Bundled software

IK Multimedia AmpliTube 3 with AmpliTube Orange

Thinking back to when IK Multimedia's AmpliTube hit the iPad, I remember being quite impressed by the amp and effect simulations on offer but, even with the roomy 9.7-inch screen, the layout felt a little cluttered and getting a decent sound involved wrapping myself in numerous cables between instrument and amp. The OPC experience is a vast improvement.

It's not just the fact that the unit sports the full version of the powerful digital guitar effects and amplifier simulation suite with all of the available Orange Amps already pre-loaded, there's bigger screen real estate to be had, much more processing oomph, the native instrument/vocal inputs and the surprisingly voluminous output from the unit's stereo speakers (which isn't enough to fill a concert hall without a little help from a PA system, but is enough to give my usual practice amp a run for its money).

"IK Multimedia is the only company we've worked with directly to get the look and sound of our amplifiers right," said Cooper. "We still feel this is the closest to Orange Amplifiers you can get using software, so it made sense to include it on the OPC. AmpliTube 3 is really good - we've installed the VST/RTAS/Standalone versions of the software so users have a lot of freedom of how they use it. For example if a user wants to install Pro Tools or any other DAWs then the plugins and software would still work."

Now I'm sure that those blessed with a professional or overly critical ear might be able to point to subtle differences between a real world setup and the digital reproduction generated by this software, but I have to say that I was more than satisfied with the results - and this from a dedicated analog effects user - although the occasional intended feedback did lack the warmth of my Vox tube amp. A few ticks in the plus column include not having to deal with excessive signal hum or contamination/corruption from cheap patch cables when chaining effects, the inclusion of very competent noise reduction, and the ease of experimentation with things like mic placement, room setup and amp/cabinet combinations.

It doesn't require too much of a stretch to imagine this powerful suite completely replacing a pedal board for live or studio work, and taking up a fraction of the space in the process. The downside of course is having to activate virtual pedals or tweak rack effect settings via the mouse instead of a stomp, taking a playing hand away from the instrument. With a little planning and thought, it's a minor inconvenience but an inconvenience nonetheless. Integration with something like the StompBox or a PC version of IK Multimedia's own forthcoming iRig Stomp might offer a workable solution to such things.

I've now spent an awful lot of time in AmpliTube and still have much to explore. The suite includes a huge number of amp setups to choose from, although some listed in the browser (such as the Fender amps) were missing and will presumably need to be bought and added. Control freaks will appreciate being able to swap around amp and speaker configurations, being able to choose the kind of microphone setup, and room or studio settings, as well as being able to fine tweak that all important tone. I was also particularly struck by the effectiveness of stereo effects like the UniVibe considering the closeness of the JBL speakers to each other.

PreSonus Studio One Orange Edition

"The PreSonus Studio One Orange edition is an improved version of the PreSonus Studio One Artist edition," OPC's lead developer told us. "We liked PreSonus Studio One Artist but we requested a few upgrades to the software for our OPC customers. The dedicated VST support we wanted has been added so customers could use AmpliTube 3 with the included PreSonus Studio One software."

Despite claims on the website that this multi-track recording, mixing, mastering and release software is painfully easy to use, I admit to being somewhat daunted and a little overwhelmed by its professional, clean design. There are numerous useful templates to get you started but even so, I spent the best part of a week's worth of evenings touring the workings of Studio One and feel that I've only scratched the surface of what's possible or available.

The work area of Studio One is contained within a single window, with a browser to the right of the main arrange view area that lists available panels and options, across the bottom there are counters, locators, tempo, audio record and play controls, master volume and other useful items, there's an Inspector to the left that gives information and caters for manipulation of audio tracks. Users can directly feed in the instrument or audio track via the OPC or create their own backing tracks by engaging the virtual instruments and using the onscreen keyboard to create tracks.

There are plenty of video tutorials available on the PreSonus website to help get the best from this powerful DAW package, and Cooper told us that, "users of the Studio One will receive free upgrades to future Studio One versions and even have the option to download a nice 64-bit version of the DAW from their PreSonus account if they want to use a 64-bit DAW."