Archetype Nolly clean rock metal tones
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Archetype Nolly Clean, Rock and Metal Tones (Neural DSP)

ByJason Stallworth

Virtual amp sims seem to keep getting better and better. In fact, there are almost too many choices now!

That said, whenever you hear about a new virtual amp sim coming out, you’re like, ‘Bleh, okay, another virtual amp…yippie! So what!’

That’s kind of how I felt when I heard about the new Archetype Nolly suite of amps from Neural DSP. And had it not been for my experience with other Neural DSP amp sims (playing through their Fortin NTS and Nameless amp sims), I probably would’ve just brushed this off as just another amp sim.

I decided to download the trial version of Archetype Nolly. And here’s what I’m going to share with you in this post:

  • Full video demo (so you can hear the tones)
  • Breakdown of each of the 4 Archetype Nolly amps
  • What style of music each amp is best for (and are any of these amps good for metal tones?)
  • Archetype Nolly features (effects, cabinets, mics, stompboxes)
  • My personal thoughts on Archetype Nolly

Archetype Nolly Demo – YouTube Video

First, click on the play button below and watch the YouTube video I made for Archetype Nolly. I cover the tone for all 4 amps and I even start out by letting you hear how each amp sounds in the full mix. Why? Because if it doesn’t sound good in a full mix, it’s crap! So judge for yourself.

*I also playing each amp by itself after the full mix.

I recorded this using…

  • Ibanez RG1570 for the clean and rock tones
  • ESP M-1000 Deluxe for metal tones
  • PreSonus Studio One Pro recording software
  • ESP D-5 bass (using the Studio Devil Bass Amp Pro plugin)
  • EZ Drummer for drums

About Archetype Nolly

Archetype Nolly is a suite of amps and effects created by Neural DSP. Neural DSP is known for its advanced algorithm research, deep machine learning, and augmented reality. In laymen’s terms, that means they make some pretty awesome virtual products for recording musicians.

The concept of this suite of amps is based on specs from Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood. He’s known as Periphary’s bassist and his precision as a studio engineer and producer.

You can learn more about Archetype Nolly and download the free trial version directly from the Neural DSP website here: https://neuraldsp.com/products/archetype-nolly-trial/

Archetype Nolly Amps (4)

Now let’s breakdown each amp in the suite of Archetype Nolly amps. I’ll also let you know what types of music each amp works best for.

Of course, this is based on my own opinion. But I think you’ll find the music styles I’m suggesting for each amp to be fairly accurate.

Also, as you’ll see below I’ve given each amp (tone) a name based on what each amp sounds like.

Clean Amp Tone

Archetype Nolly clean amp

This virtual amp can sound like:

  • Metallica songs with clean tones like One, Fade to Black and Sanatorium
  • Practically any rock or country that needs clean guitar tones
  • Any blues or songs that call for a clean guitar sound

As you can see, I’m more of a metal dude and not too savvy with bands that just play clean guitars! Lol…hence Metallica songs are listed first!

Most every clean amp is judged against the king of clean tone amplifiers from Fender. For me, I measure clean (virtual) amps against the Fender Reverb tones.

Now, this doesn’t mean I’m looking for the virtual amp to sound exactly like a Fender. But it does mean there are certain characteristics in regards to depth, clarity, and fullness that I’m looking for.

This amp totally hits the mark on all of those. It’s one I’d consider using for my future albums and projects for songs that call for that clean tone, or a tone I can use with ambient effects.

Rock (or Dirty) Amp Tone

Archetype Nolly dirty rock amp

This virtual amp can sound like:

  • Southern rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd
  • Classic rock like Led Zeppelin and Bad Company
  • Radio-friendly rock like Foo Fighters or Queens of the Stone Age
  • Hard rock like Dokken or Scorpions (and even the older Judas Priest and Maiden)
  • Hair metal like Poison, Warrant, and Winger

This is the most diverse amp in the Archetype Nolly suite. I call this the dirty amp, or just plain ole rock amp. But it can handle a wide array of styles and tones.

One really cool thing about this amp is you can back the gain off and go into a completely different style of music. It also works really well when you dial the volume down on your guitar in that sense.

If you want more of that hard rock tone, just turn on one of the overdrives in front of the amp. This will give you an entirely new world of harder, more edgier tones. It’s almost worth getting Archetype Nolly for this amp alone!

Classic Thrash Metal Amp Tone

Archetype Nolly classic metal amp

This virtual amp can sound like:

  • Thrash metal like Testament, Exodus, Keator, Megadeth, and older Metallica
  • Classic metal like Black Sabbath and Motorhead
  • Hard rock/metal like Queensryche, Saxon and Accept
  • Any metal that crosses over to the heavier styles of music from the prior amp we just discussed
  • I find this amp to also cover the metal sub-genres that I list for the next amp

This is my favorite amp of the Archetype Nolly suite! Neural DSP really nailed it on this one. Like the rock amp we just talked about, this amp is also extremely diverse meaning that you can dial in pretty much any style of hard rock or metal tone that exists.

What I like most about this amp is the clarity and punchiness. And it’s made for riffing, so it’s perfect for thrash metal or any type of playing where you’re moving those fingers around (not just playing chords). It also sits in the mix better than most virtual amps.

Modern Metal Amp Tone

Archetype Nolly modern metal amp

This virtual amp can sound like:

  • Metalcore bands like Trivium, Killswitch Engage, and Parkway Drive
  • Prog metal bands like Symphony X and Stratovarius
  • Tech-metal bands like Gojira and Meshuggah
  • Death metal bands like Amon Amarth and Exmortus

I believe this amp (the last one in this suite) is made more for modern styles of metal ranging from metalcore to progressive and death metal. There’s more gain and it has that modern metal style midrange if that makes sense.

I initially loved the sound of this amp. But then I went back and played it side by side with the classic metal amp (the one we just covered), and found that I preferred that tone.

You may have a different opinion though, and I can see where most metal guitarists will dig this modern metal sounding amp.

Archetype Nolly Cabinets, Mics, and Effects

Now let’s dig into more details of the Archetype Nolly suite of amps. Remember, this is a full-blown suite of amps and effects. So it’s almost like having your own half-stack with effects on your computer.

The Archetype Nolly suite is very similar to the concept of