Review: Peavey Electronics ReValver MkIII (Mac/Win)

Jan 1, 2009 12:00 PM, By Orren Merton

           
 

AN AMP AND EFFECTS SIMULATOR YOU CAN TWEAK FROM THE INSIDE OUT

BONUS MATERIAL
The ReValver's Module Tweak Mode

Although ReValver's onboard effects didn't blow me away, there are a few standouts. The Greener tube screamer is quite good, and Wow-Wah is one of the most versatile wah simulations I've seen, with lots of parameters you can tweak to find exactly the sound you want. I also liked the fact that the C-Verb convolution reverb lets you load in your own impulse responses in WAV format.

ReValver's VST Host module can host any VST plug-ins you have installed. You can use this module to add your favorite effects from other packages, and open their user interfaces by clicking on the GUI button. Peavey's Read Me file warns that some VST effects may crash ReValver, but I loaded all sorts of VST plug-ins and didn't experience a crash (although loading a VST instrument does kill the audio). The VST Host module vastly expands the sonic palette available to ReValver — kudos to its developers for including it.

X-Rated

As you might guess, ReValver's simulations of Peavey's own amps are top-notch. The heavy channels on the Triple X, 6505, and JSX models sound open, alive, powerful, and huge (see Web Clip 1). In fact, they're some of the best high-gain amps of any simulator I've heard. The clean and less distorted channels of these amps are also modeled, of course, but the distortion channels are the real draw.

The Classic 30 model sounds very open and warm, and it responds well to playing dynamics. To my ear, the ValveKing models have a slightly notch-filtered digital sound at higher gain settings. Ultimately, however, I was most impressed with the models of Peavey's heavy amps.

Some of the non-Peavey amps don't quite capture the signature character of the amps they model. The Fox ACS-45 didn't sound as Vox-like to me as the Vox simulations of some other modelers. The '62 BluesMaker sounded appropriately midgain and dynamic, but not much like the Marshall Bluesbreaker. The Flathill model didn't sound much like the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, either. And the Basic 100 didn't have the dynamic response of the Peavey models.

Le Petite, however, is a dynamic 3-channel amp with a very cool feature that lets you blend each of the three channels to taste. That blend feature gives the amp a unique character, and it was very playable. The MatchBox is a dynamic amp that was quite responsive to picking and had a smooth, liquid feel even when overdriven.

If you can live without the non-Peavey amps, you should check out ReValver HP (Mac/Win, $69.99). It includes all 6 Peavey tube-amp models and more than 75 speaker simulations, but it lacks the Module Tweak functions.

Hot Valves

ReValver MkIII delivers an unmatched level of flexibility and some of the best-modeled high-gain amps I've ever heard. Its VST Host module is unique among amp-simulation programs. ReValver is so tweakable, in fact, that with enough knowledge and patience, I'd bet even the simulations I wasn't as fond of could be adjusted to sound fantastic.

However, the way that ReValver continually opens dialog boxes in new windows can get messy if you have a lot of windows already open. What's more, the presets don't offer enough variety, instead sticking too close to traditional, blues, rock, and jazz staples. But if you're looking for a versatile amp simulator with excellent high-gain Peavey amp models, ReValver MkIII will not disappoint.