IK Multimedia‘s first major success back in the early days of digital recording was AmpliTube, one of the very first amp simulation plugins that allowed mixing engineers to record clean guitar parts and apply amp and cab character to the signal while mixing.
That piece of software kept growing as the company differentiated their offerings throughout the years, adding (among other features) effects and micing techniques emulation. This year, finally the Italian builder decided it was time to use the considerable experience accumulated in digital effects for some hardware pedals.
Enter the IK Multimedia line, comprising four stereo multi-mode digital pedals tackling Reverb, Delay, Modulation and Distortion/Overdrive.
What makes this series stand out from the crowd is absolute integration between hardware and plugin effects:
Each pedal is accompanied by an exclusive virtual X-GEAR version of the exact same effects for use in AmpliTube 5 (SE version included). This lets users record, tweak settings and save presets back to the hardware pedal. Now guitarists can switch between stage and studio seamlessly and enjoy world-class tone anywhere.
Here’s the presentation video of the line, we’ll tacle each pedal individually starting next week.
You can pre-order the IK Multimedia AmpliTube X-GEAR line from Sweetwater here.
IK Multimedia announces AmpliTube X-GEAR pedals. Each high-performance pedal features 16 different effects, drawn from the most popular AmpliTube models and all-new reverb and delay algorithms, bringing IK’s industry-leading effects out of the computer and onto pedalboards.
And each pedal is accompanied by an exclusive virtual X-GEAR version of the exact same effects for use in AmpliTube 5 (SE version included). This lets users record, tweak settings and save presets back to the hardware pedal. Now guitarists can switch between stage and studio seamlessly and enjoy world-class tone anywhere.
Four boutique digital effects pedals
AmpliTube X-GEAR pedals cover the four realms of guitar effects processing. There’s X-DRIVE distortion and X-VIBE modulation, which offer a range of iconic, must-have analog pedal effects – all recreated with IK’s finest algorithms ever.Custom-created by the IK team just for these pedals, X-TIME delay and X-SPACE reverb feature cutting-edge, studio-grade effects algorithms. All four X-GEAR pedals share the same high-performance hardware and pioneering DSP for unsurpassed sound quality.
Best-in-show DSP
AmpliTube X-GEAR pedals leverage IK’s latest technologies and over 20 years of experience as the #1 amp and FX modeling company. The state-of-the-art DSP onboard includes 16 custom high-end algorithms per pedal, drawn from the most popular AmpliTube models along with all-new reverb and delay algorithms.Featuring up to 192kHz internal processing with 4x oversampling, X-GEAR pedals deliver amazing clarity to the stage with the realism and response that users love about AmpliTube 5.
Hardware that stands out
Built to last, X-GEAR pedals feature an aluminum chassis designed and made in Italy with components that guarantee the best possible sound in a stomp pedal. There’s ultra-low noise, 24-bit/192kHz converters for class-leading sound quality, an extended 5Hz-24kHz frequency response to capture the full scope of an instrument’s tone, and up to 123 dB dynamic range for whisper-quiet operation no matter how much gain is applied. With a pure analog dry path and selectable true or soft bypass, the guitar’s tone will ring true no matter how simple or sophisticated the signal chain becomes.Industry-leading integration
Each AmpliTube X-GEAR pedal includes a matching virtual version for Mac/PC and a copy of AmpliTube 5 SE. Opening any version of AmpliTube 5, users will find a virtual X-GEAR pedal available as a stomp for use within the program. Adjust any of the pedal settings with the convenience of AmpliTube’s award-winning workflow and save them as presets. The X-GEAR Preset Manager lets users move presets between X-GEAR pedals and AmpliTube and easily reorganize them on the hardware pedal, where up to 300 presets can be stored.
