Studio Devil

The Studio Devil Virtual amplifier simulator was easy to install and to get up and running. It was transferred to my ilok and I was able to use it within minutes of installing. The configuration and interface of the plug-in is easy to figure out and is laid out smartly. There are a bunch of different sections - noise gate, distortion, input, equalizer, compression, and output. Each has its own parameters to control, giving you a wide array of possibilities and sounds. Since I bought this electronically, I don't have a manual and can't speak to if it is helpful or not. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I am running Studio Devil with a Mac Book Pro that has a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM. I am running it in Pro Tools LE 7.4 and a Digi 002R audio interface. I haven't had a problem running it on this at all, however, I have only had a need for running one or two of these at once. Beyond this I don't know how well it would run, but since it is a big plug-in with a lot of parameters, running a bunch of them at once would probably slow your system a bit. OVERALL OPINION I've been using the Studio Devil Virtual amp simulator for about six months. I have found it to be a useful tool not only for guitars but for all types of instruments. Since it has so many parameters, it is versatile and that makes it capable of a number of different uses. The price of this can't be beat, as I bought it in the Project Studio LE bundle for quite a cheap price. I would compare this to something like Line 6 Amp Farm or IK Multimedia Amplitube. While it is not as in depth as Amp Farm, it will cost you much less and it is probably a better comparison to Amplitube in terms of price and overall capabilities. For those looking for a plug-in of this nature, this is definitely worth a look.

Studio Devil's BVC, or British Valve Custom is a free amp modeling plug-in. I believe that it's the only free plug-in available from Studio Devil, as is available in VST, Audio Units, or RTAS formats for either PC or Mac operating systems. The plug-in is really designed to give users an idea of what Studio Devil is capable of, and I'd say it does that well. You can download the plug-in right off of Studio Devil's website and have the plug-in installed in your DAW in minutes. Learning how to use the plug-in is also super easy, as it's got a simple panel of parameters to work with that are not at all unlike what you'd find on an amp. These parameters include knobs for gain, bass, middle, and treble, presence, and drive. It's the simplest plug-in from Studio Devil, as to be expected since it's free. The manual has pretty much everything you'd want to know about the plug-in, but isn't going to be necessary for most users. SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE I recently downloaded and installed Studio Devil's BVC plug-in to my Pro Tools LE 8 based home studio rig. I run the plug-in on a Mac Book Pro that has a 2.2 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 4 GB of RAM. I'm running Pro Tools LE 8 with a Black Lion Audio modded Digi 002R audio interface and I'm monitoring everything through a pair of Adam A7 monitors. I've only been running the plug-in for a few months, but I've yet to have any issues whatsoever related to performance. OVERALL OPINION The Studio Devil BVC (British Valve Custom) is a nice little amp modeling plug-in, and is especially nice since it's free! It's really easy to use and actually has a pretty good sound considering it's free. In generally I don't do too much amp modeling inside the box, but I'll never say no to free plug-in. So while I'm not sure how much use this will see when I go to mix some serious projects, it's still nice to have just in case. It's definitely got it's own color and can certainly be more than useful when used in the right situation. Adding the plug-in to your suite is really a no brainer being that it's free and is available for most any platform. Stop reading this review and try it for yourself!