Archetype: Nolly X

Name: Archetype: Nolly X
Price: 153.29 USD
Author: Neural DSP

by Neural DSP · Amp Sim · Artist amp suite

vst3s Score 9.5/10 · rated #1 of 10 amp sims

Built with producer and Periphery guitarist Adam "Nolly" Getgood. Four amps (Clean, Crunch, Rhythm and Lead) cover pristine cleans through to high-gain metal.

It has two drives, a compressor, a 9-band EQ, 640 cabinet impulse responses plus an IR loader, and a doubler. Guitar World calls it the best Neural DSP plugin overall.

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

Keywords: electric guitar, clean, aggressive, impulse-response based, modern, mixing, bright, hi-fi, solid-state, standalone app, tight, tube, wide.

What it does

Archetype: Nolly X is Neural DSP's signature suite with producer Adam "Nolly" Getgood, built from his collection of custom-modded tube amps.

Four amps: Clean, Crunch, Rhythm and Lead, covering clean tones through to modern high-gain.
Pedals: two overdrive/boost pedals (the first with a bright switch) and a solid-state compressor before the amp; delay and reverb after it.
Cab section: 640 impulse responses, with amps and cabs that can be linked or mixed freely.
EQ: a 9-band graphic EQ with "Nolly's Mod", his own custom Q settings.
Global tools: Transpose (±12 semitones), a Doubler for stereo width, a live tuner and a metronome (standalone only).

The X version (July 2024) was a free update for owners of the original Archetype: Nolly, adding a room reverb, four more cabinets, the new EQ and a redesigned interface. It has a 14-day trial.

Source: Neural DSP product page

When to use it

Of the three Neural DSP suites in the rated list, Nolly X is the all-rounder. Gojira X is heavier and built around pitch effects, and Cory Wong X is a clean and funk specialist. Compared with full modellers like Helix Stadium Native or AmpliTube 5 MAX, it has a small, curated set of amps, voiced by a mix engineer to sit in a track with little extra work.

Best for: tight rhythm guitars, leads and cleans for modern rock and metal records, and learning from the factory presets.
Genres: metal, djent, prog and modern rock; the Clean amp also suits pop and ambient parts.
Look elsewhere if: you want lots of effects or vintage blues and classic rock amps; Helix Stadium Native, AmpliTube 5 MAX or Paradise Guitar Studio cover more ground there.

What producers say

Widely regarded as one of Neural DSP's best plugins.

Sound On Sound (John Walden, 2020, original version) called it "some of the best amp/cab modelling" he had experienced, praising the realistic amp behaviour, the curated cabs and the 9-band EQ.
Guitar World (Matt McCracken, 2025) named Nolly X the best Neural DSP plugin overall for its range from clean to high-gain metal and its presets made by a mix engineer.
Gripes: a limited choice of effects and a basic noise gate (Sound On Sound), and no easy way to save presets inside the plugin (Guitar World).

Where to buy

Neural DSP: $153.29 (Listed at €135; converted at €1 = $1.1355 (ECB rate, 29 Sep 2026))

Tutorials and reviews

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