Amped
Amped is a guitar amp simulation product line for playing guitar through amp sims on Windows or macOS, as a standalone program or plugin.
What Amped is
Amped is a guitar amp simulation product line for playing guitar through amp sims on Windows or macOS, as a standalone program or plugin. Its modeling approach combines analog component emulation with amp learning, and its interface uses amp-style knobs and a pedalboard layout. Amped Roots 2.0 includes four amp simulations: 5034 Fluff, 5151 Fluff, Freeman Fluff, and Mega Fluff; 5034 Fluff is available in the free version. Roots 2.0 also includes a noise gate, compressor, drive pedal, chorus, analog delay, and reverb. Each amp includes a selected cabinet, and the product offers an IR loader plus the option to bypass its cabinet section for external cabinet simulation. The platform includes a guitar tuner, and the standalone Roots program supports MIDI control. Listed plugin formats are VST3, AU, and AAX, with AAX support limited to Mac. A full license requires installing the plugin’s free trial and using its computer-specific Request Key at checkout. The free plan is listed as free; the full license is €5,999, paid once.
Good
- Standalone program and plugin options
- Roots 2.0 includes four amp simulations
- Includes six listed effects
- IR loader and cabinet bypass option
- Standalone Roots supports MIDI control
Watch out
- AAX support is unavailable on Windows
- Cannot be loaded on mobile phones or third-party devices
- Full license is listed at €5,999, paid once
Who it suits
Amped suits guitarists who want amp simulations on a Windows or Mac computer, either standalone or within a supported plugin format. The free Roots model offers a way to use one amp, while the full license includes four.
Verdict
Amped offers a free single-model option and a full Roots license with four amp simulations and effects. Check the platform and plugin-format limits before choosing a setup.
Plans and prices
From Amped's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Amped ML5 Free Trial | Free | nine amp sims · Windows/Mac standalone · VST3/AU · AAX Mac |
| Amped Roots Free | Free | one 5034 Fluff amp · Windows/Mac standalone · VST3/AU · AAX Mac |
| Amped ML800 2.0 Full License | €39.99, paid once | two British amp models · free trial available · one-time purchase |
| Amped Humble Full License | €39.99, paid once | boutique clean amp · EVML Classic and Mars65 cabs · IR loading · six effects · one-time purchase |
| Amped Roots 2.0 Full License | €59.99, paid once | four amp sims · 3D cab · IR loading · six effects · MIDI standalone · one-time purchase |
| Amped CB4 Full License | €79.99, paid once | four-channel amp · 3D cab · six effects · MIDI standalone · tuner · one-time purchase |
| Amped ML5 Full License | €99, paid once | nine amp sims · two cabs · four movable microphones · IR loading · six effects · one-time purchase |
| Amped Flagship 2.0 Full License | €99.99, paid once | eight amp sims · four cabs · four movable microphones · IR loading · MIDI standalone · one-time purchase |
The facts
Each one read from Amped's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Activation
- Purchasing requires a computer-specific Request Key generated in the trial or License Manager, after which the license is emailed.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Amped ML5 features
- ML5 provides nine amp sims, two cabinets, four movable and angleable microphones, IR loading and six effects.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Amped Roots features
- Roots Free includes one 5034 Fluff amp, three additional amps in the paid version, a three-cab 3D simulator, four microphones, six effects, MIDI control and a tuner.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Amped Roots models
- Amped Roots 2.0 includes four amp sims: 5034 Fluff, 5151 Fluff, Freeman Fluff, and Mega Fluff; 5034 Fluff is free.checked 2 Oct 2001
- Cabinet section
- Each amp includes a selected cabinet, an internal impulse-response loader and the option to bypass the cab for an external simulator.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Cabinet simulation
- Amped includes a selected cabinet for each amp, an IR loader, and the option to bypass the cab section for external cabinet simulation.checked 2 Oct 2001
- DAW formats
- The FAQ lists VST, AU, and AAX formats; AAX support is Mac only.checked 2 Oct 2001
- Developer integration
- The reviewed official pages document end-user plugin formats and MIDI control but describe no public API, SDK or self-hosting package.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Effects
- Amped Roots 2.0 includes a noise gate, compressor, drive pedal, chorus, analog delay, and reverb.checked 2 Oct 2001
- Formats
- Amped runs as a Windows or Mac standalone application and as VST3 or AU; AAX is supported on Mac.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Hardware compatibility limit
- The FAQ says Amped cannot be loaded on Helix, Fractal, mobile phones or other third-party hardware.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Independent news
- The Beat Community reported Amped Block Letter on 24 August 2023 with six amp channels, 3D cab positioning, IR loading, six effects and PC/Mac plugin formats.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Installation
- Roots version 1.0.2 added an installer that explains file locations and creates desktop shortcuts; users must enable and rescan VST3 in their DAW.checked 15 Oct 2001
- IR extensibility
- Users can load their own impulse responses, with newer plugins supporting blended IR workflows while older plugins use an IR control or dropdown.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Latency
- ML Sound Lab says Amped can run below 10 ms latency on older computers when configured with suitable buffers and drivers.checked 15 Oct 2001
- License
- The EULA grants a personal, non-transferable, non-exclusive license and prohibits modification, reverse engineering, copying, redistribution and resale.checked 15 Oct 2001
- License delivery and support
- The maker says full licenses are emailed after purchase and directs users with license problems to its contact form.checked 2 Oct 2001
- Limit: Audiofanzine CB4
- The CB4 reviewer calls MIDI implementation nearly nonexistent for pedalboard users and hears a recurring ML Sound Lab sonic signature.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Limit: Audiofanzine Roots
- Users note the free version lacks a clean channel, assigned cabinets cannot be freely selected without extra packs, and one reviewer found the reverb overly sensitive.checked 15 Oct 2001
The company
- Company founded
- The registry gives 8 January 2019 as the registration date.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Company headquarters
- The registry lists Parkkilaivankaari 34, Oulu, Finland.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Company legal name
- The Finnish registry lists the maker as ML Sound Lab Oy, while the EULA uses ML Sound Lab Ltd.checked 15 Oct 2001
- Company size
- The registry reports two employees and identifies Mikko Juha Eerikki Logrén as CEO.checked 15 Oct 2001
Money
- Free trial process
- To buy a full license, users install that Amped plugin's free trial and use its computer-specific Request Key at checkout.checked 2 Oct 2001
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