Mercuriall Audio Software has introduced U539 Free, a freeware feature-limited version of their Tube Amp Ultra 530 virtual guitar amplifier in VST and AU plugin formats for Windows and Mac OS.
The free version of the plugin is based on the same user interface as the full product, however most of the on-screen controls are actually inactive. The gain controls and equalizers on both channels are set to a fixed value, the chorus parameters can’t be changed and the plugin is locked to 2X aliasing, fast processing algorithm, a single tube emulation (12AX7-TS) and a single cabinet model (4×12 Modern V30). Apart from these limitations, U539 Free is the same as the full product and it can definitely come in handy for processing guitars if you don’t mind the lack of the aforementioned features.
See also: Best Free Guitar Amplifier VST/AU Plugins!The plugin emulates the ENGL E530 tube preamp. It sounds really well on metal guitars of course, but I’ve also gotten some interesting results on other types of sounds like pads/textures and even percussion. The fact that the cabinet module is fully operational makes U539 Free a very interesting tool for achieving lo-fi style effects such as emulating the sound of speakers and old audio gear in general. The microphone position can be altered as well (smooth crackle-free adjustments across both axes), adding to the plugin’s tonal flexibility despite the lack of EQ control in the free version. The CPU hit is reasonably low for a guitar tube emulation, ranging between 4% and 7% on a single core processor.
The full version of Tube Amp Ultra 530 is priced at $59.99 and includes all of the features that are disabled in the free version. U539 Free can be downloaded directly from the developer’s website. There’s no need to sign up for a user account or join a mailing list.
Video Demo
Check out the Tube Amp Ultra 530 demo video (full version):
Download
U539 Free is available for free download via Mercuriall Audio Software (11.5 MB download size, EXE installer, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU plugin formats for Windows & Mac OS).
Last Updated on November 5, 2015 by Tomislav Zlatic.
