Review: AmpliTube 2: Metal

[Kewlpack]

My-Ears-Are-Burning-Melt-Your-Face-Off Distortion!
That was my first reaction when I got my copy of the new AmpliTube Metal (ATMetal) and hit that first power chord (followed by an onslaught of lots more staccato chugga-riffage). When you plug into ATMetal - quicker than you can say "Kirk Hammett" - you'll find yourself swimming in a vast sea of ultra-saturated, extra-thick distortion.

IK Multimedia recently rolled out this latest software-based modeling package based on their very cool AmpliTube 2 modeling engine. Let me tell you... this one packs a wallop! The focus of this particular release seems to be primarily on the genre of extreme/nu-metal/metalcore/grunge tones. That being said, the amps and effects cover a pretty wide range of tones; from clean to mean and everything in between. But you won't find lots of low gain around here (those virtual tubes get HOT real fast!) - but you knew that didn't you.

What you get with ATMetal
For a full list of specs on ATMetal, check the official website. My short list of noteworthy models are:

5 NEW amps
Metal Clean T
Metal Lead T
Metal Lead W
Metal Lead V
Vintage Metal Lead

13 NEW cabinets
4x12” Metal F 1
4x12” Metal F 2
4x12” Metal T 1
4x12” Metal T 2
4x12” Metal T 3
4x12” Metal V 1
4x12” Metal V 2
4x12” Metal V 3
4x12” Modern M 1
4x12” Modern M 2
4x12” Modern M 3
4x12” Vintage M 1
4x12” Vintage M 2.

1 NEW microphone
Dynamic 20

Several NEW analog pedals/stomps - notable among them...
BigPig
Distortion
Distortion Feed
GR-EQ
Wharmonator
Metal Distortion
Metal Distortion 2
Metal Flanger
Overdrive
Phaze Nine
PROdrive

Of course you get all of the great features common to every AT2-based product like ultra-flexible routing of two signal chains; speed trainer; pristine tonal quality; integration with StompIO (if you have one); and my favorite - integration with X-Gear. If you're going to get more than one AT2-based product, you definitely want X-Gear. It allows you to easily mix and match any component in any package with any other component in any other package, which is where the AT2 product line really shines, IMHO.

How does ATMetal sound?
First of all, you need to know that the genres of 90's-to-modern metal are definitely not my taste. With that in mind, I can tell you that the tones on tap here are extreme/brutal and of the heaviest order. You will easily be able to unleash your inner thrasher.

The cleans are nice. You can go from pristine to a light breakup. Couple that with the searing high gain stuff and ATMetal provides the high contrast tonal palette common to the modern metal genre. I liked the mid-gain tones as much as I did with the original AmpliTube 2 package; there's some nice dimension to the tones. The higher gain tones were sort of lost on me. They are definitely high gain insanity! Naturally, it was easy to push the gain too high and end up with mushy sound that doesn't have the warmth or authentic feel found in lower gain amp models (ala AmpliTube Hendrix). As with AT2, I found the tones were sometimes hollow/thin and took a lot of experimentation with the mic/cab settings to find the right match (again, much easier with X-Gear and the other AT2 packages). Some smart EQ'ing also helps to alleviate the issues.

ATMetal hits its target audience squarely
All in all, ATMetal brings a very focused set of high gain, modern metal tones to the table. You can tweak them as much as necessary and find the tones you need for metal. For me, the other AT2 packages offer a lot more diversity and a better overall warm tonal feel. Don't take my commentary to say ATMetal is "bad" at all. It's not... it simply has a narrower application than the other packages (IMHO) - and targets a fairly specific genre. Metalheads and thrashers need look no further than ATMetal. It'll give you all the face melting distortion you need to inspire mosh pits across the globe.

I rate AmpliTube Metal a 4 out of 5 Stomps!

[machine]

personally, I am not impressed with any of the metal sounds so far. Perhaps they didn't dive into all the sounds it was capable of, but it sounds rather tube like to me. Almost like what a cheap electric guitar sounds like through a small amp. I have yet to find a true software that has impressed me. Another disappointment is the stomp pedal for the channels. $1050.00????? Excuse me??? I can get a Boss GT 10 multi effects processor for $500 and play it through any amp I want thank you.

[Pun1sher]

It doesnt give you anything you cant get with Amplitube dual rectifier sounds, its just a thin veil wrapping some parameters and some extra presets.

I agree the sound quality doesnt compete with even a low end fx unit and the midi controller is unreasonably priced, you could get a TC G system for the money!

[carltonec]

While I am also not much of a fan of the nu-metal sound, I love what Amplitube Metal has to offer. It certainly rounds out the arsenal of tones I already have available with my StompIO system.

By the way, StompIO, complete with all the software (Amplitube 2, AmpegSVX, Metal, and Hendrix) can be had for $899 street price. That is what I paid for mine.

[Pun1sher]

For the price of the full rig I would be expecting first class sounds ans a proper metal rig, seems like a watered down $olution to me, maybe its just for numetal which is a watered down verion of metal anyway...

[Pun1sher]

I did like the hendrix stuff though

[strangedogs]

Metals "BIG ONE" preset coupled with a few different Impulses Responses can blow the windows out. It's Ultra FAT!