Music software developer Ableton is joining the guitar amp emulator party with its new effects plug-in, Amp. Designed to deliver realistic guitar amp and cabinet sounds to Ableton Live users, Amp appears to be the Ableton’s response to amp modeling plug-ins like Logic’s Amp Designer and Native Instrument’s Guitar Rig.
Co-developed with Softube, Amp aims to deliver the same sound and simplicity of legendary amplifiers and cabinets, letting you add warmth and drive to your instruments or samples with minimal hassle. Ableton has kept the parameters simple with Amp, focusing on the essentials of tone, vibe, and character.
A real guitar amp requires a cabinet, which holds the speakers that deliver the amp’s sound, and Ableton’s Amp comes with its own Cabinet effect as well. Along with letting you select among various emulations of classic guitar cabinets, Cabinet also lets you choose different mic and mic positioning simulations. Ableton has also loaded Amp with instrument and effect racks, clips, and more than 400 presets.
Ableton Live has long been used by electronic musicians for live performance and composition—Daft Punk, Justice, and a slew of other major acts use it for their live sets—but the platform has gradually been evolving into more of a full-on music production suite. The addition of Amp increases Ableton Live’s appeal toward guitarists and keyboardists who might otherwise opt for more musician-friendly recording software.
Amp costs $129, or is available as a free add-on to owners of the $699 Ableton Suite 8.
Amp