Hivolt 103

Name: Hivolt 103
Price: 137 USD
Author: Nembrini Audio

by Nembrini Audio · Amp Sim · British vintage amp sim

Not rated yet

A two-channel guitar amp plugin from Nembrini Audio modeled on a 1970 Hiwatt DR103 with its original Partridge transformer.

It has four inputs, channel linking, six cabinets and an IR loader, and costs $137.

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

Keywords: electric guitar, hardware emulation, 70s, classic, impulse-response based, stereo-linked, vintage, clean, transformer, punchy, crunchy, harsh.

What it does

Hivolt 103 (Hivolt 103 Custom Guitar Amplifier) models a 1970 Hiwatt DR103 with its original Partridge transformer and point-to-point wiring. The developer aims it at "classic British high-end tone."

Two channels: normal and brilliant channels share one EQ section.
Four inputs: each channel has its own high and low input, to suit different pickups.
Channel linking: link the two channels for more punch and dynamic control over the EQ.
Cabinets and mics: six cabinets and four microphone models, with on/off-axis switching and continuous position and distance controls.
Mixer: solo, mute, pan and faders to blend two microphones with ambience.
IR loader: load up to three third-party IRs and blend them with volume, pan, phase, solo and mute.
Noise control: a noise gate and a Cleaner circuit for rumble and harshness.

The current version is 1.0.7.

Source: Nembrini Audio product page

When to use it

Hivolt 103 is for one sound: the loud, open British tone of a Hiwatt, with linked channels for extra punch. Compared with AmpliTube 5 MAX or Guitar Rig 7 Pro it is a single amp with no effects, but it gives that one voice more focus than a suite's generic British models. Next to the developer's Faceman it is brighter and more British than Fender-style. At full price it costs far more than Nembrini's amps on sale, and users who own a real DR103 say it breaks up sooner than the hardware.

Best for: big, open classic rock rhythm guitar and pedal-driven tones.
Genres: classic rock, indie, hard rock.
Look elsewhere if: you want high gain, built-in effects or many amps (AmpliTube 5 MAX, Guitar Rig 7 Pro), or want to wait for a sale.
Tip: for clean headroom, forum users keep the input low, around -18 dB peaks, and some swap the stock cabinets for third-party IRs.

What producers say

Users like its British character but are split on how closely it matches a real DR103.

KVR users rate it 5 out of 5 from 1 review (2022, version 1): it praised the clean-to-semi-clean British tone, dynamics and power-amp saturation, but wished for more period-correct speakers.
Loopy Pro forum users found it "great for pedals", but DR103 owners said it goes into crunch too early, "not at all how mine behaves".

Where to buy

Nembrini Audio: $137

Tutorials and reviews

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