Ampeg SVX2 Has All the Tone, None of the Weight

One of the biggest complaints that nearly everyone has, when talking about playing through a vintage Ampeg amp is “I love the tone, but not the weight.” I’ll admit that I’m in the same camp, having had the opportunity to play through a number of classic amps in the studio (recently a pristine B-15!) and love the sound. But when it comes to even just rolling them around, that’s where the love stops. Thankfully the folk at IK Multimedia have teamed up with Ampeg for their latest software release, the Ampeg SVX 2.

No stranger to amp modeling, the Ampeg SVX 2 is based off IK Multimedia’s latest exclusive Dynamic Interaction Modeling technology, which recreates the interaction, nuance and internal circuit stages of the original models. This helps to replicate that tone and vibe that you expect from the Ampeg name, but in a software format.

This latest version adds on to the original SVX software with the addition of the SVT-VR (a vintage reissue of an early 70s “Blue-Line” SVT head), the V-4B (the legendary 1971 original) and HERITAGE B-15N (which has distinct switchable 1964 and 1966 channels). The cabinet models included are the SVT-810 AV, an Eminence-loaded SVT-212-AV and the B-15N 115. The software runs from within AmpliTube for Mac/PC, allowing you to get the full-rig signal path ready to use in all of your productions. And if you want to really get fancy, run two rigs in stereo.

So with the echoes of that pristine B-15 still in my head, I plugged my bass into my iRig Pro I/O and opened up AmpliTube to play around with the HERITAGE B-15N setting. The easily recognizable faceplate came up on the screen, and was incredibly easy to tweak to taste. The tone of the Ampeg SVX 2 is fantastic; the nuance and dynamics were there, as well as the little bit of breakup when I really pushed the signal. Not to be stuck with just the simple 1×15 cabinet it defaults to, I ran the SVT-810 AV for a bit to see how the amp reacted with a different cabinet. Again, the program delivers in spades and I had a tone that was near impossible

Ampeg SVX 2 from IK Multimedia is another simple-to-use, easy to grab an amazing tone quickly piece of software. For someone like myself that does remote studio sessions, having something like this at my disposal is invaluable when you’re in your apartment recording late at night with an 810 cabinet emulation. And at a price of $99.99 (or $49.99 if you’re upgrading from the original SVX), it’s a lot cheaper than keeping the real one around as well.