Amp Locker vs Guitarix

Amp Locker is a guitar sound-shaping suite built around virtual amps, stompboxes, cabinets, and effects. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux as a standalone app or plug-in. The free download includes the Prestige 1950 amp, seven FX pedals, seven rack effects, and 11 three-dimensional cabinets with 11 microphones. Users can adjust pedals and rack effects and move microphones around the cabinets. Other listed tools include double tracking emulation, MIDI support, an IR loader, and the 3D Cab Impact algorithm. The stated plug-in formats are AU, VST3, RTAS, and AAX. More gear modules can be licensed individually inside the application, and optional extras include DSP and AI amp profile players. The $5 a month subscription covers Amp Locker and Mix Locker modules, but excludes 3D Cab add-on packs and signature amp sims such as Berry Amp. Cancelling the subscription deactivates the plug-in. The license limits installation to machines where the licensee is the sole user and bars machines that could redistribute plug-ins to other computers.

Guitarix is free software that acts as a virtual guitar amplifier on Linux through the JACK Audio Connection Kit. Mono sound-card input passes through a main amplifier and rack section, which can be routed separately for stereo output via JACK. The rack contains more than 25 effect modules, including noise gate, flanger, phaser, and auto-wah. LADSPA and LV2 plugins can be added, and Guitarix is also available as an LV2 plugin suite for loading amps and plugins in a digital audio workstation. The project names Ardour and supports connection to Rackarrack or another JACK-aware host. It can process synths and other sound generators as well as guitar. The maker says a properly configured Linux system can process signals in no more than 10 ms. Guitarix is standalone software with an IR loader, licensed under GNU GPL version 2. It is listed for Linux and macOS; source can be built for BSD and MacOSX.