ReValver MkIII.V Review - Reviews

ReValver has been given a make-over. Mike Hillier finds out what’s new.

Price: £150.00
Manufacturer: Peavey
Website: http://www.peavey.com

ReValver MkIII.V amp sim

ReValver MkIII.V
Manufacturer Peavey
Price £150
Contact Peavey 01536 461234
Web www.peavey.com
Minimum system requirements
PC 1GHz processor, Windows 2000, 512MB RAM
Mac 1GHz processor, Mac OSX 10.4, 512MB RAM

With ReValver, Peavey brought a new dimension to amp emulation. As with other amp sims, Peavey has modelled a selection of classic amps and effects, including a large number of its own. However, while other software amp suites would be content simply emulating the amp as a whole – giving the user access to the same knobs as they would find on a hardware unit – Peavey goes a step further, providing access to the amps’ innards, enabling you to customise your amp with different valve models and tone stacks.
The latest version, ReValver MkIII.V, on the surface brings new amp models and fixes a few minor bugs. But existing users will be pleasantly surprised when they plug a guitar in: not only has Peavey expanded the amp options in ReValver MkIII.V, it’s also worked hard to improve the valve emulations.

Amp it up
The easiest way to get started is to pick one of the 21 amps that come auto-loaded with an RIR cabinet module and a matched cabinet impulse response. Inserting amps and effects is done in much the same way as it is in Guitar Rig, with the amps being added to a vertical rack, which processes from top to bottom.
If you’re not happy with any of the 21 amps, however, you can choose to match specific pre- and power-amp stages with their own cabinet module. There are 12 preamps and nine power amp modules, which can be paired together in any way. If the sound still isn’t quite right, right-click on any of these modules to further edit the sound by swapping the tubes or tone stacks out for different models.
Of the 21 amp models in ReValver, six are completely new: the Demon, Redhot AD30, Peavey Sensation 20, Peavey Masterpiece 50, Budda Drive 18 Series II and Budda Superdrive V20. The new amps provide some great new tonal options. The Peavey Sensation 20 is one of our favourites, giving a thick, bluesy tone with just the right kind of bark when paired with our Strat. The new amps also continue Peavey’s tradition of using ReValver to show off its own amp range, and while there are emulations of Vox, Marshall and Fender models, the majority of the amps are Peavey- or Budda-branded.

Stomp on
The same can be said of the new stompbox and rack effects, which include various new units such as the Budda Budda-Wah, the Peavey VC/L-2 compressor, a new noise gate based on valve emulation, plus a vibrato effect based on a Magnatone 280 stereo amp. These largely duplicate existing effects, but bring extra possibilities. The compressor, for example, has a cleaner, more open sound than the existing tube module, which is great on acoustic guitar. Similarly, the Budda-Wah has a much more expressive tone than the older Wow-Wah module, but operates within a smaller range. This gives the pedal a tighter response, which is perfect for electric guitar, but not as useful if you’re using ReValver to process synth or electric piano sounds.
Compared to products like Guitar Rig or AmpliTube, ReValver still lacks some depth, especially in the effects realm. But the ability to include VST effects as modules within the signal chain should help alleviate this, while the option to mess around with the innards of the amp models means that ReValver is the tone-lover’s ideal amp simulation.
If you loved ReValver MkIII, then the update to MkIII.V is a no-brainer: not only do you get additional amps, but the existing amps have been improved. The tube emulation is more responsive than before and gives the amps a more dynamic response to your playing styles. This isn’t always an advantage, but if you want a more consistent tone there are always compressors to even out your playing. MTM

WHY BUY
Great-sounding amp models
You can tweak the amps to fine-tune their sound
VST host

WALK ON BY
Plain and somewhat buggy UI
Limited effects options

Verdict
ReValver MkIII.V improves on what was already an impressive product. This really is one for people chasing the tonal Holy Grail!
★★★★★★★★ (8/10)

Score: 8

This review first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 97
Filed under Reviews, Software, Software Effects

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Peavey ReValver MkIII.V Review

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