Neural DSP Archetype: Tim Henson X guitar amp simulator: features and spec-based rating

Neural DSP’s Archetype: Tim Henson X is an amp simulator from Neural DSP (a company that makes sound processing run on dedicated hardware) that recreates the sound of Tim Henson of Polyphia. It has Multivoicer, which adds four-voice harmony, three amps and a cabinet section with six kinds of cabinets (the speaker boxes of guitar amps).

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: Tim Henson 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: Tim Henson 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 a sparkling clean tone, or a distinctive guitar sound with layered harmonies

Main features of Archetype: Tim Henson X

Multivoicer adds four-voice harmony

Archetype: Tim Henson X is a plug-in that recreates the sound of the guitarist Tim Henson. Multivoicer is a feature that adds four voices at different pitches to the guitar sound to make layered harmonies. You can also send chords by MIDI and have it harmonize at those pitches.

Three amps with different characters

ROSES is a bright amp that adds a sparkle like an acoustic guitar, CHERUBS is a British-style low-gain amp, and PINK is a lead amp you can use for rhythm and lead. Before the amp there are a boost with a two-band EQ, a compressor and an overdrive.

A cabinet recorded with six microphones

The cabinet section includes 324 IRs recorded by Nolly, and you can place six virtual microphones around the speaker. In stereo you can add a second microphone and set its position and level in detail. It also supports loading your own IRs.

Where it is useful

• Making a harmony phrase from one guitar with Multivoicer
• Adding an acoustic-like sparkle to an electric guitar with ROSES
• Recording a thick lead sound with PINK

Rating by criterion

Range of tones: 3 / 5

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

It has three amps and effects such as Multivoicer, which adds four-voice harmony, a boost, a compressor and an overdrive, and you 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 section, in which you can move six virtual microphones, includes 324 IRs recorded by Nolly.

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: Tim Henson 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 September 27, 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)