revealed.netlify.app

Download for Free. Guitar M Lite II offers studio musicians the crisp and authoritative sounds of the Martin D-41 acoustic guitar in a convenient software plugin. Developed by Ample Guitar, M Lite is a great way to add glistening acoustic textures to your productions, even if you don’t happen to have a guitar player handy. Best Features & Specs. Line 6 Helix Native Guitar Amp and Effects Plug-in 1.9.1 (Aug/2020) 64-bit (VST, VST3, AAX) Windows 7, 8, 10 Instructions: Just Install Direct Download (26MB) August. Download free VST plugins, free synth VST, autotune VST, Drum sound VST, choir VST, Orchestra VST, and much more free VST plugins. Great place to download free VST plugins for music production, updated each week with new VST plugins check back frequently.

• Metal Guitar Vst Plugins Free
• Best Metal Guitar Vst
• Best Free Electric Guitar Vst

Last Updated on December 14, 2020 by

We all want the best sound, but getting a great guitar, amp, pedals and so on is quite expensive, so why break the bank when you can get some Virtual Instruments that will do the job.

Of course, they will not sound EXACTLY like the real thing, but close enough!

There are many Guitar VST Plugins, most of them are not free and cost up to $200 (some of them are actually worth the money), but luckily there are some FREE options out there that are quite impressive as well.

The Best FREE Guitar VST Plugins are;

1. Ample Guitar M Lite
2. Amplitube 4 Custom Shop
3. Guitar Rig 5 Player
4. Amplifikation Lite
5. Poulin Amp Pack
6. Emissary by Ignite Amps
7. TSE 50x v2
8. Amplion
9. Ignite Amps NRR-1
10. Blue Cat
11. Mercuriall Tube Amp Ultra 530
12. Amped Roots Free
13. The Nick Crow Plugins
14. TSE 808 (Tube Screamer)
15. Ace Vintage Tube
16. FREEAMP 3.6
17. Simulanalog Guitar Suite (only 32 bit, not supported in 64 bit)

I also want to add 3 plugins to the list which are not free, but which are really good, should you choose to invest some money into them.

1. Guitar Rig 5 ($199)
2. Amplitube ($149.99)
3. BIAS FX ( Standard $99 and Pro $199)

Ample Guitar M Lite II

This little plugin surprised me quite a bit, mainly because it’s an acoustic guitar emulator.

These don’t usually sound all that great.

Most of the times they don’t even come close to the sound of an actual acoustic guitar.

But this is not the case with Ample Guitar M Lite.

It sounds absolutely fantastic, while also giving you the option to add some effects. You can even double the guitar with the simple press of a button, which will add width and body to the sound.

I think that everyone should download it. Electric guitar plugins are extremely common, but not acoustic ones and like I said, they tend to sound terrible.

Check it out here:Ample Guitar M Lite.

By the way, you can also download a free bass emulator plugin which sounds terrific, make sure to try it out as well.

Amplitube 4 Custom Shop

One thing I don´t like is that you need to register to be able to download it. (Quite annoying, since it´s free, but hey…still great plugin!)

In this Free Version you get;

• 3 Amplifiers
• One Cabinet
• Tuner
• Delay
• Overdrive
• Compressor
• Equalizer
• Wah-Wah
• Chorus
• Flanger
• Tremolo
• Volume Pedal
• And a couple more things.

Amplitube can work as a Plugin or as a Standalone program, just like Guitar Rig 5.

It sounds great, a bit better than Guitar Rig in my opinion and when you download the FREE version, you get the full version for 10 days also, which, if you are considering buying the full version of one of these Softwares, is great!

Check it out here:Amplitube 4.

Important Update: Amplitube used to be my favorite amp sim, but after trying our BIAS FX 2 and especially BIAS Amp 2, I have to say that my preferences changed dramatically.

I absolutely love BIAS Amp 2; the clean tones are extremely realistic, which is something that no other amp sim can really do.

If you can spend about $50, then I’d highly recommend the BIAS amp sims, they are just too realistic.

Related: List of the 18 best Free Synth VST Plugins.

Guitar Rig 5 Player

It sounds just as good as the full version, the BIG difference is the amount of cabinets, amplifiers, effects, etc. that you get.

In the Free Version you get;

• Tuner
• One Amplifier
• One Cabinet
• 2 Delay pedals
• One tube screamer
• A limiter and a noise gate
• Compressor
• Noise reduction
• Volume Pedal
• 2 Equalizers
• 1 Pro filter
• Reverb and a couple more effects.

The great thing about this plugin is that it´s really easy to use, very intuitive, and sounds great. With only the tube screamer though, you won´t be able to achieve really heavy sounds.

It can also be used as a standalone program.

One issue that I had while getting this program was that they ask you to register, just like with Amplitube 4…

Then send you an email with a serial key, which you then have to authenticate using the Native Access program, which you need to download separately.

Other than that, it´s a great choice!

Check it out here: Guitar Rig 5 Player.

If you’re struggling to get a good sounding signal to your DAW it might be due to the quality of your audio interface.

Here’s an article I wrote about to very affordable yet great-sounding Audio Interfaces which will get you sounding better in no time.

Amplifikation Lite by Kuassa

Amplifikation Lite is one of the amps that comes with the Amplifikation One guitar simulation software by Kuassa, which incidentally you can also try out for free, but there will be sound played every 40 sec.

Amplifikation Lite features an Amp with three channels; Clean, Rhythm, and Lead, and let me tell you… they sound fantastic.

If you you’re trying to get one of those 80’s and 90’s rock tones, then this amp sim has definitely got you covered.

The thing I like the most, other than the sound quality, is that it’s extremely easy to use and tweak, thanks to the limited number of controls.

Additionally, it comes with a cabinet, so you don’t have to put one in the chain yourself.

The rhythm channel is by far the one I like the most, but all three of them sound terrific.

So, make sure to give it a try!

Check it out here: Amplifikation Lite.

Note: Kuassa also created one of the best-sounding blues Amp Sims that I ever tried called “Matchlock” that you should also check out! (This one is not free, however, but it only sells for about $22).

LePou Amp Pack

Now we are getting to the Hi Gain Amp section!

These plugins are fantastic for really heavy music, they sound great, and it´s extremely easy to make them work on any DAW.

You need to put a cabinet in the chain though, when you download the amplifier you don´t get the cabinets included…

But you can download LeCab right there on the same website, which is a VST for loading cabinet simulator impulses.

You can actually load 6 simultaneous cabinets and mix them to your liking (LeCab is 32 bit though, you won´t be able to run it on a 64 bit system).

A couple of the amps you get are;

• LeCto which is based on a Mesa Boogie’s dual rectifier.
• Le456 based on Engl Powerball
• LeGion, which is not based on any amp. It’s an Original of LePou.

Honestly these are the best plugins for heavy tones! Try them out!

You don’t need to register, simply download and copy to VST folder.

Check it out here: LePoulin Amp Pack.

Important Note: I wrote a complete guide on how to make a Guitar Amp Simulator Sound good which should be useful to you since they don’t tend to sound as one would expect right from the start!

Emissary by Ignite Amps

Another extremely good heavy sound amp is the Emissary 2.0.

It still has a clean channel which ranges from clean to slightly overdriven tones and a lead channel that is just insanely good for for any kind of metal tones.

The emissary plug-in bundle also includes the NadIR dual impulse response convolver, which is designed to be used as a cabinet simulator both for guitar and bass pre amplifiers.

Features

• Three Routing Modes: Mono, Dual Mono and Stereo
• Automatic high-quality resampling for IRs with different sampling rates
• High-quality analog shaped filters
• Selectable delay
• Continuous morphing control between loaded IRs
• Global input level and single IR level controls
• Fully automatable controls

Check it out here: Emissary by Ignite Amps.

If you are someone who records entire songs at home, then I’m sure that you’re also going to be interested in this article I wrote about the best Free Bass Amp VST Plugins.

TSE x50 v2

This one I also really liked, you can get a huge variety of sounds out of this plugin, from crisp clean tones and cool crunchy sounds, all the way to heavy metal tones.

You can also get the Pro version, which I didn’t try since the free one was more than enough for what I needed.

In this FREE version you get;

• Tuner
• Equalizer
• Reverb
• Delay
• Phaser
• Noise Reduction
• A huge amount of Cabinets
• 4 Distortion pedals

Try it out, it´s easy to use, really intuitive and simply works great.

Check it out here:TSE x50v2.

Related: I wrote a post about the best free DAWs available right now which I think you are going to like.

AmpLion

Another good option is AmpLion, it works as a Plugin and also works as a standalone program.

It comes with;

• 5 channel guitar amp
• 2 cabinets
• Intelligent metronome
• Audio player
• Advanced Recorder

It actually sounds quite nice, you can get great tones out of it!

You can scroll through the presets which all sounds fantastic. Also you have the ability to change the Mic placement on the cabinet.

For being free, you get a lot of variety and control.

Check it out here: AmpLion.

Thinking about building your first home studio? Here’s a list of the essential components that you’ll need.

Ignite Amps NRR-1

The NRR-1 is a digital emulation of an actual three channel tube amp.

It was built for Cristiano Tionfera and it actually resembles the original amp quite a lot.

It’s a fairly simple yet great sounding amp which you should absolutely check out!

Features

• Ignite Amps 3rd generation triode modeling engine.
• Three channels: clean, rhythm and lead, each with fully separated controls.
• Mono / Stereo processing support.
• Selectable oversampling rate (up to 8x).
• Global input / output level controls.
• Double precision (64-bit) floating point mathematical model.
• Fully automatable controls.
• Ignite Amps proprietary preset management system with bank file import/export functions.

Check it out here: Ignite Amps NRR-1.

To take full advantage of your Guitar VSTs, it might be very useful to get some great sounding Drum VSTs as well to achieve that amazing sound you’re looking for.

Blue Cat

This guitar amp simulation plugin offers three different amp models;

• Classic clean
• Classic drive
• Modern drive

This is a great sounding plugin which covers a wide range of tones; from clean vintage sounds from the early days all the way to the high-gain heavy sounding metal tones.

They say that this is a plug n’ play amp sim, meaning that once it’s running you’re ready to go…

I found that I needed to fiddle around with the controls a bit to get it to sound quite to my liking.

Still, it’s fantastic, it’s free…

What’s not to like?

Check it out here:Blue Cat free amp sim.

Mercuriall Tube Amp Ultra 530

This would be the Plugin version of the ENGL E530 Preamp. It has a two channel design, Clean and Lead.

You can get all kinds of tones out of it, from crisp cleans, all through crunch to really heavy metal tones. I think it´s best suited for heavy tones though!

It has its limitations (specially the free version) but it is still very useful.

Free version limitations:

• Modeled Triodes – one Tung-Sol.
• Allowed Samplerates – only 44.1 kHz.
• Allowed Oversamplings – Fixed in the X2 state.
• Computing engines – Fixed in the Fast state.
• Allowed Cabinets – 4×12 Modern V30 cabinet.
• Restrictions of tweaking – The change of many parameters was restricted.
• Processing precision – 32-bit (lower precision).

Check it out here: Mercuriall Tube Amp Ultra 530.

Amped Roots Free by ML Sound Lab

Here is another guitar amp sim designed specifically for metal/heavy tones.

Amped Roots free is, basically, the free version of Sound Lab’s software bundle and it comes with one amp: The “5034 Fluff”.

However, to get three more amps: the “5151 Fluff”, the “Freeman Fluff” and the “Mega Fluff”, you need to purchase Amped Roots Full License.

Additionally, it also features a cabinet simulator and two pedals; A Noise Gate and a Drive.

The whole point behind this free amp simulation plugin is to be as simple as possible and to sound perfect right out of the box, and I think they nailed it.

I can absolutely recommend it to anyone who is interested in getting realistic heavy guitar tones out of their guitar.

Amped Roots and the Emissary are probably my top recommendations as far as heavy sounding amps go.

Check it out here: Amped Roots Free.

Nick Crow Plugins

Nick Crow has got some great amp simulators which are mostly really high gain.

I don´t think I would use these to get a clean or a bluesy tone. But if you’re into metal, you will probably find them to be quite useful!

You also need to run them through a VST cabinet, otherwise they will sound horrific, like all amps that you don´t run through cabs!

These are only plugins, no standalone version sadly!

You can download these four from the main site;

• Tube Driver v1.3 (Tube amplifier emulator plugin).
• Nick Crow 8505 Lead v.1.2.
• Nick Crow 7170 Lead v.1.2.
• Wagner Sharp (Tube guitar preamp emulation plugin).

Check it out here:Nick Crow Plugins.

Want some Drum VST Plugins? Here’s my List of the 14 best Free Drum VST Plugins which will take your songs to a whole new level!

TSE 808 Tube Screamer

Yes, this is not a whole program or plugin set, it´s just one Tube Screamer pedal and man is it great! It also comes with the TSE x50 v2, listed above.

It sounds great, you can use it for all kinds of music, to get a blues tone, to make those rock sounds have that little extra bite to them.

I absolutely recommend this one, just fantastic plugin!

Check it out here:TSE 808 Tube Screamer.

Ace Vintage Tube

Ace is a digital emulation of the 1950s, American, all tube, tweed, 5Wamp.

They added to the model two of the most common amplifier mods: Adjustment of the amount of feedback and addition of grid stopper resistors. They both can be turned off if you want to get the original amp sound.

After trying it out for quite a while I thought it sounded great.

You can get a really warm clean tone. It’s not really that useful for heavy rock music but you could try running some distortion pedals through it as well and seeing what happens.

Check it out here:Ace Vintage Tube.

Other essential plugins are the orchestral ones. Here’s my list which includes 20 Free Orchestral VST Plugins which sound fantastic!

FREEAMP 3.6

This isn’t your typical guitar plugin…

While it does come with the traditional effects, it does have a very distinct and unique sound to it.

I would absolutely recommend downloading it since it’s so different from all the other plugins on this list.

Not only that, but it has a wide variety of tones that can be achieved which can be edited a lot as well.

I comes with a huge array of pedal effects such as overdrive, compressor, delay, etc. which all sound great and very unique!

Check it out here: FREEAMP 3.6.

SimulAnalog Guitar Suite

SimulAnalog Guitar Suite is a free software that contains a couple of amplifiers and some pedals.

Right of the bat I have to say that this plugin is 32bit only, won´t work on 64bit Systems.

The interface is a bit rough but the sound is great and you can achieve quite a variety of them.

Metal Guitar Vst Plugins Free

This plugin contains;

• Fender Twin 1969 (Amplifier)
• Marshall JCM900 Dual Reverb (Amplifier)
• Boss ds-1 (Distortion)
• Boss SD-1 (Super Overdrive)
• Tube Screamer (Overdrive)
• Oberheim PS-1 (Phaser)
• Univox Univibe (Modulation)

Check it out here:SimulAnalog Guitar Suite.

That concludes the list of the Free Guitar Plugins. Just as an extra I’m going to list 3 Plugins / programs that are not free but that are really the best, should you decide to invest your money into something like this.

Important Note: I wrote a complete guide on how to make a Guitar Amp Simulator Sound good which should be useful to you since they don’t tend to sound as one would expect right from the start!

Check it out!

Related: I also put together a list of the best Guitar VSTs, not just the free ones. If you’re interested you can check that article out here.

Guitar Rig 5 Pro

Yes, this one costs $200 but if you are seriously considering using plugins to record, then this one will definitely be a great choice.

It comes with 17 amps, 27 cabinets and over 50 effect, you can edit everything, from shaping the tone to choosing the mic placement.

Guitar Rig is one of the, or probably THEE most popular guitar amp simulation plugin around today for the simple fact that it’s so versatile, plus it sounds great.

It can take you some time to get the tone you desire since right out of the box the sound quality won’t be what you expect; some tweaking is definitely required.

Check it out Here: Guitar Rig 5 Pro

Amplitube 4

The great thing about downloading the free version, is that get get to try the full version for a couple of days, so you can see if it is worth it.

The difference is that you get way more Amps, Cabinets, Effects, and so on.

Is it worth the money? About $150? I think so, yes. If you plan on really using it.

Check it out Here:Amplitube 4

BIAS FX II and BIAS AMP II

BIAS FX also has a free version, and it’s definitely worth giving a try since it will let you decide whether or not you like it or not..

However, in the free version, every ten seconds or so you get a message saying that you have the demo version and it stops processing your signal for a second, then goes back to reproducing it with all the effects that you assigned to it…which is really annoying!

BUT the full version is actually great. I’ve heard of people having issues with it, like crashing and not working, but for me it works just fine!

You can buy two version, the standard ($100) and the Pro one ($199).

The standard version comes with 12 Amps and 30 effects, while the Pro version comes with 32 amps and 64 effects, plus 10 Studio Rack Processors.

Check it out Here:BIAS FX II and BIAS AMP II.

Learning to Play the Guitar

In order to really be able to record music with these amp sims, you’re going to need to play as good as possible, and I say this because recording is very different to just playing; for some reason, as soon as you press the record button, you feel as if you can’t play anymore!

I’ve been using this website called GuitarTricks for a while now, and they teach you everything there is to know about playing the guitar.

I know that most of you searching for amp sims already know exactly how to play, but if you’re looking for affordable ways to improve, then this is definitely one of them.

Best Metal Guitar Vst

I also wrote an entire post on the best websites to learn to play the guitar online, in case you’re looking for a genre-specific course.

Conclusion:

If you really need a good sounding plugin for professional recordings, maybe buying a Pro one would be in your best interest, but the free ones sound quite nice and they are, well, FREE!

Just download them all and see which one fits your needs!

I hope this was helpful! Have a great day!

Special Deals at Pluginboutique!

Get up to 99% off of Premium Plugins!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a guitar plug in?

Guitar plugins are often classed as ‘VST‘ plugins. VST stands for ‘Virtual Studio Technology’ and refers to audio plugins that use digital signal processing to simulate hardware and create extremely realistic guitar sounds.

What is a VST host?

VST plugins generally run within a digital audio workstation (DAW) which works as a host, however a few standalone plugin hosts exist which support VST.

What are VST effects?

VST stands for Virtual Studio Technology and there are three different types of VSTs;
VST instruments: These plug-ins generate audio and are either virtual synthesizers or samplers that emulate how the original hardware sounds.
VST effects: Effects process audio instead of generating it. These effects are; Reverb, Relay, etc.
VST MIDI effects: MIDI plug-ins process MIDI messages and send MIDI data to other VST instruments and hardware.

Buying an amplifier is essential for playing electric guitars. But getting a good one can be rather expensive. This especially the case if you are a beginner, or if you don’t earn money by playing. You can understand why someone can have problems with throwing a thousand dollars or more.

But there is an alternative to an amplifier. You can get a variety of programs that can simulate an amp, and they will allow you to plug your guitar directly into your PC. While some of these programs are quite expensive, it’s possible to find ones that are free of charge.

Standalone + Vst Plugin

One of the best options you can find, and the easiest to use, are standalone programs that can act as a plug-in as well. They can do a variety of things besides just being an amp simulator if you want to properly record your guitar there is an options built-in. Some programs can act as VST (Virtual Studio Technology) for your DAW (more about DAWs later on). If you already have a program, you might want to find just a plug-in that will enhance the DAW you already own, or to help you get the desired sound.

Guitar Rig 5 Player

Available on Windows and Mac

Native Instruments offer a great simulation that comes in both free and paid versions. While the design is the same for both, the free version has fewer options when it comes to amps and effects. When it comes to a free version of the program, you will get one amp and one cabinet to use. However, you can use a couple of effect pedals like Ibanez Tubescreamer, for example.

There are also a few delay pedals, as well as equalizers and noise gates. The UI is quite good, and you don’t need to spend hours trying to figure out how to use it. The main idea behind these two versions is that the basic or free program offers only a demo, hoping to get you hooked and getting a full version of the software.

Whichever option you pick, there is no doubt that the program will serve you well, and that you’ll be able to create beautiful music. The paid one, of course, offers so much more when it comes to the choice of equipment.

AmpliTube Custom Shop

Available on Windows and Mac

Over the years, AmpliTube gained incredible popularity and not without reason. The design of the program is similar to others where you can customize your experience as you would with a real amplifier.

As you can probably guess, this software comes in several versions as well, but you can get a free plug-in as well. This plug-in will allow you to use AmpliTube 3, as well as 24 models that include nine stomps or pedals, four different amplifiers, three microphones, and two rack effects. It also has a built-in tuner that will allow you to always keep your guitar in key.

One of the best qualities of AmpliTube is that the program is perfect for beginners. You won’t need a degree in engineering to use it, and you can experiment with sounds to find what you love the most. The UI is incredible and it will show you a virtual amp with all the potentiometers and buttons that you can mess around with until you get a tone that you love.

Naturally, you can get a paid version as well that gives you an opportunity to use “real” brands like Orange, Fender, Mesa, and there are even simulations of player’s rigs available. So, if you really want to sound like Jimi Hendrix, you can buy a custom software that will allow you to achieve it in no time.

AmpLion Free

Available on Windows and Mac

AmpLion works as a standalone program and plug-in. The program is developed by Audified, and if you like it, you can get a pro version as well. As you can probably guess already, there are several options that are not available in the free version, but you can still use it for practicing, recording, composing, and even playing live!

What is interesting about AmpLion is that it gives you an option to use Track Player and play along with your favorite songs and artists. You can also use intelligent metronome, which is something that is perfect for practicing.

AmpLion also allows you to adjust the microphone position while using the simulation, where you can choose the location of the microphone and the distance from the speaker. If you ever tried recording something with a mic and an amplifier, you know how important it can be.

Finally, it gives an impressive amount of customization, and you can find several pedals and cabinets available even in the free version. AmpLion Free offers five-channel tube amp, two cabinets, metronome, audio player, and advance recorder.

Bias FX2

Available on Windows and Mac

The company that’s behind this software recently released their second and upgraded version of BIAS amps. If you compare it to the first one, there is so much improvement, and you will get a lot better feel while playing the newer version. It is worth mentioning that there are several versions of this program that you will have to pay, and the price is between $100 and $300. Why is it on the list, you might ask. Well, you can also get a free version of the program, that comes with certain limitations.

But even if you get a demo, it is still an incredible software, that will allow you all kinds of customizations and options to tailor the sound to your needs. Using your virtual amplifier is easy. Based on the version of the software you get, you will have hundreds of different effects and amp simulations. Similarly to the real thing, you can add or remove reverb, gain, loop, and so on.

DAW With Built-In Amp Simulator

DAW stands for Digital Audio Workstations might not be the best thing for beginners, due to the complexity of these programs. Some of the programs are designed for audio editing, recording, and such, but they don’t offer an amp simulator you can use to record guitar, but if you find one that does, you won’t have to bother downloading and installing VST plugins.

If you are a beginner and really don’t know anything about DAWs. Here is a video that demonstrates how to playrecord your guitar with Cakewalk DAW. This is just to get you started.

Cakewalk With TH3

Available only on Windows

Cakewalk is designed by BandLab, and as other products on the list, is free. You can record, edit, mix, master, and almost anything you’ll ever need. The BandLab takes pride in its product, and they claim that this is the most complete package you’ll ever find. While Cakewalk works almost like a demo for the THU, TH3 is a free plug-in for Cakewalk you can try out for yourself. It is quite decent software you can try, and since it is free, it offers you a chance to play with it without worrying about a thing.

Magix With Vandal SE

Available only on Windows

Another great software you can try if you are looking for something heavier is Magix with Vandal SE. Here, you will have a variety of crunch tones, drives, and other effects that are perfect for any heavy metal or rock lovers out there. But this doesn’t mean that you can’t use it on clean as well. It works great for both singles and humbuckers as well. Magix is great for both beginners and more advanced players, and you can check it out on the link above.

VST Plugins That Works On DAW

Now, things get a bit more complicated if you are looking for a VST for your DAW only. This means that you already have (or plan to have) a Digital Audio Workstation, and there are so many incredible programs available. While the best ones are usually quite costly like Steinberg’s Cubase, there are some you can download for free as I mentioned in the section before.

You can use either Cakewalk that is available for Windows, or Tracktion T7 that’s available for both Windows and Mac. After you downloaded and installed your DAW, you will need to download and install the VST plugin.

If you opted for Cakewalk, which is free, you can follow the link below to see how to install and add VST plugins into it. This will allow you to have both DAW and VST that you can use for free.

Blue Cat Audio Free Amp

Available on Windows and Mac

Blue Cat is a free simulation plug-in for your DAW, which can be great if you are looking for more variations to your guitar sound. Since this program is free, you can easily download it, and check it out for yourself. The design is easy to use, and it works as a demo to their Axiom program. You will get a taste of their popular amps. There are three amps available and you can use them regardless of your music taste. Settings for each of the three amps allow you to use anything from clean and soft guitar sound to crunchy heavier sounds for rock lovers. As with a real amp, you can experiment with potentiometers to make something that’s perfect for you.

Voxengo Boogex

Available on Windows and Mac

Boogex is a rather interesting program. While it has a similar function to the others on the list, the design is a lot different. Here, you won’t have a visual representation of an amplifier, but you will still have an option to customize your sound. Where Boogex shines is with low and medium settings for gain. You can still play it with higher gain, but the sound will be a lot less clear. However, this might be appealing to some players anyway. Higher gain settings are a lot more fizzy and compressed.

Best Free Electric Guitar Vst

There are also a lot of built-in impulse responses, and you can add different loaders as well. Voxengo also made sure that you have an impressive selection of amplifiers, cabinets, and even microphones.

The quality of this software lies in variations and changes you can try out. Almost anything is possible, and you can try both smooth jazz sound and heavy metal drive. The latency is almost zero, which means that you can use it for real-time processing.

Finally, the program won’t be a trouble for your CPU, and you can even add additional cabinet speaker impulses.

Ignite Amps

Available on Windows and Mac

The main thing about Ignite amps is they are completely free to use. Their product covers both tube amps and solid-state ones. If you were wondering about how it works, the technology is based on analog modeling and derives systems of nonlinear differential equations. The entire software is based on C++, and more importantly, it’s free.

You can also get a plug-in for the majority of DAWs or Digital Audio Workstations, and you can play, record, and test it as much as you like.

Among the amp plug-ins, you can get are Libra, Emissary, The Anvil, NadIR, and many more. While it might not sound as impressive as having a Fender, these simulations are incredible, and you can adjust and customize them as much as you desire. These plug-ins have different purposes, and you can find ones designed for mixing, jamming, simulations of tube amps, solid-state, and so much more.

LePou Plugins

Available on Windows and Mac

Another exciting thing you can try is one of the LePou plugins. These are designed to simulate one several popular amps. You can find, for example, a hybrid guitar amp, which is a solid-state amp with tubes in the preamp. Furthermore, there is a preamp simulator, as well as a variety of cabinets.

The best thing about these plugins is that they are free of charge, and you can download them whenever you desire. Most of these are quite good and give you an option to further customize the sound. All you have to do is try a few and see which one suits your style and taste.

Kuassa Ampilfikation Lite

Available on Windows and Mac

If you are looking for a more classic, vintage style, Kuassa might have a perfect thing for you. Their amp software, Amplifikation, allows you to experience the best of the bygone era, and enjoy traditional bluesy rock style. Like many other entries on the list, there is a lite version that is completely free and allows you to try out their product.

Lite offers an amplifier that sounds like a combination of Marshall and Peavey amps. Naturally, you can use gain if you are looking for a harder music genre, but you can play it clean as well. The simulation is able to perfectly capture that late seventies sound, and if you are looking for something like this, Kuassa might be the best choice.

Kuassa also offers a couple of pedals that you can take free of charge, like equalizer and noise-gate, and you can always check their paid models if you want something more.

Shattered Glass Audio Ice

Available on Windows and Mac

If the seventies are too recent for you, Shattered Glass might have a product you’ll like. Their amp simulator is based on Fender’s Tweed Champ, which is arguably one of the best amps from the fifties. The original inspiration is 5W, all-tube amp. What is interesting here is the option to adjust the level of feedback.

There is also a mod to the real circuit and it includes grip stopper resistors. You can also use a plug-in that can be oversampled up to eight times.

Interestingly, the volume on the amp simulator can go all the way to twelve, just like on the original amp. It’s a nice detail which tweed lovers will undoubtedly appreciate.

X50 V2

Available on Windows and Mac

This software comes from TSE Audio, and it is definitely worth your attention. As some of the previous examples on the list, you can find a demo or free version that is a stripped version of the original program. Some of the functionalities will be unavailable, but you will still get a very clear idea of what they have to offer.

X50 V2 is rather versatile, and you can get anything from a crisp clean tone, all the way to heavy metal distortion. But even if you get a free version, you will still be able to use a tuner, equalizer, delay, phaser, reverb, and several distortion pedals.

But one of the main qualities of the software is simplicity. You will notice from the start that the program is rather intuitive and easy to use. you won’t need an expensive PC to run the X50 V2. Furthermore, a demo version is available for both platforms, and you can download it and check system requirements in the link below.

NRR-1

Available on Windows and Mac

If you are a heavy metal player, there is a chance that you are not satisfied with some of the entries on the list. Finding an amplifier that has a good distortion can be challenging, especially if we talk about software simulations. Ignite designed NRR-1, and the program was created for Cristiano Trionfera. Trionfera is currently playing with an Italian symphonic death metal band, and NRR-1 is quite similar to the original amp he used.

This program offers three channels: clean, rhythm, and lead. Each of the channels has its own separate controls, and you can choose between mono and stereo processing support. It also allows you to use preset management systems as well as bank import and export functions.

For everyone looking for a digital version of his amplifier from 2009, this will be an incredible option. You can find more info on the link, and you can try it for yourself if you are into a heavier sound.

SimulAnalog Guitar Suite

Available only on Windows

SimulAnalog Guitar Suite is a free program that offers a variety of amplifiers and pedals. While it is not as polished as some others from the list, there is no paid version. This means that you will get the whole product, and you won’t be tempted to invest if your goal was to experiment on your computer.

Furthermore, the software comes only in the 32-bit version, which might be a deal-breaker for some. However, the sound that you can create using this program is well worth the trouble. The plugins you can find here offer two amplifiers, Fender Twin from 1969 and Marshall JCM9000 Dual Reverb.

When it comes to effects, there are Boss DS-1 and SD-1, incredible TubeScreamer, Univox Univibe which is for modulations, and a phaser based on Oberheim PS-1. As you can see, the options for pedals and amps are rather impressive, and they are able to cover a plethora of genres. With this equipment, you’ll be able to play anything from blues to heavy metal.

Black Rooster Audio Cypress TT-15

Available on Windows and Mac

Black Rooster designed Cypress TT-15 that is incredible for all the metal lovers out there. As with other entries on the list. Finding a good drive or distortion for hard rock or metal is not easy, and most VST will give you an unsatisfying tone. However, Cypress can be quite good if you know how to use it. The settings for this VST are amazing, and it allows you to create a lot of incredible tones that work amazingly with heavy riffs.

Cypress is good for both lead and rhythm sounds, and you can use a variety of effects like delay. The amp is a solid-state, and it has three knobs for tone, gain, and volume. While it would be amazing if they offered a treble, mid, bass, as well, we can’t really complain since it is free.

Lost in 70’s Tone Deluxe

Available on Windows and Mac

The main idea behind Tone Deluxe by Lost in 70s is to create a full analog tube amplifier. What is interesting here is that Tone Deluxe completes everything from preamp to the cabinets. If you are into tube amps, you’d love to hear that it simulates ECC83 and EL34 tubes. You can also reduce the signal processing time which will create a more pleasurable experience.

This software also offers two channels, one for clean and other for high gain. You can also use two spring reverbs, and five cabinet models. While the program is not great for metal, it works incredibly with rock, blues, hard rock, and other softer genres.

Nick Crow

Available on Windows and Mac

Nick Crow Lab offers 8505 Lead that’s available for both Windows and Mac. The main quality of 8505 is the variety of tones you can get from it. The amp simulation comes with several knobs you can use. The first one is gain, and you can choose anything from heavy metal to soft rock. There is also an option to adjust lows, mids, and highs, which is something that other amps simulations are lacking. For anyone looking for heavier sounds, 8505 is an incredible option.

Nick Crow Labs also offer a 7170 amp simulation, as well as a couple of other amps, pedals, and effects you can test. As with other entries, the entire Nick Crow plug-in pack is free to use, and you can check it on the link above.

ReValver 4

Available Windows and Mac

ReValver by Audio Media Research is actually a Peavey amp simulator, and it is incredible. If you ever played a Peavey amp, this is something you need to check as soon as possible. Naturally, the software is backed up by Peavey, and there are so many effects and options you can try out. One of the exciting options is to adjust the microphone position, as well as reverbs and many other options.

You’ll be surprised by how many adjustments are available from different amps and effects to tubes and speakers. If you are looking for great software that offers a variety of effects and simulations, ReValver might be the thing to check. You can also add as many stompboxes as you want, and all of the effects sound quite good. At first glance, it seems that there is no limit to what ReValver can do. Peavey and AMR decided to show everyone how you should create an amp simulator, and they really managed to set a new standard.

Summary

Playing an electric guitar without an amplifier might be challenging but it is far from impossible. There are so many companies developing software that will allow you to play your guitar using a computer. Most of these apps are available for both Mac and Windows, and the only thing you’ll need to do is plug in your guitar, and start playing.

If you were wondering about price, most of the software companies offer free and paid versions, and you can try them both. Free software is usually a stripped version of a paid program, and you won’t have as many options. However, you can still play your guitar and create music without spending a dime if you don’t want to.

If you found this article useful you may want to save this pin below to your Guitar board