Neural DSP has unveiled a comprehensive set of Mesa Boogie amps for its latest plugin suite.

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The latest development was unveiled by the brand yesterday (1 March), and this time around, it channels one of the 20th Century’s most iconic guitar amps – the Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+.

Originally, the amps were intended for some of the most legendary players of the 1980s and designed with Metallica guitarists, Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield in mind, as well as Vivian Campbell – former Dio guitarist.

Soon the amps became a fan-favourite, and increasingly synonymous with some of the most impressive players of all time, including John Petrucci, Steve Lukather and Neal Schon.

Now, the new launch by Neural DSP aims to replicate some of the most impressive features of the physical unit in a plugin form.

As seen with the original model, the Neural DSP edition also features a front panel with push/pull knobs. These offer Bright/Rhythm, Bright/Lead and Lead/Rhythm options, as well as Treble, Bass and Deep.

A five-band graphic EQ is included, alongside a choice of four pre-effects: a pair of overdrives, a compressor and a chorus unit. Post-effects include a BBD-style stereo delay and a 1980s-inspired hall reverb.

At the rear of the plugin, there are controls to manipulate the Presence and Reverb, and a Simul-class/Class A switch that offers “power amp topology”.

Three speaker options are included – a Mesa Boogie Rectifier Standard Slant 4×12, a Traditional Slant 4×12, and stacked Horizontal 2x12s – as are ten virtual microphones.

In addition to the hundreds of IRs that come included, there is also an option for you to load in your own.

Neural DSP Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+ plugin suite is available now for $99 and can be run as a standalone app, meaning no additional software is required.
A 14-day free trial is also on offer on Neural DSP’s website.