Not too long ago, the number of guitar amp sims compatible with NAM Loader was still quite manageable, but lately they’ve been multiplying. One of the reasons for this is likely AI.

While some are thrilled by this abundance and the resulting possibilities, others lament this oversupply and the associated vibe coding.

But what about the plugins that have been around for a while?

Oldies and Goldies?

The plugins that have been around for a while have primarily added the ability to use NAM A2. Ritual by Oracle Sound took its time with this and is now catching up. On top of that, Ritual is now finally available as a standalone version in its new 2.0 release. Unfortunately, it still lacks basic effects—such as a compressor, delay, and chorus—which are particularly important for the standalone version. PWC Skin II and Dusty Tube 2 are designed very similarly to Ritual but do include these effects.

So what sets Ritual apart from similar NAM loaders?

The RIT profiles

Ritual 2 has a “Create RIT capture” section. There, you can load up to 5 NAM files (including via drag-and-drop). If you then click the “Convert & save .RIT” button, the loaded snapshots are combined into a single capture. If you then load this *.rit file into the “RIT” section, you can use the GAIN knob to smoothly switch between the individual NAMs.

Oracle Sound describes it this way: “It is a ‘parametric-like’ profile, built solely from the snapshots you provide. Captures ranging from clean to high gain give you a smooth sweep across that range. It does not recreate every setting of the real amp.”

So you get a “sweepable amp.” 

That’s a really nice feature and, for me, what makes this plugin special. Oracle Sound isn’t the only one with this feature and capability, though. Soundshed Guitar, for example, can do this as well, but it’s more resource-intensive and geared more toward guitarists who want a comprehensive guitar amp suite with lots of effects and features.

So, what is new?

According to Oracle Sound, the following are the enhancements and updates that have been added:

• Two selectable engines: Switch between standard NAM playback and RIT mode. Single NAM files can also be loaded in RIT mode; creating a .rit requires at least two captures.
• Built-in RIT Creator: Five clearly labelled capture slots, drag-and-drop loading, capture naming, conversion, saving and loading directly into RITUAL 2. Your original NAM files remain unchanged.
• Updated NAM support: Load legacy and A2 NAM captures, with a model-size control for compatible files in NAM mode.
• Dedicated pedal section: Load a pedal NAM before your amp, with Gain, Tone, Volume, wet/dry Mix and bypass controls.
• Amp controls: Input or RIT Gain, Output, Low, Mid, High, Presence and TAME. TAME moves from no high-frequency cut to maximum cut. Separate amp-input adjustment remains available in Settings.
• Dual cabinet IR loading: Blend two cabinets or use Split mode to send IR A left and IR B right. The blend defaults to 50/50, with rebalanced cabinet output levels.
• Automatic mono/stereo operation: The plugin follows your host's channel layout. Standalone uses a mono pedal and amp path, with stereo cabinet output.
• Noise gate and tuner: An adjustable gate enabled by default, plus raw-input tuning with output muting while the tuner is active.
• Calibration and output modes: Choose Raw, Normalized or Calibrated operation. Input calibration activates when Calibrated mode is selected.
• Presets and metering: Save and load Ritual 2 presets, recall settings with your sessions, and monitor independent left/right input and output levels.
• Refined interface and processing: Red accents identify RIT mode, teal identifies NAM mode, with clearer labels, optimized processing and improved loading and offline-render reliability.

What NAMs and IRs does Ritual 2 include?

RITUAL 2 includes:

• 20 A1 NAM recordings
• 20 A2 NAM recordings
• 15 cabinet IRs

Each NAM collection includes 13 amp recordings and seven pedal recordings.

I especially like the NAM Capture “FLAME ON,” which I really enjoy playing with my own IRs (from Tone3000). The NAMs and IRs included with Ritual 2 alone are worth checking out.

Formats: 

• Windows: VST3, AAX and Standalone
• MAC: AU, VST3, AAX and standalone

Links

• RITUAL 2 AMP LOADER on oraclesound.com
• all News articles form Oracle Sound on guitar-sims.com
• all Software form Oracle Sound on guitar-sims.com