ML Sound Labs released Mikko Reflex Free, a free-to-use edition of their flagship guitar cabinet simulator.
According to ML Sound Labs, Mikko Reflex is the “most sophisticated guitar cab sim in the world.”
If you feel intrigued, they now offer a demo version of the plugin for free – either as a stand-alone application, VST3, or AU.
Mikko Reflex Free lets you use up to four different microphones to capture the sound of a speaker. You can rotate, angle, til,t and select a distance for the mics as well as blend each of them with a dedicated mix knob.
Reflex also lets you adjust the phase continually or flip it entirely with the phase reversal knob.
The plugin boasts an EQ balance section that gives you immediate visual feedback while moving the microphones in the virtual space. This section can also be used to do additional EQ tweaks with a highpass, lowpass and four bells if you need more detailed control over your tone.
Another handy thing with Mikko Reflex is its ability to export impulse responses in .wav format. These can be used with .wav compatible hardware, or together with other IRs as long as you make sure to export them with the “minimum phase transform” activated.
The user experience is straightforward, and it’s easy to dial in a range of different tones even with the admittedly limited free version.
If you feel like one speaker and four microphones aren’t enough, the paid version of Reflex offers 18 different speakers and cabs in combination with eight mics.
A lot of potential for experimentation, in other words, and not just for guitar players. Try using it as an experimental EQ and place elements in your mix by moving the microphones around if you’re tired of looking at your regular workhorse equalizer.
All in all, this free version of Mikko Reflex sounds nice and is fully usable for a lot of different scenarios, even though having just one speaker feels a bit limited.
Having at least two different speakers for comparison would make a slightly better and more valuable demo, but free is still better than nothing.
Downloading and installing the plugin is easy. You have to provide an e-mail address, but you do not need to sign up for anything, which we always appreciate.
Download: Mikko Reflex (FREE – email required)
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