Neural DSP Archetype: John Mayer X guitar amp simulator: features and spec-based rating

Neural DSP’s Archetype: John Mayer X is an amp simulator built around IRs recorded in John Mayer’s studio and the “Three-in-One Amp”, which connects three amps in parallel. It has pedals such as Justa Boost, Halfman OD and Tealbreaker, Gravity Tank (spring reverb and harmonic tremolo), and a cabinet section where you can place 11 virtual microphones.

A guitar amp simulator recreates the sound of real guitar amps and effects pedals inside your computer. Even without an amp, you can shape a guitar sound and record.

In this article we compare Archetype: John Mayer X with 18 guitar amp simulators and rate how well it serves its purpose on three criteria. The basis is official manufacturer information.

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Summary

Among the 18 guitar amp simulators, Archetype: John Mayer X is rank B. The ranks run S, A, B and C, and B is third from the top. Averaging the scores for each criterion (out of 5, with the one criterion that matters most for the purpose counted double) gives 3.0.

Strengths

• Recording and practice (4 points): it has features that are handy for practice and home recording.
• Modeling technology (4 points): it uses its own technology that captures the response of real gear.

Things to keep in mind

• Also usable for bass (1 points): it includes few or no bass amps.

Who it suits: people who want to make sounds from a warm, bluesy clean to light overdrive

Main features of Archetype: John Mayer X

Three-in-One: three amps in parallel

The manufacturer explains that this feature connects three amps in parallel and reproduces, as it is, the setup he uses on stage and in the studio. You can also use them one at a time, and each amp has a different character.

Pedals and spatial effects

Before the amp there are Justa Boost, a clean boost, and the overdrives Halfman OD and Tealbreaker. After it come items such as Gravity Tank, which combines a spring reverb and a harmonic tremolo.

IRs recorded in his own studio

The manufacturer explains that the IRs in the cabinet section were recorded in his studio in Los Angeles. You can place 11 virtual microphones freely and choose the room size from three levels. You can also load your own IRs.

Presets and ease of use

It includes 18 presets made by him and more than 300 artist presets. Preset search and undo/redo are also available.

Video: “Archetype: John Mayer X” (official Neural DSP YouTube channel; narration in English) Watch on YouTube

Where it is useful

• Mixing three amps to make a warm clean tone
• Layering the boost and overdrives to make a moderate amount of distortion
• Starting from his presets and bringing them closer to your own sound

Rating by criterion

Range of tones: 3 / 5

We look at the choices of amps, cabinets, microphones and so on.

It has the Three-in-One Amp, which plays three amps in parallel, several pedals and rack effects, and a cabinet that can load your own IRs.

Recording and practice: 4 / 5

We look at features that help with home recording and practice.

You can run it as a standalone app, which has a tuner and a metronome (when run standalone).

Modeling technology: 4 / 5

We look at the technology used to recreate real gear.

The cabinet uses IRs recorded in his own studio, and you can place 11 virtual microphones.

Also usable for bass: 1 / 5

We look at whether it includes bass amps and the like, so you can record bass with it too.

It is made with amps and effects for guitar.

If “also usable for bass” matters most to you, AmpliTube 5 and Guitar Rig 7 Pro (5 points) are a better fit.

How we score (Guitar amp simulators)

Criterion	Basis	5 pt	4 pt	3 pt	2 pt	1 pt
Range of tones	Choices of amps, cabinets, microphones and so on	400 or more models, plus adjustment of microphone position, room and even your own IRs	Many amps and effects, plus loading your own IRs	Dozens of amps and effects can be combined	A small number of models (such as a free version)	—
Recording and practice	Features that help with home recording and practice	A recorder, a looper and a tuner are all included	Two or more, such as a looper and standalone use	Can be run as a standalone app	—	Not mentioned on the official page
Modeling technology	The technology used to recreate real gear	Has models made with machine learning or AI	Has its own IR (cabinet response) technology	Standard modeling	—	—
Also usable for bass	Whether it includes bass amps and the like, so you can record bass with it too	The official page states that it includes gear (amps and so on) for both guitar and bass	—	Stated to be usable for bass too (general-purpose processing)	—	No bass gear, or not mentioned

Each criterion is scored from 1 to 5 on how well the product serves one goal: recording guitar and bass through a line at home and making them sound like an amp. Scores follow the conditions in the table above, and the rank is based on an average in which "Range of tones" counts double. The basis is official manufacturer information. Sound quality and CPU load are not measured, so they are not scored; reviews from trade magazines are introduced in the articles for reference. Price is not part of the score. Features that cannot be confirmed from the manufacturer's or a retailer's description are scored as if absent. "Also usable for bass" is a criterion that answers the common search for "bass amp simulator". The "OBS (streaming)" column in the table shows whether the official page lists the VST2 format that the streaming software OBS Studio can use (○). OBS does not support the VST3 format. It is not part of the score.

Archetype: John Mayer X system requirements and getting started

Operating system	Windows / Mac (Apple silicon supported)
Plug-in formats	VST2, VST3, AU, AAX (64-bit)
Standalone	Yes (with tuner and metronome)
Other	An iLok account is required (no USB key needed). It can also be used on the Quad Cortex
Trial	14-day trial available
OBS (streaming)	Works as it is (VST2 is listed)

Checked on the manufacturer’s official pages on October 17, 2026.

Compared with other guitar amp simulators

Click a heading to sort. On a phone, the table scrolls sideways.

Read next

• MGuitarArchitect: features and rating (rank B)
• Archetype: Gojira X: features and rating (rank B)
• BIAS FX 2: features and rating (rank A)
• TH-U: features and rating (rank A)