, so they each sound a little different. For instance, an AC30 in Amplitube sounds different than the same amp in GR5 and on a Pod HD. I have a preference of different amps depending on the software, and that's up for you to decide for yourself. The best part of Amplitube is that IKM have started to license amplifiers from different brands. There are a whole bunch of different Orange amps that can be purchased. Most other amp sims just have a single Orange amp model. The Fender add-on pack also includes some great Fender amp models that you won't find else where like the Super-sonic. Finally, bass amps are typically an 'after-thought' in amp sim software. The Ampeg add-on pack is in a league of its own compared to other bass amp sims. I don't even waste my time with other bass amp models.

Amplitube installed right into the computer with about as much effort as it takes to get wet when you go outside on a rainy day.

That being said, I may or may not have inadvertently tried to run Amplitube 3 as an instrument track for five minutes before I snapped back into consciousness. That's a story of not having enough coffee, however, and has nothing to do with Amplitube, so let's get into the nitty gritty!

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Amplitube, admittedly, does tend to run just a teensy bit unstable. It's not that it eats up a ton of resources when I'm running it; it's just that it is inexplicably unstable. I'm not quite sure what I do to it, but I'm sure it's me, so I will chalk it up to that.

However, when it's on, it's on very well. I can shred through Amplitube 3 and when I'm not doing something wrong, it's running without nary a complaint from my computer.

OVERALL OPINION

Amplitube 3 is an amp modeler. It's actually my favorite out there right now. Granted, nothing is ever going to replicate the sound of a great guitar amp, at least not yet. Amplitube 3 admittedly, does occasionally sound a bit grainy and vanilla, but when I grab my DAW to do the rest, I can usually cover it all up in a mix. I'm not a big guitar person, but I recognize the importance of a guitar texture in a lot of music.

That being said, Guitar Rig is infinitely more versatile, but I only use that sometimes because of Komplete 7. Amplitube isn't a terribly flexible program. It's straight to the point amp modeling, but I like it better than any other offering out there, especially when you consider the reasonable price of IK products.

The most important part about Amplitube though is that it presents itself very well. It's one of the most easy programs to use, and it's encouraging to not have to mess around with a bunch of settings to get going initially. Tweaking happens after the ideas are securely stored in 1's and 0's. Not before.

IK Multimedia has released the next edition of their famous Amplitube line - the Amplitube 3. This time, they packed even more features in the application than before. There are more pieces of gear, the application is more powerful than before, it has some added versatility that the other one didn't have and sounds a bit better. They claim it has better feel, but I'll argue that point. The biggest issue I tend to have with all modelers out there is that they still feel and sound like modelers. No matter how hard I try, they still have that stiff and grainy kind of personality. I'm a big fan of the way tube amps sound and feel, and the closest one to a real amp that I've tried was the Axe-Fx Ultra. However, that's an extremely piece of gear. The good news is that Amplitube 3 is very easy to use and set up. There are no issues getting a decent base sound to start recording with.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I did have some crashes with Amplitube 3. It wasn't so much of an application crash as much as it was an audio crash. When playing, I like to switch to my web browser and browse the web for a bit. Once I go back to the application, sometimes the buttons won't respond. I'm not sure if an update fixes that as I haven't updated it, but it's something to keep in mind. On the positive side, this application isn't a memory hog, so you can leave it on for long periods of time without really worrying about anything. For those wondering, I'm using a Mac Pro with an Apogee Duet interface to run this device.

OVERALL OPINION

Amplitube 3 is a decent modeler. It is more versatile than its predecessor, it has more of an amp feel, but in the end, it's still a modeler. It still has that signature modeler sound and feel. Because of that, I can't really rate it higher than what I have it as. So far, Fractal has been the closest company to mimicking that signature tube amp tone, but it's still not perfect.