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Quality Metal Modelling Softube amp sims haven’t really gotten the attention they deserve, perhaps because they follow a very different sim philosophy: Instead of opting for a huge variety of amps and effects, Softube models setting up a couple mics with an amp, in a studio—there are zero effects. Softube claims quality and simplicity over quantity; their plug-ins aren’t designed to make pre-produced guitar sounds, but give an amp/room/mic toolset. How good are these tools? Let’s load Metal Amp Room and find out.
Softube Amp Room Vintage
Get A (Metal) Room The metal-optimized amp has an Engl Powerball-inspired lead channel, a hybrid Engl/Marshall JCM800 rhythm channel, and two different 4x12 cabs (England Marshall-like), each with a dynamic and condenser mic. You can move the mics along an imaginary track that extends about 4–5 feet away from the amp and moves inward, curving as it gets closer to provide off -axis and on-axis placement. A balance and width control (basically two complementary panpots) simplifies setting up a blend; you can also throw one mic out of phase.
Because of the potentially high gain, there’s a clever, programdependent noise gate whose decay tracks string decay. But one of my favourite features is Softube’s “super-normalize,” which keeps the output within rational levels regardless of the preamp and master control settings. Softube downplays switching off the lead setting and using the “Marshall” cabinet, but I obtained some muscular, defined hard rock timbres—even Syd Barrett’s early Pink Floyd guitar sound, which was a real surprise. Metal Amp Room is far more versatile than the name implies. Tool Time Compared to other sims, the probability of dialling in a really appropriate sound within seconds using Metal Amp Room is very high—given Softube’s philosophy, that makes sense. But you don’t even have to do that, as the presets present a good mix of tones.