guitar-sims.com reported on the 1.4.0 update. Version 1.5.0 introduced further improvements that made Soundshed Guitar even more appealing.

Version 1.6.0 brings a wide range of improvements, optimizations, and new features. That’s why this update should be viewed more like a beta version—according to Soundshed on Reddit.

Going into all the changes here would go way beyond the scope of this post. A large portion of the improvements are said to be optimizations that run in the background—in other words, programmer-level changes that users don’t immediately notice. But of course, there are plenty of new features. See the list and links below.

I haven’t fully tested version 1.6.0 yet either. Given its scope, that’s going to take quite a while. So here are my first impressions.

The following two issues have been fixed—I’ve been waiting for this:

• The “Mixing” feature, where you can select multiple presets, is fully functional again.
• With the “Scene” feature, certain functions wouldn’t work if the “Host Plugin” module was in the signal chain.

Presets: It’s great that you can now save presets for individual modules. For example, you can save your EQ settings and, of course, recall them in a different signal chain. Very handy!

Layout: There have also been some changes to the interface. Basically, Soundshed Guitar looks the same as usual, but some changes make the GUI even clearer, more effective, and more attractive. I especially like that you can make the plugin window quite small and still maintain a good overview and ease of use. That’s just great. Many plugins don’t have this feature, so you’re constantly moving the plugin window back and forth to make room on the screen. With Soundshed Guitar, this isn’t really a problem.  I really like that.

Effect Layout: It’s also possible to customize your own modules. I really like that. This way, you can graphically tailor Soundshed Guitar to your own preferences. These features have been further improved. For example, you can now select your own knop—something that didn’t work for me before. And, of course, you can do even more.

Soundshed Guitar offers so many more features and possibilities. Even though I’ve been using this plugin for quite a while, I keep discovering something new.

For example, there’s:

• the Jam features, where you can play along with your own riffs or YouTube videos in countless ways
• the ability to swap presets
• the many customization options in the Settings menu
• the ability to export all NAMs and IRs
• the Tone3000 integration
• the DSP performance indicators
• the blend effect

Although the examples mentioned were already present in the earlier version 1.5.0, they have been further developed and are worth mentioning again here to at least briefly outline the vast scope of this guitar amp sim.

There’s one more thing, though, that I’d like to mention: NAM and IR management.

I don’t know of any other plugin where managing, searching for, favoriting, and organizing individual files is handled as well as it is in Soundshed Guitar. Well, I don’t know all plugins, but I know quite a few.

Precisely because you’re constantly searching for and testing new NAMs and IRs, I think it’s so important to be able to organize them well and easily search through and sort your files. With Soundshed Guitar, I’ve never had a problem with that. Everything is simple, fast, and clear. On top of that, you can also access the relevant information for every NAM and IR file directly (e.g., the file path). That’s how it should be! Just absolutely fantastic!

As mentioned at the beginning, version 1.6.0 should be viewed more as a beta version. So there are some aspects of Soundshed Guitar that aren’t quite finished yet or don’t work 100% properly.

However, I haven’t noticed much so far. Just one or two minor issues. If you notice anything, feel free to reach out to Soundshed on Reddit. u/webprofusor, the developer, is very helpful and usually responds very quickly.

Conclusion

In my opinion, version 1.6.0 turned out really well. I’ve been a Soundshed Guitar fan ever since I discovered the plugin—what can I say...

There will be a few things that aren’t quite 100% yet, and a few tweaks here and there are still needed. No big deal. As I said at the beginning, it’s more of a beta version.

That will come with time.

There’s one thing I’d really like to see, and that is the ability to load *.dll plugins into the plugin host module. Many people still have plugins like that which they’d love to use. I’m thinking of LePou, for example. Or the VTarAmps. Just recently, Vadim Taranov released the Amp Raven Spiralis. As far as I remember, the VTarAmps are only available in *.dll format. But also all the other plugins, such as reverb, chorus, distortion, and so on. If that were integrated into Soundshed Guitar, that would be so awesome. Then you could play all those awesome old plugins in the standalone version of Soundshed Guitar, too. I think that’s really great—or am I the only one who feels that way?

Highlights (according to this Reddit post)

• 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.
• IR Cab now has alignment and IR response tools.
• Many effects get a set of factory presets within the effect, and you can save your own.

Full changelog on GitHub.

Installation Notes

Soundshed recommends backing up your data before installing version 1.6.0, just to be safe:

• Windows: %APPDATA%\Soundshed Guitar
• Linux: .~/.config/Soundshed Guitar/
• macOS: the new version is not sandboxed so data will move from <your user>/Library/Soundshed Guitar to the system /Library/ path

I didn't have any problems with the installation.

Update (23.10.2026):

On October 22, 2026, update v.1.7.0 was released, with the following changes:

Performance

• NAM amps now use about a third of the CPU they used to (and can be up to 5x less CPU), thanks to a new engine on Windows, Linux and Intel Macs (about half on Apple silicon). They sound the same. If you want to compare, toggle "Fast NAM Engine" under Settings > DSP Performance.
• The IR Cab and IR Reverb add no latency at all and use about half the CPU. Previously they added 5–43 ms in most DAWs.
• The Heavy American amp sim uses about a sixth of the CPU it did. A typical NAM + IR Cab preset uses about 40% of what it did.
• It sleeps when you’re not playing, so a muted or empty DAW track uses next to no CPU.
• A mono guitar on a stereo track is now processed once instead of twice, which roughly halves the CPU there.
• Our Transpose (Pitch Shift) is now one of the best performing open source implementations in the world (quality vs latency)

New stuff

• Noise Reduction: removes hum, buzz and hiss from your pickups without gating. It works under the notes too, tracks 50/60 Hz mains by itself, and adds no latency.
• Noise Gate Learn: mute your strings, press Learn, and it sets the threshold just above your noise floor.
• MIDI program change out: picking a bank or slot in the app can now update your controller to match.
• LUFS loudness readouts on any effect and on the output, plus DSP load peaks.
• Create a Tone Sharing pack straight from a preset folder.
• Light theme is not a little less bright
• Signal path UI polish
• UI performance tweaks
• Resource browsing (local library, folder, tone 3000) UI cleanup and refinements

Notable fixes

• The tuner now reads low bass strings, down to an extended-range low C#.
• Long Windows paths and folder names with non-English letters now load.
• Deleting the plugin from a track and inserting it again no longer crashes DAWs like Studio One.
• Bounces and exports no longer start with a gap of silence (about half a second in FL Studio).
• The noise gate closes promptly again, with no burst of hiss when you stop playing.
• Speaker Drive now compresses like a pushed speaker instead of acting as a volume cut.
• Hundreds (thousands?) of other small improvements

Version 1.7.1 was released on October 23, 2026.

Links

• Soundshed Guitar on guitar.soundshed.com
• all News articles form Soundshed on guitar-sims.com
• all Software form Soundshed on guitar-sims.com

Create Your Own Layout

With Soundshed Guitar, you can design your own amps and effects. Here are three examples: