Cali Dual

Name: Cali Dual
Price: 137 USD
Author: Nembrini Audio

by Nembrini Audio · Amp Sim · Three-channel high-gain amp sim

Not rated yet

A three-channel guitar amp plugin from Nembrini Audio modeled on the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier.

It includes six cabinets, an IR loader and a noise gate, and is on sale for $19.99 (regular $137).

Best for: Guitars. Genres: Metal, Rock & Indie.

Keywords: electric guitar, aggressive, crunchy, hardware emulation, impulse-response based, clean, tight, heavy, inspired by, 90s, loose, thin, transparent, tube, vintage, warm.

What it does

Cali Dual (Cali Dual Three Channels Guitar Amplifier) is Nembrini Audio's model of the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, a three-channel high-gain tube head.

Channel 1: Clean for tight, sparkling tones and Pushed for a mid-gain flavour.
Channels 2 and 3: identical, each with Raw (crunch and blues), Vintage (liquid, warm high gain) and Modern (the heaviest, most aggressive voicing).
Per-channel controls: separate gain, tone, presence and volume for each channel.
Power options: Spongy for a looser, vintage feel and Bold for full power.
Cabinets and mics: six cabinet models and four microphone models with on/off-axis positioning, mixed with solo, mute, pan and faders.
IR loader and gate: blend up to three third-party impulse responses; a built-in noise gate and cleaner circuit.

The current version is 1.0.12. It is on sale.

Source: Nembrini Audio product page

When to use it

Cali Dual is a very cheap, single-purpose Rectifier: it is a low-cost way to get the thick Mesa high-gain sound in a DAW. Compared with Archetype: Gojira X it has no pedals or effects and only one amp, but it covers clean, crunch and two flavours of heavy gain across its three channels. Unlike AmpliTube 5 MAX or Helix Stadium Native it doesn't try to be a full rig, so plan to add your own delay and reverb. Next to Nembrini's Cali Axis it is the heavier, more rhythm-focused choice, without built-in effects.

Best for: heavy rhythm guitar and tight high-gain leads, plus crunch and Plexi-like tones from the Pushed voicing.
Genres: metal, hard rock, nu-metal.
Look elsewhere if: you want built-in effects or many amps; Cali Axis adds effects, and Archetype: Gojira X or AmpliTube 5 MAX give a full rig.
Tip: a KVR reviewer suggests turning the bass down if the usual Mesa low end feels too much.

What producers say

Feedback is thin but positive, with buyers rating it highly.

KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from 1 review (2020): more dynamic and transparent, with less compression, than other Rectifier sims, and the Pushed voicing is a "real secret weapon" for Plexi-style tones.
Developer's store shows 10 customer reviews, all five stars.

Where to buy

Nembrini Audio: $137

Tutorials and reviews

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