Now it’s starting to sound good – for real
I can still remember the first time I played through Native Instruments Guitar Rig. It was in late 2010 and I, like many others, was quite impressed. “It almost sounds like a real guitar amp,” I heard people say. In retrospect and 16 years later, of course, people have realized both that this was just the beginning, and that it didn’t sound particularly like a real tube amp at all.
The development of digital emulations of real tube guitar amplifiers has undoubtedly taken great leaps lately. We have seen very credible software versions of amplifiers from both Swedish Bogren Digital and other manufacturers around the world. One company that has come a long way towards the perfect emulation of a tube amplifier is Italian IK Multimedia. We take a look at their latest creation, the Brown Panel Signature Collection for TONEX.
If you want to read this review you’ll find it here:
www.musikmakaren.se/2010/12/23/native-instruments-guitar-rig-11/
But now over to something completely different…
Brown Panel Fender Amplifiers
During the years 1959 to 1963, Fender produced a long line of extremely good-sounding guitar amplifiers. They all had a brown control panel. In the years before that, we had the tweed series, and from 1963 onwards – in fact, right up until 1967-68, the amplifiers had the now classic black control panel. Despite CBS taking over ownership in 1965, they continued to manufacture amplifiers with the black panel. Some transitional models could have a black panel right up until the beginning of -68, but after that, the silver-colored panel was the norm. During this period, a lot of the insides were also changed, i.e. components, circuits, etc.
For many guitarists, however, the so-called brown panel period of amplifiers are among the most sought-after. This has naturally meant that well-maintained examples from this era would cost you an arm and a leg – plus some more – if you know what I mean. Now, however, IK Multimedia has released a whole series of emulations of some of the very best Fender amplifiers from this era. There are no less than 80 so-called Tone Models that originate from nine different Fender models, which IK Multimedia have managed to find in good condition, and then recorded with the special TONEX V2 AI Machine Modelling technology, through an SSL 4000G mixing desk, and with carefully selected microphones, of both ribbon, condenser and dynamic types. They have also taken care to match the old vintage speakers from JBL, Jensen and Oxford, in order to reproduce the characters of the original amplifiers in the most convincing and believable way possible.
Some models have been supplemented with a few pedals and effects – also of a vintage style. Here we are talking about the Klon Centaur, TS9 Tube Screamer, Tube Driver, MXR Distortion+ and a preamp section taken from a 6G15 Reverb effect.
Nine Really Rare Guitar Amplifiers
The amplifiers worked with are a Fender Concert Amp from 1960, a Vibrolux from 1962, a Bandmaster from 1960, a Deluxe from 1961, a Super Amp from 1962, a Vibroverb from 1963, a Princeton 1×10 combo from 1960, a Pro Amp from 1961 and a Vibrasonic from 1963. It is considered that amplifiers from the brown period exquisitely bridge the more raw warmth of the tweed period with the cleaner sounds of the more powerful black panel amplifiers that followed in its wake.
The Brown Panel amplifiers were used by guitarists with roots in surf, country, blues and early rock, and were appreciated for their unique combination of warmth (from both tubes and transformers), clarity, harmonic richness and dynamic response. There were all kinds of sounds here, from sounds on the verge of breaking up to real vintage overdrive-like lead sounds. This sound was perhaps the one that most contributed to shaping the sound we experience today as typical of the early 60s. IK Multimedia has wanted to capture all of this in the Brown Panel Signature Collection.
The whole collection
The Brown Panel Signature Collection forms an integral part of the vast TONEX ecosystem. There we find both a range of hardware and the acclaimed software. I remember that I was also one of those who raved about it when the first TONEX pedal arrived in 2023. By the way, you can read that review here (in Swedish):
Now you don’t need any special hardware to use this new Brown Panel series. However, one of the many variants of the TONEX software is required. It works great with, for example, the free version TONEX CS, or Amplitube 5, but IK Multimedia has just released a beta version of TONEX 2.0 Player. A new interface and better search functions than version 1. Recommended.
It is also possible to play the collection with any of the hardware TONEX ONE, TONEX Plug or TONEX ONE+. In fact, for a limited time IK Multimedia is offering the TONEX Brown Panel Signature Collection when you buy a TONEX ONE+. Free is good!
Let’s check out how the developers themselves describe these different amplifier models.
1962 4×10 Combo – 16 Tone Models. These tone models are based on the first Fender Concert amp. Considered one of the most sophisticated amps from the Brown Panel era, it delivers sweeping purity, rich harmonic complexity, and exceptional depth. Its four-ten Oxford Speaker configuration produces a remarkably clean and clear sound with both good projection and dimensionality, excelling in everything from well-shaped, clean tones to singing vintage drive sounds.
Original Speaker Configuration: 4x Oxford 10K5
1962 30W 1×12 Combo – 11 Tone Models. Recorded from the original version of a Vibrolux amplifier. Vibrant, harmonically rich and exceptionally responsive, it captures the dynamic feel and musical breakup that helped define the Brown Panel sound. Its balanced voice responds beautifully to both touch and pick dynamics, making it equally amenable to both completely clean and slightly overdriven sounds.
Original Speaker Configuration: Oxford 12L6N-16
1960 3×10 Combo – 9 Tone Models. Here, they have “sampled” an old Fender Bandmaster. It is both powerful and very versatile, and it delivers strong lows, focused mids and outstanding response as both a clean platform and a slightly overdriven vintage amplifier. The unique speaker configuration with three 10-inch speakers contributes to its distinctive mix of projection, clarity and authority. Also included here are some recordings with the 6G15 Reverb Unit preamp for extra depth and character.
Original Speaker Configuration: 2x Jensen P10SC och 1x Jensen P10Q
1962 2×10 Combo – 8 Tone Models. Here the original was a Super amp. Dynamic and articulate with sparkling highs, focused lows and exceptional touch sensitivity. It remains one of the most versatile amps in the collection. The dual speaker configuration provides outstanding balance and projection across a wide range of musical styles. Includes additional recordings with the 6G15 Reverb Unit preamp for added depth and character.
Original Speaker Configuration: 2x Oxford 10K5
1963 2×10 Combo – 8 Tone Models. Here the original is a Vibroverb amp. Warm, expressive and harmonically rich. It combines vintage character, smooth break-up and an exceptional feel. Rich harmonics and natural compression make it equally rewarding for clean passages, textures on the verge of breaking up and overdriven lead tones.
Original Speaker Configuration:2x Oxford 10K6
1960 JBL® 1×15 Combo – 6 Tone Models. This one is based on the original Vibrasonic amplifier. Known for its enormous headroom and powerful low-frequency characteristics. It delivers exceptional authority, clarity and dynamic range. The JBL speaker contributes to its unmistakable punch, articulation and ability to remain composed even at higher volume levels.
Original Speaker Configuration:JBL® D130F
1962 20W 1×12 Combo – 9 Tone Models. Recorded from a Deluxe amplifier. Often considered one of the defining amplifiers of the Brown Panel era, the Fender Deluxe blends warmth, compression and harmonic richness with exceptional playing dynamics. Compact and expressive, it delivers sparkling clean tone, smooth resolution and remarkable touch sensitivity, making it one of the most sought-after amplifiers from the period.
Original Speaker Configuration: Oxford 12K5-3
1960 1×10 Combo – 7 Tone Models. Captured from a Princeton amp. The wonderfully clean tones, early breakup and exceptional response make it one of the most rewarding small format amps of all time. Compact in size but rich in character; this tone model delivers the organic feel and touch sensitivity that have made these amps perennial favorites among musicians and recording engineers alike.
Original Speaker Configuration: Jensen® P10Q
1961 Pro 1×15 Combo – 6 Tone Models. Based on the original Fender Pro amp. Bold, balanced and full-bodied with impressive headroom, it delivers a fat, rounded tone that works great for both clean and slightly overdriven tones. The large speaker contributes to its wide frequency response, warmth and free projection. Includes additional recordings with the 6G15 Reverb Unit preamp for added depth and character.
Original Speaker Configuration: Jensen P15N
The making of a TONEX Signature Collection
The developers are happy to tell you what it means to create a TONEX Signature Collection. Since the start, there have been about twenty VIP Collections from IK Multimedia, but if you also count all the Collections that other developers can offer, so-called Partner Collections, you can find several hundred different ones if you search with the Collections Browser in the TONEX app.
The development team is usually looking for exceptional amplifiers, cabinets and effects pedals, and these are often borrowed from private collectors, artists or recording studios. They can also be taken from IK Multimedia’s own private collection. Each unit should have a unique tonal character, excellent condition, and also an ability to deliver an inspiring playing experience.
These rarities are then paired with top-quality recording equipment – mics, mixers, preamps, and the like – to create the very best recordings, capturing every nuance of sound, feel, and dynamic response of the objects.
TONEX AI Machine Modeling technology is then used to create the Tone Models that we can then use in our TONEX pedal, or our TONEX software. And that’s where we are today…
Preparations
To do TONEX Tone Models justice, we need to make sure the signal chain is correct all the way through. And that’s when we start with the audio interface. Many sound card manufacturers today claim that their instrument inputs are up to par, that is, they are of a high enough impedance to be able to mimic the load that an electric guitar – or its pickups – want to feel, and which makes it work optimally. When you connect a guitar cable to the input of a classic Fender amplifier, this has an input impedance of around 1 MegaOhm, and that’s where you need to end up on a sound card, in order for the audio-chain to be able to re-create the tone and the playing feel as close as possible to what we experience when we play “for real” through a guitar amplifier.
This has improved considerably in recent years. In the past, it was not uncommon for an instrument input in a sound card to have an input impedance of half the desired value, i.e. around 470 kOhm, and this could really have a detrimental effect on the guitar sound. Today, some manufacturers have gone even further in their efforts to make it easier for us guitarists who are looking for a “good tone” via the sound card’s instrument input. Some have equipped the card with a special JFET-equipped input that is intended to further improve the chances that the guitar pickups will thrive. As a curiosity, I can mention that when I tested one of these, the Audient Sono – equipped with tubes in the preamp, cabinet simulation and other “guitarist fuss” and compared it with one of Audient’s regular audio interface, the iD24, the regular iD model actually sounded much better for guitar recording. Tellingly, Sono has not been in Audient’s range for a long time, while the iD series is thriving and developing. Apparently I wasn’t the only one who was disappointed with Audient Sono.
However, one product that I became very fond of and that I still use in various contexts is IK Multimedia’s AXE I/O, also specially equipped for guitarist use. It has two different guitar inputs, one equipped with a JFET and a special Z-Tone function that works great for guitar recording. Additionally, it has been equipped with a ReAmping function which worked superbly in conjunction with the TONEX software when I ‘sampled’ some of my own old amps.
It should also be noted that a well-designed DI box, such as the one that Bosse Hansén designed back in the 70s, and for which it is still possible to get circuit boards and components, works at least as well as a special guitar input on the sound card. This DI box is fed via the card’s or mixer’s phantom power, and the result is really good for both electric bass and electric guitar. Hopefully, an article about this home build will be posted on this website soon.
How does it actually sound?
I have used such a DI box, as described above, for most of my amplifier software tests in recent years. And so I did in this case as well. You don’t want to risk ruining an important review like this, due to an incorrect input impedance, do you?
The difficult part of this review was actually trying to pick a winner among all these Tone Models. But on the other hand, you don’t have to do that either. You have access to all 80 – as if nine different brown panel amplifiers weren’t enough. If you are curious to hear how they sound, there is actually an opportunity to do this on the developer’s website. You’ll find lots of examples there. And if you buy this collection right now, the entire collection actually costs 79.99 euros plus VAT. That’s a dollar per Tone model (plus VAT). The regular price is the completely affordable 99.99 plus VAT.
But to get back to how it sounds… In our neighboring country to the west, they would have said: Brilliant! And I am inclined to agree. Both the completely clean amps, those that are on the verge of breaking up, and the tone models where the sound is already distorting properly sound equally convincing.
Regardless of whether you are looking for a really clean Fender sound, or a more vintage-oriented, “half-broken”dirty” sound, you can find it here. I am actually most impressed by the tone models that have ended up on the verge of breaking up. The ones that have just the right amount of dirt under their nails, if you get my drift. There are several really good options to browse through.
Summary
Yes, what can you say? IK Multimedia has done it again with their TONEX system. They have managed to recreate that sound that so many guitarists are looking for in an extremely illusory way. The sound from those Fender models that today perhaps only really well-off musicians like Joe Bonamassa and Eric Clapton can afford.
Now IK Multimedia offers a complete package with nine of the most sought-after amplifiers from the late 50s and early 60s. And as if that weren’t enough, they’ve thrown in a heap of Tone Models where we also get to hear some really classic effects pedals along with these vintage amplifiers. And the generosity doesn’t end there. The Brown Panel Signature Collection contains a total of 80 different tone models!
Whether you want the pure Strat sound that made Mark Knopfler so beloved, or if you prefer Chris Stapleton’s tonal range, or maybe even looking for a dirtier blues sound, there are opportunities to find it, or to dial it in yourself, here. The vintage warmth, the tube feel, the dynamics and the playability of a really good guitar amplifier… It’s all here.
Don’t ask me how they do it. I’m just grateful that they actually do.
Links
Here is a video showcasing a selection of the Brown Panel Signature Collection Tone Models: https://youtu.be/wsiwnzJECW0?si=3RI-leqw2arsyBZH
For full information and audio demonstrations, visit:
www.ikmultimedia.com/tonex-brown-panel
Demo: https://youtu.be/wsiwnzJECW0?si=_kqf6IpE379t7f3u
This is how the Collection was made: https://youtu.be/DGDKoNKB9a4?si=-CYZFgFwdnn4G8sW
Price and availability
Brown Panel Signature Collection is available via ToneNET and all versions of TONEX for Mac/PC for $/€99.99* ($/€79.99 limited-time introductory price), as well as from authorized IK dealers worldwide and the IK Multimedia online store. (Pricing excluding taxes.)
Through August 31, The Brown Panel will also be offered at no cost with new purchases of TONEX ONE+, IK’s ultra-compact TONEX pedal featuring full MIDI integration, wireless editing, and studio-quality effects.
Developer & Info: IK Multimedia, www.ikmultimedia.com/tonex-brown-panel
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