Today, Scott Elliott, of Chernobyl Studios, is here with us, and he is going to share his Top 5 Metal Amp Sims! I am excited to hear which ones he uses and why they’re his favorite!
1. Neural DSP Fortin Nameless
This is my first choice for almost anything that I am working on. It is very versatile, and is an absolute gain monster. I love to use this one when I want to get a brutal death metal type sound.
Along with the amplifier, a model of Fortin Amplification’s GRIND pedal was added to the virtual signal chain, to create a complete suite that incorporates all the necessary tone-shaping tools. There is also a very comprehensive and adaptive cabinet simulation module that features 6 virtual microphones, which can be positioned around the speakers.
2. Mercuriall ReAxis
I like this one a lot because there is a dynamic voice button because all the tone pops are pre gain, and this voice button is basically a really great smiley face shaped EQ curve, and you can get some really thick low end tones with a soft presence-y high end. In contrast to the nameless, the low end for this one can actually stay pretty tight.
3. Nembrini Audio MRH 810-V2
The MRH810-V2 Lead Series Guitar Amplifier is a redesign of the original Nembrini Audio MRH810 plugin, one of the best selling British 800 guitar amplifier emulation.
This has become my go to for atmospheric black metal type of stuff. Something I like about this plugin is it differentiates itself from the regular JCM 800 in that it has clean channels and a reverb pod. But I also love this plugin because now we can clean up the low end rumble, we’ve got a noise gate, and we can also do shaping with our microphone positions. There is so much you can do with this!
4. Neural DSP Omega Granophyre
This one is markedly more modern sounding. It has more mids, and I really enjoy using this one if I do want that modern sound, especially if I am using 7 string guitars. It just has that girth you can get in the low end.
But the really cool thing that I enjoy about this plugin in particular is that the Omega Ampworks including a proprietary speaker that they created. So, you can get another speaker and different sounds with a different selection of microphone choices, and I just love experimenting with that stuff.
5. Ignite Amps Emissary 2.0
This is a free plugin, but it doesn’t have any of the pitfalls of many free plugins. First of all, it has gain for days! You can adjust high and low mids, so you can really dial in your low mids, which are usually a problem with metal guitars. I love the way you can shape the low and high mids and how much control you have with this plugin. For a free plugin, you have a lot of control and there is a lot you can do with it!
Watch the video below to learn more about Scott’s favorite metal amp sims!
