Genome from Two Notes Audio Engineering is an adaptable channel strip designed to deliver an end-to-end professional grade self-contained signal path in a plug-in format. Over four years in development and just released at this year’s Winter NAMM show, Genome has been designed to deliver pretty much everything a discriminating modern guitarist might need.
Genome is available in all mainstream plug-in formats including VST3, AAX and AU. Featuring an ever-growing roster of amplifiers, pedals, class-leading virtual cabinets and essential studio effects, Genome is designed to be used both as a comprehensive desktop recording tool and as a hybrid backline. Genome replaces Two Notes Engineering Wall of Sound as well as incorporates most of the software functionality of Two Notes older C.A.B. M/M+ and the new OPUS hardware Preamps as well.
Genome features a familiar lane-based user interface meaning you simply click a blank component slot and then select the Genome component you want. Genome is designed to deliver end-to-end tone shaping as soon as you install it. Genome comes with hundreds of stock presents organized into eight banks of presets with 100 presets (or “RIGs” as Two Notes Engineering calls them) per bank. Genome comes with a huge variety of great sounding presets in all the familiar categories which you can use as a starting point to craft your tone.
In addition to a diverse mix of clean, crunch, and overdrive tones, you also get a selection of custom crafted presets from YouTube personalities, famous guitar players, producers, etc, in a variety of assorted styles.
For the big picture, simply click the Lane Merge Mixer icon to bring up Genome’s lane mixer which allows you to adjust the pan, phase, level, width as well as control the stereo mono configuration of each lane of your RIGs. Genome can also easily switch to series or parallel signal processing modes. To merge back to series processing, click on the node switch between your selected components and select a merge option to immediately route both lanes to a single chain.
With Genome you‘re getting the bulk of Two Notes current software functionality including full control over your preamp and power amp stages as found in their OPUS Preamp giving you full control over pre and post effects, input, and output levels and more. Genome’s TSM or Tube Stage Modeling section offers a wide range of power tube options.
There are also plenty of options for configuring your preamp section however you want which is something very few amp modelers offer. Genome also features an on board Pedal engine that gives you a wide variety of emulations of classic pedals. Another great feature on Genome is you can split the signal into parallel signal paths and have stereo RIGs meaning you can have two delays, two cabs, pretty much what you can think of in terms of configuring your RIGs stereo signal path.
Genome also allows select third party A.I. amp and pedal captures to be loaded into Genome Codex (Neural Amp Modeler, AIDA-X and Proteus captures for example) and then use Genome’s A.I. enabled technology to help you further sculpt your tones. If you own a library of Two Notes DynIR’s, you can call those up in Genome as well.
Genome also allows you to incorporate your existing DynIR Cabs, so if you currently own, for example, a license to the Two Notes Wall of Sound library that you had purchased, they will automatically be imported into Genome.
Sum it all up, Genome from Two Notes Engineering delivers an all in one amp modeler in plug in format that rivals the sound quality and sophistication of or just about any hardware based Amp—Multi Effect modeler currently available. While its user interface is relatively easy to navigate, Genome offers enough depth and sophistication to keep even the most die-hard tone tweakers happy.
Just as important as delivering a great product, Two Notes Engineering as a company has, in my experience, been consistently good at supporting their customers. Personally, my end user experience as far as managing, updating and migrating my end user licenses from one Two Notes Engineering product to another has always been transparent and worked flawlessly.
At the time of this review, if you are the owner of any Two Notes hardware products, they will give you a completely free and full license to Genome at no charge. I think it says a lot about Two Notes Engineering as a company, not to mention I think it is a very smart marketing move that will keep a lot of existing Two Notes Engineering customers happy and loyal to the brand.
Genome from Two Notes Engineering is available now for just $79.99, which is a true bargain for all of what you’re getting.
Find out more at: two-notes.com/en/genome. A 14-day free trial version is also available.
