Our friends at IK Multimedia have just release a new Brian May package for Amplitube produced in collaboration with Brian May himself. Before we go into any detail, we suggest you first watch IK’s short trailer video below to hear how this sounds… Spoiler alert, the attention to detail is quite exceptional…

Brian’s signature sound is very distinctive. It’s made up of a small number of components,which together produce his majestic sound known all over the world. IK Multimedia have gone through each section of Brian’s rig from the unique pickup arrangement in his homemade Red Special guitar, through to his treble booster and of course three Vox AC30 setup he uses on stage. All you need is a sixpence.

The Brian May Red Special Guitar Pickups

Part of Brian’s signature sound comes in part from his homemade Red Special guitar. IK really went to town on this package as they developed a unique stompbox that simulates the tonal characteristics of his Red Special guitar along with its unique on/off phase switches. The Red Special is not like your average Stratocaster or Les Paul, watch our video review of the Brian May Special Signature Guitar below to learn about how the pickup controls differ from other guitars…

Treble Booster, Stompboxes And Effects

Brian doesn’t just plug his guitar straight into his three AC30s as that would only give his sound a warm crunch at best. How he achieves his big voice-like tones is by plugging into a little device called a treble booster that he uses to crank the signal from his guitar into the creamy saturation of the AC30.

Beside the essential treble booster, May’s other general purpose pedals are usually quite sparse. On occasion he uses a wah and FOX Phaser which have been included alongside the treble booster in this package. There’s also a harmonizer built-in that you can use to achieve those Queen stacked harmony lines.

The Business End - The Vox Amps

Brian uses three custom Vox AC30 amps with Celestion Alnico Blue speakers on stage. This Amplitube package models that setup with the effects chain in a Wet-Dry-Wet configuration but do you know of the Little Deacy amp made for Brian by Queen’s bassist John Deacon?

This little amp was frequently used by Brian in the studio for guitar harmony work as it achieved a distinct mid range tone that Brian felt worked well for tracking trumpet and string like harmony sections with his guitar. IK have modelled this cool little amp as well, called The BM DK.

Pricing And Availability

Information from IK Multimedias website:

AmpliTube Brian May (for Mac/PC) runs inside AmpliTube Custom Shop, a free download available to all. The new models are available now for purchase as a bundle from the Custom Shop, the IK Multimedia online store and from IK authorized dealers worldwide for $/€99.99 (excl. taxes). No previous purchase of AmpliTube is required. The new models will show up as an optional purchase for existing users of AmpliTube 4 upon updating to the latest version.

The Brian May Collection (iPhone and iPad) is available via in-app purchase from within AmpliTube CS for iPhone or iPad, for $/€19.99. Individual models may also be purchased a la carte (Stomp FX - $/€3.99 each; amps - $/€6.99 each). All models are also part of IK’s All-In Bundle 2019 collection, which is available for in-app purchase.

Visit IK Multimedia for more information. Review to follow in the coming weeks.