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Version 1.6.0

Soundshed Guitar 1.6.0 is a major update for shaping tones, playing live, and practising songs. It brings nine new effects, fifteen classic drive pedal models, gapless preset switching with ringing effect tails, signal-chain undo and A/B comparison, and a new Practice Tool.

Highlights​

  • Nine new effects: Wah, Tape Echo, Analog Delay, 3D Spatial, Ring Modulator, Harmonizer, Rotary, Vibe, and Guitar to MIDI.
  • Fifteen classic overdrive, distortion, and fuzz pedal models, alongside substantial updates to amps, cabinets, reverbs, and pitch effects.
  • Gapless preset switching with delay and reverb tails, plus signal-chain undo/redo and A/B comparison.
  • A Practice Tool for slowing down and changing the key of backing tracks, looping sections, and saving practice projects.
  • Expanded MIDI Learn, a rebuilt metronome, faster startup, and major audio-engine performance improvements.

New effects and better tone​

The new Wah effect includes 34 factory voicings and can be controlled by an expression pedal or MIDI. Auto Wah is now a Control mode within Wah; existing Auto-Wah effects in presets are converted while retaining their sweep and level. Tape Echo adds warm repeats with wow, flutter, multiple playback heads, and tape-style pitch changes. Analog Delay adds darker bucket-brigade repeats, and both delays can self-oscillate.

3D Spatial places a guitar around the listener on headphones, with seven movement modes. Ring Modulator offers tracking and tempo-synced modes; Harmonizer follows the played key and scale with up to four configurable voices. Rotary models a stereo, two-mic rotating speaker cabinet with Slow, Fast, and Brake controls. Vibe adds Chorus and Vibrato modes, and Guitar to MIDI turns single guitar notes, dynamics, hammer-ons, bends, and vibrato into MIDI for a hosted instrument.

Overdrive, Distortion, and Fuzz now cover fifteen classic pedal styles, with smoother high-gain response and more consistent levels when switching effects on. Heavy American gains a wider range and new Character control. Simple Cabinet adds five cabinet types, mic choices, speaker drive, factory presets, and the ability to export or match an impulse response. IR Cabinet adds time alignment for its two impulse responses, including automatic alignment and a live combined response curve.

NAM models recorded at a different sample rate now sound cleaner, with new oversampling quality settings and higher-quality rendering for bounces and exports. The update also improves stereo behavior across effects and signal chains, adds linked stereo compression, and refines reverb, pitch, tremolo, delay, gate, and synth effects.

Presets, MIDI, and practice​

Preset changes now crossfade instead of cutting off the sound, allowing delay and reverb tails to ring. Set the transition time in Settings. Signal-chain undo and redo are available with Ctrl/Cmd+Z and Ctrl/Cmd+Shift+Z (or Ctrl/Cmd+Y); A/B switches between two chain versions. Effects now have factory preset menus, and Multi-Rig is enabled by default.

Right-click MIDI Learn is available on nearly all controls, with mappings that can be scoped to a preset. MIDI and DAW automation also gain more reliable scene, setlist, bank, and effect control.

The new Practice Tool in the Jam panel lets you load a backing track, change its speed or key independently, loop named sections, adjust its EQ, and save the setup as a project. The rebuilt metronome supports odd and compound time signatures, accent patterns, subdivisions, sampled clicks, and tap tempo.

Library, interface, and performance​

Drag NAM models and impulse responses into the app or directly onto compatible effects. Resource browsing remembers its place, and Tone3000 search and Tone Sharing are improved. Shared content is more safely previewed, and the app now prevents deleting resources still used by presets, effects, or rigs.

Compact layouts adapt to smaller windows and screens, and the signal chain can wrap instead of scrolling sideways. Global, Parametric, and Graphic EQs show a live spectrum; output metering now includes peak levels in dB. The plugin window restores its previous size, and standalone audio and MIDI setup has a dedicated settings tab.

The audio engine does substantially less work on simple chains, while the interface, hosted-plugin preset loading, and startup are faster. The release also includes fixes for DAW project handling, Multi-Rig and parallel-chain reliability, plugin hosting, platform-specific issues, and numerous effects and interface bugs.

System requirements​

macOS 11 (Big Sur) or later is now required; macOS Catalina is no longer supported. Windows 10/11 and Linux x64 remain supported.

Downloads​

Get the latest version from the Downloads page.

Feedback​

If something breaks, send your platform, DAW, audio interface, reproduction steps, and any logs or screenshots to [email protected].